by R A Browell
‘Maybe there’s some kind of shared heritage,’ pondered Hari, craning his neck, so that both he and Lily looked like a couple of long-necked bitterns.
‘Network?’ whispered Charlie, staring at his friend. ‘What are you talking about? Do you think we’re being watched?’
‘Probably,’ replied James dismissively as he joined Lily and Hari in staring up at the exquisite painted friezes, his neck bent back, as he too admired the magnificent paintings more closely. ‘Just look at that,’ he exclaimed. ‘If you didn’t know better you’d think they were pictures of Greek gods and mythological creatures.
‘Look at that one there,’ said Hari, pointing up at a warrior, fighting what looked like a multi-headed hydra, ‘I’m sure I’ve seen something like it in the British Museum. You can almost believe that we were all together at some point.’
‘Maybe you’re onto something Hari; like shared interests,’ agreed James.
‘But I thought they didn’t like us,’ said Lily, still looking up at the paintings.
Charlie was staring at James.
‘What do you mean, probably?’ he asked, keeping his voice low. ‘Do you really think we’re been spied upon? And will you three please stop staring at the ceiling.’
The huge gilded doors at the far end of the chamber swung open and a tall thin teenager entered the hall, his quick footsteps echoing across the whole chamber. The four friends watched him in silence. He was dressed in a long, flowing yellow robe and was carrying an important looking leather file, embossed with a gilded pattern, together with a gold topped staff and was holding himself tall and with so much self-importance that they thought he might lose his balance and fall over backwards.
‘Come with me,’ the boy insisted as he fussed over the papers in his file. ‘It is requested that you should enter the chamber together. Come. You may leave your belongings in here. Quickly now,’ he ordered, hurrying them along with his long arms.
The teenagers looked at each other as they allowed themselves to be ushered out of the room and down another great hall, framed around its perimeter with rounded arches and with yet another impressive vaulted ceiling above their heads. It was a dark, colourless room but in the centre was a huge bronze statue that overshadowed the whole chamber. Lily looked at it closely. The statue was of a great warrior, lance in hand, fighting a creature that looked like a dragon and between them, the object of their desire; a bronze replica of what looked like planet Earth. Lily looked closely at the sphere. Correction, it would have been an exact replica of the planet except that the globe appeared to have a differently etched geography to that which she remembered from her classes back at Hallington High. Lily smiled to herself. She had a strange feeling that the worlds had more in common than anyone cared to admit. It didn’t feel at all alien to her, not in the least, in fact she felt quite at home.
‘This is the Court of the Great Warrior, next the Court of Lions and then the Hall of Justice, which is our destination,’ the youth announced proudly. ‘Quickly now!’ he ordered as he stepped out ahead, his footsteps clicking rapidly and echoing against the stone walls. Lily watched him walk. She couldn’t help but notice how he had such tiny steps for such a tall person.
‘Who is this guy?’ asked Hari under his breath.
‘No idea, but he looks wired, as though he’s about to start skipping in the corridor!’ sighed Charlie.
The next room had a much higher vaulted ceiling and was completely constructed of fine marble of many different colours; pinks, oranges, greens and blues. Glassy smooth columns lined each side of the vast space and Lily noticed many concealed doors along the walls. This chamber looked like a kind of central hallway and in the middle was a seven-sided marble fountain from which a huge plume of jet black water danced. The fountain bowl was intricately carved with fretwork that seemed too fine to have been created from stone and on each of its seven sides it was supported by a sculptured lion, each animal standing facing outwards with expressions so realistic that they made the soft dark hairs on the palms of Lily’s hands stand on end. As she watched, additional plumes of black water, like transparent tar were vomited from the seven fearsome mouths, only to cascade into a shallow pool below. They formed bubbles that floated back up, before bursting above the marble bowl and returning the black water back from where it had come and all the time the main black plume danced.
Lily stood looking at the beautiful sculpture, mesmerised by the strange water and bursting bubbles until she finally heard a voice talking to her from behind.
‘I see you’re enchanted by our fountain!’ the tall youth beamed. ‘It really is quite gorgeous isn’t it?’ His face suddenly became animated as he gestured widely with his arms. ‘I could study such a thing of beauty for hours and hours and hours, couldn’t you?’ he asked, blinking rapidly.
Lily grinned. He was so excited and enthusiastic about the sculpture that she couldn’t help herself. She nodded, ignoring her three friends who looked on; uncertain what to make of the strangely animated youth.
‘I just adore it! Not purely for its aesthetic,’ he continued, shaking his head with an infectious extravagance, ‘Oh no, no, no, but because of its huge significance. For us it doesn’t get any bigger than this, for here we have not just one, but seven griffins, the perfect number and creatures not only of brute strength but also of eternal compassion.
Isn’t that just amazing?’ he gabbled in his high-pitched voice.
‘But I thought you said they were lions,’ said Lily.
‘Oh no, Miss, it’s an easy mistake to make and the chamber is called the Court of Lions but if you look carefully you can see their wings folded behind their backs. Magnificent aren’t they. Terrifying but magnificent! Come now, we must hurry,’ he said and hurried her away.
Lily looked back at the sculpture. He had a point. She knew that seven was a good number, it was one of the things that her mum had said made her special, but she didn’t quite know how to comprehend those beaks and claws as a symbol of brute strength and compassion even if it was a pride of griffins rather than lions. In truth, she’d never really been hit by the compassion that either of those predators held for its prey. Brute strength, maybe, but eternal compassion? Lily thought that she’d reserve judgement on that one for later as she gazed one last time at the fountain with its dark waters and then followed the tall gangly youth as he skipped towards the next door.
‘Here we are,’ he announced. ‘The Hall of Justice or Chamber of Justice if you’d prefer.’ He gave a high-pitched giggle as though he’d said something funny. Charlie narrowed his eyes and scowled. ‘Right then. Are we all ready?’ the youth asked, placing his official-looking file carefully on a marble side table before he methodically smoothed his robes and prepared himself. ‘Well then, good luck!’
The flamboyant guide knocked on the double door with the top of his gilded staff and waited for a response and as the doors slowly opened, he ushered them in, smiling one last time at Lily, before bowing low and then submissively backing out of the chamber as the doors closed with an echoing thud. The Chamber of Justice was just as big as the other rooms they’d seen, but unlike the others, it was warm and richly furnished. Its walls and ceilings were covered in the same detailed artwork that Lily had so admired in the Hall of Singers.
‘Come. Please enter,’ a voice called.
They stepped hesitantly into a room that was dominated by a flight of white marble steps leading to a raised platform upon which were positioned three plain but ancient-looking wooden thrones. They were empty. Lily glanced quickly around. Silky and Valens were already seated, with four unusually dressed Farisians, at a long table loaded with plates of colourful food and glass pitchers full of strange, green liquid. Behind them, was an imposing fireplace from which green, blue and black flames flared intermittently up the wide chimney; its heavy stonework was decorated with symbols and heraldry that looked as ancient as the worn wooden thrones.
‘Join us. Please. Eat,’ a woman with a gh
ostly white face urged as Hari, Lily, Charlie and James padded barefoot across the polished floor. ‘You must all be hungry after your long journey.’ She raised herself effortlessly from her deep chair, her thin gown cascading around her ankles as she moved towards them, gliding across the marble as though walking on air.
‘Our apologies for keeping you waiting. Sit with us and eat. We have much to discuss,’ said a dark-haired man with the black beady eyes of a raven and a thick, square set jaw. He bowed as he rose to greet them and then pointed to the four empty seats across the table, next to Silky. The pale faced woman returned to her seat.
‘Lily, Hari, James and you must be Charlie,’ the dark-haired host continued, turning and rubbing his hands by the fire. ‘We understand the epona have assisted in your journey. An unusual choice,’ he said returning to his seat. ‘They are not always such helpful creatures, but then again we didn’t expect you to have to travel so far.’ He glanced at Silky. ‘In any case we trust your journey was uneventful,’ he said and smiled at Charlie and James. ‘The epona are not to everyone’s taste but we were kept advised of your progress.’ James caught Charlie’s eye. He’d been right about them being watched. ‘We had expected Lily to use the usual gateway, here at Pergamont,’ he continued, ‘but Silky has already explained how the increased size of your party altered her plans. It seems she was uncertain whether the three of you,’ he indicated towards the boys, ‘should be brought here unannounced.’
He paused and then turned his attention back to Lily.
‘Lily Carfax you are most welcome here in Farisia. That is to say, that we hope all of you will feel welcome. It has been many years since the gatekeepers have allowed anyone new from your world to join us. It is true we were expecting one not four, but who are we to argue with the wisdom of the gatekeepers.’ He looked at the boys as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. The second man coughed. He was different from the first, his grey hair was tied neatly back and his long beard had been plaited with braids to hold it in place. He appeared more scholarly.
‘My apologies, I am reminded that we have been most rude, we must introduce ourselves,’ continued the dark-haired man. ‘I am Aylmer Etricklore. This is Lady Serpinia Scremerston.’ The elegant pale woman bowed her head as she was introduced, ‘and this is Professor Cadmus Addersbank, our third council member.’ With a swift movement of his left hand, Etricklore pointed towards the grey-bearded man who was watching them all with wide, owl-like eyes. He held his hands as though he were praying, pressing his plump fingers together in contemplation as he acknowledged each of them with a slow nod.
‘We three together make up the Council of Laudis, referred to collectively as ‘The Laudis’ but perhaps this has already been explained to you?’ He looked at Silky, who quickly shook her head. ‘No,’ he established. ‘Well let me simply say that we represent the highest order of authority in Farisia, whose duty is to see that our people are protected. This,’ he said and gestured to a solitary figure at the bottom of the long table, who had previously gone unnoticed, ‘is our respected alchemist and guardian of the Farisian library, Professor Zigadenus Frementi. We very much hope he will become your friend and mentor in the days ahead.’
They all looked down the table to a flaxen-haired boy who sat with his head bowed. He was absorbed in the parchment in front of him and was scribbling. He looked no more than sixteen or seventeen and briefly looked up and smiled as his name was mentioned, acknowledging each of them with a quick nod before returning to his work. Charlie nudged Hari. Although the alchemist was absorbed in his work, his quill was moving quite happily of its own accord across the parchment.
‘Professor Frementi,’ Etricklore continued, reading the look on the four faces, ‘whilst of modest years is probably the greatest scholar and alchemist in the known worlds at this time. He has served his apprenticeship and now has ultimate control of our vast libraries and historical resources. His knowledge will be invaluable to you, in fact to all of us,’ Etricklore added.
‘Invaluable to us. Why?’ asked James, his voice surprisingly confident as the others looked at him in amazement.
‘Why does he always question things?’ frequenced Charlie, affecting a silent groan.
‘I don’t know, but Etricklore doesn’t look too happy,’ replied Hari. ‘James, you need to tone it down a little!’ he frequenced his friend.
‘I don’t see why,’ frequenced James. ‘They’re the ones who have been spying on us!’ The quill stopped moving for just a moment as the young alchemist glanced down the table at James and grinned.
‘You asked a pertinent question, James,’ Etricklore replied, addressing James’s earlier question, his voice so low that they all had to strain to hear him above the crackling fire. ‘You have of course been allowed here as Lily’s travelling companions. I think the two questions you should be asking are why we asked Lily to come here and why you three were allowed to accompany her?’
Etricklore’s eye settled on Lily as the quill stopped scribbling altogether and placed itself neatly down to one side of the unfinished parchment.
‘I will answer the second question first,’ Etricklore continued. ‘We understand that you are still young, Lily and that you have faced many changes recently. Also, that you have been given knowledge about your heritage and have accepted that knowledge with a maturity that belies your age. Once in transition, your kind seem to mature at an amazing rate, however we are aware that you are still in your minority and we suspect that is why the gatekeepers have, in their wisdom, allowed your companions here to accompany you.’
Etricklore glanced at James.
‘As for the first question and why we asked Lily to come here? From the very beginning we have come to understand that you had the potential to be very special to both this and your own worlds,’ he said and moved his gaze directly to Lily. ‘It was felt that if you managed to survive your transition, you could be the one for whom we have waited for many years. Yet even we did not expect to have to summon you so precipitously. We thought there would be more time, however events have conspired against us and we need your assistance sooner than we expected.’ He paused, tracing his lips with his forefinger thoughtfully. ‘Many years ago,’ he began, ‘long before your remembered ancestors, something happened. That something is now having an impact on all four worlds and has reached a point where we, the Council of Laudis, have made the collective decision to request your presence. If you are the one who has been awaited, it is hoped that by summoning you now, we will have time to start imparting some of the knowledge that we think you will need before it is too late.’ Lily looked past Etricklore into the ghostly green, blue and black flames.
‘Is it something to do with the screams that I heard?’ she asked.
Etricklore nodded gravely. ‘Yes, Lily it is, but before we tell you what we think is happening, we need you to understand the history of our worlds. Much of the old knowledge has been lost over time but Professor Frementi has been working through the library documents, categorising our history, piecing together facts, uncovering old secrets, historical events and commonalities that link our worlds. Tonight, we shall give you a brief summary of what we know but there is still much that we don’t. Professor Frementi can fill you in on the details over the next few months, maybe longer if we have the time. You will work with him and use the Hallington gateway so that your studies here disrupt your usual routine in your own worlds as little as possible. Everything must be kept discreet if we are to have any chance of success.’
A forced cough echoed around the room.
‘If I can just stop you there for one second?’ All heads turned towards the bottom of the table. ‘If we’re going to be working together on this for some time,’ said the young alchemist, ‘I really must insist that you stop calling me Professor Frementi. You have no idea how irritating it is! And another thing; you really should ask them first before you commit them to night classes. It’s only polite and it is always possible that they may choose to decline.
’
The teenagers stared with wide-eyed amazement down the food laden table at Zigadenus Frementi as Valens tried unsuccessfully to suppress a snort and Silky glared at her son.
Etricklore raised one eyebrow, clearly irritated. ‘What would you have us call you?’ he asked, hardly bothering to disguise his displeasure.
‘Oh, I don’t know. How about Ziggy? That’s what I prefer!’ said Ziggy nonchalantly.
Charlie caught the alchemist’s eye and grinned. ‘I like him. I really do!’ he frequenced to his friends, sensing a rebellious soul mate, as Etricklore coughed sharply to bring everyone back to attention.
‘Well, now we’ve got that sorted, ‘Ziggy’,’ said Etricklore pointedly and staring at the alchemist as he repeated the name. ‘Of course, our guests must agree, and must understand the background before they commit. And you, Professor Zigadenus Frementi,’ Etricklore said coldly, ‘will fill us in on anything important that I miss.’ Etricklore took a deep breath and began. ‘I’m afraid I must take you back. Bear with me, if you will. Our history begins many thousands of years ago, when the earth was still young and her heart still fresh and strong. Two worlds existed side by side and the gateways had no need for keepers. The peoples of four different worlds lived together in relative peace and harmony. Many of the myths and stories from each world originate from this time. It was an age of hope and optimism for all.
In your world, there were the humans and the sanguins, and in ours the Farisians and the Kelpasians. Even back then the humans were always fearful of the sanguins and so the vampire race remained as a minority group because, even though they were naturally stronger and more efficient predators, they weren’t as genetically robust. Eventually the humans seized the opportunity and created the legends of the Undead and with them, a human world consumed with fear that the sanguins would prey on their evolutionary brothers and sisters if they were allowed to co-exist. The reality is that for any species with a conscience, there will be those who are inherently good, and those who always choose evil. In Farisia and Kelpasia, you will no doubt come across those who harbour dark motives, although we are more than happy to allow open co-existence between our two worlds. If offences are committed then we deal with the individuals concerned. Here we do not pre-judge an entire species. We have lived in relative harmony with our neighbours, the Kelpasians, for thousands of your years. In evolutionary terms, they are similar to us and to you too. Many of the creatures that you recognise from your myths and legends tend to be from the old worlds; the nymphs, the elves and various sprites as well as creatures such as the enron, the griffin, the hydra and the chimera, the list is endless, just as would be a list of the different species that inhabit your own world.’