Eric's forehead vein throbbed. “You had a cell phone?”
The climber nodded as if it were common sense. “Yeah, so the lab can always reach me.”
The vein throbbed harder. “So why didn't you call for help when the elevator was broken?”
The climber put a hand to his chin. “Huh . . . I don't know. Well, see ya.”
Eric's fists clenched so hard he left nail marks.
The main building was a large metallic structure with windows cut into the shapes of triangles. There were windmills on the top and a large antenna in the center with smaller ones spread out among the sides. The door opened automatically and closed with a swoosh. Inside were shelves upon shelves of vials and bottles and boxes of herbs. Despite all of them, the lab smelled as clean as a clear day. At the center, a lab-coated woman with long brown hair bent over a table, fiddling with something.
“Ah yes, of course! If I take this chemical here . . .and this element here . . .I will create the perfect solution!” She twirled with two vials of chemicals. A scientist who dances with chemical vials . . . He tried to get her attention, but she didn't notice. A dog walked out from behind the counter and barked.
“We have a guest? Thanks.”
“Who are you talking to?”
“Hacen. He's my lab partner.”
Eric saw no one else in the room but the dog. At first, he thought the woman was insane, but then another thought occurred to him. Maybe the dog is a trickster.
“Who are you?” the scientist asked. Eric introduced himself and a gust of wind blew. It traveled through the room and whispered in every nook and cranny.
“Pleased to meet you. I am the Hermit of Tunrig.” Eric sweat dropped. How can she call herself a hermit when she works at a laboratory? “So what can I do for you, Eric?”
“I'm trying to get to Hanson Enterprise HQ,” Eric said.
“Ah, I know that place. It's quite a ways away . . .hmm, how to get you there.” She started pacing and talking to herself. The dog barked.
“No, no! That won't work!” The dog barked again. “Of course it won't! It's too impractical!”
This must be how Oliver felt . . .
“Now that idea just might work.” She grabbed pen and paper. “Let's see, the weight of the object to be transported . . .” She looked at Eric “And . . .the distance to be transported . . .” She scribbled calculations. “So the power necessary is . . .” She looked for errors. “ . . .Yes, yes that should work.”
“Now, Eric, we have devised the perfect means of travel for you.” She walked to a large something covered in sheets. “You shall use my genius invention . . .” She ripped off the sheets. “The Dynamic Air Tunnel!” It looked like an old-fashioned cannon with science gizmos attached.
Eric looked doubtfully. “Is this thing safe?”
She shrugged. “It works fine when I use it.”
Eric backed away from the cannon. Getting to his job on time wasn't worth his life. He'd find some other way. He was on the lab's threshold when the wind blew by him.
Keep your mind open, a voice whispered in his ears. The wind swirled around the objects in the lab and hazy images appeared where it touched. See what could be there. Wind swirled over Eric and flowed toward a mirror. Within it, he saw himself wearing a different outfit and carrying a staff.
Those voices again . . .I'm going crazy after all . . .Well, if I'm crazy and this is just a hallucination, then I won't die. He walked to the back of the cannon, climbed in through the open hatch, and lay down on his belly. The hermit assured him once more and closed the cannon. It was pitch black, but for some reason, Eric wasn't as frightened as he was in the quarry.
“Good, just remain calm and you'll be there soon.” The scientist pushed a series of buttons, pulled a number of levers, and turned an assortment of dials. Electricity surged and the Dynamic Air Tunnel hummed into life. Air rushed into the DAT. Wind, I was right.
It blew over his body like a storm gust, tossing his hair every which way and ruffling his clothes. Inside pressure increased and centered at his feet. The steel flap opened.
Fly. Fly like a bird.
Eric flew through one of the triangle-shaped holes in the building, across the mountaintop, and into a hole in a building on the other side. There two scientists were so focused on yelling at each other they didn't notice the crash Eric made when he landed. The sun shone brilliantly on them both.
“You can't do this!” one shouted. “It's too dangerous!”
“Yes I can!” the other one shouted back. “For science and the human race!”
“You could damage the Sun and thus the human race!”
“My experiment is flawless! Nothing will go wrong.”
Look too closely at the Sun and you will be blinded. The sixth of such voices to speak inside Eric's head. Unlike the whispers of the wind and water, or the bellows of the earth and fire, this one was gentle like the darkness. He felt like his mother was warning him against playing in the street.
The first scientist threw up his arms in frustration and left. Eric groaned as the bruises he collected made themselves known and the remaining scientist noticed him.
“You! Help me do this and I guarantee that you will have a glorious future. Everything you've ever wanted will be yours for the taking!”
Eric glanced from the scientist to the glaring sun. I see where this going. Look at the Sun and be blinded by its light; look at how noble or grand your cause is and be blinded by that instead.
Eric smirked. “No.”
The scientist glared. “You are making a big mistake.” Eric didn't waver and the scientist shrugged. “Oh well, I'll show you the exit.”
This room was occupied by a table, two chairs, a chessboard, and a creature with pointy ears. The last sat behind pieces of a golden-brown color and the empty seat controlled pieces made of a clear material. It was just moving a pawn when he heard the door open.
“Hello, Eric!” Tasio said, smiling as always. “Are you finished working?”
“I haven't even started.” He frowned. “While Hanson Enterprise does produce commercial energy, I did not need to visit those places personally!”
Tasio gasped. “Ohh! I'm so sorry, Eric! I must have misunderstood.”
Eric rolled his eyes. “Well, to prevent further misunderstandings, I want to go to room 3A of Hanson Enterprise HQ. That's Head Quarters, not Ham Quartet or Hot Quills or anything silly.”
Tasio's grin was so big it creeped Eric out. “Right away, Eric.”
Tasio snapped and Eric was blinded by light. When the light faded, Eric was greeted by dust and crates: Room 3A, the storage closet. Another difference was Tasio hovering next to him.
“Is this the right place?”
“Yes, you got it right this time.”
“Yay.” Eric grabbed the knob. “Don't forget this.”
Tasio was holding his briefcase. Eric could have sworn he was holding it at the first teleport.
He left the storage closet with Tasio floating close behind. He passed a random co-worker on the way to the elevator who said he was late.
“Yeah, I know.” Eric glared at the seemingly empty air. “My alarm clock didn't go off.”
“Hanson's pretty mad; I hope your report is good enough to make up for it.”
“Is it?” Eric asked Tasio.
“Yes, of course,” Tasio replied. “If you hadn't fallen asleep when I was reciting my resume, you would have known I've helped countless people write reports.”
Aaron awaited Eric at the elevator. “Did the baby sleep in today?”
“This guy needs to get a life,” Tasio said. Eric smiled and Aaron frowned.
“You won't be smiling when the general is done with you.” The look on his face squashed any relief Eric might have been feeling and he stood in the elevator like someone awaiting execution. This may have been accurate; Hanson looked like Grim Death.
“Private Watley, you are very late.”
“I'm sorry, s
ir.”
Hanson leaped up and bellowed, “Sorry doesn't cut it on the battlefield! I won't stand for any excuse!” He sat back down. “Do you at least have the report ready?”
“Yes, sir.” Eric placed the report Tasio made on Hanson's desk and stood straight while Hanson looked it over. Not a minute later, he tossed the whole thing in the garbage.
“What is this?”
Nausea hit Eric's stomach like a bomb. “M-my r-report, sir.”
“Eric, this is not a report; it is a mess. Every other word is misspelled, it's poorly organized, and bordered with smiley faces.”
Tasio pouted. “What's wrong with smiley faces?”
“Your work is barely up to par, often late, and you don't get along with anyone.” Eric felt like a criminal standing on the gallows. “And now you arrive late with this rubbish? I'm sorry, Eric, but for the good of the unit, I'm giving you a dishonorable discharge.”
“Translation: You're fired because you're a drain on the company.” Eric gave Tasio a nasty glare as he walked down the hall. “Just trying to help.”
“You haven't been helpful at all!” Eric shouted. “You said it was good enough!”
“I thought it was good enough,” Tasio said with his chin high. “But, then again, I don't know anything about this company.” The Trickster shrugged.
Eric's first stop was cleaning out his cubicle. The only bright side was it wouldn't take long. There were no pictures of family or friends, no memorabilia of any kind, not even much in the way of supplies since they frequently disappeared. Tasio tapped Eric and pointed.
“Here's something I can definitely help you with. I have millennium of experience matchmaking.” Normally, Eric would have declined, but part of him felt like taking a chance. Surely matchmaking is different from writing a report.
“What do I do?”
“The first step is the first step,” Tasio said. “You have to walk over to her.” Feeling like an idiot, Eric gathered up his courage and took that step.
“Tell her she looks nice,” Tasio instructed.
“ . . .Y-you l-look nice today, Emily.”
Emily smiled. “Thank you, Eric.”
“Now ask her about her day.”
“H-how was y-your day?”
“You know, same old, same old.”
“Now ask her about her plans for the weekend.”
“D-d-do you h-have any p-plans for the weekend?”
“I'm going to a movie with Tim on Saturday.”
Eric heard a record screeching. He thought it was in his head, but then he saw Tasio holding one and dragging his nails across it. The Trickster laughed nervously and hid it behind his back.
“Maybe some other time, okay, Eric?”
“Sure . . . Sure . . .” Eric walked out dejected while Tasio hung in the air, biting his nails. Once outside, The Trickster spoke up.
“Eric . . .I need to apologize.”
Eric narrowed his eyes at the Trickster. “Tasio . . .what did you do?”
Eyes downcast, he shuffled uneasily in the air. “Well . . .I had to find something to do while I waited for you to finish work, so I looked for anyone else needing help. I saw Tim and gave him a push. I had no idea you were going to ask her out too.” Now depressed, unemployed and brokenhearted, Eric began the long walk home.
“Would you like me to teleport you?”
Eric's anger reached its boiling point. His last shred of inhibition disappeared and he threw the box at the floating trickster. It passed through him and smashed on the pavement.
“WHY? So you can zap me to a meteor crater or the bottom of the ocean?”
Tasio raised his hands defensively. “I'm just trying to help.”
“Well, you're not! Just leave me alone!” Eric stomped off. Stupid elf, since he came nothing's—
“Ohhhhh Eeerrrriiicccc.” Eric stopped. “There is . . .another way I can help you.”
Eric spun and glared at The Trickster. “How?! Turning me inside out?!”
“There's no need to get gruesome, Eric.” Tasio waggled a finger. “I was giving you standard help; a jumpstart if you will . . .But if you need more, then that I can give you heavy duty help.”
“Like what?”
“I can make all the bad things that happened today go away; a fresh start, just for you. If you'll let me.” Tasio extended his hand. “Well, will you let me?”
What have I got to lose? He clasped Tasio's hand and a jolt shot through him. An incorporeal hand reached into his body and grabbed his soul. He couldn't move.
“Excellent!” The wind picked up and Tasio's hair flew around him. His eyes, nose, and mouth glowed with brilliant golden light that poured out of him. It swirled and churned before exploding outward. Gathering behind him it formed a portal; a double-door gate, touching the sky. With an ominous creaking, the doors opened wide and spilled more light.
“What's going on?!” Eric urged and pleaded with his body to move, but couldn't even wiggle his toes. He didn't want to be here! Anywhere else but here! I don't want to do this anymore! Tasio chuckled; with the otherworldly light and his hair flying everywhere, he was truly terrifying.
“I'm helping you.” Tasio jumped backwards and pulled Eric with him.
The human fell screaming through a tunnel of light. The walls pulsed like a thing alive. Countless events flashed; sights and sounds and smells and tastes and feels! Surges of gold light danced and struck him. Then his screams of fear became screams of pain. Too much to be afraid; too much for anything. He could feel every part of him warping and twisting as the golden light reached the deepest part of him. He hurtled toward a bright light at the tunnel's end and everything he knew dissolved.
Chapter 2 Tariatla
Eric awoke in something soft and damp. The smell of dirt and snow filled his nose. He snorted; they were in his nose too. Around him were trees with few leaves and the buds of new plants. The air was chill despite the sun. He rubbed his arms to get warmth into them. Now where am I?
The soft and damp cushion was a thin layer of new grass. It had the imprint of his body. Besides the trees and other plants he recognized, there were some he couldn't hazard a guess. Does that bush have fur? His body still ached from whatever had happened to him, so he knew he wasn't dreaming. Once again, Tasio is nowhere to be found. Some help he is.
As he walked, the hairs on his neck stood up. Ridiculous. No one's watching me because no one's here. Squirrels stared from branches and rabbits paused to glance at him. Impossible, they're just—
A hawk plummeted from the sky and alighted on a branch right next to Eric. Red-brown feathers covered its head, leading to brown feathers across its back to a red tail. A thin cloth material was strapped over its breast like a vest. It glared and hawed at him. I must be dreaming. This hawk sounds like it's trying to talk to me. The hawk made a frustrated motion before settling down. Its down feathers ruffled and a human mouth opened up.
“What are you doing in my domain?”
“AHHHHHHH!”
“Screaming, apparently.” the mouth said disdainfully. The hawk covered his ears to wait the scream out. There was nothing he could do with the human until it calmed down. When it finally ran out of breath, he tried again.“Now, about—”
“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” The hawk sighed and returned to covering his ears.
Eric crouched and held his head in his hands. I've gone insane! The stress has finally gotten to me! Tasio could have been an imaginary friend . . .no one else could see him . . .but this!? A hawk growing a mouth and talking about its domain!? “BIRDS CAN'T TALK!!!”
More denizens gawked at this loud stranger.
Another hawk landed next to the first. This one's feathers had greyed with age, but the mouth in its down was the same. “You are not from this world, are you?”
“Don't talk to it,” Eric muttered, “Don't look at it. Don't think about it.”
“He is definitely an Otherworlder,” the old bird said, “Judging from his ignorance he is m
ost likely from one of the dry branches.”
“That would explain why I needed my second mouth.”
“Visitor, I am Greystreak, an elder from the Rose Forest Colony of red-tailed hawks.” The Elder Hawk introduced himself with a bow and spread of his wings. “This is my son, Redstreak, the chief of our colony.” The younger hawk merely nodded. “What is your name, human?”
Why not? “Eric Watley.” He sat cross-legged. “My name is Eric Watley.”
“Well, Eric, how did you arrive in this forest?” Greystreak asked.
“OUR forest!” Redstreak shouted.
Greystreak swatted his son with a wing. “Being courteous to visitors is a chief's duty. You represent our colony; do not make others think less of us.”
“Yes, Elder. I apologize for my rudeness, human.” Greystreak nudged him. “I apologize, Eric.”
“Back to my question: how did you arrive?”
“Tasio the Trickster pulled me through a golden door.”
“The Fire Bringer!?” Both hawks shrieked. Silence. Their second mouths closed and they hawed at each other. Redstreak was clearly angry, but the elder hawk insisted.
“I will take you to the nearest human colony. It . . . it is my duty as chief to see lost travelers safely out of my domain.” Eric got the impression that Greystreak was chuckling. The greying hawk took flight and Eric was left with Redstreak.
“Come on, human, let's get this over with.” He took flight and Eric followed. They traveled in silence until Eric's curiosity got the best of him.
“So where am I?”
“The Rose Forest.”
“And the world I'm in?”
“Tariatla.”
“And where are we going?”
Redstreak grinded his beak. “We are going to a human colony.” Nearby bushes rustled and Redstreak held out a wing. “There's something nearby.”
“Something dangerous?”
“Yes. Now quiet! “
A wolf-like creature darted into the path. The off-world human took one look at the hideous creature—its sharp horns, gleaming fangs, savage eyes—and froze. The creature lunged when a beam of red light knocked it away. Redstreak shot like a bullet, but it jumped away and raised its hackles. Redstreak fired a second bolt from his beak, but instead of hitting the creature, it reflected off a screen of light. He dived away, then flew into the trees, and was lost from view.
A Mage's Power (Journey to Chaos) Page 3