by R W Foster
“Excellent, Carter. You are taking to your lessons well.”
I smiled with pleasure at the compliment. I had heard similar words from Angriz, but they seemed different somehow when Lady Soo-jau said them.
“Carter,” boomed Angriz. “Tell the Lady what you have learned about pumice.”
I decided to add what I learned about it from my world, in addition to what he had taught me.
“Pumice is a term for a volcanic rock that is solidified frothy lava created when super-heated, pressurized rock is ejected from a volcano. It has a sulfurous odor, yet is excellent for cleaning swords. If dried blood, rust, or other undesirable element is on the blade, a light scrubbing with a pumice stone will clean it off in a matter of moments.”
“Excellent, my boy. I am a grand teacher, am I not, Lady?”
“You are indeed, Sir Angriz,” she said with a chuckle.
“Lady Soo-jau,” I said, changing the subject, “how is it that you were able to restore my sight? I was told that the magic of this world wouldn't affect me.”
“I used ancient draconic magic to heal your sight. Who told you that magic couldn't heal you?”
“Lord Mordecai. He told me I was immune to magic.”
She scowled. “That is odd that Mordecai would tell you this. He is no beginner. I'd wager he knows more of magic than I.”
As I puzzled through this line of conversation, I was well aware of the gorgeous half-elf woman sitting to my left. Every movement, and change in breathing I noted. I know: you are wondering how I have these reactions to Lady Orwen and Keeper Dearbhaile if I have feelings for my lab partner Daphne Sinclair, right? Allow me to remind you: I am fourteen years old. According to what biology teaches us, I should be reacting like this to just about any female within “breeding age”.
I searched for something to say when there was a streak of gray before my eyes. I blinked and was fascinated by something familiar perched upon the table near my plate. The creature came forward and rubbed his head on my left hand like a cat. I grinned, at the same time, Keeper Dearbhaile shrieked. Somehow I knew this was the Slitter which had adopted me at Victory Keep.
Keeper Dearbhaile leaped to her feet in fright. She pointed her finger at the Slitter and electricity began to play over it. I put my right hand out and the Slitter ran up my arm and huddled on my shoulder. I looked at her and waited with a calm that wasn’t one hundred percent real. She looked at me with a sheepish expression and lowered her hand, the electricity dying away as she did.
“He's a friend,” I said.
“I'm sorry.”
“Shocking that a Slitter can be friendly, huh?”
“Aye,” she said.
“This one was raised by Lady Orwen to help defend her home,” I explained. “For reasons I haven't fathomed, this one has decided to adopt me.”
The Slitter clambered up to my head and curled its fingers in my hair as he sat. Seconds later, he made a series of sounds that were similar to underwater flatulence. I burst out laughing. I couldn't help myself: it was funny. What made it even better was seeing Keeper Dearbhaile laughing as hard.
Lady Soo-jau ignored our laughter and made the same type of sounds herself. I fell from my chair, convulsed with laughter. The Slitter leaped back to the table in seeming disgust. I was soon joined on the floor
by Keeper Dearbhaile. The Slitter and Lady continued to take turns making the sounds. I laughed so long and hard, my jaw cramped and ribs began to ache.
I was hauled to my feet. “Control yourself, Carter.” said Angriz.
Having a seven foot tall half-dragon growl at you is a sobering experience, let me tell you. My desire to laugh withered. I turned to Lady Soo-jau. Out of the corner of my eye, I detected Keeper Dearbhaile returning to her feet, solemn. She brushed off her robes and sidled behind me; making me the sole focus of the Vaush-Tauric's wrath if any came. She played with her necklace again.
Lady Soo-jau continued to make the sounds with the Slitter. I noted a rhythm to the sounds which escaped me earlier. Then, it hit me: they were conversing!
“They're going to be a while, Carter. You should retire for the evening,” Angriz whispered.
“Why are they going to be a while?” I asked.
“Slitters are used to conversing with Treebeards which are the only race with the patience to chat at length with them. Introductions will last several hours.”
I had heard that somewhere before, but couldn't remember where.
“Got it,” I said. I looked over my shoulder to the half-elf woman standing behind me. “Keeper Dearbhaile, would you show me back to my room? I'm worried I'll get lost.”
“O' course, me laird,” she replied.
I burst out laughing.
“What is funny?”
“Sorry. Private thoughts caused me to laugh.”
“Fair enough.”
I read the same thing about characters in a book by J.R.R. Tolkien a while ago. I stretched out in my bed after Keeper Dearbhaile left me to enter my room, and closed my eyes.
4
I found myself in a high school gymnasium decked out for a prom. Somehow, the decorating committee still couldn’t hide the odor of sweaty socks. At the other end, a stage sat with instruments at attention, waiting for the band. Tables, with white coverings and lit by Chinese lanterns which floated in mid-air, were scattered around a wide-open, levitating section of floor I assumed was for dancing. The lanterns and LED Christmas lights provided the only illumination, and yet were all that was needed.
I felt myself drawn to this large guy who reminded me of Angriz. He was taller than me, broader shouldered and narrower at the hip. He had dark gray eyes, cinnamon colored hair in a ponytail and a Van Dyke beard. He wore a black three-piece suit with a lavender shirt. He was talking with a much shorter woman. The top of her head came up to the bottom of his ribcage. Her hair was a dark golden brown, her eyes the color of a Hershey’s Kiss. Her skin was a light tan. The young woman’s lips were a moist looking bright pink. She had high cheekbones and a heart-shaped face. A lilac blouse, black jeans and black sneakers trimmed in white made up her outfit. In her left ear was the black and yellow emblem of Batman. In her right ear was the red and yellow “S” shield of Superman.
She smiled up at him as he bent to kiss her. Just by that, I somehow knew they were in love, and they were not destined to be together. She moved away from him and he went over to the stage where some folks had begun playing music. The large man climbed up onto the stage, which had risen into the air, and passed the man on the keyboard a note. As he hopped back down and approached me, I heard the opening notes of Breaking Benjamin's “I Will Not Bow” begin. They are one of my favorite bands.
“Hello, Carter,” he said to me.
“How do you know my name?” I asked with puzzlement.
He smiled. “Follow me.”
“Where?” I said, the hair on my neck stiff.
“You’ll see.”
“Why should I trust you?
“Carter, don’t you realize when you’re dreaming?”
He led me past the stage and through the steel double doors I remembered from my time in public schools. I followed him, wanting to know how he seemed to know me, striding through the door. Rather than a school hallway, or a parking lot, I found myself walking along an asphalt road that wound through a mountain, or else we were underground. Either way, the tunnel was huge.
It looked like it would run for miles before we came to a destination, yet after five steps, we were before this titanic door. Victory Keep could go through it with feet to spare. It swung open in silence and the big guy sauntered through. Again, I followed him.
I was in some sort of control room. The sights amazed me. Ten meter screens with their images from various spy satellites lined the walls with techs sitting in front of their control panels typing. Sixteen operators chatted into their headpieces with various operatives around the world, and many assistants scurried about the place. I watched as the huge guy crossed the mir
ror polished granite floor to the middle of the room where a much smaller man stood studying reports and on occasion looking up at the central screen. He pointed at the screen the other guy was looking at.
It showed the cold, dark reaches of space. There flew a huge, dense mass of rock. It was potato shaped, cratered from meteor impacts and the size of the state of Texas. It flew right at the camera. Before I shouted a warning, the big guy spoke to me.
“If you have my back, I'll have yours. That's how I work.”
Then alarms whooped, and klaxons screamed of danger. A loud speaker shouted:
“Warning! Warning! Impact from heavenly body imminent! Warning! Warning!”
The ground shook beneath my feet and...
5
I awoke with a start. Sunlight streamed through windows I hadn't noticed before. I took a few minutes just to look around the room, savoring the joy of sight which was something I hadn't realized I had taken for granted. Things I would have overlooked before I had become blind, I now took pleasure in. ‘Sight is awesome!’ There was a mural on the far wall from where I sat. It was of a forest clearing with a blue dragon which sat, posture regal, upon a stone plinth and at her feet was a clan of elves kneeling worshipfully. I assumed it was a female because my hostess was. I took a deep breath and turned my thoughts to my dream.
I remembered it with extreme clarity. I've never been able to do that before. There was the tall, muscular man with the cinnamon hair and uncomfortable Armani suit; the curvy woman with the dark hair who was about my mother's height; that strange, yet familiar, control room with its many screens, the technicians, polished granite floor and the sleepy, rumpled looking man who stood in the center; and the asteroid which I knew was going to destroy everything the big man knew and loved. A rapid knock at my door, startled me. ‘By all the hells! I almost soiled myself!’ The urgency of the knock caused me to leap from the bed, dash to the door and yank it open.
“What is it?” I said to a surprised Keeper Dearbhaile.
Her eyes grew large as they traveled down and then she blushed scarlet. Wondering why, I glanced down as well. Imagine my mortification when I realized I had forgot I'd slept nude, just for the experience mind you, and had answered the door that way. I gave a yelp of embarrassment and jumped behind the door. I stuck my head around the edge and repeated my question.
“O-Oh!” she stammered, playing with her necklace. “Lady Soo-jau sent me to get ye. She said 'tis urgent.”
“I'll be right there!” I shouted as I slammed the door.
My face aflame, I scrambled to where my clothes hung drying from the washing I gave them the night before. As I began to get dressed, I ran myself down for not being smoother with the accidental flashing. I wondered how Angriz would've handled it. “Nah. He wouldn't have answered the door that way. He's always aware of everything,” I said to myself.
For once, I was glad to have simple deerskin clothing rather than my jeans; it just pulled on and I was ready to go. I picked up my shoes and carried them in my hand as I re-opened the door. Keeper Dearbhaile stood waiting with her hands clasped in front of her. Not knowing how to handle what happened, I resolved to not say anything about it unless she did.
“Let's go,” I said.
“Aye,” she replied.
As she led me to the Vaush-Tauric, I asked, “Where's Angriz?”
“With Lady Soo-jau.”
I nodded and said nothing more until we were before the Lady. This morning she wore a light red dress which flattered the color of her scales and was seated on a raised dais on a bronze throne with ornate designs. Something about her posture told me she was upset.
“Carter Blake,” she began without preamble, “your original quesst hass come to a conclusssion. Your sssight isss ressstored. Now you have a choissse: you and Angrizzz may go to the ressscue of Adora Orwen and perhapsss sssave her life; or you may go north and perhapsss encounter the architect of thisss war. What will you do?”
I paused for several moments. To tell the truth, the sudden hissing from my hostess scared me. After a bit of thought, I assumed it was due to her being upset and was able to put my unease behind me.
At last, I said, “You didn't indicate a direction for the rescue attempt.”
The Vaush-Tauric sighed. “I do not know the direction she is to be found. All I was able to learn is: To aid her, you must first journey to Rivorei City. There, you will find your clues as to where she is hidden. Know these things as well: One, there is not time to achieve both goals. Whichever you decide, you lose the other. Two, thirty days from today, Adora Orwen will be dead and the architect will be gone to another realm. Three, if you and Angriz split up, you will both die.”
I thought about this for a couple of minutes. Then, I had an idea:
“Would you aid us, milady?” I asked.
“I cannot,” she said. “Because of what I am, I am both bound to this location and forbidden from interfering.”
“What is a Vaush-Tauric?” I asked. “And why are you forbidden from helping?”
“She is a conduit to the draconic gods,” Angriz rumbled.
Smoke rolled from his nostrils. Something told me he was upset by this choice.
‘Why me?’ Aloud I said, “Angriz, your thoughts would be appreciated.”
“From a strategic perspective, it would be best to go after whoever is behind this war. However, Lady Orwen has been my friend since she was a child.”
For some reason, hearing it in Angriz' voice crystallized it for me.
“What a minute!” I exclaimed. “I thought Drago was behind this war?”
“He is a pawn in the scheme of someone else,” Lady Soo-jau said.
“Alright,” I said. “We know what happens to Lady Orwen if we fail to rescue her. What happens if we find this architect? Will stopping him stop the war?”
“No, but the number of people who die will be limited.”
“Hellfire,” I said. “Why must I make this choice? I'm only fourteen!”
“A man's age,” Angriz said.
“Not where I'm from. I don't want this kind of responsibility. This is nuts!”
“Nonetheless, Carter, you must take this on.” Lady Soo-jau spoke in a soft voice meant to soothe.
“Why?” I demanded. “Because the Great and Mighty Mordecai pulled me from my world? Or because Morgrid the Soul-forger ordered him to do so?”
“No,” she said. “You must because you are the Walker of Worlds.”
“What the hell is that?” I shouted.
“I cannot say,” she said. To her student she said, “Keeper Dearbhaile, you are to go with these men and aid them in any way you are able.”
“Aye, Mistress.”
“I will now take my leave of you,” the Vaush-Tauric said. “Good fortune to you all.” She vanished like a dream in the morning light. I looked at my friends and let out a sigh. “What should we do, Angriz?” I said.
“Wherever you lead, I shall follow, Carter.”
“And I also,” said Keeper Dearbhaile.
‘These two are adults declaring they’re going to follow me. I don’t even shave!’
'Why are you doubting yourself?'
'No one's life has ever been in my hands.’
'Come on, how is this a question? Faceless strangers versus your friend, Lady Owen. There’s no contest.'
'Any other time, I'd agree, but what would she say if we told her we rescued her instead of trying to stop the war?'
'Who says she needs to know?'
Internal argument complete, I knew what needed to be done. I looked at Angriz and Keeper Dearbhaile who waited, expectant.
“We're going north,” I said with as much conviction as I could muster. “It would be selfish of us to let innocent people die just to rescue our friend.”
My companions nodded agreement and we walked from the throne room.
6
Around midmorning, we viewed a huge column of smoke. Gloom covered the sky like something belch
ed from the gates of Hell. It was the second day after we left the home of Lady Soo-jau “What do you think is on fire, Angriz?”
“I don’t know Carter. The town of Rivorei is ahead of us and could be what is burning.”
“Oh, I hope nae! We should hurry an’ see if we can aid them.”
“And how would you propose we hurry, Keeper Dearbhaile?” said Angriz. “We’re on foot, remember?”
She rolled her eyes, reached into her pack and pulled out three wooden toy horses. She set them on the ground and waved her hands over them, intoning…something, “Uoy fo deen evah ew. Efil ot emoc.”
The toys grew and widened. Hair covered flesh replaced wood. Coppery hooves became keratinous, the thread mane and tail became real hair and little bead eyes turned into real ones. Soon, breathing flesh and blood animals stood pawing the ground where only toys had been.
The closest horse to me was huge, every bit my height with a straight facial profile, broad forehead and wide muzzle. The animal was well-muscled and strong, with an arched neck, high withers and a sloped shoulder. The coloring was bay, with white markings. Despite knowing next to nothing about horses, I knew what this kind was due to them being in beer commercials. Standing next to the Clydesdale was a smaller horse, silver in coloration. The horse’s mane and tail were pure ivory. The last one was black.
All three, smelling of sunlight and hay, were saddled and seemed eager to run. Though gentle looking, all three scared the hell out of me. ‘Keeper Dearbhaile is nuts if she thinks I’m climbing on of these things.’ I looked from the horses, to Dearbhaile, to Angriz and back again.
Dearbhaile must have sensed my unease. She came over and taking my hand, laid it along the side of the Clydesdale. She talked in a soft voice and ran my hand along its back. The big animal pushed against my hand. The horse lowered its head and she guided my hand along the steed’s side and neck in a back and forth motion. The mount snorted and pushed harder on my hand. I broke into a smile, which grew wider with each passing moment. I was so entranced by what was happening with the stallion, I almost didn’t notice when Dearbhaile released my hand and rested hers on my hip.