by T S Wieland
“Seriously!” shouted Sem, making his way through the kitchen and grabbing the broom.
◆◆◆
Sem picked the books up off the floor in the living room while Ally worked beside him wiping away the dust away from the bookshelves with a cloth, slowly working her way around the room. Stopping to face the standing suit of medieval armor, she scratched her head. The shining outer shell was beginning to rust and was covered head to steel toe in dust and dirt.
“How do I clean this?” she asked Sem.
“There’s an oiling kit somewhere around here. I’ll find it later and polish it,” he replied, placing the books back on the shelf in alphabetical order.
“So, this all came from other worlds, I’m assuming?” asked Ally, looking up at the armor.
“Yeah, most everything in here. Even most of the books.”
“How’d you guys get all this?”
Sem placed another book on the shelf and lowered his head. The room had become a haunting memory for him, but Otto was right. He needed to let go, and now seemed like the best time to try.
“Some are gifts for saving people's lives, while others we acquired here from the other islands. Most are treasures belonging to my teacher… and adopted father,” said Sem with hesitation. He looked back up and continued to put the books away.
“What happened to him?”
Ally picked up the couch pillows off the floor. She beat the dust from them, then placed them back on the couch.
Sem turned back to look at her. Ally could sense his hesitation.
“I suppose I may as well explain the history of Asphodel, since you're going to start helping me,” he said setting the book in his hand down on the couch.
He walked over to the chair near the window and turned it towards the couch. Ally stopped her cleaning for a moment and sat down facing him as he sat down, eager to learn a new history lesson.
“There’s a lot that we don’t know or understand for sure, but what we do know is this.
“Long, long before you or I ever arrived here, this island was settled by a group of lost travelers, just like us. People who were unlucky enough to be stolen away from their own worlds and trapped in this one. From what we know, a small group of four travelers managed to stumble upon each other and came together to create the first settlement right here on this very island. Lucky for them, this world is broken and isn’t at risk of being destroyed like the others. Why that is, we still don’t know. It may be this world was already destroyed and this is all that’s left, or it just never expanded.
“Anyway, these first settlers built their settlement, which slowly grew into this district over time. Their families survived and flourished and met other lost travelers as they built the bridges and expanded out to the other islands. The first settlers began to call this world Asphodel, thinking at first they had died and been taken to the Greek layer of the Underworld—a place that was neither a heaven nor a hell.”
“Wait, so there are people here who were born in Asphodel?” asked Ally, drawn further into Sem’s story.
“Of course. Leos is one such person. Along with the rest of his family dating back a few generations.
“Anyway, my mentor was one of those people who randomly ended up here as a lone survivor. His name was Erland. A stubborn man, with a rather strange sense of humor, who, despite all the theories, knew what this place really was. He had the mind, the knowledge, and the drive to explore this world and its many mysteries.
“He convinced everyone that this was just another world. And that with their help, he could research it further and maybe find a way home for everyone. Of course, not everyone agreed, but a few people chose to help him. After several years of work, successes and failures, he and a close associate of his eventually built the first ARC.
“However, when he first used the ARC trying to get home, he only found one signal for one world when he had expected to find an unimaginable number. He ventured out into the world he had discovered without realizing what lied beyond and found another missing traveler like himself. After bringing the traveler back here with him, the signal leading him to that one world vanished.
“Not long after, the signal for another world appeared. Only this time Erland chose not to go, wanting to see what would happen. The signal came and went, and the world disappeared. Moments later, another island appeared in the skies over Asphodel. And that was the moment he made his life changing discovery. The moment that set my life in motion before it even began. The islands of Asphodel were all remnants of worlds that had been destroyed. Worlds that other people like Erland had stumbled into, and now their lives, along with lives of everyone else living in those worlds, were in danger if he didn’t intervene.
“So, he set aside his goal of trying to find a way home and started what he would later call the Guardian Project. One dedicated to using the ARC to save lives first. To be used as a tool in traveling to each new world in danger. To be used as a gateway guiding him to those lost travelers who needed his help, and in the end, saving each world from extinction.”
Ally’s eyes widened. She thought about the vast responsibility that now rested on her shoulders.
“Wow... Seems unimaginable to think one life has that significant of an impact on a whole world,” she replied. “So... How did you become a guardian?”
“Same way as you. I was dragged into it. When I was nine, I found myself wandering through a swamp late at night after being stolen away from my world. I called out for my mother, screaming her name amidst the fog. But the only voices I ever heard call back to me were the frogs and crickets. I walked for hours through the marsh, searching for my mother, hoping I would find her or someone who could help. That’s when Erland found me.”
Sem looked down at the rug.
“He found me crying with my back against a tree, waist deep in the muck, hoping someone would come for me. He brought me back here with him. After that, I lived at the children's orphanage under Vila’s younger watchful eye until I was thirteen. Since I was never adopted, Erland took me in, along with…”
Sem trailed off. He hesitated to speak for a moment.
“Me and a friend... We became his students. His young prodigies who would continue being guardians long after he passed away.”
“So, what happened to him?” asked Ally, intrigued by the story.
Sem looked at her. Ally stared back at him and saw the heartbreak in his eyes. She had reached the horizon to his story, sensing the rest was about to be open waters filled with sadness.
The sound of the front door opening interrupted their conversation. Otto walked in and hung his coat up on the rack. He looked around the room, clearly enjoying the cleanliness of his newly tidied home.
“Looks good! Don’t think I’ve seen the floors this clean since I first moved in,” he said.
Ally and Sem stood up and walked towards Otto in the entry hall.
“Well, having another hand around definitely makes things easier,” said Sem.
Ally’s face turned pink. She felt moved by Sem's first compliment to her. Whether it was the story, or just knowing she wasn’t going away, she couldn’t say, but something had swayed his mood.
“You guys finished?” asked Otto. He wiped his hand across the entry table, feeling its clean and polished surface.
“Still have a few little things left to do,” said Ally, surveying the room.
“Good. Why don’t you two save those for later and go get the groceries, then?”
Otto walked over to the dining room table and picked up the grocery list he had made. He handed it to Sem. Sem looked it over before glancing up at him.
“You couldn’t have grabbed all this while you were out?” asked Sem.
“Nah. That’s what I have you for, kid.”
Sem chuckled and shook his head.
“Come on. Let's go before he adds more on.”
Ally followed Sem out the front door while Otto waved good-bye to them. The house fell quiet. Otto sauntered i
nto the living room and began reviewing the chalk equations scribbled on the blackboard hanging on the living room wall. He reached around to his back pocket and pulled out the leather journal he was carrying, reading it thoughtfully.
◆◆◆
“So, your dad called you Spark?”
Sem limped along, carrying the paper grocery bags down the busy city street.
“Yeah. Like spark plug? Spark? Because we spent almost all our time out in our garage working on the broken-down cars he bought,” replied Ally.
“Huh. Only nickname I’ve ever had was ‘kid.’ Erland called me that, and then Otto did too, after he joined us.”
Sem stepped deep into thought for a second.
“Well, I guess there was my other nickname growing up. Otter.”
“What? Otter? Who gave you that name?”
“A friend. She used to say I was as cute as an otter and as slippery to catch as one. Of course, she gave me the nickname when we were kids,”
Ally stopped suddenly. She looked in through the bookstore window display next to her. A collection of journals was for sale in the window. One with a red leather cover and blue stitching appealed to her.
Sem continued to walk, well into his own thoughts. He came to a stop as he noticed she wasn’t with him anymore. He turned back to find her gazing at the window.
“You mind if I buy a journal really quick?” Ally asked.
“Girls. Always window shopping,” Sem mumbled under his breath. “Sure, make it quick before half of these groceries melt.”
Sem placed one of his grocery bags on the shop windowsill next to him and pulled the rest of his money from his pocket. He walked over and handed it to her. Ally put the money in her pocket, then opened the door to the bookstore and walked inside. Sem waited out front, greeting people as they passed by, receiving a few unpleasant glares in return.
Ally grabbed the leather journal from the window she was admiring. She thumbed through it, finding its twisted, circular pattern on the cover to her liking. She brought the journal over to the young man at the counter, who greeted her. He typed the amount into the cash register.
“Twenty-six tapins,” he said.
Ally pulled the money Sem had given her from her pocket and placed it on the counter.
“Uh, sorry. I’m still trying to figure out this new currency,” she said, embarrassed.
The young man laughed, “It’s alright. You new?”
“Yeah,” replied Ally.
He sorted through the paper money and coins, pulling out the needed amount. “It’ll start to make sense after a while.”
He handed her her change as she collected the rest of her money. Ally took the change, hoping to herself that she wouldn’t become too familiar with the world around her. The thought of going home was still well on her mind.
“Thanks,” Ally replied.
“My pleasure. Have a good one,”
Ally smiled and walked back out to the front of the shop where Sem waited with his back against the wall. He grabbed his groceries off the windowsill next to him.
“What do you need that for?” he asked.
“I was—well, more like I wanted to be—a journalist back home. Figured if I’m going to start helping you guys, I may as well write about all our adventures together.”
“You’ll probably be too tired to write. I get back and want to pass out on my bed most days.”
As they continued to walk back to the house, an all-too-familiar crew cut above an angry face ahead of them halted their pace. Raz’s glasses sunk down to his nose, with his forehead wrinkled, as always, in frustration.
“Sem!”Raz shouted, crossing the street as he stomped his foot through a dirty puddle.
“Ah, crap. Whatever you do, don’t let him see you get mad. He likes to leech onto people's nerves until they snap. Joke around with him and laugh, and you’ll turn it on him,” whispered Sem.
Raz huffed as he hurried to catch up to them, his nostrils flaring.
“You have some explaining to do!” he hollered. He stopped in their path with his fists planted at his hips like a father ready to scold his own children.
“Evening, Raz,” said Sem in a chipper voice.
“I heard about your screw-up the other day with that boy you saved. Care to tell me why that happened?”
Sem stood thinking for a moment.
“Hmmm... Well, I’d say just like you, Raz, some wild animals like to attack their prey without warning.”
Raz glared at him through the reflection of his rounded glasses. “Really? Well, the way I hear it, that little boy ended up in the hospital, while you suffered a minor injury as well.”
“Me? No, no! I’m as healthy as an ox. Nothing’s going to keep me from doing my job.”
“That’s good to hear. Cause I’d hate to be in your shoes if everyone heard you were playing hooky rather than working. We wouldn’t want to see you fail like your predecessors,” said Raz.
Sem’s playful expression faded, as a tight, dreadful look took its place. Ally could see how close to home Raz was hitting.
“Having just met you the other day, sir, I must say, I’m rather jealous,” said Ally in a serious tone, stepping in on the conversation.
“Jealous of what?” asked Raz, seemingly unamused.
“Jealous of everyone who hasn’t met you.”
A sputter of laughter burst from Sem’s lips. He did his best to cover it up.
“Clever.” Raz smirked back at Ally. “I heard how the two of them dragged you off yesterday as well.”
He turned to Sem. “How long do you think she’ll last before she realizes her mistake? Or ends up like-”
“I’d encourage you not to finish that sentence, Raz,” Sem muttered.
“Well, from my point of view, she’s already taken one step closer to an early grave.”
Ally stared back at Raz, knowing he was trying his best to frighten her. It was working. She could feel the fear she’d been fighting back returning, thinking of everything she would lose back home if she died helping Sem. She fumbled with her silver bracelet for comfort.
“Raz, I’ve tried to see things from your point of view before. But the problem is, I don’t think I can get my head far enough up my own ass to know,” Sem replied.
Raz’s smug expression faded. Ally’s fear was driven back. She snickered into the palm of her hand.
“Doesn’t matter. I only have to wait. Eventually, the council will either choose to strip you of your Guardian Project by law, or those renegade citizens will do so by force. I only prefer trying to save myself the work of having to pick up an even bigger mess. But I’ll be there either way.”
“Right… Well, it was a pleasure as always, Raz. Now if you’ll excuse us, we have a celebration to attend to.”
Sem pushed past him with Ally at his side.
“Enjoy that big house of yours. Not long from now, my men and I will have a bonfire with all those books and relics of yours.”
Sem shook his head, trying to avoid unleashing another witty comeback at Raz’s expense. Ally watched Raz give her a creepy smile before turning around to walk the other way. Even with the chill of his presence behind her, Ally struggled to let go and forget what he’d said.
“Sheesh, that guy's a creep,” she said.
“He’s an asshole is what he is,” snarled Sem.
The sound of Sem’s communicator buzzing on his wrist demanded their attention. They continued walking as Sem used his bearded chin to press the accept call button as he continued to carry his groceries.
“Yeah,” said Sem speaking to his communicator.
“You two on your way back yet?” asked Otto over the speaker.
“We’re at Queens Court and Lewis. Why?”
“Good. The celebration’s going to need to be put on hold. You two have another call.”
Sem looked over at Ally. She gazed back with curiosity and a bit of uncertainty in her eyes. Raz’s words dissipated as the idea of exp
loring another new world thrilled her spirit.
“What are we waiting for then?” she said. “Let’s go save someone!”
Sem smiled at her. She was shocked at seeing the recent changes in his mood, believing the very act would have probably killed him the day they’d first talked. “We’ll be there in five minutes. How much time do we have?”
“Not as much as before, but enough. Give or take ten hours,” Otto said.
“Alright. We’ll be right there,” said Sem, hanging up the communicator with his chin.
“Do all the calls happen at the worst of times?” asked Ally.
“Always,” Sem replied. They both hurried their pace, with Ally slowly pulling away from Sem as he hobbled along after her.
Chapter 17
A City of Glass and Sky
“Hey, you made good time,” said Merek as Sem and Ally walked downstairs. Otto stood behind the ARC, checking their miracle machine from top to bottom, while Merek sat at the computer.
“A privilege to see you here, Merek. What’s the occasion?” Sem asked.
“Otto and I were just reviewing the new data from your return message. Also, for Ally’s new guardianship celebration.”
“You ever learn what was wrong with my plane? I’d hate to have to take it back from you and then watch it gather dust in the hanger.”
“I replaced the choke and starter the other day. If you want I can take you out for a spin one evening and show you,” said Merek.
Sem opened his locker and snickered to himself. “I would rather risk my life a thousand times among an endless number of unknown worlds than step foot in that death contraption.”
Ally reached the bottom of the steps gathering her own conclusions from their conversation. “So, wait? That plane you fly is Sem’s?”
“Still is. Used to be Erland’s, but now it’s his,” said Otto continuing to work.
“If he’d ever use it that is. Come on. For a man raised in a world among the clouds, it seems silly to think that you hate heights,” replied Merek.
“Flying. Not heights. And I have my reasons. One long story with never enough time tell it all.”