“Forget the rules!” Anna cried, stomping her foot. “Just, for once in your life, would you stop worrying about the stupid rules? We’re set to sit upon the throne of the Empire! We should make the rules! Not follow them!”
Mourdock looked at her, taken aback by her tone. He’d never seen her act in such a way before, let alone talk in such a way. She seemed like she’d become someone completely different from the girl he’d come to know. “Anna… is there something wrong?” he asked. “Has something happened to you?”
Anna glared at him for a moment before looking away, pouting. “Yes, something happened to me,” she said bitterly. “I was tortured by a Deathlord Supreme. I got billions of innocent people killed. I lost the one man I considered a father. I have an Empire falling apart at the seams, and a fiancé who cares more about a dumb contract than he does about me.”
Anna’s words horrified Mourdock. “No, Anna, it’s not like that!” he exclaimed.
“Then prove it,” said Anna. “Marry me.”
Mourdock looked at her, helpless. “I… I can’t…” he said. Anna nodded, her disappointment so apparent it hurt. Without a word she turned and started to walk toward the exit. “Wait!” Mourdock said, calling after her. “Please! Don’t go. We can talk about this…”
“There’s nothing to talk about,” Anna said, almost out of the room.
Mourdock rushed forward and grabbed her by the arm, stopping her. “Please, there’s got to be something I can do…”
“Just follow the rules,” said Anna curtly, jerking her arm away from his grasp. “That seems to be what you’re good at.”
And with that, she walked out the door.
Chapter 41
Shanks breathed in deeply, clearing his mind of all thoughts. He focused on his center, aligning his trinity. Before long, images of the great green fields of his home from years past appeared to him. He could feel the sunlight on his skin, the soft grass beneath him, the light breeze blowing by. His meditative state always brought him to the fields of his youth for some reason. He often wondered why that was. The only answer he’d been able to settle on was that it was a place that brought him peace and clarity.
But there was something different about the field this day. Shanks had noticed something was off ever since he’d arrived in the capitol, though he could not quite identify what had changed. He looked around him, but all he saw was blue sky and green grass. He gazed up and noticed the sky was clear.
Is that it? he wondered. I am usually facing the sun.
He glanced downward, his shadow stretching out before him on the ground. Then, to his surprise, he noticed a second shadow, one which appeared to be cast from someone standing behind him. Yet he knew there was no one there. He was always alone in his field.
He studied the shadow closer. It moved, as though it were turning its head, bright red eyes appearing and gazing right back at him.
That is when the doorbell buzzed.
Shanks opened his eyes, breaking away from his meditation. He glanced at the door to his chambers. “Enter,” he said.
The door opened, and Jack peeked inside. “Um… hey,” he said. “You busy?”
Shanks smiled. “Earthman Finnegan. Please, come in.”
Jack entered, looking a bit nervous. “I hope I’m not disturbing anything,” he said. “I was just hoping I could talk to you about some things?”
“It is no bother,” Shanks replied. “What do you wish to discuss?”
“I heard you were, like, Anna’s tutor about Paragon stuff,” Jack said. “That you help her with mental and spiritual aspects of… something?”
Shanks nodded. “I suppose you could say that,” he replied. “Are you in need of spiritual advice?”
“Honestly? I don’t know what I need,” muttered Jack. “There’s just weird stuff going on with me and… I don’t know who to talk to about it.”
Shanks nodded in understanding. He gestured to the floor in front of him. “Please, sit. Tell me what is troubling you.”
Jack looked around the sparse apartment. It was extremely small, consisting of nothing more than a bathroom and a modest kitchen. There was a simple mattress in the corner and a small rug on the floor upon which Shanks was kneeling. Other than that, there was no furniture at all. Jack accepted the monk’s gesture and sat on the floor opposite him.
“There’s been, um… stuff happening with me lately,” said Jack. “Changes I can’t quite explain.”
Shanks nodded. “It’s perfectly natural for one as young as yourself to be experiencing such things as he begins to mature.”
Jack raised an eyebrow. “Huh?” he said. “Wait – no, that’s not what I’m talking about. I mean I’m like, seeing things. Things no one else can.”
Shanks regarded Jack curiously for a brief moment. “You’re seeing things that are not there?”
“I’m pretty sure they’re there,” Jack replied. “It’s just that I’m the only one who can see them. It’s not like I’m hallucinating. My head gets all funny before these things appear, and when it happens, I don’t feel crazy or strange or anything. In fact, I feel super clear. Like I can see what’s happening in slow motion, and I’m aware of everything all around me, and I’m like… I don’t know. I just see what I have to do, and I do it. No fear, no hesitation, just… clarity.”
Shanks tilted his head to the side, looking at Jack with his intense brown eyes. Jack glanced at the closed third eye on Shanks’ forehead, which was rapidly moving back and forth beneath its lid. “You said your head gets funny,” Shanks finally responded. “Describe to me what happens when this feeling comes upon you.”
“Well, it starts with these headaches,” Jack said. “Then, I get kinda disoriented, like my vision starts to get fuzzy, and my body gets really tense. And then, something just clicks – and everything around me changes. It’s like I can notice specks of dust flying in the air, and the particles that make up rays of light. I can see through people, and I’m aware of their heartbeats and their energy within their bodies. I can’t feel my own body, but I know it’s there, and I can control it like I could a character in a video game but with a billion times more precision. I’m aware of my emotions, but I can’t really feel them… it’s like they’re a compass that shows me what I should be feeling, but they don’t control me. I’m free of them. I become aware of all my surroundings and what I can do to manipulate them. I know all this sounds crazy, but… the only way I can describe the feeling is that it’s god-like.”
Shanks nodded, eyeing Jack calmly for a moment, his face serene. Jack looked at him as though he expected a response, but when none was given, Jack continued talking.
“I mean, I’m not saying I’m a god or anything,” said Jack. “It’s just, ever since I broke the Great Seal on the Ghost Planet, my brain’s been all messed up. The first time it happened was when I defeated the Deathlord Supreme, and I could see how he controlled his energy to rip out people’s souls. And then it happened again when Mourdock got attacked at the club. I’d smoked this dreamleaf stuff, and suddenly I could see what Seraphyms really looked like. That was also the first time I saw these worm things on people. And it happened when I saved Kimlee Evenstar from falling out of her tower. Up to that point it just kind of seemed to happen without me doing anything. But then I was playing Gravityball, and it was like I was able to make it happen myself. And when it happens, I can do all sorts of awesome things that I can’t normally. Does any of this sound familiar to you?”
Shanks was quiet for a moment as he weighed Jack’s description. “What you are describing is what we in my order call Equilibrium,” he said. “It is the state living beings enter into when the mind, body, and spirit become perfectly aligned. When this happens, reality will appear to change as one’s perception of his surroundings is altered. Everything the body, the mind, and the soul are aware of merge into the consciousness. It is believed this is the state in which all Ancients existed at all times. And it is believed it is the most esse
ntial step toward achieving a truly free mind.”
Jack blinked at Shanks. “Seriously?” he said.
“I am not jesting,” replied the monk.
“Wow,” Jack responded. “Neat. For a minute I was worried it could be a tumor or something, what with all the headaches that usually accompany it.”
“It is most likely your headaches are existential in nature.”
“They’re what now?”
“They are grounded in your experience of existence, yet they do not truly exist,” explained Shanks.
“So… they’re real to me… but not to other people?”
“Precisely.”
“Well, that would explain why all the medical scans couldn’t find anything wrong with me,” muttered Jack.
“It is quite possible that your headaches occur when your subconscious is attempting to achieve Equilibrium, and your conscious mind is fighting it. That type of conflict would certainly explain their occurrence. It would also explain why the dreamleaf you smoked had such an odd effect on you. It was able to break down the barrier your conscious mind had put up against your subconscious.”
“Why would my conscious mind fight my subconscious? Aren’t they, like, supposed to be buddies?”
“Your brain is used to operating a certain way, Earthman,” Shanks explained. “It is resistant to change. It wants to see the world the way it has always seen it. Interact with the body and the soul the way it always has. This is the greatest obstacle all beings have to achieving a Free Mind – freeing themselves from the constraints of the consciousness. This is why Equilibrium is so hard to achieve. This is why some Paragons strive for it their entire lives and never attain it. It is incredibly difficult to bring one’s consciousness into harmony with the rest of one’s mind, not to mention both the body and the spirit.”
Jack pondered Shanks’ words for a moment. “Um… it’s hard?”
“Extremely.”
“So… you’ve never… done it yourself?”
“I am sorry to say, I have not.”
“And no one else has either?”
“A few Paragons throughout history have achieved such a feat,” Shanks said, “but you could probably count their numbers on two hands.”
“Oh,” Jack replied. “And yet, I’m doing it without really trying?”
“It would seem so.”
“Cool,” said Jack, looking a bit impressed with himself.
“It is indeed an interesting development,” Shanks remarked. “And it would explain how one as young as you has been able to accomplish such remarkable feats.”
“Can I learn to control it?” Jack asked. “Like… can I figure out how to turn it on and off whenever I want?”
“It is certainly possible.”
“Do you think… you could teach me that?”
Shanks studied Jack intently before responding. “I can try,” he said. “But even in all my years of study, I have not come close to achieving Equilibrium. All I can offer is guidance, so that you might find a way to discover how to attain it yourself.”
“Alright, guidance is good, I guess,” said Jack. “So… where do I start?”
“Have you ever attempted to get in touch with your trinity?” Shanks asked.
“What’s that?” Jack responded.
“The trinity are the three things that make up life,” Shanks explained. “The body, the mind, and the soul. When one finds one’s center and is able to bring his trinity into alignment, it allows one to begin to free one’s mind. This is the first step in a Paragon’s training. Without being able to center on one’s trinity, one cannot perform manifestation. And it is unlikely you’ll be able to achieve Equilibrium without doing so, either.”
“Okay,” said Jack. “Definitely never done the trinity thing before.”
“I could guide you through it,” Shanks offered, “if you will let me.”
“Sounds good,” replied Jack. “How do we start?”
Shanks extended his hands toward Jack. Jack looked at them a moment before figuring out he had to take them. He placed his hands on top of Shanks’ hands. “Now, I will enter your mind…” Shanks said.
“Whoa,” replied Jack, looking wary. “You’ll do what now?”
“Do not fear,” Shanks said. “I am merely going to observe your thoughts, so that I might guide you through the process. If you do not want me there, you can expel me at any time, just by pulling your hands from mine and breaking our connection.”
“Okay,” said Jack, looking a bit less uncomfortable.
“Close your eyes,” Shanks instructed.
Jack did as he was told. Shanks closed his eyes, as well, and opened his third eye. He gazed at Jack, allowing his energy to flow from his arms and into the Earthman’s body. “Follow my energy,” Shanks said, his voice calm and steady. “Feel how it flows through you. Notice where it goes. Notice where your own life’s energy goes. Can you feel its Source?”
Jack hesitated. Shanks’ third eye watched closely as it saw the energy flowing within Jack’s body. He used his own energy to guide Jack to its Source. “I can,” Jack said. “It’s in my chest… below my ribs…”
“Good,” Shanks replied. “Focus on that place, the genesis of your being. Feel its connection to your mind, body, and spirit. Discover how those three aspects interact with one another. Become aware of them.”
Shanks watched as Jack struggled to make a connection. He shifted his energy to help Jack reach his center, and when Jack did, Shanks felt himself enter Jack’s mind…
Jack opened his eyes and found himself in a white room. Sitting in front of him where Shanks had previously been was a man with light brown hair.
“Dad?” asked Jack, confused.
Jack’s father gazed at his son stoically. Suddenly, a cage appeared around him. Two men were behind the cage, and Jack recognized them as Armonto Virtuoso and Director Casgor. They both glared at Jack with disdain.
“JACK!” he heard a woman’s voice cry out behind him.
Jack turned around and saw a long hallway, with many branching corridors, leading off into the distance. “Anna?” replied Jack, recognizing the voice.
“JACK! HELP ME!” Anna’s voice echoed.
Jack got to his feet and began hurrying down the hall. Anna kept crying for help, but her voice bounced around so much, it was impossible to tell where it was coming from. Before Jack knew it, he was lost in a labyrinth of sterile white passages, not knowing where to go or how to find the girl he loved.
“ANNA!” Jack screamed.
Then, he saw something move out of the corner of his eye. It happened so fast, he was unsure if it were real or not. He chased after the fleeting glimpses of movement, rounding corners in the maze just in time to see something disappear around another corner. Jack kept giving chase, until he made a turn and came face-to-face with Zarrod.
The Deathlord was in full armor, his cloak flowing around him like a living thing. He had a fearsome aura radiating off of him, and his fiery red eyes blazed at Jack. Jack took a step back, alarmed at the sight. But Zarrod did not attack. Instead, he held up his hand, manifesting a ghostly ball of energy within it, and spoke.
“Eldil Meldilorn,” he said, his voice dark and menacing.
Jack looked at the ball of energy swirling in the Deathlord’s hand. He held up his own hands, and similar balls of energy formed in them. They began to snake around Jack’s body, forming into a suit of ghostly armor, looking similar to that which Shepherd had worn.
Zarrod nodded in approval and stepped aside, pointing down the hallway he’d been blocking. Jack passed by the Deathlord warily, their eyes watching each other cautiously.
“JACK! PLEASE!” Anna’s voice cried out.
Without wasting another second, Jack began sprinting down the hallway, running faster than he ever thought he could. Before him in the distance were two large double-doors made of sandstone. Anna’s voice was coming from behind them. Jack did not slow down. He ran forward and burst th
rough the doors, shattering them as he did.
On the other side was a dark, gothic throne room. It was filled with pillars made of black rock, veined with green and purple. The floor was littered with the decaying bodies of the dead. All around him were living shadows with red eyes that looked at him hungrily.
Jack stepped forward toward a throne of bones upon a high dais at the far side of the room. A giant worm slithered upon it, hissing at Jack as though it were a serpent. Behind the throne was a large, circular seal, its face marred with corruption and decay, the great eye that had been engraved upon it veined with lines of red, green, and purple.
“Jack, help me!” said the worm in Anna’s voice.
Jack watched as the worm’s body bulged and contorted, and he suddenly realized in horror that it had swallowed Anna and she was struggling to get out.
Jack began rushing forward, but the shadows moved to grab him. Electrified batons manifested into Jack’s grip, and he began striking out at the shadows, beating them away. Voices of an invisible choir began to chant in tones heavy with pain and anger, as Jack fought his way through the army of shadows guarding the worm on the throne.
“Mulloch!” the voices chanted. “Hadda, hadda, mulloch!”
Drums beat in tandem with the chants, rhythmically pounding boom-doom-boom, as Anna began screaming in despair. Jack fought more frantically as the red-eyed shadows clawed at his ghostly armor, tearing pieces off him as he forced his way forward.
“ANNA!” Jack cried.
More veins of corruption wormed their way through the Great Seal, causing its face to crack.
“Mulloch! Hadda, hadda, mulloch!”
Boom. Doom. Boom. Doom.
Jack cried out as the shadows swarmed him, his armor unable to protect him from their assault. The worm on the throne of bones hissed at him spitefully.
“NO!” Jack cried as the shadows began to overwhelm him.
“Mulloch! Hadda, hadda, mulloch!”
Boom- Doom- Boom- Doom.
Finally, the Great Seal gave in to the corruption and exploded, its face disintegrating into shrapnel that shot forth in a cloud of raging destruction. Behind it was a brilliant light, where Jack saw the silhouettes of three figures – one red, one green, and one purple – standing triumphantly.
Earthman Jack vs. The Secret Army (Earthman Jack Space Saga Book 2) Page 46