by P. G. Thomas
John smiled, “I was afraid I might have to find Panry to ask that favor of you. Thank you.”
“I will go make arrangements for transportation,” advised Gayne. “Mirtza will see to your needs in the meantime.”
As Eric finished his drink, he looked at their first protector, “There’s no army this time? Everything’s fine?”
“The Earth Bond Lauren issued seems to be working and there are no invading armies,” but after finishing his sentence, he looked down.
“Something’s wrong, other than somebody stealing the triplets?” asked Eric.
“Do you remember those trollmares we heard about at the Ironhouse Mine? They seem to have established a population, a rather large one at that, in the Newlands, and the people have fled again.” Before any could ask, Mirtza continued, “Mother, something is wrong with her, I guess. She is no longer talking to her gifted ones, who have wandered off.” As he started a new sentence, they all took a long drink, “Nobody knows what happened to the Bastards.” Eric, reaching for Gayne’s unfinished drink, drained it, as Mirtza added his last comment, “And the rain, it just won’t stop.”
“No armies,” began Eric. “Just tell me that. No Darkpaye invasion.”
“Well—”
Eric stood, holding up his hand so that Mirtza would remain quiet, and walking to the back room, he retrieved a fresh bottle, filling his glass before passing it to the others. As Ryan’s focus was on consoling Lauren, only Logan and John accepted the offering. After Eric had drained his glass, he turned to Mirtza, “Hit me with your best shot.”
“Just the Darkpaye immigration, who own most of the houses north of the Key River.”
“Trollmares, Mother is quiet, rain.” Eric was waiting for the bottle, “That’s it? How many Darkpaye bastards have immigrated?”
Mirtza shrugged his shoulders, “I am unsure.”
Thinking the news was good, Eric breathed a sigh of relief. “How many have immigrated here?”
“Three or four,” then Mirtza paused, “hundred thousand.”
Eric stood, grabbed the bottle and drank straight from it.
Before anyone could ask more questions, Gayne returned with several students. “I have arranged transportation, and two carriages are waiting out front.”
Chapter 3
Carrying Steve, the students followed the rest into Gayne’s house, setting him down in the front room, before returning to the coach in the dark rainy night. Gayne, asking a servant to fetch a selection of dwarven ales and elfin wines, waited as the rest found a comfortable spot in the large front room, which resembled a museum. Scattered around the room where numerous oddities, including several stuffed animals and birds, a stand of decorative armor, and more were placed. As well, several picture frames displaying various plants or bugs hung on the walls.
When everybody was seated and had a drink, Gayne whispered to Mirtza, “Did you tell them?”
Bending his head forward, he sighed, “It did not take that long but yes.”
Seeing the private conversation, Lauren glared at them, “You both need to understand something. Until we find our daughters, I don’t give a crap about what’s happening here. There are three babies out there that we need to find! IF I HEAR ANYTHING DIFFERENT, sons of a bitch—”
Ryan wrapped his arms around her, “John…?”
Feeling for them both, he had no idea how to reply to the question.
Seeing the blank look on John’s face, Eric grabbed one of the open bottles of wine. “Last time, we didn’t know what was happening. We’ve been here before, and somebody has to know something. Crap, now I know how Logan feels when he stares at a math exam.”
“Why me?”
“Sorry, just frustrated.” Taking another drink, Eric turned to Mirtza and Gayne. “Can we get to Ironhouse or Alron?”
“No! There’s no damn way we’re going to either.” Lauren was standing, “They may as well be on the other side of this planet. My children are here, not in Alron. WE ARE STAYING HERE!”
I’m going to be able to drink John under the table before this is over. Eric looked at her, “We’re going to need help, and I doubt if we’ll find it here.”
“By the time we get back, they’ll have graduated from college,” replied Lauren, “or whatever they have here.”
“Two, maybe three days,” began Mirtza. “John, do you remember that idea to use medallions for the portal bracelets? Well, we perfected it. We can even travel to the covered elfin forest if you want…though it is no longer covered. As well, I still have stones to go to Ironhouse, which I visited many times years ago. We also have medallions to get back to the school or to here.”
Gayne nodded in agreement, “We could actually visit all three, being back within the hour.”
“Will this help us find my daughters?” asked Lauren.
Pulling out his phone, clicking on the Magic Eight Ball app, Eric shook it. “According to the only divine insight that I have, yes!” It actually showed very doubtful, but Eric saw the rejection in her eyes, “Ironhouse will help, and you know it.”
“Fine, when do we leave?”
I should’ve accepted the out of state scholarship. Then I would’ve been on the other coast, going somewhere else for spring break. Eric returned her cold stare, “Lauren, each game has a number of plays that the coach calls out, leading a team to victory. Right now, we’re on our first-yard line and behind on the score. To get on the board, we need to move the ball down the field ninety-nine yards. After we score our first TD, we’ll figure out the next play we need to run.”
“How old will my daughters be before I see them again…coach?”
Eric had reached his boiling point, “Go ask Mother!”
“Enough!” Mirtza was standing, “You are all upset, and I understand, but I think we should go back to the school, to the machine, since we may find clues there. As for going to Alron, it might help, especially if you can encourage Zack to come back, as he might be able to follow your daughter’s scent. As for Ironhouse, well, if we can encourage them to help, I am sure it will benefit all.”
“Gayne, did you bring my cloaks back?” asked John.
“The second with the mithril kites and chains since we were never able to find the first.”
“That’s fine. It’s the second one I was most interested in, but I know where the first should be.”
When a crack of thunder caught Eric’s attention, wandering over to a window, pulling back the curtains, he saw the lightning in the distant dark skies. “We’re really back in Calicon? John, how the hell did it happen? Seriously, how?”
“I don’t know. Lauren said she prayed to Mother, but Gayne heard the machine. I think that Mirtza’s right, and we need to go back to the school to see if we can figure anything out. As well, yes, getting Zack to help, well, he’s the only one that can follow a trail that we can’t see.”
A servant walked in, advising the meal was ready, but after sitting down at the dining table, they ate in silence. The same servant also took a meal out to Steve, who was lying on the floor, wondering how to contact the police station. After they had finished, John, Logan, and Eric, who carried a small cask of the dwarven honey ale, returned to the front room, and Eric proceeded to fill the mugs.
Steve accepted his drink, “Can somebody tell me what the hell’s happening?”
“Do you remember that weird accident on Route 89?” Eric waited for him to nod in agreement. “Six kids from the bus were reported missing that morning, but that night they found them. That was us and our friend Zack. According to the news reports, we were gone several hours, but the truth is that we spent four years here in Calicon.”
“Gal a gone?”
Logan shook his head, “Calicon. Boy, is that ever annoying.”
“This is a film studio, right? You guys are just screwing with my mind, like it’s a low-budget antique porn film. That way, when I testify against you in court, you can try to make me look crazy. Well, it isn’t going to
work.”
“Steve, I don’t know if you’re a religious man or not.” began John. “If you are, and any can hear you, pray what happened to us the last time doesn’t happen again.” An odd look appeared on Steve’s face, but John continued, “Eric and I almost died after they captured us. Logan came close to dying twice, and Lauren, we almost lost her three times. This world, do the wrong thing, it’ll do more than screw with your head. It’ll remove it, burying it beside you. I should know because I’ve seen the decapitated bodies.”
Eric headed over to the keg, “John, it might help if you tell him the whole story.”
“Do we have that much time? I can try to give him the highlights but not tonight.”
“At least, tell me this. Why does everybody keep mentioning dwarves and elves?”
John held up his hands in surrender, being more interested in the sweet golden liquid, which he had craved for so long.
Ryan walked into the room, “Short version, Steve. You aren’t on Earth. This place, whatever and wherever it is, well, they call it Calicon. Here you’ll find dwarves, elves, magic, death, pain, and if lucky, love. However, if you’re unlucky, you don’t even want to think of the horrors that wait in the dark shadows to embrace you.” Walking over to the cask, he filled a mug and then went to a window. Looking out into the stormy night, he wondered when his magic would arrive.
“Where’s Lauren?” asked Eric.
“Upstairs crying. She needs to get it out of her system as it’s been a rough day, and she is pretty messed up.”
“You guys can stop this act,” Steve said, shaking his head. “If you’re ever going to try this stunt in the future, I would suggest better script writers and an upgraded studio. You need to know that there’s no way that this ends well.”
Having become tired of Steve’s repetitive commentary, the same way he had grown tired of marking tests, John walked over. “That’s what we’re all worrying about.” He turned to Eric, “We might as well do this now. Can you grab his feet? Ryan, grab his arms, pull, and I’ll try to reset his knee implant. Logan, bring him a couple of mugs of beer because it might help with the pain.”
“You aren’t going to do—what I think you’re going to do?” I still remember the pain from the last time. What did I just say?
Logan placed two mugs in front of him, “Yes, he is, and I hope it hurts because I want to see you cry just like my sister did.”
“I would suggest you chug them like you’re at a frat party,” began John. “If you want, I can demonstrate.”
“Don’t you dare. Those kegs are heavy,” warned Eric.
While Steve hoped that it was all a bad dream, praying he would not feel anything, he quickly downed the two drinks. Just before Eric grabbed his left ankle, he pushed his right foot under the couch-like piece of furniture, as Ryan grabbed his wrists. Then felt them both pull, causing an incredible pain in his knee, when the implant reset. They waited a few minutes while he grimaced in pain, trying to catch his breath, and then they rolled him onto his back, which meant the furniture no longer hid his right ankle.
“Eric, grab him by the knees,” directed John, and as Ryan pulled, Eric provided the anchoring weight.
When John failed to hear the implants snap back into place, he turned to Logan, “Kick off your shoes and step on his ass.” Maneuvering Logan’s feet, he tried to realign the metal implants with the man-made drilled holes, so once again, Steve would be able to walk. When they all heard the desired noise, he looked up at Logan, “You can get down now.”
“Do I have to?”
“We don’t want to hurt him so get down.”
“Killjoy,” but Logan stepped off of the detective.
After rolling Steve, who was unconscious, onto his back, John pulled out the jar of translation ointment, rubbing it on his ears, throat, and lips. “I saw some of the house staff looking at him funny, and we don’t need them talking. Since it’ll take too long to explain about the languages, we may as well take the short route.”
Ryan picked up his drink, downed it, walked to the patio doors, and opened them. Going out into the cold rain, he hoped it would cool down his building rage, which was growing hotter. After ten minutes, he returned dripping wet. “John, why didn’t you tell them to destroy the machine? Why did you always insist that we get together the first weekend of spring break?”
“You heard Mirtza, what he did! It shouldn’t have been able to function.”
“It did,” and Ryan headed towards the hall. “It’s a freaking land of magic. Even you can’t be that stupid to think something like this couldn’t have happened.”
Before John could answer, Ryan headed upstairs seeking a hot shower and a way to comfort the one he loved.
“Why didn’t you tell Mirtza to destroy it?” asked Eric.
“You too, brother? I never thought of it. There was peace here!”
Logan finished his drink, “Why did you always want us to get together this weekend? Did you know this could happen?”
“I was afraid. All right, there I said it. I never thought we would be back here, especially like this. If they sent for us, I didn’t want to be the only one who showed up. Hell, I didn’t think any of us would want to hear on the news that one of us was missing. What the hell would you be feeling right now if…if Lauren had chased after the stroller and ran into it? And you knew that she was here all by herself. Crap, they didn’t have the machine the first time they brought us here, and I was always afraid that if they wanted us back, they could probably do it anyways.”
It was late, their mugs and questions sharing the same fate: empty of the desired contents. Eric pushed Logan out of the room, “We’ll worry about it tomorrow, John. Get some sleep.”
Why didn’t I tell Mirtza to destroy the machine?
*******
Located on the outskirts of the Bright Coast, there was a very selective inn, as most that walked by never noticed it. On this dark and rainy night, in one of the back rooms, the single occupant tossed and turned in their sleep when a dream resurrected old memories. Glazed in a thick sheen of sweat, the lone figure woke with a start, rolled to the side of the bed, and lit the candle on the nightstand. Outside, lightning eruptions illuminating the night sky, creating a haunting reflection in the window, where they could see their deer ears standing straight up, swiveling back to front. “Moth Flame, are you back?”
*******
In some ways, John was looking forward to the next morning; the aroma of the hot bean juice thick in the air, the smell of fried meats teasing him from his sleep, and was hoping the others would greet him in a similar pleasant manner. What he never expected was Lauren shaking him awake.
“How do we find my daughters?”
As he began to focus on her image, he could see Lauren’s puffy red cheeks, her eyes heavy with the sadness that embraced her heart, and on her lips, the words she did not want to speak. “We haven’t even been here a day. I don’t know anything right now.”
Lauren stopped him. “There’s only one thing I want to hear from you every day. Whatever we’re going to do, that it’ll somehow result in bringing me closer to my daughters. Until that happens, there are three words I never want to hear from you, so before you consider your next words, think long and hard. What’re we going to do today and why?”
Giving his head a shake, John tried to pull the covers over his head. “I’ll go back to the school with Gayne and Mirtza, seeing if I can determine anything.”
“That’s something. Who else is going with you?”
A few seconds ago, John never realized that he would be going there, having no idea of whom else he should take, blurted out, “Eric and Logan?”
“I have no idea what Logan can do, but take Ryan instead. I want the father of his children to see what you see, as he might notice something you don’t. Get dressed and meet us downstairs.”
“I was hoping for a shower?”
“Then you should’ve woken up earlier!”
&nbs
p; Understanding her frustration, John knew only one of two paths waited to greet him that day. The short one, where they quickly found the triplets, or the long one, where every day would chip away at the essence of Lauren. Each day being one step closer to when the magic would find Ryan, feeding his rage. Pushing himself out of bed, picking his clothes up off the floor, he quickly dressed. By the time he was in the dining room, Lauren had ensured that the house staff had prepared him a small breakfast, but it was absent of the hot bean juice. Standing in the hall, Mirtza, Eric, and Ryan waited for him
Gayne handed John a different set of clothes, “You cannot wear that outlander getup into the Bright Coast, as people will look at you differently. After you are done, put these on. Even though they might be a little big, you will not look out of place.” John cast a glance back to Ryan and Eric, who were wearing different clothes from the previous day.
Lauren, staring intently, made him feel out of place, so putting the fried meats between two pieces of bread, he headed for the room across the hall, changed and then went to the door. Standing in the rain, hearing Eric call to him, he saw the rest inside of the stable beside the house. As he approached, Gayne pulled out an amulet, waved his hand over it, and a closed carriage with harnessed horses materialized.
“I normally have a coach pick me up,” Gayne began, “but it will not be here for another hour. There is a small eatery close to the school where we can stop and also get some hot bean juice.” Then he turned to Ryan, “If that is all right with you?”
He nodded, “Lauren is just upset, and I don’t know if I should apologize for her now, or for what I’ll do in a month if my daughters aren’t found, but, yes, I could use a better meal and time to think.”
After traveling thirty minutes, Gayne pulled the carriage in front of a small cafe, and the five ran inside, taking a seat in the back.
“Who knew about the machine, other than you and Mirtza?” asked Ryan.
“Just the twelve students from Alron who came back with us. The dwarves knew you built something because they had created most of its workings, but after you had left, we made sure that the Earth Scouts always protected your house, especially with all the gold you used. Even those who helped to remove it never knew what it was, but they could have peeked under the tarp if they wanted to. When you announced your plans to leave, you never told anybody that you had built it, and nobody from Ironhouse ever asked how it was that you left. I think they liked the mysterious departure, which added to the legend, and at the school, nobody ever saw it.”