“My instincts tell me you’re perfect for this quest. You are remarkably skilled at sword fighting, even though you’ve had no formal training. You know a good bit about worlds similar to mine through your reading. And, since you’re an adult, you have the freedom to choose for yourself what you do. But, most of all, you want to go. You see, my world is much like yours used to be, the one you want so much to live in. No, yours never had magic, but it did have more everyday dangers. And lots of adventure to be had.”
Drath rose and paced again. “Now, your world has changed so much that the role of the adventurer and warrior is changing with it. The technology the Great God has given you permission to develop has made your people different, much like the magic He gave us makes us different. But you have a spirit like someone from our world, someone who can accept the hazards posed by direct contact with the supernatural, be it in the form of magical spells or fantastical creatures.” Drath stopped midstride, regarding Sean strongly and reassuringly. “That is the type of person you are, whether you believe it to be true or not.”
* * *
Sean thought about that a moment. While he did, Drath resumed pacing to stretch his long legs.
A flock of birds flew by overhead, calling out to each other to hurry home while light still remained in the sky. Off to Sean’s right, the orange ball of the sun touched the tops of the trees in the distance. He could hear cars passing by on the road behind him, and he only just noticed that the lamps surrounding the quad had come on. He had to leave soon if he wanted to get his research paper done, the one his professor had graciously allowed him to submit after the semester had ended. That thought made him sigh despondently, for nothing seemed to let him be what he wanted.
This was his world, a conglomeration of technological wonders. Things were done faster and easier than they ever had before. You could travel around the world in almost the same time it once took to walk from one town to another. You could call someone on the other side of the planet and ask them about their day, which would turn out to be your tomorrow. This was his world, and he hated it.
Actually, hate was too strong a word, but he did dislike it, sometimes greatly. He felt out of place, disjointed, as if he’d never really belonged. His daydreams had always taken him to a place where he found confidence in himself, confidence in his abilities as a warrior and as a human being. He saw himself as stronger in his dreams, able to handle life’s shortcomings without tearing himself down. At the same time he took advantage of all his world’s wonderful conveniences, just as everyone else did, he believed he was spoiled by them, using them as a crutch so his life didn’t seem so difficult. That was something fewer people he knew of seemed willing to do. That was the price of technology.
But in Drath’s world, if the tall man spoke the truth, life wasn’t like that. It was the way it was here many years ago: simpler, more basic. True, many of the problems of the past were appropriately and adequately solved by technology, and any world would benefit from such advancement. But sometimes the cost seemed to outweigh the merits, at least to Sean’s thinking. He preferred things to be more direct, honest even. You could never truly rely on technology, for when it broke down you were back to where you were before you had it. The technological step seemed, at times, almost wasted.
Sean hefted his wooden sword, eyeing it thoughtfully. This he could trust—this simple piece of wood. It wouldn’t misfire or explode in his hand when he tried to use it, and it would be very difficult to kill himself with it accidentally. He could protect himself with it and feel confident in his ability to do so. That could apply to any world, but, from the sounds of it, more so in Drath’s. In the absence of technology, warriors and wizards and vile creatures inhabited this other world, the kind that threatened your life by their very presence. You couldn’t reason with them, or sue them, or sit them out to teach them the error of their ways. You had to slice them open with your sword to keep them from killing you. Whether or not he could adjust to and survive in such a place was immaterial. Sean merely knew he desperately wanted to try.
“You really think I’m that good with a sword?” It wasn’t his only question, but it was the only one he had the courage to ask.
Drath nodded seriously. “Aye. I’ve never really trained anybody, but from watching you, I could tell you’re something of a natural. I think you’ll respond very well to real training and be able to refine those techniques the way you want to. My teachers used to tell me stories of people like you. They said they were the hardest ones to teach, but also the ones they were the most proud of. I remember wishing I could be like that.”
Drath moved closer and smiled. “I see the potential in you to become a great sword fighter, but not a Swordsman. Don’t think I am insulting you or putting you down when I say that, because the Swordsman in my world is better than anyone. He is also decidedly rare, and has special gifts granted by the Great God Himself. Even so, you could be much better than the average man.”
Sean blushed at such praise and found himself trying to come up with an argument against what Drath had said. But he stopped himself, remembering his father’s advice on taking praise. He’d said that, while it may not be easy to believe those words yourself, it belittled and even insulted the other person if you constantly disagreed with him. His father had told him to let the other person say what he wanted and to decide later whether or not to accept it as true. Knowing about his son’s low self-esteem, he also said that the majority of praise, if coming from someone you trust, was true, and that believing that part was the hardest, most important thing.
Sean finally looked up at Drath. “Who is this Merdel you keep talking about?”
Drath laughed. “One of my trusted friends. As I’ve mentioned, he’s a wizard and the one who first noticed the danger to our worlds and brought it to my attention. He’s also the one who searched this world for a companion to our quest after King Dobry told us to.
“Merdel and I have known each other for a long time, and we’ve had many adventures together. I was one of the only ones he could trust to hear what he had to say and be willing to help him. I have a little more pull with Dobry than Merdel does, so I went to the king myself, both because he is my sovereign and because we needed his financial support. He also helped us petition the elves and dwarves for their assistance.”
Sean nodded, wondering about all that might be involved in what the tall man had just said, but decided to wait before hearing those answers. Right now, he wanted to know more about his traveling companions. If he decided to go, that is.
“Who are your other friends?”
Drath crossed his arms with a thoughtful frown. “They are adventurers like I am, and they agreed to help in stopping this wizard’s activities. They came here with me to help prove to you I’m telling the truth.”
Sean looked around, suddenly worried he was surrounded. “Where are they?”
Drath gestured with his head toward the trees behind him. “They’re waiting over there with Merdel. We all agreed it best if I approached you first, and that if you wanted to see proof, you would then meet them. And they might attract too much attention.” He paused. “You see, my other friends are not human.”
Sean jumped to his feet. “Not human! What are they?”
“Two of them are elves, and one’s a dwarf. They have traveled with me many times before and have proven loyal companions, Thorne especially.” Drath smiled good-naturedly. “Like all dwarves, he’s got an inflated sense of honor. It can be annoying at times, as can his knowledge of things, but it’s balanced by his love of fighting, drinking, and swearing.” His grin widened. “And by the corrupt nature of the two elves.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“They are, shall we say, somewhat untroubled by certain laws, despite their devotion to the Great God. While they obey the serious ones, they tend to disregard the ones they see as foolish.”
“What are they? Thieves?”
Drath winced. “The
y wouldn’t agree to such a prejudicial term, but that about sums it up. They really are good people. They’re just good at taking things from others, too.”
Sean lifted a brow. “And you trust them?”
“With my own life.” The smile had left Drath’s mouth.
The seriousness in Drath’s tone made Sean regret he’d thought badly of the tall man’s companions, but he reconciled it by telling himself it was only natural. Anybody would be skeptical of someone known to be a thief. He would have to trust Drath’s word and believe they were good, but that wouldn’t stop him from keeping a close eye on his possessions, too.
That thought made Sean realize he was already committed to this quest. He had no real proof of the veracity of the story but found himself believing it, and not only because he wanted to. Something in the way Drath told the story, something in his demeanor, persuaded Sean that the man could be trusted. Vaun knew he’d be in great danger if he went, but that excited more than frightened him. Perhaps it was his adventurous nature manifesting itself. Either way, before he agreed, he wanted to meet these so-called elves and this dwarf, not to mention this wizard named Merdel, and he said so.
Drath smiled happily, seeming to believe the battle had been won. “Certainly, Sean.” With an expansive wave, he gestured for his friends to come out from hiding.
Hefting his wooden sword, Sean wondered if he might need it as four people suddenly appeared around him. He took a couple of steps back, wondering if the story he’d heard was a lie and that these men meant to do him grave harm. Tightening his grip on the hilt of his sword, he wished it were real.
But no attack came. The two figures that stepped out on his left simply stood there, covered by long green cloaks with the hoods pulled up. Both were about a foot shorter than Sean, and they peered around nervously, talking quietly to each other. Sean tried to overhear what they were saying, but the only clear words he was able to pick up sounded like gibberish. He glanced around, but their side of the quadrangle was vacant.
The other two now made their way toward him, also scanning their surroundings. It seemed to Sean that these visitors were more apprehensive about this meeting than he was.
The one approaching closest to him was an older man a few inches shorter than Drath. He had long grey-streaked black hair pulled back into a tail that fell just below the collar of his loose-fitting, light grey shirt. His beard was mostly white, but it still held a few patches of his youthful dark hair. His broad nose nestled comfortably amongst the hairs of his mustache, and silver speckled his intelligent black eyes. His pants were of the same make and color as his shirt, and they were tucked into ankle-high black boots. Sean was convinced he looked upon the wizard from Drath’s story, but for some reason he couldn’t remember the man’s name.
The other person who’d appeared on that side now stood next to the two green-cloaked figures in front of Sean. A dark blue cloak covered this one, also with the hood pulled up. He, or she, had stopped looking around, and now stared directly at Sean, who felt the weight of that forceful gaze. This fourth person was almost as wide as the two short ones put together. Remarkably, he—Sean couldn’t imagine a woman with as muscular or hairy arms as this one had—stood a few inches shorter than the two beside him. Those hands were thick and knotted and brushed at his clothing with a kind of strong grace.
Sean slowly began to process that the story Drath had told him might be true. While it excited him and made him loosen his grip on his sword hilt, it also frightened him. As he considered the cloaked figures before him, he tried to gain visual confirmation of his thoughts. Most of all, though, he wanted the blue-cloaked stranger to stop staring at him.
“Thorne!” Drath’s voice cut through Sean’s thoughts and broke the silence that had been hanging in the air. “Please stop staring our new friend down. You’re intimidating him.”
The person inside the blue cloak shifted his feet and cleared his throat. “Sorry, Drath. I did no mean to.” His voice rumbled from deep inside his chest, like rocks tumbling down from the roof of a cave. Sean could almost feel his eyes pull away from him and sighed gratefully.
The other two cloaked figures, having grown quiet as Sean studied the others, now turned to each other. They spoke quickly and quietly together, then faced Sean. With a last look around, they pulled back their hoods. The deep-voiced man standing next to them noticed their movements and did likewise.
Sean blinked, his jaw hanging open stupidly. His skin grew suddenly cold, and pinpricks danced up and down his arms and legs.
He took a hesitant step back, fighting down the urge to bolt in terror. What he saw dumbfounded him, for it made all his dreams seem suddenly within reach. But rather than elate him, it terrified him. It scared him so badly he wanted only one thing. To get away.
* * *
Drath could see the fear building in Sean’s eyes and took a step forward to try to comfort him. Unfortunately, his gesture had the opposite effect, for Sean, his mouth moving rapidly but with no sound, turned and fled. The youth didn’t scream, thankfully, but he ran away nonetheless.
His shoulders drooping, Drath swiveled to face his friends, who only shrugged in incomprehension. It was then Drath noticed Sean had dropped his wooden sword, and the tall man sighed heavily. A warrior who abandoned his weapon was either truly frightened or not worthy of the name.
Now their quest seemed doomed even before it began.
3
DRATH AND MERDEL SAT FACING EACH OTHER. Neither moved, despite the hardness of the ground beneath them. Each waited for the other to speak, to give some reason their plans had gone so suddenly awry. The long months of Merdel’s magical research had suggested otherwise, assuring him of Sean’s inner strength and deep-seated longing for adventure.
The wizard had spent a great deal of time and energy searching this modern world for the right person to join their quest. Looking at alternate worlds was much the same as looking at faraway places, Merdel had discovered. It just took the right concentration and knowledge that they existed, not to mention a good deal of power and a healthy dose of appeals to the Great God. The bearded mage had learned much about this technological world and the peoples who inhabited it, chiefly that they had almost universally abandoned supernatural activities a few hundred years ago. Coupled with the Great God’s prohibition on such endeavors, the people of Sean’s world had little knowledge or belief in things like magic and otherworldly creatures, things that were commonplace in Merdel’s home. Of all the people the wizard had observed over the weeks and weeks of his searching, this dark-haired college kid was the best one he’d found, more because of his inclination toward fantasy than his amateur skill with a blade. Swordsmanship could be learned, but a longing for the kind of world from which Merdel came had to be inborn.
Thorne and the two elves, sitting some distance away on the other side of the fire, did not attempt to enter into the discussion between the tall man and the wizard. They were uncomfortable enough being in this strange world and didn’t have any ideas on how to persuade someone to leave it. And disagreements between the two humans could easily become ugly.
“What’d you say to him, Drath?”
“Nothing!” Drath exhaled. “At least, I didn’t say anything other than what we discussed. I think it was the presence of Thorne, Rush, and Dart that chased him away. Not anything I told him.”
Merdel’s silver-specked black eyes narrowed. “What makes you think that?”
“Think about it. What would you do if you suddenly came face to face with something you thought existed only in your imagination?”
“But with his attitude toward our world, he should’ve been ecstatic, not terrified.”
“Perhaps, but it’s not what happened. Don’t you think that maybe he just panicked? He didn’t know how to react to us, so he did the only thing he could think of. Just get away.”
This time it was Merdel’s turn to sigh. “Well, now what do we do? I certainly don’t want all of the effort that’
s been put into this venture to be wasted. We’ve got to do something, even if it means finding someone else.”
“I thought you said no one else had what was needed. You said Sean had all the right characteristics to make the adjustment.”
“I know what I said! But it doesn’t mean I can’t change my mind. I haven’t examined everyone in this world, you know. No matter what I feel the Great God has told me, I still must be thorough so I honor His guidance.”
“All right, all right. You don’t have to yell at me.” Drath sighed as he looked off into the night. An owl hooted, and the chorus of insects halted a mere second before resuming their nightly music. “I just think we need to give him another chance. And we need to return him his sword.”
Merdel chuckled and shook his head, constantly amused at how easily Drath wanted to deny the intervention of the divine. Just because you don’t see His hand doesn’t mean He isn’t there. “You are always the warrior. You think that by giving him his sword back, Sean will calm down and see reason. He might even be so grateful he agrees to join us.”
Drath glowered. “You don’t have to be a horse’s rump about this, Merdel. And no, I don’t think he’ll simply forget his fears and accept us. But I do think we should at least talk to him again. Remember, this was your fire-brained idea in the first place.”
“I know, I know.” The wizard’s smile faded. “I just wish things weren’t so difficult. This would be easier if he’d realize we’re telling him the truth.”
“I think that’s what happened. He almost believed me, and when he saw Thorne and the elves he truly did. But the sudden realization of his life’s dream made him panic. I probably wouldn’t have acted much differently.”
Merdel shrugged. “Maybe so. But whatever is going on in that young man’s head, we need to make a decision soon. Our time here is limited if we want to avoid upsetting the balance.”
The Bonding (The Song and the Rhythm) Page 3