“I thought that is what we were heading to the Akashic Records for, to find the location of a syllabist?” Zen whispered to Meja.
He bowed to us. Then he spoke and the only word I could make out was his name. We all had the same look on our face. It was a collective “Huh?” moment.
“He says, it’s a pleasure to meet you all and he hopes to be of service, his name is Samir,” I turned to Rin. “He doesn’t speak English?”
Rin bowed in answer. “This is the syllabist you requested, and there is only one Samir in this Watch in the capacity of syllabist.” I looked at the Keeper who was conveniently looking away at that moment.
“You can’t be serious. How are we supposed to communicate? Sign language?”
Somehow it felt like a cruel joke. Samir stood there as we spoke back and forth with an easy smile on his face. I could see he was paying attention, because his eyes were sharp, following each speaker in turn. I could tell Rin was rubbing it in for my not accepting his choice of Eric, the super syllabist. I walked over to the Keeper and with all the respect I could muster, I lost it. “What is this, some joke? Were you just trying to unload a defective syllabist on us? This is ridiculous!”
So sue me I have a death wish. Rin’s mouth had dropped open at the way I was speaking to the Keeper. Sylk looked amused as did the Keeper, which only pissed me off more, because now I thought they are amused at my outburst and fail to see the gravity of the situation.
“He is always this way?” the Keeper asked Sylk.
Sylk looked at me and nodded. “He has a strong spirit, maybe it won’t get him killed.”
The Keeper turned to Samir and spoke to him in a language I couldn’t grasp. Judging from the looks on everyone’s faces, including Rin, no one else seemed to understand either. Except maybe Sylk, who smiled with Samir at whatever the Keeper said. “Samir has a very rare gift, one that has been overlooked in this Watch, partly because of our isolation, but more because of arrogance.” The Keeper looked at Rin who turned away, flushed. “What say you Samir?” the Keeper asked him and I prepared myself for another round of gibberish.
“My apologies,” he said in halting English. “I must first be exposed to a language for some time before I can acquire correct speak? This is correct, yes?”
Rin’s eyes were wide as saucers. Samir’s diction was flawless and he had no trace of an accent. Except for his one mistake, he sounded like any of us.
“Correct speech,” I say to him. He nodded and bowed.
“Thank you, I will remember.” At this point I’m not far behind Rin in the amazement department.
“How is this possible? A few minutes ago, I couldn’t understand a word he said and now he speaks as well as I do?”
Samir comes from a long line of syllabists. With each generation their gift gets stronger provided both mother and father are syllabists. As you can imagine this is a rare occurrence as the gift of tongues is rare. Samir’s family however was an exception. They managed to continue the blood gift of tongues for seven generations.”
Rin, still in shock, spoke. “He is a master syllabist,” he said in awe.
“All this time and no one knew,” Rin said quietly to himself.
The Keeper coughed. “I knew,” the Keeper said quietly. “When I suggested he be evaluated, what did the Council declare?”
Council, I thought to myself. So there is a ruling body, here in the Watch.
“They decided to, umm, pursue other avenues and other candidates.”
“Yes, they brushed off an old man in favor of counsel from newer, fresh blood.” The Keeper was serious now.
“Surely we can’t let him go with them. He is a treasure!”
The Keeper looked at him silently, sighed and put his hand on Rin’s shoulder.
“A short time ago you were secretly relieved to get rid of what you considered a burden. Now you consider him a treasure. He is still the same man, is he not?” Rin was red-faced and bowed. The lesson was not lost on me since I shared in Rin’s opinion of Samir and thought he could not possibly be of any help to me or to the group. In other words I judged this particular book by its cover and found it wanting. “Now go tend to the necessary preparations, they must leave for the Records as soon as possible, and as we both know it is no easy journey.”
Rin bowed and left the common area trailed by at least five monitors much younger than he.
“Come, we must prepare, there are others who would see you fail and we must not give them the satisfaction.”
The Keeper shuffled off through a doorway looking very much like an old man. I had many questions whirling in my head. Who wanted us to fail? Who was this Council? Why did we need to go to the Records if we had a syllabist? Zen thumped me on my arm.
“Wake up and focus, D. We need to get moving.” I saw that we were the only two left in the common room. I had drifted off with my questions. Zen smirked at me. “Stop being a space cadet.” I laughed to shake off the embarrassment. “Let’s go.”
THE AKASHIC
I HAD A lot of questions and few answers. The most important of them was, why go to the records if we had a syllabist and not only a syllabist but a master syllabist at that? As we headed down the brightly lit corridors, I glimpsed other monitors moving to and fro. It seemed we were approaching a more populated area of the Watch. Up ahead, I could overhear the Keeper and Sylk discussing something but I couldn’t make out the details. Behind me Kal and Meja brought up the rear. I noticed once again how I seemed to be protected by placement in the group. We turned a few times more making lefts then rights, until I was convinced we were in some kind of maze. Finally we reached a door and the Keeper pushed it open to reveal a small courtyard dominated by what seemed to be an onyx obelisk. In the midst of the sunlight and bright colors, it appeared to be a sliver of night. No light reflected off of it. Each side was covered in symbols, some I thought I could make out, others were beyond me. Sylk and the Keeper reached it first. As the Keeper began walking around the obelisk, he started touching some of the symbols.
“This is an interstitial doorway. I’m assuming you are all familiar with what that is?” said the Keeper.
I raised my hand as if in school. “Not really.”
The Keeper nodded at Sylk and I was almost certain that Sylk was some kind of public school educator at some point in his life. He turned to me and everything from his stance to his voice said Teacher.
“An interstitial doorway,” he began and paused to see if I was paying attention and seeing that I was, he continued, “is a doorway that leads to specific places between the planes. The Records are priceless, so access to them is limited to this doorway and of course this Watch.” I looked at the obelisk again. The air around it had begun to thrum in vibration.
“So you are saying the only way to get to the records is through this doorway?” I said pointing at the obelisk as the Keeper kept circling and pressing symbols. The vibration grew in intensity and I was feeling it in my lower abdomen. Sylk looked at me as if I just enjoyed stating the obvious.
“As I was saying, the Records are irreplaceable, and extremely valuable. We need to find a particular book,” said Sylk
I looked at him, “You’re kidding, right?”
“No, he is not. This book is instrumental for Samir to teach you to be an ascended warrior to meet the threat that seeks to engulf us all. To answer your question as to why the journey must be made if you have a syllabist, the book is as essential as the syllabist.”
It was the Keeper, who it seemed had finished with the symbols on the obelisk.
“I do not subscribe to the notion that this is the only doorway to the records. I have lived too long and have seen too much for that to make sense,” said the Keeper.
He looked at Sylk. “Karashihan, although the title no longer fits, eh?” Sylk nodded. “Do not believe the old wives tales or in this case the stories of old men. You do not know what awaits you in the Records, so you must be prepared.” He turned to me. “You
are the greatest threat, and so will be the greatest target. Keep your wits about you and remember, upon you much hinges. Each of you plays a part in what is to unfold— this is only the first step.”
The Keeper stepped aside and struck his staff on the ground. The obelisk shimmered and shuddered. When it stopped it looked different. Sylk walked up to it, placed his hand on the surface and vanished. One by one, we each did the same and left the Keeper and the Watch behind.
SHERFYM
I FLOATED WEIGHTLESSLY for what seemed like ten minutes. All of a sudden gravity re-established itself and I found myself in a very large corridor. I looked around and could have sworn I was in the New York Public Library. The walls were a white stone, it looked like marble. The floor was polished to a high sheen, the green stone highly reflective. The doors that were visible were of a deep brown oak, immense, and weathered with age. Each door was easily ten feet in height. This gave me pause since I have learned that large doors usually meant large beings to walk through them. Suddenly around me, I heard a series of low pops like bubble wrap being burst and found myself surrounded by children, at least I thought they were children, at least until they spoke.
“You, remain where you are!” said the one who appeared to be the leader. There were five of them and they stood phalanx style, the speaker in the center. They each had a rod in their hand, the ends of which had a dull red glow. Each of them was fair with blue eyes and long blond hair, even the males. They reminded me of a smaller version of the Watchers. Each was wearing a pair of rough leather pants and a crisp white top. The leader’s pants had a gold stripe down each leg.
“State your purpose,” the leader said as he took a step forward. I wondered where everyone else was, and how those rods looked painful.
“I asked you a question. Do you understand what I am saying?”
“I do,” I said, trying to buy some time. Maybe the others would arrive any moment?
“Good, what are you doing here?”
I figured honesty would be the best way to approach this. “I’m looking for a book.”
The leader narrowed his eyes. “Is this a jest?” He took another step forward, unsure of the threat I posed. He didn’t seem the type to have a sense of humor and I wasn’t about to start telling jokes.
“No, my group and I are looking for a specific book.”
He looked around me for a few seconds then looked directly at me, clearly displeased. “What group?”
What group indeed, that was my last thought before he hit me with his rod. Then everything went black.
I woke up feeling pain, everything ached. Whatever that rod was, it was serious in the pain department. I looked around. I was in what appeared to be an infirmary of sorts. As I tried to sit up, I realized I was strapped in. This was not good. After a few futile attempts, I realized I wasn’t going anywhere. I took in the room. There were ten beds—all of them empty, except mine. The room was bathed in natural light, or what I guessed passed as natural light. The design of the room, floor and door matched the corridor I was in earlier, so I assumed I was still in the same building. The room had a faint lavender smell to it and come to think of it, so did the hallway before I encountered what I decided to call the hallway monitors. Since I was strapped in with nowhere to go, I tried to connect with Maelstrom. There was nothing, just a large hole, a void where I always felt it to be. Had I rid myself of the weapon? Strangely, I missed its presence.
“What you are feeling is an effect of the auric flail,” said a female voice. I turned to look and found her across from my bed. She was the same height as the hallway monitors, same blond hair, and same blue eyes. I wondered if they were all related. She was also strikingly beautiful. She was dressed in white and I guessed she was some kind of doctor. After my initial shock at seeing her by my side, I tried to get my mouth to work.
“The what?”
“The flail is designed to disrupt chi flow in a target. The effect is unpredictable. It can be hours or days before your flow is restored, without assistance.”
“Who are you?”
“I am Mia and I am the director of this area.” She spread her arms wide to indicate the infirmary.
“Maybe I should ask the most pressing question—where am I?” She looked at me seriously for a moment.
“Don’t you know?” I gave her a blank look to indicate that at this point I didn’t know much of anything. “This is most odd,” she said. “You are in the medical facility of the complex that houses the Akashic Records. You are the first visitor we have had in one hundred years.”
I let that sink in for a moment. At least now I understood the hostility. But where was everyone else, did something go wrong? Were they lost somewhere?
Thoughts raced through my head. “I have to go. I need to find the others.” Though how I was going to do this escaped me. “You have been found trespassing. I can treat you but I cannot release you.”
“Oh, I think you will find that his release will be very possible.” It was a voice I recognized, but never expected to hear. I turned my head in the direction of the voice and there stood Devin.
For a moment, I swore I was imagining him. He strode over to the bed and made a quick gesture with his hand. I felt the straps undo themselves and Mia gasped. “You can’t!” she said.
“I must,” answered Devin. I was still in shock so I had no words to express my surprise. I’m pretty sure it was evident on my face though. “We need to go, now.” And he grabbed me by the wrist. He was dressed all in black. It looked like silk. Every time the light hit his clothing, it danced and rippled as if on water. There were flecks of gold interwoven into the fabric that glittered every time he moved. He still looked the same and I mentally recalled the last time I saw him; he was fighting for his life.
“How did you -?” I managed, before the scent of lavender permeated the room.
“They’re coming,” he said and turned to face the door. He looked briefly at Mia, who held her hands up. “I had to. I would be tortured if I didn’t.”
Devin approached her then. “I understand.”
He placed a hand on her forehead and she passed out. He placed her gently on a bed.
“She called them?”
He nodded. “All the Sherfym have the ability to communicate telepathically, it makes them very difficult to fight.”
“Who are the Sherfym?” I asked.
“Later, right now we need to leave this area.” He headed for the door as I stood there. Something seemed off. Why would Devin appear now, and how did I know this was really Devin?
“I know you have a lot of questions right now. I can assure you I’m here to help you. You can come with me or take your chances with the Black Lotus on your own. Its your choice.” I figured it was better than being strapped to a bed, so I followed him.
“Stay close to me, we won’t be invisible, but we will be very hard to see.”
I stood next to him as he clasped his hands together and said something under his breath. As I looked at my hands, I saw they were transparent. I looked up to see, or in this instance to not see, Devin beside me. He was a vague outline, and I was able to see the wall behind him, well, through him.
“Let’s go,” he whispered. The smell of lavender filled the hallway and I thought I heard footsteps. We stopped suddenly at an intersection and hugged the wall. Two groups of five ran past us, headed I guessed to the infirmary. We went down several corridors that way, moving quickly at times and coming to dead stops at others. After a while I was completely disoriented and hoped that Devin knew where he was going. He stopped walking and looked around, placing his hand along the walls. “It should be here somewhere,” I heard him mutter. Faintly I detected the smell of lavender.
“Devin?” I whispered.
“I smell them too, Dante. One moment.” I didn’t think we had many moments left.
“Ah! There it is!” He pressed on a wall and it slid in and to the side silently. “Come on!” He stepped in and I followed.
The wall/door slid back into place silently. “We just bought ourselves some time. I don’t think they will check the storage areas for a while, no one outside the Records really knows about these rooms.” The words came rushing out. “How, what, how did you?” He held up his hand.
“First things first, we need to restore your balance, that is what Sherfym are tracking, the trace of the flail.” He sat on the floor and motioned for me to do the same. He closed his eyes and placed his hands, palms in as if praying.
“Focus your chi, Dante.” I tried. It felt like falling into a vast open area and said as much.
“Keep trying.” I reached inward again for what seemed an eternity, I felt nothing and was about to give up, when something tugged at me.
“Yes! That’s it, focus on that,” he whispered.
I focused all my awareness on that sensation. The only way I could describe it is like finding an island after hours of swimming in the open ocean. It felt solid; it felt like peace, like home. I grabbed onto it with all my will and felt an explosion of energy within, unlike anything I had felt before. “That should do it.” He smiled but he sounded exhausted. I felt different as well. I felt whole. When I reached in, I found the familiar sensation of Maelstrom deep within, stirring.
“We have some more time, now that you aren’t a homing beacon,” he said, the tiredness creeping in to his voice. I looked around. We were in what appeared to be a large closet. It was mostly empty, save except some carts and ladders I assumed were for the Records area proper.
“How did you find me?”
“What makes you think I ever lost you?”
“What do you mean?” He gave me a look as if I missed some important lesson at some point. “It means that outside of death, I will have knowledge of where you are, as your Senpai.”
“But that means —” The realization dawned on me.
“Yes, I am being hunted as you are. Apparently you are too much of a threat to be allowed to live.”
I tried to think of this logically and then another thought hammered into me. “Devin, don’t you have a Senpai?”
Warriors of the Way-Pentalogy Page 21