A World Apart (The Jake Thomas Trilogy - Book 1)

by Tolle, Steven A.

  "Is this world called something?" Jake asked, struggling to orient himself. "What I mean is, for example, the world I'm from is called Earth."

  "It is known to us as simply 'the world'." Jonas replied. "I wish I could help you better, Jake, have something more reassuring to tell you, but some of your questions are beyond me."

  "Ok." Jake said quietly, resigned.

  Jonas reached out and grasped Jake's hand, giving it a squeeze. "What I will do is send a message to Tomaris. As I mentioned, he is a scholar, powerful and very wise. He has knowledge of many things, like how he made this staff, so maybe he can understand what has occurred to bring you here and why. I'll send it first thing tomorrow."

  Jonas paused, then continued. "Jake, I know that this is hard for you, but you should prepare yourself to stay here for the foreseeable future. Even if Tomaris can help, it may be weeks before we have an answer. It will take several days just to get the message to him."

  Jonas stood up. "I'll make arrangements for you to stay with friends while you are here." He looked Jake in the eye. "I believe that you are a good and honest young man, Jake. Know that, while you are here, I will do whatever I can to make you feel welcome and safe. I am sure Dom will do the same."

  He headed to the door. "I will ask that you stay here for now, Jake. Try to relax; you are safe here. I shouldn't be long." He left, closing the door behind him.

  Jake slumped in his chair, gazing at the map, despair rising. He felt trapped and alone, despite Jonas' warmth and reassurances. None of this made any sense to him. He could not believe that he was here, in a strange world, parted from his family and friends. Would he ever see them again? He reached and grabbed his phone, an anchor to his real life, and held it like a talisman to ward off this nightmare.

  He had been sitting there for a time, lost in his thoughts, when the door banged open, startling him, causing him to jump out of his seat. He looked at the open doorway to see Dominic striding through, his face angry. "Where's Jonas?" He demanded.

  "He said that he was going to make some arraignments for me to stay while I'm here." Jake replied, unsure of what caused Dominic's obvious anger.

  "Just when I need him, he is gone." Dominic stated. He motioned to Jake. "Put the cloak back on, boy, and let's go. We have been summoned to the palace."

  "What for?" Jake asked, concerned, as he fastened the cloak back on.

  "Obviously, word has reached the king that I brought a stranger to the city." Dominic spat. "I assume he wants to poke and prod you for a bit. Let's go and close the door behind you." He turned and headed back out into the night. Jake hurried to catch up.

  Dominic grabbed an apprentice walking in the garden, startling the young man. "Find out where Chief Cleric Jonas is and tell him he needs to come to the palace." Dominic gave him a shove. "Now, boy!" The apprentice, taking a look at Dominic's scarred face, turned and ran, calling out if anyone had seen Jonas, his nervous voice echoing off the buildings' walls.

  Dominic strode down the path and headed out the gates into the street, Jake almost running to keep up. As Jake reached the street, he could see six soldiers arranged in formation, the metal of their armor and the heads of their sharp spears reflecting the torchlight. Another soldier was standing to the side, a plumed helmet cradled under his arm, looking a bit pale in the torchlight. Dominic headed straight for him.

  "All right, Captain Hessel." Dominic said, voice angry, but even. "We're here. Chief Cleric Jonas was away, but a messenger has been sent to summon him."

  Without waiting for a response, Dominic strode off towards the palace, Jake hurrying to catch him. Captain Hessel quickly put on his helmet, shouted an order and the soldiers ran to form a guard around Dominic and Jake. It seemed to Jake that they were under arrest.

  Chapter Ten

  With Dominic not saying anything as they made their way to the palace, Jake glanced nervously at the soldiers surrounding them, trying to get a sense of their mood. To Jake, they seemed unhappy about their task, but professional. Maybe it was their respect for Dominic; they seemed to want to be seen as dispassionate and disciplined, even Captain Hessel. Even so, it would have appeared to anyone watching them that Dominic was leading the party.

  They made their way through one of the parks, torchlight illuminating the path. The palace reared in front of them, its white walls reflecting the pale light of the rising moon. The party made its way across the paved courtyard, heading for the gate that stood open in the middle of the wall. Jake could see additional guards in front of the gate.

  Captain Hessel quickened his pace and reached the guards at the gate before the party. Jake heard him speak to the guards and one turned and ran back into the palace grounds. The group reached the gate and passed into the palace grounds.

  Even in the torchlight, Jake could see across the open courtyard that there were large gardens of trees and flowering plants surrounding the palace. He could make out carved stone benches and statues placed within the gardens. He also saw guards posted at regular intervals around the palace, some partially hidden by the foliage.

  They continued on the wide paved path that traveled up to the smooth stone stairs, which led to palace entrance. As they made their way up the stairs, Jake could see the guards at the door. Unlike the others, these guards were dressed in shining armor, each carrying a white shield on their left arm with a golden eagle painted in the center. Their long surcoats were also white, secured over their armor with a wide leather belt. From the belts, a sheathed sword hung from their hips. They also held a tall spear, its point long and sharp, in their right hand. The helmets, open-faced with a nose guard coming down from the brow area, were also shining, with a plume of white feathers topping them. Jake could tell they were ceremonial guards, but they looked like they could also fight, if need be.

  The guards, looking straight ahead, did not acknowledge the group as they passed; obviously, they were expected. As they entered the palace, Jake looked around. He first noticed the polished stone floor, as his sneakers squeaked as he entered the foyer. Dominic gave him a look out of the corner of his eye, shaking his head slightly. Across the foyer were the entrances of three hallways. They headed across the foyer and entered the center hallway. The hallway was tall with an arched ceiling, walls painted golden, decorated by paintings and woven hangings, brightly lit by hundreds of candles along the walls and hanging from the ceiling. There was a thick red carpet that ran down the center of the stone floor, muffling their steps. At the end of the hall were two enormous golden doors, with two more ceremonial guards stationed before the door. Off to the right, a rotund older man with shoulder-length white hair and a short beard, dressed in fine clothing, waited.

  Captain Hessel gave his soldiers an order to halt and they stopped before the doors. He went over to the finely dressed man and gave a slight bow. "Greetings, Lord Genela. I have brought Dominic and his charge, as instructed."

  "My thanks, Captain." Genela replied airily, sounding as if he didn't mean it. He looked over at the group and frowned. "I do not see Brother Jonas. Didn't your instructions say to require his presence as well?"

  Before Hessel could answer, Dominic spoke up. "Enough, Genela; Captain Hessel did his duty. As you well know, as Chief Cleric, Jonas does not have to come at the beck and call of the king. However, I'm sure he'll arrive as soon as he finishes his business. Now, let's get this over with before I do something you'll regret." His hard blue eyes seemed to bore into Genela's, who recoiled slightly.

  "Of course, Dominic." Genela gave a sarcastic little bow. "It is, as always, such a pleasure to see you." He turned back to Captain Hessel. "You may leave us, Captain." Captain Hessel gave another bow to Genela, saluted Dominic, and led his men back down the hall.

  Genela made a sharp gesture to the guards, who stepped back and opened the doors. Jake could see a large and wide hall, brightly lit, beyond the doors. Genela walked into the hall, with Dominic a step behind. Jake caught up with Dominic and walked by his side. A wide red carpe
t ran from the door across the room to a raised dais against the far wall. The dais was made up of three large semi-circular steps, the widest at the bottom, the smallest at the top. On the top of the dais, two large gilded chairs stood, side by side. The chairs were made the same, tall backed, with wide arms covered in leather, thick cushions on the seats. Above the chairs, hanging on the back wall, a large banner loomed. It was white, with a green and gold twisted edge. Centered in the banner was a golden crown over a golden eagle. The chairs were empty.

  Once inside, Jake was surprised to see at least fifty to sixty people standing around the hall, most dressed in fine clothes like Genela. Jake could feel the eyes of everyone turn towards him and Dominic; he was conscious of his torn and dirty clothes under the cloak in this sea of finery. The faint murmur of voices that filled the hall died for a moment as they stopped to look, then restarted, a little louder than before.

  Jake glanced at Dominic, whose face was neutral, though his eyes were still angry; he was apparently unconcerned as he strode forward towards the chairs. As some of the people moved away from the dais, Jake could see that there was a smaller chair set at the base of the stairs, slightly to the right of the dais chairs.

  Genela stopped a few feet from the base of the dais, turned to face Dominic and said. "Wait here. The king shall be arriving shortly." With a smirk, he moved off into the crowd.

  Jake leaned over and whispered to Dominic. "Where I come from, there is no king. I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

  "Just copy what I do, boy. You'll be fine." Dominic replied, eyes facing forward.

  Jake glanced around nervously. He saw the open stares and whispers as the crowd watched him, increasing his anxiety. He noticed that there were several other doors around the hall, smaller than the main doors, each one guarded. There was one set of double-doors set into the wall off to the right side of the dais. Two guards were posted there.

  As he was looking at those doors, one opened and a tall, thin dark-haired man carrying a short staff and dressed in green and gold silk stepped into the room. He took two steps forward and stopped. When he banged his staff on the floor three times, the sound echoing through the hall, the murmuring faded to silence.

  "King Kristin the First, Sovereign Lord of Sanduas and Protector of the Realm, comes." He said loudly, a surprisingly deep voice coming out of that thin frame. He banged his staff three more times. "He comes."

  The guards opened both doors and Jake saw a man in his fifties, average height, slightly paunchy, with pale skin and a halo of gray hair surrounding the bald top of his head. He was dressed in a fine green silk doublet and pants, polished leather boots and a golden belt. A gold crown was perched on top of his head, four spikes rising from the ring of gold. He made his way to the dais, the men in the crowd bowing, the women curtsying, as he passed. He climbed the stairs to the chair to Jake's left. He sat down, face unhappy, and looked down at Dominic and Jake, waiting.

  Dominic returned the stare for a moment, then bowed his head, neck barely bending. Jake hurriedly copied him, making his bow lower, not sure what would give offense.

  The king nodded his head and gestured towards Dominic. "I join all of Sanduas in rejoicing for your safe return, Dominic. I hope that your hunting went well."

  "I had some success, Your Majesty." Dominic replied, eyes hard, voice even. "Why have we been summoned?"

  "Direct as always, Dominic." The king sighed. "I know that you must be tired from your travels, but word reached me that you had brought a stranger to the city, wrapped in a cloak and hood. That was a strange report to hear since you are well known to travel and operate alone. I wanted to find out what this was about, in case you were only here for a night."

  The king looked over at Jake. "I take it that this young man is the stranger you brought?" Dominic gave a curt nod.

  "Welcome to Sanduas, young man. What is your name?" The king asked. Jake glanced over to Dominic, who motioned for him to respond.

  "Jake. Jake Thomas." Jake replied. He caught Dominic's slight frown. "Ahh...Your Majesty."

  "Welcome to Sanduas, Jake Thomas. Please do not be afraid. I am only looking for some answers." The king said, smiling reassuringly at Jake.

  The smile faded as the king faced Dominic again. "Why did you feel it necessary to hide his countenance when you arrived?"

  "He is a stranger to these lands. I wanted to consult with Jonas before it was known that he is here." Dominic answered. He gestured to the crowd. "I would suggest that this public setting is not appropriate for further discussion. I ask that further questioning be done in a private audience."

  The king paused, staring back at Jake, eyes now curious. Jake, uncomfortable with the attention, lowered his eyes and looked around. As he did so, the double doors that the king came through opened and a young woman came into the room.

  Jake temporarily forgot where he was and could not do anything but stare. She was beautiful. She stood about five foot eight, with long reddish-brown hair and sparkling green eyes. She had smooth and unblemished skin, a slim build with curves where a woman should have them. Her dress was made of blue silk, which had a cut to it that accentuated her curves. She moved gracefully as she walked to the dais, nodding to people in the crowd.

  She glanced over at Jake, saw his stare and smiled. When she smiled, white teeth flashing, she became even more beautiful, if that was possible. Jake stood there, his here and now forgotten, as he took in her beauty. She continued to smile at him, which he returned until Dominic elbowed him in the ribs, hard. Jake nearly doubled over from the shock.

  "Forgive him, Your Majesty. He was apparently raised by savages who never told him it is impolite to stare at a woman." Dominic said dryly. Laughter rose from the crowd.

  "No apologies are necessary." The king said, smiling fondly at the young woman. "I have seen the effect my daughter has on young men before." The crowd laughed again.

  "It is not like I encourage it, Father." The woman replied, blushing slightly.

  "Young men don't need much encouragement, Keria."

  "Forgive my tardiness, Father." Keria said as she sat down in the chair at the base of the dais. "Have I missed anything important?"

  "Dominic and I were just having a discussion about this young man Jake." The king said, gesturing towards Jake. "He has asked for a private audience to continue that discussion. I am weighing that request."

  "I would second that request, Your Majesty." Jonas' voice said loudly, coming from behind Dominic and Jake. Jake turned to see him walking up towards the throne, staff carried in his right hand. Walking next to Jonas was a man a little shorter than Jake, dressed plainly in light brown pants and boots, with a darker vest, his bulging arms and shoulders bare. He had short dark hair and dark eyes. His shaven face had a ruddy complexion, like he was always in the sun. He saw Jake's look and gave him a smile and a wink. He had an open and friendly demeanor about him that Jake instantly liked.

  The men walked up to where Dominic and Jake stood, stopping on the other side of Dominic. They both made a bow to the king.

  "My thanks for coming, Bother Jonas." The king said, nodding his head. He looked at the other man. "Your presence is a pleasant surprise, Mastersmith."

  "It is always my honor to serve you, Your Majesty." Jonas replied for them. "Norlan is here at my request, if you will pardon the presumption." The king gave a small wave of his hand as if to say "It is nothing." "I have asked him to house Jake with his family while he is a guest with us. If you do not object, of course."

  "I have no objections, Brother Jonas. That sounds like an excellent idea." He gestured to Norlan. "My thanks, Mastersmith Norlan, for opening up your home. If you need any assistance in providing this care, please send a message to the palace."

  "Thank you, Majesty, for such a kind offer." Norlan replied with a bow and a smile. "However, I'm confident my wife will make sure we can manage."

  The king chuckled. "Wives are good for keeping us managed." The court laughed with the k
ing, who glanced over at the empty chair next to him, smile slowly fading.

  Jonas spoke up. "If I may approach, Majesty, I can tell you my reasons for supporting Dominic's assertion that we should discuss this in private." The king motioned him forward and Jonas climbed the stairs to kneel down next to the king, heads close, talking quietly.

  As Jonas and the king talked, the people in the hall started shifting around, talking with each other, voices murmuring. Jake stood there, watching the crowd, next to Dominic, who was leaning over and talking to Norlan. They were speaking quietly, so Jake could not make out everything they were saying.

  As Jake turned back towards the throne, he was shocked to find the princess walking towards him. She gave him a smile as she approached. Dominic caught her approach out of the corner of his eye and turned back towards Jake, his eyes trying to determine her intent.

  Jake felt decidedly awkward when she stopped in front of him. He could only look into her gorgeous green eyes, his tongue tied up in knots.

  "Hello, Jake. My name is Keria." She said sweetly, smiling the whole time. Jake was not sure what to do. Not only was she beautiful, she was a princess. Was he supposed to take her hand and kiss it? Bow to her? His mind raced to think of something to say, realizing that he was looking like an idiot just standing there.

  "The boy is so captivated by your beauty, Princess, that it has rendered him unable to speak." Dominic said, his deep voice suddenly polished and urbane. That tone took Jake by surprise, coming out of that scarred and hard face, but then he remembered Jonas saying that Dominic had been a ladies' man back in his younger days. The princess laughed at that and reached out to take one of Jake's hands, giving it a squeeze before releasing it.