9 Journeys Beginning
B
illy sat on a rock near the river looking deep into the water where he found no answers. He didn't see Zhoulin come up behind him, but her reflection in the water hailed her arrival. He looked up at her. She was quite beautiful he had decided and in his young heart, he knew he would do anything for her.
She was nothing like the girls he knew back home. He had enjoyed teasing the girls back home, but this was different. For the first time, he had met a girl who he did not want to think badly of him...
“Well,” he sighed. “What do you think?”
She sat next to him “I am not sure what you are referring to,” she said quietly. Billy had actually been thinking about the weird battle in the meadow. It had been so dreamlike. It was frightening and exciting all in the same breath. He also had a disturbing image in his head that he had seen something in the final explosion just for a second a glimpse of… something. He shoved it into the back of his mind.
"Yeah," He said. "There is so much, don't know where to begin. Man, this is all so weird, I don't know how much more of this I can take."
“Yes,” she said. “I imagine you have been through a great deal of trouble. I think I shouldn’t say I understand, but if it is any consolation we did try.”
"Yeah, I guess."
“Uncle is awake now,” She said quietly. “If you want to see him.” Billy didn’t respond, he wasn’t sure how he felt about the old man.
"He said when he first attempted the spell, he felt a connection to the other side through the magic spring," Zhoulin continued. "But he said now he feels nothing. Like it is completely gone. He will try again when he is stronger, but we are not far from where the falls had been. He said he should feel the pull of the magic. I too could feel it before from some distance, but now… I think the magic is gone. He thinks something happened where you came through, from the other side.”
“Oh?” Billy said. “Something from my side?”
“Yes,” she said. “He said something happened at the moment when the spell should have worked something unforeseen. He said like the other side is gone or something. ”
"Kind of like an a...a wormhole that someone collapsed?" Billy ventured.
"Wormhole?" she said, "I don't understand."
Just then Brother Dog stepped up next to them.
“How would you know about such things as wormholes?” he said, somewhat surprised that a farm boy would know of such things.
“Science fiction,” Billy said, matter-of-factly.
Both looked at him blankly
“Science fiction,” he said again. “Man you guys really are from outer space! Science fiction is books about space stuff, but it’s not real, just stories. Like the idea of black holes and wormholes and aliens coming down and… and talking Brother Dogs that come from outer space and kidnap little farm boys.”
Brother Dog looked at him for a moment, but didn't seem to connect the reference.
“But why would a boy have access to such delicate material?” he said. “In my home world this kind of thing is only known by the highest officials, why would anyone give such vital workings to a boy? Who could do such a thing?”
Billy was watching him, slightly amused at how upset Brother Dog was getting over something so silly. It was strange enough having a conversation with a Chinese girl in China when just a short time ago he was home. Now this talking dog, it was still unbelievable.
"My mom gave it to me," He said very matter of fact, just to see how the dog warrior would react.
“Your mom!?” Brother Dog sputtered. “Your mom? You are making a joke.”
"Not at all," he said laughing. "She told me it would give me something to do and maybe keep me out of trouble. Why are you getting so worked up? It's just science fiction."
“What in the world are wormholes and black holes and science fiction?” Zhoulin said in frustration.
“Quiet! Keep your voice down,” Brother Dog said, looking around the clearing. “If anyone heard you,” he stopped for a moment, “well, I don’t know what would happen, but these things aren’t spoken about lightly.”
“Yeah!” Billy said, in a mischievously serious voice, “and make sure you don’t mention folding space.”
“What?” Brother Dog almost shouted. “How can you know these things, you are just a boy, a farm boy at that! How do you know these things?” He growled drawing his sword and stepping toward Billy, menacingly.
"Holy cow!" Billy said in surprise at Brother Dogs sudden anger, and he hid behind Zhoulin "I was just joking because you were getting so upset. Come on! Everybody knows this stuff."
Brother Dog stepped closer. “What?” he said in shock and surprise.
"Brother Dog!" Uncle's voice said from behind "What are you doing? After all, he has been through, now you are about to kill him? What brought on such madness? Put away your sword."
“Uncle,” Zhoulin said. “It is good to see you up. Are you well?”
Brother Dog looked down at his hand wielding the sword but didn’t put it away. Billy watched him nervously, but stayed behind Zhoulin. Brother Dog looked really angry.
“Explain what this is all about.” Uncle reached out his hand and pushed Brother Dogs sword down looking at him oddly, and went to sit on a rock.
"He has information that no one but royalty has the right to know," Brother Dog said, allowing the sword to drop. "In my world, it is my duty to guard all such information. And if need be kill the person who has stolen the information. It is one of our greatest treasures."
"Jeez, Louise. Duke!" Billy said, trying to deflect Brother Dogs anger. "In my world, anyone can get the information anywhere stores, libraries, school. Anywhere. Heck, I even have books about it just kickin' around the house. You should know that. You were there."
“I slept outside on a step. Do you think I was in this..? This library, you speak of?” Brother Dog crouched down on his hind legs, leaning on the sword now dug safely into the dirt. He looked up at Uncle. “He has information that I know many enemies would kill for, invaluable information.”
“So what magic’s are these?” Uncle said.
“Not magic,” Billy burst out. “Wow, what's wrong with you guys. It's science. A black hole is a collapsed star a wormhole is like a tunnel through time and space.
And folding space is a crazy idea that somehow you could fold space like a piece of paper and step from one spot to another."
Brother Dog gasped when Billy said the last.
“What exactly is space?” Zhoulin said.
Billy looked at Brother Dog. “What!?” He said. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
Brother Dog had a strange look on his face; as if he was not sure if he should kill Billy or bow down and worship him.
Uncle looked at them both. “Well, do you still wish to kill him?”
“I am not certain, he knows things that only the elect could possibly know and understand, but he seems to understand.”
“What are you talking about?” Billy said. “I’m telling you, everybody knows about this stuff. It’s not magic?”
Brother Dog leaned his head on his sword handle shaking his head.
“Come on Duke, your kind of starting to scare me.”
“My name is not Duke,” Brother Dog growled.
Zhoulin sat for a moment, thinking “I am not sure I understand any of this. Uncle, do you?”
Uncle let out a long sigh “I am embarrassed to say little one, I do not. Some new magic.”
“It’s not magic!” Billy said again in frustration, “it’s as simple as electricity. It’s science.”
He thought for a moment “Oh, right you don’t have electricity.”
“What then is this electricity?” Uncle said, sounding a bit frustrated.
Billy looked at Brother Dog who was watching him closely.
“You’re not going to kill me, are you?” he said
Brother Dog looked at him, but Billy couldn�
�t tell what he was thinking. He didn’t look so angry anymore. “Perhaps not,” he said, as he turned to look at Uncle
“Perhaps? Billy responded. “Perhaps?”
Brother Dog was ignoring him. “Uncle,” he said. “There are many things that are common to me that I cannot explain to you. I am a traveler from a different world. This much is obvious. But how I arrived here was not through magic, it was as Billy said, through science. We have harnessed the power of the sun and the elements, like lightning, as you have mastered such things as… fireworks.”
Uncle nodded uncertainly.
“We have great ships that travel from planet to planet. And we have technologies that could destroy your entire world if that was our interest.”
He waited a moment for that information to sink in. Uncle sat thinking "I see," he said, "so what could you possibly need from us if you are so powerful? Why do you need the help of an old magician and his little girl apprentice and a small boy, if you are so all powerful?"
Brother Dog sat there a moment deep in thought. At last, he sighed.
“I think Billy’s world is closer to our world than yours in technology.”
“Wait a minute,” Billy burst in, “what do you mean Billy’s world and his world? You said
I was still on earth! Why are you people always lying to me, you said…!” Brother Dog looked at him and sighed in resignation. “You are still on earth Billy, but just several hundred years before you were born.”
“What?” Billy and Zhoulin said simultaneously.
"I cannot tell you anything more I fear we might damage the time-space continuum. And just my being here could change your future."
“Wait a minute!” Billy said. “But if you brought me back in time I could be changing it now! I could, I could accidentally kill my own family! Oh my god I might not even ever exist!” He looked at his hands and feet feeling his body “Am I starting to fade?” he said to Zhoulin “Am I? Really! You gotta watch me if I...I start to fade oh my god.” he said
Uncle and Zhou looked at him as if he had gone insane.
“What are you talking about?” Uncle said. “What do you mean am I fading? What nonsense is this?”
Brother Dog looked at Billy oddly “All you’ve been through, and this is what bothers you?”
“What bothers me is, if I step on an ant, will I change history and maybe never be born? You know what I mean. I could be killing my own self!”
“I doubt that can happen,” Brother Dog responded. “You are not in your own country or even the country of your ancestors. This is what you call China, your people come from Europe it can have no effect on your history.”
"Yeah? But it can have an effect on world history everything is connected to everything you gotta know that. Me being here when I shouldn't be might change something. What if my being here makes Japan win their war on China and Hitler oh my god! We just beat Hitler, millions were killed by that guy! You don't know what this could do. You shouldn't have brought me here."
Brother Dog was stunned by the boys understanding. He thought for a moment.
"Yes. You could be correct," he said. "Perhaps in our desperation, we didn't think it through. The threat on the universe is so grave my young friend, it could all be lost in a moment."
“What is going on? What are you talking about?” Uncle’s staff flared into light, showing his frustration. He slammed the staff into the ground, sending a flash of magic.
“Explain this!” he said angrily. “Why have you misled me?”
Brother Dog drew a deep breath.
“We need you because we can’t use magic. We think magic is the key to defeating the Wolver.”
“But you are so powerful...” Uncle said.
"Not really, our inventions are powerful but for natural power like magic, we can't even get the smallest flicker. If I was to study a hundred years I couldn't even do the simplest flame spell."
“But I am not so great a magician,” Uncle said.
“You defeated Lijiang,” Zhoulin pointed out.
“But I don’t know how, and it seems to me, you defeated him in the end... If he is indeed finally defeated. And there must be other magicians in the world, why pick me
“Yeah,” Billy said. “He has a point, why didn’t you go for Merlin or one of those great magicians? Like the one who fought Merlin what was her name? You know the witch Morgan La Fey? There are dozens of them. Why go for an unknown one when you could have taken the best? No offense." This last he said to Uncle.
There was silence for a moment.
“Oh,” Uncle said quietly. “I understand.”
“Really?” Billy said then, “Oh, I get it.”
Brother Dog looked at the ground.
“What?” Zhoulin said. “What do you all know?”
Uncle sat on the ground looking desolate.
“I know why,” he said, “because I am of no importance in this time con... tin...? The thing you speak of.”
“Continuum,” Billy finished for him.
“What?!” Zhoulin repeated, not understanding any of this conversation. She threw her hands in the air, pleading for more information. “I don’t understand.”
"In the time continuum," Billy said, "if you interfere in things in your past like, say, you kill a spider and that spider was meant to bite someone of importance and that person would otherwise die. So you kill the spider, then the important person doesn't die and you have just accidentally changed history. If I do something wrong here, I could kill myself in the future or maybe change history so I actually never existed. Or my whole family." He finished giving Brother Dog a dirty look.
He looked at Billy oddly then, “Yet there is another mistery here my good young friend…” He hesitated not sure how to bring the next thing up. “ I did visit your land. I did see many marvelous things. I learned a lot. But these concepts you are so sure of I think are not from your time at all.”
“What?” Billy said. Somewhat surprised.
“Something is amiss.” Dog continued. “I am certain that these ideas you have, are not from your time at all. Your technology is too young you still use Vaccuum tubes and black and white TV I think you call it. I had to study somewhat where I was going before leaving my own and I am almost certain these things you speak of come from a more advanced society. I can not say anymore as you can never divulge all you know to our friend here but I think if you have this knowledge then perhaps our little adventure here may not be our last such mission Together.”
“What the heck does that mean?” Billy said angsiously “You can’t just leave me hangin’.”
Brother dog shook his head and walked away.
“But what has this all to do with Uncle and me?” Zhoulin protested.
Uncle stood up. “It means that they think I am so unimportant here that it will have no effect on anyone’s future if I should die or disappear. Is that not correct Brother Dog? Unlike this Merlin Billy mentioned or the other one, I am not important at all!”
"Uncle," Brother Dog said. A kind note in his voice. "Yes, these other sorcerers were important in earth history, but there is more than that. After the time of the Knights in armor there comes a time of darkness and somewhere during something called the industrial revolution the magic is lost and mankind turns almost exclusively to machines. Magic is very specific and cannot be used by everyone. Science, on the other hand, anyone can use.”
“So?” Uncle said. “I fail to see the difference.”
“Merlin was the last great wizard Uncle. With him went all knowledge of magic to be replaced by tricksters who pretended at magic.”
“Merlin is real!?” Billy gasped under his breath, but no one noticed.
“I still fail to see how this has anything to do with me!”
"We have no way to use magic in our culture and time, Uncle. If you stay here you will fade away with all the others. They were all run over by technology as you will be if you stay. If you come with us, we perhaps can use your a
bilities to vanquish our enemies. And at the same time, you can continue the study of your art. Uncle, we saw great potential in you, but if you stay it will be lost."
Billy sat deep in thought "Yeah, I am from hundreds of years in the future, and… well, I've never heard of you. The only uncle I ever heard of was on a TV show, hah! The Man from U.N.C.L.E and he was some kind of TV spy like 007 but that's a whole ‘nother story. Ha, ha!"
They all looked at him as if he was crazy.
“Come on! The Man from Uncle? and 007? James Bond? Spies. You know, on T.V? Get it? Awe! You guys!”
“What is TV?” Zhoulin said to him in earnest.
“Oh crap!” Billy said, rolling his eyes. “How long am I gonna be stuck with you guys anyway? And don’t forget you promised to get me home.” He reminded them.
“So?” He said looking expectantly at Uncle. Uncle put his head in his hands resignedly.
“Well?” Billy said again, looking at Brother Dog who was looking at something apparently very interesting in the area of his feet.
“Aw, come on!” Billy said. “You understand right?”
"I have no idea of what you speak," Brother Dog said, somewhat upset at Billy's nonsense. And with that, he turned and left.
10 The Cave
M
arcy was the first to regain consciousness. She was lying face down on the ground and woke up sputtering, spitting out bits of dirt. She looked around in wonder at the gloomy place she was in. There was a dim glow coming from somewhere, but it was terribly hard to see very far. She sat for a moment, trying to remember what had happened. There was a body not far from her and very close to that another, she crawled over to the closest. It was Gary. She rolled him over and gently patted his cheek and called his name, he didn’t look well at all.
The Jewel of Nirune (The Sword of Time Book 1) Page 11