Sentinels of Creation

by Robert W. Ross

  The two men settled onto the black and chrome chairs as Maddie headed off to get them water even though Kellan had tried to stop her long enough to redirect the young woman toward beer. He glanced down at the menu and grinned up at Merlin. “Oooh, look at this. Pulled Pork Mac & Cheese. I’m totally getting that. Holy Shit and they have fried cheese curds. I’ve never even heard of that. I’m getting that too. What are you getting?” Kellan frowned. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

  The wizard slowly shook his head. “Kellan, when was the last time you ate? For god’s sake man, you act as if it’s been days.”

  Kellan had returned his attention to the menu even though his mind had already locked in each and every detail. He just liked staring at the options in anticipation, and answered Merlin in a distracted fashion. “Well, I had an early dinner but that was hours ago. I’m not asleep and I just ripped a hole in space-time. So,” he paused and looked up, “this is second dinner.”

  The wizard frowned slightly. “Kellan, I was kidding before. I’ve met hobbits. You are not a hobbit. You don’t need second dinner.”

  “Says the guy that looks like either Gandalf or Anorexic Santa. Listen. Channeling the power makes me hungry. I assume it’s kind of like jogging or some other exercisey thing. Anyway, I have the metabolism of a bloody hummingbird so need to eat ok. Now piss off while I figure out what all I want. Oh, and don’t think I won’t revisit that whole hobbit thing. I will. Sometime. After I eat.”

  Merlin sighed and looked down at his own menu as Maddie returned with two glasses of water. “Oh, I forgot to say, I’m Maddie and I’ll be taking care of you guys. Do you want to stick with the water or—“

  Kellan interrupted, “Yeah, the angry, giant, tatted up biker dude behind the bar yelled your name, so I figured you must be Maddie.”

  “You mean Myles?”

  Kellan glanced over to the bar where he saw the large man slam a fist down and glare at one of the patrons then waggled a warning finger in his face.

  “Myles? Maddie, that guy does not look like a Myles. He looks more like a Brutus, or Rusty, or maybe a Hank.”

  “No,” said Maddie with a giggle, “He’s all bluster and actually is a real sweetheart. Don’t let the ink fool you. Lot’s of really nice folk have tattoos. Most of my family does and they are awesome!”

  Kellan raised a hand in negation, “Oh no, I don’t care about that. Hell, my girlfriend and I both have enochian runes down our arms half the time.” In his peripheral vision, the young Sentinel could see Merlin shake his head as Kellan gave the girl a half-hearted smile.

  She glanced at Kellan’s exposed arms and arched an eyebrow questioningly, “Half the time?”

  Kellan affected a forced chuckle and lifted up his right arm, “It’s a special kind of ink, really only shows up with you’re hot. It’s, uh, kind of a work-out tattoo. They appear when you work up a good sweat or,” he glanced to Merlin for help.

  “Or if you are in a really hot climate, like a desert,” offered Merlin.

  “Yeah, like if I’m in a — desert,” said Kellan his voice rising at the end. He saw the wizard smirk at him and glared back at the older man.

  “That—doesn’t make any sense,” said Maddie.

  “No, no it doesn’t,” answered Kellan then lowered his voice while keeping it just loud enough for Merlin to hear, “But he’s getting a touch of senility. Sometimes he thinks he’s Gandalf.”

  The young Sentinel watched as Maddie’s eyes widened and she looked over at Merlin with a sad mix of understanding and compassion.

  “Now,” said Kellan, bringing her attention back to him. “We’ll get started with that pulled pork mac & cheese.”

  “Excellent choice,” said Maddie, scribbling.

  Kellan nodded and continued, “The fried cheese curds, your Whiskey Smoked burger with extra bacon, cooked medium-well. Tots…done super dark please, and—a pint of the Cherry Blonde beer.”

  “Ok!” Maddie said with a smile, “That it?”

  Kellan gestured across the table, “Well, whatever he wants.”

  The young server stared at Kellan for a moment, “Uh, all this was for you?”

  “Well, I’ll let him taste the mac and cheese and the curds,” responded Kellan a bit defensively.

  “You should be as big as a house,” said Maddie. “I work a second job at Culver's and if I ate everything I wanted there, I’d be big as a house.”

  “Culver's?” asked Merlin

  “Oh, that’s a local, family owned, frozen-custard shop. I work there during the day on weekends. It’s right down the street. In fact, I can walk to both it and here from my house which makes things a lot easier.”

  Kellan smiled, “You have one heck of a work ethic there Miss—“ Kellan paused.

  “Muir,” answered Maddie with a smile.

  “Miss Muir,” said Kellan and continued, “as I was telling my friend earlier, I have a speedy metabolism and I also run a lot because demons, vampires, and the like often chase me down to try and kill me.”

  “Very funny,” said Maddie with a sigh as she turned to Merlin. “And what’ll you have, sir?”

  “Well, you weren’t kidding about being hungry,” said Maddie as she picked up the last of Kellan’s plates on which was left not even the barest scrap of food. “Will there be anything else?” she asked, check in hand.

  “No,” said Merlin so quickly that he made her start and she set down the check as he continued more softly, “we have to be going. There’s someone that Kellan and I need to meet.”

  “At this hour?” asked Maddie and added, “It’s nearly midnight.” She glanced back to Kellan who caught her eye, winked and mouthed the word Gandalf then turned back to Merlin. She patted his hand affectionately and said slowly, “I hope you and your friend have a very nice visit. You guys have a great night. I’ll pick that up whenever you’re ready.”

  After she’d walked away, Merlin glowered at Kellan. “Gandalf? Are you always such an ass, Kellan?”

  The young Sentinel smiled brightly and drained the last of his beer. “Well, not always.”

  “I don't know why my mother liked you so much.”

  “Because I’m charming, Oren. Charming. I also saved both her and her kids, one of which was you, from a prince of Hell.” He glanced down at the check and back to the wizard. “Whats a good tip on seventy-two bucks?” Merlin gave Kellan an exasperated expression and Kellan said, “What? I hate math.”

  “Just double the first number and if you really liked the service, add some more,” answered Merlin with a sigh.

  Kellan grinned. “Hey, that’s a great idea. I wonder why no one ever suggested that before.” With that the young Sentinel added what he considered a well deserved $20 tip and the two headed out to the parking lot.

  “What are you looking at?” asked Kellan as he watched Merlin stare into the cloudless night sky.

  The old wizard grinned. “Not long now, Kellan. I feel it building. This is very exciting.”

  The young Sentinel blinked. “Wow, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you display this much emotion. I mean even as that kid jumping out of a tree in God’s workroom, you were pretty calm. But this—“ Kellan spread out his hands toward Merlin.

  “Kellan, you don’t understand. I have never seen this and I have seen so much. Human belief, Kellan. Human belief and faith are bringing a god back into the world. Tonight. Here in—“ The old wizard paused still smiling through his beard. “Where are we again?”

  Kellan laughed at the infectious excitement and said, “I already told you, Colona, Illinois.”

  “Hurry,” said Merlin, “Follow me. We are close and I feel the storm gathering.”

  Kellan pulled his iPhone out from a back pocket and tapped the screen a few times. “Dude, there is no storm. There isn’t going to be any rain here for a week.”

  “Keep up Kellan. There will be a storm. There has to be a storm.”

  Kellan jogged up behind the older man and lilted, �
�I’m looking at the forecast, Gandalf. No storm.”

  Merlin turned sideways to shimmy between the fences of two homes and glanced back to Kellan, “There will be a storm.”

  “Ugh,” growled Kellan as he turned sideways to follow along with Merlin while trying to tap on his phone. “Look, I’ll show you the Satellite images. They are nearly real—“ Kellan broke off staring at the glowing screen, then tapped the refresh icon. “—time” he continued absently. The young Sentinel looked up to find Merlin breaking free of the fence line and angling to the right. “Hey,” whisper-shouted Kellan in alarmed surprise, “hey…there’s what looks like a freaking super-cell storm that is about to clobber us. It came out of nowhere and even the most recent forecast doesn’t show it.”

  Merlin just motioned frantically for Kellan to join him. The young Sentinel slipped the phone back into his jeans pocket and joined the wizard as he creeped closer to a gray-sided house.

  “Do you have to pee or something?” asked Kellan as he watched the old wizard hop from foot to foot, then give him a withering glare.

  “You just try to hold on to that sarcastic cool, Kellan Thorne. Then you talk to me in ten minutes and we’ll see which of us is more in control of their faculties. Now hush. I’m going to cloak us before we get any closer.”

  “I can do—“ began Kellan.

  “No!” shouted Merlin. “Don’t you do anything, Kellan. I’m deadly serious. What will happen tonight is a force of pure Nature. It is not of Order or Chao, yet contains aspects of both. It is fueled by human belief, faith, spirt, and will. You command only Ordered power. Your exercise of single sided energy in this place at this time, could have catastrophic ramifications. Am I clear?”

  Kellan had unconsciously been leaning back in the face of Merlin’s forceful words and let out a breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding. “Ok, Oren, I get it. No sparkles. What can I do to help?”

  The wizard nodded and closed his eyes. “Nothing, Kellan. You need do nothing. Just watch and marvel.” With that, he closed his eyes and began a soft chant, “Anál nathrach, orth' bháis's bethad, do chél dénmha. Anál nathrach, orth' bháis's bethad, do chél dénmha. Anál nathrach, orth' bháis's bethad.”

  Mist gathered about them. It swirled close becoming as a second skin, and extended outward as Merlin gestured. The old wizard took a step toward the small garden and a glowing fire that could be seen beyond it, but Kellan reached out to restrain him. “That chant. I know that chant.”

  Merlin smiled, “Oh, I know you do.”

  Images clicked through Kellan’s eidetic memory and he whispered, almost reverently, “It’s the Charm of Making, from John Boorman’s Excalibur.”

  The wizard didn’t answer immediately but instead held out his hand where mist coalesced to form a shining silver skull cap in which rested a ruby red gem at the widow’s peak. He slipped it over his balding head and turned to Kellan, staff forming from mist just as the cap had. He gave the young Sentinel a mischievous smile then said in an affected accent, “Is it?”

  Kellan’s mouth fell open. “No way.”

  “Wayyy,” said Merlin, drawing out the word.

  “You are not,” sputtered Kellan.

  “I’m afraid I am,” said Merlin with a low chuckle

  “No fucking way. You’re—“

  Merlin inclined his head, “I’m who inspired that film, yes.”

  “This is amazing, but wait. You came first. How could Boorman’s work have brought you into existence?”

  Merlin was walking again toward the garden but called back over his shoulder, “You weren’t paying attention before. As I told you, Kellan, It doesn’t always work in one direction. Some creative works spawn new realities and some realities spawn creative works.”

  “Blah, blah blah,” growled Kellan. “You are the Merlin from my second favorite movie of all time! Can you give me just a second to try and wrap my head around that?”

  Merlin stopped just long enough to point angrily at Kellan. “No! You may wrap your head around whatever you like later. Now we must hurry. It comes.”

  “You don’t have to whisper, Kellan. They cannot see or hear us. The dragon’s breath conceals both sound and image.”

  “Oh, well, that’s pretty cool,” said Kellan and added, “My Harry cloak only refracts light to make me appear invisible, but I can still be heard and I show up on infrared too, which sucks because—“

  “Kellan,” said the old wizard.

  “Hmmm?”

  “Is now the best time to discuss the relative strengths and limitations of Ordered vs Natural Magics?”

  Kellan gave Merlin a sheepish grin, “No, probably not, but what I do isn’t magic anyway. It’s science—ish.”

  Merlin sighed, “Any sufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from science, now hush and look.”

  Kellan did.

  About fifty feet from where they were standing two people sat around a small fire pit, their chairs pulled close and hands intertwined with casual intimacy.

  “Who are they?” asked Kellan.

  “William and Therese.”

  “Oh,” said Kellan, then a moment later, “Who are William and Therese?”

  “Just people, Kellan, but people who believe. It is their belief that brings forth a god tonight.”

  “What? Two people can make gods now? Did I miss a memo? When did that become a thing?”

  Merlin turned to Kellan frowning, “No, two people cannot. But millions can and at some point one person is the last needed, then the Mantel manifests.”

  Kellan rolled the word around in his mouth. “Mantle? You mean another one, like Seramai and Gaia?” He caught himself. “Damnit, like Ares and Gaia?”

  “Yes, exactly like that. Trajan was just a man until he accepted the Mantel of War and then he became Ares. Granted, he was an exceptional man, but still, just a man.”

  Kellan’s eyes grew large as he looked back to William who had just lowered a glass of something and let forth a massive belch, earning him a playful slap from Therese.

  “That dude’s gonna be a god?” asked Kellan dubiously. “He doesn’t much look the part.”

  “Really,” chuckled Merlin, “and you looked the part of a Sentinel?”

  “Hey!” cried Kellan, offense filling his tone but Merlin just stared at him for a moment, “Ok, well, no, but look at him. He’s got his head shaved with a comically long beard. I mean he looks like bloody Ragnar from that Vikings show on The History Channel.”

  “First, I think his beard is magnificent.”

  “You would,” mumbled Kellan.

  Merlin ignored him and continued. “Second, he’s a heathen. How should he look?”

  “He’s a what?”

  “Heathen, Kellan. It’s a person who—“

  “I know what a heathen is, Oren. I just haven’t met any in 2018. For that matter, I didn’t even think there were any in 2018.”

  “Well, there are enough of them in 2018 to manifest a godly Mantel, so…”

  Merlin let his words hang in the air as Kellan turned back to the couple. “Is she a heathen too?”

  “She’s a hedge witch.”

  “Of course she is,” said Kellan flatly then added, “Hey, is she going to become a god as well, or is she the one that’s becoming a god. I mean, I don’t want to be accused of fostering the patriarchy by assuming the baby god’s gonna be a dude. That would be—“

  Kellan cut off as Merlin grasped his arm and pointed upward. Kellan’s eyes followed and he gasped slightly as roiling clouds began to form above. He could feel energy gather and instinctively reached inward to grasp his power, but Merlin shook him. “No, Kellan. I told you. No ordered power can be channeled here until the Mantel manifests.”

  It was with no small effort that Kellan resisted the need to embrace the river of energy that flowed within him. He looked intently at the gathering storm clouds and could begin to see an amber tint as they spun about more and more violently.

 
; “It wasn’t supposed to rain tonight,” said Therese and Kellan pulled his gaze from the sky to look at the woman as she stood. “Bill, let’s go inside before we get drenched.”

  The man leaned back in his chair and smiled up at her, “I’m not done with my rum yet Terry, and since when were you afraid of a little storm?”

  “I’m not afraid. I just don’t want to get wet and I’d rather you not get struck by lightning.”

  Bill drained his glass and stood up, then reached both arms up toward the sky. “Thunderbolts and Lightning, very very frightening…”

  Therese laughed, slapped William on the arm, and said in a deadpan voice, “Galileo…Galileo…Galileo Figaro—Ok Freddy Mercury, let’s go inside.” She turned and took a step toward the house but William remained arms outstretched staring into the energy filled sky as tendrils of amber light began to dance among black clouds.

  “Bill?” she said questioningly, “What are you doing?”

  There was a sharp sound as William dropped his glass and it shattered against the stones of the fire pit.

  “Bill?” asked Therese again, her voice taking on a tinge of worry, “What’s wrong.”

  “I can see the storm Terry,” he said softly.

  “Yeah, congratulations, you have eyes. I can see it too.”

  “No, I mean I can see all of it. I see where it began and where it is going. I see the lighting and I hear the thunder.”

  “There is no lightning, Bill. It’s just a rain—“

  Her words cut off and a bright blue-white arc of electrical fire lanced from the clouds to strike the ground not two feet from where she stood.

  “Holy Shit!” yelled Kellan and Therese at the same time each oblivious to the other’s exclamation.

  “He’s in the storm, Terry. He’s in the storm. He rides the storm. Thor is the storm!”

  Kellan turned to Merlin and said, “No fucking way! Thor?”

  For his part, Merlin was nearly vibrating with excitement and nodded vigorously. “It’s all been building to this, Kellan. All the beliefs and combined will. The energy is gathered all that need happen is it be formed with intent and the Mantel of Thor will be reborn.” Merlin looked for all the world like a madman at that moment, his eyes wide. “Thor will return, Kellan.”