The girls realized their puerile behavior and quickly stopped their demonstration. Veronica said, “I think it’s time to hear Mark tell us what Stavius has been doing.”
I had been dreading sharing my story. After mumbling a few unintelligible words, I realized that I could no longer avoid it, took a deep breath, and began.
Juice dropped Aunt Tessop and me in the fields near our old house late one night. We had agreed to use our Mearth names while in enemy territory. The borders were sealed, and there was no way for us to get across the bridge. We spent a day or two at home before heading into the city. But we weren’t prepared for what we found.
Admian castle, the zoo, and the new marketplace looked like a bombed-out war zone. The ground was still scorched, and most of the region was littered with rubble. The only area which had been cleared was the new marketplace. The new marketplace had been turned into a makeshift detention center and training ground. Troops were marching, running obstacle courses, and practicing various forms of close combat day and night.
The city was full of soldiers in drab, dull-purple uniforms, and it appeared as though every able-bodied adult throughout the region had been drafted. Uniformed people stood guard on each corner with posted lookouts on every tall building. Also, there was a dusk-to-dawn curfew, which we were warned to take very seriously. Violators were arrested, beaten, or killed, and lately, the nervous and power-infused troops were doing more beating than arresting. I was concerned about where we would stay since we didn’t have any reservations, but Aunt Tessop assured me she had connections who would provide us with a room. I grumbled that I really didn’t want to sleep in Mom’s shed again, but my aunt just smiled and continued walking.
Large trebuchets had been constructed and placed on the southern bank of the river. These massive weapons were designed to catapult large objects. Both Aunt Tessop and I were surprised to see them. Machines were rare on Mearth, and mechanical weapons were non-existent. Someone had brought technological knowledge from Earth, and the seven families were using it.
The potential power of combining technology with magic was terrifying. Neither Aunt Tessop nor I could guess at what the seven families were planning to launch toward our invading army. Even worse, these weapons confirmed our fears that the Septumcolans had people who traveled between the two worlds.
The whole place felt like a different city or even a different country. I couldn’t believe how quickly everyone accepted martial law. Septumcolis was no longer a place filled with art and life. Its citizens no longer idly chatted in cafes about the latest gossip or complained about their jobs. Now, no one complained, at least not out loud. And very few people smiled or waved hello. Most Septumcolans just kept their heads down while going about their daily routines and trying not to be noticed. The place was depressing and scary, with every wall covered in purple and red political posters.
Purple and red are Septumcolis’ official colors. They are supposed to represent the combination of our magical and organic life-bloods. Septumcolans rarely flew flags but often used bright versions of the colors for festive decorations. Now, however, flags flew everywhere, and the colors seemed muted in a way that made them appear more threatening. Perhaps it was just the overcast skies and drizzling rain. But the purple appeared to be more of a grayish hue, like the soldiers’ uniforms, and the red appeared darker than usual, like a bloodstain on a battlefield.
Neither Aunt Tessop nor I had read any of the signage until we reached the old marketplace. King Ringheld had erected a gigantic statue in the center of the crossroads by the end of the bridge. It was festooned with purple and red bunting, and there was no mistaking the identity of the oversized figure. The statue was of a man majestically firing battle magic from a wand with a three-foot-tall inscription on its pedestal.
SIR STAVIUS
Knight of Ringheld
Martyr of Septumcolis
I suddenly noticed that every poster in view had my name on it. “Be strong. Be heroic. Be Stavius!” “Fight for Septumcolis. Fight like Stavius!” “Ask what Stavius would do. Then do it!” “Save us, like Stavius!”
I felt sick to my stomach. The seven families had turned my disappearing act into propaganda. People were wearing Stavius pins and using my name as a rallying cry to defend the talismans from the rebels.
I also felt terribly exposed. I was enemy number one of the seven families standing under a thirty-foot-tall statue of myself. Sure, I was using the name Staven, but really, how much of a stretch is that from Stavius? I made a comment to my aunt that we should leave, but she just laughed and pointed to the statue.
“Nephew, anyone here who knows you also knows how little magic you can perform. They would never believe the chigon-slayer could possibly be the heroic warrior who single-handedly fights dragons and monsters with battle magic. Besides, that statue looks nothing like you.”
I looked more closely at the statue and realized she was right. A small plaque explained how Stavius’ likeness was carved from a first-hand description provided by King Ringheld’s daughter, Mirabelle. Stavius is good-looking, but Mirabelle’s imagination enhanced his appearance to the point of being unrecognizable. The heroic figure carved out of granite had chiseled features, bulging muscles, and a regal air, which radiated power, dedication, and kindness. Stavius may be destined to become a god, but no sane person would confuse me with this caricature. I laughed and agreed with Aunt Tessop. We were safe as long as people thought that Stavius was dead and believed that this was how he looked when he was alive.
Aunt Tessop said that it was time for us to move on, though. She wanted to check into our rooms and to introduce me to my teleportation tutor. We hiked up Vines Road, and my heart nearly stopped when she led us into an apparently vacant lot halfway up the hill. Aunt Tessop then stepped through the illusion and into the yard of the Travelers’ Den!
I warned, “Don’t go in there, Aunt Tessop! That’s the Travelers’ Den. It’s where the vampire Bohrach lives!”
She laughed and replied, “Yes, it is, although it might not be entirely correct to claim that Bohrach lives. He’s been around so long that I’m not sure he qualifies as being alive.”
I couldn’t believe it! Aunt Tessop was knowingly leading us into the den of a known vampire! But, before I could say anything, Larsa came running out of the building to give Aunt Tessop a big hug! They chatted like old friends for a few seconds before Larsa turned to speak to me.
“Well, Stavius, you certainly look good for being dead. Although I am not one to talk,” laughed Larsa.
It was Aunt Tessop’s turn to appear shocked.
“Wait. You two already know each other?” Aunt Tessop asked in surprise.
I said, “Yes, Larsa helped Janus and me get across the bridge into Septumcolis and offered to let us stay at the Travelers’ Den.”
Aunt Tessop quickly asked, “Then why did you choose to stay with my horrid sister?”
I muttered, “Well, we felt something trying to lure us inside, and it seemed like a trap. We thought it was Bohrach trying to capture us. The desire to stay was so intense that we were hardly able to overcome it. We barely escaped, and now you’re bringing me back.”
Both Aunt Tessop and Larsa stared at me in disbelief.
Aunt Tessop finally said, “Well, you impress me once again, Staven. Few people have the strength and ability to ignore the call of a centuries-old vampire. Let me formally introduce you to the leader of the resistance against the seven families. I hope that she will be able to tutor you in the use of your unique abilities.”
Larsa reached out her hand and said, “Your aunt has been a trusted friend for many years. I would be honored to tutor you. There are very few vampires in the world and even fewer with your impressive raw abilities. My true name is Bohrach, but I would prefer you to continue to call me Larsa.”
I was in shock for the third or fourth time that day. Aunt Tessop had suggested that the reason I struggled to perform magic was not that I was a less
-than-human animal. Instead, it was due to me being a more-than-human vampire. I remember how shattered I felt when she first suggested that idea to me, but then it was only a suggestion. Now, I felt like I probably really was a vampire, and I was terrified.
“But I can’t be a vampire. I don’t want to drain people’s energy or drink their blood! I don’t want to have to live in the dark or to control people’s minds!” I cried.
Larsa laughed and said, “We don’t drink blood or drain people’s energy. Those are just rumors started by people who are scared of us and want to keep us away. We absorb our energy directly from the world around us and, while we can influence people’s emotions, we aren’t the monsters portrayed in fairytales. Vampires like us can directly draw and shape magical power, but we struggle with using it like humans.
“We can’t do simple parlor tricks, but we can hurl lightning bolts, influence thoughts, and emotions, extend our lives indefinitely, and teleport. Those are all terrifying and threatening abilities to most humans, which is why the ruling class portrays us as monsters and strives to exterminate our kind.”
The more Larsa spoke, the more I realized how well I fit into her description. I guess I am a vampire. Then I asked the one other question, which had been bothering me. “You run the Travelers’ Den. Does that mean you are conjoined? Were you a Prophecy Hero hundreds of years ago?”
Larsa laughed again and motioned for us to follow her inside the Travelers’ Den, as she explained. “Yes, I was conjoined, long ago. But, no, I was never a Prophecy Hero. Most people in this world are linked to people in the other world. Few, however, realize their connection and have the courage to journey here. Most simply pass this world off as a dream, if they remember the dream at all. I established the Travelers’ Den as a haven for people who have made that journey.
“As you are well aware, the seven families treat travelers with as much suspicion as they do vampires. You were whisked away by the Soul Reapers to be trained. Most travelers don’t have that benefit and arrive terrified and confused. We are constantly looking to rescue new arrivals before they are captured by the seven families and brainwashed to perform their bidding. We empathetically project the desire to come into our home when they arrive. However, our attempt to lure you inside had the opposite effect.”
We went inside the small, gothic-style house, nestled in the side of the steep hill, and discovered that it was enormous inside. It was really just the entrance to a massive network of tunnels and rooms carved deep into the hillside. Dozens of travelers and, I suppose vampires, lived there. This became my home for the next few weeks, where I’ve been living and studying teleportation while Aunt Tessop runs the spy network and plans for the revolution.
Nancy said, “Wow, that sounds amazing. Why didn’t you want to share it?”
I dropped my eyes to the floor and muttered, “Because I stink at teleportation. After weeks of training, all I can do is make a rock shimmer a bit before popping right back to where it started. I can’t even move a pebble. How am I supposed to be able to do anything useful?”
Veronica put her hand on my shoulder and soothed, “Perhaps it just takes a lot more practice. After all, none of us could even do as much as you. Besides, Bohrach has been working on teleportation for hundreds of years. Don’t be so hard on yourself, Mark.”
Shon added, “Or, perhaps you are in the wrong place and time. Don’t get discouraged, Mark. You’ll be able to teleport when you need to.”
None of us had heard Shon come in, and we immediately began asking her what she had been doing, but Ms. Datta held up her hand to silence us.
Ms. Datta said, “Shontelle and I have been working on a project for the past few weeks, which requires utmost secrecy. We have reached a point where we need some assistance, but we must limit participation to the four heroes. I’m sorry, boys, but this part is just for Mark, Nancy, Veronica, and us.”
Malik, Tyler, and Ethan erupted in a chorus of “No Fair,” but Ms. Datta was firm. She promised to share the secrets as soon as possible but insisted that involving them would put the mission and the families of everyone involved at risk. That, plus the subtle wink and nod, I gave my friends to assure them that I would share everything I learned, silenced their complaints, and they trudged out of the meeting early.
✽✽✽
Shon smiled a thankful expression at Ms. Datta, and I realized that limiting this information to the travelers was her idea. My stomach clenched as I began to wonder what could be so dangerous that it required excluding my most trusted friends. She glanced in my direction, and I knew in an instant that, whatever it was, I would not be sharing it with the guys any time soon. Shon looked nervous and scared.
Shon began by telling the girls about Jissika Janus and her explanation of The Prophecy. She explained that Mearth is actually Earth, about 12,000 years in the future. And, that somebody even further in the future is beaming a signal into the past. The signal’s purpose is to send the information necessary to create magical energy back far enough in the past to prevent the end of the world. The Prophecy contains the instructions of how to do this while Janus and the heroes are the instruments to make it happen. The signal passes through the Earth twice in regions that appear equally-spaced, on land. It follows a sinusoidal path every 1,231 years with differing effects depending upon whether the world contains magical energy during its pass.
In pre-magical Earth, the signal causes civilizations in an affected region to transform their societies and religions using the number seven. It also causes select people in these areas to travel 12,000 years into the future in their dreams. The effects of this signal can be observed as far back as the Holocene epoch, which was 12,000 years in the past!
The other time the signal passes through Earth is after magic has been introduced to the planet. The signal motivates those people to build seven magical talismans in that period. The designs are precise, although no one really understands what they are or why they need to be fashioned in this manner. There is only a compelling desire to build the talismans, which is rewarded by magical power and influence.
Cincinnati is in the current hotspot, while Jissika came from the next one, which will happen in Edmonton, Alberta, in 1,231 years. Her team succeeded in bringing magic back to their world and, once it was established, she created a crystal ball like Merlin’s to store her mind to assist us.
This time travel business and meeting people from the past and the future is all pretty confusing to us, but here is how I understand it works.
Merlin lived a thousand years in the past but figured out how to save his memories in a crystal ball. He created one using magic on Mearth, about 9,800 years in our future, which both our team and Jissika’s team found and opened.
Jissika’s team succeeded in bringing magic to Earth about 1,200 years in our Earth’s future. She then used magic on Earth to create a crystal ball like Merlin’s, which she stashed in Mt. Rushmore for our Janus to find, 9,800 years later.
My head hurts, but Ms. Datta assures us that it all makes sense. I still don’t understand why the guys couldn’t hear this, and Shon hesitated before answering.
She said, “Jissika insisted that I not share this next bit with anyone, including any of you. I am The Key and am supposed to make some decisions all by myself, but I just can’t do it. I need your advice, and Jissika doesn’t understand why because she’s from a different time and place.
“Jissika talks about an apocalypse that nearly wipes out all life on this planet. The few survivors in her world knew that they only had a few hundred years left before the human race, and most of the rest of the life on this planet became extinct. Her world was ending, so some of her decisions were far simpler to make than mine.”
Nancy complained, “Stop being so cryptic, Shon! Tell us what decision you need to make.”
Shon had tears in her eyes as she answered, “I need to decide whether or not we should fulfill The Prophecy.”
Veronica nearly exploded as she
shouted, “How can you even ask that after all that we’ve been through? Of course, we should fulfill The Prophecy! Somebody from more than 12,000 years in the future has been trying to bring magic back in time far enough to prevent the destruction of the world. Countless people have been struggling to make that happen for millennia. We’ve nearly lost our lives several times to get this far. You would seriously consider not completing it now that we have a real chance to make it happen? Unbelievable!”
Shon screamed, “You don’t understand! None of you understand! We can’t pick and choose the parts of The Prophecy we fulfill. It’s all or nothing.”
The girl broke down and began sobbing while Ms. Datta comforted her, and we all stared in silence.
A thought dawned on me. I said, “The Prophecy stories all either talk about Janus coming to a barren and desolate world or about him destroying the world and the gods rebuilding it. I’m guessing that what Shon is trying to tell us is that bringing magic back to our time will have serious consequences.”
Shon sniffled and said, “Yes. I don’t know what will happen, but millions or maybe billions of people will die. Jissika says that it doesn’t matter because everyone is going to die anyway if we don’t succeed. However, if we do bring magic back to Earth, there is a chance that it will stop the apocalypse. Perhaps enough people will survive to continue our species.”
Veronica said, “Look, it seems pretty simple to me. It might be harsh, but either we believe in Jissika and The Prophecy, or we don’t. If we believe in them, then we have to fulfill The Prophecy for a chance to save the world.”
Nancy had been uncharacteristically quiet. She said, “Can you really do that? Shon said that people will die here right now, not in a few hundred years. If we go ahead and fulfill The Prophecy, then we will knowingly be killing people. And, with numbers like that, we’ll probably be killing people we know. Are you willing to sacrifice your parents, brothers, sisters, and friends in the hope that maybe, someday what we did will save the world?”
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