We walked for only a short while, and then many structures appeared on the horizon. As we walked over a small hill, even more buildings came into view. I had never seen so many buildings before. Then, off in the distance, I saw the people.
I stopped walking, and the Rock stopped, and looked back at me. After a few seconds, he said, "You must get closer than this if you wish to learn much."
As I stood there, something hit me in the head, and I almost fell down. A small white object fell at my feet. Then an Earth woman yelled, "Are you alright?"
She approached closer, and the Rock said, "He's alright. You hit him in the head. It's armor plated."
I had never seen a woman before, except my Mother. This one seemed very beautiful. She smiled, and said, "Then throw back the ball please." I just stood there smiling, and she finally asked, "Are you deaf?"
"Throw the thing back to her," my Master said.
I quickly bent down, and picked up the ball thing. I threw it at her, and she caught it. She looked at me oddly, and said, "You're cute, but you throw like a girl." I smiled. It sounded like a good thing.
The girl stepped very close now. She looked at me oddly again. Then reached out, and touched my head next to my ear. She quietly asked, "Are you sure you're okay? You look a little dazed." She paused, and said, "My name is April. I'm sorry for hitting you with the ball." Turning to Rock, she asked, "Is he your friend? Are you sure he's okay?"
My Master nodded, and said, "He's fine. We live in an isolated area, and he's not used to beautiful women speaking to him."
April's face turned bright red, and she said, "Thank you!" She paused for a few seconds, and then said, "You two look like priests or something. Do you live here, or are you in town visiting?"
"We just arrived from Remaca," I responded
My Master gave me a dirty look. He looked from me to April, and then said, "My name is Caleon, and this is Kaltar." The Rock waved at me, and continued, saying, "We both just arrived from Remaca, South America, and are new to your city. Kaltar will be fine as soon as you walk away."
April looked at me, and said, "You're cute, but your friend is a drag." Suddenly, she leaned over, and gently kissed me on the temple next to my left eye. I was dumbfounded, and as she pulled away, she said, "Sorry if I hurt you!"
Then she turned, and walked away.
I started to chase after her, but the Rock grabbed my arm, and I stopped. The girl walked a short distance, turned, waved, and then continued on. I wanted badly to follow her, but the Rock had a firm grip on me. After a short time, the girl was gone from sight. As soon as I couldn't see her, I turned to my Master and said, "I liked her!"
"And she liked you," my Master said with a laugh. He stopped laughing after a few seconds, and said, "The people of Earth are unable to use their telepathic powers. Your ability to link will draw them. They won't understand why, but they'll want to be close to you." I felt disappointed. I had thought the woman really liked me.
Following my thoughts in the link, the Rock smiled and said, "Don't worry young Magi! You'll have no trouble getting the attention of women. I just wanted to warn you before you take off after the first girl you meet. If you think being my student is confusing, just wait till you start dealing with women."
My teacher waved around and said, "This is Earth young one. It is a world of many wonders. It is also inhabited by a group of people that suffer from a madness. Some of them can be very dangerous. I've seen them kill and eat each other. I warn you! Be careful when dealing with the Earthers."
I thought about what he had said, and we began to walk again. After a minute, Rock said, "On this world, they've lost much of their mental faculties. They use mechanical devices to compensate for those lost abilities. In doing so, the Earthers have destroyed, or poisoned, much of this planet. The Earthers are kept imprisoned on this world, so that they don't infect and harm others."
"Can't the Earthers be helped?" I asked.
The Rock stopped walking, and looked at me. After a second, he said, "That is one reason we are here. Something is happening on Earth to change all this. The time lines have begun to change. The future of the Earth is being altered."
It seemed change would be a good thing. I asked, "Can we help the Earth and its people?"
The Master smiled again, and said, "That is what I hoped you'd say. Yes, Kaltar. We are here to help them. In point of fact, I have brought you here to help them."
"Me?" I practically squeaked the word out. "What can I do?"
The Rock laughed far louder than I had ever heard him laugh before. He slowly calmed down slightly, and said, "You and I have come to help lead a vast armada to destroy the Darkness. You shall be a leader of our people, and I shall finally know the peace of the long sleep."
My mind reeled at the concept that I was supposed to fight someone. I had never been in a fight before. The Rock looked at me oddly for a moment, then said, "You will learn quickly little Bean!"
We turned, and started to walk back the way we came. We had walked for a few minutes, when I heard the woman's scream. The Rock and I walked past some trees, over to where the scream had occurred. There, I saw three young men hurting the girl named April.
One hit her, and she fell down. One of the men kicked her, and she cried out again. Several people were running away, and nobody was helping the girl.
I suppose I've never really been angry before. I found myself running toward the men yelling, "Stop that!"
Just as I reached them, one of the men hit me in the face, and I fell down. It hurt incredibly. Then the man kicked April again.
I thought of hurting them, and the men began to scream. The screams were high pitched, and the men grabbed for their heads, as if they would explode. I was shocked, and laid on the ground watching as the men fell to the ground screaming horribly.
Then I heard the Rock say, "Let them go Kaltar!"
For a moment, I didn't understand. Then, I released the men from their pain. I hadn't intended to hurt them. It had just happened when I thought of it. For the first time, I began to realize just how much my life was changing.
The men staggered to their feet, and so did I. The Rock looked at the three men and said, "I suggest you boys run away while you still can!" The three men looked at each other, and all took off running into the distance.
The girl, April, had been crying, but she seemed to calm down quickly. She looked at us and said, "Thank you! Those assholes think they own this park. They need to learn some manners"
I was trying to understand her descriptive use of the word "assholes" when the Rock turned to me and said, "You've seen enough excitement for one day. It's time we returned to Remaca."
"You're going back to South America already?" asked April, sounding slightly upset. "Please don't leave because of what happened. This is a really nice place. Don't let those assholes scare you off."
"That man kicked you!" I blurted out.
"That's Vince. He has anger management issues. He and his two brothers pretend they're a gang, but they're really more like stupid thugs. They rob people, and commit just enough crime to stay below the police radar. Most people are afraid of their threats, and won't call the cops."
"You see what I mean Kaltar?" asked the Rock. "They have a madness."
Appearing slightly confused. April said, "They're really just kind of mean and stupid. I don't think they have any madness."
"Actually, I meant you too," Rock observed.
I saw anger flash across April's face for an instant. Then she seemed to calm herself, and she addressed me, saying, "Your sweet for trying to help, but your friend could sure use a lesson in manners."
My Master put his hand on my shoulder, and said, "We should return to Remaca."
Suddenly, April reached into her pocket, and pulled out a thin slip of material. She handed me the thing, and said, "This is one of my old business cards. It has my name and address on it." I flipped the thing over, and the girl said, "Never mind what's written on the
back. It's just a little grocery list I scribbled down last week."
I looked at the paper, and read out, "Bread, soap, and batteries for vibrator.” Feeling confused, I asked, “What's a vibrator?"
The Rock quickly said, "A device used to relax tired muscles." April seemed very relieved by the comment. I scanned the girl for a moment in the link. The mental images in her mind associated with the word vibrator seemed to have little to do with tired muscles. I decided not to discuss it with her, and instead said "Thank you for the old business card thing!"
April smiled at me, winked, and said, "Call me if you really want to see Cleveland."
Then the Rock put his hand on my shoulder, and we folded space. I suddenly found myself back on Remaca. The rest of the night was peaceful, and I slept very heavily.
Chapter 4
Scanning April
The next morning came, and I almost jumped up from sleeping. I ran down the front stairs of the house two at a time, and ran right up to the Rock. He looked up a little startled, and said, "What's your big hurry?"
"I want to learn something new!" I blurted out.
The Rock smiled broadly, and said, "About Earth no doubt." I nodded my head eagerly, and the Rock said, "And you want to see April again." Again, I nodded yes. "Very well." Rock said. "Let’s go to Earth!"
The Rock took my elbow, and we went back to Earth. It was different this time. We were on an Island, and it was surrounded by a vast city. The island seemed rather deserted, but my scans showed the city filled with people. I could see people everywhere, walking and using many forms of transportation to get around.
My Master said, "This place is called Alcatraz. The Earthers used it for many years as a prison to hold the most violent of their people. Now they give tours of the place, and the Earthers think of it as an amusement. The people who were held here, were too violent and dangerous to be around others. This world is covered with prisons like this. Many millions of violent people live on this world. You must be aware. Many of these people will harm you if you aren't careful."
I really thought about what he was saying, and for a moment, I wanted to go back to Remaca. Then a man on a distant wall yelled, "Hey, You're not supposed to be down there! Get back with your tour group!"
My Master ignored him, and said, "It is time for you to learn an important lesson." He looked right into my eyes and said, "It's time you learned to fold space on your own."
I was startled, and said, "If you say so Master!"
The Rock ignored my thoughtless gaff, and said, "Close your eyes!" I did instantly. He then said, "I want you to remember the girl, April. Think back to her standing next to you. Think of how she smelled. The texture of her skin. Her voice, and how she talked. Then I want you to focus on being with her."
I stood there thinking very hard about April. After a moment, I noticed the sounds around me changed, and seemed to become very quiet. I slowly opened my eyes, and realized it was dark all around me. I couldn't see anything. I reached out, and hit something. There was a crash, and I heard a voice say, "Who's there?" Then, there was a snap, and a light came on.
It was April. She was under blankets, and appeared to be sleeping. There was a giant mat in the room, and she was stretched out upon it. She took one look at me, and prepared to scream.
I knew she was going to scream, and I loudly whispered, "Please don't be mad at me!"
She paused for a second. Then she hissed, "Who the hell are you, and how did you get in here?"
Surprised she didn't remember me, I said, "It's me, Kaltar! We met yesterday, remember?"
She didn't seem happy with that response. Her voice seemed angry, and she said, "You disappeared into thin air right in front of me. I am Kaltar, is sounding kind of thin right about now."
I stood thinking what to say. Looking down, I realized I had knocked something off a table, and picked it up. I sat the small item back on the table, and said, "I'm sorry I scared you. I'll leave."
April moved off the bed in a hurry. She hissed, "Don't you dare just leave!" She moved closer, pulling her covers tighter around herself. She gently reached out, and touched my arm, as though to make sure I was real. She stood staring at me for a moment. Then she said, "You stay right here! Do you understand me! Just stand right there! Okay?"
I nodded, and she stepped out of the room with her bedding still wrapped around her. A few seconds passed, and she came back wrapped in some form of clothing that was tied closed in the front. She blinked several times, as though to make sure she was seeing me.
I said, "I'm sorry if I scared you. I was learning to fold space, and just wanted to see you."
April stood looking at me for several seconds. Then she said, "You're learning to fold space, and just wanted to see me." I nodded yes, and she said, "Oh! Well that explains everything."
I could tell in the link, that April didn't believe me. So I said, "I'm sorry you don't believe me. You need not fear me. I'll go away, and not bother you again."
The woman jumped on me, knocking me onto her sleeping mat. She had me pinned instantly, and she said, "You aren't going anywhere!" She held me down tightly, and for a moment, I couldn't move.
It was a good feeling!
We were nose to nose, and April quietly said, "Who are you, really?"
"I am Kaltar Farsara," I said. "Student to the Rock of all. I am on Earth to learn about your world."
April just held me there, looking at me. Then she said, "You sound like you're crazy! If I let you up, you won't hurt me, will you?"
I was aghast, and said, "I'd never hurt you. I'm a Magi, and we don't harm others, except in self-defense."
"Magi huh! Okay!" said April. She leaned up off me, and I instantly wished she hadn't. With a great deal of grace, she rolled around, and stopped standing next to the sleeping mat looking down at me. She said, "All right. You can get up out of my bed."
I realized she was talking about the sleeping mat. It was incredibly soft, and without thinking, I asked, "May I just lay here for a while?"
"No! You may not lay in my bed!" snapped April. "Get up!"
I crawled off the huge sleeping mat, and said, "I'm making you angry. I'm sorry. You were so nice to me, I just wanted to see you."
"Stop saying you're sorry!" April instructed me. She paused, and I could see in the link that she was debating what to do.
I said, “I can see in your mind you don't believe me. What can I do to help you believe?"
She looked at me in shock, she thought, "You can read my mind?" I nodded my head yes. She thought, "If you can read my mind, say the words, this is too freaking weird!"
"Why is it too freaking weird?" I asked her.
April backed up a step as though I had slapped her hard. She quietly said, "I must be losing my mind!" She looked up, and our eyes met. In a more forceful voice, she asked, "What do you want? Why are you here?"
I realized I didn't really have a good reason. I truthfully said, "I just wanted to see you. I don't know why. You seem very nice, and I liked you." I hesitated, and then again said, "I'm making you angry. I'm sorry. I'll go away!"
"You try, and I'll knock you silly!" she said. Changing tact, April said, "How about we go out into the living room?"
"You do not live in this room?" I asked, looking around.
April seemed confused for a moment. Then she said, "You don't know what a living room is, do you?" I shook my head no. She got an odd look on her face. Then she said. "You're not kidding me? Are you?"
I shook my head no again, and then said, "I'm here to learn about the Earth, and its people."
"And the old guy is your teacher?" she asked.
"Yes," I replied. “He is my Master. He teaches me of this world." I could see in her mind that she was upset over this comment. I said, "He is a great Magi, and a good mentor for me. He told me how to find you. He seemed to know I would appear right here with you."
Abruptly, she started looking around the room. I scanned her, and saw she was looking for s
omething called a camera. I saw that she was worried I was trying to trick her. I told her, "I have no camera. I'm not trying to trick you."
She was looking behind a chair for a camera, but she spun around, and said, "Stop doing that! Get out of my head!"
I could tell she was becoming mentally stressed. I quietly asked, "What should I do?"
"Please, just sit down!" she said in a voice as stressed as her mental state. I did as told, and sat down. She instantly said, "Please get up, I meant for you to sit in the chair, not on the floor."
I did as told, and said, "I've handled this poorly. I just wanted to see you. Perhaps I can meet you another time."
Practically standing over me, she asked, "Why did you want to talk to me?"
"You are so beautiful," I said. "I just like you I guess." I thought for a moment, and then said, "I don't know why. It just seemed real important when I woke up this morning."
April stood looking down at me for a long time. I was afraid to scan her again. After a while she said, "Have you been around a girl before?" I shook my head no, and she sat down next to me. She just sat there, staring at me for a long time. Then she said, "Kaltar! Have you ever seen a girl before?"
"My Mother," I replied.
For a long time, April just sat there looking at me. Then she got up, and said, "Just follow me." We walked out the door, and down a hallway. She had me sit in a chair, and said, "Stay right here! I'll be right back!"
She ran back down the hallway, and was gone for a minute. Then she came back nicely dressed. She seemed uncomfortable as she sat down, and I realized I was staring at her. I looked away, and said, "You look very nice in your clothes."
For a moment, she was angry again. I could see I was saying all the wrong things. I quietly said, "I know I say things wrong. I don't know what to do."
The Books of Kaltar Farsara Boxed Set - Books 1 through 3 (The Kingdom Kaltar Farsara Built) Page 3