"Several," said the Rock. "We are in contact with them, but they are disorganized, and need leadership. The best man for the job refuses it. He is wise I suppose. It will not be a pleasant job."
"Shouldn't you lead us?" I asked.
My Master broke out laughing. He said, "I'm a humble Magi. This is not a job for a solitary person like me. This is a job for a born leader of men." The Rock closed his eyes, and said, "You should return to Earth!" I could tell he was tired, and extremely stressed. He started walking to the house, and said, "Go on!" as he walked away. I debated, and then took him at his word, folding space back to Earth.
Standing in April's room of living, I saw no sign of her. I called out her name, and she didn't step out. I thought of her eyes, and folded space to her location.
She was standing in a shower of water. She appeared to be cleaning herself, and was not happy when I appeared. I could tell she was on the verge of screaming, and folded space back to the room she lives in, and sat down. It seemed like the best thing to do at the time.
I few minutes went by, and April came out from down the hall. She stood in front of me, looked at me oddly for a few seconds, and then said, "From now on. You wait out here till I invite you back to my bed and bath. Do I make myself clear?"
I started to apologize, but she cut me off with a slash of her hand in front of her. It was her way of saying be quiet, without being rude. I sat for a minute, letting her think before I spoke again.
Then I said, "My Mother said I would soon be kissing girls. I wish you'd kiss me, no matter what the Rock says."
April stood there, and started to cry. I knew I had done something bad at once. I tried to scan her, but just got confused images from her mind. Then she leaned down, and kissed me gently on the lips. I was shocked! I thought she was mad at me.
She stood back up, backing away slightly, and said, "I need to tell you, I'm not feeling much like a teacher right now!" Her voice dropped, and she said, "I feel so drawn to you!" She paused a moment more, and then, almost in a whisper, said, "You should go home!"
I sat there, thinking about her comments. I stood up, and said, "If that's what you want me to do, I'll go home."
She looked right into my eyes, and said, "You are such an idiot!" Then she stepped closer, and wrapped her arms around me. She kissed me, and her lips were extremely soft. I was very shocked!
It was a good feeling! A very good feeling!
I believe I stopped breathing for several minutes as we stood there. I wrapped my arms around her, and stood there holding her tightly. We finally broke, and she stepped away for a moment, took a deep breath, and said, "Whew!"
I was feeling very confused. I wanted to continue kissing April, but I suspected my Master was going to be very displeased. I quietly said, "I don't know what to do, April. I am very drawn to you as well. I want to kiss you. It feels very good. I just don't want to hurt you."
After a few seconds, she quietly said, "It's funny! I was going to say the same about you."
We both stood there for several seconds more. Then I reached out, and took her hand. After a moment, I said, "We have lots of time! Let’s practice kissing more another time! I like it!" I paused, and then added, "It's exciting!"
"Yes! Exciting!" agreed April, in a more subdued voice than I had used.
"I should go home now I suppose," I said.
In a very quiet voice, April said, "Yes! You should go home." She stood there thinking for a moment. Then she said, "You've really never been with a woman in any way before. Have you?"
"Just you," I responded quietly.
A large smile spread over her face. She stepped closer, and said, "You should probably go home." She looked me in the eyes, and said, "We can practice kissing more later."
I bent down slightly, kissed her hand, and then released it. Then I folded space, and returned to Remaca. I felt very odd, as though I had a fever. My hands were shaking, and my heart was racing.
The Rock saw me walking toward the house, and he called out to me. I stopped, and waited for him to join me. I suspect he was scanning me as he walked up. Because his first words were, "You just had to go and kiss the girl, huh!"
"Actually, she kissed me!" I replied.
The Rock sighed deeply, and said, "Well, that makes it about as complicated as possible."
I waited for him to yell at me, but he just walked over, and sat down on the steps that led up to the front porch of the house. I sat down next to him on the steps, and we just sat there for a minute. Then he asked, "Is she a good kisser?"
"I don't have much of a base line for comparison," I responded. "It will require further testing to draw a conclusion."
My Master snorted loudly, and started laughing. He said, "There are several billion women on Earth. Don't you want to shop around a little?"
"Not like April," I responded.
The Rock sat there, looking down at the ground. He looked up at me, and said, "Your love for her will place her in danger. Think twice before you proceed. I don't wish to see you hurt in any way."
I really hadn't thought about any danger at all. "You mean someone might hurt her, to get at me?"
The Rock nodded his head, and said, "A horrible war is coming Kaltar. Many entire worlds will die. Earth will be at risk, and powerful interests will look for ways to get at you. If they know of your feelings for April, they'll use her against you."
The very thought of someone hurting April made me tense and start to grow angry. With a growing sense of protection, I growled, "Harming her will be their last mistake!"
My teacher smiled, and said. "Winners in a large war usually win by fighting smarter, not harder." He looked at me closely, and continued, saying, "We will be fighting alongside many great warriors. It will be their job to do battle using various horrific weapons. It will be our task to keep them from being slaughtered by things they have no hope of fighting. They will die in the millions, so that we may prevail against the true enemy."
"You mean the Madness," I said.
"I mean the Darkness that has sent the Madness," he replied. "It manifests itself in many forms, but it is always the Darkness that is behind this evil. It is the Darkness we must fight against! The Darkness we must defeat!"
"How can mere darkness threaten entire worlds?" I asked.
"It is an entity which uses the darkness for cover," said the Rock. "The Magi are blind to the life forms actual size and shape, but logic states it must exist."
A quiet rage was born in me that day. Whatever would threaten April and my other friends was the target of that rage. I wanted badly to destroy that enemy. I wanted to bring an end to the Darkness.
The Rock was obviously scanning me. Because he said, "Perhaps falling in love will motivate you in ways I hadn't thought of. I hope it helps instead of hinders you, my young Magi friend."
It was good to hear the Rock call me friend. So many things are changing in my life. I take great comfort from my friend, the Rock.
He stood up, and stepped away from the stairs. He looked down at me, and said, "Rest now my friend. Tomorrow will be a busy day!" Then he folded space, and was gone.
I went to bed and quickly fell asleep. I dreamed of April.
Chapter 8
Signey Octurus
The next morning I awoke to a large bang outside the house. It was so loud, it shook the whole place. I went outside, and found the Rock setting fire to a device attached to a stick he had shoved into the ground. With a loud hiss, the device thundered into the air, and exploded, raining down bright sparks of fire in the sky. Again, the whole house shook from the loud, "Bang!" that occurred.
"They are called fireworks," said the Rock. "They are primarily for celebrations, although they've had modest use as weapons on several worlds infected with the Madness." Almost as an afterthought, he added, "Be careful, they can be dangerous."
I stood watching him for a few minutes. Then I asked, "What am I learning today?"
"To have fun," he replied.
"Young people kiss. Old people set off fireworks. It's just a matter of age."
I was slightly confused by the comment, but just let it go by. I wanted to go see April at this point, and wasn't really paying much attention to what the Rock was doing. Then the Rock said, "Tell April you'll be gone for a few days. We're going on a trip."
Now I was paying attention. "Where shall we be going?" I asked.
"To a place called Signey Octurus," the Rock said. "There is a great disturbance forming in the timeline, and it is being generated by events in that area. We must go, and see what is occurring."
"Is this place on Earth?" I asked.
"No," he replied. "This is a far distant place that has been dead for centuries. Recent events seem to point to a rebirth of that star system. We must go, and investigate."
I bowed, and upon rising again, said, "I shall return soon!" Then I folded space for Earth.
I arrived on Earth to find Cindy and Carl sitting in April's living space. Carl was afraid to speak, but Cindy said, "April said to tell you that you two need some time apart. She thinks things are moving a little too fast, and that you need a time out."
"I'm leaving, and I don't know how soon I'll be back," I said.
"Wait right here!" said Cindy. She stepped out of the front door, leaving me alone with Carl.
A full minute passed, and suddenly Carl asked, "Are aliens going to kill us all?"
I was at a loss over an answer to that. I finally said, "Not if I can help it."
Running feet were coming up the stairs outside. Suddenly April burst into the room, with Cindy right on her heels. The apartment door came open with a bang, and Carl and I both jumped slightly. Both women were out of breath, and April gasped out, "Where are you going?"
"To a place called Signey Octurus," I replied. "It is far from here, and the Rock says we must go and see the place."
"I want to go with you!" April said.
Both Cindy and Carl said, "Me too!" in unison.
I was caught off guard, and had visions of explaining to the Rock that I wanted to take my friends with us. I quickly said, "That isn't possible. I go by the command of the Rock, and he won't allow me to take you."
"Well, you could at least ask him," April responded
I shook my head, and said, "I believe there may be danger there. I can't take any of you!"
"What do you mean, danger?" asked Carl.
"I don't know," I replied. "The Rock says there is a great disturbance forming in the timeline. We must go and see why."
"I don't want you to go!" said April in a very tense voice.
"I don't really have much choice," I replied. "My teacher says this is important. I must go with him."
To his credit, Carl asked, "Can I help?"
"Watch out for April and Cindy till I return," I replied. I turned to April, and said, "I'm going to miss you!"
She was starting to cry, but she didn't say anything. She stepped close, hugged me, looked up, and kissed me. Then she stepped away.
In an agitated voice, Cindy said, "When did you two start kissing and hugging?" April glanced at her, and Cindy said, "And you didn't even tell me!"
"We just started," answered April. Her voice sounded very distant.
"I must go," I said quietly.
Cindy started shoving Carl out the door of the apartment. It snapped shut a few seconds later. April and I were alone. She looked up at me and said, "Promise me you're coming back!"
We slipped into each other’s arms, holding each other, and I said, "I promise I'll do everything in my power to return as soon as I can!"
Her voice came from my chest. She said, "I'm going to turn around. I want you to leave... I don't want to see you go!" She took a deep breath, turned, stepped away from me, and just stood there with her back to me.
I folded space, and returned to Remaca. I arrived, and already missed April.
Standing outside in the yard, I could see the Rock off in the distance. He waved for me to join him. I found him looking across the valley at the two elephants. When I stood next to him, he looked at me and said, "You created one male and one female elephant. Soon, there will be three elephants in the valley." He smiled at me and said, "I sure hope you like elephants."
I saw his point, and said, "It is their world now as well. I hope they enjoy their new home."
The old Magi stood smiling a second longer, as though appreciating some private joke. Then he said, "Very well. Let's proceed!" He stepped over, and put his hand on my shoulder.
There was a moment of disorientation, and then we were there. The place was alive with busy people. I had learned much by linking with the Earthers, but I was unprepared for this.
A vast river of warriors were passing by us, all going one direction. These men were warriors, there was no doubt. The Rock looked at the men, and quietly said, "These are Guardian knights! What could bring so many in, out of deep space, all at once?" He looked around at the crowd, and I could tell he was confused.
We moved along the side of the road for a while. Walking along with a throng of knights, we were soon swept into a large mass of warriors. There were thousands of them packed in a large walled area. The Rock and I stood up upon a wall. We couldn't get very close, and had to look down upon what was happening.
Below us on the ground. A vast sea of these knights were spread before us. They were tightly packed together, and as we watched, a path was formed. A small group of people were moving through the crowd, being escorted by many knights. The place was deadly silent.
Then the crowd seemed to all start yelling at once, and a great noise came up from the warriors standing before us. The Warriors chanted Arthur! Arthur! Arthur! Arthur! Arthur! Arthur! Then, one of the men on the field stood out, and raised his hands above his head. Suddenly, the mass of warriors grew still.
The man said, "I am Rautha! I was your Arthur! The man you called King!" The Rock gasped out loud, and coughed for a moment. Then the man on the field pointed at a man next to him, and said, "I say now that I am here thanks to this Guardian. I serve this man! I call him my King! He is my Arthur! I say to you all, serve this man, as you would serve me! We have returned brothers! The Guardian knights are back in session, and there is work to be done!"
The crowd roared so loud, the entire place was shaking. The warriors began to close in around the speaker on the field. Then another man appeared, and there was a loud crash from the sky. The new man on the field yelled, "Order! Return to your places at once!"
I could sense data being shared in the link. Warriors began to disperse. Standing next to me, the Rock said, "We are leaving!" Seconds later we had folded space, and returned to Remaca.
The Rock stood before me in shock. He focused on me, and spoke more to himself, saying, "The old man who appeared at the end was Madias. He was a student of mine eons ago. The man, Rautha, was Madias's son. He died many centuries ago. The knights have been dormant for ten thousand years, and for the first time in all history, they've massed together in one place. The rumors of war appear to be far more than just rumors."
"The man, Rautha, didn't look very dead to me," I said.
Looking perplexed, the Rock said, "Nor to me!"
"What can we do?" I asked.
"Prepare for war faster I suppose," he replied. He stood thinking for a moment, and then said, "We recently had reports that contact with the old Council was lost. I shall need to look into this." His eyes locked with mine, and he slowly said, "I must leave you alone. Don't get in trouble with your Earther friends." He stood, really looking at me, and said, "Don't hurt April! I don't wish to see either of you hurt. A broken heart isn't any less dangerous than a blade in the back. One just kills you a little slower."
I had no idea what he was talking about. I just nodded my head, and folded space for Earth.
I arrived in April’s room of living to find her asleep on the device called a couch. I debated waking her up, but it seemed wrong. She was so beautiful as she laid there sleeping. I di
dn't wish to wake her up. I sat down upon the chair thing, and watched her sleep for some time. Then I grew bored, and decided to go out for a walk.
I stepped out of the building April lives in, and the air was cool. It felt good to be out in the fresh air. I walked a short ways, and then saw the park where I had first met April. It is a wonderful place, with many trees and bushes. It occurred to me that I should note samples of the plants, so that I could later create more of them on Remaca.
I had walked along for a short while, and seen many lovely plants, when I heard a man cry out. I walked in the direction of the cries, till I found an old man being beaten.
The old man was very old. I had never seen a man so old before, with the possible exception of the old Magi, Havasta. Three men were beating him badly. As I approached, one of the men saw me, and screamed, "It's the priest! Run for it!" Then they left, running as fast as they could. As they ran away, I realized it was the same three men who had attacked April.
The old man could barely stand. He had many bad injuries. I felt his pain. It was horrible. He was leaning on me heavily, and I pulled the pain from him. I felt him grow stronger as we stood there, and after a moment, he stood up on his own. As he released me, I almost fell, and the old man held me up to keep me from falling. He looked into my face a second later, and said, "Hey! Blood is coming out of your mouth!"
I wiped the back of my hand across my mouth, and it came away covered in blood. I almost fell again, and said, "I need to see April!"
"April who?" asked the old men.
I pointed over to April's building, and started trying to move that way. I was having a really hard time of it. The old man was almost carrying me. Then I heard an awful scream. Looking up, I saw Cindy looking at me. She had a package that she had dropped when she saw me. It was on the ground at her feet, and looked like it had been food of some sort. She ran straight at me, yelling, "What the hell happened?"
At that point the old man could support me no more, and as I slid to the ground, he yelled, "Help us!"
The Books of Kaltar Farsara Boxed Set - Books 1 through 3 (The Kingdom Kaltar Farsara Built) Page 6