The Books of Kaltar Farsara Boxed Set - Books 1 through 3 (The Kingdom Kaltar Farsara Built)

by Ivan Bridgewater

  At one point, the elephants decided we would be fun to watch. They wandered up, and stood watching us. At first April said they were cute. Not long after, she had me put up a fence. It appeared the elephants were cute, and a little too friendly. April was patient, but it was becoming obvious there were limits to what she would put up with.

  At the end of the day, we were tired, but it had been a lot of fun. We went up to go to bed, and April stopped at my door. I asked, "Will you stay with me?"

  It was easy to see she was deep in thought. She gently kissed me for a brief moment. Then she said, "I don't know what to do. I'm really starting to think I'm taking advantage of you."

  "I want to be with you," I said truthfully. "You are beautiful, and I love you!"

  "I need time to figure this out," said April. "I'll see you in the morning!" Then she walked away, and went to her room down the hall. I missed her that night, but I respected her wishes, and slept alone.

  Chapter 13

  Dragons

  The next morning, I awoke and went downstairs to find my front yard empty. I missed the Rock and his advice. I walked around, and checked on the elephants, but I was bored waiting for April to wake up and join me. I had been awake for almost an hour when she came out looking half asleep.

  We were talking for a while, and the conversation got around to monsters. I told her about Dragons and Kraken. The Rock told me it was unwise, if not downright dangerous, to create such creatures.

  We talked at length on the subject, and April said she always loved dragons. In movies and art, the creatures were wonders to behold.

  I could see in the scans that she really wished to see one. The dragons I saw in her mind were truly beautiful and wise.

  I loved April, and she loved dragons!

  As we talked, I said, "Watch this." I cupped my hands together, and created a Dragon egg.

  April looked at me oddly, as she is prone to do. Then she said, "Is that what I think it is?"

  "It is a Dragon egg," I said as I sat there smiling, holding the egg.

  Her eyes squinted, and she said, "You told me they were dangerous."

  "Well, that's what the Rock said," I replied. "You seemed to think they were so beautiful, and I just wanted to please you."

  We had been standing in front of the house. As we stood there, the egg cracked open, and a small baby dragon flew right over, and landed on April's shoulder. Her eyes were trying to focus on the tiny creature. Within seconds, the creature had curled up on her shoulder, next to her neck, and started to fall asleep.

  She looked up at me, and said, "If it bites me, you’re in trouble!"

  It was actually very cute. It was also pure white, and a female. April looked back down on it sitting there, and said, "It's warm sitting there. It's so soft!" The tiny creature began to make an odd noise, and April said, "How sweet! It purrs like a kitten!"

  We decided to let it sleep, and sat down on the porch of the house. We sat there talking, and as time passed, I said, "We should go in and eat. I'm getting hungry."

  It was when we first prepared to stand, that I noticed the tiny dragon was larger. It skittered slightly on April's shoulder as she stood up, and almost fell off. It was palm sized two hours before. Now it was too big to easily fit in one hand. It was growing rapidly. It was hard to feel threatened, but it seemed odd.

  By the time the day was over. The creature was as big as my arm. April had the name picked out, and was calling it Bitsy. I had the feeling the name was going to be inappropriate. We placed Bitsy in a fireproof crate I created special for her. Then we each went off to bed.

  In the morning, I found the box ripped to pieces, and a dragon as big as my leg running around the front hallway. It was pure white, and the eyes looked like bright flames. It didn't menace me, but as April came down the stairs, the creature ran up to her, and wrapped around her legs, almost causing her to fall.

  As it licked her face and seemed very glad to see her, I didn't complain. It made a noise that reminded me of a barking dog, and seemed very excited about being back with her. We went out into the yard, and the creature romped and played like any pet on Earth does.

  As we stood there watching Bitsy, the Rock appeared. He was with Vandahar and Talara. They were across the field from us, and as they approached, four more Magi appeared behind them. At least two of the Magi in the second group appeared to be armed with swords.

  As the Rock stepped up to me, Bitsy began to bark at him. He looked at me and said, "Is it important to you, that you make me upset? That is a living creature, and if we are forced to destroy it, I'll be very angry with you!" I could tell in the link he was very unhappy with me.

  "It was for April, to make her happy," I replied without thinking.

  One of the Magi with a sword stepped forward, and I realized it was a woman. She looked at Bitsy, and said, "Shall I kill it Caleon? Now is the time, before it gets any larger."

  Bitsy growled at her. The Rock sighed, and said, "No Tersa, we won't kill the poor helpless creature for now. Perhaps you may yet get a chance later."

  There was a hard look that passed between the two Magi. I could tell in the link that the Rock was telling the woman to stand down. She actually growled for a moment, and then turned and stepped away. The Rock waved at the three other Magi, and they folded space, and left us there.

  As soon as they were gone, Vandahar turned to the woman, and said, "You need to calm down Tersa! Those Magi look up to you!"

  "That is their problem," she responded in a clipped tone. "I don't have time to baby the children so they don't get in trouble."

  "Your behavior borders on reckless!" said the Rock. "You need to think out your actions better!"

  For the first time, the woman seemed to focus on me, and said, "I suppose this is the great Magi, Kaltar. The one you keep talking about." She looked from me, to Bitsy, and then up at the Rock again. Then she said, "I can tell he's brilliant! He made a dragon."

  Growling and barking. Bitsy tried to edge toward the woman, Tersa. April pushed the dragon back with her leg. I was beginning to think Bitsy was going to win the push and shove contest.

  Suddenly, large wings unfolded from Bitsy, and she started jumping up and down. I got a bad feeling from this development. April had started talking to Bitsy as she might a dog or a cat. The creature pushed up close to her, as if it was seeking protection.

  The Rock looked at Tersa, and said, "If you are going to be rude to Kaltar, then you may just leave now."

  Tersa stepped closer to me, and said, "You’re awful quiet. What do you have to say?"

  I looked at her, and truthfully said, "You are very beautiful."

  Both April and the Rock each gave a deep sigh. Vandahar, Talara, and Tersa, all burst out laughing. After a few seconds, Tersa said, "Oh! You are a rare gem!"

  I could sense in the link that April was losing her patience with Tersa's comments. I tried to think of something to please them both. The best I could think of, was to say, "April feels I should see other women besides her. Perhaps you and I might talk about that."

  The entire group suddenly became silent, and I realized I had said something wrong. I was just trying to make them all happy. With extreme irritation in her voice, April looked at me, and said, "That's not exactly what I meant!"

  I could sense as Tersa scanned me. She seemed to sober for a moment, and then say, "I'm sorry Kaltar! I can see you’re a sweet kid. I didn't realize how young you are.

  She smiled at me, then turned, and stepped over to Vandahar and Talara.

  As they stood there talking, the Rock edged closer to me, and said, "Tersa is one of the few Magi to believe that the power to destroy is greater than the power to create. As a result, she is about as close as a Magi can get to being a true warrior."

  Without turning, Tersa loudly said, "And that's why you need me now!" She slowly turned her head toward the Rock, and said, "After all the times you put me down for my beliefs, now, you need me!"

  "Knowledge
is power," I said. It seemed like the thing to do at the time.

  Vandahar and Talara both smiled, and after a second, so did Tersa. She stepped very close to me, and said, "So, you need to date around a little. We'll just have to see about that!" She turned back to the Rock, and said, "I'm taking these two so we can search for Madias. When we get back, I'm taking the kid on a date. I'm feeling warm all over already!" With a wink at me, she folded space, and so did Vandahar and Talara.

  April slapped me lightly in the back of the head, and then said, "You and I need to have a talk, soon!"

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the Rock slip Bitsy a small item. As I looked at him, he smiled and said, "Dog treats for a large dog. You will find them helpful." Bitsy licked the Rock's hand, and he slipped her another treat. After a few seconds, he looked up at me, and said, "You need to return April to Earth. We have work to do, and she will be better off there with her friends."

  "I'm not leaving Bitsy here alone," said April. "And I sure can't take her back to Earth."

  "She will be fine, young Earther," said the Rock. "This creature is a white dragon. They are very smart, and tend to imprint on one person for life. If she has imprinted on one of you. You had better really love dragons, because she will never want to leave your side."

  April and I looked at each other, and she quietly observed, "I'm in so much trouble!"

  The Rock said, "It might be more merciful in the long run to put the beast down!"

  Bitsy's ears went flat back, and April said, "Don't you dare hurt that helpless little animal!"

  With a big smile, The Rock said, "Let's see if you feel the same way when she's a hundred feet long, and shoots flames longer than her body length. White dragons are among the largest, and known as rider dragons among the Magi. Once long ago, I rode such a beast into battle. It died to protect me. I hope Bitsy will serve you as well as my friend served me."

  "A hundred feet long," April said to herself under her breath.

  The Rock looked directly at me, and said, "You must decide Kaltar. This is your world. Does April stay here, or return to earth for the next two days? I will return in one hour for you. Figure it out, and I mean quickly!"

  An hour later, he was back for me. He looked around, and said, "Where is everyone?"

  He saw his answer in the link, and gave me a stern look, saying, "Creating another dragon was not the answer, Kaltar."

  "Bitsy is no longer alone," I said. "So April agreed to return to Earth for now." I smiled and added, "Everyone is happy."

  The Rock stood there looking at me for several seconds. Then he said, "So you have two female dragons!"

  "I didn't think to look," I truthfully replied after a moment.

  The Rock seemed to debate, and then said, "Well, I suppose it's a little late to worry now. We must join the others. The dragons will do fine on their own for a few days." He took my elbow, and we folded space together.

  I found myself standing on a scorched, barren, landscape. The Rock stepped over to Vandahar and asked, "Were there any survivors at all?"

  "We haven't found Madias, if that's what you mean," Vandahar replied.

  "They'll be here soon!" said Talara.

  Far off in the distance, I saw movement. It was too far to make out, but something was moving toward us fast. As they approached. It became apparent they were some form of animal, running at great speed. In a moment of clarity, I realized they were like the creature that attacked us back at the apartment on Earth.

  There were thousands of them, perhaps millions of them, and they were funneling straight up the valley below us. The Rock looked at us, and said, "This is the tenth planet they've raided in this area. These creatures are minions of the Darkness. They are monsters! Show them no quarter! For they shall surely show you none! Remember! Billions of people are on the next planet in this solar system. We must stop this here!"

  He turned, and stepped over to me, saying, "I regret school time is over!" Then he handed me a pair of long gloves, saying, "Put these on. They're called powered gloves. They'll focus your strength and energy in your hands." As I slipped them on, the gloves seemed to disappear. Despite that, I could tell they were still on my hands.

  It was easy to see the faces of each creature now. I found it frightening that they all looked the same. The valley before us was a mile wide, and the hills were about two miles away. There must have been tens of thousands of the creatures on the valley floor, running as fast as their legs would carry them.

  Eight Magi stood before them. We spread out on the ridge, each about fifty feet from the next, and waited.

  Seconds later, the other Magi started. Flame poured from their outstretched hands onto the leading edge of the enemy. The creatures screamed, and died horribly. Their mad brethren behind them ran them over in the stampede to get at us.

  I stood watching. I had never seen this done, and was uncertain what to do. I finally decided to do the only thing I had ever had a chance to do before. I called down the rocks from the sky.

  Several seconds passed, and I kept calling for more. Wave after wave of them. The monsters began to crawl over each other like insects back on Earth. They were building up at our end of the valley. The ones in the front were being pushed into the flames by those behind.

  There was a large bang above us, and the first rock entered the atmosphere. It burned across the horizon, and slammed into the far side of the valley. A giant fireball rose from the horizon on the spot where it hit. The blast started working its way up the valley. It was a wave of fire that appeared to reach to space. The ground rippled, and the creatures at the far end of the valley vaporized right in front of us. In seconds, the wave would reach us.

  At that moment the beasts broke through, and were among us. The ability to throw flame was no longer helpful. The Rock yelled, "Fall back!" Too late, the Magi tried to flee.

  Vandahar, Talara and Tersa were all in mortal combat. Armed with various weapons, they were trying to break free long enough to fold space. I reached out in desperation, and called on the simulations I had run on self-defense, and used them on our enemies. I advanced on the two creatures holding Vandahar, killing them both by touching their hearts with my mind. Their screams were horrific. I grabbed his shoulder, yelling, "Go!"

  He did!

  Next it was Talara. He was pressed by a creature that had him by the throat. The thing was trying to drive a blade home with its other hand. I took the monsters idea, and used the glove to choke the creature.

  I had never done this before. The creature's head popped off. I yelled, "Get out of here!"

  And he did!

  That left Tersa, on her hands and knees before one of the creatures that had knocked her to the ground. She was stunned, and unable to fold space. I did something called a flying drop kick in the books I had scanned. I ended up laying on Tersa, and as the lead edge of the blast wave hit us, I folded space, dragging her with me.

  Our group reformed on a moon orbiting around the planet we had just left. As soon as we arrived, Tersa shoved me away, and said, "Keep your hands off me! I don't need your help!"

  As we watched, it soon became obvious the planet below us was in trouble. The area we had been in was a fireball that reached into the planet’s outer stratosphere. Even with the unaided eye, it appeared the entire planet was breaking up.

  Addressing the Rock. Vandahar said, "We may need to leave this location if the planet continues to break up."

  In a terse voice, Talara said, "If this one blows, the next two planets are going to get shredded!"

  The Rock turned to me, and said, "We try not to destroy the planets we visit." I could tell he was not happy.

  So I fixed it.

  There was a moment when it appeared there was a bright flash of light. I suddenly felt exhausted. The Rock yelled, "What in the name of all the Gods was that?"

  Visible shock waves spread across the planet like ripples in a pond. As they settled, the fires and destruction below seemed to be gone. Th
e planet appeared healthy. Perhaps healed would be a better word.

  We all stood in awe of what we were seeing in the sky over our heads. The planet was huge in our field of vision. As it calmed, Vandahar turned to the Rock and said, "That was amazing! How did you do it?"

  "I didn't!" said the Rock.

  There was a few seconds as each of the Magi scanned the other. Then they all turned and stared at me. The Rock quietly asked, "How did you do it Kaltar?"

  I tried to speak, but couldn't answer. My legs started to go soft, and I began to fall. Just before I hit the ground, Tersa caught me by the arm. She sat me down, and quietly said, "You overstepped Magi! You can't do things like that. If we were under attack, you would be a liability!"

  "I just want to know how he did it!' said Vandahar. He focused on me, and started scanning. He caught his breath, looked at the Rock, and said, "Are you aware that..."

  The Rock cut him off, and said, "Yes! I am aware Vandahar!"

  Instantly, I could tell the other Magi were scanning me. After a few seconds, Talara quietly said, "Your Uncle is Carr Hammond?" I nodded yes, and the Magi all seemed to take a deep breath together.

  The Rock quietly said, "Kaltar is unaware who his Uncle is to us. I've seen fit not to tell him."

  Vandahar instantly turned to me and said, "There was a great battle long ago. The outer edge of the Milky Way Galaxy was being absorbed by the Darkness. Madias, Rautha, and your Uncle stood against the Darkness." Vandahar's voice changed as he became more emotional. You could see in the link that he was remembering back, as he said, "Everything was dying! The three Magi went toe to toe with the Darkness, and only returned as it retreated. Madias was dying! Rautha traded his physical life to return his Father to our dimension.

  His voice filled with awe, Talara continued, "Both Magi reported one story. They said that Carr Hammond alone stopped the Darkness. He stood before the beast, and beat it into retreat, saving all life in this galaxy. Then he returned, dragging two badly injured Magi back to safety." He looked into my eyes, and said, "He is a living legend!"