THE VROL TRILOGY

by SK Benton

  Jennie gave her sweaty brother a big hug and a kiss on his bearded cheek. They had become much closer since she found that they were siblings, and even more so since they were in the Rhönen Dominion. It had ended up being an emotionally healthy revelation for the both of them.

  "I need to replenish my resources, hermanita. Shall we break for lunch?"

  "Sounds good. I heard elk is on the menu today!"

  The two left the training grounds and headed towards the mess hall. Bagatelle was doing well with his training, and had trimmed down considerably since his arrival in the future-past. Diet, training, and salubots working in conjunction with lycan virus in his system were all bringing him to a state of peak performance. He only wished that Lt. Commander Vasquez could see him, as he already had acquired the appearance of a man fifteen years his minor. Although he never spoke of her, he thought of her often. He secretly wanted to marry her someday - the woman who protected him during his months of house arrest; the woman who guarded the secret of his little sister; the woman who had stolen his heart early in his career. He didn't even have a chance to bid her farewell before fleeing to the future, but hoped to address that error quite soon with the help of his friend Draagh.

  Jennie and Bagatelle entered the expansive dining hall, took seats at an empty table and were almost instantly served with plates of steaming elk meat and asparagus, along with some very coarse bread that resembled sourdough - the perfect combination of protein and carbohydrates. They had been quietly eating for a couple of minutes, when they both saw a small figure streak by in a blur, being followed by what appeared to be a small tornado.

  "Liliana, please keep your conjured storm closer to you, my dear. If you lose control there will be more than a few people who would lose their meals."

  Draagh watched his young pupil with great patience after having called out to her from across the room, while Bagatelle looked on with horror as the little girl used her small twister to envelope a castle servant and cause her to spin around as if she were in the final cycle of a washing machine.

  "Lili, honey, leave the nice lady alone… now!"

  Jennie put an extreme, growling emphasis on her final command, causing Liliana to wave her hand off and gently place the poor woman on a bench, as she most probably suffered from vertigo and wouldn't be able to stand on her own for at least a few minutes, and hopefully not vomit uncontrollably.

  "Grandfather taught me elemental cantuses today, Jennie! I could not help but experiment a bit," said the little girl, while forcing a bit of a pouty purse on her lips. She had learned that look from her mother, who was quite adept at using cute facial expressions to get her way. However, the major difference between the two was that the younger had mage genetics, and a fledgling power of suggestion.

  "Liliana, come sit here with me and Tío. Pops, are you going to eat also?"

  "Oh but of course, my dear," exclaimed the ancient Primulus. "I am absolutely famished, as I am sure is my young student. Elemental cantuses do tend to deplete one's magic stamina quite rapidly."

  The now tight-knit family agreed to regroup for dinner later in the day, with Jennie saying she had a surprise for her brother. In the afternoon, Liliana mastered her new elemental cantus (Draagh was only willing to teach her air current manipulations, fearing a forest fire if the child were to harness lightning), Bagatelle succeeded in decimating some trees (and unintentionally chopping firewood for the castle) and Jennie started to feel better, even though she missed her husband.

  That evening, the entire family - Bagatelle, Jennie, Liliana and Draagh - all sat down to a hearty dinner of fowl and roasted bok choy, an Asian cabbage which they quite enjoyed for its crunchiness. The little girl was on her best behavior as she planned on asking her mother to take her swimming when it stopped raining outside, which it had been doing for the past few days.

  Jennie looked at her brother who no longer looked like her commanding officer - he looked like a very fit man in his early thirties. The lines were gone from around his eyes; his gray hair had been replaced by black and he had not only dropped considerable amounts of body fat, but also enjoyed a regeneration of collagen in his face and neck areas, completing his youthful transformation. As long as he was on a magic-enabled world he would continue to look like that for a very long time. Jennie smiled and nodded at her brother.

  "Yes, I can see. I am sure someone back on Azul will get the surprise of her life when we return."

  Bagatelle shot her a little glare, but immediately relaxed his expression, having completely given up the charade of pretending he had no relationship with Lt. Commander Vasquez.

  "Yeah, I think she'll be impressed," he retorted with a grin, "and I just hope we get back safely and can make a difference. It seems kind of unfair; if our world were to be decimated tomorrow we would have a place, or even many places to live. But so many would die."

  "Nothing is fair nor unfair, my dear Luigi," exclaimed Draagh, who had been eating voraciously. The fact he was nearly a god did not take away the need for sustenance, and he loved to eat. "It is simply how the universe functions. Take comfort in the fact that no one ever really dies - your energy is re-purposed and new life arises. Once day, many centuries from now, when your time in the flesh comes to an end, you will retain your consciousness in the expanses of non-time where the shards of souls collect and gather wisdom."

  "Um, are you serious?" asked the former rear admiral, wearing a look of expectation on his face; finally something filled the void created in his heart when he found that magic was something akin to subatomic machinery.

  "Quite so, my dear boy. Now, if we will, let us finish with our meals and get some sleep. We shall all have a busy day tomorrow."

  "Oh, that's right!" exclaimed Jennie. "G, we are taking you on a recon mission tomorrow. Time for some fresh air!"

  "Jennie, may I also accompany you on the recon mission?" asked Liliana, displaying a hopeful and completely innocent face.

  "No, sweetie. You have classes, plus we'll need to cordon off some cannibals that have moved a bit too close to the normals' village to the west. Much too dangerous for a young lady, even one as special as you."

  Liliana said nothing further, still wanting to work her adoptive mother on the swimming angle.

  "Lili, I'll give you a full report of our activities on my first recon mission in this world as soon as we get back. How does that sound?"

  The little girl simply smiled and nodded her head. She adored her uncle, and even though she had a tendency to create havoc, her heart was usually in the right place - when she wasn't annoying castle servants or the feral cats that guarded the catacombs.

  Chapter 8 - Max Parties Like It's 1999 - B.C.

  Early in the evening, inside the Seven Sins bar, Max sat chatting with Dons and Jessica at a new couch and coffee table he had hand-crafted (with some custom cantuses, of course), watching as various people filed into the club - the majority of them being normals, but with a few female neko hookers and Lennie, the vampire drummer coming in. As Max had nothing but bad luck with humans (Adam) and lycans (Marko), he figured he would chat it up with Lennie as the fellow, even though he was a vampire, seemed like a genuinely nice person.

  It was odd for him to befriend a vampire, but he figured that his current world was much different than the world he was from - well, the last world he was from - after he fled the world he was really from. It had been a week since that eventful day where he soundly pummeled a lycan and thrashed a fake mage all before noon. Getting up, he walked over to the bar where Lennie had taken a seat.

  "Lennie! How goes it, my friend? Are you playing tonight?"

  Max made an effort to be friendly, as he was an introvert in a manner of speaking, and constantly needed to work on his social skills - skills that were critical to his ability to command fighters.

  "Hey mate! Yeah! It's a special show tonight! We have some new songs too! Found something for zombies, but… it's really manic-depressive."

  "Ah, no w
orries then, just keep on with what you were playing last time I saw you. I liked it a lot."

  "Hey, I heard you thrashed Marko the other day. Is that true?"

  "Umm… yeah, more or less. Why?"

  "Well mate, he's been - well, he's been quite abusive to my friends. He steals from us and slaps us around, so when I heard what you did I took up a collection to buy you anything you'd like to drink. So thanks, man. We appreciate it."

  Max grinned at who was probably the most sincere person he had met since arriving in Los Angeles (aside from Jessica), and nodded in thanks. He then looked over at the bartender and, holding up a finger, watched as a double shot of Glenfiddich was poured just for him. He was feeling much more comfortable that evening, having spent some of his earned teeth on some cotton fabric clothing. He liked his leatherwear, but it didn't make for the most comfortable outfit in a nightclub on warm evenings. Aside from that, he never gave any thought to the fact that it was the end of summer where he was, even though he left The Rhönen in the middle of spring. If he had, he would have realized he suffered a time dilation from his errant slip.

  Taking a seat at the bar, Max turned his stool so he could survey the comings and goings of the regulars who populated Dons' fine establishment - well, as fine as an establishment could be in what was about as close to what Max could accurately call a post-apocalyptic hellhole.

  "So, Max," asked Lennie, "we never really discussed how you came around these parts. Were you dropped off like the rest of us, or were you born around here?"

  "Neither, really. I kind of ended up here on accident, I think."

  Max sincerely wanted to discuss his current predicament with someone, but was unsure that Lennie was the right person with whom to do it. As far as he knew, all of the residents of the Seven Sins area were quite ignorant, even believing that the Vrol were Hell-based demons. However, he didn't blame or look down upon any of them for it - they were mostly prey for an evil, alien presence that used them for sport.

  Max smelled another vampire enter into the bar, but detected it was female, which he had never smelled before. In fact, he had never seen a female vampire during his months in the Rhönen Dominion. Turning around, he expected to see a horrid, rotting old hag approach, but instead saw a very cute, young-looking girl with a pale complexion walk right up and plant a giant kiss on Lennie's lips.

  "Mmmmm, hey sweetie! Rock for me tonight and Ima rock you too!"

  Max looked at the couple, stunned and unable to comprehend, but attempted to hide his confusion.

  "Jel-Jel! So glad you came to watch the show!" Lennie half-shouted.

  "Of course, m'love. Here to support! Hey, who's your friend?"

  Max looked at the two, utterly astounded and unable to form a proper response.

  "Oh, this is Max. He's lycan, but he actually helped us out. Took out that prat who was stealing our money. Is a genuine right good mate, he is."

  The newly arrived young woman gave Max a warm, closed-mouth smile, taking care not to bare her fangs, and extended her hand in friendship.

  "I'm Jelly. It's nice to meet you… Max."

  Max reached out and gently grasped Jelly's small, cold hand and lightly shook it, reciprocating the same smile.

  "Jelly, it is my pleasure. I can see why you like Lennie so much - he's a great fellow."

  "Aw Maxie, mate! No need to give me props!"

  Max looked at his new friend, wishing he could help the man to live a better life. Knowing that the vampire virus actually shortened lifespans never really brought him any sort of conscious regret until that very moment. Things were significantly different between his various worlds, and he made a little mental note to somehow help Lennie in the future, and then packed it away back into his subconscious. But before he could really think further, he saw Adam enter into the bar area, casually strolling in as if nothing had happened a week before. The false mage had made a conscious effort to avoid Max for the previous few days, but it was obvious that the man was accustomed to doing as he pleased, and his subconscious had eventually guided him back to his comfort zone - a place where he was dominant. But he saw Max seated at the bar with Lennie and Jelly, which caused him to freeze in place momentarily. Max glared at him and smiled, purposefully showing his teeth while twirling his finger around, much like Draagh did when he was about to do something mischievous. Adam's eyes grew wide with alarm, and he quickly made a beeline to the nearest toilet.

  Lennie looked at Max, having noticed the interaction between the two, and asked, "Hey Maxie, you know Adam? I mean, have you met him before?"

  "We met recently, my friend. He liked some food I prepared, but I put a lot of spices in it. It gave him a bad stomach ache, so I think maybe it crept up on him again."

  Max laughed as if his comment were funny, but it was actually because he knew that Adam was defecating out of pure, unadulterated fear, and hopefully not in his pants again.

  Dons and Jessica sat at their new couch and coffee table, elevated in the back corner of the club, not missing Adam's odd reaction to Max. Dons was a normal, but he was no fool. He knew that something more than what was explained had happened between Max and Adam - but he was content to let it play out on its own, as it seemed that Max had his, and his clan's best interests in mind. They watched as Max returned to sit with them. He had been fulfilling a role for the clan in exchange for room and board, providing excellent meals and fixing broken items of interest and great need. Dons figured that Max was a scientist where he was from, but couldn't quite help but think there was something a lot different about the newcomer. Whenever he did something it came much too easily to him. Still, he wasn't about to complain, as everything Max did benefitted his people and his establishment tremendously.

  "Hey Max, seems like you have made friends with Lennie. Nice fellow, isn't he?"

  Max smiled and nodded. He missed his family, but he had met some decent folks in L.A. and knew he could be in worse company.

  "Ya, he's a good kid for sure. Too bad he's a vampire, otherwise he could travel around a bit in the daytime."

  Dons gave Max an odd look, slightly taken aback.

  "What do you mean, mate? Lennie goes out in the day all the time."

  "Huh? You mean, vampires can go in the sun?"

  "Well sure. They sunburn easier than most, but nothing keeps them from going out for some fresh air."

  Max had made a conscious effort to not ask too many questions and show his ignorance of this new world he inhabited, but it seemed like he was learning something new each day. This made him think a bit more, as he would have to prepare for the full moon, due in two weeks.

  "Hey Dons, I have a question. Um… where do those of my kind go on the full moon around these parts?"

  Dons gave the lycan an incredulous look and almost started laughing.

  "Usually they come here and party. That's when they are at their best. You should know this - A lycan on the full moon is a great friend indeed!"

  Max sat stunned.

  No change?

  The trio sat with great amusement and watched neko females ply their trade, performing seductive dances while loudly purring. One thing was for sure; normal males liked nekos. They were cheap, easy and highly skilled. While Max couldn't tolerate their scent, humans, with their inferior noses, tended to really like the smell. One normal man told Max during a conversation that they smelled like a good wine. Max thought they smelled like piss and vinegar.

  Max had noticed that there were a significantly larger percentage of normal males than females too. Jessica was probably one of the best looking women around, even though she was lycan.

  Jessica's best friend and battle partner, Pandy, walked in and sat with the group. Max had met her earlier in the week when he was preparing a meal in the kitchen. At first he thought that they were related, so closely the two resembled each other. Aside from their apparent similar looks, Jessica and Pandy seemed to compliment each other well in battle, and it was a known fact that the two were Dons
' support team in fights. Max was curious to see what their exact abilities were, remembering that Adam had implied that Dons was invincible with his girls, and that they had healing and power-boosting abilities, which was not typical for lycans. He knew that neither was a minor mage, so he figured they each possessed some sort of magic-enhanced object they used.

  "Heya guys! Ready for a fun night?" Pandy seemed super peppy, which was typical for her personality. "Oh, hi Max. How have you been? Nice couch and table you made. Perfect for us to check out the festivities from tonight."

  Max simply grinned and nodded at who was probably the third in command of the Feral Kids. As the early evening turned to night he would wish that he had been a bit more inquisitive about what Pandy had meant when she said festivities.

  The band started to play, and as promised, Lennie and his group brought some new tunes, even going so far as to play the slow, manic-depressive song he had told Max about earlier. As more people filled the club, he noticed that all the lycans were acting, for lack of a better term, silly. It was like they were drunk on bubbles and happiness. At that moment Max started feeling a bit hot under the collar.

  "Dons, what's the occasion tonight? It seems… different," asked the lycan commander from a different world.

  "Hah, mate! It's the full moon. Thought we discussed this earlier."

  Max instantly regretted not asking more questions. He had assumed that the moon phases were the same as in the Rhönen Dominion and hadn't even bothered to go out at night to track the sky. As it turned out, the full moon arrived in L.A. a full two weeks before it would have back home, and he was feeling odd. It wasn't the same feeling he got in Germany of the 43rd century - that was always a shredding, searing pain, followed by a lapse into unconsciousness. He would have brief moments of lucidity during the evening, but that was only because he had been training to master his phase 3 state and retain sapience, which was the goal of every lycan.