THE VROL TRILOGY

by SK Benton

  "So, Michael - been a while since you had anything decent to eat, eh?" asked Jennie, as she watched him wolf down protein with a lack of table etiquette that easily matched her worst.

  "Mmmhmmm," he responded back with a mouthful of food. Swallowing what he was chewing, he politely added, "Do you have any idea how easy it is to get sick of carrots and kale? And if I ever see another Portobello mushroom-"

  "Well then, my son, it is a good thing that we released you from your most unfortunate situation," added Krynos as he enjoyed lunch at the same table as the others. "And to think, you had desired to stay on that wretched world. Your son, Max, is a most remarkable man, and I sincerely hope that our combined efforts shall finally enable us to locate him," the king continued, "as I am most certainly tiring of the many who ask if Jennie is yet again available for courting."

  "Never! I don't care if Max never shows up. I'll never, ever go out with anyone ever again. I have Lili, and we're family. That's good enough for me."

  Draagh looked at his granddaughter-in-law with a solemn grin, knowing that what she said, in her heart, rang true. He only hoped that his scheme with Michael would work.

  At the same time, Krynos looked at the lycan beauty with a kindly gaze, and then, in a jocund manner, suddenly blurted out, "My dear, if I were a few centuries younger I would have-"

  "Don't go there, my liege, please," the girl shot back, "my respect for you knows no bounds, but we have yet to search for Max."

  "So, Father, what is your plan? I only know that you need my help… and genetics," said Michael.

  "Well, I plan on having you replicate Max's activity on the day on his disappearance. In fact, I shall have someone explain exactly what happened to Max, as I was not present when he went missing."

  Draagh held his staff and Socrates coalesced into view. As the particles that made up his face gathered and produced his familiar visage he gave his usual greeting.

  "Good afternoon, my Lord. Query: How may I… Michael - It is good to see you again…"

  The computerized being almost had a look of pleasure on his face upon seeing the Taxiarch.

  "I am well, Socrates. It is good to see you also. I only hope that I am able to help."

  Suddenly, Socrates looked around in what one could have described as state of panic, saying, "Query: Is… Gabriel around here?"

  Draagh laughed boisterously, saying, "No, my dear friend. He took off to survey the surrounding region. As we have you here with us, would you please detail to Michael exactly what happened to Max on the day he disappeared?"

  "But of course, my Lord," responded the sentient computer, looking almost relieved. He then told Michael precisely what had happened to Max. After some minutes Michael sat with a thoughtful expression, and then looked over at his father.

  "That was about the dumbest thing I have ever heard a supposed genius do. But it was his warrior instinct that forced him to act without thinking. It is a natural reflex. With proper training he should be fine - if we find him, that is. So, it would be best to attempt the 4D slip without having my abilities restored. I am unaware of the extent of Max's capabilities, but I may match him more closely as I am right now. I mean, even though I cannot touch magic I still retained my strength and regenerative capabilities. What say you, Father?"

  Draagh surveyed his son with a touch of compassion. The archangel did truly desire to find Max, and even though he had been powerless for near a quarter century he was still willing to wait a little while more in order to properly assist.

  "That would be preferable, Michael. We all appreciate your consideration, but you will need to be changed - to a certain extent."

  "I only hope that we can find the boy. I haven't seen him since that day in Peru. And now that he's my brother-in-law I have a familial responsibility," said Bagatelle, who had been playing the role of quite observer quiet since the group's arrival.

  "I am confident we will succeed, dear Luigi. However, in order to properly replicate Max's erroneous actions, Michael will need to do things that Max had previously done with my staff. Michael, it will indeed be necessary for me to restore some of your abilities - mainly your ability to touch magic. Once we have done this I shall have you use my staff to 3D slip around the castle, which is what Max had done, and which also led him to believe that he could use the staff to 4D slip. However, when you attempt your 4D slip to where Max's ship resides I shall be with you. You and I shall go alone, and if we are successful in finding Max's new location I shall save the coordinates in the ghanlo and return us here, where we shall gather our recon team and set out to retrieve our lost family member."

  "This sounds satisfactory, Father. When do we start?"

  "Right after we get you set up in your sleeping chambers. Today I restore some of your abilities, matching you as closely as I can to Max, and then tomorrow you shall practice slipping while using my staff. Then on your own without my staff."

  "Tomorrow?" cried out Liliana, "but I want to see my father now! It has been much too long!"

  "Lili, love, your father has been gone for a number of months, and we need to make sure that this is done correctly so we can finally bring him home. Please be patient. It is for the best," responded Jennie, who was slightly embarrassed by her daughter's immature outburst.

  "Very well then, Jennie," the little lycan said. "Michael, once you have seen your room would you like to meet with me so that we may go feed the sharks? They are quite hungry later in the day, and they become restless."

  "Sure Liliana. Let me take a little siesta and then we can go to feed them."

  Liliana looked at her grandfather, slightly surprised that he knew a Castilian word, but then remembered that he was an immortal archangel, and figured that he probably spoke dozens of languages. She decided to let him nap a bit first; he had only eaten vegetables for many, many years, and she found vegetables to be quite yucky, so she had a bit of compassion for him in that aspect.

  Once Michael had been shown to his quarters and was restfully digesting his lunch, Draagh, Jennie and Krynos were in the old mage's office, discussing the details of the rescue mission, if it could have been called that.

  "I really cannot believe that I did not think of this before. It is so logical, if it indeed does work, "said Draagh, as Jennie cleaned her stinger pistol.

  "Jennie, my dear, I am sure you will want to bring your sidearm, but I am unaware if it will even be operable as it was in Michael's prison world. That being said, if Max were stranded in a world that had magic then it would be safe the say that he would have probably found a way home by now. In closing, I believe I am saying a bit too much and should probably concentrate on formulating a list of the supplies we shall need."

  "To which kinds of supplies do you refer, old friend?" asked Krynos

  "Foodstuffs, mostly. There is a slight amount of danger that we will become lost, but I shall have Gabriel monitor our progress from the Hub."

  "Draagh," asked Jennie, "have you ever used a firearm of any sort?"

  The immortal looked at her, and then out through a window, reminiscing a bit.

  "Yes, my dear, I have. Although it has been a few millennia since, and on another world, it was similar to the Gatling gun of your peoples' 19th century. I would carry it around on my shoulder on a very complex mounting system, and dare say it was so impressive looking that I never had to use it."

  Jennie thought for a moment and then pictured a Gatling gun in her mind's eye, determining that Draagh, with his large frame, would indeed look formidable carrying such a weapon. Krynos, on the other hand, could not visualize that with which he was completely unfamiliar, and pictured Draagh carrying Jennie's tiny stinger on his shoulder, and of course finding it quite comical, and not very impressive. However, Draagh was an old and dear friend, as well as an entity of cosmic significance, so the lycan king kept his thoughts to himself.

  Liliana was in her room catching up on her studies while her newly-located grandfather took a nap. It pained her that she w
as forced to hurt him in order to get him to help their situation, but she was determined to do anything and everything possible to help bring her father home. And even though he appeared to have come about his senses and had agreed to assist the team, she still maintained a bit of disbelief, so she determined that would keep an eye on him. Even though the child seemed innocent most of the time, she was cynical toward him - and no fool.

  Once Michael woke up, Liliana sensed his movements (his room being fairly close to hers) and went to greet him (and to also make sure that he held to his promise of helping her feed the sharks). Walking to his door, she placed her ear up to the great wooden portal and listened carefully. She only heard faint grunting sounds with which she was unfamiliar. Liliana burst the door open, only to be shocked to see her grandfather trying to fit into some leather clothing. He had not received the assistance of his own father and was attempting to make some clothing fit. Liliana started laughing out loud, which upset the powerless archangel, but as the little girl had the ability to basically thrash him within an inch of his immortal life he held his tongue.

  "Michael. Why do you not request the assistance of grandfather Draagh? He can conjure the proper clothing for you. Did you not know this?"

  "Oh, hi Liliana. I was just trying to, you know, do things on my own as I have for the past twenty-five years. I became accustomed to doing things without special skills and…"

  "That is ridiculous. You have abilities. You have merely forgotten them. One of your abilities is to ask for help," stated the little girl while wearing a smirk."

  "Ask for what?"

  "H… E… L… P," she spelled out sarcastically for her grandfather, "you know, assistance? Aid? Ayuda?"

  Michael wasn't sure if he was beginning to really like Liliana, or simply dislike her. She had a wisdom that was beyond her years, but had not yet learned to temper her attitude. She was, after all, a child. Sighing in resignation, he dropped his leather jacket.

  "Shall we go to see my father, then? I should need some decent clothing while we attend to matters at hand."

  "I am already here, my son - and willing to assist," stated the ancient Primulus, who had come out of nowhere.

  "Hello Father. I didn't realize that you heard us," responded the mildly surprised archangel, only to look at Liliana who was shaking her head in disbelief while pointing to a metal badge on her lapel.

  "Michael, these are magical comms. We use them to communicate during missions, and I simply pressed mine and let Grandfather know of your unfortunate, ill-fitting attire. Grandfather Draagh, might you conjure something more befitting the status of one as great as the Taxiarch? The archangel who is going to help rescue my father and bring our family together forever?"

  Michael looked at his smiling granddaughter and decided, for the moment, that he did indeed like her.

  "My son, your new garments are in your wardrobe. Liliana, please come with me and allow him to dress in peace. And Michael, we shall be in the dining hall awaiting your arrival."

  "And we have to feed the sharks also, so please be timely," advised the young lycan as she skipped away.

  Bagatelle and Jennie were sitting on the floor of his room, chatting about the potential success of Draagh's operation. Bagatelle had acclimated so well to life in the Rhönen Dominion that he maintained the appearance of a man in his early thirties. Salubots were effectively keeping him at his prime. He sometimes looked at himself in the mirror and wondered what Alicia Vasquez would think if she saw him. She was a few years younger than him and he now matched her in aged appearance. Trying not to waft off into deep thought, he again paid attention to Jennie as she laughed about Liliana's magical pummeling of Michael.

  "But seriously, G, I don't know if I want to bring her along if they do locate Max. It could be dangerous. I mean, what if we popped into a world where giant monsters waited to eat you?"

  "There are giant monsters out there?" Bagatelle asked curiously, wincing slightly.

  "Well, I don't know, but… why take chances?"

  "Little sister, all we have ever done is take chances. It's what makes us great. Can you deny your daughter a chance at greatness? Plus, she'll be with us."

  "Yeah, I guess you're right. I just worry about her. You know, she's so-"

  "Capable? Incorrigible? Brash? Amazing?" he interrupted.

  Smiling, Jennie lightly and playfully slugged her brother in the arm and then popped up.

  "I'm hungry. Draagh is waiting for us in the dining hall, didn't you hear?"

  Bagatelle looked down, remembering that he had changed his jacket and wasn't wearing a comm badge, thus he didn't hear Draagh's request.

  "Oops. No comm. Let's go. I'm hungry anyway."

  In the dining hall, Draagh was seated with Michael, Liliana and Gabriel. Jennie and Bagatelle approached and noticed Krynos coming in from the other side of the room, being followed by Master Commander Donus (formerly commander, but as Max was granted that rank, Krynos had to invent an even more grandiose sounding title for Donus). The two lycans native to the Dominion walked up, with Donus first addressing Bagatelle.

  "Bagatelle, my finest student. How was your mission?"

  Bagatelle immediately popped to attention at seeing his commanding officer, even though he was accustomed to being around the king and also Draagh who was, in all probability, the most powerful thing in the universe - at least while Jah was on sabbatical.

  "Sir, we achieved our objective, sir," exclaimed the relatively new lycan.

  "I had to give his ass a serious beat-down," Liliana blithely stated while thumbing over in Michael's direction.

  "Lili! Do not say such things or interject in between officers!" demanded Jennie.

  Donus grinned and winked at Bagatelle, and then, taking a more serious approach, walked over to the seated Liliana, where he looked down at her and ominously said, "Young one, we are aware of your great deeds. I for one certainly look forward to your training when you are of age. I promise it will be… enlightening."

  Liliana gave a slightly alarmed, wide-eyed expression back at the lycan master commander and kept her mouth shut. Donus was one of the few who Liliana feared. She respected most, but feared few, and the adults felt it was best to limit her contact with Donus, so as to keep her from becoming too comfortable with him, like she had become with King Krynos.

  "Michael, this is Master Commander Donus, the head of my military forces and a dear friend. Donus, please meet the Taxiarch, Michael," said the king.

  Donus went to kneel in respect, but as he lowered himself Michael shot up and extended his hand, clasping Donus' and pulling him up.

  "Please, do not bow. It is my pleasure to meet you."

  "Then the pleasure is also mine, Taxiarch. I would have imagined you much… larger."

  Gabriel sat at the far end of the table and appeared to flinch every time that word was mentioned. He had always desired the title and power, but Draagh had preferred Michael for reasons unknown. Michael saw his brother's glare and wondered why he had even been given the position, but it was still his - for the time being.

  "Larger? Yes, well, I have been on a vegan diet for the past twenty five years and it is not conducive to muscular growth," responded the archangel.

  "Vegan?" asked Donus. "What is this vegan? Does one hunt it with knife in hand, or by traps? Or perhaps one uses a bow?"

  Liliana jumped up out of her seat and bowed before Donus. She then motioned for him to lean forward, where she whispered into his ear.

  "Green… what? Oh, I see. He will need more… elk, you say. Very well then!"

  Donus clapped his hands and a number of servants rushed over.

  "We shall need roasted elk. Young Liliana states that our unfortunate friend here has been denied proper nutrition for many long years while trapped with a clan of crazy people, and must restore his system. Purple potatoes also! Bring them mashed, in heaping piles," commanded Donus.

  Liliana sat back down with a stunned Michael, and then scooted ove
r and whispered to Gabriel, "You should sit closer to us. I have neither brothers nor sisters, and wish I had a sibling. Can you not be closer to yours?"

  Gabriel looked at the little girl, honestly unable to formulate an argument to her request, so he got up and sat next to her, the young lycan now properly seated in between the two most powerful archangels in the history of the universe. Gabriel looked over at Michael, who was wearing a tepid grin.

  Michael project out his mind out, knowing that, although changed, he still shared a bond with his father and brother.

  Gabriel, I know you can hear me. What do you think of the child?

  She is a credit to her subspecies. I am told her father, although not related, is also quite special.

  Michael then felt a thud in the back of his head and looked back quickly to see Gabriel retracting his wings.

  I miss having those. You were right. I have much to atone for.

  You may yet again have them, Brother - and I am not a psychopath. We have both erred seriously in the past. Perhaps it is time to look forward. Father has a good deal to tell you regarding your son's world. It is in great peril.

  Turning to Draagh, Michael asked, "Father, can you give me the whole story? How you all came to be here and what is to happen to Azul?"

  Draagh looked around to make sure everyone was seated and then again began to tell Michael the entire story of Max, the side space carrier currents hook drive, Bagatelle, Jennie, their travels to the Dominion and the issues back on Azul. Everyone listened peacefully as they ate, except for Krynos, who insisted on recounting the tale of Jennie's decimation of Ryder Johnson's skull. It seemed each time he told the story it became a bit more dramatic. This time he had Jennie pulverizing Johnson's entire body into atoms, sending them back into time and causing Johnson's family line to never have been born. This caused Michael and Gabriel both to gain confused expressions, as both had traveled extensively through space and time and had never encountered such an ability. Draagh found it necessary to communicate telepathically with his sons and set the record straight. Even though Jennie did not reverse an entire timeline with punches they still found her story impressive and saw the humor in Krynos' prideful boasting.