by Orren Merton
We all rose. Garz and Vetis returned to their Sedu form. I picked up my suitcases. Dad led us to the main hall. We walked against the right-hand wall until we were about halfway into the hall, then stopped. He opened a pair of doors to reveal a room that was empty except for a large mirror. Then he turned around to me.
“This mirror is the portal you open with your Sedu blade,” my father began. “From Earth, when you open a portal you step through here, into this portal. Once here, you can use this mirror as a portal to any place in your world that you have visited, and can recall in your mind.”
“I scanned the area around the Kelley home very carefully,” Garz said. “I can open the portal to that exact location.”
“Thanks,” I said.
“And when you are in your world,” Garz continued, “this will allow you to buy what you need.”
Garz pulled a small plastic card out of his belt and handed it to me. I stared at it with surprise for a moment. Of all the things I thought Garz would give me…
“You’re giving me a debit card?” I asked.
“To the House bank account,” he explained. “Being alive for millennia gives you ample opportunity to amass hordes of wealth—acquired over the years from gems, precious metals, and more recently investments. We tap into it when we need to acquire goods in your world; you are welcome to use it whenever you need.”
“I…I don’t know what to say,” I stammered. Now I didn’t have to get a job in a store or somewhere, I realized. I could afford to go to college. Maybe UCI, like Jake…
“Just don’t spend so much at one time that it attracts attention,” Garz cautioned. “As you might imagine, we have engineered quite a complex anonymity.”
“Got it,” I said.
My father reached behind his back. “While we’re giving you gifts, here is your Sedu blade,” my father handed me my blade. “To represent you, I have added your human birthstone, an aquamarine, opposite the seal of our House.”
I took the curved dagger from my dad’s huge hand and turned it over. I wasn’t much for jewelry or gemstones, but it really did look pretty.
“Thank you. I’m honored,” I said.
“The honor is ours,” my dad said. “And you bring honor on us, by being part of this House.”
“Speaking of bringing honor to the House…I think I have a plan for when I return.”
My dad, Garz, Vetis, and Zaebos looked at me expectantly.
“You’ve trained me to survive if I am hunted. But maybe…maybe I’ll do the hunting.”
“What do you mean?” Vetis asked.
“Sedu can free souls, right? Well…I will track down this Seduman, and I’ll make his Sedu free those murdered souls.”
Garz immediately looked concerned.
My dad looked thoughtful.
Vetis looked confused. “How?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “But I’m going to try.”
Suddenly, there was a huge pounding on the two large front doors at the end of the main hall. Two Ruhin ran to open the door. As soon as they cracked it open a smidge, Zedek threw the doors open the rest of the way and started walking toward us. He could only get about one third of the way through the doors before his midsection and wings were too big to fit, but his neck was long enough that he could stretch his head to within ten feet or so of where we were.
“Then you shall need my parting gift to you even more, dear one,” Zedek smiled.
Garz furrowed his brow, concerned. “How did you—”
“Don’t you worry, Garz, all your warriors are unharmed and fine,” Zedek said.
“You are always welcome,” my dad said, trying to hide the fact that he too was clearly surprised, “whether expected or not.”
“What gift?” I asked. “How did you know I was leaving?”
“I can know things, dear one, when it is important for me to do so,” Zedek said. “And for your gift, come closer, and hold up your blade.”
I walked closer until I was about three feet from his huge head. I nervously held my Sedu blade in front of me.
“Now stand still,” he said, and he pursed his huge reptilian lips and blew on the curved dagger. He was so enormous I was worried he’d create a blast like a jet engine, but only the gentlest breeze came out of his mouth.
After a moment my Sedu blade erupted in a blue flame. I was startled, but it didn’t burn me.
“There,” Zedek said when he stopped blowing. “Your blade is now unique. Just as it can change size, it can also ignite with the flame of the Greater Sedu.”
“Is that you?” I asked.
“Yes,” Zedek chuckled. “That is me.”
“It is a flame that can burn even Sedu,” my father said, almost in awe.
“But it will not burn you, Lady Firebird,” Zedek added.
“This is a gift beyond price,” my father marveled. “But if you name one Zedek, anything at all…I shall pay it gladly.”
I got a little worried at that. It was touching to know that my father would do anything for me, but I really didn’t want him doing anything dangerous just so I could have a flaming knife.
“And it is precisely because you would grant me any payment, Keroz, that I require none.”
My father bowed really low. Garz and Vetis followed his lead.
Zedek turned back to me. “Your Sedu blade, young Seduman, is also now locked to you. Only you, or one that you give permission, can wield it. It will reject the hand of any other.”
“I…I’m not sure I understand all this, but I know that it’s amazing. I don’t know what to say…” I stammered.
“Say that you shall only wield your Sedu blade in just causes.”
“I will,” I swore. “I promise. I shall always be a force for good, in my world, and on Sediin.”
Zedek tipped his head to me. “Do this, dear one, and you shall bring more than simply honor to your House.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“You shall learn, in the fullness of time,” Zedek said. “And speaking of time, mine here has ended. And now I take my leave of the House of Keroz.”
“I cannot thank you enough, my friend,” my dad said, bowing low again. “I shall never forget this.”
Garz and Vetis also bowed.
Zedek started pulling its head back outside the door.
“Before you go” I asked urgently, “may I ask why you call me ‘dear one?’”
Zedek stopped and smiled at me again. “Because, Lady Firebird, you are.”
And with that, he left the House and flew away.
Garz reached out to me and held my arm gently. “Alex, we are all amazed and overjoyed that you warrant this amazing new weapon. But don’t let it lull you into feeling invulnerable. That is how mistakes—fatal mistakes—begin.”
“I won’t,” I said. And I meant it—maybe my dad or Garz or Vetis would feel invulnerable with a flaming dagger, but I sure didn’t.
“Please promise me that when you find this Seduman, you will not face him alone. Trust me, this one will not fight fair; he will not face you without summoning hordes from his House. I ask that you do the same.”
“I will,” I promised. “I won’t face him alone.”
Garz exhaled, visibly relieved. I didn’t show it, but I smiled inside. I always appreciated when any of my family showed affection.
“And I will task my spies and emissaries to find out about this Seduman,” my father said. “I’m guessing that like you were until now, his presence is unknown. But I’ll see.”
“Thanks Dad,” I said.
It was time to say my goodbyes. I stepped forward and hugged my dad, which wasn’t easy to do when he was in Sedu form, he was so huge. My hands could barely touch behind his back. He gently put his hands on my back.
I then stepped over to Garz, who was far easier to hug, even though he was big too. He gave me a warm, tight hug.
I turned to Vetis. He returned to human form so that I could more easily
hug him than I could if he were a bug man, which I appreciated.
I looked down at Zaebos, who was clearly sad. “This isn’t goodbye, Zaebos. I promise.” I stroked his fur gently and rubbed his head.
He nodded his muzzle at me.
I turned to Garz.
“Ready?” he asked.
“I am,” I nodded.
He closed his eyes, and the image in the mirror changed from our group to a side of a salmon-colored two-story tract home.
“Just step through,” Garz said.
I turned around and looked at everyone one more time. “Thank you for everything. I just want to say…compassion does not make you weak; it makes you strong. Somehow, I’m going to prove that. And I’ll be back.”
I picked up my suitcases, and stuck one of them into the mirror. It was tough, like I was trying to push it through Play-Doh or something. I shoved it all the way through and then stuck a leg through. It was just as hard to walk through, but I could feel the nice Orange County breeze on the other side. I kept walking, shoving my whole body through.
“Do you think the legends are true?” I heard Garz ask as I was halfway through.
“I don’t know,” I heard my dad answer, and then I was through.
26
I dropped my suitcases on the grass and doubled over, resting my hands on my bended knees. Shaking and panting like crazy, I tried to catch my breath. When my dad said that crossing between worlds took a lot out of you, he was serious. All my muscles ached and twitched like I’d just swam laps in a pool filled with mud. And when I took my first breath back on Earth, the air hit my lungs like a brick. I felt this huge sharp pain in the middle of my chest, like I’d held my breath underwater for a minute and finally come up to breathe.
On the other hand, in a way it made me trust my family more. They’d told me all along not to leave before I was healed. I didn’t, just in case they were telling the truth, but I was never really sure. Now I knew. There are no lies in the House of Keroz, my dad would say. I exhaled with a smile as I gasped. My dad, the honest demon. Of course, now I knew that he wasn’t really a “demon,” but still it was funny to me.
I stayed like that, bent over and catching my breath, for a while. Eventually my muscles stopped throbbing and my breathing returned to normal. After that, the air felt great: cool and refreshing. I’d never thought about the air in Sediin after I first awoke—maybe it wasn’t air at all? I had no idea. I could always ask next time I was there. For now, it just felt great to be home.
Home…I hadn’t even thought about actually going home at all. I hadn’t been alone for months in Sediin. There was Zaebos, always with me. Zogo, whenever I needed him. Family around me. I just had to open my door, and there were other creatures around. Did I really want to return to a cold, empty condo? Would I ever be able to think of it as “my” condo, or would it always just remind me that Mom was dead?
I took my hands off my knees, stood up, and took a deep breath. It would be a while before I had to decide whether to go home or not. Right now I was standing between two homes somewhere in Irvine. I wasn’t sure exactly where I was—it was dark enough that the streetlights had just turned on, but I couldn’t read the street sign. I was in one of those housing clusters where every home looked exactly the same—two story, detached, three-car garage, small back and side yards separated by fences.
I had arrived facing the house that Garz said was the Kelley residence, so I picked up my suitcases, took a deep breath, and walked around the house to the front door. I could see lights on, but the curtains were too thick for me to look through. I put my suitcases down by the side of the door and reached for the doorbell button.
I hesitated. I swallowed, suddenly nervous. I knew Rachel…but I’d never met the Kelleys. What if they didn’t want me around? What if Rachel wanted to just deal on her own? What if she blamed me for what happened to her dad? Would I just pop my head in to say “Hi, just making sure you’re okay, see you around?” Then what?
Maybe I should call Jake first? If he came with me, I wouldn’t feel quite so awkward. I didn’t have my phone anymore, but I could always find my way home, even if it was a long walk, and call him from there. He’d come back here with me, wouldn’t he? I mean, I’d been away for a while now but still…
I shook my head. I could beat a Mazzik in single combat. I could probably kick the ass of nearly any human being who dared to stand against me. I had a flaming Sedu blade, for God’s sake! But I still had the same social anxiety about meeting new people, about being liked, that I always did.
But I’m a different person now, I reminded myself. I can conquer anything. I inhaled deeply. Rachel and I had grown close so quickly, and I knew she felt the same. I wasn’t away for months in Earth time; it would only seem like a few days to them. Garz said the Kelleys seemed like really great people. And if the Kelleys didn’t welcome me for some reason, I’d be fine. I’d talk to Rachel, then go home and call Jake. I wanted to see him so much, but I didn’t need him to hold my hand. I could do this, even if it wasn’t comfortable.
I rang the doorbell.
Almost immediately I heard high-pitched barking and the scurrying of paws on tile opposite the door. I smiled.
Soon I heard human footsteps and a lock being unbolted.
I breathed in quickly. The moment of truth…
The door opened partway, and a man with slightly messy salt-and-pepper hair, a scruffy face, and a kind but wary slight smile opened the door with a small, fluffy wheat-colored dog in his arms.
“Can I help you?” He looked down at my suitcases to the side of the door and raised his eyebrows at me.
“Uh…hi,” I stammered. “We’ve never met, but my name is Alexandra Gold, and a few days ago—”
“Alex!” I heard Rachel shout from inside. “Aleeeeeeeeeeeeex!”
The man smiled at me and stepped aside as he opened the door wider. Rachel ran at me like a bulldozer and jumped on me. She wrapped her legs around my waist and held onto my shoulders like she was afraid I wasn’t real, and if she let go I’d vanish.
“Alex! Alex! Alex!” she sobbed, burying her head against my neck. “I was so scared…I missed you so much.”
“Rachel! I missed you too,” I laughed, nearly knocked over by her onslaught. I held her tight. “I missed you too, little sis…” I swallowed.
27
“Would you like to come in?” the man with the dog smiled.
“Yes, thanks,” I said.
“Rachel, I have to pick up my suitcases,” I whispered into her ear.
She nodded. Her legs relaxed their vise grip on me and I lowered her onto the floor. Rachel wiped away her tears and grabbed one of my suitcases. I grabbed the other.
“Should I just leave these here?” I asked the man as he shut the door behind us.
“Sure, that’s fine,” he said, putting down the little dog, who promptly ran up to me and started sniffing my shoes as I put down my suitcase by the side of the door. “I’m Steve, by the way. Our Cairn terrier is named Bonnie. We’ve heard a lot about you, Alex.”
“Look at you!” Rachel said with an astonished expression as she put down the suitcase she was carrying next to the other one. “Oh my God! You’re so buff! You look…you look like Wonder Woman!”
I laughed. “Thanks Rachel! I’ve been working out. Training. Part of my recovery.”
“But it’s not even four days!” Rachel marveled.
I put my hand on her shoulder as Steve left the two of us and went into another room, Bonnie trailing close behind. “Where I’ve been…” I whispered in Rachel’s ear, “it’s been over three months.”
Rachel looked at me with that same astonished look. “Really?”
I nodded.
“You have to tell me everything!” she whispered.
“I will.”
A tall, brown-haired woman wearing an apron walked into the entry-way that Rachel and I still hadn’t left and offered me her hand. “Hello, I’m Linda. It’s wond
erful to meet you. We’ve already met your brother Garth. We heard about the attack, we’re so glad that you’re okay.”
“Nice to meet you, and thanks,” I gave her my hand.
“We’re just sitting down to dinner. Please stay. Join us.”
“Oh, I appreciate it, but that’s okay,” I said. “I just ate with my own family.”
“Would you at least sit with us?” Rachel asked—practically pleaded, really.
“Are you sure it’s okay? That it wouldn’t be weird?” I asked Linda.
“Not at all,” she smiled. “Please, sit with us.”
“Okay,” I nodded, and we walked through the large, open living room into the dining room.
The oval dining room table sat six and had four place settings. A thirteen-year-old girl with perfectly straight long brown hair was sitting politely at her place setting smiling at Rachel and me.
“This is my BFF, Emma,” Rachel said.
“Hi, Alex,” Emma exclaimed. “Rachel told me about you.”
“Hi, Emma,” I smiled back. “Great to finally meet you.”
Rachel sat down next to her. Emma was a full head taller in her seat than Rachel. I sat next to Rachel in a chair without a setting. Bonnie sat on the floor at attention next to Emma, displaying her best canine behavior, clearly hoping for some table scraps.
“Let me just get a setting for you,” Linda said.
“No no, please,” I insisted. “I’m not just being polite—I had a really big meal right before I…I was dropped off.”
Linda continued fussing over me. “Can I at least get you something to drink? A soda? Water? Some iced tea?”
“Ooooh…iced tea would be amazing,” I inhaled. “I’ve not had something chilled with ice in a long—since my dad picked me up.”
“One iced tea coming up,” Linda said and walked into the kitchen.
“No cold drinks?” Emma asked. “Really?”
I nodded. “My family doesn’t have any ice or ice cubes.”
“That’s weird,” Emma curled her face.
“Now now,” Steve said, taking a seat. “As I recall, Garth said they were ‘old money’ from the ‘old country.’ Over in Europe it’s not nearly as popular to put ice in drinks like it is here.”