Wizard Scout (Intergalactic Wizard Scout Chronicles Book 3)

by Rodney Hartman

  “Tika,” Richard said forcibly. “You know Jerad. He’s a friend, remember? Now say hello and let him come inside.”

  Tika bared her teeth and growled at Jerad. Then she lay back down on Richard’s cot.

  Richard sat next to the dolgar and tried to shove her to the side to make room. But Tika was heavier than she looked, so Richard finally gave up.

  “Hey, Tika,” Richard said. “Move over will you? It’s my bed, you know.”

  Tika bared her teeth and growled at Richard, but she shifted position a little to make room at the end of the cot.

  “Come on in, Jerad,” Richard said. “She knows you’re a friend. See? She even growls at me.”

  “Somehow, that doesn’t give me a lot of confidence,” said Jerad as he walked inside and closed the flap behind him.

  Although his friend entered, Richard noticed he stayed as far away from Tika as he could in the confines of the tent. However, Jerad was hard pressed to keep more than a meter or two away from Tika no matter how carefully he tried to move.

  Apparently trying to ignore the dolgar, Jerad began packing a small handbag with some clothing. When he was done, Jerad turned around. “Rick, I could swear Tika was bigger the last time I saw her. She’s still plenty large, but she looks different. Am I imagining things?”

  “No, you’ve got it right, Jerad,” Richard said as he reached over and scratched Tika behind the ears. “Nick said the dolgars can take on any lupine shape, but they prefer this wolf form. I’ve never seen them change forms, but I’ve seen them change size.”

  “So, you think she shrunk herself in order to fit inside our tent,” said Jerad. “I find that fascinating to be honest.”

  “I hadn’t thought much about it,” Richard said. “I guess I’ve learned to pay more attention to their spiritual form than their physical body. Their energy frequency stays consistent regardless of their body size.”

  “Well, she’s intimidating no matter her size,” said Jerad. “I guess I’d be more taken with her if she didn’t look like a bloodthirsty killer.”

  “You don’t have to worry about Tika,” Richard said. “You don’t have to worry about any of the dolgars in Sheeta’s and Sheba’s pack. They’ve all got your scent. They know you’re my friend. However, even I’d be hesitant to trust a dolgar who isn’t familiar with Sheeta. The dolgars outside my own pack I’ve been around seem to tolerate me out of deference to Sheeta.”

  “You’ve got strange friends, Rick,” said Jerad as he went back to his packing.

  “I guess I do,” Richard said. With a laugh, Richard added, “And one of my strangest friends happens to share a tent with me.”

  “You mean, Tika?” said Jerad pretending innocence.

  “No,” Richard said. “I mean you. You know full well who I mean.”

  “Yes, I do,” admitted Jerad. “But while I’m your friend, I don’t think I’m strange.”

  “You wouldn’t,” Richard said with more than a little hint of sarcasm. “However, you always seem able to get confidential information from who knows what sources. And, you’re able to get items like those tickets to the Fleet Admiral’s Ball. Plus, you’re the oldest cadet to ever attend the Academy. You’ve never even bothered to tell me why a thirty-eight year old battalion commander would suddenly decide to apply for wizard scout training. I think that qualifies as strange.”

  “Ha,” laughed Jerad in return. “If you’re trying to pump me for information, it won’t work. The last hover-tram leaves the airfield in thirty minutes. I for one don’t plan on missing it.”

  “I don’t blame you,” Richard said taking the hint to change the subject. “It’s a long walk back to Velounia.”

  “You’ve got that right,” said Jerad. “It’s a full two hundred kilometers back to the city.”

  “Will you be spending the night at the Academy?” Richard said. “Or, will you be looking for a hotel room in the city?”

  “I’ll be staying at the Academy,” said Jerad. “Our hotel reservations aren’t until tomorrow night, and I don’t have any credits to waste. I’d spend the night here, but I don’t want to take a chance on the hover-tram not running tomorrow morning.”

  “I hear you on the finance problems,” Richard said slapping his empty pockets with his hands. “If Telsa’s family hadn’t offered to pay for the hotel and suit rental, I couldn’t have afforded to go even if Myers hadn’t put me on extra duty.”

  “You know I’d have spotted you the credits,” said Jerad. “I’m not rich like Telsa, but my bank account’s not exactly empty either.”

  “I know,” Richard said. “But I don’t like to mooch off the generosity of my friends.”

  “You’re not,” said Jerad. “Once we graduate from the Academy, all of our back pay for the last five years will be released. You’ll be rolling in the credits then. The powers that be just want to make us struggle now.”

  Jerad took a look around his side of the tent. He picked up his bag and straightened up a few wrinkles on his cot.

  “Well, Rick,” said Jerad, “I hate leaving you, but–”

  “Don’t worry about it, Jerad,” Richard said. “Have fun. Just make sure you bring me a piece of cake?” Richard followed his comment with what he hoped was a friendly grin.

  “See you around, Tika,” said Jerad. “Don’t leave any fleas in our tent.”

  Tika growled.

  “See?” Richard said. “Tika likes you. She thinks you’re funny.”

  “Yeah, I’m sure,” said Jerad. “I can feel the love from here.”

  Jerad opened the tent flap and then looked back at Richard and Tika.

  “You know she’s not going to leave until you go with her, don’t you?” said Jerad.

  “Yeah, I know,” Richard said. “I figured I’d wait until a few more of the other cadets leave. I can still sense a couple of dozen within the tent compound.”

  “Really?” said Jerad. “Other than Tam and Telsa, I don’t sense anyone. For that matter, I can’t even sense you, and you’re right in front of me.”

  “All the cadets are keeping their stealth shields activated,” Richard said. “You’ve worked with Tam and Telsa so much you’re more sensitive to their Power frequency. I doubt any of the other cadets can pick them up.”

  “You’re probably right,” said Jerad. “You’ve worked with the other cadets in the cohort helping them improve their stealth shields. You’ve got their scent.”

  During the past three years, Richard had become the cohort’s unofficial off-duty trainer. He’d spent a lot of hours working with the other cadets in groups and in one-on-one situations helping them refine both their defensive and offensive skills. While in theory all the cadets in his cohort received the same training while at the Academy, the reality for Richard was a little different. The entity he knew as ‘the One’ had sent him on several missions during the last three years. Most of the missions had been in the magical plane and had been in the far past. At least two of the missions had been in locations even Nickelo couldn’t figure out. The end result was that while the other cadets in his cohort had aged three years since they’d entered the Academy, Richard had aged about six years.

  Responding to his friend’s last comment, Richard said, “If you had your best stealth shield up, Jerad, I couldn’t detect you unless you were very close. Even then, it would be dicey. As far as detecting lower-level shields, it depends on distance as well. I’ve had more practice than you. You’re probably trying to sense Power fluctuations. The reason I’m picking up the other cadets is that I’m looking for an absence of Power.”

  “What are you talking about?” said Jerad. “No, actually, don’t try to explain it now. I’ve got a hover-tram to catch. I think you’re just trying to keep me around long enough to miss it. Is that your devious way of trying to keep some company around this weekend?”

  Jerad smiled letting Richard know he wasn’t serious.

  Richard nodded his head. “My plan is out.”

  Je
rad nodded his head in return and left the tent. Richard followed his friend’s trace with his mind until Jerad met up with Tam and Telsa. They were joined by the remaining cadets in the tent compound. Eventually they headed in the direction of the hover-tram station as a group. Richard continued to trace them until they were out of range.

  Richard scratched Tika behind the ears again and said, “Well, Tika. What’s so important?”

  Sending out the emotion again that Richard associated with Sheeta, Tika growled, “Come.”

  During Richard’s freshman and sophomore years at the Academy, nearly every waking moment had been taken up by scheduled activities. This year, the TAC officers had significantly slacked off their harassment of the cadets. Consequently, Richard didn’t have anything to do until morning.

  “Fine,” Richard said. “Lead the way.”

  Tika stood up. Richard sensed the dolgar wrap herself in Power. The Power shimmered momentarily. Tika merged into the tent floor and disappeared as she shifted into the void between dimensions. While Richard couldn’t physically see the dolgar, he easily followed her path with his passive scan. The dolgars had worked with him on previous missions, so even when they shifted into the void, Richard had no trouble tracking them.

  Richard stood up and walked out of the tent. He turned to the right and walked down the dirt street between tents. He could sense Tika moving underground making a beeline across the compound. Richard sped into a trot in an attempt to keep up. Every so often, he sensed Tika slowing down or stopping. But before he could catch up, she would be off again. Eventually, she cleared the tent compound and headed towards the desert beyond.

  Unlike the dolgar, Richard was forced to follow the roads. When Richard got to the point where the dirt road passed the perimeter of the compound, two armed soldiers at the gate waved him through. He nodded his head at the guards as he passed and continued on towards the barren desert surrounding the airfield. After a couple of kilometers, Richard began to wonder where Tika was taking him. He was now out of sight of all but the tallest buildings at the airfield. Richard supposed someone in the control tower could still see him if they cared to try, but he doubted anyone would bother. It wasn’t unusual for cadets to take long-distance runs into the desert. Physical training was one area of the Academy’s training which the TAC officers continued to stress.

  Tika shifted direction and led Richard into a deep, rock-filled gully. Richard reduced the range of his passive scan and increased its sensitivity until he could detect smaller creatures that might be lurking nearby. He sensed several lifeforms which he guessed were snakes. Richard made sure he stayed well clear of them. Until the Academy technicians did a DNA baseline on him, Richard couldn’t selfheal. Being bitten by a poisonous snake at this stage of the game was the last thing he needed.

  At the bottom of the gully, Tika emerged from the ground and sat on her haunches a meter above the rocky soil. Ever after his association with the dolgars, the sight of Tika sitting in midair was a little strange. According to his battle computer, the dolgars could exist in two dimensions at the same time. They could be standing on solid ground in one dimension while appearing to be standing in midair in another.

  About ten meters from Tika sat another dolgar. This dolgar was much larger than Tika. It was Sheeta, the dolgar pack’s leader. Richard sensed the difference in the Power levels of the two dolgars. Sheeta’s Power readings were much larger than Tika’s. According to Nickelo, Tika was still an adolescent while Sheeta was a full adult. When Richard asked his battle computer how a dolgar that was eighty-nine thousand years old could still be an adolescent, Nickelo had told him it’s just the way the dolgars were.

  When Richard reached Sheeta, the big dolgar looked at Tika and growled, “Go.”

  Tika didn’t look happy, but she didn’t argue. She gave a growl in Richard’s direction and then did a full shift into a second dimension.

  Richard had noticed few of the dolgars argued with Sheeta. While Sheeta was not mean to the members of his pack, he was a strict disciplinarian. The lone exception to the no-arguing rule was Sheba. Richard often suspected Sheeta’s mate, Sheba, wore the pants in the family.

  “Well, big guy,” Richard said. “I’m here. Now what?”

  Chapter 7 – The Spirit-Horse

  _____________________________________

  “Come here,” growled Sheeta.

  As Richard approached the adult dolgar, a large, four-legged creature emerged out of the ground nearby. It was all black with burning-red eyes. For all intents and purposes, it resembled a large stallion from Richard’s home world of Earth. The stallion stopped rising when its hoofs were about ten centimeters above the ground.

  The nightmare horse and Sheeta exchanged emotions. Sheeta barked and growled. The stallion whinnied and snorted. Richard noticed the stallion had fangs instead of normal equine teeth. It looked vicious, and it seemed to have a personality to match.

  Both Sheeta and the stallion turned their heads in Richard’s direction. The stallion snorted its disgust. Richard got an intense feeling the stallion didn’t like him.

  “Well, join the club,” Richard said. “My TAC officer doesn’t like me either. Come to think of it, I’m not particularly fond of you.”

  Sheeta growled and sent a series of emotions at Richard. Although he couldn’t be sure, Richard had the impression the dolgar expected him to do something.

  “I don’t understand what you’re saying, big fella,” Richard said. He was normally able to get the gist of the dolgar’s speech when Sheeta kept it simple, but Richard needed some kind of context first.

  “It sounds like you’re saying up,” Richard said. “Where do you want me to go up? Do you want me to climb out of this gully?”

  On most occasions, Richard thought Sheeta’s face was expressionless. However, this time he was pretty sure the dolgar looked exasperated.

  “Hey,” Richard said. “I’m doing my best with your language. I don’t see you trying to learn intergalactic standard.”

  Sheeta growled. For a moment, Richard wondered if the dolgar understood more of his words than he thought. Richard made a mental note to be careful what he said to the dolgar in the future.

  Sheeta moved closer. Richard held his ground. They stared into each other’s eyes. Richard sensed something strange in the dolgar’s gaze. All of a sudden, an image of him sitting on the stallion’s back flashed into his mind.

  “No way,” Richard said startled. “I’ve never ridden a horse in my life. I certainly don’t plan on starting with one that looks like he’d eat me if I got bucked off. Forget it.”

  Sheeta seemed unimpressed with Richard’s tirade. Once again, Sheeta growled, “Up.” Then he sat down and waited expectantly.

  Richard wasn’t exactly sure what was going on. He’d first met Sheeta when he’d wound up in the den with the pack’s pups. Since then, Richard had been on three missions that he knew of with either Sheeta or one of his offspring. They were vicious fighters. Their ability to travel between dimensions was an ability Richard wished he’d had on more than one occasion. Sheeta had been the one to teach Richard how to shift into the void between dimensions. But the dolgar had never been able to teach Richard how to fully shift between dimensions.

  His Power reserve had recharged some over the course of the day, but it was still a little low. However, he made a decision to send an active scan in the strange stallion’s direction. He probed around the stallion with the active scan while halfway expecting to be attacked. Few creatures, Richard included, liked being scanned by others. The stallion either didn’t notice Richard’s active scan, or he didn’t care. In either respect, the stallion did nothing to impede him. Once the active scan was completed, Richard cut the line of Power to the scan. Active scans were Power hungry, and only a very foolish wizard scout wasted Power.

  Wishing he had his battle computer to help analyze the results, Richard compared the energy readings from the scan of the stallion to the energy readings for Sheeta
. They were similar.

  “Okay,” Richard said out loud to Sheeta. “This horse’s Power frequency appears to be similar to yours. I’m going to take a wild guess it’s also from the spiritual dimension. Does that mean it can travel between dimensions as well?”

  Sheeta said nothing. However, the dolgar gave Richard a look which appeared similar to the way TAC Officer Myers looked at cadets when they asked him a stupid question.

  “Okay,” Richard said, “silly question. This spirit-horse or whatever it is must have traveled between dimensions to get here. Why do you want me to try and ride this monstrosity?”

  Sheeta looked hard at Richard. Soon, an image formed in Richard’s mind of him riding the strange horse and fighting creatures from its back.

  A master demon had once told Richard he needed allies. The dolgars were already Richard’s allies. He wondered if the spirit-horse was going to be one as well.

  “I’ll admit,” Richard said to Sheeta, “traveling between dimensions could be a handy skill if that’s what this horse can do.”

  Richard figured at best he could travel forty or fifty meters when he shifted into the void on his own. Consequently, its usefulness as a form of travel was pretty limited. The dolgars on the other hand had a natural ability for shifting between dimensions. This allowed them to remain shifted for long periods of time. Although Richard often practiced shifting into the void in order to improve his efficiency, he could only hold a dimensional shift for a couple of minutes. Doing a shift into the void between dimensions was very Power hungry. As a result, Richard seldom used the ability. Richard reasoned if this spirit-horse could travel between dimensions on its own, perhaps it could take a rider as well.

  Richard looked closer at the stallion. It had a long mane and tail along with a broad back. It wore no saddle or bridle. Richard glanced at the stallion’s hoofs. They seemed more like clenched fists than solid hoofs. Some saliva dripped from the stallion’s mouth and hit the ground. The liquid bubbled and hissed on the stone.