by Joseph Calev
Only this wasn’t the beach world. It was something else. There was a grand forest, complete with trees hundreds of feet tall. A cacophony of strange creatures called out from within. I didn’t wait to encounter them. Clearly, I’d made a wrong turn. Putting my hands exactly where I’d entered, I returned to the wolf land, but again was somewhere else.
The darkness of empty space hovered everywhere. My breathing became heavier as I searched the nothingness around me. This was a lesson I hadn’t learned: Portals only go one direction. I had no idea how to get home.
13
The cold, empty space provided the opportunity to clear my thoughts. There were no stars, black holes, or anything else I could discern. There was just infinite black. Every way I tried to put things, I was royally screwed.
One could go a million lifetimes wandering aimlessly among universes, but of course I didn’t have that amount of time. In fact, all I really had were a day or two, since I was bound to starve. Raynee never ate when she was with me, because it was impossible to digest anything from a lower dimension. I thought back to the decombulator. That would’ve come in handy now.
After attempting to jumble the impossible math in my head, I resolved to at least find an improvement in the scenery. A new portal led to a strange world with giant cubes and toads hopping all over them. The next one was a forbidding swamp. After a dozen more attempts, I arrived at a sweeping desert and paused.
It seemed normal, though it wasn’t a desert in the typical sense. There were neither sweeping dunes nor camels walking around. There were distant canyons, small patches of grasses, and a skeleton twenty feet away.
On a closer look, the skeleton looked a lot like a cow’s. This world didn’t seem much different from my own, so I went farther. Far away, I heard voices. I was initially surprised that I could hear them, since they were a good half mile away, but they were clearly human. I understood them.
“They’re coming! We should run to the mountains. Get out of here.”
“No,” an older man replied.
There was something in his tone that prevented the younger one from arguing with him.
After continuing through the scrub for a while, a small town materialized from the sands. The word “town” was probably generous, since it was nothing more than fifteen to twenty scattered domes surrounding a much larger one. Each was carefully constructed of animal skins, while a handful of camels wandered the camp. It felt exciting to see animals again that wouldn’t curse at me.
When the first villager caught sight of me, several screams arose, then silence. At first, they seemed completely terrified, running everywhere and stuffing their women and children into the domes. Then the mood changed to curiosity. Three men, one brandishing a curved sword, another too old to carry, and the third too young, stayed by the camp’s edge and stared.
When we were only a few dozen feet apart, I halted and held up my palm with the best smile I could muster. “Hello!”
“Who is your father?” the elder one asked.
“I don’t know my father.”
“What is your purpose here?” The armed one had a wide stance, though I feared more for him. I was still in a lower dimension set, and these seemed like nice people.
“I’m trying to find my way home.”
“And where is that?”
“Very far from here.” In truth, it was just a few portals away, if I could find them. “Somewhere that’s different.”
Now I knew how Raynee had felt. A truthful answer would have blown their minds. We stood there staring at each other for a few uncomfortable minutes. Finally, I raised my hand as if asking a question. The old man nodded.
“I come as a friend. I mean no harm.”
“A guest is always a friend,” the old man said, and the armed one relaxed.
That was a welcome sight. I’m not sure which I was looking forward to least: seeing a guy split in half when he attacked me, or explaining what had happened to the rest of them.
They led me into the largest dome. It was considerably cooler inside. The floor was strewn with handwoven blankets, and several women with perhaps ten children no older than nine were huddled to one side. The old man poured a hot liquid into a saucer cup. It looked like tea.
Well, this would be awkward. “I apologize. But I cannot accept your drink or food.”
“It is offensive here to refuse such an offer,” the burly man behind me said. He still had a firm grasp on his sword.
“You traverse our hot lands with no supplies, and you refuse even a cup of tea?” the old man commented.
The temptation to call them turnips was great, but instead I decided to change the subject. “Who’s coming?”
Immediately the sword’s edge was by my ear and the women and children crowded together in tears.
“Are you one of them? A scout perhaps?” the armed one asked.
I shook my head, and was sweating, but not for my safety. If that sword even grazed me, I’d have a lot of explaining to do.
“Relax, Jamol,” the old one said. “The Khan needs no scouts. He’ll ride over us like a flower on the desert steppe. This one has strange customs, but he’s not one of them.”
“As you say, Ilyos.”
“Why do they attack you?” I asked once the sword was lowered. “You don’t seem to be harming anyone.”
“We are not. But one of our brethren has been foolish.”
Several children started to cry, and he motioned me to follow him outside of the tent.
“Maybe a day’s ride from here, there was a poor villager named Zafar. His parents died early, and he grew up with the cattle. One day, an evil man from far away offered him riches in exchange for a favor. For young Zafar, it was an easy choice to make.
“The man trained Zafar in the ways of assassins, then inserted him into the Khan’s most trusted slaves. But when Zafar made his move, he was caught. They tied rope to him and sent horses in two directions. They poured scorpions over his body. In exchange for a quick death, they asked only from where he came. Of course, for poor Zafar, this was an easy choice to make.”
“So, what does he have to do with you?”
“We are the lesson.” He sighed. “Our people are to be wiped from the Earth as punishment for our tribesman.”
The word “Earth” rang in my head. Somehow, of the billions of places I could’ve landed, I’d wound up here. Yet this was almost certainly a different time. I’d never heard mention of a Khan in the news.
“You should continue your journey,” Ilyos said with his head down. “You will receive only death here.”
A distant thunder removed both hope and escape. They were still too distant for them to hear, but I knew he was right. Thousands of horses were heading our way. Riders were uttering blood-curdling roars. They weren’t trying to be stealthy.
“They’re here,” I said.
Jamol reached for his blade and ran to the edge of the camp, while Ilyos calmly followed him.
“Put down your arms,” Ilyos said when the horde appeared in the distance. The desert turned into dust on their approach. “A strike against the Khan’s men is an attack on the Khan himself, even in self-defense.”
“They won’t spare us,” Jamol said.
“No, they won’t. But they may offer less painful deaths.”
Jamol dropped his sword, as did the handful of other men who were now behind us. They had proud but sad looks as they watched the stampeding mass that dominated the horizon. I considered opening a portal and just leaving, but being on my original planet, even in a different time, made me want to stay. Were Raynee here, she would’ve sent them fleeing under an army of pink leopards. Once again, I felt the limitations of my own stupidity.
Moments later, they surrounded us. Each horse warrior wore a thin layer of chainmail and brandished a short saber. Bows and arrows weren’t drawn. We probably weren’t worth the cost. A bear-sized commander with a rolling mustache strode forth. He looked annoyed.
&nbs
p; “I was expecting a little fun for my men,” he bellowed.
“We are nothing but servants under our Khan,” Ilyos said calmly. The commander man snorted, and five horses rushed forth. Ilyos grasped the boy, but the horse lords severed Jamol’s head, along with the other men’s.
“That’s for failing to defend your weak!” the commander howled, and the entire army, covering the whole valley and easily ten thousand strong, roared their approval.
In an instant, the huge man was off his horse and lumbering toward Ilyos. He stopped when he saw me, then turned to look me over. I spread my stance as I’d witnessed Raynee do. While I was incapable of releasing a holy terror, one-on-one none could touch me.
“Don’t touch this one. Summon the Khan.”
He turned away from me and was now facing Ilyos. The boy was trembling.
The commander signaled and the boy was pulled away, kicking and screaming, into the dome with the other children.
“Your actions indicate an honorable man,” the commander said.
“Mercy for our women and children is my only plea,” replied Ilyos meekly.
“You will receive a bloodless death. Your friend here will decide the others’ fate.”
He gestured to me, and the man’s eyes grew wide. Then his face filled with terror. He had no chance for words.
Like a giant playing with a doll, the commander yanked the old man’s head back, then jammed it forward. Ilyos’s body fell, lifeless, to the dusty steppe.
I widened my stance and remembered Raynee. Yet how did she do it? She created out of nothing, but the commander only laughed while I grunted and snorted, but nothing happened.
“Looks like he’s still learning,” a voice said behind me.
I whirled around to see a middle-aged woman with roughly cut straight black hair. She had a piercing glare and possessed form-fitting clothes, similar to someone from my time. When she walked, her army fled from her path and averted their eyes. She grinned at me, then turned to her commander.
“Burn them all.”
“Stop!” I shouted. “Why?”
Screams echoed across the plains when the flares were tossed onto the thatch. I considered running straight through the soldiers. Though I couldn’t summon my own demons, I could still cause damage. There were only women and children inside. How could someone do this?
“I’ll kill you,” I said to her, and meant it.
“I don’t doubt you can, but that won’t save them.”
The screams were growing louder. Every dome was now fully ablaze. There were only moments left now. But what force had Raynee used? How had she controlled everything so effortlessly? It was neither resonance, nor essonance.
Then the cries stopped. Fire had nearly consumed the main dome, and there was more smoke than flames now. My body felt dead and utterly defeated. They were all dead.
“That’s a pity,” she said. “I was hoping to see more from you.”
I seriously considered shoving my hand down her throat.
“I think you’ll want to join us.”
“Why would I join you! You killed them! They did nothing to you!”
“No. You killed them. You had the opportunity to save them, but did nothing.”
“You’re one messed-up bitch to think that.” I walked toward her.
Two guards moved forward to protect her, but she waved them off. “Things have never seemed normal to you, have they Jason Bezna?”
I stopped. How did she know my name?
“You knew this growing up in a dimension where you never belonged. The air felt wrong. Every bite of food felt wrong. You never made any friends, because you weren’t the same. You never could relate with anyone.”
“Maybe. What’s it to you?”
“Now you think you’ve uncovered all the doors. You think you know what’s real, but you’re still so blind. I’m here to tell you that when you truly wake, trillions of universes will quake at your feet. You are special, Jason Bezna.”
14
“How do you know who I am?”
“That will become clear in due time.”
Well, that sucked. Seriously, why did everyone have to be so cryptic?
She pointed to the domes around us, now completely burned to the ground. Then she took one look at my gloves and laughed.
“Essonance gloves! So that’s why you couldn’t save them. I take it no one’s taught you avalance yet?”
I think someone might have mentioned once what avalance was, but it escaped me. Now I was in a completely different dimension, and still an idiot.
“That’s taught in a higher level.”
“My dear.” She looked me over. “In which level do they have you?”
“Um, level zero.”
Ten thousand soldiers had a raucous laugh. That was just great.
She moved closer.
“But you don’t want to be with those little kids, do you?” She smiled, wide. “You want to be with students your own age, and what better way to prove that you belong than showing you learned avalance all by yourself?”
“I can’t stay here.” I had no idea why I was even entertaining this. She’d just burned a dozen innocent families alive. Her end goal could not be good.
“You think you’ll starve.” She gave a haughty laugh and again ten thousand joined in. She hushed them. “Our time moves far differently from yours. A month in our land is but fifteen minutes in yours. I’ve yet to see someone starve in such a short time.”
“And what’s in it for you? Why are you so eager to teach me?”
“You’ll open that door soon enough, Jason Bezna. My poor child. You’re so smart that you don’t yet realize where you’re completely ignorant.”
I didn’t know whether to take that as a compliment or an insult. But what could she gain from this? I could leave at any moment, and the fact that even when she approached, she kept her distance told me she ultimately wasn’t from my dimension. I had no idea how she knew these things, but she seemed incapable of utilizing them herself.
“If I sense wrong intentions, then I’m gone.”
“Well, you have the gloves. However, those essoball gloves are made for a simple game. They’re designed to go from one dimension to another. If you want to actually navigate, you still need to do that yourself. So, I’m afraid you’re stuck with us. But you have my word that once I feel you’ve mastered some avalance, I’ll teach you how to get home.”
“But you’re not one of us. How do you know these things?”
She gave a wicked laugh. “It’s not time for that door yet. In the meantime, follow us.”
This entire thing didn’t sound right, but she had a point about the gloves. I couldn’t find my way anywhere. Like it or not, she was my only ticket home.
To my surprise, the entire army of ten thousand horsed soldiers intentionally rode at a slow pace so I could follow. Since I hadn’t mastered avalance, any attempt to sit on a horse would split it in half.
The Khan rode behind me, and whenever I stopped she raised one hand and ten thousand horses creaked to a standstill. It was more than a little embarrassing, so I quickened my pace and didn’t pause. The heat of this place radiated onto my skin, but I didn’t feel any effects. Neither were my legs tired, so I just kept going until two hours later we arrived at a town nearly identical to the last one.
Her henchman quickly pulled roughly a hundred villagers, kicking and screaming, from their huts and lined them up in front of me.
Then the Khan spoke. “Avalance for you is actually a native trait. Everyone else in your dimension has to learn it the hard way, but your body’s known how to use it since birth.”
“They said I had a decombulator.”
In truth, I was just curious how much this bitch knew.
“Sort of. I severely doubt your average medic is going to know the intricacies of avalance. They’re trained for panic attacks, so a high school education suffices. They haven’t spent their lifetimes mastering it.”
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br /> She leaped off her horse and motioned for one of her henchmen to grab a small boy. His parents broke out in shouts and tears, and in a bit of weirdness, she didn’t kill them. Instead, she motioned the boy to the end of the line, and placed the parents at the front.
“It’s impossible to make a decombulator that lasts for seventeen years. Now I won’t bother you with the math because you don’t need it. You’re special, Jason, and it’s time you learned. Avalance is what keeps things separate. It’s why your dimension doesn’t completely obliterate mine. To control it requires manipulating every particle individually, then combining them. In its simplest form, it allows you to shake my hand. It gets more complex from there, but today we’ll just shake hands.”
There was a shriek next to me, and I turned to see the boy’s mother flying toward me. Before I had a chance, she reached for my hand and instantly her entire arm disappeared into my torso and a wave of blood spurted out. With one last shriek, she plunged into me and only two dangling bloody legs remained. The father collapsed in tears while the boy sobbed.
“What the—!” I screamed, and moved my gloves to make a portal. A sudden flash destroyed it and threw me to the ground. “How the hell—”
“That was not my power. As I’m sure you guessed, I’m incapable of doing what I ask of you, because I’m of a lower dimension set. Of course, the creators of this universe had to put in a few safeguards, to protect you from your own stupidity. Now, next!”
The huge guard lifted the father to his feet. When he refused to move forward, the Khan pointed at the son and the father nodded. I tried to keep my hand away, but he kept walking until his body was cut in half and the steppe was covered in a warm coat of blood.
“Why are you doing this!”
“Why are you doing this? Shake their hands. You’ve done this a thousand times before. Learn to use your avalance, and we’ll spare the rest.”
“But I don’t know how!” Another villager ran into me and exploded.
“Then remember, or every single one will die.”