Greysons of Grimoire

by Tpaul Homdrom

  “Come on, let’s go,” Isabelle urged, tugging on Lorelei’s sleeve and leading the way towards the station.

  “I feel like we’re not done being surprised,” Chelsea said as she followed. “If this doesn’t take us directly home… we are in for a seriously trippy adventure.”

  Delilah giggled. “Sure seems that way,” she replied.

  And a part of her started to hope that they wouldn’t go straight home. Magic was amazing, but for her entire life it had just been a tool, something to use by otherwise ordinary people in an otherwise ordinary world.

  Now, Delilah was learning that magic was magic. There was a whole other world infused with it, and it got the little fangirl inside her squealing with delight. All those years of watching Great Feline Adventures, of playing video games and reading books all set in fantastical and wondrous locations, Delilah couldn’t help but wonder where this ship would take her.

  If it was back to Grimoire, she’d honestly be rather disappointed.

  Her wanderlust hadn’t even begun to be sated.

  A whole new world lay before her, and it had the potential to be more amazing than anything ever.

  Caleb, you’d better wake up soon. You wouldn’t want to miss this for anything.

  Inside the station, there were three rows of seven chairs each, and a small booth, on which stood a sign with a simple handwritten note:

  “Captain is out. Be back soon. Boarding then.

  ’Preciate your patience.”

  “He seriously wrote ’preciate?” Chelsea asked, staring at the sign.

  “Guess the first two letters were too much effort,” Lorelei said. She took a seat, leaning back and closing her eyes. She was still giggling now and then. “I don’t mind a little rest.”

  “I guess you’re right,” Chelsea said. She sat down, laying Caleb out along the chairs next to her so that his head rested in her lap. “I’m exhausted.”

  “Yeah,” Delilah said, collapsing in a chair next to Chelsea. “I think my legs are gonna fall off.”

  “Maybe this will give Caleb enough time to wake up,” Isabelle said, looking at Caleb’s glassy form. “I hope so. He wouldn’t want to miss the boat ride. It’s really exciting.”

  Delilah, too, looked at her brother. As she rested her burning, exhausted legs, she thought of the adventure that might still lay ahead. She thought of her siblings, parents, and friends back home, and what must be going through their mind.

  And she thought of Caleb, her big brother, a shining beacon of hope in her life. Seeing him so weak, so completely helpless, was unimaginable. And it broke her heart.

  “He’d better,” Chelsea said, stroking Caleb’s hair.

  Delilah nodded.

  Hear that, Caleb? It’s time to wake up. Come on back to us.

  If you wait too long, then you’ll miss the whole adventure.

  And when you do wake up, you’ll have to listen to me brag about it.

  You wouldn’t want that.

  So, please…

  Wake up.

  Chapter 18: Chronoshin

  — G —

  Caleb felt woozy.

  How long had he been drifting?

  He’d fallen, and at the bottom…

  Right. There was nothing.

  But then…

  He’d crashed through the nothingness, falling into a strange, hazy world of mist and… sensations.

  All he saw was mist, silver and something like silver glitter. But it formed shapes at times, and these shapes seemed to latch on to Caleb’s thoughts and feelings.

  Fear.

  Failure.

  Weakness.

  He’d overdone it. Caleb knew that. Time Magic had become his crutch.

  And now he was likely paying the price.

  What is this place, anyway?

  He peered through the mist, but there seemed to be nothing beyond it. Trying to take a step forward failed. He was weightless, floating in space. Even lifting a hand to brush away the sparkling fog was a failure.

  My body won’t move. So can I…

  “Hello?” Caleb asked, trying out his voice. “Is anyone there?”

  Well, at least that works. Sounds weird, though. Such an echo.

  “There are many people here,” came the reply. A woman’s voice. Her voice was strong and melodious, like an opera singer’s. “How can I help you?”

  “Where am I?” Caleb asked. “And who are you? And how do I get out of here?”

  “Ah, right,” the woman said. “Sorry about that. The Transitional Mists have a tendency to overstay their welcome. Go on, then! Shoo! You brought him here, and your work is done.”

  The sparkling silver mist around Caleb started to fade away, blown apart by the wind. His feet touched solid ground, and as the mists faded, Caleb found himself in a dark and strange place.

  It seemed like an old-fashioned train platform. Overhead was a glassy ceiling, offering a view at the starry sky above. Pillars were here and there, coming up out of the brown, cracked stone. Caleb saw train tracks to his left, and this was clearly a starting or ending point — before him, the tracks ended, and a sort of wide balcony stretched out beyond the platform. There were small tables and chairs scattered here and there across the platform, and several of these had chess sets upon them.

  Behind him, the tracks… vanished. They stretched on for several hundred feet, then passed beyond the boundaries of the platform, into empty space, and then simply disappeared.

  Looking around, Caleb realized the night sky wasn’t just the sky. He stood near the edge of the platform, and looking out over the edge, a star-dotted blackness stretched out below him. The train platform was suspended in a starry void.

  Taking a few steps away from edge, Caleb began to explore further. To his right, there was a set of stairs that curved up and around to an open-air loft, styled like a large gazebo.

  To the left, a set of stairs led down, curving around so Caleb couldn’t see where they went.

  All in all, the platform was quite sparse. The tables and chairs were enough for about twenty people, spread out with tons of space between. A ticket booth, next to a snack stand, were both vacant. A glass chandelier hung down from the middle of the ceiling overhead, casting silver light about the space.

  The edges of the platform were all open, with pillars forming arches, and short railings around the edge to help keep people from falling. Caleb stepped to one of these, near the stairs leading up, and stared out across the endless starry veil.

  What in the world is this place?

  “Hello?” Caleb called, turning back towards the platform’s interior. “Where are you? We were talking just a moment ago…”

  “Yes, of course,” came the woman’s voice again. “Sorry about that. It takes a bit of time for you to sync chronologically with the rest of us.”

  Say what now?

  “You’re quite young,” the woman continued. “It’s very odd for someone your age to end up here. The process is a bit complicated. Hold on a moment more.”

  Caleb stared as forms started to blur into being. Three of the tables were suddenly populated, with pairs of men playing chess. A fourth table had an elderly couple enjoying what looked like a smoothie in a fancy glass. They used only one glass, taking turns drinking from the same straw, smiling at each other.

  By the balcony, three people appeared. Two women, leaning against the edge and chatting, and a man, disheveled and dressed in rags, sitting in the far corner, staring at the floor. The ticket booth and snack vendor had a man behind each counter who could have been brothers. They were younger than the rest of the crowd, dressed in navy blue suits, with fancy caps on their heads.

  And then, just a few feet in front of Caleb, a woman appeared. She was quite large, and owned it, dressing in a lavish purple dress with a black scarf around her neck, and several pearl necklaces hanging down lower. Her hands were on her hips as she came into being, and each wore a long purple glove. Pattering along at her side was a sma
ll brown dog, some kind of mix that Caleb couldn’t place, with floppy ears, a short tail, and a happy looking face.

  “Welcome, Caleb,” said the woman, brushing some of her dark hair flecked with grey away from her eyes, “to Chronoshin.”

  Caleb was taken aback for a moment. The woman’s eyes were large and dark, with small lights like stars twinkling in their center. She wore a smile and looked rather amused, but there was an air of wisdom and knowledge to her as well.

  “Chrono…” Caleb started, fumbling over the strange word.

  “Chronoshin,” the woman repeated. “Often called ‘Time’s Last Breath’.”

  “Well,” Caleb said, “that sounds ominous.”

  The woman laughed, stepping forward and taking Caleb’s arm. She had a delicate, gentle touch. “It does, doesn’t it?” she asked. “Though it isn’t entirely out of place.” She began to steer him into the station and along its perimeter, like she was guiding him on a tour. “I am Chronoshin’s caretaker, Madame Chronos. And this furball is Jikan.”

  Jikan woofed, wagging his tail happily at being announced. Caleb smiled down at the dog, and then was startled once again. Like Madame Chronos, Jikan’s eyes were dark voids, with a tiny twinkle of a star at their center.

  “But what is this place?” Caleb asked. “And why am I here?”

  “Well, all Time mages end up here at some point,” Madame Chronos said. “This is quite often the last place a Time mage ever sees.”

  Caleb startled, pulling away from Chronoshin’s caretaker. “The last…” he stared at her, and she only looked back at him with amusement. “But… I can’t stay here.”

  “I said ‘quite often’,” Madame Chronos said, taking Caleb’s arm. “Not ‘always’. And many Time mages come here more than once. But none have come as young as you.”

  “So why am I here?” Caleb asked.

  “Well, that’s quite simple,” Madame Chronos said, “and quite unfortunate. You are aware that Time Magic comes with a price, aren’t you?”

  Caleb nodded. “Yeah.”

  “And you seem to be quite aware that you’ve been overdoing things recently.”

  Another nod. “Yeah.”

  “Well, when a Time mage pushes time too far, they’re taken here.” Madame Chronos gestured to the entire station.

  “Why is that?” Caleb asked.

  They had reached the balcony now, and Madame Chronos let go of his arm. “Perhaps you should talk with some of the residents,” she said, smiling knowingly. “Get a feel for the place. Explore. When you’re ready, I’ll be waiting for you up above.”

  “You can’t just tell me right now?” Caleb asked. He was antsy — how long had he been gone from Chelsea and Delilah? He’d been taken away in the middle of a battle — were they okay?

  “Not to worry, dear,” Madame Chronos said, lightly touching a finger to his lips. “Your friends are quite all right. Now, do as I say. Things here can come as quite the shock for first-timers. Take it all in, and then come find me.”

  Madame Chronos left, Jikan trotting along beside her, leaving Caleb on the balcony. The two women who had been conversing turned to eye him. They were some of the youngest “residents,” looking somewhere in their sixties. Caleb walked over to them.

  “I’m Caleb,” he said, holding out a hand. “Caleb Greyson.”

  “Ah, he has manners,” said the woman on the right, taking the offered hand. She had a slender build, high cheekbones, and wore a dark blue dress under a fluffy overcoat. “And so young. I didn’t come here until I was twice your age. My name is Mathilda.”

  “And I’m Renee,” said the woman on the left. She had a stockier build, like she’d played a lot of high intensity sports in her younger days, and wore a simple dark blouse with grey pants. “Charmed.”

  “What can you tell me about this place?” Caleb asked. “And about Madame Chronos?”

  “Oh, that isn’t how this works, dear,” Mathilda said, giggling. “Residents don’t talk about Chronoshin, or about the Lady. We simply talk.”

  “You mustn’t be too impatient,” Renee said, crossing her arms and leaning against the balcony’s railing. “The Lady will tell you all when she’s good and ready. We’re not here to give information to new arrivals. We’re here because we live here.”

  “Sorry,” Caleb said sheepishly. “How long have you lived here?”

  “Ah, time is such a strange thing in this place,” Mathilda said, looking out across the starry veil with longing in her eyes. “It’s hard to tell. Once we arrive, we don’t age anymore. This is our final destination, after all.”

  “In case you couldn’t tell from the train tracks,” Renee said, nodding to the end of the line. “But the Lady will tell you all about those.”

  “Well… what’s it like living here?” Caleb asked. “It seems pretty… small.”

  “It’s bigger than it looks,” Renee said simply.

  “It’s very peaceful,” Mathilda added, smiling.

  Caleb stood with the women, staring out beyond the balcony at the expanse of stars. It was all very strange and unsettling to him. “Time’s Last Breath,” huh? Did that mean this location existed at the very end of time? Then why were there stars? Why was there anything?

  Still… in the unsettling stillness and quiet, Caleb started to understand what Mathilda meant.

  It was, in an odd way, peaceful.

  He bid goodbye to Mathilda and Renee, walking over to the man at the far edge of the balcony. Sitting on the floor, disheveled and dressed in rags, he was the major outlier in Chronoshin. His hair hung down to his waist, and he had a beard nearly as long as that. Fingers poking out from long sleeves revealed nails caked with grime.

  “Excuse me,” Caleb said, kneeling down in front of the man. “Hello. Are you all right?”

  “Oh don’t mind him,” Mathilda said. “He doesn’t talk to anyone. Rarely even looks at anyone. I can’t even remember the last time he moved. Is he —”

  “He’s alive,” Renee said. “You ask that question all the time, and the answer never changes. Yes, he’s alive, no, he’s not dead, yes, he’s completely odd.”

  “Anyway, Caleb,” Mathilda continued, “you should stay away from him.”

  Caleb continued to stare at the man. He was clearly alive, just like Renee said — his shoulders softly rose and fell with steady breathing, and every now and then Caleb saw the man’s fingers tap out a short rhythm before stopping.

  “Hello?” Caleb asked again, peering lower, trying to see into the man’s face. “My name’s Caleb Greyson. What’s yours?”

  Still nothing.

  “Well…” Caleb said, standing up. “If you change your mind, just look up.”

  No response. Caleb walked away from the balcony now, heading over to the nearest table under the glass ceiling. A wrinkled, bald man who must have been at least ninety years old was playing chess alone, controlling both sides.

  “Hello there,” Caleb said. “Mind if I play a game?”

  The man looked up and smiled. “Why yes, that would be quite nice,” he said. The man was small and looked rather frail, but his deep voice had a strength and warmth that surprised Caleb. “You have good manners for one so young. Your parents must have raised you well.”

  Caleb grinned as he sat across from the man, helping him reset the board. “They sure did,” he said. “My name’s Caleb.”

  “And I’m Ted,” the man said, smiling as he took the first move. “You play much chess, Caleb?”

  “I played a lot when I was younger,” Caleb said, moving a pawn forward, matching Ted’s opening move. “My dad taught me. But we’ve both been too busy for years, so I’m pretty rusty.”

  “Is that so?” Ted moved, then Caleb, back and forth for several moves in silence.

  Ted was sharp. He took almost no time to make his moves, leaving Caleb feeling like he was on his back foot very early on, trying to figure out Ted’s strategy. Every move Ted made, Caleb’s turns grew longer as he studie
d the board, puzzling over the old man’s strange formation.

  “Enjoying yourself?” Ted asked.

  Caleb smiled. “Definitely,” he said. He moved a pawn, and Ted instantly responded, taking that pawn with his bishop and putting Caleb in check.

  I didn’t see that coming at all. I’ll have to be more careful.