Bridgeworlds: Deep Flux (28 page)

"It will take you months to travel to where Omar is and years
possibly to find him on your own. I can get you there within seconds. Join
me and stay in my Kingdom. Wait here for the rest of your party and then
when I am ready I will take you to see Omar," said Myles.

Caleb raised an eyebrow, "Within seconds?"

Myles teleported in front of Caleb who had a knife ready by the
time Myles got there. Myles raised an eyebrow. Still, no emotion. Owen's
fear, however; increased.

Caleb put the knife back. "I'm sorry. I wasn’t expecting that."

 

Myles gave him a dismissive wave. "Your knife did not scare me."

 

"You can teleport us to Omar?" asked Owen.

 

"You catch on quick," said Myles. He could feel Owen's anger
welling up in him.
This guy is like a buffet of emotions.

"Owen, though slow at times, has his uses," said a female voice
from the hallway. A Katken stepped out. Myles noticed that she also wore
an auto audio translator.

Myles looked to her. She was bubbling with amusement. "I was just
wandering if I could keep you from teleporting."

 

"Keep me from teleporting?" he asked. "I tell you what, if you can
do it then I will grant you one wish within my power and within reason."

 

Charli used telekinesis to create a pocket of air around him
anchoring his clothing and even his skin to the stone floor.

Myles felt his skin tingle. He then tried to teleport and it didn’t
work. He was shocked. He made the room go dark. It didn’t work, she did
not need to see him. He could shoot fireballs at her but Katken can move
pretty fast. There were several things he could do but he was not sure they
would work and it would be wrong as she was only doing as he asked. He
dissipated the darkness. He could not move his mouth so he spoke in her
mind, an ability that he was still learning from Catalina. "You can release
me."

She looked shocked but she let him go. Myles cleared his throat,
"Impressive, but don’t ever do that to me again. I could have retaliated."

She nodded, "I plan to stay if that is alright with you. I want to wait
for some time for the rest of our team. I can also shed some light on the
recent attempt on your life."

"That is a matter I will trust my wife to handle. For now I will have a
servant show you to your quarters," said Myles.

Over the next several months Myles found out about his assassin
and where he was from, he trained with the rescue team from earth while
they waited for the rest of their team, and he gained their loyalty.

Catalina stood by his side but she worried for him. She loved him
with all of her heart and would do anything for him but he was not the man
she had first met. Being a King and being a vampire was taking a toll on
him.

Years passed by and Myles won battle after battle never having to
use his army. He became known as the Sorcerer King of the North. The
Empress to the East had heard of his power and of his evil. She began
sending forces against the Kingdom of Pathos. Never had the Kingdom been
challenged before especially by mortals.

This Empress was but a gnat at his heel. But she bit at him every
time he moved. He could not go out without being attacked. Finally one
night as Myles was fighting off the armies of the Empire from his border
there came a woman through the ranks. She was dressed in all white and
wore a veil over her face. She walked through the army as a ghost or
apparition.

Myles tried to attack her but she was ethereal. His attacks went
right through her no matter how much he tried to control his environment.
She only walked through the battle field as if mourning those that Myles
had slaughtered on the battle field.

One night Myles sat at his throne and he knew that he was truly
hollow. He was empty and there was nothing left of him. Catalina came to
him and kissed him on the forehead. He did not react even to her anymore.
He just sat there staring forward, hating his own existence. Catalina cupped
Myles’ face in her hands. “What have I done to you, my dear Myles? I tried
to save you but I have surely killed you. You are a walking grave my King.”

Myles stared forward.
I am empty. I am nothing. I am no one.
It
was what he said to himself regularly these nights.

 

Catalina shed a tear. She brought his face to hers. “My King tonight
is our fifth anniversary. I have brought you a gift.”

She stood and stretched her arm out to reveal the woman in white.
She stood there in the court of the palace of Pathos with a bow and arrow
drawn. It was pointed right at Myles. Myles laughed. He put his hand to his
head and laughed hysterically. “An arrow cannot kill me.”

The woman in white quickly loosed the arrow but it did not hit him.
Myles saw where it was headed and tried to stop it. He imagined a wall of
brick in front of it but it went through the brick as if it was water. It hit
Catalina
. So what, she cannot be killed by mere arrows either.
But as the
arrow struck Catalina, Myles saw that it was no ordinary arrow. It was a
shaft of pure white brilliant light. It had struck her and she fell to the
ground. No blood came from her but she looked up at Myles with eyes
fluttering. She spoke, “My love. I am sorry that I took from you your life.
And now thanks to the Empress and the Shepherd, I have found a way to
give it back to you.” She took all of her emotion, all of the emotion of the
woman in white at losing her people, and Myles rekindled emotion and fed
it back to Myles. But she gave more, she gave the very energy that held
here in Soterion to him and suddenly Myles could feel again. He was
breathing. Myles held her there in the dark before his gray throne. He held
her in his arms and before she died he said, “I love you, Catalina. Thank you
for showing me real love.” He wept and one last tear ran down her cheek.

The woman in white stood over him. Tears ran down his face as he
looked up at her. “What are you waiting for?”

 

She stood silent.

 

Myles lay Catalina’s head on the floor and stood. “I slaughtered
hundreds of your people. Just kill me.”

The woman spoke for the first time, “I was planning to. Until I
found out that you are not some dark vampire sorcerer king but that you
are Myles Callaghan. I had planned your death until your wife visited me
and told me everything. She pleaded for your life and I told her the only
way to bring you back.”
Myles shook his head, “Who are you?”

The woman removed her veil to reveal that she was an oriental
looking Yaarma. “I am Misaki, I am the Empress.”

 

Myles was shocked.
Misaki? How? She is the Empress?

She gestured to Catalina’s corpse. “Please do not fear for her. She
knows the Shepherd now and all that the arrow did was release her from
her coma. She is one of Omar’s coma patients. She is a dreamer like me. Or
at least something like me.”

Of course, that’s why my powers were magnified.

 

Misaki turned to Myles, “It is time Myles. It is time for you to give
your life to the Shepherd.”

Myles started to argue but found he had no argument in him. It
was the Shepherds loved showing through Catalina that allowed her to
sacrifice her life on Soterion for him. He had tried everything and become
one of the most powerful people on the whole planet, but he still had felt
empty. He had given up lying and cheating for Catalina so he knew he could
do without that and be happy. There was nothing left for Myles to hold on
to.

Myles nodded to Misaki, “It is,” was all he said.

 

And with that Myles saw the Shepherd standing there beside
Misaki.

 

“Myles, do you accept me as your Lord and Savior?” He asked.

Myles bent a knee to the ground, “I accept you as my King, my
Master, my Lord, my Shepherd, and my Savior. Please come into my life
and my heart and change who I am forever.”

Myles bowed his head and fire engulfed him. It was a white hot fire
surrounding him and purifying him. He stud amongst the flames and found
that he was wearing his old hat and long coat.

The Shepherd was gone but Misaki stood there looking at him with
the eyes of a child. “Myles, will you take me to my brother?”

 

Myles nodded, “I think it is long overdue.”

She looked down, "It has been so long since I have seen him. He
was just a boy. I'm not sure what to say to him but I have always loved
him."

Myles smiled at her, "He loves you very much too. On earth he
became determined to be reunited with you, but I believe he has been
distracted since he left earth. He had said that if he became powerful and
influential enough that you would know he was here but I think that was an
excuse."

Myles turned to speak to Catalina.
She is gone, for good.
Tears
welled up in his eyes.
I did truly love her. I have grown so used to her it is
like she was part of me. But I have the Shepherd now and so does she.

He called for a servant and sent for Charli, Owen, and Caleb. He
sent a separate servant for Carn.

 

"Get all of your things, we will be traveling to the Seven Kingdoms
where Omar is," he commanded. They were and had become his subjects.

They all came back with their bags or Omar-invented toys. Caleb
was riding a velociraptor that he had hatched and raised. He had become
attached to his new pet.

Myles shook his head with a smile, "Are you really going to bring
that with you?"

 

Caleb only smiled back as if in answer to his question.

 

Myles introduced Misaki, "This is Misaki, Omar's sister."

Their eyes got big. Myles could no longer feel their emotions but
he was better at reading them. He continued, "She is also the Empress of
most of this continent. You should refer to her accordingly."

Carn came into the throne room. He looked over at his sister's
body and then to Myles. "What has happened here?" He ran to her body
and stroked her hair. "What have you done?"

"She gave her life energy to return my life to me. I am again flesh
and blood," said Myles.

Carn studied Myles and then Myles could feel him in his head.
Myles did not fight it. Carn's eyes widened as what just happened played
before him in his mind.

Myles frowned. "Carn, I am abdicating the throne to you. There is
only two stipulation. You will sign a treaty with the Empress and I have
some secrets to reveal to you. I want you to hear me out when I get back. I
am going to the Seven Kingdoms for some time but I will be back to speak
to you."

Carn rubbed his chin. "The throne... treaty. I think I can do this. I
know you are not at fault here but still I have many questions. I will ask
them upon your return. Do not make me come looking for those answers."

Myles nodded. Then he turned to Misaki. "Shall we?" he asked.

 

She nodded and said, "May I have the honor?"

 

"Yes," said Myles.

She turned to all that were to be traveling with them and smiled.
They all, including Misaki, began to fade until they were but dust upon the
wind. The wind blew them at unfathomable speeds out the window of the
throne room. It blew them with the snow west and south to the Brugmos
see, it blew past Gauntun upon the Sea breeze. They floated through the
humid lands of Drakonge and above the volcanic mountain range to the
Lampros River and south to Caelsis.

15
Answers

Kasey had gone to her quarters in Castle Lurin. She felt like an
angry child but she just wanted to understand why the Shepherd allowed
some to be healed and not others. She woke with the first rays of the sun
creeping in through her window. She had a beautiful view of Philos. The
fountains here were remarkable with some shooting water up to 25 feet
into the air.

A knock came to her door. “Come in,” she said trying not to sound
irritated at having her peaceful quiet moment interrupted.

 

King Erestar entered the room with a breakfast tray in his hand.
The King is serving me breakfast in bed?

 

“Oh… you didn’t have to…”
she couldn’t think of the right words to
say. Of course he didn’t have to you idiot.

 

The king set the tray of eggs and bacon and biscuits beside her bed.
It smelled delicious.

 

“It is ok, I can see you are not in the mood to be disturbed right
now,” said the King.

 

Great, I can’t believe I let that show. “No no, please come back.”

 

He turned back to her, “No need for formalities of unnecessary
kindnesses with me. I am fine to just leave you alone.”

 

She shook her head, “No, please come in. I want to talk to you.”

 

He came in and sat at a large chair against the wall.

She sighed, "We obviously both follow the Shepherd. I just don’t
know why he would allow you to bring back the dead and he wouldn’t
allow me to heal the dying. I don’t understand how he picks and chooses
who should die and who should live."

King Erestar looked down as if in thought. "I think I can relate.
Kasey, there are a few secrets that I would share with you to help you in
this matter. First I will tell you that my wife has had two miscarriages. One
child she carried to full term. No one knows, the Raphad are very secretive
about child birth for just that reason. If a child is miscarried then they are
not forced to speak about it. Children are very important in the Raphad
culture. The Queen recently had the opportunity to council a woman who
had been through the same thing. The woman was an Adam and the Adam
call the creator Adoni. She accused Adoni of murdering her baby..."

The King stopped to take a deep breath and rubbed his chin in
thought. "I am no expert in such matters but my wife is. She kindly
explained to the woman that her view of the situation was all wrong. She
could continue to look at it as Adoni murdered her baby or that Adoni took
her baby. There is flesh which is temporary. Life is but a vapor and lasts for
such a small amount of time in comparison to eternity. But the soul is
eternal. She asked the mother if she would rather her baby grow up in this
world and experience the good things and the bad or to go straight to
heaven where the child would never experience heart ache, pain, or
disappointment."