Bridgeworlds: Rise of the Magi (29 page)

29

Betrayal

Myles was quite pleased with himself. He’d gotten in and out of Kasey’s room with ease while she slept. He’d watched her for a moment.
She’s so beautiful and radiant.
He'd teleported out of her room after leaving her a rose.
She might think I'm no good for her anymore but at least she'll know I'm still thinking about her.
The rose will definitely tell her who succeeded in lifting her prized secret weapon.

He laid the rose down and the thought pierced him that he wished things had been different. But they weren’t, so he teleported back to the gambling hall in Teknon. A bad feeling nagged at him, so Myles wanted to get it over with. Sure enough, when he arrived Hay-lale sat waiting for him.

Myles strutted in and stood in front of him. “Have you been waiting here this whole time?”

“Of course, but do you have what I’ve been waiting for?”

Myles handed him the sword. “We had a deal.”

“That we did. And to be honest with you, I never honor my deals. However, I’m interested to see how it plays out if I tell you this one thing.”

“Okay, so lay it on me.”

“Soterion is a dream world. It’s a real world when you’re here, but it exists within the realm of dreams. You can do anything you can imagine once you realize this. We’re all real here in this realm, real…but the world around you is as malleable as a dream.” Hay-lale smiled as he walked toward the door.

Myles let the words sink in for a minute. “Wait! Who are you really?”

“I am Hay-lale. But I’m known by many other names: Belial, King of Babylon, King of Tyre, Son of Perdition, Serpent, Lawless One, Leviathan, Beelzebub, Lord of Darkness, Father of Lies, even Satan…” There was a glimmer in his eyes as he looked at Myles one last time. “But here on Soterion, I’m known mostly as the Great Red Dragon.”

Myles ran out the door after him with his heart pounding. He looked around but there was no one in sight.
What have I just done?

~*~

Omar returned from his journey, excited to get back to science. He’d missed it in the stress of dealing with politics. He felt as though he’d been under a spell the whole time he was in Loefel Meren. It was a pleasant spell to be sure, but he was completely distracted during his visit by all the beauty, and he’d been unable to focus on gathering information. On the way back he felt as though the spell had been lifted, and he remembered all the things he had missed.

Omar’s Kuon, Matsa, landed next to the Tower and Omar dismounted. He started to unload his many bags but could immediately tell that something was wrong. There was a strange tension in the air. Omar stopped what he was doing and immediately went to find Roca. Other magi told him she was behind the Tower meeting with new recruits.

Omar circled the Tower and found Roca speaking with Seux, Ariana, Erestar Lurin, and Hope Migdalah, the female Raphad that Erestar had asked permission to bring along. Hope was the daughter of the former Raphad King of Drakonge. As he approached them, Erestar was speaking and Omar could tell by the way Hope looked at him that there was at least a deep friendship between them. Erestar wore armor marked with a gryphon, a strange thing for a man who seemed so peaceful. The gryphon was the symbol of House Lurin.

Omar had already studied the history of the Raphad. The symbol for House Migdalah was a tower—it stood for stability and strength. Hope was the last surviving member of House Migdalah and there were rumors that she would someday take the crown and become queen. As if to answer these rumors, Hope changed the symbol of House Migdalah to a peacock. On Earth the peacock was known as the bird with a hundred eyes. It was also known that way on Soterion. Akana scholars speculated that Hope’s choosing of this symbol was an acknowledgement of her royal status but also expressed her determination to stand back and keep watch rather than rule. The Raphad had never asked her to lead, so they must have picked up on this message.

Omar had also asked around Loefel Meren about Erestar, trying to learn more about this giant but gentle leader. Very little was known about Erestar. He was first heard of after the Drakoni won the battle of Drakonge. Suddenly he became the single most important person to the Raphad, a key to their survival. He was not a king, but he might as well have been.

As Omar approached them, they all stood. Roca went to him immediately, obviously quite anxious.

“You must join us, Master Omar. Much has happened since you left the island. I was just briefing the royal recruits of the Magi on what’s transpired. I held off on sending you a message about this.” She looked down, “I wanted to show you that I could handle things in your absence by taking care of this problem before you got back. I’ll start from the beginning so that everyone is on the same page.”

“The day after you left over a month ago, a fireball fell from the sky into the jungle. We sent two Magi with invisibility devices into the jungle to check it out, but they never returned. The next day I led a search party of twenty-five Magi into the jungle, and found no sign of them. We continued to search but until last week never found anything.

“Some kind of ship had landed in the jungle. Saphira recognized it as technology from her home planet Gnosis. Unfortunately this ship is equipped for war. Their technology is more advanced than that of Soterion, Musterion, or even Earth. I made the decision that no one would be allowed to go into the jungle until you returned and we have posted sentries.”

Alien technology that’s beyond that of Earth’s? That is definitely something to take seriously,
Omar mused. Whatever came out of that ship could be hostile. He knew they couldn’t take any chances.

“All right, I have twenty sun grenades left. Bring me twenty of the best Alexandros. We have to prepare to defend ourselves.”

Erestar stood and announced, “We’ll come with you.” Ariana, Hope, and Seux all nodded.

Omar smiled “We’re grateful for the help. We may need everyone we have here on the island.”

Omar armed each of the twenty Magi warriors with a sword and a sun grenade, giving them specific instructions not to use the grenade unless they were in immediate mortal danger.

Omar led the team into the jungle where they found the spacecraft. It sat there with no engine sounds, but they could hear movement. Omar led while Hope and Erestar followed behind him, crouching down, trying not to be seen.

They found the missing Magi crystalized within a shimmering blue field around them. It looked as though they had been frozen, but the substance was more like glass than ice. A dead Gauntman lay on the ground. A campfire burned brightly. Guarding the camp was a five-foot tall metal, golden-colored praying mantis. It was either robotic or some kind of strange, armored life form.

Erestar left no time for guesswork. He reached out and grabbed the creature with both hands, completely enveloping it, but the creature bit Erestar and locked on to him. A surge of energy and a blue flash of light knocked both Erestar and the creature to the ground unconscious. They both stirred and stood up, staring at each other. “I think it’s created some kind of bond with me,” Erestar exclaimed, his startled gaze roving around. “This is amazing! I can see through its eyes.”

The creature spoke. “My master is now dead so I’ve chosen you as my new master. I’ll do as you direct me from now on.”

“Oh. First I want you to let those two Magi out of the cage.” The creature immediately obeyed.

Erestar glanced at Omar and shrugged.

“I guess it’s your pet now.”

“What’s your name and where are you from?” asked Erestar.

“I am Sabriel. I’m from Gnosis. Where am I?”

Erestar answered, “You’re on Soterion. Why did you come here?”

“We received a distress signal from this planet.”

“A distress signal?” asked Omar.

“Yes, a signal only a Gauntman would know how to send.”

Saphira said, “I didn’t send any signal. It would take me hundreds of years just to create a receiver that could find the signal.”

“Let’s all return to the camp," Omar said. "We have to find what this is about.”

Erestar grabbed the ship, Hope picked up the body of the dead Gauntman, and they joined the Magi as they headed back to the Tower.

Queen Ariana came to see Omar and reminded him of the Rock of Truth. The Council decided that if the Rock worked, then they would use it with the new recruits. Omar, the Council, and the royalty of the other kingdoms wrote out an oath to swear upon the Rock of Truth.

The next day as the sun rose, the first initiates to the Magi on Soterion stood upon the Rock and swore the oath. “I swear to never reveal the secrets of the Magi. I swear to help all Magi when it does not morally conflict with my beliefs or interfere with my own pursuit of knowledge. I swear to protect the secrets I carry. I swear to share all knowledge, both secret and public, that I have now or ever do acquire, with all the other Magi.”

Omar monitored the vital signs of those who swore their oath through his laptop and other equipment he’d brought to Soterion from Earth. He noted a slight alteration in each one of them after taking the oath. The Rock of Truth was now a permanent part of the initiation. Every Magi from then on swore that same oath. A new order had come to Soterion.

30

The Battle of Epher

As Myles walked back to his hotel room, the full weight of his actions closed in on him. The heist had simply been a temptation to bring out the worst in him and get him to betray his dearest friend, and he had fallen for it. The things he had been told about Kasey were probably lies. His arrogance, his stupidity, and his tenacious effort to preserve a worthless lifestyle all crashed down on him. He vomited several times along the way.

It began to pour down rain.
What have I become? I'm on some kind of roller-coaster I can't control.
It was one thing to be a con man and a gambler. But to end up as an accomplice to the greatest enemy of God was a new low for him. That was too far down to go.
I've got to find a way back.

He stumbled through the mud with his tears hidden by the rain. A flash of light blinded him and a blow to the back of his head sent him crashing to the ground. He got a glimpse of his attacker as he fell into the mud.
Tyree.

Tyree had gone after Myles while Kasey went to retrieve his Kuon, Ganan. She’d started to look for him when she discovered that Ganan had gotten away from her. She didn’t know where he went, but Tyree had seen him flying off into the distance so she was tracking him to try and catch him.

Tyree had left her and followed Myles, watching him stumble along, apparently dealing with some kind of remorse or sickness. It made Myles an easy target.

Tyree picked Myles up and carried him to Arrow. Heaving Myles onto his Kuon, he flew quickly to Phlox. Once there he took Myles to the secret passageway, where the entrance to Musterion was. He followed Nekar’s instructions, but as he began to enter the portal, Ganan jumped out of the darkness and pounced on them both, sending them all falling through the portal. Tyree stood up and looked around, irritated. He found himself in a room with nine different paintings.

Ganan stood over Myles’ unconscious body, snarling at Tyree. Tyree walked toward him slowly as he tried to calm him down. “Easy, boy, I don’t want to harm him or you.” Then keeping an eye on Ganan, he made his way over to a wall and grabbed some moss. He squeezed it and let its juices flow into a syringe as Ganan’s growl got deeper. When he was ready, Tyree approached Myles slowly. But as he tried to inject Myles with the healing serum, Ganan snapped at Tyree viciously. Tyree jumped back but held his ground as he spoke in a calm voice, “He’s sick, boy. I’m going to help him. Will you let me help him?” He didn’t know if Ganan understood him, but the animal calmed down and backed away from Myles. Tyree was finally able to inject Myles and then slipped away as Ganan continued his low growl.

Having finished his mission, Tyree walked over to the nine massive paintings. He studied them all, but the one for him was obvious. One painting was a view of Earth from space, and it pulled at him strongly. Tyree pulled a desert eagle from his bags, then stepped through the painting and was gone.

~*~

After failing to find Ganan, Kasey decided to just wait. She gave Tyree five hours to get Myles into the portal, and then she went to the temple in Suchikos. She wasn’t allowed to enter the main part of the temple so she stood on the steps and flexed her shoulders. Flames burst out into wings on either side of her, and she ascended until she hovered over the temple, then lifted her arms up to the heavens with her eyes tightly closed. She prayed aloud for all to see God’s power.

“Father, it was your will that the Sword of the Spirit be given into my hands and returned to its rightful place. None, not even Lucifer, can thwart your will. Everyone serves your grand plan. Lord, I ask you to return to me now the Sword of the Spirit so that I may deliver it to its rightful owner.”

As she finished her prayer, a bright flash of lightning struck in two places: Out in the distance to the east of Phlox, and also the palm of Kasey’s hand. The electricity shot out from Kasey, and all the people of the temple gasped. Another flash of blinding light sent Kasey tumbling to the ground, but when looked around, the sword was in her hand. The people of Phlox rushed from everywhere and began to crowd around her. Her focus was on delivering the sword, so she activated the invisibility device. Everyone gasped when she suddenly disappeared.

Kasey slipped through the crowd and took off straight for the home of the carpenter Matthan. She knocked on the door and a young boy answered. Before he could say anything, Kasey heard a female voice from inside the house. “Joseph? Are you answering that door again? Get back in here.”

The mother then came to the door and peered out at Kasey. “Well! I doubt that I’ve ever had a Miyka on my doorstep!” She pointed in the direction of the palace. “The palace is that way if you’re lost.”

Kasey replied, “Thank you, but I’m in the right place. Is Matthan home?”

“My husband? My Matthan? You need a simple carpenter?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Matthan! Come quickly, there’s a Miyka at the door for you!”

Matthan was an ordinary-looking man. He came running to the door. “Did you say there was a Miyka—” But he stopped when he saw Kasey. “Um, how can I help you?”

Kasey handed the carpenter the sword.

“I’m just a carpenter. I wouldn’t begin to know what to do with this.” The sword morphed into a book, and Matthan jumped back, almost dropping it.

Kasey reached out to help him catch the book. “It’s the words of Adonai. I’d hoped you would know what to do with it, but if you don’t, I’m sure you will someday. The Master asked me to bring it to you.”

Kasey’s wings of fire appeared, and she flew off. Though rising quickly, she could hear little Joseph call out after her, “Wow! Did you see that? She’s an angel, Father!”

Mission accomplished.

~*~

Myles’ head hurt a little as he awoke to Ganan licking his face. He laughed at the friendly Kuon and scratched the back of his neck. When he was completely awake, he noticed that he felt different. He felt whole again and he liked the feeling. Myles stood up and dusted himself, off.
How did I end up back in Musterion?

Nekar sat in the middle of a room with nine different paintings. “It’s good to see you again.”

“How did I get here?”

“That does not matter, Myles. Look around you.” Nekar swung his walking stick around at all of the paintings in the room. “This time you have a choice.”

Myles looked at the paintings, realizing that some of them he’d seen before. Four of the paintings seemed like different versions of Earth. One was obviously the core of Musterion, and one was an entirely different planet that he’d never seen before. His eyes fell on the one with a massive, rotted tree that had fallen and crushed all the trees around it. He also remembered the seven-horned dragon breathing fire on an army of thousands, and finally the one with a shepherd leading a flock of twelve sheep.

Myles turned to Nekar, “It’s my choice? Which one takes me back to where I was?”

Nekar didn’t give him any answer.

“Since the one with the dragon was the one that took me there last time, that’s the one I’m choosing.”

Nekar stood and said, “Farewell.” He disappeared through one of the walls in the room.

Myles turned and called for Ganan. “C ’mon boy, let’s go back.”

Ganan whimpered while looking at the painting. Myles patted him on the head and said, “It’s okay; it’s the way back.” They both jumped through the painting.

Myles and Ganan stood in the middle of a battlefield. The armies looked just like those that were in the painting, minus the dragon. The armies hadn’t advanced on each other yet.

Ganan whimpered, looking at Myles pleadingly. “Wait for me at the tower in Caelsis, okay?”

Ganan heard that and took off, shooting straight into the air.
The Kuon are normally brave.
What has gotten into him?

Myles was now in the midst of a battle so he decided to take action. He teleported behind the ranks of the Drakoni and began cutting the Drakoni down. Myles killed a good fifty of them in one quick skirmish, and then the other side engaged the battle. Myles took his time killing Drakoni to be careful about the good guys charging in.

He identified the generals within the Drakoni and cut them down one by one. After just a few minutes the army of the Drakoni had no leaders left.

Myles could see the kings and queens of Soterion on horses in the distance atop a hill, overseeing the battle and directing their armies. The battle raged on every side and he saw that the Drakoni were losing badly now, without leadership. Hundreds of thousands of Drakoni quickly fell.

To the east, a volcano exploded. A massive figure shot out of it and as it landed, the beating of its wings caused soldiers to fall to the ground. The Great Red Dragon had arrived, and it stood at least fifty stories tall.
Can this be the same creature as Hay-lale?

The Dragon rose up over the armies and belched fire, incinerating most of the soldiers. Tornados and walls of fire moved across the battlefield.

Myles watched the dragon’s fury, captivated, until a sword jammed into his back and he actually saw it come out his sternum. As he fell he looked around and saw the Drakoni that had done it. Myles fell to the ground and lay there watching the battle. Blood trickled from his mouth. His body began to feel cold. A tear slid down Myles’ cheek at the sight of the massacre. There was nothing he could do to change things now. Oh, how he wished that he’d accepted the Master’s offer back in the tunnels with Kasey. Everything began to blur in front of his eyes until all was dark.

A moment later Myles woke in the same spot he’d fallen. His vision was still blurry, but he could see the distorted figure of a man standing over him with a long staff in his hand. He felt a hand touching his head gently. “I heal you, Myles Callaghan. Go and sin no more.”

Myles tried to get up, but he was still too sore to move much. His vision began to clear, but by then the figure was gone. Myles rolled over on his side to see the kings and queens of Soterion battling the Great Red Dragon. Erestar, the only one not wearing a crown, pierced the dragon with…
Could
it be? Yes!
It was the sword that Myles had stolen from Kasey.
How did they get the sword back?
Myles closed his eyes and wept bitter tears. He sobbed deeply, and it was like a cleansing purge of all his ugliness. He rolled over and looked up at the sky.

Who was the man who healed me? I have to find him. I have to.