Destination Starlight (3)
“First blood, don’t bother to yield.” The youth challenged, and held his ground. The young man had also gasped, seeing the un-simulated blood splatter, and the pool of blood on the ground as the body hit the ground. He realized it was deadly real, and he had just killed a man in cold blood. He gripped the blade, grimacing as he continued to back away. The other two came toward him and the young man of the future lashed out again, slicing the second man’s hand off, thrusting his blade into the other. The man of the future felt a sting of pain, as at the same moment he thrust, the third opponent’s blade pierced his body. He yelped as the blade penetrated deep, and Nathaniel, even though the third man fell, retreated through the door to disappear into the forest. He ran through the brush, not caring which direction, so long it was away from that city. Miles away from where he started, Nathaniel squatted in a thick bush as had long evaded the pursuit party, and hid himself deep in the forest of Malvern. He was far away from his entry point and away from the civilization that was located in the area around him. He traveled had far and fast, despite his wound, far to the south. He glanced down at the blood from the wound, that had done considerable damage and he noted an organ stuck out. The young man put his hand against it, holding it closed as he continued onward to the south. Blood continued to pour from it and through the haze of pain that he continued on this way. A couple of hours later, the young man entered a forest clearing, after blindly staggering through the forest. Here he sank to his knees to collapse in a heap, unable to continue on, onto the ground and lying in a pool of his own blood that spread out in the grass below him. “This is it, I’m a gonner.” Nathaniel thought, unable to see through the red haze of pain, or hear clearly the rustle of the trees above him, or the animals that came around him into the clearing. It was a few more hours and maybe a few days that he lay there. He was not sure, but he heard voices and footsteps as a couple clad in green and gray leather entered the clearing. He tried to move but found he had no strength to do so. The couple is that of Mirya and Terrill who had entered the clearing. They are returning home to Saint Brigid after coming from the north from above Saint Blaise, one of the free towns, slightly north of their home. As they entered they heard a groan, and both stopped, seeing the inert body of the semi-conscious Rijiin who lay in the center of the clearing. “Terrill…! There is someone there.” Mirya exclaimed, pointing at Rijiin who lies on the ground before them. “It looks like a human has found himself lost in the woods.” Terrill murmured, and together the elves approached Rijiin cautiously. Mirya had her hand on the blade she wore at her side. They both knelt beside Rijiin who lay in the semi-dried pool of blood around him. He was very badly wounded by the sword wound in his abdomen and side, his organs partially were exposed, and he had lost a lot of blood. Mirya grimaced when seeing him, reminded of Baron Roger who had been mauled by a bear and had been in worse shape than this person here had ever been. “It looks like he is in a bad way, Terrill.” Mirya said, “I think he needs to be healed. I sense he is fading fast.” “He is conscious… Maybe he can tell us what happened to him.” Mirya observed and Terrill nodded. “Like most humans in the woods.” Terrill replied, “How will his reaction be, I wonder, when he is healed?” “I know what you are thinking.” Mirya said, “But this human, I sense is good and nothing like that should happen.” “I sense that too, but still you never know.” Mirya glanced at her mate, and grimaced as she removed her dagger, and began cutting at the shirt he wore. She examined the mail that he wore and on the tag it read ’Made in Taiwan.’ “What on earth does that mean?” Mirya asked, showing the tag to Terrill who looked on in placid interest. “It means he is from a place called Taiwan, or maybe the clothing is. I do not know, beloved.” Mirya removed the mail and she heard him yelp and whimper as he lay there. She grimaced again. “Sorry, I will try to be a little more delicate.” She told Rijiin, and nodded. “I am Mirya, do you have a name you go by Messier?” Nathaniel cocked his head slightly, showing his misunderstanding. “Stay with me.” She replied, smiling at him warmly, “You will be fine and healed in a minute. Where did you come from?” He murmured it but promptly fell unconscious. Mirya glanced at Terrill with a look of astonishment on her face. “What does that mean?” She asked, and he shook his head, shrugging his broad shoulders. “I do not know.” He replied, “Let’s heal him and move on.” Mirya laid her hands on his wounds and a warm flash happened as she began healing him of his wounds using the power she had as a human too. His flesh became clear, the wounds disappeared, and he turned a normal color on his face and body instead of the nasty white color he had been a few minutes ago. A moment later there was a thunderclap and around the young human that an unseen aura swirled about him. The magic seemed to begin the process or change about the young human into much more than he was before when he arrived. Another thunderclap sounded, echoing through the forest and Mirya paused, as she gasped loudly. It had alerted Terrill who drew his blade. There was a flash of light, and a moment later, the elves jumped back, as a blue and silver aura sparkled and swirled about the human who lay on the ground. The maiden stared at it in astonishment, unable to believe what she was seeing with her own eyes. Terrill similarly astonished, had gazed at the aura. He remembered what Varden had told him of the strange blue-silver aura that surrounded Mirya when he had transformed her into an elf using their magic. He could not say he was wrong seeing it, but he was curious why he was seeing it here. “By our lady…! What is that?” “I do not know beloved, but maybe this is a sign you should not have helped and healed him.” Terrill replied and she shook her head. “I sense this man is good.” She said, “But I do not understand what it means… or why it is here right now.” “Varden said while after he transformed you, that you in the beginning had the same aura around you.” Terrill observed, “Maybe this is necessary, and the same necessary sign that healed you to become what you are after your transformation. It seems to be the same thing for this young man.” “I think with this sign we should really look after him then and bring him with us.” Mirya suggested, pointing to the inert body of the young man, surrounded by the aura, “I don’t understand but I don’t think we should leave him here. I sense there is more to this person than meets the eye, Terrill.” “No, he might be Inquisition.” Her mate replied, flatly. “…And bring the church down upon us.” “I don’t think he’s part of the church, beloved.” Mirya replied, “He’s not from this region, the church or anywhere we know where he is from. I have a feeling that there is more to this young man that is far beyond even the church.” “I do not understand.” Terrill replied, and watched as Mirya stared at the aura as it circled the body of Rijiin. Something in the power changed him, starting with his physical body. Terrill saw it too and even he could not say he was wrong, seeing the remarkable changes before him as the energy surrounded him. The aura was there, and was just as Varden had described with Mirya as he stood with Kay in his house after she had been transformed by the elves magic. However, he was not easily convinced. “How do you know that?” Terrill asked, staring in wonder at the young maiden beside him. “Is it by his garb? What are you seeing that I am not?” “It is everything about this young man.” Mirya said, “His garb is nothing like we have seen before, I have a funny feeling that Rijiin is going to have a deep impact in the future and destiny of the elves and this young man I sense has traveled from a distance that is far beyond the realm of Adria.” “But even then, he still could be Inquisition. It is in many places outside Adria.” Terrill said, “I would rather not take that risk.” Mirya grimaced as she glanced at him, understanding his meaning, but still was not convinced that even the likes off this youth could be Inquisition. He was only one man and a human to boot, who could probably not do much to a whole towns like Alm, Saint Blaise, Furze or Saint Brigid. “Just as you were raped once, seeking revenge against the Baron, Roger whom you slew, and then healed.” Terrill said, pointing out the past and her arrival as a human, “He could awaken to kill us both, kill me, and rape you then kill you.” “Oh Beloved, I don’t think he will…” She said, I can’t explain it, this man, something is different, and I can see a whole different avenue of paths he has walked, that are not of this century but of many after.” Terrill closed his eyes, and he saw those very paths too, and he let out a gasp seeing things that were far into the future and more modern than the century they knew. “I cannot deny the aura and the changes in these few minutes… You know I have my doubts, but I ask you, if we take him, can you slay him if it comes to be a burden or necessity?” Terrill asked, “If he turns out to be from the Inquisition, and the enemy of the elves?” “I can without question.” The maiden replied. “Then we will take him.” Terrill said, walking to heft the young human onto his shoulder. “I am against this, however, and I think you are mistaken.” Terrill however had glanced at the young man who at the very moment looked so different than he had in the few minutes they had discussed the matter. He frowned at the paths that he himself had seen of the future and the twentieth century from which this human had come from and had seen the circumstances of his plight, perhaps his being stranded in this century. The elf also saw the body in the cold light of morning, lying in a pool of blood, his blood in the middle of a gully in the midst of a sprawling city. The images had startled him, as they did Mirya and they both glanced at each other before turning to glance at the young human surrounded in the blue and silver aura of Elven Magic. Terrill made a note to ask Varden of the images, fleeting that they were, and rapidly fading as the magic changed the human that lie in the ground. “I shall use Night Flame as a mount for him, to take him to Saint Brigid, but no further.” Terrill offered and Mirya smiled to nod her head. He walked to the gentle beast and regarded the steed in silence for only a moment. “Night flame, I need to use you as a pack horse, to bear the weight of an injured human.” Terrill asked, “Can I do so with your permission?” Terrill heard the words, an almost lisp, ‘I shall.’ The beast said, snorting and nodding its magnificent head. “That is a good steed.” Terrill said, patting the side of him gently. He placed Rijiin on the top off the horse, laying him over the back. The elf took up the rein and Mirya boarded Cloud as she rode slowly along side of her beloved mate. “We shall make Saint Brigid in less than a couple days.” Terrill said, “It will be nice to be home for a change.” “Yes, it will, and to be able to relax.” Mirya said, “If things do not change any time soon.” Terrill took up her meaning and glanced at their passenger, now surrounded brightly in the aura of blue and silver that was a little brighter around him as the couple traveled south. Back at the shop, in the twentieth century, the others in the BBS circuit all gathered in the staging room, sitting and standing around one of the tables. “Anyone find him?” Mike asked, and everyone present had shaken his or her heads. “He must have slipped out while were in the games.” “Nah all the games were covered, we wouldn’t have let him leave if we found him.” A voice said, making Joe look up. “Then where the hell is he?” Joe murmured, grimacing as he shook his head. The games were interesting and fun, much more fun than he imagined and silently he thanked their fellow member for showing them they were here. However, there was a hole of a missing man, who had disappeared literally without a trace and little did they know really had left this world behind. By now, the entire gathering had shifted and come to the Dungeon shop in the V.R Games, no one had come to the Restaurant now, only on the western side of Eastridge. They all sat sullen around the table and Joe grimaced. They all scattered in groups to resume their play, leaving Joe and Chelle to walk hand in hand toward an entrance nearby. As they stood together, Joe and Chelle stepped toward a game, as the door opened. They stepped through the doorway and found themselves tumbling through a tunnel, gasping loudly as they tried to reach out for something to grab, but could not. Two minutes later, they tumbled out of the portal, in the middle of the great forest. Joe and Chelle lay together in the clearing, and groaned as their senses returned, disoriented by literally being thrown through time and space. Their eyes focused on the treetops of the forest canopy above them and both glanced at each other. Sitting up, the couple gasped as they realized they were not in where they should be, turning to peer in amazement at the forest around them. A cool wind whipped through the trees as it rustled the branches and in the center of the clearing was the portal that had brought them here. “What the hell… Where the fuck, are we Joe?” Chelle rasped, glancing at him and he met her glance with a shrug. “I don’t know.” Joe said, “We didn’t do that last game we were in. Look at the surroundings, they seem like they are REAL.” “I know, right.” Chelle replied glancing at the surroundings and slowly he helped her to her feet. “This can’t be the games.” She told him, grimacing at the arch that stood nearby, humming loudly despite the sounds of nature that echoed around them, or the rustling of the trees overhead. “Let’s find out.” Joe replied tightly, uneasy by the strange surroundings. He frowned. “Computer Arch!” He shouted, and he gasped when nothing happened, the portal remaining before them both, “Arch! Computer! ARCH.” “What the hell?” Joe breathed, grimacing at Chelle who stood beside him. A sudden realization and fear overwhelmed their senses, and they both knew they were in serious trouble. “What does this mean, Joe?” She asked and he grimaced, shaking his head. “I don’t know.” He replied, and they glanced at each other quietly. “I think we’d better step through that arch where we appeared and get the hell out of here.” He replied, “This doesn’t seem right, and I think there is something strange going on here. Although I wonder if this is what happened to Nathaniel.” Chelle gasped, peering at him quietly, the same revelation coming to her also. It had been the very notion of something sinister, where he had stepped out time and space as a possible cause for his disappearance. The sensed it was a very distinct possibility this is what had happened to their fellow member, and why they could not find him at the games or anywhere for that matter. Joe took up her hand and they ran toward the portal that shimmered and faded from view. Chelle gasped as she peered at the space where it had been. “Holy shit! Where did it go?” She murmured, suddenly afraid. Joe drew his blade and he stood in the clearing, scanning it quickly. There was a spark and a crackle as the portal reappeared. Both let out a sigh of relief. “We’d better get the hell out of here.” Joe murmured, “Wherever the hell this place is…” He stepped toward the portal and put out his arm and his hand contacted the cold silvery surface that mirrored their faces. Joe felt it pull his arm, he turned to grab Chelle’s hand and he stepped through, dragging her along behind him.
Go to part: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
Copyright © 2019 Nathaniel A Miller |