8. Fault

Dax looked over my shoulder, getting all worked up. He flashed a wide, toothy, freaky-looking grin. “Gnomes have the coolest sports on Elämä!” he exclaimed.

CHOICES is the first book in the Chronicles of a Hero fantasy series. This is the story of Wendell P. Dipmier, who I’ve been writing about since 1990. I hope you’ll join me on this new adventure….as I tell the honest, complete story of this amazing 17 year old, exclusively on Life of Fiction.

Paid subscribers can access the entire archive of this series from the beginning, along with other stories and every article I’ve ever written. If you aren’t a paid subscriber, you can access the archive for free with a 7-day trial OR earn a paid membership by joining the referral program!

---

NOTE: This chapter likely exceeds the max limit for emails…Gmail will truncate messages exceeding 102KB,…so if this cuts off in your email, make sure to read it through your Substack app or on LifeOfFiction.com.

<— Read Previous Chapter | Read Next Chapter —>

Chapter 8

I’ve always had an obsession with speed.

I enjoy going fast in cars, on motorcycles. Heck, even my cousin taught me the basics on riding horses and I pushed that. It’s also an aspect that annoyed Evan, because I enjoyed collecting speed facts.

Did you know the Earth rotates at 1000 mph? It’s orbiting the sun at 66,500 mph, while the sun and its system are circling the core of the Milky Way galaxy at 600,000 mph, making one complete revolution in 200 million years. The Milky Way orbits a super cluster of 2,500 nearby galaxies at over 1,000,000 mph and simultaneously moves outward through space at over 300,000 mph. 

What does all that mean? Well, if we take these calculations into consideration, we will come to the same conclusion every time. We’re moving pretty fast.

When life gets rough and out of control, I think about these celestial objects moving through space with such precision. Just think of what would happen in just one of these giant globes, or worse, the collection of globes, spun off course? But they don’t. Our universe keeps plugging away, racing down the highway at optimum speeds in balance with all the oncoming traffic. Some say it all happened by accident. Yeah, I don’t buy that. It’s too organized, too perfect, and that’s not how chaos works.

Me? I think it takes specific laws, organized minds, and invisible hands to direct the stellar traffic down the trackless highways of galactic space. It’s what gives me hope when I do my thing and make a mess of everything around me.

Nothing happens by accident.

Yet, there I was,…a living ‘accident’.

It wasn’t supposed to happen like this. 

I was a nobody. No one paid attention to me. I didn’t have aspiring goals, for starters. Not because I couldn’t think of anything or lacked the desire to achieve specific things. The Universe had proven to me it didn’t matter what I wanted. When I focused on a certain goal in my life, bad things happened. 

Wanted to train to get on the cross-country running team. Every time I tried, dogs chased and mauled me. 64 stitches in total. So if it was unlikely I’d achieve what I wanted, why bother? Wanted to be a cross-country skiing guide for the blind, so I tried out for that. Hit a tree and broke both legs.

Not me, the blind guy.

Beautiful, amazing girls never had an interest in me. It just didn’t happen. Then it did. The truly odd thing about it all was that it didn’t matter that I was a nerd. It didn’t matter that I was awkward. It didn’t matter that I wasn’t the robust athletic jock like Evan. I was just…me. Kyliene liked me anyway. 

It had to be a dream.

Only it wasn’t.

I bumped into a beautiful girl…and she accepted me. She liked me, and I liked her. She and all her friends had accepted me for who I was, where I was, without question. I would have stayed to know Kyliene better. She was worth the time.

Now she was gone.

Killed by a monster.

Now I know monsters are real, too.

‘This is not your fight,’ it had said. A haunting whisper on the chilly breeze seized my chest. Grasping at it, understanding was just on the edge of my mind. Then it was gone.

Tha-THUMP-Thump.

I flinched as an elder moved into my peripheral vision.

Shadows.

It was a shadow…on the river bank. I’d felt the shove from behind, falling forward to into the river.

I was dead. That’s where I heard it first. That voice…

‘Go home.’

Terror, ripped from my gut, erupted through my lips in a muffled cry. “Ughaaaah!” Things like this just don’t happen. Not to normal, everyday people. Not to nerds like me! My chest heaved, lungs gasping for breath as the panic took me.

Once again making his senses shrink, I remembered the foul, sticky breath caressing my neck. That laughing in cruel mockery:

THIS ISN’T YOUR FIGHT, BOY.

WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?

GO HOME…OR YOU AND THOSE 

WHO LOVE YOU WILL SUFFER.

Dozens of hands silently lifted Kyliene’s body lovingly from the ground. People helped one another up, comforting each other, softly consoling, encouraging…and wadding slowly back towards their homes. Arm in arm, the people dispersed while speaking reassuring words. The Iskari passed me without notice, without a word. I’d slumped down against the small stone wall, a juxtaposition of a tormented mind and body.

Frozen.

When someone brought up the subject of magic, all I could think about was how cool it would be. To learn spells, to have powers and affect my surroundings. For some strange, stupid reason, I never considered how magic might me used against me. What I would have to guard against. Some kind of spirit had gained its way into this guarded society and brought a dead body to life. What freaked me out even more was that it had looked right at me. It talked to me. It knew who I was.

That fact made me shiver. ‘Those who love you will suffer.’ The words preyed on my mind. It forced me to consider the one question I didn’t want to answer.

Was Kyliene’s death my fault?

“Stop it,” Doubt said. “Mentally and emotionally flogging you is my job.”

Everyone around me seemed to have a purpose.

“Because they live here,” Doubt reminded me. “Your purpose, if I must remind you, is to get the heck out of here.“

I didn’t know how…but I was painfully certain that somewhere between life and death, this Lord of Darkness person Delnar had talked about had found me.

“Mahan,” Doubt said.

“What?” I whispered aloud.

“That’s the evil guy’s name. Mahan. He’s the Lord of Darkness,” Doubt said. “That’s what Delnar told you.”

“How do you know this?” I asked.

“Because I’m the part of you that actually listens,” Doubt chided. “Duh.”

Kyliene was dead.

I wanted to throw up.

Kyliene was dead.

Wrapped in the white cloth, her body looked so tiny and delicate. People bowed their heads reverently as Caleb guided his grandmother at the head of the procession.

I wanted to follow. To run to Nana and ask her forgiveness for not doing something…anything, to save her granddaughter. My guilt rooted me in place.

Leaving the people to their rituals, the elders gathered in small groups and began walking back to the Keep.

An animated plant, gliding across the ground, and scuttled past me. “What the!?” I jumped up so fast, my heels hit the stone wall and I tumbled backwards onto the grass. Scrambling to my feet, I kept the small barrier between me and this unnerving site. It moved much like I’ve seen squid and octopus move in the water. Vines swayed and rotated like tentacles, propelling it forward, three large flower-like bulbs rotating side to side.

Was it…looking?

The thing carried a wood plank among its…arms, small leaved clamped down like fingers over the wooden edges. The writhing of the plant gave the impression of swirling green smoke rolling across the grass. Leaves and stems acted like feet, but the motion was closer to tank treads than walking. Striding quickly behind the plant was a slender female. Shapely, wearing a tighter fitting version of the robes the other elders wore, she gave me a kind smile and nod. Unlike the men, she had long wavy hair neatly braided, curling around her neckline and falling over her chest.

“Careful now, my sweet,” she hummed, and two of the three bulb-heads looked right at her. The plant saddled up next to Tiell, small vines reaching down where the ground and grass met the elders’ robes. Tiell’s robe ruffled lightly, vines slipping out from under the opposite side of his body. Dozens of vines interlaced and shifted as one to lift the broken and unconscious body of Tiell onto the plank.

He let out a soft moan.

Once situated, and with a few clicking noises from the woman’s mouth, the sentient plant lifted the plank a few inches from the ground. Leaves budded and grew in moments, surrounding the plank to form a soft guardrail. Other vines looped up and over Tiell’s body and flattened themselves into a makeshift restraint.

“Ah-ah-ah,” the woman whispered, pointing at the disturbed soil and upturned grass where Tiell had previously lain. “Let’s not leave a mess,” she said. “You know better.”

Surprisingly, the three bulbs lowered, looking away from the elder, which vines wiggled over to the spot and meticulously filled in the holes with dirt, returned the grass clumps, and then smoothed them over  with its leaves.

Jiin smiled. “Much better,” she said. With that, she turned and followed her fellow council members, her plant sidekick, right behind her. 

Now that most of the people had left, I could get a good look at the spot where they had executed that monster. Nothing remained in that spot. Roots from the surrounding plant life had pierced the ground to bind the…vallen? I shuffled through the grass. With such a show of force, I expected to see dead grass, bare dirt, and some sort of a charred spot on the ground. There was no trace the event had ever happened. The wind and heat generated during that act were so strong we had to retreat, and yet I couldn’t see a single mark. Not a hole in the grass. Not a single char mark. Not even a trace of blood from the creature. Dax had severed both arms, while most of its blood had been spilt by Gaidred and Tursin.

The grass looked freshly cut.

The enemy had ceased to exist.

That sadistic grin haunted me. It was looking for me. That’s what Tursin had said. What would that thing have done to me if it had gotten its hands on me? Without warning, my legs gave out, sending me face first onto the grass. It should have been me.

“Why is that?” Doubt asked.

I really don’t want to have a conversation right now.

“That’s fine. I’ll talk, you listen.”

*sigh*

“You’re thinking, surely it would have been better for that ting to get a hold of you, than for that thing getting a hold of Kyliene.”

Yes.

“Well, I agree with you on this,” Doubt said. “I liked her. Pretty girls never cared about us before, so this was nice. More importantly, she was nice. No one should have met a fate like that. Especially her.” 

Exactly. Thank you.

“But,” Doubt continued, “there’s another part of this you haven’t considered.”

What? I said, irritated.

“You won’t like it. You probably won’t agree with me, but that doesn’t make it any less true.”

Spit it out.

“If you are the hero, and you gave yourself over to that…thing…what would stop it from getting to her after you were gone?”

I hadn’t considered that. I’d no idea how to use the powers people kept hinting at, which meant it was likely I couldn’t defend myself, let alone anyone else. Once the vallen had me, could it have snapped my neck like it did Kyliene?

Then what? I don’t even know if the thing knew who Kyliene was. But it knew me, or at least that I was here, in Sanctuary. It had to be connected to that darkness that attacked me at the river’s edge.

I looked down at the Ithari, poking it lightly with my index finger. “You would have protected me, right?” I said, so only I could hear myself. “I mean, that’s your job, correct?”

I waited, but felt no response.

A heavy hand gripped me firmly by the shoulder, causing me to jump.

“Do not dwell on this,” Delnar said. “Better to remember the blessings enjoyed.”

“What?” I said. “What does that even mean? I knew Kyliene for a single day. One of the best days of my life. Now I’m, what, supposed to write her off?”

“Forgive me,” he said. “That is not what I meant.” 

I cringed. If there was a perfect jerk move to make with someone hurting, I’d just made it. Kyliene wasn’t just part of his community. Shea had revealed they were family.

Ugh. Double jerk move.

I softened my tone and lowered my head. “I’m sorry, Delnar. That was unkind of me and uncalled for. I can’t even imagine your loss. Forgive me.”

The High Elder’s hands disappeared into his sleeves and he smiled thoughtfully, eyes moist. “I miss my sister often, and Kyliene always reminded me of her mother. The bright eyes, lively curls, and the desire to care for others. He who committed the crime has paid the ultimate price. I take comfort in knowing that Kyliene’s soul lives on, and I only desired for you to take part in that comfort.”

Yup, I was a complete heel. “I’m sorry I didn’t understand,” I said.

“In her own, unique way, Kyliene touched our lives, capturing that part of our hearts that cannot be replaced, Wendell.

Standing tall, the High Elder waited until I looked him directly in the eyes. “We will have good days and bad days. We will practice moving forward on those bad days, breathing in and out, until we memorize that motion and are consistent with it. That is the pain of loss.”

A friend had told me something similar after my mom had died. He’d sat by the side of his own brother through cancer. As time went by, the rest of the family gave up, but not my friend. He would feed and bathe and clothe his baby brother. Day after day, week after week. Near the end, his brother, a good hundred pounds heaver, was a shadow of his former self. Each night, my friend would carry him upstairs, in his arms, place him in bed and kiss his forehead goodnight.

“They own that part of our hearts, Wendell,” he told me. “Our biggest challenge is to lean how to go on, being less whole of a person, because we have to live life without them.”

Placing a hand on my shoulder, the High Elder said softly, “It is time, now, to meet with the Council.”

I nodded, numbly placing one foot in front of another, and followed him. The dull rhythm of the pace allowed me to cast my eyes on the path ahead. To shut out the world. The elders ahead quietly conversed as they walked through the darkness, occasionally looking back in my direction. 

Something new made me cringe inside. My stomach cramped. Hard.

“Ah,” whispered Doubt, “You’ve discovered the genuine dilemma.”

Will more Iskäri die if I leave?

“…or will they suffer if you stay?” Doubt finished.

The questions stung my mind, breeding anxiety the longer they went unanswered.

Reaching the terrace, the High Elder stopped me. “There are a few matters we must discuss before I introduce you. Relax out here and we will call you when we’re ready.”

I nodded.

Delnar smiled and entered the Keep.

How did this keep getting worse? I allowed my head to fall back and let out a heavy sigh. The last thing I felt like doing was plunging headfirst into a confrontation with a room full of authority figures. This was the moment of truth, and I wasn’t ready to confess that somebody had screwed up and grabbed the wrong guy. Kyliene had been murdered. The youth was likely to find out who I was…or was supposed to be…which meant an already long month now looked like an eternity.

The only good news I could see was once this was over, the blueberries could grab Evan and get the hero they wanted. Then I could go home…to nothing. I could then…be nothing, and live a life of…well, you get the picture. Every part of my body hurt. My mind hurt. My heart ached for Kyliene, for Nana, Caleb, Delnar, even Shea. I hurt for the friends that knew Kyliene, and I wanted to scream out loud or break something. Preferably both.

“You alright, kid?”

Dax and Chuck stood at the other end of the giant terrace. The mist from the waterfalls gave the breeze a chilly bite, and it swirled indecisively through the terrace. It gave the old man’s long stringy beard a life of its own. Believe it or not, he seemed to be engaged in an animated discussion with…a hanging plant. He puffed on a willowy pipe, motioning with his hands as he spoke. 

“It wasn’t your fault,” Dax said. “You know that, right?” He aggressively worked on a cigar while leaning against one statue. It seemed almost strange, words of comfort coming from a being that looked so tough, so harsh, and, well, mean. His tone was mild, and he seemed to study me as I approached him. The smoldering embers of the cigar lit up Dax’s face, creating a red tinge to his skin color.

“No one else has said that,” I said, approaching, but with caution.

Dax snorted, a smirk on his face. “Don’t put too much stock in these blueberries and their opinions. They’re a bunch of bureaucrats, kid, driven by their own purposes.”

“Isn’t everyone?” I replied.

“Maybe,” he shrugged, “maybe not. Some of us just want a quiet life and will go with the flow.”

I smirked. “Isn’t that still a purpose?”

Dax pondered, then grinned. “You’re probably right. The Iskari though,…they can say a lot and never tell you a thing.”

“Politicians at heart?” I asked.

Dax chuckled. “Something like that.”

Chuck excused himself from the conversation with a bow to the plant and joined us. He politely tipped the brim of his hat and offered his hand. “Morphiophelius Smith, at your service. And you are?”

I raised an eyebrow.

“It’s the kid,” Dax said. “You met him in the park twenty minutes ago.”

“I did?” Chuck looked at me for confirmation.

I nodded.

Confused, he quickly put a smile back on his face. “Must not have been much of a first impression!” Leaning closer, he whispered, “Good thing I’m senile…it’ll give you a second change at a first impression.”

Dax sighed.

Chuck winked. “You look a bit lost, son.”

“I’m…just waiting to go in and meet with the Council.”

“That’s not what I mean,” he replied, grinning. “Not outwardly lost…but on the inside. Conflicted. Confused. Distressed. Not knowing where you belong or where to go,” his grin grew wider, “…or what you’re supposed to do.”

“What did you say?” I asked.

Chuck’s grin vanished in a flash. “I said pull up a seat and rest a spell. You look exhausted.” Tapping his staff on the ground, the stones of the terrace merged, growing into a wide, brown leather recliner. “Sit,” he said, then pushed me into it. 

I’d felt completely numb until I flopped down into that chair. The weight of my impending meeting with the Council, decisions I still had to make, and secrets I didn’t know if I should keep all crashed in on me. Every muscle in me screamed in revolt. When the council found out I wasn’t who they thought I was, someone was going to get angry. I pushed deeper into the chair, wrapping my arms tightly about my torso, trying desperately to hide my shaking.

I looked up to see the High Elder and Shea deep in conversation at the opposite end of the terrace. Delnar barely glanced my way, giving a nod to Chuck, then resumed his conversation. Shea looked both tense and mad, waving his arms about, his face contorted. More than once I saw Delnar glance in our direction, his face worried. When the two were done, they returned to the Keep.

I rose to follow them, but Chuck hooked my arm with his staff, holding me back. “I’d give them a few more minutes, son. The blueberries need time to regroup before they meet as a council. A lot has happened tonight. They’ll have more to discuss than they realize. I suggest you take a moment for yourself. Don’t fret. They’ll come and get us when they’re ready.”

“You’re going in too?” I asked.

Chuck nodded. “They sent notice to me as soon as you arrived.” Tapping his legs, “Don’t move as fast as I used to.”

Nodding feebly, I sat back down. “You look like me.”

Chuck choked on the smoke from his pipe and started coughing. “I what?” He gave Dax an odd look, “I don’t look that bad….do I?”

“You’re not blue, I mean,” I clarified and then gave Dax a leery sideways glance, “…or green, like him.”

“Oh, yeah,”Chuck nodded. “Pinkie. That’s me.” He leaned in closer with a wink. “It’s because I prefer cheeseburgers, fries and a large chocolate malt to all their home-grown fruit and fiber. Just cause I enjoy eating blueberries doesn’t mean I want to grow up to be one, if you get my meaning?”

I laughed, surprised I had it in me. The night air wasn’t too cold, and I was warming under the torchlight. It was a pleasant distraction. “Wait,” I said, frowning up at the old man. “Cheeseburgers? Chocolate malt? How…”

Dax grunted, rolling his eyes. “Um, hey kid…I’m…sorry.” He fidgeted and cleared his throat a few times. “The High Elder said…well…for…ya know—whackin’ ya around like that.” He shrugged. “It was just a bit a fun. I didn’t mean nuthin by it.”

“He’s apologizing?” gasped Doubt. 

“Uh,…sure.” I said.

Dax shrugged again, quickly turning away.

Chuck slapped a hand over his chest and sighed. “Now, doesn’t that feel better when you say you’re sorry?”

Dax glared at him, grinding his teeth together. “Oodles.”

“Say!” blurted Chuck, startling me as he bounced forward. “Look what I just got!” Pulling off his pointy hat, he reached in up to his armpit and rummaged around. An amusing minute passed while I did my best not to gawk, but I’m confident I failed. Sounds of books falling over, and metal upon metal…even glass shattering echoed as if from a large hall. All the while, Chuck mumbled and grunted to himself, tongue hanging from the side of his mouth.

“Did he just say Mahan’s pink panties?” Doubt giggled.

“Ah, hah!” Chuck leaned over the chair and shoved a small, white rectangular device into my hands. It had a three-inch screen and a set of earphones plugged into it. The thing looked oddly familiar.

“Hey,” I stared, boggled. My dad had one of the original versions of this. “It’s a —”

“apod,” finished Chuck, pointing excitedly. “I KNOW! And I just downloaded the latest season of Trench Wars!”

“No,” I said, looking at him suspiciously. “I was going to say an iP —”

“uPod. Useful Partitioning Of Data,” Chuck quickly clarified. “Great gadget for carrying songs and movies on the go! I keep it mainly for the Trench Wars and my Break of Reality music collection. Incredible band from New York. Three cellos and a drummer.”

“New York?” I asked, barely above a whisper.

“Oh, you wouldn’t know it. It’s a big city on a little backwater planet.” Then chuckling at his private joke, he added, “in a galaxy far, far away.” 

Dax moaned.

I looked between the uPod, and Chuck’s grin while digesting. This entire experience, from the moment Dax snatched me from Earth to now, has been crazy at best, and now…? How can I be an infinite distance from my home world, and some strange old man makes movie references from my childhood?!? “Who ARE you people!?!” I snapped. “Are you from Earth?” I looked wildly between them. “Seriously, where are you FROM??”

Cocking his head to the side, a single eyebrow popped up. “I’m from Elämä,” Chuck drawled. “Why? Where are YOU from?”

Bending closer to Dax’s big ear, Chuck cupped his mouth. “I think the boy just snapped a noodle.”

Dax rolled his eyes. “Don’t mind him, kid. I’ve been with him for hundreds of years, and I still don’t understand what he says half the time.”

“That’s the public school system for you,” Chuck shrugged.

“Shut up, Chuck.”

“I’m just saying…”

Ignoring Chuck, Dax changed the subject. “We have a friend competing in Trench Wars. It’s a TV show. Incredibly gifted girl, fighting against seasoned male pilots…and she made it to the finals.” He pointed to the uPod. “Just push the bottom of the wheel.”

“TV show?” I asked.

“Yeah,” he said.

I blinked. “As in…television show?”

Dax scoffed. “Duh.”

Glancing around at the torches lighting the terrace, and all the archaic slash medieval theme architecture…I shrugged. “Right. Silly of me.” I pushed the play button and inserted one earphone. I looked at Dax and Chuck.

Both grinned back with excited anticipation.

The small screen came to life, thematic music rising in the earbud. Spotlights flared across the floor of a dirty warehouse, missing its roof. Scraps of metal, crates, barrels and broken glass were strewn about while thousands of people screamed from stands suspended overhead. A resounding boom echoed through the warehouse, and a giant robot flew into view. Slamming into the corner, sparks and smoke fumed from its chest. Comparing the robot with the environment, the thing had to be at least thirty feet tall. Painted red with pinstripes in various shades of blue, this bot had more scorch marks than paint left on its surface. 

The crowd cheered as a second robot smashed through crates and a half wall. It was smaller than the first, sleek and painted solid red, with a single wide green stripe down the center of its body. I could see complex gears spinning at the joint sections of the mechanism as it raised a large spiked mace in one hand. Flames exploded from its feet, propelling it into the air, high above the prone robot. It gripped the mace in both steel hands as it arched and headed down for a final blow.

The prone robot was not helpless. Rotating its head, a wide barrel gun flipped forward, appearing where the face used to be. There was a flash of brilliant light and the attacker’s mace incinerated. The blast sent the smaller robot into a midair spin.

The crowd went wild. I could see tiny people in the background cheering, screaming, and rattling the protective chain-link fence separating fans from the fight.

Dax looked over my should, getting all worked up. He flashed a wide, toothy, freaky-looking grin. “Gnomes have the coolest sports on Elämä!” he exclaimed.

I stared at the screen and frowned.

“What,” Dax started, “you don’t like it?”

“No. No! It’s cool. Really cool, actually. It’s just that… ” but I didn’t have the words. This was all too much to take in. Too much to understand. Robots? Television? Torches? Gnomes, giants…magic? How did any of this even connect?

“Hey. Woah,” Dax said, his hand steadying me. “Kid, you okay?”

It was a moment before I realized I’d dropped the uPod and gripped the sides of my head. The pounding in my temples was so hard I had to clench my eyes closed and grit my teeth. “You have science and technology here?” I mumbled. “I’m so confused….I thought this was a world of magic, like what I saw in the park today.” I peeked out from behind one. “Or…you making this chair? You know…magic.”

“Think of it this way,” Dax said, picking up the uPod. “If you were a backwoods farmer and had never seen more than the cow and plow you used all the days of your life, what would you call what you just saw? Beams of light shooting from faces, jumping higher than a building…”

That was a good question. I’d often wondered what a Hollywood movie like Star Wars or Lord of the Rings would look like to someone in the 1800s if you could go back in time. They wouldn’t be able to explain what they saw. Most would likely be confused, or even terrified. But there it was, right in front of them. Something they could see with their own eyes. There was really only one answer.

“Magic?” I said.

Dax grinned. “Exactly. It’s just a word for what we don’t understand, isn’t it?” He pointed at the uPod. “Gnome ‘magic’. Neato stuff…IF you can get your hands on it. Though…don’t get caught with it by any of the decent folk around here…they consider it taboo.”

That would make sense. If this world mainly focused on magic — as in the actual casting spells of magic — technology would seem dark, wouldn’t it? Unnatural might be the right word. I suddenly longed for the comfort of something simple, something easy, and something familiar. Something to make all the unknown go away.“You really have cheeseburgers and fries here?” 

Chuck grinned widely and nodded. “Or deep-dish pizza, if you prefer. Soda, sushi, BBQ, pasta, you name it, and we could probably figure out how to make it or get it. The possibilities are almost endless. Well…when you have the right connections, if you know what I mean? Nudge, nudge, wink, wink.”

“DAAAAAAAAX!” The sound echoed through the halls and out the Keep entrance.

Dax gulped. “Sounds like they’re ready for us.”

Chuck gave him a sympathetic smile, patting him on the head. “It’ll be fine,” he said. Urging him forward, he looked back at me and motioned for me to follow.

My mind went blank. That might be hard to comprehend, but everything that had happened to me over the last couple of days wasn’t based on reality. Not my reality, anyway. So many extremes for a nerd who struggled to get from school to his own house without getting beat up. Delnar had done most, if not all, of this, in secret, or at best in defiance of the rest of his council. That was my understanding, anyway. Now I was being summoned into the light. 

What questions would they ask? Would he and his council ask me to step into a role that wasn’t mine? It was never mine. They gave the Ithari to the wrong guy, and they don’t even know it.

Thank goodness I could give this gem back. I could hand it over to the one meant for this job. Evan could do this. He was built to do this. He’s perfect for this job.

Me? I don’t even know these people.

But that thought hit me. Was that so different from the men and women willing to sacrifice themselves for their countrymen? The armed forces do it all the time. As do the police, firefighters, even paramedics, and people from religious groups. Amazing men and women, willing to spend their lives in the service of others. 

We wandered through the hallways, into and through the High Elder’s office. Chuck led us to the double doorways, where one set of stairs led to the Key below, where all the terror started. We took door number two. Ascending past the slim windows of stained glass, we ended up in a narrow hallway which ended at a set of double doors.

A wrinkled hand held me back as I approached.

“This is the Bedurrim,” Chuck said." The private meeting chamber of the Iskäri High Council.” He dropped his tone to a whisper. “No matter what happens, you’ll do fine if you remember that you have two ears and one mouth. Got it?”

I made a mental note; pay attention, don’t talk too much. “Got it,” I said.

Dax let out a long hiss of air, flipped his head from side to side, cracking his neck. “Right,” he said.

Chuck gave us both a grin. “He we go, boys,” and he pushed open the doors. 

Thick smoke rolled into the hallway and washed over me. I had to catch myself to keep from coughing. Incense. It was a sweet, woodsy scent, welcoming me in. Both Chuck and Dax slipped past me while I hovered in the doorway. The Bedurrim was a large, circular chamber made of tightly laid stone. Though there were those ancient type slits for windows, you know the ones where archers would shoot from, fire provided the limited light. Small fires augmented torches held by sconces around the room at the base of the wall. Open flames burning from the circular ledge flickered above us. A pathway, covered by a deep red carpet woven in intricate patterns, led from the door down into the center of the chamber.

Positioned straight ahead, the High Elder occupied a platform that was elevated two steps above the main floor. The platform was a half circle containing fifteen near identical chairs. Giant sculptures of various dragons, carved from deep red wood, with gems used as eyes. Some stood upright and regal. Others swirled around an elder, luring. Two looked bored and on the verge of falling asleep, while a few looked hungry and ready to leap at me. Each chair had a single elder seated at its center. All the chairs, except one, were occupied. Six black, six white, and dividing the two groups were three golden robes. The High Elder and his two counselors. The council had their hoods drawn, masking all but their mouths, hidden in shadows.

Elder Tiell, bandaged and in a clean white robe, lay on a cot near the unoccupied seat. He observed silently through glazed eyes, propping his head up on a folded white blanket.

No, this wasn’t intimidating at all. Standing amongst them, it felt more like an execution than a meeting. There I was, exposed, as the heat of each gaze burned into my flesh.

“Come forward, Lord Wendell.” The High Elders’ voice reached out from the haze. The first thing I noticed about him, was…he really didn’t look happy. As I approached, the haze seemed to part, light filling the chamber from the stone shelf of fire, encircling high above our heads. The flicker of the flames cast dancing shadows playfully across the floor.

Uncertain of what was expected of me, I directed more attention to my feet as I shuffled into the center of the room. Fear of the unknown pumped fresh adrenaline through my veins.

Tha-THUMP-Thump.

What would they think of me? How much had Delnar said to them? Would they condemn me? Seek retribution? Plead with me to stay? Noooo, not with a look like that on the High Elder’s face. Adults would be more likely to bully me, or show their disgust and hatred for me, for wanting to go home. Not that I could blame them. Each of those would be justifiable reactions. I’d dealt with versions of them before. I was used to the abuse. Regardless of their feelings, one fact remained, and that was not having full disclosure before I’d decided to accept the Ithari. Gem or no Gem, Hero or not, some things were consistent in the Universe, no matter what planet you’re on.

That’s the problem with the unknown, though. You never know how to prepare or brace yourself for what’s coming. You can’t sully prepare.

“Brothers and sisters of the Council, may I present the youth retrieved from the world of Earth…Lord Wendell.” There was little emotion in the High Elder’s words, and I noticed a slight edge to his tone. That made me nervous. That was a ‘somebody is in trouble’ voice.

I deliberately held my breath.

“Thank you, Wendell.” The High Elder nodded and then motioned towards a bench back by the door. “Please, have a seat.”

I hesitated, then exhaled. That’s…it? That’s all I had to do?

Tha-THUMP-Thump.

Even Chuck seemed baffled. Sitting on a lone bench along the wall, he looked at me and shrugged his shoulders.

So I sat.

The High Elder’s tone darkened. “Dax, stand forth.” 

Each step had a mild strut to it that whispered defiance and rebellion. He had a bemused smirk on his lips. The High Elder stood slowly, pulling back his hood. “You have failed this council in your responsibilities and have, by your own actions, placed our people at risk.” 

Dax frowned. “What are you talking abou…”

“It is therefore my duty as head of this body to charge you with treason, Daxänu. How do you plea?”

“You what?” Dax snapped. “What kinda crap is this!?” His thick brows rolled forward, hands curling into fists. “You better explain yourself, ‘cause I’ve done nuthin’ BUT serve this room of jokers from the moment I moved here.” He glared at the High Elder, his knuckles turning white. “You better have a damn good reason for that charge.”

“You were charged with retrieving the hero,” Delnar said, his tone softening.

Dax seemed to relax some. I watched his hands unclench as he widened his stance. “Yup,” he said.

“You were entrusted with a star gem.”

Dax nodded, folding his arms. “Correct.”

“Which had a specific enchantment upon it to hide your exit and return to Sanctuary,” added Shea. "We instructed you about the importance and grave danger posed by such a mission," added Shea. “Not only to the hero, but to you…and our society.” The young elder sat forward in his seat. He didn’t pull back his hood, but looked at the floor in front of him. Forearms resting on his knees, his fingertips strummed together in a pyramid style. “You were told to keep the gem on your person at all times. Is that correct?”

Dax looked between the two, unsure. “Well, yeah, but…”

“Yet the High Elder says you returned without the star gem,” Shea continued. “That you ported directly to this very Keep with Lord Wendell. Using your rather large and particular magical signature to do so.”

This got the attention of many other elders. Some leaned forward. Some looked at each other, as if this was the first they’d heard of it. One of the black robes, a portly guy with a dense goatee, raised a hand for silence.

“Are you suggesting the unembodied spirit we encountered used the unique teleportation of our brother Dax to enter our community?”

“That is correct, elder Alton,” said Delnar. “I realize this feat would be uncommon, but it would be possible, would it not?”

Altorin scratched his beard, considering. He turned to the seat next to his. “Nurii?”

Flowing hair, white as pure snow, poured from a glossy black hood. Slender fingers ending in long white nails pulled back the hood to reveal a pale blue face with lean cheeks, almond green eyes and lips not overly full. She examined Dax for a long moment, giving him a gentle smile and an acknowledging nod. “I would first say that I will not support such a charge. I cannot support it.” Her bright green eyes remained on Dax, who seemed to be embarrassed. Low murmurs whispered between elders, some supporting her sentiment. “This Evolu is and has ever been a friend, advocate, and protector of these people. Why infiltrate now? Dax travels frequently to the service, not only through his own magical signature, but through the open connections of the Cottage.”

“Those ways are sealed,” Delnar said.

“Do you know this?” she replied. “Because I know that we, as a people, have been isolated for far too long and assume many things. My experience tells me this could only happen without Dax’s knowledge, and certainly without his participation.” She turned to Altorin then. “But this feat would be possible for an unembodied. Without a mortal shell, many things are possible.” Once again, Nurii acknowledged Dax before leaning back in her chair.

Dax bowed to her in return.

“Then we know how evil entered our protected domain,” Tursin said firmly. “The creature could not report to its master. We are safe once again.”

“No,” replied Altorin. “We assume. We cannot know, because the creature was destroyed. What we know is that we could have been betrayed long before now. In ways to harm more than a single daughter.” He looked to the High Elder. “Without concrete evidence, I will not lay this judgement at Daxänu’s feet.” One by one, each of the council members turned their attention to Delnar and nodded.

“Checkmate, blueberry,” growled Dax. The two stared at one another for a small eternity. “Doesn’t really matter,” Dax said finally, breaking the ice. “Your grandfather always hated my guts. Something happens you can’t explain. Blame someone else, I get it. But think about it,…you have the glorious hero now to deal with all this crap!” Spinning on his heels, my vertically challenged kidnapper pointed at me and winked. “Doesn’t he look like a perfect butt-kickin’ specimen of a guy? All those muscles and…potential flowing through his veins. Gives me shivers just thinking about what this kid can do!”

Chuck snorted.

All eyes shifted to me.

“Yeah. That’s not creepy at all,” whispered Doubt.

Delnar just stood in silence, staring at them.

“Don’t tell them,” Doubt said, crystal clear from the back of my mind.

What?

“Don’t tell them,” Doubt repeated. “That you’re not the hero. You’ve already decided to go home, possibly exposing them to more creepy spirit-thingies. They’re going to be ticked, Wendell. What happens when they find out Dax grabbed the wrong guy?”

I hadn’t considered that. In fact, I hadn’t considered how upset the council might be at Delnar. Once I told them he’d failed to convince me to stay.

“Don’t give them any more ammunition, that’s all I’m saying. This is about OUR survival!”

No, it’s not. No one here has laid the blame of Kyliene’s death on me. The guy who was supposed to have full access to the gem’s powers. The guy who was supposed to have access to all the knowledge of the previous hero. The guy who…completely adored Kyliene and wanted to take her place so she wouldn’t get hurt.

“It’s ok,” I interrupted meekly.

“Wait,” hissed Doubt, “What are you doing?”

The right thing, I thought to myself.

I stood up, knees shaking and not a lot of confidence. I’d been considering my answer for a while, rehearsing what I would say to the council, especially since Kyliene died. The tense moments weren’t great, but I’d wiped the vomit from my mouth with a sleeve before I’d entered the Bedurrim. “I know I’m not what you expected, or even hoped for. That’s why you can have it back.”

All eyes shifted to me. Only the crackling of the fires overhead interrupting my meek voice. Gaidred sat at the edge of his chair and looked at me a little too seriously. “Have what back, Lord Wendell?”

“The Ithari,” I said, using all my courage to push out those last words. I was expecting a release of pressure or an ease to take over once I’d said the inevitable. It didn’t happen. In stead, I did my best trying to look at each of the elders in what I thought would be their eyes, trying to ignore the shadows of their hoods. “I should have done something to stop Kyliene from…,” I choked.

It was Dax that caught me off guard. Even in the torchlight, I could see the pain contorting in his face, the clenched jaw. Nurii was right. Dax cared.

“I should have done something,” was all I could think of. “But I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know, and still don’t know, what I can do. Which is why I asked the High Elder to find a replacement for me.” I let that sink in for a moment while I looked around the room. “I’ve volunteered to remain here in Sanctuary for a month, while you find a more suitable candidate. I won’t be any trouble or get in anyone’s way. When the time’s up, I can give you back the gem and Dax can take me home. Simple.”

I sat back on the bench, leaning forward with my elbows on my knees, averting my eyes from the Council.

“Huh,” Doubt grunted. “That…was pretty good.”

Growling, Dax’s eyes narrowed to slits. “You didn’t tell him?” he hissed. Clearly incensed, he turned on the High Elder, his voice grew louder with each word. “You have the balls to accuse me of TREASON—and you didn’t tell him?”

“Careful, Daxänu,” warned one of the black robes, “Remember to whom you speak.”

Dax glared at the council, pointing his finger at each of them. “And you remember where your jurisdiction ends! I ain’t one of you, bub. We had a deal, and I kept my end. Don’t want me here? Fine. No skin off my back, I’ll leave. Find yourself another messenger. I obey your little laws’ cause Chuck asked me to…not cause I give a monkey nutt!”

“Tell me what?” I asked. Anxiety stabbed at my gut as all the hoods lowered and looked away from me.

Dax glared at the Council, waiting, but none of them moved. “Bloody cowards,” Dax grunted. He looked me square in the face. “What these wusses didn’t tell ya, kid, is that you’re gonna be here a bit longer than a month before that stone drops outta yer chest.”

“A bit?” Even those words didn’t sound like the truth. That familiar churning of my stomach returned. “How much longer is ‘a bit’?”

Dax scratched his head awkwardly. “That thing doesn’t go by our calendar,…it goes by the cycle of its own world. Because the world is so much bigger than ours, their month is, naturally, longer than ours…”

My heart pounded like a jackhammer. Stomach sinking, I asked again softly, “How much longer?”

Nobody seemed to want to answer my question.

Dax shook in disgust, but his expression quickly softened. He took a deep breath and slowly blew it out through puckered lips. “A thousand years.” He shrugged, then said , “Give or take a decade.”

The floor slipped out from under my feet and I fell off the bench. The general tenor of anger in the room dissipated as everyone expected my reaction.

“A thousand years,” Doubt mumbled. “A thousand years? A thousand years.”

Strained moments of silence stretched past.

“A thousand years. A thousand years?”

You know what was weird? I wasn’t surprised. Honestly, I didn’t have the strength to be angry. With my history, especially with the Universe, I should have known better. Lifting my head, the deep inconsolable hurt clear in my wincing eyes, fervently hoping someone would say something to make sense of this. 

“They lied to us,” Doubt whimpered. “They all lied to us. Every single one of them is guilty and the cause of us ending up here. The cause of us losing the rest of our life…for something we were never supposed to be involved in!”

I looked to Dax, then Chuck, and even the elders.

Nobody would meet my gaze.

Except the High Elder.

His expression had completely changed. The lines faded in his forehead, eye widening in concern…and he watched me with a piercing intensity.

Clearing his throat, the High Elder returned to his place in the ring and sat down in his chair. “There is an option.”

All hoods turned to the leader of their Order — but his words were not for them.

“We will send you home, Wendell.”

Increasing whispers and murmurs buzzed scandalously between the hooded elders. Yet the gaze of the High Elder remained on me. But there was no fear in his eyes, or stress lines across his forehead. He tried to smile, but the sadness seeped through.

“Go home, Wendell,” he said. “Dax is right, the fault is mine.”

Dax’s immense ear perked up. “Can I get that in writing?”

“You’ve suffered enough, and I owe you at least that much. So I want you to take the gem and return to your life, as it was.” His words brought fresh air to the room, allowing me to breathe again without pain. “There is an illusion. We can teach you to conceal the gem from discovery. You will live a powerful life without illness, and in about forty of your years, the gem will return to her home here.”

I didn’t know what to say.

“We can go home?” Doubt squeaked. “For real?”

Chuck reached over and patted me on the shoulder. “See, son? It’s all worked out.”

Wow. I can go…

Listening to the fire pop and crackle, the room waited for my reply.

The words didn’t take long to sink in. I had been hoping to hear them since I’d arrived, of course. All the pressure, the weight, the pain — vanished. Invigorated, I jumped to my feet with a big grin on my face.

I can go home!

To see my dad and Evan and all my…friends? I might even get back in time for the pool party and the girls. All the girls that didn’t see me. The girls that couldn’t stand to be around me.

My thoughts went to the wonderful day I’d had with Kyliene. Working hard, being accepted…and remembering her dimple, her smiling eyes and musical voice.

“The only girl who ever paid any attention to us was Kyliene,” Doubt reminded me. “I know,” he said, “I’m not helping.” 

The pool party had lost its appeal. My life and ‘The Plan’ felt a bit…pathetic, I admitted ruefully. Every single person I met here has treated me with kindness and acceptance.

But this wasn’t my fight.

My mind pulled at the image of Kyliene’s face…and hearing the last breath of life leave her. That demon killed her so that he could escape Sanctuary and carry word to his master…about me.

About me, I wailed internally. I didn’t kill her. I couldn’t have saved her, but I’m the reason she is dead.

Not my fight?

Go home? — or those who love you will suffer.

I couldn’t think of the words ‘go home’ without the others automatically following.

They’re already suffering!

Caleb wailing over the loss of his sister, the tear-stained face of Nana, the entire community mourning the loss of a child. My thoughts went to my father. No matter where I am, someone will suffer.

The sinister smile of the vallen took its place in my memories.

“Wait,” Doubt said.

If I take the Ithäri…their only hope…and go home…

“What are you…,” Doubt said.

Before I even finished that thought, I felt as if Ithäri shriveled in my chest and went cold.

…those who love you will suffer.

Looking back to the High Elder, I found it hard to swallow. After all this, he will send me home. To make things right. My mind went to ‘The Plan’. What was I really going to do with my life? Somehow, all my plans back home seemed…limited, pointless…and selfish.

My eyes dropped to my chest and found my hand absentmindedly tapping the surface of the Ithäri.

Why did you accept me if I wasn’t the right person? Did you see something no one else could see? I squeezed my eyes tight. If you’re willing to work with me, does that mean I CAN have a purpose…even if I’m the wrong guy?

Strength surged through my limbs, a warmth I could feel through every vein in my body. The extra beat of my heart was louder than ever.

Th-THUMP-THUMP.

Th-THUMP-THUMP.

Th-THUMP-THUMP.

I smiled. I’ll take that as a yes.

Fixing my eyes on the High Elder, I said aloud, “I’m staying.”

Tears welled up in his eyes. “Are you certain this is what you want, Wendell?” he asked hopefully. Then, with a smirk, “I’m not rushing you or encouraging you to stay. Is this your own free will and choice?”

“Yes,” I said firmly. Then, rolling my eyes, “This is my choice. I’m not the one everyone was expecting, but,” I placed my hand over the Ithäri, “she accepted me.” My smile widened, feeling the surge of strength from within. “I’m willing to find out why.”

“Awwww,” Doubt choked. “We are so screwed.”

Shut up.

Now it was the High Elder that smiled. Standing upright, the rest of the Council followed suit. “As you wish…my lord Wendell,” and he bowed deeply.

The High Council bowed to him.

Straightening, the High Elder stepped down and motioned me to join him in the center of the Bedurrim. Placing an arm around my shoulders, he addressed the Council in a proud voice. “Brothers. Sisters. Wendell has chosen, of his own free will, to stay and serve with the Ithari. In truth, he has saved us from ourselves and will fight with us against the rising evil of our world.” The light of hope was bright in his eyes. “I present to you…our hero.”

“I hope they don’t get their hopes up TOO high,” Doubt grumbled.

Shut up!

“He will need protection,” Altorin said, “until he can master the gem.”

“As well as instruction, training and help along the way,” Nurii added.

The High Elder nodded. “Agreed, Altorin. And I know the perfect companion for him.” Returning to his place in the half-circle, “Dax, stand forth!”

Surprised, Dax let his foot drop to the floor and spit his toenail out with a loud Phhht! “Now what!?” He caught the stern looks from his reaction and begrudgingly joined me before the Council.

“Dax, first I would…apologize.” The High Elder didn’t look away. He simply opened his arms, palms up and added, “You have been a loyal and faithful messenger and a valuable part of our community since the day you…,” but he paused. “Well, for a very long time.”

Dax smirked. “Sokay. I’ll take any compliment I can get at this point.”

The High Elder’s smug half-smile got bigger. “The Council assigns you as Wendell’s companion and guardian for the duration of his calling.”

“WHAT!?” Dax choked. “You’re not…you are! You’re serious?! I thought we just decided I was innocent!?”

A few elders laughed.

The High Elder smiled coolly. “Your skills make you the perfect choice, Dax. You are older than any person in this room, but one. Your skills in battle are nearly unequalled. Your knowledge of the world and,” he tried to suppress a laugh, “it’s more seedy elements are important skills we will require. I know of no other to equal your loyalty, determination or qualifications. You are, in my opinion, the perfect guardian for the boy.”

The High Elder looked about the circle. “All in favor?”

The room resounded with a united, “Aye!”

Folding his arms, Dax grunted and rolled his eyes at me. He let out a heavy sigh. “Fairy Farts.”

“Will you, Daxänu, accept this calling of your own free will and choice?”

Dax stood there, arms folded, a heavy scowl on his face.

“Dax?” the High Elder prompted.

“I’m thinking! I’m thinking!!”

The High Elder lowered his head, causing shadows to fall over his eyes. The gaze looked suddenly stern, his smirk whispering a hint of humor. “Daaaax.”

“Oh, all right!” he snapped. “But I want the option to renegotiate in a hundred years!”

Laughter erupted in the room.

“And what of his instruction concerning the Ithäri?” asked Shea openly. “The High Council’s function has been the keeping and bestowing of the Ithäri. We have no records of how she works, outside what is recorded through the acts of the other heroes!”

Dax shook his head, taking a cigar from his waistband and lighting a match across his chin. “Then you’re gonna need a trainer that’s older than your records, kiddo. Someone who knows more about the gem than anyone else.”

“But no one’s older than…” trailing off, Shea’s eyes grew wide as he made the connection.

Gasps and muffled curses escaped the Council’s collective lips. 

You couldn’t mistake all the wide-eyed expressions in the room. Then, all at once, the Bedurrim erupted into chaos. Elders flew up from their seats, throwing their hands in the air.

“I don’t get it,” I said. “What just happened?”

Grinning mischievously, Dax puffed on his cigar a few times, casually flicking ashes onto the floor before laughing outright. “I think they just watched their redemption go down the crapper.”

I frowned. “I don’t understand.”

Dax chuckled, amused at the growing stress and commotion. “Their hope doesn’t just rest on a noble kid willing to do whatever it takes. Now it also rests on the insane bantering of a senile old loon in a pointy hat.”

I scratched my head in confusion. “Who could be that bad?”

Right on cue, Chuck shouted, “SNOCKHOCKEY!” with a snort.

The startled chamber fell silent as a tomb as all eyes turned to the old wizard. Fidgeting on the bench, he snored contentedly in a deep sleep. He sucked his thumb vigorously and cuddled a little brown teddy bear tucked under one arm, while his knobby knees were curled up to his chest.

Dax gleefully grinned at me.

“I’ll give ya one guess.”

<— Read Previous Chapter | Read Next Chapter —>

---

Yes, that’s blood…I ran out of sweat and tears.

Want to help keep me in basic office supplies?

I’m always running out of basic supplies……if you’re willing & able, you can click on my list of what I use and buy a product …..OR…. you can buy me a coffee and I’ll get what I need when I need it. THANKS!

---

---

Paid subscribers can access the entire archive of this series from the beginning, along with other stories and every article I’ve ever written. If you aren’t a paid subscriber, you can access the archive for free with a 7-day trial OR earn a paid membership by joining the referral program!