by T S Paul
“Never. None of your people’s Sages or fighters ever described a building such as this. We are not on Earth any longer, Zee,” the cat answered.
Zee traced the carvings on the pillars with her hands. Strange designs mixed with depictions of birds, boats, and strange looking people. Looking up, she could see flowers and vegetation beyond her kenning.
“Shall we try the door?” Dee asked. She was sniffing the edges and could smell human and something other. It was horselike, but not.
I rubbed my head just using the tips of my fingers. “Let me get this straight. You are more than two thousand years old?”
Mack nodded and said, “Pretty much. If your calendar system is to be believed as continual, I was born in the year 310 BCE. That makes me pretty damn old.”
“What did you mean about the calendar?” I asked. Mack had taken Fergus and me to what sort of resembled a modern conference room near the rear of the building. Modern only in design. There were rough-hewn benches and divan chairs that looked like they might be better suited in a boudoir than a meeting room.
“Not everyone in history used the same system. It wasn’t until 1582 that the Pope announced that the church was eliminating several days to make the official calendar work. But that was only for those countries the Catholic Church held sway over. Even the English didn’t merge their systems to the Gregorian one until the late 1700s. Not everyone could agree. Kind of like herding cats actually,” Mack explained.
“Cats! Where?” Fergus came instantly to life and looked in all directions.
“Right here, actually,” Owl answered as the door opened. The massive owl flew into the room and landed upon a giant perch. “Joining us are Zee and her cat Dee. They are here for similar reasons as you two.”
I scrutinized Zee as she entered the room. She was dressed as a peasant, so I figured she might be from one of the more underdeveloped countries on Earth or knowing this place, another realm. She clutched a green-eyed cat in her arms.
Motioning to the bench across from me, I welcomed her with a tentative “Hello?”
Claiming the bench, the young woman set the cat down. She took in my appearance and I could see her eyes widen at the sight of Fergus. In accented English she asked, “Unicorn? Is that unicorn?”
“His name’s Fergus,” I replied.
She pointed to herself and said, “Zh…Call me Zee. I cannot say my own name or that of Dee’s.” Looking back at Owl, she glared. “You told me you would say why?”
“That’s an easy one,” Owl answered. “She isn’t allowing it.”
“I can say my name. It’s Agatha Blackmore. Nice to meet you Zee. What makes me different? And who is She?” I asked.
Mack pulled out the chair at the end of the table and sat down. “All will be explained. Trust us. Why you are different is beyond me, but She must want it that way.”
Owl looked at the human that was his best friend and gave him a long glance with his deeply set blue owlish eyes. “She is the Goddess Athena and the creator of this pocket universe that we call home. It is her will that the library is here rather than on Earth.”
“Athena is the one that brought both of you to us,” Owl continued. “Would you like to know why?”
Chapter Six
“The Gods are at war. You two are but pawns in a much greater game than you know about,” Mack started to explain.
“Uh, what?” I asked.
Owl flapped his wings a couple of times and swiveled his head to stare at the both of us. “As both of you know, the Gods still walk the Earth. Tens of thousands of years ago a pact was made between the Gods of light and dark. Interference with those of mortal blood was to be curtailed and balance would be respected. Or at least that was the idea. As you can imagine, both sides did try. But it didn’t work. Humanity is just too much fun to play with for some. For others, humanity is simply prey.”
“Rules were created by those that chose to ignore the pact. They promised to not attack each other directly and to only use intermediaries,” Mack chimed in.
“If the Gods were to fight each other directly, the world as you understand it would end. Their power is just that great. Certain individuals are chosen each year to advance the cause of the Gods and to do battle for the prize,” Owl explained.
“The prize? What is the purpose of a prize between gods?” I asked them.
“A goal, possibly bragging rights. Who knows the whims of the Gods? For our purposes, it gives us a way to keep score. At this moment we are winning. The Gods of Light are on top but that can change with the slightest action. The Dark is ever watchful and they play the long game. Which brings us back to you two,” Mack pointed at us.
“At some point in both your lives, a God has touched you in some way,” Owl told us. “They might have just pointed you in the right direction. You may not have even been aware of who or what they were at the time.”
Thinking back, I could only remember Emesh. I looked over at Zee. She and her cat were just staring into each other’s eyes.
“Here at the Library we serve Athena. She is the ultimate authority here,” Mack continued.
“How?” I asked the both of them.
Mack looked at Owl and gestured, saying, “You should take this one.”
“She’s a Goddess,” Owl started. “I served Athena’s every whim for millennia. When the Eternal War reached its highest point, the Gods separated themselves from us. Most of the dark Gods are still in their own realms, plotting and scheming. Some few are loose or have avatars that can be controlled via dreams or direct contact. I am one of those, an avatar of the Gods. The Goddess Athena whispers to me sometimes,” Owl replied. “Occasionally she sends things to us here. Books, scrolls, or other works just appear. This place is much more than a library. It is a storehouse of knowledge hedged against the apocalypse.”
Zee sat up straighter in her chair and asked, “The dark Gods, they allow you to do this?”
“Not directly,” Mack replied. “You may have noticed when you arrived that the town of the Mystical Library is small. Four main buildings comprise the city center. There is a small commercial center off one of its alleys, but this pocket universe is small. One of the greater buildings houses our army. At one time some of them were part of the 3rd Cyrenaica Legion. Travelers such as yourselves have filled out the Legion, bringing with them technology and military tactics not known to Rome. We are attacked frequently.”
“Attacked by whom?” I asked.
The Owl of Athena swiveled his head around to stare at Mack for a moment. I really wished that telepathy was one of my strong points. Just being able to hear that conversation would have been priceless.
“It varies. You have to understand the sort of travelers we get through here. The realms are… Have you ever been to a mall?” Mack asked.
Zee looked puzzled, “Mall? We are attacking someone?”
“Wrong word Zee. I meant a shopping mall,” Mack replied.
I nodded. “Of course. Lots of shops all in one big building.”
Mack pointed at me. “That. The realms are like a gigantic mall. Many doors on a hall if you like. Each opens up to a new and interesting place. And like shops in the marketplace, sometimes they move, sometimes they completely close up. This small pocket universe was created for us by Athena. She dragged this building here before it was to be destroyed in Alexandria on Earth. The other buildings here came from other places. People and things appear as they are needed. Do you understand?”
“The people in the square,” I said. “They weren’t surprised by us.”
“No, they weren’t,” Mack answered. “We have four marked Portals into this realm at the moment. Three of them are used on a regular basis by scholars, traders, and travelers. You, Agatha, came through one of the most used. Zee over there though? She surprised us. Her Portal was thought to be closed.”
Zee gave him a surprised look. “Closed? It just appeared inside my practice cavern. It was never there in the first place!�
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Owl flapped his wings again. “Blame the Gods then,” he said. “You are a part of this somehow. In my time they would have been all mystical about it. They would have said it was your destiny to be here.”
“There were once several Portals leading in and out of Russia. Each of the major Vampire cities used them for trade and as a safe way to travel. After what your people call the Purge, they were either shut or destroyed,” Mack explained.
Zee shook her head. “Nyet! Vampires do not exist.”
“I’m sorry to say they do,” Mack said. “Ask Agatha if you don’t believe me. She has one on her team. Your country was ruled by them for centuries. The Tsars were but puppets to their control. But the fall was hard. Too many of their elders died and chaos ensued. The Portals were closed. You, Zee, are the first in decades to come through that particular one. We hope you aren’t the last.”
Mack sighed. The smile that seemed to stay on his face slipped away for just a moment.
“Why would she be the last?” I asked. Zee looked like she was still busy coming to terms with the thought of Vampires running her country.
“Because we depend upon trade to survive here. The Gods may have given us this place, but we are responsible for protecting it. Emesh is one of the few active Gods that we see on a regular basis. He keeps us fed but there are things beyond food that we need. Keep us in mind when you return to your respective countries,” Mack replied. He scrutinized each of us. “Owl and I don’t know why you were selected by the Gods. Each of you has strengths the other needs, perhaps? So we will train you to the Legion’s standards and find your mettle. We won’t force you to do this though. It has to be your choice.”
Dee, Zee’s cat, had been silent but now turned to her mistress and said, “Your grandmother would want this.”
Zee shook her head. “No. We have to return to the village. They will think us lost.”
“She is a seer,” the cat said calmly. “Do not discount that woman’s powers so easily. For all you know she foresaw this.” The cat turned to stare at me. She picked up a paw and pointed. “That one and her Familiar are known to me.”
“What are you talking about, Dee? How could you know an American woman and her Unicorn? No one from our village has ever seen one of those before!” Zee exclaimed. She laid both hands upon the cat as if to pet her. “There is no way this is another one of your insights. Tell me the truth!”
The cat rubbed her head on Zee’s hands and then shrugged out of the Witch’s grip. “I have taken oaths but I’m sure they will understand. There exists among familiars a sort of society. We have training and ranking such as our Masters do.”
Zee leaned back in her chair in shock. “Training? Is that where you disappeared to? You lied to me?”
The cat gave her mistress a discerning look. “I never told you a lie. I just never gave you the whole truth. It was those stupid birds that catnapped me in the first place. They introduced me to the concept and the training of being a familiar, like I didn’t already know it. Familiars like to be among our own kind. Ask the Unicorn if you don’t believe me.”
Fergus trotted out onto the table and gave the cat a look. He shook his head and said his favorite phrase. “No idea what you’re saying right now.” He looked back at me and batted his eyes. “The only kind I know of are other Unicorns and my herd thinks I’m dead.”
“Then maybe I’m mistaken. But I don’t think so,” Dee replied. Turning back to Zee she lowered her voice to almost a whisper. “This Witch is the one that has caused our people to lose their places in America. Remember what the men said? That a woman of power who spoke the mother tongue suborned their oaths? It is she.”
Zee turned to me. “Truth?”
“Not exactly. Most Americans take contracts at face value and don’t understand what your people are saying. Your people do what the contract says exactly. Nothing extra. All I did was correct how the government looked at them,” I explained. Switching to Russian I went into detail about how the mercenaries said one thing and the contract another. It took a moment but finally Zee nodded.
“Ah, is language interpretation. I will tell my village when I return. Maybe we can correct that,” Zee replied.
Mack looked at both of us. “All better now? We’ve arranged quarters in the Legion hall. Training begins immediately.”
Chapter Seven
My head spun in all directions as we exited through the rear of what the librarians had called the barracks. “This is crazy!”
More than a hundred men hacked and chopped at each other in mock combat in what I could only describe as the largest artificial parade ground in the universe. The enclosed area had to have covered at least a thousand acres.
“When we first arrived, there was only the Legion,” Mack explained. He brushed a bit of dirt from his toga-like garment. “Several units of the 3rd Cyrenaica Legion were snatched by the Gods from their post in Arabia. They were originally from Alexandria, and I suppose the Goddess thought it was poetic justice. They brought with them most of the 4th Martia Legion and auxiliaries.”
I allowed my eyes to focus on the main group of warriors in front of us while scanning with my Mage sight. Except for a couple of sparks here and there these men were all human. “What’s an auxiliary?”
“Good question. Think of them as volunteer special forces. While only actual citizens of Rome could serve in the Legion, they would recruit non-citizens who could earn their way in. Serve twenty-five years in the Legion as a volunteer and gain citizenship. One of Earth's twentieth centuries best science fiction writers said it best. ‘Service guarantees citizenship.’ They served as archers, slingers, lancers, scouts, you get the picture.” Mack watched the men, deep in thought. He looked like he was trying to remember what it was like in Alexandria more than two thousand years ago.
“These are the same?” Zee asked, her eyes were very wide as she took the field in.
“The same men?” At Zee’s nod Mack continued. “Some are. The rest are more recent recruits. You would have to ask Owl just how many he’s brought here, but the number is very large. A few have found their way to us through the Portals. But not many. Feel free to ask around if you wish.”
A man dressed in what appeared to be an archaic uniform of black pants and red shirt complete with epaulets approached us. Stamping his foot as if marching, he came to attention. “Sir!”
Mack smiled. “Sergeant Adams, thank you for joining us.”
“As ordered, sir!” Un-shouldering his carbine, Adams came to a parade rest.
“Ladies, this is Sergeant Ernest Adams, late of his Majesty’s 44th Regiment of Foot. Owl snatched up the sergeant and several other men in Afghanistan. He is to be your primary training instructor here,” Mack explained. “Sergeant, this is Agatha Blackmore and Zee. As instructed, they are to learn tactics, both singular and unit. Any other instruction is up to time permitting. Miss Blackmore is part of the American constabulary and might need handgun instruction.”
“Excellent sir. It shall be done as you ask.” The sergeant stomped his feet in response.
Mack nodded and looked me in the eyes. “This is where I leave you. Your quarters will be shown you and all amenities will be provided. We are not barbarians here. Have fun.”
Sergeant Adams waited until Mack was almost out of earshot before laying into the both of us. He pointed toward the library. “Attention! Out there they still call us the 3rd Cyrenaica but we are so much more now. We are the Legion of the Damned. Damned to fight and damned to stay. Our world is gone. If we wish to live, we have to fight for it. For the next few weeks you will learn, as we have, that any training is good training.”
They say that war is hell. Whoever they are haven’t been trained for it by Sergeant Ernest Adams. Before we knew it, Zee and I were dressed in basic Legionnaire uniform and exercising with our new unit.
“Keep going ladies! I want twenty push-ups before you stop,” Sergeant Adams yelled. He was marching up and down past us
screaming encouragement as we went.
“Ugh, Sergeant? Were you in the British army?” I pulled myself up on my toes and arms and counted out my last push-up. Calisthenics was not something I did in the morning anymore, but maybe I should start up again.
The sergeant stopped in front of me and looked down. “Good job recruit. Zee, you need to work on your upper body strength like Blackmore here. Don’t worry, we’ll show you. In answer to your question, yes. Before the Owl brought me here, I was in her Majesty Queen Victoria’s army.”
“Two hundred years ago, Sergeant?” I asked him.
Sergeant Adams cocked his head and looked upward. “Yes, that sounds about right. Amongst the troops I’m but a babe in arms. They are the true ageless warriors. We were in Gandamak, putting down a revolt by rebel tribesman. It was winter in the mountains. So cold there were icicles on the horses. I can remember telling the men to check their fingers and toes hourly for frostbite. Too many of the young ones hid their affliction, not wanting body parts removed. The rictus of a man in agony caused by gangrene is a worse condition by far than just having one’s finger chopped off.”
The sergeant made a chopping motion with his hand that made my blood run cold.
“It was a mistake on the General’s part to take us that far north without proper planning, and we paid the price. Twelve thousand of us, not counting the civilians started the march. Attrition and guerrilla attacks took the majority of the men. The Afghan tribesmen were just too many for us to hold against. They hit our column in waves of screaming cavalry. At the end of our campaign we held the mountain pass that led to safety with a single unit. Two hundred of us against thousands of them. If not for Owl I would have died with my men,” Adams mused. He stamped to attention and saluted.
Zee looked up at him and asked, “Where was this?”
