Ascension Watchers

by Amy Proebstel

  “It was something very different,” Debbon agreed. “Maybe we can link minds the next time, so I can determine how you actually hold it so well. We literally could no longer see you, but it was quite different than a simple invisibility spell, much different.” Debbon scratched his chin in contemplation, wishing he had time to explore it immediately. “Unfortunately, our time has come to an end for today’s lesson. You’ve certainly left me with something wonderful to contemplate, Gevena. Very nice work, ladies. We’ll meet again next week, same time, if that works for you both.” He clapped his hands in satisfaction as both girls nodded their consent. “Now, let’s get you to the Gate room and I’ll send you back to your proper homes.”

  The girls followed after Debbon talking about what had been going on in their crystal studies. Just after Debbon turned the corner in front of them, she leaned closer to Gevena and asked, “Did he seem preoccupied with something today?”

  “Yeah, I thought so. What do you think it is?”

  “I don’t know,” she answered, thinking to herself it might have something to do with Elder Vargen’s investigation, which she was not supposed to know anything about. There was little else which seemed to phase the great Elder Debbon, yet this would surely cause him to have second and possibly third thoughts before pursuing any actions against another Elder.

  Valentina stood back while Elder Debbon sent Gevena home to Manzanit using Rasa’s Gate on the other end. Her own transfer would not be as straightforward since Debbon had created basically a wormhole which landed her in the center of her bedroom on Earth. At first, she had been slightly disconcerted with the notion that anybody could enter her room unannounced until Debbon had assured her the pathway was linked only to her and her siblings. Thoughts of Behn suddenly made her cringe and wonder if the Gate would still work for him, but she had to assume it would should they ever have to use it.

  “Your turn, Vala,” Debbon announced as she remained staring into space with other thoughts. He had begun using Willian’s nickname for her to try to make her more at ease in his company. “Remember to focus on your destination. We wouldn’t want you getting lost in the transfer.” He chuckled at his own joke.

  “Can that really happen? I mean, I thought you were controlling this!” She hesitated while stepping toward the Gate and turned her head to wait for Debbon’s answer.

  “I do control it, but you should also back me up with thinking of your destination at the same time. Think of it as an exercise in preparation for learning to operate a telepod. You know you’re going to have to fly them eventually, right?”

  “I guess I never really thought about it. I think it’d be fun.” She smiled and took the final step into the Gate, turning around to face Debbon and await his thumbs up to indicate he had begun the transfer. She thought of her room as she saw his hand raise, and everything disappeared around her.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  “ARE YOU READY to go home, Ian?” Debbon asked as soon as the door shut behind him. He had felt restless all day since he knew Vargen’s time as Elder had reached its end. For some reason, he felt obligated to Ian to get him removed from Tuala before any attempt to apprehend Vargen.

  Ian rounded on him, his expression showing a mixture of anticipation and trepidation. “Did you finish? Did you get everything you need to stop Vargen?”

  “Let’s not talk about it here.” His pleased expression seemed to tip Ian off more than anything. “Gather what you’d like to bring home, leave anything identifiable as being foreign. We wouldn’t want you to get yourself in trouble with your government back at home, now would we?”

  Panic began to overwhelm Ian at the possibility. “Could that really happen? I don’t think I could handle going through something like this again!”

  “If you want, I can alter your memories slightly so you won’t be able to have any identifiable details of your time here.” Debbon failed to mention he was going to have to do some tinkering with his head just so he would have his memory back after going through the veil between dimensions again. Otherwise, he would end up in the same confused, lost state as he had been upon arrival in Tuala.

  Ian thought about it for a moment and then nodded. “I think that’d be for the best. As much as I’d like to remember some of the things about here, most of it would be better off forgotten. Thank you, Elder Debbon.” Ian gathered a few trinkets as he talked, only simple things he thought his daughters would like when he finally reunited with them. “Okay, I’m ready.” He turned to leave only to discover he no longer had company, and the door stood open with his co-worker stepping inside.

  “Are you going somewhere, Ian?”

  “Oh! I didn’t hear you knock. What’s going on?” Ian tried to play casual, furtively looking around the room to discover what had happened to Elder Debbon.

  “You said you were ready. Who were you talking to?” Zelden persisted.

  Ian had never cared for the pretentious man, and he had no idea what would have caused him to begin questioning him in his own home. His anger stirred, and he answered hotly, “I don’t recall asking you to come over and I certainly don’t have to answer your questions. I’m entitled to talk to myself even if it’s none of your business.”

  “Oh, well, that’s where you’re wrong, Ian. You’ve been stirring up trouble at work, gathering people to meet secretly. Oh, yes, I know all about what you’ve been doing because I followed you several times. What do you think Elder Vargen would think about your little meetings? Do you think he’d be interested in knowing about it?”

  “What do you want, Zelden? Get to your point or get out. I don’t have the time or patience to deal with you.”

  “Like I asked before, where are you going?”

  “Home!” he burst out. “I’ve had enough of this place, and I’m ready to get back to my own life doing the things which make me happy.”

  Clearly, Zelden had expected a different answer and he paused for a moment trying to plan his next move. Smiling evilly, Zelden taunted, “Go ahead and try to leave. I’ll alert the facility of your plans and they’ll drag you right back into the reformation program again. Or, you could give me the plans for the crystal drive components you were designing and then I might not notice you went anywhere.”

  Ian almost laughed at Zelden’s self-serving request. He decided to play along and act scared of the threat. “Listen, I don’t want to cause any trouble. You know what? Here,” he strode hurriedly to his desk and pulled out several files from his drawer, all marked confidential. “Take all of these; tell them they’re your own designs. Just let me leave in peace.”

  “Now, why would I let you get off that easy, Ian? You must think I’m really stupid! If you leave now, then how will I keep getting these brilliant ideas to submit? No, I think you’ll stay right here for you to keep giving me your ideas and I’ll pretend that all of your clandestine meetings with fellow weirdos like yourself didn’t happen. How about that plan?”

  Ian saw the front door shut as if by itself. He realized then that Elder Debbon had been witness to the entire extortion plan. He chuckled and waited.

  “Why are you laughing? You think this is funny? Do you think I won’t go through with this?” Zelden stepped forward until he was within inches of Ian’s face, although his shorter stature made it almost seem comical.

  Debbon allowed the shield to evaporate as he stepped up behind Zelden. He reached up and touched the man’s shoulder, causing him to turn in fright. “I don’t think you’ll be doing anything to harm Ian or anyone else ever again.” His touch seemed to vibrate slightly before he pulled his hand away as if disgusted with having to touch the extortionist at all.

  “What did you do to him?” Ian asked, edging away from the offensive man so he could face Debbon squarely.

  “I froze him in time. We can discuss this later as well.” Without saying another word, he gestured toward the front door and nodded his head to indicate they should leave.

  One last time, Ian glanced une
asily toward Zelden before deciding he should take the Elder’s advice and leave as soon as possible. Imagining Zelden springing into action in the next instant kept him motivated to get going.

  “You won’t need those.” Debbon pointed to the files still clutched in Ian’s hand.

  He looked down as if surprised to see anything. “Oh, right.” Ian tossed the documents carelessly onto the desk and walked out of his house, confident Elder Debbon remained beside him although he became cloaked to invisibility again. He almost believed he could feel the energy pulse near his left side, but it had to only be because he knew the Elder was there.

  Debbon would have rather used his power to translate them directly from Ian’s house, yet he did not want to create an energy spike that would bring attention to Vargen. He kept on high alert as they walked the darkened streets on their way to the landing field where his assistant waited in a borrowed telepod. Debbon wanted nothing left to chance on this transfer.

  Together they walked up the side ramp, and the door rose up behind them, leaving them in the even darker interior. “Strap in, Ian,” Debbon advised even as he remained invisible.

  Ian hardly knew what to do with himself. Never before had he experienced a telepod ride, and he was unashamed to admit the whole idea of it scared the snot out of him. Somehow, he managed to get buckled in just before he felt the craft lift from the ground. He closed his eyes and held his breath, not wanting to know when it happened. Even with his precautions, the nothingness he experienced let him know they were traveling, and he hoped his fear would not cause him to cry out in panic.

  Feeling a hand clap his shoulder, he jumped nervously and opened his eyes. “Are we there?”

  “You did good, Ian. The first leg of our journey is complete. Let’s get inside so we can get you home.”

  “The first leg?” he asked nervously. “I thought this was it.”

  “I’m sorry, Ian, no. We’re at the Elder Isle Residence, where we’ll use my Gate to get you home. Come on, cheer up, at least now you know what to expect.”

  Ian unfastened the belt and rose on shaky legs. He had to trust Elder Debbon to keep him safe, he had done everything else he had promised so far. The short walk helped Ian come to terms with the next transfer, reasoning his family would be waiting for him at the end of it all, which rejuvenated him almost instantly.

  He watched avidly as Debbon fiddled with several controls and screens of a large console inside a darkened room which he imagined few ever witnessed, fewer still if they were from Earth. Debbon finished with a flourish and came up beside him. “This way.”

  They stepped down into a depression on the dirt floor. “Keep your hands at your sides, count to seven, and keep yourself from screaming if you can.”

  “What? Why would I scream? Is this going to hurt?”

  “No, but it is a rather unusual feeling to travel without the benefit of a craft surrounding you. It is time.”

  Emptiness instantly engulfed them, leaving Ian feeling alone, cold, and more than a lot scared. He tried to do as the Elder had instructed, but the panic inside him warred with his rational side. If the trip would have been even an instant longer, Ian was certain he would have died of fright. Never again did he want to go through such an experience. Feeling returned, musty smells, and a slight breeze, even though he still remained blind.

  “I can’t see!” Ian announced, not knowing where he was or who he was for that matter.

  “Because we’re inside a very dark cave. Here, let me.” Debbon created a sphere of elemy, effectively illuminating the perfectly round cavern where they had appeared. “Let’s go.”

  The man with him did not have to tell him twice, he almost ran over him in his haste to get out into the open and breathe in the fresh air.

  “Wait here,” Debbon grabbed Ian’s arm to restrain him. “There’s something I have to do for you first.”

  “Look, mister, I don’t know who you are or why we were in that cave just now, but you need to let go of my arm before I hurt you.” Ian struggled unsuccessfully to free himself from the iron grip. Suddenly, his mind felt different, and his focus sharpened. “Thanks, Debbon! That was a really cool experience in the cave. I’ll be sure to tell Katherine about it.”

  “You know, it might be better if you didn’t,” Debbon assured him. “Let’s get back to your house so Katherine won’t get worried.” Debbon led the way down the trail, not mentioning how he used the elemy to propel each of their steps further than normal, almost as if they were on a moving floor.

  Debbon had transferred them back in time to the same evening Ian had originally gone missing. Short of creating a complicated back-story for Ian, he believed this timeframe would be the best reward he could give the man who had launched Vargen’s investigation. Debbon continued to fold the ground beneath them until they arrived in Ian’s neighborhood. Luckily, the late hour had everyone safely inside their homes, so nobody would witness their abrupt arrival.

  “I had no idea we had any caves within walking distance to my house,” Ian mused. “Come inside and meet Katherine.”

  He walked up to the front door and let himself in. He took exactly one step inside before he froze in disbelief; the house had been ransacked. All else ceased to exist except his need to find his wife and children to make certain they were safe. “Katherine!” he yelled, walking over the top of the mess, heedless of any of it in his terror to locate his family.

  “Ian!” Katherine cried out from the kitchen, appearing in the doorway as she spoke.

  “Are you okay? The girls? What happened here?”

  “Yes, yes, we’re okay. We went to the movies and came home to this! I just called the authorities, I’m so thankful you’re home now.” She ran to her husband’s open arms, noticing the man who had accompanied him inside. “Who’s he?”

  “A friend,” Ian answered immediately.

  “Did you check the house for intruders?” Debbon asked, instantly alarmed.

  “I was afraid to by myself. I couldn’t leave the girls alone.”

  “Stay put, I’ll check,” Debbon ordered. Instantly shielding himself, he rushed from room to room, using elemy to track any life forms, only to discover the house was devoid of anything significant other than being completely trashed throughout. He returned to the kitchen and announced, “All clear. Whoever came here, certainly didn’t leave anything untouched. What do you suppose he was looking for and did he get it?”

  Ian and Katherine looked at one another in alarm.

  “What is it?” Debbon asked, ready to jump into action.

  “A family heirloom,” Ian groaned. “Let’s go look.” He picked up one of the little girls and held her close to him while Katherine mirrored his motion with the other child. The group left the kitchen to walk down the hallway until they reached the last door, which happened to lead to the master bedroom. Ian made a choking sound as he saw the hole punched in the wall where he had hidden the precious treasure.

  “Oh, no!” Katherine cried out. “It’s gone!”

  Ian crossed the wrecked room, unbelievingly, and placed his hand inside the empty cavern, hoping it had merely been pushed off to the side. Although the main object had been taken, the family journal had been left leaning against the side of the stud just out of sight. Feeling rather downtrodden that the heirloom would get lost during his generation of caretaking, his sorrow was only slightly lessened by the discovery of the small book.

  Closing his eyes with a bit of relief, he pulled the tattered journal out and brought it close to his heart. Turning around, he declared, “It’s gone, but they didn’t get everything.”

  “I’m so sorry, Ian, but I must say that thing did give me the creeps, just thinking its sightless eyes could somehow see us through the wall.” Katherine had walked over to her husband, where she rested her hand on top of his, where he held the journal. “At least you still have this.”

  “It’s small compensation for what was lost,” Ian lamented.

  They wer
e interrupted by a knocking on the front door. Katherine turned, seeing the flashing red and blue lights outside of the bedroom window. “The police are here. I’ll go let them in,” she announced to nobody in particular.

  Debbon stepped closer to Ian, urgently wanting to talk with him before the police demanded all of his attention. When Katherine had mentioned the sightless eyes, he had felt a leap inside his heart, he had to know more about the stolen object. “What did your family heirloom look like?”

  Ian set his daughter down so he could use both of his hands to demonstrate the size. He held his two palms close to one another, cupping them, so his fingertips almost touched one another as he said, “It’s a clear, crystal skull about this big.”

  “Was it called a samara?”

  “You’ve heard of it? How?” Ian’s eyes grew large in disbelief.

  Debbon sighed wearily, thinking he could have been so close to retrieving his own samara only to have it stolen mere hours before he could get to it. Could his task ever get any easier? Already he lamented over being one of the last to find his, now he would have to seek it out through Earth rather than his own world.

  “There are thirteen samaras which were originally given to the Watchers for safekeeping until they would be called into action in the future.”

  “Yes! I read something about that in this journal. My grandfather used to like to tell scary stories about strange things happening if he ever touched the samara. Grandad used to say he was a descendant of the Watchers.”

  “And then you found yourself in my world, just happened to be a person I interviewed,” Debbon murmured, turning around to gather his thoughts. Surely there were too many coincidences for this to be Amanda’s samara rather than his own. He whirled around and asked, “Would you mind if I read that journal? Maybe I could figure out who took it or where they might have gone.”