Ray giggled for bit. “Right, and now for something completely different. This temple not only amplifies one’s memories, it also accumulates knowledge from its past visitors. This could prove very useful to you, Steve.”
“Now we’re getting somewhere,” I said. “So does this mean that even though you were created from my memories, I still might be able to ask you things that you can retrieve from the database that this place is storing? Is that how it works?”
“Brilliant deduction, Steve,” he said. “You’re getting quite good at this.”
I thought about it for a minute. “Okay, so is it true that the Fomorians built this place? What was it for?”
“Yes, they built this temple a long time ago,” Ray said. “They wanted it to be sort of like a library, a place where they could store their collective memories of past events, knowledge and as a remembrance for the ones that they loved. You have to realize that they do not have a written language as such, their stories are passed down orally.”
My eyebrows shot up. “Blimey, this is all that, is it? You told me once that the Fomorians were the original inhabitants of Ireland, before the Celtic gods overthrew them, is that still correct?”
“That’s a good question,” Ray said. “It seems that this place has fallen into ruin over time somewhat, so the records I can sense are incomplete or fragmentary. There have been a number of conflicting stories too. I’m sorry but I can’t give you the answer to that.”
“Okay, have any Fomorians visited this place recently?”
Ray had a surprised look on his face. “Why, yes actually. I can’t estimate what year on earth it was but a certain Fomorian leader named Drel actually came over and used this very platform that you’re seeing right now.”
“And? What kind of memories was he trying to retrieve?”
Ray looked off into the distance. He looked exactly like that in class when trying to solve a tricky maths problem. “It…seems he was accessing the entire memory tree for anything to do with someone called Orna. That’s all I can remember, I’m afraid.”
I shook my head. “Orna? It doesn’t really ring a bell to me either. Was that the only thing he was trying to access?”
Ray quickly placed his hands over his ears and bent down in agony.
I stepped up onto the platform to try and help him but then I realized that he was just a sort of three-dimensional hologram as my hands passed right through him. I stepped back down and watched helplessly. “Ray, are you alright?”
He seemed to have recovered as he stood up straight once more. “This Drel is a pretty clever fellow. It seems he sort of placed guardian spells and such to safeguard and cover up his visit to the temple. When I tried to probe deeper into what he did I almost lost cohesion. Luckily you’re still here and I was able to reconstruct myself.”
I let out a deep breath. “Oh, thank God for that. I would have been absolutely gutted if I lost you again, even if you’re sort of just a magical memory program right now.”
“Yes, thank you,” Ray said. “Although you must be disappointed that I’m unable to learn any more beyond the little stuff that I just told you.”
I smirked. “Well, it’s a start. Let’s see, I have a name of a Fomorian leader, which is Drel. And I have another mysterious name, which is Orna. Now I’m going to have to Sherlock Holmes those two in order to find out a little more.”
Ray nodded. “This would be just the start of your investigation then.”
An idea suddenly popped up in my head. “Ray, if I could ask, does this Fomorian database have anything on the mirror that was taken from me by those gangsters? All I know is that Amicus the wizard used it for a variety of things, one of which was being able to travel to different worlds as well as banish his enemies into one of them. I know it’s a bit of a long shot since it’s more of an Aztec thing, I believe.”
As soon as I asked that question, Ray’s form suddenly began to blur and fade, like someone was simultaneously trying to delete and replace him with something else. His being soon shifted in intensity and started to throw out bright sparks, his aura changing.
There was really nothing I could do at that point. A part of me wished I had never even asked him about that mirror. “Ray! No! Stop it! Come back!” I said as I covered my eyes due to the blinding intensity of the cascading energy around the stage.
Even with my eyes closed, I could still sense bright splotches in my eyes and I tried to blink them off. It took a long minute for the blinding flashes to finally go away. The moment I put my arms back down and opened my eyes, I saw that Ray was gone. Standing on the stage where he once stood was an adult man wearing a bright green and yellow feathered headdress, shoulder harness and loincloth. His skin was of an unnatural jet black, the color of night. As I looked closer I let out a gasp. I could actually see twinkling stars and the moon across his skin, it was as if he reflected the evening sky itself.
I started to breathe heavily again. “What happened? Where’s Ray?”
“Your friend is of no concern to me,” the man said. “You asked a question and here I am before you.”
“Did you hurt Ray? What did you do with him?”
He had a look of disappointment. “Fool. The form that once stood before you was not really your friend. Just as the form that you now see before you is but an imprint from your memory and that of others.”
It took me a while but then I got it. “Now I understand. This temple contraption sort of changes the being that stands on the platform, depending on what my questions or memories are, yes?”
“Correct,” the man said.
“So when I asked Ray about the mirror, it was sort of like a change in subject and the temple adjusted and changed his form into yours, right?”
“Correct,” he said again.
“Then this could only mean that the mirror I once had is yours,” I said. “And that you are Tezcatlipoca. But the problem is, I don’t have the mirror in my possession any longer. It was taken from me.”
He stared at me dryly. “I task you to retrieve my mirror. The possession has been passed on to you and the only way to make use of it is through your will.”
“But I really didn’t take it from Amicus, I sort of inherited it when the power of that device was sort of turned inside out.”
“When the possessor of the mirror has been killed, then it shall pass on to the first that picks it up,” Tezcatlipoca said.
“So I reckon that can only mean that Amicus Tarr is dead, yeah?”
“His material form was destroyed when the energies of my mirror reversed after you struck it with the silver branch,” Tezcatlipoca said.
I shrugged. “That was nothing more than a matter of luck, you know. I threw that magical branch in a fit of desperation.”
“Your friend greatly helped you out in that battle. It was through his influence that the branch was able to strike my mirror.”
So Ray did do a lot more for me than I could ever repay him for. I looked away. “My mate Ray…he was a good friend. The best of all time. I hope he truly is at peace.”
Tezcatlipoca didn’t answer. He just stood there, like a statue.
I didn’t want to have to cry again but I needed to know. “Answer my question: is my friend at peace now?”
“For now,” he said.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Like many of noble souls, he is destined to be reborn again, once the cosmic cycle is complete,” the god said.
I couldn’t help but smile. “So he’ll get another chance at life? I can’t think of anyone who deserves it more than him.” I stared up at the ceiling. “Bless you, Ray. Wherever you are.”
Tezcatlipoca pointed a finger at me. “I have imbued you with my partial essence. It will stir within you and it shall compel you to find my mirror.”
“Oh, what’s so bloody important about your mirror anyway?”
“It is the key to my rebirth,” he said. “Heed my words. A shaman will come forth and p
resent himself to you, and you must guide him to my enemies.”
“What? I don’t even know what a shaman is!”
“This chosen man will speak to the spirit world and he shall carry my message to my rivals. Two of my brothers cast me out and I shall have my revenge against them. The mirror is also the key to your own battle against the forces that threaten your people. With the power of the mirror, you can both create and seal the bridges across time,” Tezcatlipoca said.
I felt like nothing more than a puppet on a string. “Well, it seems like I don’t have any choice, do I?”
His form immediately began to crackle with blinding sheets of energy. Moments later he started to fade away. “No, you do not!”
And then he was gone. The sounds of grinding stones started up almost immediately and I could see the massive door being unsealed. Sensing that there was nothing further to be gained by staying in here, I turned around and walked out of the place.
Chapter 5
When I got back out into the clearing, Erin was still there. She had been sitting on one of the massive stone blocks that were strewn about. She noticed me as soon as I made my way out of the cavernous entrance, and she stood up and walked on over.
I had a blank expression on my face as I shook her hand. “How long have you been waiting?”
“Not really sure, to be honest,” she said. “As you well know, time passes differently in these worlds. Did you find out about anything?”
I nodded. “A few things. Bits and pieces, mostly. I learned that there was a Fomorian leader named Drel who visited this place just recently. How recently, I’m not too sure. He was searching for someone named Orna back on earth. Then I had this South American god appear after that and he had a talk with me, though I’m not quite sure how it all fits at this stage.”
She gave me an incredulous look. “A god appeared before you?”
“Yes,” I said. “I was in possession of a mirror before I was nabbed by a couple of gangsters. I’m still not quite sure of everything the mirror does, but it can transport me to other worlds such as this. Now these villains that took my mirror are also holding my sister’s boyfriend captive. I hope to God he’s still alive.”
Erin nodded. “That coincides with my experience somewhat. I’m aware that organized crime elements are still active in London, and that they may be working for the Fomorians.”
“Exactly right! They took my mirror from me and they quickly deduced that it was magical even though they never saw me use it,” I said. “That can only mean that they’re aware of what’s happening, and in fact, may be looking for more magical items. One of the more senior hard men was wearing a torc around his neck. Those neck rings seem to work as some sort of pass, since I heard from them that the Fomorians won’t attack anyone who wears them.”
“That’s news to me,” she said. “Getting our hands on those torcs could solve a big problem. It would mean immunity against the Fomorians, thereby giving us a way to infiltrate wherever it is that they reside.”
“But to get a couple of those torcs means we are going to have to take on quite a few gangsters,” I said.
“Well you did say that your sister’s boyfriend is still being held by them and they have your magical mirror. I would say that’s about as much motivation as you would ever need to go after them,” Erin said nonchalantly.
I frowned at her. “Easier said than done. You’re a woman and I’m not exactly the fighting man type.”
Now it was her turn to get annoyed. “What does my being a woman have to do with anything? What exactly are you insinuating?”
I smirked as my eyeballs rolled upwards. “Oh, nothing really. It’s just, you know, some people might be thinking that a woman wouldn’t be strong enough to…”
She was clearly getting riled up. “To do what? Take on men? I’ll have you know that I’ve been trained since I was a child by my father to battle Fomorians. A few gangsters won’t even be a challenge for me.”
I stuck my lower lip out. “Right. That’s what they all say. Excuse me for being so skeptical—”
Within a split second I was lying with my back on the ground. Erin was standing over me, painfully extending my right arm while holding my hand in a vise grip. Her soft leather boot was at my throat.
I closed my eyes; the pain from my outstretched arm was nearly unbearable. “Hey, stop it! That hurts!”
“So I’m weak against men, am I? Well you sure aren’t much of a problem,” Erin sneered as she stood above me. The agony was so bad that it felt like she was about to break my arm in two at any moment.
“Playing children can get very, very rough at times!” a shrill voice from across the clearing said. “Rough, rough, rough. To see who is the weak one and who is the tough!”
Almost immediately, Erin let go of my arm and took a step back. I quickly sat up and groaned as I rubbed my still-aching appendage. Her strength was such that I felt like my arm was almost torn off of my shoulder. I had a feeling that there would be a bruise where my upper limb socket was should I ever decide to examine myself. As the pain gradually subsided, I looked to where the voice had been coming from. Standing at the edge of the other side of the clearing was a tall, shaggy man who was dressed in rags and furs. The voice was familiar to me but I had not recognized him initially, since the last time I had seen him he was partially hidden by the darkness of the Underground.
“Myrddin!” I said as I slowly got up from the ground. “I thought that the Fomorians had got to you! I’m sure glad that you’re still alive.”
Erin’s suspicious demeanor didn’t change. “You two know each other?”
Myrddin made his way into the center of the clearing, prancing around like some strange dancer. “Know, know, know, everybody knows everything! The fortunes, all events bring! The answers are all around us!”
I looked at Erin. “I was trapped in the Tube tunnels after escaping from the villains that abducted me. Myrddin was able to show me the way to get to this world.”
Myrddin tiptoed towards me as he continued his frenetic dance. “Portals! Portals everywhere! The world as we know it is full of tubes, and these tubes are full of holes! And these holes lead to other holes!”
Erin’s mouth was wide open as she shook her head slowly from side to side. “He’s mad.”
Myrddin danced around us, pirouetting while waving his arms in the air, like it was some sort of ballet. I remembered my sister Amy taking ballet lessons. My mum and dad took me to her first recital a few years back. We ultimately had to excuse ourselves from the audience because I just couldn’t stop laughing at the whole show. My parents grounded me for a week after that incident.
“They called me mad,” Myrddin said, singing the words out. It was as if this whole scene had suddenly turned into a musical. “But they called anyone who was ever a genius mad as well. If it were not for madmen we would all be languishing in hell. Mad as days, mad as bold. Count the time when the real truth be told.”
Erin by this time was speaking through clenched teeth. “Is there a point to all of this?”
I held out my hand to him. “Myrddin, I’m glad to see you well, mate. Is there a way you can get us back to earth?”
Myrddin immediately stopped his prancing, took a bow and shook my hand. “Of course, Steve. I know the way back, since it was I who sent you here, after all. The portals will take anyone, both short and tall.”
“Wait a minute,” Erin said as she walked up beside me. “You got here through him?”
“He showed me some sort of portal in one of the tunnels in the London Underground,” I said. “What about you? How did you get over here?”
“I was fighting a Fomorian in England,” Erin said. “While I struggled with him I was able to take his torc off and the next thing I knew I was transported here. I never found the torc and assumed that it fell into part of the muck that covers this place. I came upon the settlement with those refugees from London and I tried to organize them into a sort of resistance
movement, but they put me into a cage instead.”
She seemed formidable but I was still skeptical. “You fought a Fomorian and you were able to take his torc off? Well I can’t say I believe you at this time, especially since I saw fewer than a dozen of those monsters take on two British Army squaddies and slaughter them without a sweat,” I said.
Erin was angry but she was able to control her temper this time. “You’ve got a lot of nerve telling me what a woman can’t do and what a man can.”
“I’m just going by facts,” I said. “Men are generally stronger than women.”
She snorted. “So says the little man wearing women’s trainers.”
“Come off it! I had to get a pair of trainers in the dark while I was being hunted by gangsters I’ll have you know,” I said. “I couldn’t exactly see what I was doing until it was all over. So I made a cock-up, so what? I’ll grab a pair of men’s trainers when we get back. Easy peasy.”
“Knowing you, you probably fancied a pair of girl’s trainers,” Erin said. She was clearly enjoying herself now.
I grimaced. “Shut it! If you weren’t a girl, I’d smash your head in!”
Erin clenched her fists and took a step forward. “I’d like to see you try, little man…”
Myrddin laughed. “The children are still at play, and one accuses the other of being gay! While the younglings dither and thrash about, the rest of England has turned into rout.”
I looked down at the ground. “He’s right. I think we need to work together. I’m sorry for what I said. Perhaps you can fight them, and so that means I will be needing your help.”
Erin put her hands down. “That’s better. So where do we go from here?”
“Back to London,” I said. “I’d like to go find my sister first, and tell her what happened. I’ve already lost my best mate, and I would be absolutely devastated if I lost her.”
Erin nodded. “Alright. Where did you leave her?”
“At an old wizard’s house, in Highgate,” I said.
“An old wizard?” Erin said. “Was he good or bad?”
The Fomorians Page 6
