by J P Nelson
Chapter 34
WHEN THE GREEN light emerged in the heavens, Albri was high up on Wessox Mountain. He was seated behind the magnificent telescope in the structure he had come to call Starlab, taking notes on recent observations.
From the beginning, young Albri had listened to ongoing talks between Logan, Teaberry, Feila, and Gordi and become enamored with learning ancient history, finding artifacts long forgotten, and what-have-you. But when Teaberry escorted him to Jon’s Galley, a diner in Merceil, to wait for the gentleman who would take him to Anton University, he reminded him of long talks they had had.
“You are but a youth, not even taken to shave, but your mind is far, far beyond even the smartest minds of our day. You may do as you wish, we have provided for your education for as long as you wish to study. But there are many who pursue academic recognition in their ideas of history. Most have never ventured foot outside of protective civilization, and many are fools.
“Anyone can step out and attempt what we do. True, only the few and far between survive at it, but the chance is rare to study deep science. This school is the best of the best in offering of physics, and you have an uncanny talent for it.
“Learn all you can, delve into the study. We are but grunts who learned on edge of the blade. You have been declared a prodigy. Not one of our group since Shei’Lu, has anyone had the benefit of classical training. When the time is right, your place is reserved.”
It was a difficult thing for the thirteen year old boy to do. The challenges were many, but by age nineteen he became youngest in the history of Anton University to be proclaimed Professor of Physics, and employed by the university. Students, who had once been harsh, cruel, and obnoxious, were now bringing him apples in hopes of seeking his favor. It was amusing.
Although physics opened many doors, Albri’s heart lie in man’s beginnings on Orucean, and almost as a hobby he loved the stars. In the last few years, however, he was wondering if his many interests were not closely intertwined.
The common notion of the stars being divine beings, disguised as light and watching life upon the world in entertainment … well … he found it ridiculous. But as the sun and moons affected many aspects of climate and the tide, he was wondering if there was not something else.
This alignment thing, was this truly a mystical prophecy? Or was there something more scientific about it? There was an abundance of ancient history available, but really good documentation was hard to find beyond the last five or six hundred years.
Technically, the elves ruled the world until the Kl’Duryq War, that was 3172-3188 ED. Then there were hundreds of years when orgs, minotaurs, and centaurs dominated Aeshea.
Of course, Kohnarahs Bay and western Rok’Shutai were always predominately of human population. It was one reason Albri and J’Hene travelled north to the Bay, then for a year sailed with Captain Greybeard. While at Captain Billy’s, he became engrossed in some paintings of very different landscapes and time periods.
At the time it hadn’t done more than arrest his fleeting attention, but some of those paintings showed an unusual nighttime arrangement of stars. It was beautiful work, and the stars were of different colors. He appreciated them as masterful artistry from an artist’s depiction, but no more. Now, Albri had other ideas.
An old fellow had told him, “If’n ya be in’trasted … thar be an ol’ tample up yander at got many o’ them thar paintin’s.”
Albri had thanked the man and tipped him a thankful shill, but time did not allow, as they had connected with Greybeard and he was not one to dally.
Going back in memory, in the last few years he had worked hard at scribing notes from every conversation, tale, drawing, anything to do with astronomy he had ever heard … no mater how unimportant it may have seemed.
Albri had a driving hunch this alignment, or rather, one just like it, had happened before, maybe more than once. He recalled a piece of lore he heard about a world wide upheaval … abou-u-ut … 3440 ED … a tad more than seventeen hundred years ago.
There was reportedly a line of stars in the sky no one had seen before. It took a few years, like, maybe fifteen or twenty, for all of them to appear.
He thought again of the paintings. The scientist took another long look through the scope and mused.
About seventy years before the event, the Selestian Star, important to the elves, made an appearance. But the star only showed for a few days, it could have been up to a week.
The lore bearer was not accurate about dates, just approximations, but Logan himself had talked more than once about the Selestian Star. He said Shei’Lu had been very interested in it.
Shei’Lu had been the founder and leader of their band … Albri still thought of the group, although they had been dissolved now for what, twenty, twenty-one, no, twenty-three years … and led it for over two hundred years. That had been before Logan’s time, the days of Sandalfoot Bushwin, Hn’Palk the Centaur, Night Faun, and Syruda.
Sandalfoot carried the leadership when Shei’Lu disappeared from Orucean. On down the road Syruda brought in Logan, who in turn eventually became the group’s leader.
The group, the group, the group … why had the group not taken a name? Albri had asked the question only once. The answer was, “Because the group’s activities are often of clandestine nature. If any one of us are taken during or aside of an activity, even the strongest of wizards shall not force betrayal of a group identity.” They even had personal names for crickets, lizards, mules, all types of creatures whose names could be slipped as friends and acquaintances.
It was believed Shei’Lu was a part of the Ko’Riugho Jynn, that secret order founded by Dorian just over three thousand years ago to find and protect lore, secrets, and artifacts of intrinsic value. Logan, himself, had been suspected of being part of that order.
Logan said it was believed she found her way through some time or dimensional portal and became lost. Whatever happened to her, she raised awareness within their group of the Selestian Star’s coming appearance.
The elves of Ch’Hahnju believed it would herald the destruction of the known world. Shei’Lu did not think so, but it was definitely significant.
She knew of three times in the past it had been seen. First, as a beckoning guide to the first elves as they came to this world. Second, in 1644 ED, sixty-eight years before the Dorhune-D’Rhoaw War … Albri thought, ‘Were there not strange power fluxes during that war?’ Third, 3372 ED, again, sixty-eight years before the world wide upheaval.
Albri pondered, not for the first time, ‘That was about when Eayah made his first appearance in history. Which may mean something, and it may not.’
In 5096 ED it appeared again.
Albri took a sip of juice from his cup and stared into the heavens. He really liked the ancient equipment and there was much of it, although he was still figuring it out. There were six screens, each with a toggle lever and a keyboard. He still had not deciphered the archaic character code, but he learned how to make three of the screens work, if only rudimentary.
One screen was directly connected to the giant space scope. If he squeezed a trigger-like apparatus, an image would appear on the screen, and stay there. He had triggered maybe a thousand such images, but still did not know what to do with them, or how when deciding what.
Another screen would let him look at the ocean directly around the island. How, he did not yet know. He had only found the one big telescope on the outside, which had another smaller tube connected to it, but its use he also did not yet know.
The third screen he had only figured out within the last week. By ever-so-gently using the toggle, he could see directly down upon Starlab and anywhere around it for about an eighteen hundred mile radius. Albri had even figured out how to zoom in and out.
Grinning, he remembered seeing J’Hene from above and zooming down to see the part in her hair, very clearly.
Albri had been seventeen years old in 5096, and studying for his professor’s degree. He was
sitting on a bench in Dove Park, gazing up at the stars when this attractive girl of about twenty sat down next to him. He had seen her at the university, a student, a very bright student.
She had already sat down when she asked, “Is this seat taken?”
At that moment, they were the only two people in the park. He replied, “Yes, it is.”
“Oh?”
“I was saving it for you.”
Her smile was radiant. J’Hene wore her lush brown hair to her shoulders, the left side pulled back behind her ear. Simple studs adorned her ears, and her eyes were of azure. The garment she wore matched her eyes and Albri was spellbound.
They spent that first evening just looking into the heavens and naming the constellations … when the radiant blue of the Selestian Star came into prominence. Her hand touched his, his fingers curled within hers, as they marveled at the star’s beauty. And that was how it began.
‘Forty-five years,’ thought Albri, ‘forty-five wonderful years.’
There had been ripples in the waves of their relationship, but never had a day closed without they made sure the sailing was smooth. She knew his needs, and appreciated them, and he knew and appreciated hers. He smiled in thought, and they took care of each other regularly.
How many men believe affection is the same as sex? It is not. All women are different, but J’Hene loved hugs for the sake of a hug, and she liked them anytime. Likewise, she loved a gentle touch as he passed by, holding hands, and notes to be found in surprising places.
When Albri had opened his sack of lunch this day, he found such a note; in it a message just for him. And that morning, he had wrapped one around her writing quill in her haversack she took to school.
He looked to one of the tables in the lab. Albri had been painting a vase with daffodils, J’Hene’s favorite flower, and it was almost completed. Perhaps another couple days and he would give it to her. It was not a special occasion. They did not need special occasions to give each other gifts.
After moving the toggle wide in its range and playing with the zoom effect, Albri had suddenly realized he was viewing the western shores of Hosh’Una and the eastern shores of Rok’Shutai. The absolute center of the perimeter field of vision was centered on Robinto, and by pointing the scope straight up, he had found a bug-like machine, he thought it was a machine, floating in space directly above the island.
That was nice, and exciting, but about seven weeks ago he detected an ever-so-slight blur out in the depths of space, a tiny green blur. Fourteen times he had seen it flicker. He was trying hard to remember if green was one of the colors of the stars in the paintings. Albri really wished he could get up to the Bay and see that temple and its treasures.
Kohnarahs Bay … that is the area where Jann Raul would be. Albri sat back in his chair. He was so proud of the boy. He hoped he was doing well.
What?!
Putting his eye quickly back to the scope, Albri thought he saw a flash. There, the green anomaly flashed. Albri was caught in excitement, then he heard something akin to a vicious thunderclap and the floor began to shake violently. The table beside him fell over, his cup spilling and breaking with a crash.
Looking to J’Hene’s vase, he dove to catch it as it wobbled and fell. Albri hit the solid table with a thud as he landed on his back on the floor, but he caught the vase. Clutching it to him, and then rolling quickly, he evaded a piece of ceiling as it fell. The effect came to a cease as he looked up and around … J’Hene … the kids … a machine he still had not figured out and a score of lights turned on, a panel opened and a new screen appeared with colored lines making strange images, and he heard a steady clicking.
Albri glanced to the door, then the equipment. Setting the vase on the floor, Albri ran for the door … he could only think of J’Hene.
___________________________
The town of Foljur was built with tremors in mind, but the violent quake left a sense of alarm to be remembered for years. Many structures suffered damage, but no buildings fell and no lives were lost.
Lushandri was seated a small distance from the lighthouse on Ozzati’s Rock, gazing into the evening sky, when the incident occurred. Upon the green star’s illumination, she slowly stood with her attention transfixed as if seeing a haunting specter.
Her thoughts were absorbed by, ‘Are the prophecies true, then?’
I was sitting against the back wall, between the windows with a juicy apple in my hand. It was crisp, just the right mix of tart and sweet, and I had already had taken two delicious bites … when just as I bit in for a third crunch the quake hit. My first thought was, ‘What did I just bite into?’
There was nothing for me to do but sit there. Watching my bag jingle-jangle from the ceiling I must admit was entertaining. Catching my fruit bowl, I held it with one hand and held my apple with the other. The shakes were still going on as I crunched another bite … hey … it was a good apple and I can’t stand holding one and watching it slowly turn brown.
Once the ground smoothed down, I stood next to my window and amused myself by listening to thousands of people yell and scream. I then rinsed my hands and climbed onto my bed for a restful sleep.
In Gevard, the rain had been falling hard and steady for days, and no one saw the stellar emergence. Between the main keep and outer grounds perimeter walls of Castle Fel’Caden, Barlan the hostler was asleep in his stable quarters when the quake erupted. This structure was not built of rock as the inner castle stable, but entirely of wood.
A beam fell across his cot and the doorframe of the entrance into his room crumbled, but Barlan was already moving quickly to where the livestock were secured. Running barefoot through the barn, he was clad only in the thin drawstring leggings and tunic he slept in. By his side hung a small pouch holding a fold-knife and an ancient harmonica, neither of which he was ever parted from.
The older man with skewed facial features was moving briskly, but he was humming an elvin tune as calmly as leading an infant to sleep. The effect was already calming the horses and livestock down, as he went from stall to stall, bay to bay, hurriedly getting the animals out to pasture and out of the collapsing building.
The top door of a stall broke loose and lacerated his scalp. A pitchfork fell from its hook on the wall and he tripped over it. In one stall was a mare with a newborn foal. Both were scared, but the foal was pitching and the dam refused to leave without her young.
A rafter fell and would have crushed the little one, but Barlan launched himself between wood and waif, knocking the beam to the side while being knocked to the ground. Staggering to his feet, he grabbed the foal, and still humming the song, led the mare to safety.
Looking around, the lifelong hostler tried to account for his charges … then he heard a bleating sound from within the barn, which could be seen visibly giving way. With no thought for himself, his face and feet bleeding and shoulder aching from a busted collar bone, he charged back inside, just as the barn came crashing down.
It was the next day, when the rain had stopped, that Lord Herrol came to examine the destruction. The stock was scattered, but thankfully there was a perimeter wall. Barlan could not be found, and Herrol pointed and instructed, “You there, go to the old rock house and see if he is in there. We have not used it in years, but it is not locked. It is closer than the keep, and he was always comfortable there.”
Turning to Felder he said, “Once the wood has dried, we will burn the remains and rebuild.”
A workman was stepping into the rubble for closer inspection, when he looked up and said, “Lord Herrol? I hear music.”
Herrol came closer, then looked to his workman and smiled a smile of irony, “It’s a harmonica. Damnation of the gods,” he looked to his assistant, “Felder, quickly, get a team together and let’s dig this man out. Barlan is too valuable to simply cast off.”
“Yes sir.” With that, the man mounted his horse and galloped back to the main keep.
Herrol knelt down to see if he could spot t
he hostler in the ruin. As he did, he looked to the workman, “Don’t be slow. You men get started and dig that man out.”
The harmonica music continued for the course of the day, when finally he was found. Barlan was coated in dried blood, harmonica in one hand, but the baby goat was happily asleep and safe in his arms.
Patriohr, king of Keoghnariu, was in the interior of the country inspecting a new string of fish hatcheries. When the quake hit Kiubejhan, six inhabited structures fell. By end count, thirty-two people lost their lives and many more injured.
A half hour after the quake, Queen Riana was not only supervising, she was actively involved in rescue of one of the collapsed buildings. From beneath the ground level, Izner bodily handed up a child in a blood-soaked sleeping dress. Riana took the boy and spoke words of comfort as his mother ran to claim him.
As if appearing from the rubble, a woman in hooded cloak suddenly stood next to the queen. With unblinking eyes and a voice tone without emotion, the cloaked woman said, “Of great care you must take. The Wihlabahk coming of is now begun.”
As Riana began to speak, the woman turned and faded into the darkness.
___________________________
On the western side of Kohnarahs Bay, in the town of Grindstaff, in the Bon Ton Café, Fhascully was relaxing with Kravieu and Captain Ervis. So far, their trade endeavors were going very well. The café would be closing soon and they would retire for the evening.
Suddenly an old man, sottingly drunk, burst through the doors claiming, “I seen it … I seen it … tha’ worl’ isss comin’ to end!”
Huffman, the proprietor, came out and said, “Come now, come now, you must leave---”
Waving his hands wildly the drunk insisted, “I seen it … I---”
Suddenly the ground began to shake with great violence. The windows shattered and a circular chandelier directly above the drunk broke loose and fell. Ervis grabbed his mug as it skittered across the table and the leg of Kravieu’s chair broke, dumping him into the floor.
