Nathan looked at Paolo aghast. “Erm, you want me to, uh … touch a dead body?”
“Yes, and be quick. Who knows if any of Makthryg’s men are still around.” Paolo lifted his head up and scanned the lanes.
Nathan hesitated.
“Oh for goodness sake. A severed hand doesn’t bother you but checking for a pulse does?” Sarina shoved Nathan out of the way and bent down beside the body, placing her finger on the man’s neck. “He’s alive!” she whispered, smiling briefly before her face fell, “but I can feel his life force ebbing away!”
Nathan looked at her in surprise. “I didn’t know you could feel life forces?”
“Neither did I until just now,” Sarina whispered and looked up at Paolo from the unconscious man.
“Paolo, I think you were right, we did neutralise the gas, but maybe because we did that after the men breathed it in, it’s still affecting them.”
“Now you are sounding like a scientist!” Nathan was grinning at her.
“Shut up, Nathan, this is serious. I don’t know if I am right about this, but I have a feeling that without our help,” she winced, “they might still die.”
“Then we must act,” Paolo said, “and combine all our strength together again.
“But how?” Sarina said, staring at the man on the ground.
“The last time at the lake, Nathan had us all join hands and we used our minds to picture the gas being changed. Perhaps this time we have to imagine him receiving help from us?” Paolo said.
“Yes,” Nathan said slowly, “that might be just the trick.”
“Are you sure it won’t break too many laws of physics?” Sarina said, raising an eyebrow and moving so they could all join hands.
“If it helps Paolo and this guy,” he nodded to the man on the ground, “let’s break ’em all.”
“OK then.” Sarina smiled as an image flashed into her mind. “This time it’s my turn to have an idea.”
~~~
The three of them knelt together beside the man forming a small circle around him and joined hands.
“Remember to synchronise our breathing and try to feel the source of your energy coming from here,” Sarina patted her stomach, “and on my count of three, we take in a deep breath then begin.” Paolo and Nathan nodded agreement and they gripped each other’s hands tightly.
“One … two … three!”
They all inhaled deeply, and as they exhaled, a tiny green glow emanated from their linked hands, twinkled for a moment then puffed out.
“Rats!” Sarina said, looking at the others.
“What went wrong?” Paolo asked, inspecting his hands.
“Let me see if my guess is correct.” Sarina looked at Nathan. “Umm Nathan, is there a part of you that doesn’t believe all this? That it’s impossible according to your ‘laws of physics’?”
“No, of course not,” Nathan protested feebly.
“Hmmm. I thought so.” She pursed her lips thinking for a moment then her eyes lit up. “Got it!”
“Nathan, do you believe you can draw, despite what your cousin said?”
Nathan snorted. “You gotta be kidding! Like I told you, I’m a total loser when it comes to art.”
“Thought so.”
Sarina grabbed Nathan’s hand and twisted it around so Paolo could see the palm.
“Oww!” Nathan said, but Sarina continued.
“Paolo, do you recognise this drawing?”
Paolo looked at the palm in the darkness and drew a sharp breath. “It’s Valkrog!” he exclaimed, “a perfect likeness!”
“There!” Sarina threw Nathan’s hand down and looked at him.
“What?” Nathan was confused.
“Nathan, who drew that on your palm?” she insisted.
“Er … I did?”
“Exactly. Even you, who is adamant that you cannot draw, have abilities you have no idea about, locked inside.”
Enlightenment was dawning on Nathan’s face. He had to admit, her logic was irrefutable. And he liked logic. A lot.
“You’re right.” He sighed, “I think I must have had some doubt. Changing a gas structure involved some actual science, but sending some kind of life-force into someone? It didn’t seem possible. But that was the old me, in our world.”
He looked at his palm with a new understanding and looked back at the two of them. “OK, I’m ready now. I’m ready to believe. Really. I mean, who knows what’s possible!” He smiled and reached out for their hands.
This time Sarina skipped the count. She nodded to the others and they drew in their first breath, then as they exhaled the green glow sparked into life again, expanding from each of their hands and became a circle. The circle began revolving, touching them all as it moved, and green energy lines leaped from the circle and connected with each of their torsos.
Nathan jumped a little, startled by the movement of the cold plasma.
“Focus, Nathan!” Sarina hissed.
“Sorry.” He took another deep breath and the circle moved upwards above their heads, still rotating, but holding position in the air.
Sarina whispered in a low voice, “One … two … three!” and with another deep breath from them all, the circle expanded, speeding out to each horizon with a whoomph, snaking thousands of green energy lines down to the ground like glowing tendrils as it passed across.
After no more than a second or two, the entire network flared briefly and vanished, leaving the three of them in darkness, blinking to recover their vision.
“Wow, what was that?” Nathan said.
“That,” Paolo said standing up shakily and helping the other two up, “was your faith in human ability. And I think we may have just sent life-forces into the township. Now we need to search for survivors. Let’s investigate the buildings, but be careful.”
A loud groan from behind them reminded them of what they had forgotten in the heat of the moment.
The man sat up, rubbing his head and peering into the gloom. “Paolo, is that you I can hear talking? I must be hallucinating.”
“Yes it is. And I can talk again—but no time to explain.” Paolo leapt over to the man and hugged him.
The man looked at him suspiciously. “Alright Paolo, that’s enough of the hugging, I didn’t think we were that good friends—ah! The Orange Witch! Now I understand why Paolo has regained his speech.” He quickly stood up and walked over to Sarina, where he fell on one knee before her. “My lady.” He bowed his head and waited.
Embarrassed, Sarina wasn’t quite sure how to respond, so she held out her hand. “How do you do. I’m Sarina. Um, no need to kneel, do stand up.”
“Sarina is my friend,” Paolo said, his chest swelling with pride as the man stood back up and approached Nathan.
“Judging by your dress, Paolo, you must be her captain. Proud to be of service.” He bowed briefly, then leaning in to Nathan, he cupped his hand to whisper, “I presume it was you sir, that dressed Paolo?” he pointed to Paolo’s security guard outfit.
“Sort of,” Nathan said. “Listen, where are all the other men? Paolo told us that he thought they were killed by the gas? Shouldn’t there be”—he wasn’t sure how to put it tactfully—“er, shouldn’t there be bodies?”
“Gas was it?” The man shook his head in disbelief. “Nasty. All I remember is watching everyone drop to the floor clutching their throats. I tried to run, I thought I was dying, and then I must have blacked out.” He looked at each of them in turn. “Maybe the others suffered the same fate. Do you think any have survived?”
“If they did, then we have hopefully reversed the effects of the poison, as we just did with you” said Paolo, “but now we need to find where they were taken after they were gassed. And if they still need our help. Alive or dead, someone had to have moved all the … bodies.” He looked around at the others for inspiration when they heard a loud commotion further down the roadway. “The men! Quick!”
Paolo, Sarina and Nathan exchanged glances.
&n
bsp; “Sounds like someone is alive! Let’s hope they are and that they don’t need our help,” Sarina said. “Let’s go!”
“And keep an eye out for Makthryg’s men, just in case,” Paolo said.
All three ran in the direction of the noise and arrived at a large building where men were shouting loudly and spilling out onto the laneway. The windows were broken and the doors kicked open, and townsmen were clambering out where they could and looking around in confusion.
Paolo arrived first, breathless and ran directly to the first man he saw and shook him roughly. The man stared down at him. “What?”
“What happened?” Paolo said, “Is Andreas in there?”
“Paolo!” A loud voice boomed over the disorganised crowd. “Paolo! Over here.”
A tall man was wading through the crowd accompanied by a short and stocky companion.
“Andreas!” Paolo ran to meet them, tears streaming down his face. “Tomas!”
“You have no idea how happy I am to see you alive!” He hugged them both.
“OK, Paolo, OK,” Andreas pried Paolo off his chest and held him in front looking at him strangely. “It’s good to see you too—but wait, tell me of your strange dress—” and he stopped, his mouth frozen open in astonishment and his face lit up. “Paolo, you can talk again!”
“And hear.” Paolo grinned as Andreas slapped him on the back.
“You have to tell me everything, in good time of course as we must mobilise our men. We had all awoken from a strange and deep sleep in here and Makthryg’s guards scattered when they saw they were outnumbered. Now we must find out what is afoot.” His gaze fell on Sarina and Nathan as if he had only just noticed them. “And these two oddly dressed youngsters must be your friends, no?” He looked to Paolo for an explanation. Paolo opened his mouth to begin, wondering where to start, when a shout rose up from the crowd.
“The Orange Witch! She is here! We are saved!”
A great cheer went up in the crowd as every single face turned to Sarina.
“Oh my,” was all she could manage.
~~~
Paolo raised his voice over the crowd so Andreas could hear. “Andreas, I think Makthryg tried to kill all the men with a poison gas. He’s taken the women and children to the fortress and is threatening to kill them one-by-one, unless …” he faltered, “unless I give myself up.”
Andreas’s face paled as he listened to Paolo. “How do you know this? And why were we not killed by the gas?”
“I was captured at the fortress and managed to lip-read Makthryg and Valkrog when they were making plans,” Paolo was struggling to be heard over the rising cheers of the crowd. “I’m not sure why you were not killed by the gas, but I think it has something to do with the magic my new friends used.” He pointed to Sarina and Nathan, now encircled by a noisy and grateful group of men. “It’s thanks to them that Makthryg’s curse on me was nulled.”
Andreas nodded. “And the women and children?”
“Makthryg sent a message about them in a summoning curse to Sarina. He also attempted to bring us to him, but using our magic together we managed to get here instead.” Paolo’s eyes were bright. “Andreas, my mother and brother are with them, and worse, my mother is among the first of the women he plans to kill. We have much to tell you—but I must hurry if I am to save her. We fear he may have begun the killing.”
Andreas cocked his head. “This is both good and bad news. Let me deal with the crowd first. Then we will reconvene in a less noisy place where the five of us can make plans. We have a lot to thank your friends for, and much to learn about their powers. But if this news is true, we have nothing to celebrate and no time for idle talk. Wait one moment while I organise the rest of the men.”
Andreas stood on a box holding up his hands for quiet, and waited for the noise to subside. An eerie quiet descended and he looked around at the men.
“My friends, the time for action has come. According to Paolo, Makthryg sent a gas into the township to try to kill us. I’m not privy to all the details, but it appears that, thanks to Paolo and the magic his friends have brought to us, the gas did not take full effect.”
The men cheered and again Andreas was forced to hold up his hands.
“Alas, we cannot celebrate. Makthryg has sent a message. If Paolo and his friends do not do as Makthryg says, he will begin killing our women and children—” The crowd roared its anger and Andreas was forced to pause. A few men held up their swords and crossbows. “I do not yet know what he wants, only that his deadline is upon us and that he may have already begun. We must gather ourselves swiftly and make plans. I have a hunch that our new friends,” he pointed to Sarina and Nathan in the crowd to murmurs of approval, “may be instrumental in helping us overcome Makthryg, and in helping us rescue our women and children.
“But while we try to understand the situation and what action we might take to profit from our advantage and surprise Makthryg while he believes us dead, I ask that you procure your weapons along with all the ammunition you can muster. Let us be back here in no more than ten cries of the crow. I will meet with the newcomers and devise a plan. Make haste!”
Andreas stepped down from the box and elbowed his way through the crowd to Paolo, Sarina and Nathan.
“Follow me.” His face was grim as he strode off with Tomas, Paolo, Sarina and Nathan in tow.
They walked along Main Street and into a nearby building. Andreas dragged chairs to a table and motioned everyone to sit down.
“Paolo, we have no time to waste. Which of you is best equipped to summarise and report?”
Paolo and Sarina both immediately pointed to Nathan, who looked alarmed. “Me? I er … oh well, sure.”
“You’re the logical one, remember?” Sarina said.
Nathan shrugged, sat up straight and began recounting their journey.
“OK, um, Sarina—that’s her by the way, and I’m Nathan—we’re not from this world.”
Andreas’s eyes narrowed in disbelief, but he gestured to Nathan to continue.
“Somehow we’ve both been able to appear in your world during our dreams. I don’t really know exactly why it’s possible, I’ve only been able to take a guess. Sarina even had a dream that she fought Valkrog and injured him, and later we found out this actually happened.”
Andreas and Tomas looked at each other sharply, and then at Sarina, a new appreciation showing on their faces.
“Anyway,” Nathan continued, ”that’s why your men call her the Orange Witch. Apparently she painted a wall of orange power that prevented Valkrog from passing through. He came into contact with it, and it … burned him.”
Unsure of the actual injury, Nathan looked at Sarina for confirmation who nodded. He carried on.
“Sarina and I discovered we were having the same dreams and we both heard Paolo’s cry for help from the gas. There’s too much to explain now, but by combining our focus and using Sarina’s painting skills, we were trying to dream our way into your world again to help Paolo, when we created some sort of portal and found ourselves physically here.
“We found Paolo and helped him escape from Makthryg and Valkrog in the nick of time, and when we did that,” he looked at Andreas as if to apologise, “we accidentally brought Paolo back to our world.”
Tomas let out a low whistle and threw an admiring glance at Paolo.
“After some, er … unwanted attention and distraction in our own world, we were about to make a plan to return when Sarina was, um, summoned by Makthryg, so we rather hastily tried to get back to this world to rescue the women and children. We thought you were all dead.” His face fell. “Actually we had no idea if we could even help. But when we concentrate together and physically connect, we are able to use some kind of scientific power.” He looked over at Paolo and Sarina to make sure he had left nothing out.
Sarina was smiling. “Nathan might call it scientific power, but it feels more like magical powers to me.” She held Andreas and Tomas’s gaze with a determined loo
k. “I’d like to add something if it’s OK with Paolo.”
She looked at Paolo, who nodded, and she continued. “It’s to do with why Makthryg is so desperate to capture Paolo …” she hesitated, “it may give us some clues about how to approach him.
“I think Paolo has accidentally discovered a powerful substance that Makthryg wants. I don’t know what for, but it seems pretty important to him.”
“What brings you to this conclusion, Sarina?” Andreas had an intense look of interest.
“One of my dreams. It happened when I saw Paolo running. I knew that Makthryg was looking for some special substance—its name wasn’t in my language—and that he thought Paolo knew where it was.
“The substance sometimes emits a bluish glow,” she hesitated again, wondering if she was sounding silly, “and when Paolo showed me his palms, they were glowing blue.”
All eyes turned to Paolo, astonished.
“Paolo, why did you not mention this before?” Tomas said.
Paolo shrugged. “It didn’t seem important. Besides,” he looked at Andreas and Tomas knowing they understood, “being mute and deaf, and usually the subject of many township jokes, I …” he faltered.
Andreas nodded. “I understand, Paolo. Let’s not dwell on this now, only that it is obviously a key element in Makthryg’s plans. I am not sure how we deal with this. Not yet anyway. I imagine we will have to cross each bridge as we come to it, but keep an awareness of what is still unsolved.”
“If it’s any use,” Nathan said, “I did some brief research on this Xtrium, I think he calls it, and if it’s anything like the substance it resembles in our world, it’s pretty nasty. But I’m not sure that helps a great deal …”
No-one spoke.
Sarina took a deep breath. “I don’t know how we can help now. But for the sake of your women and children—and Paolo’s brother and mother—we have to try. It’s hard to believe everything that’s happened, but we’ve come this far, and even if we don’t know exactly what to do yet, we still have to try. It will come to us.” She caught herself. How had she managed to become so strong?
The five of them looked around at each other, every single one of them wearing a look of grim determination.
The Dreamer Chronicles Trilogy Boxed Set Vol I - III: A Sci-Fi Parallel Universe Adventure (The Dreamer Chronicles - Science Fiction For Kids And Adults) Page 20
