Bridgeworlds: Rise of the Magi

by Randy Blackwell

  Nekar escaped down a tunnel and the mob followed. He led those Kalat into the Maze of Musterion, never to be seen again. Sarx-Ergon lost 53 Kalat that day. Nekar knew that the Kalat would always give in to their rage when they saw him and he did the same thing over and over. In one year Sarx-Ergon lost 342 Kalat.

  Moluno called Nekar before the council, and surprisingly he came. Moluno agreed to call off the hunt if he would stop leading Kalat into the Maze of Musterion. Kasey confronted him, furious, and demanded he tell her what he’d done with the child Alicia. Nekar shrugged. “I gave her to the giant. Your only hope of ever seeing her again is to embrace the Phoenix.” He walked away, laughing hysterically. She never understood what that meant.

  Years went by. Kasey became notorious in Sarx-Ergon and throughout all of Musterion. The Council of Seven couldn't touch her for her many "services" for Moluno. Recently she’d stopped doing his bidding, and Moluno had threatened her for her insubordination. After today, however, she felt that she didn’t have anything to worry about anymore. The one truth that she’d hidden so well from all the Kalat, and Moluno especially, these idiots from Earth would now blazon abroad without even realizing it. Their arrival was a game-changer.

  Kasey set down her empty bottle of ale as an Akana slave brought her another. She’d been in Musterion for 457 years. It was high time to leave. A return to Earth was not what she hoped to get out of the meeting with Omar and Myles. But Soterion was a different story. She’d heard so much about Soterion. Every few years someone would wander into the maze from there and get stuck. She concluded from all that she’d learned from those people that Soterion was similar to Earth, at least physically. It had two suns and three moons, however. She longed to see that. Kasey thought most of all that it might be nice to not have to live in a world made of tunnels.

  Suddenly Neafer appeared in front of her, standing on the table. She was one of Kasey’s personal Haspen spies, with pale skin, dark, sunken eyes, and long black hair partly obscuring her face. At the moment, she was wearing a black silk dress and black-and-white-striped stockings pulled up to her knees.

  "Madame Ragal, Your visitors have just come out of the tunnels and are entering Sarx-Ergon.”

  “Good. Thank you, Neafer. Please send some Daqad guards to protect them from any buffoons eager to test their Magi powers.”

  Neafer's black-painted lips twisted upward. “Of course, Madam. We wouldn’t want anyone getting to them before we do, now would we?”

  “Precisely, Neafer. You read my mind.”

  Neafer giggled and disappeared. Now how am I going to approach these Magi?

  ~*~

  Myles, Sebastian, and Omar had found the tunnel that would lead them to Sarx-Ergon. Myles and Omar were not entirely sure they wanted to go back into the tunnels. Ischus provided them with the most direct route. Ischus seemed curious as to why they would dare venture into the one city of Musterion with the highest Kalat population, though he didn’t demand any answers. Ischus reminded them that the two councils would likely come to a decision about the Magi soon.

  Myles and Omar were glad that Ischus hadn’t forced any information out of them. This strange development with Ragal had left them with a lot more questions than answers. They definitely didn’t want to explain the motorcycle and the bags of weapons.

  Sebastian guided them to a tunnel that was ankle-deep in water.

  “On Soterion, the Kalat hate all other Malakadam; but here in Musterion, Moluno has made peace with the Akana. So Omar, they will treat you better than they would me. Use that to your advantage if you can. Remember, Moluno must stay in Pneuma Karpos until the councils come to an agreement. This will work to your advantage also. He can’t stir up trouble for you until he gets back.

  “I find it hard to understand how Ragal could know this language you spoke on Earth. It seems impossible that she came from there as you did. You must understand that Ragal has a family, Moluno among them; she had a husband, a child. I would suggest that you ask questions instead of accusing her of anything. Ragal is one of the most well-known of all the Kalat in Musterion. Her power over them rivals that of Moluno. I wouldn’t underestimate her. She won’t fight you physically unless she has to, but her tongue is a far more dangerous weapon.”

  Omar stepped around a large rat floating on a piece of wood. “Myles, how did Sebastian’s first lesson go?”

  Myles winked at Sebastian. “He now knows how to make a small object completely disappear.”

  “Is that right? Sebastian, I’m impressed.”

  Sebastian nodded and explained. “The Gabad are the swiftest and most dexterous of all the races on Soterion. I picked up on the trick fast.”

  Omar turned to Sebastian. “Next will be my first lesson for you. However, it will be different from what Myles taught you. By combining what the two of us can teach you, you might become more dangerous in reality than these people already think the Magi are."

  Sebastian tilted his head and looked at Omar in surprise. “I seriously doubt that.”

  They reached the end of the tunnel and got their first look at Sarx-Ergon. Before them was a city with spiraling towers as high as any skyscraper Myles or Omar had ever seen. But it was what they could see above the towers that made them gasp. An open sky with billions of stars and a red moon formed a stunning backdrop. A multicolored nebula blanketed the horizon and illuminated the sky above the city.

  Sebastian smiled at his two mentors. “It’s breathtaking, don’t you think?”

  Omar just stuttered for a moment. “S-S-Sebastian, is that sky real? I mean, does it really open out of the maze?”

  Sebastian nodded as he watched the child-like awe on their faces.

  Myles gaped. “You’ve got to be kidding me! If that’s true, why don’t you just fly out of the maze? Couldn’t you get out that way?”

  “You might get out but not alive. There are many places where the maze opens up and each view is just as breathtaking as this one. Some have tried to fly out only to discover that there’s no air beyond the walls of the maze.”

  Omar smirked at Myles. Myles shook his head. “There’s no way you packed a spacesuit in that bundle of yours.”

  “No, but I actually did one better. I did bring something I invented for NASA. I won’t explain now, but we won't really even need a suit.”

  Myles saw Sebastian's baffled look and put an arm around him. “Apparently, the simple explanation is that a lack of air is not going to stop us.”

  Sebastian clearly wanted to know more. Instead he looked toward the city again and pointed. "Smoke! That's where the City Hall is!"

  “What do you think that’s about?” asked Myles.

  "With Ragal being who she is, if she wasn’t involved before the fire started, she is now!”

  Myles gave them both a push. “You two take off. I’ll catch up on foot!”

  Omar and Sebastian flew toward the black cloud rising from the center of the city as Myles ran in the same direction.

  ~*~

  With a satisfied grin, Kasey drank the last drop of her ale and mentally rehearsed her plan to reel in the Magi. She set the cup down on the table and clapped a hand to her neck at the stinging sensation she knew all too well. Dart guns were a common weapon on Musterion. The moss on the walls of the tunnels was the source of the light in Musterion. That same moss was a deadly poison to the Kalat. Only a few knew this, and when Kasey had first learned the secret, she had a concocted something that wasn’t really an antidote, but which suppressed the effects of the poison for as long as three days.

  Kasey pulled the dart from her neck and confirmed her suspicions. She reached into a belt pouch, pulled out the slowing agent, and swallowed a dose. She reached down to pull a .38 revolver from her boot as she looked around for the assassin. In all the time she’d been in Musterion, she’d never used her gun in public, but she practiced regularly and kept it clean for such an occasion. Knowing that she was going to die in the next three days, revenge seemed to be her
only option.

  She looked up to the balcony above the library and saw a figure climbing out an upper window. Kasey jumped to the balcony where she grabbed a gas lamp and tossed it to the floor of the library. A burning lamp spilled all over the floor would get someone’s attention for sure. She was a dead woman walking, but at least every Kalat in the city would be after her assassin if she didn’t get him first.

  Kasey climbed up to the roof of the building where the assassin had joined nine other Kalat. With six bullets in the revolver she wasn’t going to take her chances on having to reload. She’d have to take out four of her executioners with her sword. So, while holding the .38 in her left hand, she drew her katana from its sheath with her right hand.

  “I’ll tell you what, boys. I’ll let all of you go if you tell me who sent the assassin. Why kill the messenger, right?”

  The ten Kalat waited for her first move without answering. Kasey nodded in agreement and pointed her sword at the largest in the group, “All right, I’ll kill you first.” Then she pointed the sword at the assassin saying, “And I’ll kill you last.”

  She raised the gun and popped off three headshots. The assassin ran for it as three Kalat fell to the ground. The other six looked down in shock. Kasey smiled as she raised the gun. “Last offer. All I want is the assassin. Let me chase him down, and you all live to see tomorrow.”

  Two of the six flew away as fast as they could. Four left, and only three bullets. Kasey wanted to save bullets, so she put the .38 back in her boot as the other four Kalat advanced on her. She had bested five Kalat at one time with just her sword so she wasn't worried about the odds.

  In one fluid motion Kasey came up with her katana, striking one Kalat on the chin and came back down, striking another in the head. She saw a sword flicker behind her, spun around, but was too late to avoid the sword that pierced her side. A Gabad with white paint on his face peered down at her. Gabad were known to be even faster than Kalat. She realized that she was about to pay for underestimating her enemy.

  Kasey gasped for air. “War…you’ve brought war to Musterion, Gabad. Moluno will have your hea—”

  “Somehow, I don’t think so. Who do you think hired us?”

  The Gabad pressed his sword against Kasey’s throat. Kasey glimpsed a large stick that appeared out of the air behind the Gabad and clubbed him to the ground. A man with short, ragged blond curls and an unkempt blond beard stood over Kasey. His naked torso bore many abrasions and scars and his trousers were shredded up to his knees.

  "Nekar!" Kasey choked.

  He smiled at her and whispered, “An unlikely savior, I know. But next time you go shooting a gun in Musterion, just expect me to show up.”

  “But you—”

  Nekar lifted Kasey and held her against his chest. “All right, Ragal, or whatever your name is. I know the One who can save your life. But you must be willing. Are you willing?”

  “Why would you want to save my life? I tried to get you killed.”

  “I was never worried. Your time is short now. Will you accept help or die of your own pride?”

  Kasey managed to whisper before she lost consciousness. “Yes, I’ll accept your help.”

  ~*~

  The city was now a chaotic mess with people running in every direction. Some headed toward the smoke. Some hurried to leave the city. Others behaved in classic Kalat fashion and were fighting in the streets. By the time Myles arrived at the scene of the fire, however, it had already been put out.

  Myles tried to catch his breath from running while Sebastian and Omar caught him up on what they had learned. A guard reported that Nekar had lured Ragal and several other Kalat to the top of the building. He had killed all the other Kalat and kidnapped Ragal. When Omar asked how they knew it was Nekar, the guard handed them a note.

  Magi,

  I’ve restored to you that which was taken by Ragal. Look for it where it was and there you’ll find it. Proceed with your plan, and I’ll come for you soon. —Nekar

  “I’ll come for you soon,” Myles repeated aloud. He looked up at Omar. “Is that a threat or a promise?” Omar just shrugged his shoulders in bewilderment.

  ~*~

  Kasey came to, feeling like a sack of potatoes over Nekar's shoulder. “Hey, thanks for the ride, but I’d really like to walk now. I’m not as bad off as you think.” She realized no one would suspect a ragged man carrying a burden of being Nekar, nor would they suspect the indomitable Ragal of being that burden. Still, she wanted to get her feet on the ground again. They had left the city and reached the tunnels.

  Nekar slowly put her down. He smiled and started to hike again. He didn’t even look back. Kasey wasn't sure exactly why, but she fell into step behind him.

  After a few minutes, he turned to her and asked, “Are you sure you don’t need me to carry you? After all, you were stabbed in the side with a sword.” Kasey chuckled. “Gabad know nothing of Earthly martial arts. They are such simple fighters that they don’t even notice what their opponents are doing.”

  Nekar peered back at Kasey. “So you are from Earth? Well, of course you are. I forgot that you had a gun. Are you telling me that there’s a martial art on Earth that makes you invincible to sword wounds?”

  Kasey lifted her shirt. Where a gaping wound should have been, she had only a scrape. “Invincible? No, not really. But am I durable? Yes. It’s a Russian form of combat called Systema. My body moved with the blow rather than against it.”

  Just then, Nekar stopped and began to shift some bricks in the wall of the tunnel. The opening revealed a crawl space that led to a hidden tunnel. Kasey followed Nekar down it without questioning him.

  “Ah, you’re a Russian girl. You hide your accent well.”

  “You know, for a mysterious man who has all the answers, you know little, Nekar. My father was an Egyptian and my mother an American Jew. I learned the Russian martial art when I was in Egypt.”

  Nekar stopped dead in his tracks, an almost child-like look of hope on his haggard face. “Do you mean the Jews—they lived?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Just answer the question. Are the Jews still a race on Earth?”

  Kasey gave a nervous laugh and answered, “Of course they are, in Israel and throughout the world.”

  “In Israel? Did you say in Israel? I knew it! Praise God in heaven, my people have returned home!” Tears of joy streamed down his cheeks.

  Kasey, on the other hand, didn’t know whether to laugh or make a run for it. “I don’t understand. Why wouldn’t the Jews have lived?”

  An angry look swept over Nekar's face. “Hitler,” he spat, as if it were too vile a word to even be spoken.

  Kasey almost laughed. How long had it been since that name had even been used? She saw that this was serious to Nekar, however, so she asked, “Do you mean the Holocaust?”

  “Don’t call it that! You might as well spit in my eye! Do you know what that word even means?”

  “Yes, I know Greek. It comes from holokauston, which means wholly burned. That’s why they called it that. People were wholly burned. But why are you so insulted?”

  “No, no, no! You may have studied Greek but you don’t know the meaning behind that word! It means a sacrifice wholly consumed by fire; in other words, a whole burnt offering. Who do you think my people were sacrificed to, and for what reason? Do you think it was to God?”

  Kasey tried to calm him down. “Wait, Nekar. I don’t believe your people were sacrificed to God.” She paused for a moment. “In fact, I don’t believe it even happened. I think it was all just an excuse for the United Nations to give Palestinian land to the Jews and call it Israel.”

  “You’re an idiot! You have no idea what you’re talking about!” Nekar pointed to a scar on his temple and began to lecture Kasey. “A Nazi shot my parents right in front of me for refusing to go with him. Then he shoved the hot muzzle of the pistol into my temple. He gave me the option of dying like a dog the way my parents did,
or dying with other children being rounded up. I chose to go with them, hoping that I could escape somehow. This scar came from what you dare to call ‘The Holocaust’, and so did this tattoo.” Then Nekar turned his arm over to show her the faded numbers he’d received in the death camp.

  Kasey had been told by her father that the Holocaust was a lie, but Nekar’s passion made her believe that he was telling the truth. Maybe Nekar isn’t crazy at all. “Say you’re telling the truth. Why do I have that tattoo on my arm too? I wasn’t even born when you went into the ovens.”

  “It’s because you have Jewish blood. The Master has allowed only those of Jewish blood to pass through Musterion and not be trapped here. But all of that has changed now.”

  “So are you telling me that I have this master of yours to thank for being stuck here for over four hundred years? And what do you mean ‘all of that has changed now’?”

  “You could’ve left a long time ago, but you haven’t learned what you were put here to learn. And there are others who’ve come to Musterion from Earth, but they’re nowhere near the Core yet.”

  “Oh is that why you’re still here?” Kasey sneered.

  “No, I’m still here because I have tasks in Musterion that must be done. And one of those tasks is getting you to my Master alive, so let’s keep walking while we talk.”

  Kasey followed Nekar but her mind was racing faster than she could control. This wasn’t even close to the plan she’d had when she stole the motorcycle from Omar and Myles. Instead, her whole world was turned upside down. Who is this Master that Nekar is taking me to see?

  How was it that Nekar had explained the tattoos? Omar and Myles both had one. What did that mean? If they were not trapped in Musterion, then why set up this new order? Was it possible they didn't know Nekar's explanation, either? She had questions for them, too, and wondered how they were handling her disappearance.

  12

  Damsel in distress

  Ischus had successfully gathered both councils together after the event at the Coliseum. He had to walk the tightrope of politics, but managed to keep their discussion focused on the Order of the Magi. In spite of all the arguing over this new intrusion into their traditions, in the end they were able to come to an agreement. Moluno persisted in being difficult, but with the rest of his council starting to question his authority, he chose to drop his effort to condemn Myles and Omar for the murder. Even voting on the Order gave them a legitimacy that he didn’t want, but he decided that he could exact his revenge in other ways.