by LJ Andrews
"The office is down the hall, second door on your left. They'll be waiting for you." Connor gave Killian a big smile and held out his hand. "I hope you get the answers you’re searching for." He stepped back into the open elevator after a brief handshake and typed in his floor number. Killian nodded, then suddenly turned around back toward Connor.
"Wait! Where is Mercedes going to be?"
"Don't worry, Shannon will take diligent care of her. She'll make sure she gets home safely," was all Connor had time to say before the elevator closed, completely disappearing behind the wall. The only hint that it was even behind the wall was the whoosh behind the painting that had split in half when the doors opened.
Alone, Killian made his way down the majestic hallway, feeling a little unnerved by the silence. He found it strange that the enormous building was filled with the constant eerie quiet. For a building so large, there certainly weren't a lot of people in the hallways.
He examined the paintings as he walked. One painting showed a beautiful land full of snow covered mountains that lined a great green sea. Another looked like a desert, a very lovely desert. It had large flowering cacti, and beautiful red-rock mountains, with rolling sand hills along the base of the rocks. The last painting that rested next to the second door on the left was a painting of a scene at night. Killian could see shadows of a forest and rolling hills. It could have been a painting of anywhere had it not been for the two moons in the sky.
Turning away from the impressive paintings he knocked rapidly on the door, wringing his hands as he nervously waited to meet the mysterious men. After several moments, the brilliant gold knob creaked as someone turned it from the inside. As the door swung open, Killian was met by a man with a thick ashen mustache and twinkling gray eyes.
Chapter 4
The Two Master's Tale
"Killian Thomas! I cannot express how thrilled, just thrilled we are to see you here...and safely I might add." The man chuckled cheerfully. "We've been looking forward to speaking with you for so long. My how you have grown." The man seemed so excited he could scarcely contain himself as he fussed over Killian.
He helped Killian sit in a small wooden chair and swiftly clamored to an enormous wooden desk, the top of which was covered in the same beautiful marble as the hallway. He propped one thin knobby hip onto the corner of the remarkable desk, then simply beamed across the room from atop the perch.
Killian met his gaze for a moment. The man was incredibly dressed in an expensive looking burgundy vest, perfectly tailored for his shape. He wore a crisp white button down shirt that boasted a pair of cufflinks neatly shaped in the form of two stars. His black shoes were polished and reflected the bright sunlight that had filled the magnificent room as it lowered into the greenish-purple sky.
Behind the desk and the enthusiastic man, an enormous glass window allowed the incredible sunset to pour in across the carpeted floor. As Killian marveled at the room, a large red office chair that was placed behind the desk, swiveled around toward him. A man with a short, perfectly trimmed black beard smiled. He looked familiar to Killian, but he knew he had never met someone before who dressed so fine. He had dressed in a similar style to his counterpart, albeit his vest and shirt were a smooth black, matching his beard. The few streaks of gray in his short, dark hair stood out against the darkness of his attire and added to his sophistication. He looked younger than the first man, but his face showed signs of age and stress.
"Killian, welcome. We are sure you have many questions for us," the man said in a formal tone. Killian slowly nodded, glancing back and forth between the two men. "Perhaps we should begin by telling you who we are, and I think you will be most interested in learning how important you are to...well all of us."
"Killian, you don't recognize us, but we have known you since your infancy. We have kept you under watchful eye. I am Miller and this is Nathaniel." The man with the mustache pointed, first to himself than to the second dark-haired man. "Nathaniel is the Director, I am the Regent, or second in command here. We knew we would see you once again, but we had no idea when. We're sorry for the unfortunate circumstances that brought you here." Miller finished, rubbing his fingers over his mustache.
Killian shifted his eyes between the two men. He was unnerved that people had been somehow watching him his entire life. Shifting his thoughts, he had many questions for these strange men. Nothing made any sense to him.
"First, we'd like to let you know your prison sentence has been eradicated," Miller said.
"What?" Killian choked out. "What do you mean eradicated?"
"It's done. You're not a fugitive. In fact, the prisons have no record of you ever being there. Weren't you concerned there may be a warrant from your abrupt escape from your work crew?" Miller raised his eyebrows. Killian's face blushed. So much had happened and Brooks' work crew was the furthest thing from his mind.
"Honestly, I hadn't even thought about it. I'm not sure how you could dissolve my charges and sentence, though."
"Ah, well perhaps over time we may show you many unique aspects we house here in the Praetorium," dark-haired Nathaniel said. "Now, do you have any pressing questions you need answered?" He smiled kindly at Killian from his handsome chair.
“Where are we?” he asked with a sigh. Exhaustion from the stressful experience was beginning to seep through his body. All he wanted was truthful, straight answers and a place to sleep.
Nathaniel stood and held a small silver rod toward the grand window. Immediately the brilliant glass dimmed to a tinted black. “Killian, your earth, or Terrene as we call it is not alone in the universe." Nathaniel began tracing the rod in the air. As he moved his hand shapes and symbols formed on the tinted window. He pointed to one large circle in the center. "The Praetorium is nestled directly in the center of all realms. It’s not part of any realm, but forms the balance between them. It is a neutral ground, so basically we are in a limbo,” he explained. “In fact, you can liken it to the Sun you see on Terrene, just like your planets, the four realms orbit around the Praetorium.” Nathaniel drew four lines from the Praetorium circle to four smaller circles. He labeled them strange names before pocketing the small rod and turning toward Killian.
“Who are you?” he finally asked.
"The Ponderi is an organization that maintains order, upholds the laws of Cimmerian, Glaciem, Ignisia and Terrene. The realms. We defend the safety, cultures and freedoms of all the races. There are millions of people throughout the Hemisphere you don't know about."
"You keep saying Hemisphere? I thought this was called the Praetorium."
"The Hemisphere is the grand universe each realm, including the Praetorium limbo, is in. Each realm has their own small solar system, but the Hemisphere encompasses everything."
Killian didn't respond. His head was spinning.
"Our society is very similar to what you were raised in. People who live in the Praetorium with us have employment according to their different skills. Our children attend school much like the ones you attended until they are eight, from then they become Potentials in departments throughout the Praetorium. Potentials will be trained and taught in various skills." Nathaniel smiled kindly at him, bringing Killian to the realization he was subconsciously shaking his head in disbelief. "Killian, you will find that things you once thought fantasy are in fact real." Nathaniel looked at him, his eyes blazing with truth.
Killian stared at the greenish orb through the magnificent window that had lost the tinted color. He wondered to himself why the sun was so strange, if it even was a sun. After several silent moments, he pushed the irrelevant thought aside and mustered up the nerve to ask the question plaguing his mind.
"You said you've known me since I was young, so you must know my family. Who are they...where are they?" Killian asked, looking away from Miller and back to Nathaniel. Nathaniel leaned back into the padded red chair and crossed his leg over his knee.
"Killian, I wonder if our tale may be better received if you could see w
hat we are about to tell you," He said. Nathaniel promptly stood from the chair and made three long strides to a small end table placed cozily next to an overstuffed sofa. From the drawer, Nathaniel retrieved a small, brown vial with a thick, clear liquid swirling inside.
"What do you mean see?" Killian questioned as Nathaniel brought the small vial toward him.
"Killian, the Ponderi have always been masters of design," Nathaniel said proudly. "We have many amazing, and useful tools available to us. This is one of them." Holding the vial out for Killian to see, he sat on a small stool Miller had pulled next to Killian's chair. "This particular tool is called Supraserum. It is a serum designed to share information across realms and councils. You can imagine that passing information across such distances can, at times, blur the message. This beautiful serum allows the message receiver to see the tale that is being recited to them. This way nothing is left out."
"This will allow you to see the events that we have seen, people we have encountered, and tales we have been told. It's lovely and so advanced in its technology. With the serum you may look upon events that you may not have been able to remember otherwise." Miller chimed in, giving Killian a melancholy glance.
"I don't understand how that's possible. I can see things from the past?" Killian asked.
"Yes. The serum connects with the neurotransmitters of the story teller," Nathaniel said pointing to himself, "then it connects to the one listening. The information will play out right before your eyes like a video. There is a great history before our time that is valuable to helping you understand our world."
"Would you like to give it a go?" Miller asked, excitedly. Killian shrugged, then giving a nod of consent, he turned to speak to Nathaniel.
"Is this like time travel?"
"Oh, my dear boy, not at all," Nathaniel chuckled, a light European accent coming through his voice. "You will not leave this room. Perhaps you will understand as we begin." Nathaniel silenced any further questions from Killian.
He watched as Nathaniel unscrewed the top of the vial. The lid revealed a dropper that was coated in the liquid. First, Nathaniel tilted his own head back, holding the dropper over his eye. He gave it a slight shake causing several drops of the serum to fall. He blinked several times while the thick serum spread over the surface of his eye. Satisfied the serum was adequately coated, he turned toward Killian.
Nathaniel tilted Killian's forehead back and held the sticky tube over his eye. He shook the small dropper causing a cascade of falling drops to gush in. He repeated the same steps in the other eye before twisting the top back onto the vial.
The serum was not a pleasant feeling. It crept from uncomfortable warmth to a frigid frost coating his eyes. His brain hurt from the chilly temperature and it seemed to be seeping into the crevices of his mind. After several moments, the thick potion absorbed into his eyes and the discomfort subsided.
"You will know that what we say is true," Nathaniel stated. "This serum was designed with a defense mechanism to distinguish liars and traitors among us. If the images dim and fade, you can be certain the tale being told is untrue. Are you ready?" Killian nodded, looking at the faces of the two men.
"First I would like to tell you of the four realms and the beginning days of the Ponderi." Killian saw Nathaniel in front of him, but was astonished to see in the corner of the room other images coming into focus. Before him he saw a group of men, dressed in old fashioned clothing—some in very strange clothing—standing in line in front of a pale man. The man had long black hair, with shimmering silver streaks throughout. His hair was pulled back tightly in a low ponytail. His eyes were like nothing Killian had ever seen. They gleamed in a shocking silver color, almost glowing in their paleness.
The walls of the office seemed to fade into the background, and Killian found himself completely immersed in the scene where the mysterious people were. The group of men stood on bright green grass, fresh after a rainstorm. The atmosphere was cloudy and damp and Killian could feel the chill in the air as if he were with the men. The circle of huddled men was surrounded with large structural stones placed strategically in a circle. The stones were thick and rectangular; some were bridged together by other large stones. Sitting on a pile of throne-like boulders, the silver-eyed man glared out among the crowd.
"Wait...isn't that...what is it called...in England?"
Nathaniel nodded. "You'll learn the Stonehenge structure served a great purpose for the realms— watch." He directed Killian's attention back to the ghostly images in the room. The unique silver eyes glared at the men in front of him menacingly as one man stepped forward to address him.
"Terrene is the youngest realm. This story takes place when the other three realms were under the rule of a Grand Master named Claec. He was from Cimmerian, a mystical land full of magic. They live in shadows and darkness, but it is a land of beauty and is very valuable to the balance of our world. You’ll learn the specifics of each realm later. The man with silver eyes is Claec." Nathaniel explained obviously connecting to Killian's visual experience. "Thousands of years ago, the realm people desired to create one realm where they could live in a united group. Ancient leaders in Cimmerian developed the idea of a realm with all different climates for each unique person to live."
The people called it the Terrene Venture. They wanted a unified community where resources were available to all, without traveling through three different solar systems to address problems. Cimmerian was placed at the helm of the project. It was their leader's suggestion, but also they were the only ones with the magical abilities to begin the world formation."
"Magic, different realms? Seriously, it sounds like I've stepped into the Twilight Zone," Killian said.
Nathaniel chuckled. "In a way you have, my boy. At this moment you are seeing, the Terrene Venture was almost complete, the only step that remained was to merge Terrene into the Hemisphere. For several years prior to this setting, however, there had been corruption."
As we've explained, Cimmerians are magical. They are strong in their spells so naturally they were the leaders. But it went to the extreme. Claec had placed Cimmerians above everyone and kept valuable resources from the other people. Other races besides Cimmerians lived in squalor during the final years of the venture."
The people were afraid to question Cimmerian authority, though there had been challengers. A rumor had formed—a man from the realm of Glaciem had developed a formula to create a power that could rival the magic of Cimmerians. He used science to battle magic."
"Well, what happened?" Killian asked after Nathaniel paused.
"From what we know, the formula was successful...for a while. The man disappeared, but the damage was done. His successful formula convinced people from other realms that magic had become a means to enslave the people to the will of the Cimmerians. They also had been given a way to combat the rule of Cimmerian magic—by using science and their own designs. So of course, there were contentions that were quickly becoming violent.”
Killian watched as the projected images ignited into vicious altercations, each unique race against another. The smell of the room had a dingy metallic smell of fresh blood. “James Thomas, founder of the Ponderi, introduced the idea that the realms were designed to govern themselves and their own people, and together the realms would work to bring balance to the Hemisphere. They would each add value through their own governments," Miller said smiling at Killian's furrowed brow. "Due to the uprisings, Thomas was suggesting returning the realms to their original systems, but also to create a society to be the mediator between the realms. He hoped the mediating society would extinguish previous problems with distribution and help meet the needs of all the people."
“Wait, James Thomas?” Killian asked. Miller smiled and nodded confirming the relation of their last names. “Connor mentioned the Thomas family founded the Ponderi.”
“It’s true. Now, at this great council meeting with the people on the Terrene Venture, James Thomas provided testimony from
realm leaders from Ignisia, Glaciem, even Cimmerian.” Killian observed as the three projections floated mysteriously in front of him. One was a burly, tanned man with vibrant orange hair and a matching beard. He was bare chested and looked angry. A peaceful looking man stood next to him with billowing white hair, but a young face. His long white robes looked angelic with a brilliant blue and gold sash fastening them around his body. The third man had long black hair and fascinating silver eyes, just like the leader, Claec.
“Killian the man you see with the orange hair was chief of Ignisia. The man in the white robe is Emperor of Glaciem. Both testified of Claec’s greed. They explained no resources were being sent to the people remaining on Glaciem and Ignisia preparing to move to Terrene. Their people were dying because Claec was sending all resources to Cimmerian. Claec was turning into a dictator; he was going against everything the Terrene Venture stood for, unity and peace.”
“What about the silver-eyed man, he looks like Claec.”
“Ah, yes. He is most important to our story. You may recognize his name, Merlin of Cimmerian.
"Merlin? You don't expect me to believe he's the wizard from the King Arthur legends, do you?" he asked.
"The one and the same! After this council meeting, he fled the Venture for his life for betraying Claec." Nathaniel smiled. “The legends of Merlin come from reports of his oddities during the venture. He was a powerful Cimmerian. He performed works people on Terrene had never witnessed before. He is the foundation for all Terrene's ideas and legends of magic.”
Killian rolled his eyes. This was beginning to drift between absurd and delusional. He watched Merlin square his shoulders and face Claec. Behind the image of Claec, a dark man seethed.
