“Yes,” Uncle said. “There are more. This is but the oldest one. The old man had them hidden all over as if he feared being discovered.”
“Huh!” Brother Dog said, “And I suppose he inadvertently lead you to all of the secret locations, this powerful all-knowing wizard.”
“It does sound like he was showing you,” Zhoulin said. ‘How many years ago was this?”
“Fifty I think,” Uncle said quietly, a tear came to his eye.
"What is wrong, Uncle?" Zhoulin said, to the now almost weeping Uncle.
She looked at Brother Dog who looked shocked
“What could possibly bring this on,” he asked. Uncle was by no means a man to come to tears so easily.
Uncle sat on the ground, his face in his hands
Zhoulin and Brother Dog stood there in awkward embarrassment.
Finally, the old man spoke.
“For fifty years I have practiced magic struggling to unravel the secrets of my master. I even took little notes while I was in his care, keeping them hidden so he would not know what I was doing. Trying to repeat the incantations I watched him perform trying to decipher even one of these spell books. I was an errand boy nothing more! All the while I have done it as a thief. I have always felt unworthy to even attempt what my benefactor could do. I have lived in shame, but in memory of my master, I couldn't let the legacy fade. He had no apprentice. I didn't want to see his life's work die with him." He sighed and took a deep breath, "and now you show to me that it might be, he wanted me to learn this way. You are correct, none could have spied on him had he not wanted. I thank you both. You have lifted a great agony from my shoulders. Perhaps I am not just a thief after all; perhaps it is enough that I carry on in his footsteps."
Brother Dog reached over and patted his back. He chuckled "But you still haven't answered the question, old man.
“How did you kill Lijiang when you master couldn’t? And can you use this against the Wolver.”
Uncle looked at them both.
“I really don’t know. But there are strange times ahead!” Uncle sighed again. “You are Right, it cannot be hopeless. I will look now for the herb we need to help the boy. I will return soon I think I know where some can be found easily, please wait for me. See if you can communicate with the boy. If you can get some understanding with him it could be a long way to helping our quest.”
“Quest?” Zhoulin said in surprise, “What quest is this?” Uncle chuckled as he walked away, “Why the most important quest of all little sister. The quest for survival itself.”
They stepped back through the door into the cottage. Billy was asleep on the bed. Brother Dog went over and nudged him with his nose. He was doing a passable job of pretending to be a loving pet, although he did give a little growl when Zhoulin tried to pat his head.
“Be careful,” Billy said groggily. “He is a pretty tough old dog and he might bite you.” Brother Dog growled, as if on cue
“Hey!” Billy said in a scolding voice. “You be nice to her, she doesn’t even understand English. Do you?” he said to Zhoulin. "It's ok,” he said kindly. "Lots of people have problems. I don't mind, maybe when I get home, we can get you some help. Are you deaf?" Then. "Ha. Ha. That is a stupid question because you couldn't hear me, could you?"
Zhoulin laughed with him not having any idea what he said. It seemed to relax the boy.
“Say I figure something bad happened to me, right?” She looked at him confused. She looked at Brother Dog who seemed to be nodding his head so she nodded hers, hoping it was the right thing. Billy seemed to brighten up with that.
“I knew it!” he said. “I got this really weird scar on my side. It doesn’t hurt or nothing. Hey, speaking of it, can you get my clothes?
It’s just weird anyway coz I don’t remember. But it feels funny and kind of tender like... like something is missing I guess.”
She looked at Brother Dog who was nodding for sure this time she smiled at Billy and nodded.
He was visibly relieved by her reaction. Brother Dog trotted over with a bag containing Billy's clothing and He did his best to get dressed under the blanket while they watched.
“Great.” He said smiling at her “At least we can communicate. So I think I must have had some bad accident and lost my memory. Cause I have no idea where we are and well anything. You are my friend right?” She smiled and nodded.
"But you can't talk my language, so you can't tell me what's going' on. Man, it is really warm here, but that's ok. I think it is really cool, kind of like an adventure, but really we gotta' get me home or my mom will be all worried and stuff."
He seemed to be waiting for a response Zhoulin didn’t know how to answer.
“Ummm.” He said seeming a bit nervous “well I umm gotta go ummm. To the...you know, I gotta…" He looked a little embarrassed finally he blurted out. “Where’s the bathroom?”
Brother Dog jumped up and woofed at him. Billy laughed and said. ”You know where it is boy?”
Woof!
“Ok,” Billy said, with a note of curiosity. “You understand me, but she doesn’t? Man, this day is getting weirder all the time.”
Brother Dog led him to a little shed and with holes in the floor, then ran back to Zhoulin. All the while Billy was saying “Man, this is primitive. Holes in the floor? Where do I sit, where the heck is the toilet paper? What’s this bucket of water and rag for? How do I…?”
Brother Dog stepped into the room with a sigh of relief.
“That should keep him busy for a few moments,” He said to Zhoulin.
“I think that went well,” he said, “at least he is calming down, perhaps his imagination will give us time to ease him into all this.”
“But what was he saying?” Zhou said.
“Well, he thinks he’s had an accident, and you or we have rescued him and he has lost his memory.”
“Oh, that is wonderful and almost true,” she said.
"Yes, it should help. Who would have thought he would see it as an adventure." Brother Dog said shaking his head.
“What was that on his back?” She almost whispered “It seemed alive like his own skin was attacking him. It almost made me sick to see it! ”
“And where is it?” Brother Dog said quietly.
“What!?” she said shocked. “What do you mean Brother Dog. It is dead, of course.
We all saw it fall to the ground!” She said, almost in a panic and started to scan the ground around her feet. As if it was possible the scar was alive and moving.
Just then something moved, in the farthest, darkest corner of the small building.
Something slithered and squirmed and made small noises.
Brother Dog and Zhoulin stepping outside didn't see or hear the movement, but Billy perked up his head for a moment as he stepped out of the outbuilding. His eyes glazed over for a moment, then snapping out of it shook his head as if trying to remember something.
Zhoulin and Brother Dog saw him stumble.
“Are you all right?” Brother Dog said before he could stop himself.
Billy gasped as he stared at Brother Dog.
“You can talk!” He shouted, pointing at Brother Dog.
Uncle stepped out of the forest and looked at the tableau. He had some fresh picked wild herb in his hands.
“You talked!” Billy said, backing away.
"No, I did not!" Brother Dog said.
"Ah!" Billy said. "That's why you understood me. Oh, my god, you talked! I remember now! You were talking to me when I first got here and yeah, you told me to run! I remember now! You can talk! Who are you? What have you done with Duke?”
He stood there a moment in shock, his mind taking it all in.
“They can’t talk my language, but you can? This is just crazy,” Billy said, as he sat down on the grass shaking his head. “What’s going on? Where am I? Really.”
A tear came to his eye and he wiped it away, “What’s going on?” He repeated. ”Really, stop lying to me, this
is all crazy.”
Brother Dog walked over to Billy and squatted in front of him.
He sighed “I’m sorry young one,” he said quietly.
The boy’s eyes widened.
“There are powers at work here that are hard to explain you must understand we mean you no harm. The girl's name is Zhoulin the old man I only know as Uncle Xu and I am known as
Brother Dog as my name is unspeakable in your language. It is the howling of the moon.”
Billy looked at him “Are we, Are we still on earth? He said shakily.
“Yes,” Brother Dog said.
Billy breathed a sigh of relief. “Are my mom and Dad ok?”
“There is no reason to believe any harm has come to them,” Brother Dog said. “They have no part in this.”
“I am not near my home am I?” Billy asked his voice shaking. He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry it was all so strange. Then he felt an odd movement near him like he was being watched or something was coming near him but strangely not near. A connection to something, then it was gone again.
Brother Dog noticed Billy shudder and felt an odd something in his bones, but couldn’t tell what it was but there was a magic around Billy. When the boy had stumbled earlier Brother Dog thought he had felt a presence. And then it was gone.
"How far from home am I?" He said, "When can I go back?"
“You are a long way from home, but we will try to get you there as soon as we can. There was an accident as, you guessed.”
Billy reached out and touched Brother Dogs face as if to reassure himself. “What? What happened to Duke did, did you hurt him?”
"I did not hurt him, Billy, we fought a great battle side by side, he died to protect you, and he died with honor. I merely took his place for a short time so I could protect you.”
“Protect me from that… thing that was chasing me? How…? How long have we been here?”
“Several days I am afraid.”
"What about my Mom and… well, Dad? They're gonna be really mad."
“I am uncertain how to respond,” Brother Dog said. “I am sure they are worried. We did leave in the middle of the night. I would assume they are searching for you even as we speak.”
This seemed to satisfy Billy for the moment.
“What about these other two?” Billy whispered. “What’s their story?”
Brother Dog thought for a moment he wasn’t sure the boy would grasp the complexity of the situation, and he still was pale and weak.
“Well, my young friend,” Brother Dog said, with a bit of a laugh. “That’s a tale for another day and you have been through a very bad accident. I think you should lie down and we can discuss it as we travel tomorrow. We will do our utmost to get you back home.”
“Ok Brother… Brother Dog,” Billy hesitated with a small laugh. “Kind of feeling groggy anyway feel like I got hit by a train.”
It was obvious that he was still recovering from his wounds. Brother Dog got him up on his feet and back to the bed the boy soon drifted off to sleep.
“I think it will be a day at least before he can travel at all. Look how weak, he is,” Uncle said, as they all watched Billy.
“Travel?” Brother Dog said.
‘Yes." Uncle said, "I think we must endeavor to put him back".
“Put him back?... Put him back!? Are you mad?” Brother Dog said. “After all this trouble, we must put him back? I was just trying to keep his spirits up.”
“Please,” Uncle said. “I have had an awakening recently. I am afraid things are not at all what they seem. I… I saw things in my battle with Lijiang. I don’t understand it, but there are forces beyond this world. Something is moving across the.. the cosmos?” He looked at Brother Dog for a moment. “But you know all this I am sure,” he said. I do not intend, however to risk this poor boy's life further. Somehow we must put him back.”
Brother Dog didn’t know how to respond to this. His needs were not the same as Uncles. His needs were far greater than the old man could imagine, whole universes might rest on the actions of this boy. But he didn’t want to argue with the old man.
The time continuum was such a delicate thing according to all the wise men of his planet. When he had been sent on this mission he had been warned to make as small an imprint on local history as possible. They were teetering on the edge of universal breakdown already what with the war and all the trouble these Wolver were making in the Galaxy. At this point he could only let this old man know what he needed to know and nothing more.
He shook his head it would be easier to just go along for the time being perhaps things would work themselves out. But certainly, Billy could not be sent back until the mission was complete. Even at that he only had a vague impression of what was in their future. He was a warrior after all and all this thinking about magic and time travel, continuums and so on gave him a massive headache. And in any case, he doubted these people would understand any of it, best to just go along till opportunity presented itself.
8 Something Crawling Something New
U
ncle and Brother Dog discussed their problems well into the night. Finally, they agreed to take Billy back to the magic meadow in the morning and went to their beds. It took Brother Dog longer than usual to get to sleep. Something was bothering him, but he couldn't place it like something was hovering around them, something unknown. His keen sense of smell was alert but there was no unusual smell. The sense of imminent danger persisted, though. No one else it seemed noticed the tiny hint of evil. It made him toss and turn in his sleep.
It had lain long hours under Billy’s bed, it slithered out, a non-formed lump. It had no eyes or mouth, limbs or shape for that matter, but it moved with a certain purpose. It stopped as Uncle moaned from his blanket and rolled about for a moment. When all was still again, it slithered up the leg of the bed and onto the thin blanket covering the sleeping boy. Seeming to sense its goal, it moved more quickly across the bed.
Brother Dog's constant turning seemed to alert it somehow. It stopped its oozing motion for a moment waiting. There was a dim glow coming from it now, an almost palpable feeling was in the air. It glowed brighter as it rose like a snake ready to strike. Up it went, seeming to sniff the air. Once again, it settled onto the thin blanket. Finally, it found its mark, rising up like a cobra it prepared to lunge at the sleeping Billy lying half naked on the bed.
There was a cry from the corner as Brother Dog came fully awake. Jumping to the bed, his sword flashed through the air and cut a chunk from the strange glowing creature. Billy lying in the bed rose up screaming as the piece of the creature fell squirming on his bare stomach. The creature dodged the next slice somehow, but was caught by the next and another piece of something flew off. Billy screamed again writhing on the bed. Brother Dog was oblivious to Billy’s cries and kept slicing at the creature, but the pieces he sliced off managed to re-join with the whole driving Brother Dog to more furious attempts to kill it.
Just as Brother Dog sliced another piece off the thing, Zhoulin screamed
“Stop!”
Like a madman Uncle jumped on Brother Dog, knocking him to the ground just as he was about to take another swing.
Brother Dog ripped himself free from the old man in his rush to try to and kill the thing, he couldn’t understand why Uncle was yelling at him.
The thing rose itself up like a snake for one final lunge, Brother Dog raised his sword, determined the creature would never reach the writhing screaming Billy. Zhoulin threw herself in front of him and grabbed his arms
“Are you insane?” he yelled “I can kill the foul thing! Let go of me!”
“NO!” She cried. “Look! Look!” as she pointed at Billy.
The creature threw itself at the boy. “Look at Billy!” she said.
For the first time, Brother Dog saw the long slashes in the boy's small body like he had been attacked by a sword. He stepped back in confusion as the slithering creature crawled onto Billy's body at the exact sp
ot where the original scar had been. Tendrils reached out and it flattened itself against him. The tendrils touched the strange wounds and they began to vanish as it passed.
They all stood in awe as the wounds slowly healed right before their eyes
“I don’t understand.” Brother Dog said.
“Every time you cut that thing, an equal cut appeared on Billy!” Uncle said.
“They are linked,” Zhoulin said quietly.
“Yes,” Uncle said, as he stepped closer to Billy, who had fallen unconscious and was lying on the bed breathing in deep gasps as if in terrible pain. The strange thing pulsed and glowed on Billy’s pale skin.
“You are correct I think little one.”
“But it is an evil thing,” Brother Dog stammered. “You can’t mean to leave it attached to him like some kind of parasite it might kill him! It might infect his mind. We have no idea what it could do, we must remove it.”
Uncle stood there a moment, staring at the thing attached to Billy.
"See the way it healed him? I cannot believe it will kill him, as Zhoulin said, they are linked somehow. This is some Wolver magic for certain, but what? Also, remember when you poured the potion on the wound? Billy reacted as if he was in pain as well. I think we cannot separate them at this time as you say we have no idea what it will do."
Just then Billy rolled over in the bed. His eyes parted for a moment.
"Jeez, you guys! Why are you guys talking about me? Magic potion? I can hear everything you know. I am right here."
They all stepped back in surprise.
"You were almost dead." Zhoulin said, "Look at your side."
Billy did as he was told. "Holy!" he said. There was a dark patch where before it had been new skin.
"That wasn't there before."
"Yes, by all rights you should be dead," said Uncle Xu with a bit of a chuckle of relief. "Luckily, Brother Dog here had a magic potion."
The Jewel of Nirune (The Sword of Time Book 1) Page 9
