The Jewel of Nirune (The Sword of Time Book 1)

by William Smart

  “Well,” Billy began, as he related the story of how he had gotten here and some of the troubles they had, had and the wolver.

  “Right, right,” said Will when Billy was finished. “A tall tale, a tall tale as ever I have heard, fair enough. I have one for you as well, I suppose. The dastardly Wizard what’s set us on this path a sly one, that ol’ bugger. N’ before he cast his spell the wizard made some strange comment, about the future and destiny and how history would never know. And if we saved you, somehow you would change history, and then all would go back to as it was, and so on. I know not, what he meant, I swear to that. If you was to save the very world as he put it, and it all went back to as it was, what the point of all that is I has to ask. Truly witchery is for those of us who ought not I say’s. But it seems to me we are destined for a strange death that much even I can see.”

  “Well,” Billy said, after taking a deep breath. I think what is going on is some wizards are having some kind of crazy cosmic battle, of course, one of them is good and one is evil.”

  “Har! Laughed Will involuntarily. “Evil ha! Beyond evil, I would say.”

  “Can I ask? Who is the mage or sage you keep mentioning? Is it by chance Merlin the magician?”

  “Aye, the very same, he is better known to some as Merdin I’ve heard him called Merlin yes I do believe it is the same. I call him the mage coz he seems to know...well too much really. Any-road, please continue.”

  Billy nodded his head deep in thought.

  Ok,” He said trying to gather the pieces together. “Well, they might be using people who are of no consequence in history to fight some crazy war through time and space, although why they have taken me I will never know.”

  “No consequence!?” Will said, a bit taken aback. “We are of no consequence? What's this? And the battles we fought young Robin and Friar Tuck and John Little. No consequence? Well, I beg to differ young lord. Hadn’t been for us, good King Richard would have naught to return to after the terrible trouble in the holy land!”

  “No. You misunderstand!” Billy jumped in, “You are from a part of history that is as much legend as truth. Some people believe in you, some don't. There is no proof you even really existed. As well, in your case, no one really knows what actually happened to any of Robin Hood or his men. They just kind of disappeared and no one knows if even they were real, to begin with. Well, except now I know you are real. It is so cool!”

  “Robin Hood? How do you know of this affectation that our glorious leader is anon to use. If we are of no consequence, then how do you know of us you even seem to know our names. I think we are not from the same era.”

  ‘Yes, I am from your future and there are stories of a guy named Robin of Loxley and Longstrider their battles, but no one knows if it is even a true story or something made up. It’s kind of nice to know that you do…. Did exist. Also, they are not sure if Robin Hood and this Longstrider are the same men.”

  “Ha!” Will said brightly, “Well, true or not we do exist, as you can see, past or future we are here. But it all sounds like nonsense, doesn’t it?

  “Yeah. I’ve got to agree it sounds pretty far-fetched,” Billy said.

  “Yet, here we are. Farfetched! Ha! Another great turn of phrase. You are a witty one

  Master William.”

  “So, does that mean you won’t sell me? Or kill me?” Billy asked.

  “Perhaps not. I must think on this thing. We have escaped the maw of death. How? I hazard a guess, some wizard spell most like. I doubt it will last.”

  “Why, what do you mean?”

  Will look became very serious “Well, lad we barely escaped with our lives.” He shuddered at some memory “Just as we were about to split our forces to confuse the enemy, something came out of the forest. Don’t know what it was really, ugly slathering thing, big as an

  Oliphant it was, knocking down trees and killing everything’ in its path. All the horses ran crazy into one another, trying to get away and those damn Dragons was killing everything in a frenzy they were!

  “But the Dragons are dead!” Billy protested. I saw them die.”

  “Aye as you say lad, but they was running after us, all full of arrows and dead eyes. They was possessed I reckon. And them Wolver things was everywhere. You took a bad hit in the head, Longstrider er… Robin tossed you onto my horse and said run. Then this army came out of nowhere strange creatures like dogs, but lizards all slimy and ugly I think some of them was already dead they smelt so bad.”

  “And?” Billy said quietly.

  “I don’t know it was all very confused... body’s flying, monsters running about, weapons and blood everywhere, never seen such a thing. In all my years fighting for the right and never saw such blood lust. The strange creatures were coming at us. It was like they was herding all the normal creatures and warriors together and killing… well, everything, n’ everybody, gods, it was awful and then there was a blast of magic I think. It was like all hell was breaking out of the grave. And then they was all running at you, you were unconscious already not sure what happened. As I said you took a terrible knock on the head and Robin tossed you on my saddled yelling run, run we will hold them back. Then we were here. Thought I saw your wizard girl chanting something looking at us, but it is a blur now.”

  “What do you mean a blur?” Billy asked. “What happened?”

  “A blur, surely you understand that. One moment we were in a battle and next here, well somewhere near here. I cannot for a truth be sure. The horse was still running in terror when we reappeared… arrived? We were there, then we were here, I cannot fathom it one bit. Not unlike when the wizard sent us here I suppose.”

  “So what happened to my friends?”

  “Well, I suppose the same as mine, last I saw they were deadlocked in some strange combat. I suppose they are all dead. Here, let me look at that wound,” Will said, as he stepped toward Billy.

  “What wound?” Billy said.

  “Well the one as knocked you out,” the Bowman said with a laugh, stepping behind Billy and combing through his hair.

  “Well, damn my soul!” Will said.

  “What?”

  “Well, there's not a scratch on you!”

  “Well, yeah. I would know if I had a wound in my head come on!”

  “No look!” Will said, showing Billy blood on his hand from Billy’s now quite long hair.

  “Look at your shirt.” Will pulled the fabric around so Billy could see

  Sure enough, there was a large amount of drying blood there. He ran his hand through his hair. Sure enough, it was bloody.

  “How is this possible?” Will said. “I saw you take an arrow! Bounced off yer head it did.

  Lucky you have a hard one I reckon. Never seen an arrow bounce off a skull before. Thought you were dead until you spewed all over my favorite boots”

  Billy sat there “Where are my friends?” He said. “We have to go help them.”

  He stood up and looked around “and where are we anyway?”

  “I am not sure. We were there at full run, and then we were here. Almost killed us that did.” Will stopped talking and pushed Billy to the ground holding his mouth.

  “Something comes, ” he whispered.

  He made a clicking sound his horse laid down in the long grass. They waited and Will pulled his bow, Billy realized once again, he was without a weapon.

  The grass moved not far from them, something crawled out into the opening. It was like a giant silver centipede. Not that Billy didn't think centipedes weren’t really weird already. All those legs and antenna. This one had long silver-ish antenna, almost metallic. They kind of reminded Billy of the radio antenna on his dad’s car. It was waving them in the air. For some reason, it looked like it was trying to get a signal. Will stood up without warning and let go an arrow, right through its center. It looked around at them. The antennas waived frantically in the air, then there was a Wolver standing there.

  “Oh no!” Billy said. “Kill it
.” The Wolver raced toward them as Will fired arrows so fast it was dead before Billy could move. Almost immediately they were replaced by two more, coming out of thin air. The centipede waved it's antenna about wildly. Billy grabbed Wills sword out of his scabbard, it was a heavy, cumbersome thing, unlike the Chinese swords he had become used to. Will was too busy firing arrows at the Wolver to protest.

  “No! Kill it!” Billy yelled again. “The Centipede not the Wolver the centipede.” Another arrow lanced through the still weaving creature and three more wolver appeared out of seemingly nowhere

  Billy dove at the centipede, swinging the great sword with all his might the blade cleaved through the head. There was a shout as more Wolver poured out of nowhere. He thought he heard the familiar voice of Longstrider as a horse came into view. Wolver were dying all around But Billy swung the sword again cutting the antenna off the slithering creature... He squashed them underfoot jumping up and down on it like a madman chopping the creature to pieces. When he looked up a little group was staring at him. He was relieved to see his little gang, apparently all intact.

  “Well,” Longstrider said with an odd look on his face. “It appears, wee William is the slayer of the great worm.”

  “And he’s done a right good job of it too!” Will laughed. “Squashed it to bits he did!

  While the rest of us was workin’ on the big old toothy ones. A brave lad is he!”

  They all laughed.

  “Don’t you see?” Billy said, “it was calling the Wolver with its antenna.”

  “What are you on about now?” Will said scornfully “Calling? How is that possible? Did anyone hear it calling, then? Didn't make a bloody sound just was wavin’ those funny bits that you managed to squash so well.”

  “It does sound a bit strange.” Zhoulin put in. “I heard no sound from that creature, even as you were tromping on its head.”

  Billy looked at Brother Dog. “You know what I mean!” Brother Dog looked nonplussed.

  “Like radio and TV.” Billy said, frustrated “It was sending a signal through the air.”

  “Oh!” Brother Dog said. “of course, why didn't I see that. But you might need to explain to these.”

  Nodding to the small group surrounding them.

  “Oh my god,” Billy said. “I can’t really, can I?”

  “Hmm.” Brother Dog replied, “Not if you don't want to give them the knowledge to change the time continuum.” He chuckled “it is a fine line we walk, my young friend. As you said earlier, probably, the die is already cast. We cannot change anything that has happened and at this juncture. I would think the more they know, the more they can help us.”

  “Yeah.” Billy laughed “I wondered if they have to rewrite the history books? Or do you think they will rearrange themselves magically?”

  “What are you, on about now?” Longstrider said, looking at Brother Dog.

  “First, I should say, Billy has not gone mad. Indeed, I believe he is correct.” He thought for a moment. “It is possible, to send messages through the air, using technology unlike what you have in this place. Billy and I are quite familiar with this umm... phenomenon. We cannot tell you how or why it works. Just please believe that it does indeed work. It is one of the reasons we must never be captured, we have certain knowledge beyond your ken, which could ultimately change the future.”

  “Like we haven’t already,” Billy said sarcastically.

  Brother Dog ignored him, “We can say no more, but remember this if you see one of those creatures with the antenna. Kill it first and do what Billy did. They indeed call the Wolver to us.”

  “So what you are saying is there may be more of these? These centipede things crawling about and they have the ability to bring the enemy to us through some magic in the air, just by waving these antenna bits about? And From another world!?” Will said unbelievingly. “This is getting to be a bit too much for me to fathom. Would that I was back in Sherwood Forest once again battling the Sheriff. Oh for the good old days. It was at least a battle I could understand. This monster hunt we are on... ” He trailed off shaking his head.

  “Aye.” Longstrider said “None of this is what we expected when Merdin put us to the task, and I am not certain had he given us details any of us would have come. What say, Yee Little John? Yee have said little the past few days.”

  Little John, who was tending the horses nearby, looked up from his work.

  “You speak well as always Robert, but I am your loyal man, I go where you go. But I will say this. This is not the road I would have chosen. Nor, if we do survive somehow, is it an adventure, I will not soon forget.”

  Later, when Brother Dog and Billy where alone Brother Dog said “I think you made a great discovery today. I have never seen this new creature before and had no thought to its purpose. Had I seen it, I would have done like the others and just kept on killing the Wolver. You are quick of wit, my young friend. Now, we know what to watch for.”

  “What ho!” Longstrider said, interrupting the conversation. “What think Yee, Good Sir?

  Never have I seen such a warrior. From whence you come you must be an honorable man.”

  “Thank you, my good sir,” Brother Dog responded. “Indeed, I could say the same of you.”

  “How is it, may I ask, that you speak the kings English and are an alien to this world?”

  “I am not sure I do speak your language.” said Brother Dog “My people have always been good at communicating with others and our language centers are different, I think than most. Also, there is magic involved, I think.” Looking at Billy.

  “Meaning what?” he said confused.

  “I think it is a very complicated thing, but to make it simple, we are a social animal like you. We are naturally good at understanding. Think of your common dog here on earth they manage to live with other species like man naturally. They understand you don t they? Whereas a cat. He growled and shuddered slightly, at the mention. Are incapable of such common courtesies. And I lived in your world, well Billy’s world for a short time it helped me assimilate it.

  “What was that?” Billy said.

  “I don’t know to what you refer,” Brother Dog said.

  “That shiver and growl when you mentioned cats, what was that?”

  “There you did it again!” he laughed.

  “It is nothing,” Brother Dog growled. “They are a disgusting and unruly creature. I deal with them as little as possible as you would find well to do. Their whole planet smells like a piss tank.”

  “Wait!” Billy said. “There is a planet of cats?”

  “May I ask, have you been following us for any amount of time?” Brother Dog said to Longstrider, trying to divert the subjects from cats.

  “Yes, truly. You were hard to avoid, I must say. Several times you almost discovered us,” he laughed. “Perhaps it would have been easier in hindsight. But we don’t speak the language and Merlin, as our young liege likes to call him, instructed us not to interfere unless the situation was dire. He would have preferred I think, we had never met at all. But he warned our participation in this adventure would be impossible to avoid.”

  “We must move,” Little John said. “If those things came here, there are more looking, no doubt. I for one would rather not see such creatures again this day.”

  “Yes,” Longstrider said. “Let’s be off. We can have this conversation some other time I hope.”, “I think not, my good companion. I do apologize,” Brother Dog said, as the others mounted the horses. “I cannot speak any more of these things to you, we have revealed far too much already.”

  They rode through the woods with Uncle guiding and finally, they came to a little grove with a small abandoned stone house by a brook. They hid the horses and posted a guard and went inside to rest and talk, Brother Dog translating between them.

  “Well, that was more than I would have dreamed,” Uncle said once they were all settled in. Billy leaned against a pile of bags.

  “Aye,” Longstrider sai
d. “And I fear it is nowhere near the last we will see…. Hi!” He said looking a bit astonished. “Moments ago we had our friend Brother Dog here translating, but now I understand you and it seems you me. What sort of wizardry is this?”

  “That would be my little friend here… I think anyway,” Billy said. “He seems to have the ability to allow people to understand each other. Might be some kind of magic I guess.”

  “Truly, it is a strange looking little beast,” Long strider said. “I think someone said it was a symbiont? I am not sure I understand. Or a familiar?”

  Billy briefly explained how it had come to exist.

  Will nodded his head then. “I must say we are a strange troop, altogether. A talking Brother Dog, a boy from the future, several wizards and a group of undead from another era.” He briefly told the other bowmen what Billy had said about why they had been selected for this venture.

  “I see!” Said, long strider. “An interesting theory that we are already dead, therefore we can't affect… this timeline these ones keep talking about. But we were alive when the Mage sent us. It is confusing, to say the least.” He hesitated a moment. Shrugged his shoulders. “I think it matters not, we are here and must continue this quest until it is finished, whatever the finish might be. So then what is our destination good Uncle, you seem to be the one in charge of this motley crew.”

  “I… I am uncertain,” Uncle said hesitantly.

  “But we have the hounds of hell running after us!” Will said, astonished, “how can you not know what it is all about?”

  Longstrider was less upset he looked around the small room. “I may have the answer I think.”

  Billy couldn’t resist, “But you are Robin Hood, aren’t you?” He blurted out.

  Longstrider looked at him for a moment, then at Will who shrugged. “Aye, lad that I am.”

  “And this Merdin is actually the wizard Merlin?”

  He reached into his bag and pulled out a small scroll and gave it to Uncle. “It was given to me to deliver to the one who has the magic to protect the boy by the very wizard of whom the boy speaks.” Not bothering to answer Billy. But Billy was very satisfied anyway.