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

by William Smart

  “I think it’s a red flag with a gold circle or something,” Gary said.

  Marcy and Tommy looked at him.

  "What?" Gary said. "I go to school too you know and I had to do that project last month on war-torn countries. I chose China."

  “Well, that’s great,” Marcy said, “but it seemed war-torn, but not that kind of war.”

  “What do you mean?” Tommy and Gary said in unison.

  "I'm not sure," she said, "I've only seen glimpses, but…" She hesitated a moment not sure how to say the next part. Finally. "I think they were in another time. Like people were wearing old-fashioned robes and armor and I saw Billy in some kind of battle. And he has friends or companions anyway."

  “Seriously?” Gary interjected.

  “Go on,” Tommy said, giving Gary a harsh look.

  "Well. Remember we talked about that weird thing with your dog, Gary? It was at both your house and Billy's house at the same time. Well, he's traveling with a dog, but it's not a dog." She hesitated, but the boys were silent, waiting for the punch line. "I saw it stand up and fight on two feet. Using a… a sword."

  Tommy and Gary looked at each other, then back at the girl.

  “Don’t say, seriously!” Tommy said, to Gary just as he was opening his mouth. “Ok.” He said to Marcy “Right about now I would believe just about anything. You said companions. Plural. So I assume there are others.”

  “Yes, there’s a girl and an old man. I think they might be some kind of magicians or something. Like I said I’ve seen glimpses...”

  "Seriously?" Gary said quietly. "He's in ancient China, traveling with wizards, and alien warriors, having epic battles? Sounds like he's having a better trip than us."

  “Yeah! No kidding,” Tommy laughed. “So what about us? What about your spider friend?”

  Marcy looked up at Willow, she appeared to not be paying attention to them, but Marcy knew, Willow was probably listening through her mind.

  Willow said, “We are going to visit the Gree At Will.” From her perch.

  "The what?" Tommy said when Marcy told them.

  “Wizard of Oz,” Marcy put in laughing, then. “I’m not sure, but whatever it is it’s important to these creatures.”

  “What about food?” Gary said, out of nowhere.

  "Food?" Tommy said. "All this going on an' you're worried about food?"

  "Well, when was the last time we ate? How come I'm only starting to feel hungry now? It must be days since we got here."

  “Yeah, he does have a point,” Tommy said, to Marcy.

  Just then they heard Willow moving about above them. She descended on a slender thread. The boys stepped back, toward the entry.

  "We will eat," Marcy heard. She arose from where she had been sitting and guided the boys outside. There stood three very strange looking insect-like creatures. Being herded by what had to be some kind of giant ants in some strange clothing. The ants had the creatures tied by their antenna and tapped them with their own antenna. As they tapped the giant bugs Gary noticed a jellylike liquid coming from their rear ends.

  Marcy calmly walked up to the nearest one reached out and took the greenish liquid in her hands. Oddly enough, it didn’t burst, but hold its bubble shape. She raised it to her lips and sucked the liquid out till it was all gone.

  Gary was dumbfounded.

  “Oh, Aphids?” Tommy said.

  “Yes. I think so,” Marcy said, wiping her lips with her sleeve. “It’s quite good. Give it a try.”

  "Wow," Tommy said. As he downed the bubble from the next aphid. "That's pretty good, and refreshing." They looked at Gary.

  “What? That’s lunch? Some crap out of a bug's butt?”

  "Really Gary?" Marcy laughed. "Ever eat an egg or honey or even milk comes from inside a cow? How are you such a sissy being as you're a farm boy?"

  Gary did not want to look like a sissy in front of Marcy. He had a not so secret crush on her. He stepped forward and caught the substance as it fell from the creature’s hindquarters. Oddly, it felt like jelly in his hands, but once again it held its form and didn’t seep through his fingers he gave it a tentative lick and the ball of liquid exploded in his face. Marcy burst out in laughter. And Tommy exclaimed. “Oh my god Gary! You’re such a sap! Ha, ha!”

  Gary was fully embarrassed now. Another ball plopped out into his hand, this time he stuck out his lips and sucked on the liquid. He was absolutely surprised at how delicious it was, and his hunger and thirst were completely sated. “Wow!” he said. “That was great. Can I have some more?” But the group was already leaving. Marcy had climbed up on Willows back and he had to hurry to grab his bag and catch up.

  Hey, wait up." He shouted, but somehow he felt a little better as he ran after them. That had certainly tasted delicious, and it had a flavor never experienced before. Kind of gave him a warm feeling of wellbeing. Maybe this place had an upside after all maybe he could find a way to export that nectar home. Wherever that might be. Remembering home dampened his spirits a bit and he gave a loud sigh as he loped after Marcy and Tommy.

  18 Dungeon?

  B

  illy awoke in what seemed to be some kind of dungeon. He was shocked to realize he was tied to an old rough wooden table. He tugged at the ropes desperately for a few minutes, to no avail. He laid back down. There were spider webs in the rafters that gave him the creeps. Just a few days ago, he had run face first into a huge spider’s web. The spider was at least 3 inches long and stripped.

  Yellow and black. Luckily it was trying to avoid him as much as he was trying to escape it. Having spider webs hanging above him while he was tied down gave him chills. Lifting his head cautiously for a moment he saw no one. He couldn't see geezer anywhere. It was dirty and damp and what he did see though was rats and that gave him quite a start. Since he had been trapped in this crazy adventure he had seen plenty of rats. Since there were no rats in Canada. He had always imagined they would be just a bigger version, of the cute mice he had seen on his dad's farm. He had even had mice for pets. But these were big and ugly and nothing like their cute mice cousins.

  The fact that they had carried the plague and the fact that he wasn't even sure in what era that had been made him hate them more. For all, he knew it could be now. Come to think of it, he had never heard any story where the rats were the good guys. In any case, being tied down in a cellar full of the ugly creatures made his skin crawl. Rats and spiders? Just too much to bear.

  He tried again to get out his ropes, but fell back on the table, exhausted from the attempt. His mind went back to his little symbiotic friend. His side felt cool and he assumed that Geezer wasn't there. He really didn't understand how the symbiosis worked. Sometimes he could feel something, sometimes he couldn’t feel him at all. Like now, he just had a sense his little symbiotic friend was gone and that did not make him feel any better. He pulled on the rope again, it didn't give at all.

  The seriousness of the situation was beginning to dawn on him. He yanked on the rope, then hesitated. He could hear noises in the building above him. Bangs and creeks from doors being closed or opened.

  “Geezer,” he whispered. “Where are you?”

  He was about to shout in frustration, then thought better of it. This was no time for games and he certainly didn't want to draw attention. Then he heard the door begin to open and voices. He lay back down and pretended he was still unconscious.

  Through half-closed eyelashes, he saw two men wearing some weird Chinese robes, with strange black hats made of some kind of black mesh. Kind of like a church lady would wear to a funeral. One had some kind of jeweled strings hanging from the straight brim of his oddly shaped cap. It was weird looking like someone had turned a cowboy hat upside down cut the brim so it was square, then hung a black bejeweled string from the back and front.

  Both men had thin black beards like they belonged to some kind of club. The long black beard weird old man club, most likely. One was stroking his beard as they came close to him. He tri
ed not to move.

  They stood over Billy speaking in Chinese. That gave him a start. If he couldn't understand them, then Geezer was gone for sure and for some reason that frightened him more than anything. One of the men said something to him.

  He didn't respond.

  The phrase was repeated, he dug in his mind for some understanding, but couldn’t. Then he cried out as someone slapped him hard across the face. Something was repeated

  “I don't know what you are saying!” He protested, trying to hide his face. A stinging slap came again, there was nothing he could do. Something was repeated in Chinese.

  "Geez!" He said. "That frikin' hurts!"

  The man looked surprised as he yanked at his bonds.

  They stepped away, “He should understand us,” one man said.

  Billy breathed a sigh of relief, Geezer was near.

  “We must have the information even if we have to torture him.”

  “Torture?” the other said. “He’s only a boy. How old is he? Ten or twelve years, perhaps?”

  "Maybe, and small. Look at him. I find it difficult to believe the stories we have been hearing. If he commands a band of cutthroats, then where are they? Surely he would have been guarded by his men, not just wandering around the bazaar alone. Are you sure he is the right one?"

  "Yes, I saw him in the battle at the old house and then in the field of the dead. He and his band held back the emperor's hounds and killed the dragons and escaped on horseback. It is him."

  “But he is a foreigner. How we shall get this information from him if he doesn't even understand.”

  “Aiya! This is foolishness it would be easier to just follow him and his group to their destination.”

  "The Emperor has commanded we interrogate him."

  “I think the one who counsels our emperor now is a strange creature.”

  “Quiet!” the other one said, looking around the room “are you insane. What if he hears you?”

  “He could not possibly hear us, we are in the King’s Prison.” The man laughed but looked around nervously.

  “Don't be so foolish.” the first retorted. “I would prefer to keep my tongue in my head and my head on my shoulders.”

  There was a stirring in the air.

  "Wise counsel." A strangely twisted hooded man stepped from the shadows. The first man began to choke and stagger. It appeared he was being lifted into the air for a moment by some unseen force. The man struggled in the air for a moment his face turning red as he choked spittle spewed from his mouth then he collapsed into the dirt floor.

  The door opened and a robed man stepped in, head high. The remaining councilor bowed deeply. "My lord,” he stammered, as the emperor stepped blithely past the dead councils twitching body.

  “What have you learned?” the Emperor said

  “We have learned nothing so far my lord. For we have just begun.” The first council said

  “But appears my lord that the boy doesn't speak our honorable language. We were about to begin torturing him.”

  “What of this creature he is supposed to possess where is it?”

  "It was in the bag, of course, my lord."

  “Was? You stupid imbecile, have you not heard? This creature he has is supposed to be magic. We are told it controls the boy some evil magic from some other…” he hesitated, looked at the other man and seemed to make a decision. “Some other world.” he finished “How could you lose this most valuable creature?”

  “My lord!” the man responded terrified “My lord, it was a magic bag I made it myself there is no chance a normal creature could escape it...”

  “There is a stone. It is called The Jewel of Nirune, said to be an all-powerful stone. There is also a sword. It is said when they come together, there will be a great movement in the cosmos and the owner of these will be the greatest creature to ever exist. He glared at the man. “I will have this power! None shall stand before me. We must find a way to get these things.” He glanced at Billy “This boy is nothing!”

  The bearded councilor began to rise in the air, choking as his fellow had done. You have failed as this creature is not here and you are the man hissed.

  "Don't kill him." the emperor said, "he is favored by the people I would not make a martyr of him." The councilor was slowly lowered and fell to the ground coughing.

  "I wanted the little beast, you idiot!" the emperor spat in his face. "You say the creature is nowhere to be found. Hmm," he looked around the room. "It is the nature of beasts to protect their owners, but we know not its power. Can it truly kill with a look?" He directed this question to the councilor who remained on the ground on his hands and knees.

  "We are not sure my Lord," The man choked out.

  “But obviously this thin boy is not the warrior everyone is so in fear of,” The emperor continued. “I think, I am not willing to take the chance that it will not defend the boy, to our possible demise. We must find another way. I have another plan come I will not discuss it here.”

  They all left the room, leaving Billy still tied to the table.

  Later a guard came in and unceremoniously dragged the body of the councilor out. Then another came and they untied Billy and dragged him from the table and slammed him into the stone wall making his head spin. They chained him this time to a bolt. He hung there for a long time wondering what would be his fate. Finally, Geezer came out of the darkness climbed up Billy's arm and investigated the rough shackles, chittered something, then scampered off again.

  He must have fallen asleep. He was awakened by the sound of the door slamming open.

  A man was dragged in kicking and yelling, fighting the guards and was thrown against the wall as brutally as Billy had been. They shackled him and kicked him several times before leaving. One of the guards made a comment about leaving the man alive for the morning torture. They both laughed and stomped out ignoring Billy, for which he was thankful.

  He breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed in his fetters. After a while he noticed the man staring at him.

  “I know you,” the man said.

  “No, I don’t think so,” Billy said cautiously.

  “Yes, yes, you are the foreign boy they have been looking for. I have seen you before at the camp and at the place called the field of the dead with your dog friend and the wizard. I can help you escape I know a way out.”

  “Why would you help me?”

  “I need to escape as well. I will be tortured in the morning, but I know a way out of here if you can help me out my bonds.”

  “How can I get you out of your bonds I am shackled up too?”

  “But you have a friend, a little demon.”

  Billy sat there considering what to do. He sure didn't want to stay here, but he thought this was too good to be true. He was just tied up, and all of a sudden someone wanted to help him? His dad had always said If something sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. On the other hand, there was the old nugget. Never look a gift horse in the mouth. He wasn't exactly sure about the last one. But he thought about it for a few minutes. Alarm bells were going off in his head or it could still be from the sound smack he had gotten a while ago. But he reasoned, if he got out even for a moment, it was a chance. And he had no doubt that if he didn't do something it would be real torture one way or the other. He certainly didn't want to remain here. Obviously, this was a trap, but what difference? He was already tied to a wall with no friends to aid him how much worse could the situation get. He decided to play along.

  “Ok,” He said. “I have no reason to trust you so why should I do anything at all.”

  “Are you insane?” the man laughed through dirty teeth. “Do you have some other plan?

  Do you wish for the guards to return? Believe me, when they do, your life will become very

  Painful, very quickly. I am sure you do not want to feel such pain. Don’t be foolish come, let us escape together, it is your only chance.”

  Billy hesitated for another moment “Man! I kno
w I am going to regret this one way or the other. Geezer? Hey, buddy?"

  Nothing happened.

  “You control this creature no?” the man said.

  “Um, no,” Billy said.

  "No, but it is a magical creature? Isn't it?"

  “I am not sure,” Billy responded reluctantly. He certainly didn’t want to give this man any information. And to be honest, he didn't know if Geezer would help him. Or even understand what he wanted.

  “Geezer!” He called forcefully under his breath. He didn't want to alert any guard, although he was sure this was some kind of set up.

  Finally, there was a movement from the shadows. "Well, I'll be damned," Billy said, as Geezer climbed up his arm. He was more surprised that Geezer was carrying a twisted piece of wire. After several minutes of digging around in the locking system, Billy was freed.

  “Well?” The man across the room said.

  “Well, what?”

  “Release me.”

  Billy hesitated.

  The man looked at him, "I can't help you if you don't help me."

  "How can I trust you?" Billy said.

  The man said nothing.

  There were noises and banging on the door. There was the sound of someone fumbling with the lock. And more yelling.

  Billy wasn’t sure what all the noise was but it sounded like the guard outside was being chastised. Probably for falling asleep again.

  “Come on Geezer,” he said. The little creature unlocked the man. He was surprised at how this weird little creature was so intelligent. It had come from his side, but how could it know how to unlock anything. It must be some kind of magic. Just as the man was about to get up Geezer jumped on the man’s chest and stuck his little face in the man’s face, a weird thing happened his face expanded to twice its size, all teeth inches from the man’s face and hissed. The look on the man’s face was pure terror and it ended as fast as it began Geezer jumped on Billy’s shoulder as if nothing had happened.

  The man was clearly shaken.

  “We must go,” The man said, as he staggered to his feet.