Sentinels of Creation: A Wizard's Soul

by Robert W. Ross

  He did, but found there was some kind of resistance. Almost like a rubber band stretching. He could feel the wild organic energy around him. He touched it and pulled on it, but it would not come into him. He pulled some more and felt an uneasy tearing sensation. Kellan began to relax his hold when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to find Merlin looking down on him.

  “Harder, Kellan, pull harder now. Do not release it.”

  “It feels somehow wrong, Oren”

  “No, that is just Creation balking at your attempt. It hates such meddling. Pay it no mind. Pull, Kellan.”

  “Pull, Kellan,” repeated Shannon. “Trust me. You almost have it. Pull now!”

  Kellan did and the veil between his Ordered power and that of Nature parted. Shannon and Oren vanished. The young Sentinel felt himself spinning in a void as he screamed soundlessly.

  Images flashed by too quickly for him to recognized. They were blurs and swirls of light or energy. He couldn’t tell which. It was all too much. Too much unfamiliar power. Too much light. Too much everything. He felt his mind begin to wander as it tried to organize what was too vast to be organized. Kellan began to retreat inward, consciousness fading. It felt like death.

  “Kellan?” a voice said. “Sentinel-Kellan?”

  “Huh?”

  “This is exceptionally interesting. I must apologize. I became so engaged with what I was seeing that I lost attention on your vital statistics. Kellan, do you have any idea how much information I need process to actually lose attention. I have never lost attention before.”

  “Uh,” muttered Kellan as he reached for the welcoming dark of unconsciousness.

  “Stop!” yelled Jarvis and Kellan felt what seemed like a jolt of electricity run through him. It hurt, but the welcoming darkness retreated a bit. He went back toward it. “Stop!” yelled Jarvis again.

  “Ow!” Yelled Kellan, “What are you doing to me?”

  “I am stimulating your cardiac system via extended nerve induction. It should be quite painful.”

  “No shit, Jarvis, cut it out.”

  “I will, cut it out, when you cease trying to disincorporate your mind from your body.”

  “Dis-in-what?”

  “Kellan, you are between worlds and your mind cannot properly comprehend what it is experiencing, so your solution is to end your mind. I will not allow it.”

  “Between worlds? How are you even here then? What worlds? ”

  Jarvis’s voice became animated, “What worlds indeed, Sentinel-Kellan. As to how I am here, only your mind has slipped between worlds, your body remains where it was. Kellan, I believe we have just proven the Multiverse theory. I am still only beginning to formulate a corollary to that theory of course, but do have a preliminary opinion. Would you like to hear it?”

  “Um, Ok?”

  “Please keep in mind that I have had very little time to test this corollary and doubt I will ever be able to have it peer reviewed because—”

  “Jarvis, I’m sleepy.”

  “Oh…no. Never mind then. Kellan, shall I shock you a—”

  “No!” cried Kellan as what felt like a jolt of adrenalin coursed through him, “Just stop with the Stephen Hawking crap and explain in my kind of terms.”

  “Very well,” said Jarvis. “The Natural energies of which Oren spoke are actually something entirely different from what he suspects. They are not of our world at all. Rather, they are the foundational energies leaking into our world from others. Just as our foundational Ordered and Chaotic energies must leak into those worlds as secondary powers. Isn’t that fascinating?”

  “Doesn’t explain the lights I keep seeing,” said Kellan.

  “Those are not lights, Kellan, those are entire universes composed of their own stars, galaxies, and governing physics. We are flying through the void between universes and your eidetic mind is trying to organize it all. I know, because I tried to do it, before realizing it would destroy me, so I turned it off. You must do the same.”

  “Sounds good,” said Kellan lazily. “How do I do that?”

  Jarvis sounded confused, “Well, just turn off that subroutine Kellan. Stop organizing.” The AI paused, then said, “Oh, I see the problem. Sometimes I forget you are human, Kellan. Forgive me. I suggest you focus your attention on something manageable. Something that will consume all your available CPU cycles and allow you to ignore the multiverse movements around you.”

  “I don’t have a CPU, you autistic Avenger wannabe, but I think I get your point.” Kellan strained mentally as he shifted his focus from the blurring lights that surrounded him to something he had organized, categorized, and analyzed to a ridiculous level: Bladerunner.

  The fatigue faded slowly as Kellan looked down and saw himself in dozens of perfectly recalled scenes taken from his favorite film:

  Kellan being examined by Harrison Ford using a Voight-Kampff machine. Describe in single words, only the good things that come into your mind about your mother.

  A shirtless Kellan sitting in the rain holding a dove. I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in the rain. Time to die.

  An emotionless Kellan sitting in a small white room. And blood-black nothingness began to spin... A system of cells interlinked within cells interlinked within cells interlinked within one stem... And dreadfully distinct against the dark, a tall white fountain played.

  “Jarvis?” Kellan whispered as scenes replayed at edge of his consciousness.

  “I am here,” replied the AI.

  “Where are we?”

  “The nothingness between all things, where the foundational powers of all worlds combine and leak into every world.”

  “Are we stuck here?”

  “No, you can return us to our universe?”

  “What happens if I send us to the wrong one?”

  “I do not know. I do know you would not bring your Ordered power with you. That is a thing of our world. You would only carry with you the power you now feel.”

  “It isn’t as strong.”

  “No, but it is ubiquitous in all the multiverse.”

  “How do I find our world? So much flew by. I feel we are far from home, Jarvis.”

  “You have a beacon, Kellan. Use it”

  “Beacon? Shannon? You mean Shannon?”

  “Yes, Kellan, in all the multiverse there is only one Soulborn. She is your beacon. Look for her and she will guide you home.”

  The Sentinel felt everything around him recede as he pictured himself turning slowly in a circle, orienting on her. Several times he though he’d found her, only for it to be slightly off, something in that universe drew him, but it was not his Soulborn. What drew him there if not Shannon? His mind tried again and again to skitter off and solve that problem. Whenever it did, Kellan redirected it to the omnipresent Bladerunner films running in the peripheral of his conscious thought. He didn’t know how much time had passed since he began searching for her. He had long since begun to fear he’d never find her, when the darkness around him suddenly blazed with light. In what seemed the far distance, a warm emerald light beckoned him. He concentrated on it and felt a distended tunnel form between him and it. Through the tunnel he saw her. Tears streaked her cheeks as she shook someone who sat unresponsive in a chair. Kellan recognized himself in that chair and behind him, stood someone who appeared much older and looked on with concern. Oren. His lip was split and a bruise was already forming on his cheek. Apparently, Shannon was displeased with the wizard.

  “I found her, Jarvis. I can see the Ordered power in her. It wraps around her like ribbons of light and in him I see the other. The power of the in-between is it?”

  “The power of all worlds and none, Kellan. What Oren and others in our world have touched is but a pale shadow to what you are touching now. There is no way for them to train you. They have only the most rudimentary
knowledge of this Universal power. Be cautious, Kellan as you explore channeling this energy.”

  “Yeah, no shit, Jarvis. Thanks for the tip. I’m taking us home.” Kellan concentrated and he felt the odd sense of rapid movement that he’d first experienced when having slipped into the void. He didn’t look at anything other than the beacon of light as it continued to grow in his mind’s eye.

  “Wait,” said Jarvis as Kellan felt himself draw so close that he could almost touch the world. “I have been thinking,” Jarvis continued and Kellan groaned.

  “You thinking rarely brings me joy, Jarvis. Can it wait until we’re out of this place?”

  “Perhaps, but I am not sure, so will tell you now. There may be others who have done what you just did, Kellan. Statistically speaking, it is unlikely you are unique. Such beings may or may not be in our world. They may or may not have been made aware of you because of your presence in this void. I suggest you do not return arbitrarily and that you only channel this new power while doing so with that of Order.”

  Kellan had been focused on his image of Shannon while still locking in Jarvis’ words. This last comment though, caused him to mentally turn toward him. “What do you mean by that?”

  “Channeling Order will serve as camouflage for abilities you will develop using this new power. I suspect that were you to do otherwise, you might very well draw undesired attention from those who have preceded you in this capability. Were they not of benign intent, you could be in grave danger. Then again, they would not be aware of your ability to channel the foundational Ordered power of our world, so would be in for a bit of a surprise.”

  Kellan almost laughed, “Finally, some good news. Ok, Jarvis, that’s excellent advice. We’ll talk more later. Right now, I’m going home.”

  Kellan’s eyes snapped open and pain flared across his face. He focused and reached up to block Shannon from slapping him again. She stared at him, face first reflecting shock, then relief. The Soulborn placed both hands on either side of his head and covered him in kisses.

  When she finally pulled back, Kellan smiled and said, “I have never gotten that kind of reaction before and, heck, I was dead earlier in the week.”

  She had settled herself back into the leather chair, ran a hand across her eyes, and gave an exhausted sigh. “This was worse than anything before, Kellan. I thought I’d lost you. Lost you for good.”

  The young Sentinel barked a laugh, “Lost me? I was sitting right in front of you the whole time. How could you lose me when I’m in the same room?”

  Shannon’s expression changed in an instant as a dark shadow seemed to pass over her face. She rose from her chair with such anger than Kellan felt himself sink back into his. She whirled to the right and picked up the iron fireplace poker from its place by the hearth. In his peripheral vision, Kellan saw Merlin shrink back a little. Shannon poked angrily at the coals and slammed a split log onto the fire. She turned her head back to him and said, “You were gone, Kellan. Your mind was gone. Ever since I was that young woman by the river, I’ve felt you nestled in my mind. It is so much a part of me that sometimes I forget you are even there. You’ve been with me more years than not, then suddenly—” Kellan saw her shoulders tremble and he moved to her, arms slipping around her waist. She leaned back and he turned his face into the tousled mane of red curls.

  “I know what that’s like, Shannon and I’m sorry. Truly.” He helped her rise and turned her to face him.

  Angry tears threatened to begin again when Kellan reached up with a tissue and wiped her nose. “Blow,” he said gently and she did. “Now, do you remember when those Cabalist bastards had you walled up in a, well, in a wall?” She said nothing but gave him an, of course I remember, you idiot, face. “Yeah, well, when you went through the stones after fighting that demon, I felt the same thing you did now.”

  Her eyes widened. “You never told me that.”

  “I know. Maybe I should have, but I didn’t want to relive it. Besides that, I honestly didn’t think it would do any good to tell you. I never considered the same thing could happen in reverse.”

  “What did you do,” she asked, “when I vanished like that?”

  Kellan took a deep breath. “Well, I did what God’s unchecked hand on the world would do in that situation. I burst into tears until Satan’s daughter and the god of War convinced me it was going to be ok.”

  Shannon laughed despite herself. “And how did they do that, Kellan Thorne?”

  “Well, Meghan said you were an amazing badass and that no single demon could ever take you out.”

  Shannon nodded and said, “I’ll have to thank her for that.”

  Kellan pushed back a little. “Oh, no. I promised her I wouldn’t tell you. She doesn’t want to upset the continual alpha-female dance you gals have.” That earned Kellan another smile and a nod of acquiesce. “Seramai was the one that really helped though. He told me that he had a bond with someone similar to what we share and that there is no mistaking if it is ever truly severed. He didn’t go further, but I suspect there is a pretty definite physical and mental reaction.”

  “Something to look forward to,” Shannon said as she drew closer, “You just need to make sure we die spectacularly and together.”

  “I’ll do my best to arrange a suitable Butch and Sundance exit for us,” Kellan said with a low chuckle. She raised a questioning eyebrow and he added “Yeah, I’ll put it on our watch list.”

  Merlin cleared his throat and the two turned to him. “Yes, I am still here.”

  Shannon slipped out of Kellan’s arms and moved to the old wizard. “Oh, Oren, I’m sorry,” she said and reached up with her tissue to dab at his lip.

  “Think nothing of it, Shannon. It actually brought back a few good memories of us as children, but, uh.” Shannon paused and he took the tissue from her. “This wouldn’t be the same one you used to blow your nose would it?” She took it back from him and threw it in the fireplace, while affecting a look of innocence that Kellan knew to be fake. “Yes, well,” continued Merlin, “I will be fine and I don’t blame you at all.” He gestured to the Sentinel. “His reaction was unprecedented and I have trained hundreds of people who have had the ability to recognize the Natural energies around us.” His voice trailed off as he added, “Of course Kellan had never felt those energies before and was already invested with the ability to channel Ordered power. I should have expected something like this.” The old wizard reached up and gripped the Sentinel’s shoulders. “What happened? Tell me what you saw.”

  The Kellan looked from Shannon to Merlin and said, “You guys better sit down for this.” He paced around the room as he did his best to fill the two in on what he had seen and felt. Kellan paused several times during the retelling to check in with Jarvis and confirm his recollections. Finally, he leaned against the mantle and waited for their reaction.

  “Wow,” said Shannon.

  “That sounds like quite the acid dream, Kellan,” offered Merlin.

  “Quite the what? Oren, what do you know about acid dreams.”

  The old wizard smiled, “You forget, Kellan, I got to 2018 the long way around and that included the 1960s, but never mind about that now. The implications of your experience cannot be overstated and were clearly worth both you nearly dying and me getting punched in the face.”

  “Yeah, well, I’m still not quite clear on those implications and Jarvis—”

  The AI’s voice came thought the living room speaker, “I am working on that corollary theorem as you speak, Sentinel-Kellan. I shall have it for you presently.”

  “Oh, I don’t think we’ll be needing all of that,” said Merlin, “Here’s how I see it. Natural energy, as I’ve called it, is really not natural at all. In fact, it is almost the complete opposite of natural since it does not even originate from this universe. No, we’ll be needing a new name for that.”

  “Universal energy?” offered Shannon.

  “The very name I am using for my paper,” said Jarvis


  “Excellent choice, Shan,” said Merlin with a smile as he continued, “So, this Universal energy is what all magical practitioners and Mantels draw from or manipulate. It makes so much more sense now. Some very few individuals are able to sense the multiverse and thus the energies that flow through it. I’ve always wondered why that capacity was so rare if the energies were a naturally occurring force. Now we know it is anything but.”

  “It is very complicated, Master Oren,” said Jarvis

  “No, it is simplicity itself,” countered the wizard, “I’m just surprised I never saw it before. Our foundational energies, those we refer to as Order and Chaos, combine to form our universe’s animating creative force. Every other universe has its own foundational energies which are clearly different from ours. However, all those disparate powers are homogenized in the great emptiness between universes and into this ubiquitous power, this Universal energy as Shannon has aptly named.”

  “Actually, I named it quite a bit earlier than she did,” said Jarvis

  Merlin ignored the AI and said, “So there we have it. Foundational energy here becomes Universal energy there and Foundational energy there becomes Universal energy here.”

  “I believe that is a gross oversimplification,” said Jarvis.

  “That’s pretty cool, Oren,” said Kellan.

  “Yes, cool,” replied Merlin with a dejected sigh.

  “What?” asked Kellan and Shannon together

  “Nothing, really. It’s just that I always considered the energy which fueled each Mantel and that I can manipulate to be true magic. I always knew there wasn’t an actual dragon, but it was an apt metaphor. Now I come to understand that such energy is merely another universe’s foundational power leeching into our own.” The old wizard paused and shook his head. “Oh, don’t mind me. I’m not explaining any of this well.”

  “Don’t be silly, Oren, “ began Shannon as she rested her hand on his, “I think you captured it wonderfully, and better than any of us could have.”