Sentinels of Creation

by Robert W. Ross

  “There!” yelled Caleb, sounding triumphant, and Kellan whipped his attention back toward the young man. A sickeningly sweet smell came to Kellan’s nose as the blood hissed and steamed against the coals of the brazier. The Sentinel stared in horror as the amber distortion contracted and coalesced into a vaguely humanoid shape. It stepped forward and the brazier toppled, its heat now gone. The figure raised amber glowing arms as its form took on additional details. It stood well over six feet tall and was heavily muscled with long hair and a thick full beard that draped well below its neck. Its eyes were blazing amber orbs and it narrowed them dangerously as it looked first to Caleb and then to Kellan. Finally it gave the barest of glances to the bound woman who, Kellan saw, continued to silently scream behind her gag as she thrashed against the bonds.

  “Who summons Váli? Who summons the Mantel of Revenge?”

  Before Kellan could react, Caleb rushed between him and the summoned god. “I do. I, Caleb Melville. I summon you!”

  Váli gave the young man the barest of nods as his gaze turned to Kellan. “You,” he began, tilting his head slightly, “You labor under the weight of a Sentinel’s Mantel. I have heard of it, but never have I seen it. You may not wear both mantels, Sentinel of Order. Why are you here?”

  Kellan spread his arms in what he hoped was a non-threatening gesture of openness and said, “Váli, I am Kellan Thorne, successor to Micah ben Judah, Sentinel of Order and I offer you greetings.” The Mantel of Revenge made no acknowledgment and Kellan continued, pointing to Caleb. “That man, committed murder and must receive payment in full for his actions.”

  Váli turned his attention back to Caleb. “Is this true, mortal man-child? Did you commit murder in my name?”

  The young man drew himself up, but Kellan could see his hesitation. “I did, great Váli.” He gestured to the corpse. “This man stole something from me and I exacted just revenge on him for his crime. I have stilled his heart with your dagger and spilled his blood in your name. By his blood I claim the Mantel of Revenge.”

  Kellan raised a hand, “See, he admits it. I thought maybe the other guy did the actually killing, but from his own lips, he confesses. Give him to me, Váli.”

  The Mantel raised a hand in Kellan’s direction. “Peace, Sentinel of Order. I will uncover the full truth here.” He turned back to Caleb. “What was stolen from you, mortal?”

  “She was!” spat Caleb. “She was mine. She was promised to me and he stole her.”

  Váli gestured and the gag fell away from the woman who’s scream filled the room. She took in a lungful air and seemed ready to scream again when the Mantel addressed her causing it to be cut off. “Woman, by what name are you called?”

  She responded dully as if in a dream, “Lisa. I’m Lisa Robertson.”

  Váli turned more fully to her and spoke again. “Lisa Robertson, were you promised to this man, Caleb Melville?”

  She continued in the same hauntingly disconnected cadence she’d used before, “Yes, we were engaged to be married.”

  Váli nodded, then gestured to the corpse. “And you broke that promise to be with this man?”

  She locked her gaze on Caleb and said, “He would hurt me. He hit me. He was cruel.” She paused and tears slowly filled her eyes, then trickled down the side of her face as she turned toward the dead man. “John helped me get away. He was just being a friend.” Her voice fell to the softest of whispers as she continued, “I didn’t intend to fall in love with him.”

  Váli waved a hand in dismissal, “Your reasons are irrelevant. Caleb Melville has cause for revenge else I would not have been brought forth from darkness.”

  “What?” sputtered Kellan, “What the hell do you mean irrelevant? This asshole killed an innocent person.”

  Váli turned his gaze back to Kellan and the Sentinel thought he saw confusion on the Mantle’s face. “The woman broke her vow to Caleb Melville who has taken his revenge on that man.” He gestured again to the body, then looked down at Caleb. “Complete your task, mortal and join with me as the Mantel of Revenge.”

  The young man reached over and removed the dagger from John’s chest. Kellan felt his stomach lurch at the sound it made as it slipped from the body his Sentinel enhanced senses recoiled at the slight pattering made by blood dripping from the knife as Caleb raised it in Lisa’s direction. The young Sentinel again tried to bend time and gave a relieved sigh as he watched Caleb’s movements slow.

  Váli looked up questioningly. “Sentinel of Order?”

  Kellan glared at the Mantel. “Please tell me that you are not asking him to do what I think you are?”

  “He must complete his revenge for this Mantel to fully manifest and merge with its mortal aspect.”

  Kellan gave a mirthless laugh of disbelief, “And you honestly think I’m going to let him kill that girl?”

  The look of confusion on Váli's face deepened and he responded simply, “Of course. Revenge is of both Order and Chaos. I was worshiped in the early days of Micah ben Judah and then faded from existence. Now, the world strains again with many voices all reaching into the darkness. All reaching for Revenge. This man was just the last needed. He was the one who knew the acts to make and the intent to hold in his heart. You may not interfere, Sentinel of Order.”

  “The fuck I can’t, you glowing piece of shit!”

  “How dare you!” shouted Váli and his visage darkened while seeming to also gain several inches of height. Kellan felt energies gather. He’d felt them twice before. First when Seramai formed the council table at Havilah and second when he had dropped his mortal glamor and manifested as Ares. It was wild and organic, nothing like either Sentinel power he’d wielded. Nor was it like the intoxicating creative power Kellan briefly held in the Workroom. Kellan reinforced his shield and saw the glowing green aura brighten around him just as a sphere of amber power coalesced and struck it, hurling Kellan back against the wall. He groaned as air left him in a whoosh and struggled to remain standing. Kellan stared back up at the Mantel of Revenge and held out his right hand as a gleaming longsword formed there. He watched Váli’s eyes move to the weapon and then locked back on Kellan’s own.

  “You cannot stop this, Kellan Thorne. To even try and interfere would be unforgivable.”

  Kellan tightened his grip on the Sentinel’s sword and advanced on the Mantel even as he saw Caleb take another step toward Lisa. “Unforgivable to whom?”

  “Unforgivable to me,” growled Váli. “You skirt the edges of eternal enmity between us even now. If you kill this mortal in revenge for what he has done, I will just seek another vessel. His soul is bound to me now and so long as it remains encased in flesh or severed by revenge, I will remain in the world. Stop this now!”

  Kellan paused and he thought he saw relief play across Váli’s face, then said, “I think I can live with that,” He leaped toward the Mantel of Revenge infusing his legs with a burst of energy. The young Sentinel brought his sword down crosswise as if to cleave Váli from shoulder to waist but fell forward as the weapon passed through without resistance.

  “You are a fool!” yelled Váli, “When I am manifest, I will destroy you utterly no matter the consequence to Creation. Trust me, Sentinel of Order, I will exact the full measure of my revenge.” With that, Váli gestured and Kellan felt his time distortion bubble wobble and Caleb began moving faster toward Lisa as her eyes widened in terror. The Sentinel strained, trying to reassert his temporal control but it was no use, Caleb continued to move faster as his time bubble weakened. “I grow stronger with each step,” cried Váli. He raised his arms triumphantly as the last remnants of time distortion faded and Caleb began to swing the dagger toward Lisa’s chest.

  Kellan flung his right hand outward in a last desperate attempt causing a column of air to knock over the table on which Lisa was bound, even as he formed his left into fist, mind crystalizing with firm intent. A horizontal oval rotated into being right where the table had been moments before. Kellan felt the remaining powe
r rush from him as Caleb’s forward momentum took him over the portal’s edge. For a moment, the young man disappeared from view, then two hands appeared to try and grasp the portal’s edge just as the last of Kellan’s power exhausted itself. The portal winked out leaving two severed hands twitching on the floor.

  Váli roared in defiance, his glowing eyes turning to Kellan. “Do you think this makes any difference! I told you, Sentinel of Order. If you kill him, I will just find another who seeks revenge. I am already in the world.”

  Kellan slowly regained his feet and stared at the Mantel of Revenge, mouth set in a line. “But I didn’t kill him, Váli.”

  “He will bleed to death in minutes,” growled the Mantel.

  “I suspect his soul will be untethered long before he dies from that,” Kellan said grimly as Váli’s entire form shuddered.

  “What have you done!” he yelled.

  “Why, nothing at all. Caleb there seems to have fallen through a temporal portal all on his own. Interesting thing about humans and time travel. Seems the soul doesn’t like going back in time before it was born.”

  “No!” cried Váli and his body shuddered again, cracks of light beginning to form all around it. “I will not go back into the dark. I will—“

  Kellan raised his hands to his face, shielding his eyes from the brilliant flash and when he lowered them again, the Mantel was gone.

  Kellan gave a grunt, “Yeah you will, asshole,” then moved quickly to Lisa’s side. The young woman was unconscious having slammed her head when Kellan upended the table. He removed her bonds and channeled just enough Ordered energy into her to bring her to consciousness. His mind swam from the empathetic link, but he tried to give her a reassuring smile as her eyes fluttered open.

  Jarvis’ clipped voice resounded in his head. “Sentinel-Kellan, that was quite impressive. Using the temporal cascade to cause Caleb Melville’s natural death is something even I might not have thought of. However, the police you requested will be arriving in approximately three minutes and thirty-seconds.”

  The young Sentinel stared into Lisa’s eyes and spoke very softly. “I am so sorry, Lisa, but I promise you, nothing like this will ever hurt you again.” He pressed her discarded clothes into her trembling hands. “The police will be here very soon and Cheryl over there is going to confess to everything.”

  “Fuck you!” growled the other woman as she struggled against the gravity bubble.

  Kellan stood and walked over to her, then smiled. “Fuck me? No, no, no. You have no idea how pissed off I am right now.” He paused then knelt before her, his face scant centimeters from hers, then yelled. “No idea!” His eyes flared to life and he pulled deeply from the replenishing pool of his power. Two small black clouds formed from which twin arcs of lightning struck the ground leaving scorch marks to either side of Cheryl’s head. “You WILL confess to all of this. Or I will come find you and I make you wish you were that piece of shit Caleb. Do I make myself clear? Do I Cheryl?”

  The woman’s eyes were wide with terror and she nodded frantically. Kellan smiled again. “Good, I’m glad we understand each other.”

  He walked back to Lisa who had managed to get partially dressed. She flinched at his approach and Kellan spread his hands while kneeling down, trying to appear as non threatening as possible.

  “I want to give you something, Lisa. It’s a symbol and a promise.” She stared at him and said nothing as Kellan pinched his Sentinel’s ring between two fingers of his right hand. His eyes flared to life as he pulled and the ring elongated just as it had done when Micah first gave it to him over two years ago. He held it out to the young woman who slowly reached out her hand to accept it.

  “It’s too big,” she said haltingly.

  Kellan smiled. “It’s magic. Try it on.” The young Sentinel cocked his head as the sound of sirens came to his ears. “But please hurry, I really don’t want to try and explain myself to police.” Lisa slipped the ring on and gasped as it shrank to become a thin woman’s ring with what looked like an emerald set in its center. She looked up at him, eyes filled with wonder. “No one can ever take that from you, Lisa. If you ever need me, just read the word inscribed inside the ring, and I will come. If ever you find someone who is in greater need than you, the ring can be given.” Kellan raised his hand again. “Given, Lisa, never taken.”

  She nodded slowly and repeated, “Given only, never taken.”

  Kellan smiled again and stood, then motioned and a glowing oval rotated into view through which they both could see what looked like nondescript parking lot. He stepped through and turned back to her as heavy foot falls could be heard running toward them.

  “Wait,” she said, “what is the word inscribed on the ring. I don’t want to take it off.”

  Kellan nodded with understanding and said, “Sentalus.” as the portal winked out.

  Kellan took in the sea of flashing blue and white lights. He stood among dozens of other people as they watched police and forensic teams work beyond the yellow tape that cordoned them off from the viewing public. He glanced to his right as the Channel 11 news van pulled up and its radio antenna began to extend.

  His attention was drawn back to the building by the person next to him exclaiming, "Sheeiaht, those people are dead." Two body bags were being wheeled out on stretchers with the second stretcher also holding a much smaller opaque bag as well.

  Guess they found Caleb's hands, thought Kellan. I don't envy the report the boys in blue are gonna have to write up on this one.

  Next Cheryl and her father were brought out, hands behind their backs and restrained with nylon ties. Kellan ground his teeth silently as they were unceremoniously put into the back seat of two different police cruisers. Finally, he saw what he'd been waiting for. A female EMT exited the building with her arm around the waist of a young woman who seemed to be relying on the med-tech for support. Lisa Robertson looked pale and gaunt, but there also seemed to be an inner strength to her as well. Her eyes swept across the police and into the crowd, finally settling on Kellan. She stopped and the EMT increased her grip, fearing she might faint, but Kellan knew better. The young woman slowly raised her right hand and sunlight glinted off the ring as she made a defiant fist.

  Kellan silently nodded and offered a mirrored response as Lisa again moved toward the waiting ambulance. The young Sentinel turned back into the crowd and made his way from the police scene. As he angled off toward a nearby cluster of buildings, Kellan felt eyes upon him. He turned and saw a tall man who appeared to be in his late sixties or early seventies. Curious, Kellan reached inward and channeled a trickle of power, just enough to enhance his senses. As he did so, a glowing amber and red aura began to pulse around the man who smiled as their eyes met. Kellan set his jaw and headed toward the stranger who raised a finger and tapped his own temple.

  Kellan stopped short as a resonant voice boomed in his head. "Be careful Sentinel, one cannot play the hero among mortals without ramification." The young Sentinel tensed and started moving again trying to close the distance between them as a second message resounded. "No, not yet, but soon." Kellan felt his mouth open in surprise as the man seemed to break apart into dozens of ravens, each of which beat their wings and took to the air. He quickly looked around, but none of the assembled throng seemed any the wiser for what had just transpired.

  "Wonderful," said Kellan softly, “just what I need, some mysterious raven-dude. With my luck it'll be Odin and he'll be pissed at me too."

  Chapter 3

  A Favor Sought

  Kellan sighed heavily as he pulled the ruined t-shirt over his head and stared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. Two angry red chest wounds still seeped blood as did a third located on his left temple. He held up the t-shirt, waggled a finger through one of the bullet holes, and glared at himself in the mirror.

  “Jarvis, I can almost forgive you for getting me shot. I mean things are always trying to kill me lately, but this,” the young Sentinel shook the Muse t-shi
rt at his reflection angrily. “This is irreplaceable! I went to this concert. I even got to meet the band backstage. My date grabbed Matt Belamy’s ass. You can’t replace a thing like that. Now it has blood and bullet holes. Thanks, Jarvis. The next time you think I might be killed, let me know and I’ll wear something I don’t mind getting ruined.”

  Kellan saw the telltale glint from his biometric contacts and gave himself an exasperated look as Jarvis’s clipped British voice filled his mind. “Kellan, I really must object—” The Sentinel removed his finger from the bullet hole and gave his reflection a palm-up stop signal. The voice paused a moment, then continued, “—to your continued accusation,” Kellan cocked his head and pointed at himself. “—that I was the one—”

  Kellan interrupted. “Irreplaceable, Jarvis! You can’t get concert t-shirts after the concert.”

  “You could just go back in time to the concert and buy another one,” suggested Jarvis.

  “Dude, I’m not going to rip time, risking a paradox, because you screwed up and let me wear my favorite t-shirt to my murder.”

  “You ripped time to buy Scotch and a painting.”

  “Oh, don’t even, that was Macallan and a Van Gogh”

  “So, more important than your t-shirt?”

  Kellan paused, “Well, no, not more important it’s just that—hey, you are not going to turn this around on me. Try apologizing you autistic silicon simpleton before I unplug you.”

  “I exist across the entire distributed cloud infrastructure and cannot be unplugged. Regardless, I have found and ordered you a replacement Muse t-shirt from the 2010 Resistance tour. You are welcome.”

  Kellan readied a pithy retort but felt his contacts deenergize and knew Jarvis had manipulated himself into getting the last word. Damnit I hate when does that, thought Kellan as he popped out the contacts and placed them in their protective case.