by Gabi Moore
Decemius towered on the shore and leaned back, her matted hair sticking to the body armor she wore. The Azuroth on the other side of the moat began to pack up their pavilions. This was something they’d done many times before, Dion could tell by the level of organization they displayed. The furry creatures were soon moving in a single column away from the tower. Minutes later, the horde of Queen Lilith joined them as they swarmed over the muddy dirt bridge created by the fight between the two giants. Dion stood in place and watched them move away though the mountain pass. He speculated on the relationship between the two different forms of Azuroth, but it didn’t seem to matter any longer. Both groups were defeated and were soon gone from visual range.
Satisfied, Decemius began to break down into her component parts. Dion watched as the light around her arose from the ground, blinding him once again. He covered his eyes with his hand until the light faded. When he lifted his hand, the giant was gone.
She was replaced by the form of the ten women from the writers’ club. They seemed a little dazed, but not much different than the women who entered the tower earlier it the night. What time was it? Dion looked across the horizon to see the first rays of sunlight. According to the people in the tower, this was the first daybreak in months.
Kristen Malar, holding Draco the lion on a leash, walked up to Dion and shook his hand. “Thank you,” she told him. “We didn’t know what word would be used this time or who would give it. You provided the trigger.”
“How long has this operation been planned?” he asked her. “I don’t like to assume things, but I get the feeling you’re not really a writer’s club.”
“I can’t imagine where you would get that idea,” she laughed. “We work for the sovereign. We’re a ten-woman unit she sends out to deal with threats to the kingdom. The whole operation was planned out the moment we learned your uncle had let something into this world from the abyss. It took a long time to figure out what it was that he’d let inside the tower. You were not expected, so we contacted the elemental grandmaster when we learned you’d came through. She provided you with the control words needed to activate the unit and you saw the rest.”
“The lion? You needed a lion too?”
“Not always, but it helps to have one when needed. Today it made all the difference.”
The rest of the tower inhabitants came over to make sure the ten women were alright. They too watched the giant transformation, but they didn’t seem as aghast at what happened as Dion. He’d just watched two giants fight it out in the middle of a river. This world was much different than he expected.
“You created the storm too?” he asked her.
“No, that was a by-product of Queen Lilith,” she told him. “When she began to engorge herself on the energy around here, the storm and lightning was the first source for her. It’s the problem with these abyss creatures. They thrive on the energy of any world they enter. You can’t let them inside for very long.”
“What about my parents and uncle?” he asked her. His uncle Seth still looked at the ground and scowled.
“You all need to leave as soon as you can,” she continued. “Take the door back; it will be sealed on the other side. No one from your time circle will ever be allowed back inside this one. Too much damage took place. Those men he brought over, the guards have to leave as well.”
“And the sisters? They were involved in this too.” He turned and saw them standing with the guards and their retainers.
“They fought well when the need arose. Still, they knew it was illegal to manipulate abyss forces because of what you just saw. And they tried to conceal what took place when everything went wrong. If we hadn’t been informed by someone in the tower, it might’ve been too late before the sovereign could do anything.”
Dion had the sphinxes finish the earthen bridge across the moat. It wasn’t very long before they had one assembled and everyone who needed to leave was able to cross it. Finished with his elementals, he returned them to their natural form. The last he saw of them were small black spheres rolling across the landscape. Of course, no one else could see them.
Kiley Mahen, still in armor, traveled with the small crowd who were headed back to the door in the rock walls. Bernice from the ten women unit traveled with them too. Bernice held the key that would open the gate to their home world. It turned out the one Uncle Seth held turned to dust the moment Queen Lilith was defeated.
“It could have worked,” Seth Back finally spoke up as they watched Bernice attach the sigil disc to the rock facing. “I was close. You still need cheap electricity in this place.”
“If it means cutting deals with fiends like Queen Lilith,” Bernice responded, “then no thank you very much.”
Bernice took out the sigil on the small disc and placed it on the rock wall where Dion emerged the evening before. She removed her hand from it and the disc stayed in place. Once again, it stayed attached to any surface it touched. The disc began to spin again until it was a blur. Once more, it rotated backwards and forwards until it found the right combination for the door.
They watched as the outline formed and the rock turned into the shape of a wooden door. The image coalesced and it became a solid wooden door mounted into the rock on an elaborate frame.
“I wish we could have met years ago,” Kiley said to Dion as she gave him a hug. “Thank you for ridding the tower of those things.”
“I’m sure we’ll meet again someday,” Dion said to her. “Fate has a funny way of running in cycles...” He turned and looked at Bernice. “In spite of what governments try and do.”
Dion put his hand on the doorknob. He turned it and pulled. The door swung open with ease as it was mounted to take advantage of the balance. Dion stopped when it was at the halfway point and turned to look at Bernice again.
“One question,” he said to her. He waited.
“Go ahead,” she responded.
“What are you going to do about all those Azuroth who came through? The last we saw of them was a column marching in the direction of the mountain pass.”
“I guess we’ll worry about them when the time comes,” she replied. “The sisters showed us the tower has some use as a military garrison. Perhaps the sovereign was too quick to decommission the army in favor of the dragon corps. We might have to turn it into a garrison again with the sisters in charge of the post.”
Kiley looked up with bright eyes when she heard those words. “Mother and father would’ve liked that,” she stated.
Dion pulled the door open all the way. “Everyone follow me, this is where we leave,” he ordered and stepped into the other side.
As before, there was a momentary flash of darkness and he found himself back in the huge library. He continued to move as the others needed space too. Dion stepped forward and turned around.
His parents were inside the library next, followed by his Uncle Seth. After them were the security guards who had been employed by the mall. Since no one else was coming through to the other side, he expected the door would slam shut.
But it didn’t. The door closed slowly and then locked itself with an audible click. Dion felt relived and turned back to face Adam Belial, the man who had taken him through the door to the next world where the tower was located.
“I didn’t expect anyone through here today,” he said. “It wasn’t on the schedule, what is the meaning of- oh, hello Mr. Bach!”
Adam faced his employer, Seth Bach. Dion’s uncle was not happy and pushed him aside as he thundered through the next door.
Adam watched him leave and turned back to the crowd. “Now what was that all about?” he asked.
“Mr. Bach is not having a good day,” Dion explained. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to leave with my parents.”
“Hey, what about us?” one of the security guards called out. “We’ve spent the past three months keeping those furry things away from everyone else. When do we get paid?”
“You’ll have to take that up with my uncle
,” Dion explained and pulled his parents along with him. A few seconds later, he was through the next door and thundering down the stairs to the office where the twins had their office.
Anders and Blaze both stood behind their counter as Dion entered their office with his parents. He stopped for a few minutes and asked them if his uncle had just come through.
“Yes he did,” Anders, informed them. “Seemed to be in a bad mood. What happened up there?”
“I’m sure you’ll hear about it in due time,” Dion told them. “How did he leave?”
“The door on the wall,” Blaze said, as he pointed to a door where one had not existed the last time Dion had been in the office.
“It’s the same one you used when you came through,” Blaze explained. “But this one has stayed in place.”
“No it’s not,” Anders argued with his brother. “That one had red wood with a brass plate.”
“You’re wrong as usual,” Blaze snapped at him. “It was a brass frame over green wood.”
As they bickered and argued, Dion went to the door and opened it. Blackness again. There was only one way to be sure and he didn’t have time to run tests. He took his parents by the hand and pulled them together as he went through the entrance.
Seconds later, after the light returned, he found himself back in the antechamber where Edward took him before he left. This was the same place and even the little Englishman was standing there in his shirt and tie.
“My, that was quick,” he said to him. “Did you plan on going back and finishing?”
“What are you saying?” Dion asked him. “I was there all night. I’m beat. By the way, this is my mother and father.”
“Ah,” Edward responded. “Time dilation again. I should have known. Fine boy you have there.” He shook the hands of both of Dion’s parents.
Dion went back to close the door and noticed something odd when he looked on the other side. Instead of darkness, light streamed into a vacant chamber. He stepped into the chamber on the other side of the door and saw metal struts holding up an aluminum structure. The clock part of the tower was visible way up in the air. There was even a service ladder, which ran up to it.
He walked into the shaft further and looked around some more. It wasn’t the lack of any activity inside it, the tower was a shell, an artificial creation designed to have the appearance of a medieval clock tower, but it was made from cheap metal and fiberglass. He doubted it would last five years before it needed to be replaced. Of course, this mall would be around for another fifty years at least, his uncle, or whoever he sold it to, would need to replace the tower or remodel the mall. He betted on the latter option.
Dion turned and walked back through the door into the office of the mall.
Lilly almost knocked him over when she collided with him.
“Dion!” she cried out, “I missed you so much!” Lilly through her arms around him.
While his parents looked at Lilly in disbelief, Dion pulled her away and stood behind her.
“This is my fiancé, Lilly,” he told them. “Lilly, these are my parents. I went into the tower last night to rescue them. I was successful as you can see.”
“She wasn’t the only one who was worried,” another voice called from the opposite side of the office. Dion looked across and saw Sean and Emily.
“We were worried about you going inside there,” Emily told him. “I know we weren’t supposed to, but we had to be here when you entered the tower. We showed up late and found Edward standing by the door. He told us you were just left a few minutes ago.”
“Time dilation,” Edward explained again. “It happens when you cross time circles. To us, it seems Dion was gone only a few minutes. To him, it seems he was out all night. I’m sure the boy needs sleep.”
“A little bit,” Dion said as he put one hand to his head. He would need to see a doctor later about the blow he took to it. Surely, he could make up some story how it happened. Most members of the medical profession would look at you odd if you told them about being in the middle of a fight between demoniods and sphinxes.
“I managed to find the fifth element grandmaster,” Dion announced, “so now I have the power of the aether.”
“Did you rescue her?” Lilly asked him. “Wasn’t she kidnapped by your uncle?”
“It was a little more complicated than that,” he explained. Dion looked around the room. “As a matter of fact, where is my uncle? I thought he went through the door before me.”
“He did,” Edward explained. “And I let him go. He shot past us and never said a word. I daresay he has many things on his mind right now.”
“Dion,” his father said. “Can you take us somewhere? It has been a long time.”
“We can go to your other brother’s house,” Dion told him. “I’ve stayed with them since you disappeared last year.”
“Oh,” his mother commented. “We must be in Ohio.”
Epilogue
The porch over the mountains gave a good view of Mount Olympus. This was fine to the man who wore a silk dressing gown and sipped his coffee while reading the newspaper. He’d never accustomed to the modern smart phones and personal computers. The newspaper was enough for him and he liked to read his news after it had a few hours to settle down. He also took his morning meal alone, away from the petty troubles he had to endure later in the day.
So it was a surprise when the servant came into the marbled patio and stood silently by the breakfast table. The older man, who sat there with his newspaper, slowly turned and looked at the servant. The man who was seated at the table had a long grey beard and stroked it when he saw him. This was unusual. What could be so important it required is attention right away?
“Mr. Jupiter,” the servant said to him. “I have a man who wants to see you.”
“Does he have an appointment?” the greybeard asked. He took a sip of his coffee. What could it be this time?
“No, but I think you need to meet with him,” the servant replied. He’d worked for the Mountain long enough to know when to interfere with his boss’s routine. Now was such a time.
“You know my policy,” he thundered back. “No unannounced appointments. Now get him out of here.”
“I don’t think that’s possible,” a voice said behind the servant. “He’s already here.”
A young man stepped from behind the servant and starred at the older man. The greybeard looked at him and nearly dropped his coffee. The eyes, it was the eyes. Only one other person on earth had those eyes. There was another one long ago, but she was gone, to his eternal shame.
Which meant this young man had to be…?
“Dion,” he announced. “My name is Dion. We need to talk.”
“You are my son,” Jupiter Olympus said while his voice trembled. “I am your father.”
“No you are not,” Dion said. “You might have some part in my conception, but my real father was the one who raised me.”
“Doesn’t all the money I spent to make sure you were adequately cared for count?” the older man snapped back at him. “It should amount to something.”
“Not any longer it doesn’t” Dion told him. “I’ve passed my own trials. I can show you an example later, but we need to talk. There is much you and I have to discuss.”
The servant was gone. He understood sometimes his presence was unnecessary.
Dion went and sat down next to the older man. The weather was good outside and was supposed to remain that way all day.
- THE END -
Part II
A New Dawn - An Urban Fantasy
Chapter 1
There had been times—many of them—when Aurora had typed in “darkness dreams” or “dreams of total darkness” just to see what Dr. Google had to say. Rarely did everyone’s favourite physician have anything helpful to add.
Darkness is symbolic of incomprehension, the unconscious, of malice, death, and concerns about the unknown.
To dream that you are lost in the darkn
ess indicates a sense of loss, uncertainty, or despair.
But Aurora always forgot this advice when the dream was upon her. Tonight, it began as it always did.
Darkness. On every side. Below, above, pressing against her skin like a physical thing. It felt soft, smooth, like satin; something that filled her with such dread should have felt cold or clammy. But no. She was adrift again in satiny darkness, having no way out, not knowing which way she even came in.
Her real body in the bed twisted about, tangling slim legs and slender fingers through the sheets. In her dream, the darkness began to move. It was gradual, like something long-dead taking its first, hesitating breaths. It felt wrong, like something that should not be. And as the darkness flowed and whirled around her, the fear began. It was the hot-blooded fear of a roller coaster and the racing-heart excitement of a first kiss, not all bad but completely terrifying. And Aurora was, as always, completely terrified.
Then, the darkness began to tighten its noose, as it always did. Closer and closer, spinning in smaller circles until Aurora felt certain it must be about to strangle her. It never strangled her, though, not even tonight.
In the waking world, her muscles tightened painfully, twisting together in anticipation.
Through the darkness, a hand reached. Aurora felt it more than saw it. Whether it was to save her or harm her, she never knew, but it grasped for her through the depthless, endless black night.
A cell phone blared a clanging alarm and Aurora snapped awake, panting. Sunlight filtered in through her curtains, slanting through the city buildings outside, finding its way here to where it was most needed. Nothing would have been half so welcome as the sight of sunlight after another one of the darkness dreams. They had been recurring all through her childhood, for as long as she could remember. Her mother had never had money for a psychiatrist, but whenever Aurora went to the school councillor the dreams were labelled as manifestations of abandonment anxiety.
