Looming Shadow: Journey to Chaos book 2

by Brian Wilkerson

  He pointed at Eric.

  “That’s why I followed Eric for a while; I didn’t want to miss such a rare opportunity. Because he asked for help in an empty room, I was able to interpret that as a request to me personally. Likewise, I could tell he was trying to invoke me, so I appeared. Then while I was at it, I thought I’d help you by putting you in an airship.”

  “Okay, then why wouldn’t you send me home now?”

  “Because I think you still need help. I’ll check back later after you’ve gone a few places. Don’t worry about losing time in your world. I’ll return you to the same moment you left.”

  “Oh…alright then…” A smile crept across her lips. “If I won’t lose time, then I guess I can waste it until –”

  “You’re not telling us the whole story,” Eric declared.

  Tasio grinned. “Then what is the whole story?”

  “‘You are no longer in need of help.’ You told me that before you sent me back. That’s another restriction, isn’t it? You have to send them back when they don’t need your help anymore.”

  “It’s an ugly hassle,” Tasio said with theatric annoyance. “I have to do strange things with reality. Time and space don’t like it, you know?”

  Suddenly, he was on his back and pinned to the floor of the deck, but this time, it was Eric who was on top of him. The mercenary mage was torn between resentment and guilt. It was hard to tell if he was madder at Tasio or himself.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Change is unplanned and unpredictable. It is also often inexplicable.”

  “You couldn’t tell me. That’s a third restriction.”

  “The ways of the gods are unknowable to man and thus the gods do not need to explain themselves to man.”

  “The fourth restriction is that you can’t tell anyone about the previous two restrictions. You can talk about the basics if someone asks for it, but no more. They have to figure out the rest for themselves. Am I right? Yes or no?”

  Tasio’s grin grew so wide it left his face, grew arms, and then hugged Eric. He groaned at the silliness, but at the same time, it reminded him of Aio’s antics.

  “In other words…” Emily said. Her arms were crossed, her stance wide, and her eyes so cold and powerful that they froze Eric. Being kidnapped and tossed into another world where your life was imperiled on numerous occasions was scary, but she could handle that. Learning that your boyfriend was responsible for it was worse, but she was dealing with it and he hadn’t meant for her to come. Then she came to the same conclusion Eric did, and realized that her life was deliberately ruined as collateral to loophole abuse. This was done by a god who exploited her private dream to advance his own agenda. All of the anger, sorrow, and fear of the last month boiled over. It resonated in her eyes as the power of Evil Eye.

  “You created the portal for me so Eric could jump through on his own. You never cared about me or my dreams. You only cared about giving Eric a one-way ticket. You used me, lied to me, and condemned my friends and family to a lifetime of wondering what happened to me. Then you tried to justify it as ‘helping me realize my dream’.”

  She pushed Eric away and stepped on Tasio’s stomach. She stepped on his stomach several more times and he grunted in time with each. “And now you’re pitying me by pretending that this hurts. You are a self-serving, manipulative asshole.”

  Tasio shrugged. “Yes I am, but look how happy I made cute little Sara.”

  The girl was still hugging Kallen’s legs. “I wanna be just like you when I grow up!”

  Tasio slipped out from underneath Emily’s foot and arched over her head. Now floating above her, he dropped a book into her hands. It was labeled “Looming Shadow by Brian Wilkerson.”

  “What’s this?”

  “It’s your copy of the script. It has the role you’re supposed to play in this story.”

  Curious, Emily opened it. She flipped a couple pages and then rushed through all of them. Finally, she threw the book at Tasio. It sailed through him and tumbled across the deck. When it landed, it opened onto a blank page.

  “You don’t like it?” Tasio asked. “It’s total artistic freedom.”

  “That means you have no idea what I should do.”

  “You are a bit character in Eric’s story. Resign yourself to it and enjoy the world.”

  He snapped his fingers and disappeared.

  “Nayr, Tolv.”

  “Yes, captain?”

  “Show our guests around, explain things to the Otherworlder, and keep an eye on my daughter.”

  “Aye, aye, captain.”

  Two months ago, the United Island Autocracy of Liclis declared war on the Republic of Acemo and sent regular fleets to its border. When international authorities denounced the war and demanded that Liclis cease attacking a peaceful nation, the tyrant replied that it was bringing predictability and clockwork to a chaotic system. Naturally, the airspace between the two countries was rife with warplanes, carriers, supply ships, and all the bells and whistles of war. It was the perfect feeding ground for Flying Whale.

  The outlaw ship was part of a delicate balance of predator and prey. Merchants carried money and resources from place to place and were preyed on by rogues, i.e. criminals. The rogues were preyed on by national armadas. Outlaws preyed on all three. Unlike the rogues, who lacked any kind of restraint, outlaws were ruled by three planetary avatars and a warrior goddess. By their rule, the outlaws raided malicious targets like slavers and deterred war by preying on armies.

  At three miles wide and ten stories tall, Flying Whale was a moving town. From the raider to the cook to the engineer to the janitor, everyone had a job to do and everyone's job was important. It left Eric nostalgic for the Dragon's Lair. When the tour reached the crow's nest, Emily leaned over the railing and stared at the sun.

  “Beautiful, isn't it?” Eric asked.

  “Yes it is....but so is the one on Threa, and I know that one won't shoot heat rays at me.”

  “Are you really that unhappy here?” Eric asked.

  “I miss my family, I miss my friends.” Her voice became hard. “Unlike you, I had those things.”

  Eric scowled. “I have them on Tariatla. I never wanted to hurt you, but to get back to my life, I was willing to do anything. I hope you understand.”

  “He's not at all cute, so make him mute. Silence.”

  Eric grabbed at his throat and made gasping motions. Emily didn't move. Eric stood straight and crossed his arms. Then a smirk crossed his face and he pointed a triumphant finger at his fellow Otherworlder. Pulling out a pen and paper, he scribbled something, then handed it to Emily. The contents of the page made her red with fury. She stomped on Eric's foot and marched out of the crow's nest. Nayr picked up the discarded paper and read aloud.

  “‘HA. You would miss using magic.’” Nayr looked up at Eric. “What's this for? It'd only make her mad.” Eric shrugged and sighed. “Let's get that fixed.”

  The next stop on Nayr's tour was the infirmary. On the way, he told his new friend a story he might find helpful.

  “Back when I lived in Latrot, I had this galfriend. I went to school with her and we had a lot of fun together. Then a civil war broke out because of a bigwig pissing contest and school was closed. We didn't get to see each other as much. One time, she said something about her parents' job...I forget what it was, but they worked at Siduban.”

  Eric gave him a questioning look.

  “Yes, the Siduban that exploded in a mushroom cloud of chaotic energy. If I had known that would happen...I...” He scratched the back of his neck. “I wouldn't have said something to that effect.”

  Now Eric gave him a shocked look.

  “I was a kid! Give me a break! Besides, The Trickster was in the charge of the place. Everyone in Ozid thought it was going to happen. Anyway, she got so mad, she slapped me and ran away.”

  By then, they had arrived at the infirmary. He explained Eric's problem to the healer and she tossed him a
bottle of leaves. Eric munched on them while Nayr finished his story.

  “She disappeared after that. A casualty of the Chaos Explosion. I never got to patch things up with her. It tore me up so much I jumped aboard a ship headed to the frozen north.”

  Having finished his tale, he grabbed Eric's head and gently tapped it on the wall. Given his orcish strength, it was more like a heavy slam. It raised a large bump Eric’s head and brought tears to his eyes. While rubbing it, he said, “What the abyss was that for!?”

  “Back where I come from, that's what we do to tricksters.”

  “Trickster!? I thought this was a lesson about the importance of patching up friendships!”

  “Oh, it is. I just felt like adding that in there because you acted like one.”

  “I didn’t –”

  “What you did was no different from what The Trickster did,” Tolv said. “You manipulated her to advance your own goals without concern for her feelings. The least you could do is apologize.”

  “And bring back the leg of a monster as a peace offering,” Nayr added. Eric looked at him funny. “It’s what my dad does.”

  “Think about it this way,” Tolv began again. “What if the situation were reversed and you were the one stranded in a strange world away from your family? You know, what Tasio did to you that you fixed by doing it to Emily.”

  Eric puffed and searched for a counter argument. Then he let it out and said, “You’re right.”

  The next part of the tour consisted of searching for his fellow Otherworlder. At first, he asked the crew if they had seen her, but after the first ten, he stopped. The “Small Town” phenomenon was in effect and every person he talked to either slapped him, ignored him, or gave him advice on getting out of the monster pen. He finally found her in one of the many hallways. When she spotted him, she turned around and walked the other way.

  “Emily! Please wait! I wanted to say I was sorry for bringing you here and I do regret it!” Emily paused. “If I could do it over, I wouldn't have dragged you into this. It's the epitome of selfishness to make you give up your life to get mine back.”

  Emily was silent. “Eric,” she said at last, “apology not accepted.”

  Tasio appeared beside them. “I think you two need to visit my cousin, Krank.”

  “You need to send me home.”

  “‘Plead blend pea tome’? That doesn’t make any sense at all.”

  Emily groaned and put a hand through her hair. Instead, she asked, “Who’s Krank?”

  “The god of marriage counseling.”

  “I thought someone had to say your name before you’d appear,” Emily said again.

  “Eric’s my chosen one; rather, one of two chosen ones. I suppose that makes him a chosen two, but anyway, I stick around him and poke in from time to time.”

  “Why won’t you send me home?”

  “‘Die don’t dew ten see grown’?”

  Emily clenched her fists and shouted, “Why do you only misunderstand me when I ask you to send me home!?”

  “Because it’s fun.”

  Acemo sat on the northern coast of the Isaryu continent and was Ataidar's neighbor to the north, beyond Rlawader. Flying Whale threw up Albatross IX near Acemo's southern border and the two crews went their separate ways. It was a bittersweet parting for Eric: he was closer to his old friends, but now he had to say goodbye to new ones.

  The countryside of Rlawader was known as “the land of a thousand lakes” and each one carried some sort of religious significance. Considering the source of all creation is a metaphysical sea, Eric supposed that made sense. The country was dotted with cathedrals, temples, and places without constructions that nonetheless were well used, spiritually important, and off-limits in regards to industrial or commercial development. Kallen had a lot of fun pointing out locations and talking about their history and purpose. Then, just for grins, she made heart-stopping nosedives to give her companions a closer look.

  “Are you sure you want to work with her?” Eric asked that night during dinner (ramen).

  Emily held her chin aloof. “Yes. She'd won't betray me.”

  “You'd be surprised what she's capable of.”

  “Oh, like what you are capable of?”

  “I apologized! What more can I do!?”

  “You can use your precious magic to get me home!”

  “I don't know how to do that!”

  “Then what is it good for!?”

  By now, they had jumped up from their chairs, glaring at each other and clutching utensils dangerously tight. Kallen leaned back with a bowl of popcorn and reviewed the next day’s travel plans.

  On their second day, Kallen took a detour away from their direct route to Ataidar. When Eric complained, she told him to sit down and be patient. After a time, she spotted a clock tower with a special crest and brought her companions much closer than she had for the other such sights. She brought the airship straight into the abbey’s courtyard and landed on the lawn.

  The crest on the clock tower depicted a man and woman sitting across from each other at a table while a third figure sat between them. Above the table was a mended heart and repaired money sign.

  “Oh no... I really don't have time for this,” Eric groaned.

  “Kallen, are you serious?” Emily asked.

  “Yes. You two need to make up and you’re running out of time to do it.”

  Emily crossed her arms and looked away. “You’re just doing this because Tasio told you to.”

  “I’m doing this because I care about you and I don’t like seeing you upset.”

  Emily blushed and Kallen grinned.

  Grabbing both Otherworlders, she entered the abbey and marched down the aisle. To either side, stained-glass windows illuminated the chapel. One of them depicted scenes of love and support and the other showed visions of hatred and betrayal. She stopped at the central altar. On top of it lay a stainless steel scale, a golden dollar sign, and a ruby heart. Standing at the altar was a human man in pink and green robes. He opened his arms to the trio and smiled benevolently.

  “Welcome to the chapel of Krank. He told me a threesome was coming. Are you them?”

  “Yes, we are,” Kallen deadpanned. “These two were fighting over me, so I decided to drag 'em in.”

  Both Otherworlders blushed red hot. They pulled themselves away from Kallen and denied it.

  “I speak nothing but the truth. You two were fighting, it was started by my actions, and I did drag you in, as in, physically drag you.”

  “See what I mean!?” Eric said. “Twisted as Tasio!”

  “You must be Eric Watley,” the priest said. “No one but the Trickster's Chosen would use his name so brazenly, and you fit Zaticana's profile too.”

  “Who’s that?” Emily asked.

  His cheeks still red, Eric said, “Don't ask. Just don't.”

  “She's the goddess of language,” Kallen said. “She gave him a wet welcome smooch.”

  Emily turned a glare on Eric, who broke into apologies and explanations while Kallen looked on in amusement. The priest nodded and placed his hands on the arguing couple's shoulders.

  “I see now why Krank has brought us together this day: he saw your lover's quarrel and desired to help you, O Great Mender of Hearts!” The priest moved the pair to face each other. “Although all is fair in love and war, different weapons are used. In both cases, lasting peace will not be gained through the escalating use of these weapons. You both must agree to disarm and calmly discuss an armistice.”

  “He ruined my life!”

  “It was the only way to fix mine!”

  The priest stroked his beard. “Yes, yes, I see what must be done. Eric, first you must acknowledge your fault in this and –”

  “I did. I admitted how selfish I was and how I regretted it. She still won't forgive me.”

  The priest looked to the girl. “Is this true?”

  “Well...” Emily looked anywhere but at Eric while she struggled for a
n answer. Finding one, she looked back and said, “How can he truly regret what he's done when he still has his prize?”

  Kallen nodded. “Desiran Rattleglobe made the same argument in The Tragedy of King Suburb.”

  “It is similar, isn't it?” the priest agreed. “This sort of thing is often a problem for lovers; we have the play on record.”

  “I'd rather not go down that road,” Eric said. “The protagonist kills the one with regret problems.”

  “Me too,” Emily said. “The protagonist dies in the effort.”

  “Aha! Finally!” The priest threw up his arms in jubilation. “We have reached an agreement! You both understand the mutually destructive nature of your conflict. Now we are making progress!” He grabbed one of Eric's hands and Emily's, then joined them together. “Look into each other's eyes and bridge this river of conflict.”

  The Otherworld couple were uncomfortable holding hands, but the priest had a strong grip. For moments, there was silence.

  “How bad was it?” Emily asked softly. “Mana thirst?”

  Eric shivered. “Like I was perpetually dying; it hurts just thinking about it. More than anything, I missed my friends and my guild... It's probably what you're feeling right now.”

  “Yeah... If going back was that important to you, I could have wished for the help to send you home. Would that have worked?”

  “Maybe... but you'd never believe me!”

  Emily formed a ball of fire in her hand. “Wouldn't this be convincing proof?”

  “I don't know if I had enough mana for that...”

  “I wouldn't either after a while.”

  Kallen munched popcorn that she pulled from somewhere. The priest stood proudly and gazed upon the statue of the marriage-counseling god.

  “I'm still mad at you, but...I can understand why you were so desperate.” Emily held out her hand. “Friends?”

  Eric smiled and shook her hand. “Friends.”

  “My work here is done,” the priest said. “Kallen, thank you for aiding in the mission of mending relationships.”