Origin Mage

by John Forrester

  “Are you sure?” Mara looked scared, like she wanted to escape. “If you’re wrong we’ll likely end up dead. I don’t want to die here, Talis.”

  “We’ll still be invisible. Ask your daggers to project our voices away from us, so they can’t pin down our location. It’s worth a try, if you’re willing.”

  Mara sighed, giving him a look of warning. But she closed her eyes as if in prayer, then caught his gaze and nodded. She was ready.

  “We come in peace,” said Talis, and felt his heart thud in his chest. Miraculously, his voice sounded like it came from the far side of the temple.

  At hearing his words, the priest let out twin sprays of mist from its strange nostrils. It turned to face the sound.

  Humans. Are you one of the walkers of the stars? But you do not sound like them. Your voice sounds young and filled with painful memories. You have experienced much for one so young. How has this come to pass?

  “Events beyond my control have compelled me to travel to places I could never have dreamed of.” Talis exhaled, remembering Darkov, Vellia, and the Underworld.

  Including your unfortunate journey here? The alien priest twisted its face in what seemed to be an expression of mirth.

  Talis could feel the mocking tone of the priest’s words, but he forced himself to remain calm. “As fascinating as your world might be, we have no desire to be here. We were compelled to come.”

  And scout for danger? Are you perhaps an apprentice to the one who calls herself the Goddess Caisa? Murderer of the Starwalkers? We have learned of her plan. I sense her will to return and seek her revenge. It oozes through the portal stone.

  All ten priests snapped their attention to the black stone. It crackled and came to life, wiggling in an electric sizzle. In a loud whoosh, the portal once again came to life.

  16. A Payment of Silver

  Bait. I’m nothing but a big fat piece of bait. Nikulo sighed as he stepped into the portal. He closed his eyes and clenched his fists as his insides flipped from his journey halfway across the stars.

  Instead of silence on the other side, he was greeted by a familiar voice. It was Talis. Nikulo opened his eyes and cringed at the what he saw. Black robes covered the most disgusting creatures he had ever seen. The thing stared at him with haunting eyes. He noticed there were many of them gathered around a massive black stone. They all turned to stare directly at him.

  Where is the silver? the thing said to him in his mind.

  Nikulo remembered the coin and opened his still-clenched fists. He looked up at the alien and stretched out his hand, the coin presented as an offering.

  The black-robed creature floated over and snatched the silver. Your gift is accepted by the high priest of Yavreel. Do you come here seeking the solitude and peace that death brings to us all? Many come here to die. You seem to be a boy in pain.

  “You see the face of one sorely in need of ale and fine food.” Nikulo wanted to comment on the priest’s wretched face, but he restrained himself, mostly out of fear and self-preservation. “Any pain you sense certainly comes from the lack of such drink and food in this… temple?”

  His gaze shifted over to where horrors floated disinterestedly around a dimly lit temple of black marble. He stiffened, trying to take it all in. “What the hell are those things?”

  “Stay where you are,” said Talis, but his voice came from far off in the dark recesses of this nightmarish place.

  Nikulo had no desire to disobey. He froze, glancing back to the priests and over to where the black portal still churned, alive with power. He was sorely tempted to jump back inside and face whatever wrath the Nameless offered him. It was better than whatever was here.

  “Talis? Where are you?”

  “It doesn’t matter. We’re safe, that’s enough to say for now. The priests have offered us sanctuary.”

  Only if you pay silver… all must pay silver who seek sanctuary. The voice was angry now, insistent.

  Nikulo felt two pieces of silver being placed into his hand. Talis was near. That offered him a sense of reassurance. “Can I offer the silver for my two friends? They’re shy… afraid to show themselves yet. Will this suffice?”

  The high priest studied Nikulo for a long moment and eventually gave in, nodding in the process. Nikulo placed the silver pieces onto the alien’s wet, gelatinous hand. A shiver of disgust ran through him as he accidentally touched the priest’s skin.

  And the fourth? asked the priest.

  “The fourth is my pet, a lynx.”

  We do not require silver from pets. And we won’t harm you if you show yourself. We’re not interested in warfare. We are priests who live under a vow of peace. Though we do protect ourselves using certain spirits and defensive hexes placed throughout the temple. It is merely for those who attempt to assault and plunder our world, of which there are legion. The priest gestured at the spirits wandering the temple.

  “Those are the spirits of previous visitors to the temple?” Nikulo swallowed, not liking the implication.

  They failed to pay the required silver. And others came with malice in their hearts. The high priest’s face seemed to adopt an expression of twisted humor. The hexes are always set and refreshed regularly to ensure a steady supply of spirits to protect the temple. A strange collection of aliens from all over the universe.

  Strange wasn’t the word Nikulo would have chosen for the nightmarish spirits. In fact, they were so hideous he averted his eyes to avoid looking at them.

  So I assume you are also a disciple of the Goddess Caisa? The priest’s cold voice struck into Nikulo with a shock of power.

  Nikulo let out a cough of laughter. “Hardly. We managed to imprison her in the Underworld a year ago, but the idiot Starwalkers broke the spell and let her free. I’d rather be back to our world enjoying the comforts of home.”

  You’re not loyal to her?

  “Absolutely not. I’m doing this to protect my family.”

  The high priest was quiet for a moment, glancing at the other priests in some silent conversation.

  Are you asking for sanctuary, then, from Caisa?

  “That would be nice, for a start, but ultimately we’d like to return home safely to our world, to our city.”

  Interesting, said the priest, and brought a hand across its hideous face. So you propose an alliance of some kind? To work together and oppose this so-called goddess?

  “Of course, are you kidding? I’m for anything that helps us go home. Frankly, I’m tired of adventure and war.” Nikulo looked around at the bleak temple. “How do you stand it? It’s such a horrible place to live.”

  The Origin World is not like the temple. We make it purposefully uninviting to discourage visitors. You will see the beauty of this world once you leave the temple. You will also discover others of your kind, if you find our appearance displeasing. We are merely the guardians and priests of the temple; a unique breed.

  The portal closed behind them in a thunderous whoosh, jolting Nikulo. He studied the smooth black stone, remembering that he had no idea how to return home. Would he die here, never seeing his family? He felt trapped. His child would grow up without knowing his father. His wife would become a widow, again. A sense of desperation threatened to overpower his mind.

  They’re lying, a voice said. The Naemarians again. Coming to him at a point of weakness.

  Another Naemarian voice, insistent and strong. They’ll enslave you like all the rest. You’ll become one of those restless spirits, bound here in the temple, living an eternity of torture. The hammer. use the hammer to destroy them. The bracers will give you unbelievable power. But you must fight them, now. Talis and Mara will help you defeat them.

  Nikulo shook his head, willing the voices to go away.

  The priest turned to leave, hopping one step up the marble block. Come, now. Let us leave this place. I’m sure your invisible friends will follow?

  Nikulo sighed and followed them, cursing the Naemarian voices, cursing himself for the weakness
of his thoughts. Instead, he thought of Callith, of his wife’s kind smile, and of his baby’s laughter and delight. A warmth spread over him as he left the cold temple, thinking of home, trying to think of something hopeful.

  “Do you trust them?” whispered Mara.

  “Absolutely not.” Nikulo groaned as he climbed up another marble cube. “But we don’t have a choice, do we? If we can form an alliance with the priests of Yavreel, then perhaps we have a chance of surviving. Remember, the Starwalkers who worship Yavreel were free to travel as they please. I don’t mind bowing my head to their dark god if it means I can return home. With Caisa, I believe we’ll never have such a luxury.”

  “Of course not,” Mara said. “We have no choice but to turn against Caisa and her allies. If it means being close to her enemies, then so be it.”

  “Even if it means being allies with evil?” Talis and Charna suddenly appeared next to Nikulo, causing him to jump in surprise.

  “Good gods. You could have warned me.” Nikulo climbed up another cube, panting as he looked up. They were only halfway up. Several priests stared down at them like they were watching children play.

  “I don’t know if they’re evil or what they are.” Mara remained invisible. “All we know about them is what we’ve heard from others—and from people who I don’t trust in the first place. Let’s be open to the possibilities of an alliance.”

  They remained quiet for a moment, climbing the cubes until they finally reached the top. The priests turned and led them up a stairway where they found a long corridor dimly lit with gray-light torches. It was an interesting and weird place. The disturbing part was that though there was an absence of color, there wasn’t an absence of light. The strange light infused the place with the washed out, morose shades of gray. The Starwalkers who worshipped Yavreel claimed that their god was a god of the dark, but it seemed Nikulo had found this god to be a god of gray, and one who seemingly hated color.

  Charna was the first to reach the end of the corridor, where the light was stronger. When Nikulo reached the exit, he understood a bit about Yavreel and why their religion worshipped the dark.

  His mouth fell open as he gaped at the landscape and the sky. How was such a thing possible?

  17. Gray and Black

  The sky was gray. There was not a warm hue to be seen. It wasn’t a consistent gray, either. The land was mostly black—obsidian or marble, perhaps—and the land beyond rose to greet a mottled dark horizon which stretched up to the lighter zenith. Still, it was gray. The lack of color filled Talis with dread and a large measure of melancholy.

  Closer, there was a stone and glass city that spread all around them. Such an intriguing place, thought Talis, filled with buildings formed of long, angular lines stretching to the sky, foggy gray glass, and marble foundations. The buildings covered the jutting ground in a kind of natural formation, like trees blanketing a mountainside.

  Shadows were cast across walkways and narrow paths were lined with people—if you could call them that. There were aliens of all kinds, humanoids, creatures who looked part-human and part-alien, and other even stranger ones. Talis was mesmerized watching the crowd. Some kind of a festival was underway. Children and younglings laughed and danced about across the onyx streets, spilling into squares filled with stalls selling various products. A fountain adorned the center of a nearby square, a rising geometric monument stretching to the sky.

  There is something you should know, though I doubt you will listen, said the high priest, still speaking into Talis’ mind.

  The priest turned and paused when he caught sight of Talis, puzzled. You decided to show yourself? But where is your other friend?

  “She prefers to remain invisible, and for good reason, I should think.” Talis found it difficult to look at the priest, his eyes turned away at the horror of its face. “What is it we should know?”

  Respect the citizens of our world and our sacred sites. There are certain customs and laws you should understand and obey. If you do not, you’ll find the punishment swift and harsh. All citizens are authorized by our ruling council to mete out punishment against visitors who fail to respect our laws. Failure to understand and comply with our customs are met with warnings and an expectation to correct behavior. We are a strict society and choose to live close to each other. As a result, we require adherence to our customs and laws. Will this be a problem? We often insist on weeks or months of preparation for newly-arrived barbarians.

  “Do we look like barbarians?” Mara said. Her voice sounded close by. She slowly became visible, glancing around, eyes alert as if expecting trouble.

  Talis offered her his hand, and she accepted, calming at his touch. “We’re royalty, where we come from. Hardly uncivilized.”

  The high priest shook its head. What counts for civility to some would be considered primitive on the Origin World, especially here on Navria, the capitol of our world. The priest gazed at the city. The most magnificent city in all the worlds. Inhabited by all known races from all known worlds. All are welcome, assuming they come with respect in their hearts.

  It wasn’t what Talis had expected. This city seemed peaceful and its people refined and calm. As they departed the temple and treaded down steps leading to a broad, bustling street, Charna padded ahead, sniffing the air with curiosity.

  The place was bathed in shades of gray. The landscape was dotted with stone houses, buildings, and temples, while wide and narrow streets intersected the city. There were stalls set up on either side of the stone steps and soon a crowd of people met their descent, filling their nostrils with the scents of roasted meat, exotic spices and pungent sweat, vibrant perfumes and incense, and the sweet, tangy smell of tropical fruits.

  There were animals of all kinds roaming the area. Mara gave out a surprised squeal as a small, chattering monkey landed on her shoulder and began to tease her hair. A shopkeeper came, an old man with a wispy, silver-haired beard and sharp eyes, and offered her some dried fruits. He swatted away the animal’s persistent attempts at theft. Mara enjoyed the various samples and fed Talis a few of the more delicious ones. When she went to retrieve silver from her purse, the priest stopped her.

  They are merely satisfied to have strangers sample their wares. There is no need to pay him. Your favor shown to him is considered good luck. See how the others whisper and stare? This man will be the talk of the town while they drink their afternoon tea and feast at tonight’s dinner. Everyone can tell you are newly arrived to our world. Visitors are extremely rare.

  Mara bowed and thanked the shopkeeper. The man gave her a look of suspicion and turned back to his work. Though curious, they weren’t at all friendly, Talis thought, and reminded himself to stay wary.

  They continued on their way through the lively street, passing stalls with dangling herbs and roots adorning the sides. Fat dead birds lay stacked on display, their shiny, plucked skins reflecting the shining silver light of various magical orbs hanging from the stalls.

  A burst of color ahead caught Talis’ eye. Flames underneath cooking pots danced in their brilliant multi-colored hues. The effect was a staggering contrast set against the gray world all around them. But the citizens averted their eyes from the firelight as if in fear of catching sight of the heretical color spectrum. It was interesting, to Talis, that this world had eradicated color in most areas except for flame, and though necessary, they likely considered fire an abomination to their dark gods.

  Talis studied their citizens. There were some humans like himself, though they comprised perhaps a third of the population, and even then there were significant differences. Larger eyes, strange pupil shapes and hues, different types of noses and mouths, and some ears were long, some wide and boxy. A few of the people even had wings, like dragons, and their angular faces held the reptilian appearance of dragons, too.

  The rest—a motley collection—could be best described as alien and bizarre to Talis’ eyes. Some were like fish, others like insects, and still others were like animal
s interbred with humans. Some had no bodies, and instead floated along, wispy and spirit-like. Generally, people were aloof and wary of them as they passed. Some glowered at them as if they were a threat.

  Talis noticed that instead of a singular style of dress, the citizens seemed to proudly wear outfits that reflected their origins. The silks, furs, cotton, leather, and wool. The geometric patterns, woven symbols, and stories told in thread. Strange towering hats, puffy pantaloons, necklaces of carnivorous teeth, earrings of bone and onyx, copper and crystal bracelets, and anklets of woven hair.

  Some clothes had intricate patterns and some were solid with muted hues. The place was a feast for the eyes. Truly the priest had not misspoken. It was the most amazing city in the world, at least in terms of size and the diversity of its citizens. Navria stretched farther than the eye could see.

  Talis glanced away in embarrassment after he stared too long at a woman, catching her harsh gaze. The woman had a cat-like face, whiskers, paws, a furry tail, and the tall, lean body of a woman. Charna paused after the lynx spotted the woman, confused, whiskers twitching. The woman wore clothes of the finest silk. Her haughty look studied him with a strange intensity.

  It is considered impolite to stare at others, said the high priest, narrowing its eyes at Talis. Especially when staring at those different than oneself.

  Talis mumbled an apology and they continued along the boisterous street lined with more vendors selling food stuffs. The street was filled with many delicious smells, the most overpowering of which was the oil-fried meats.

  Nikulo rubbed his belly and looked around, hunger in his eyes. He caught sight of a heavyset woman handing a boy a roll of bread stuffed with meat, vegetables, and red, spicy sauce. Though the sky was gray and colors were muted, still they showed.