by Peter John
The kids cheered loudly as our sparing became more heated. He was skilled and attacked me with deft flicks, a reverse sweep, and a good few prods. Managing to hit me deflected blows. They may have been deflections, but the pain meter was all the way up and they stung like crazy. What I really needed was a weapon to defend myself. Was I supposed to just take this abuse and continue to be battered until he got tired? Absently I wondered where my trusty staff was and no sooner had I thought about it when it appeared in my hand.
I fumbled in surprise but could deftly block his next attack. When the staff appeared, Horatio exclaimed “Hazaah!” loudly and then upped the tempo of his attacks as if the previous ones had been a warmup. I wasn’t panting, but my heart was racing as long-forgotten techniques kicked into muscle memory and my actions got smoother and faster in concert with Horatio’s attacks. The flow of it all was mesmerizing and exhilarating and as I moved I felt something warm inside me buzzing. Like a buildup of static electricity. The power built and built and the more exultant I felt the faster we went until I could see, anticipate, and react almost before Horatio’s next swing.
Deciding I had had enough of this, I stepped within his guard and while blocking his awkward recovery, I flat palmed him in the chest pushing him away from me. It was at this point that the static discharged. Horatio went flying. I don’t mean he fell a few meters from me. I mean he went airborne.
Startled and amazed I watched as he flew, and kept on flying 30 meters away, where he eventually touched down. His shoulders were the better part of his landing gear. Then, as he gained traction, his body started to roll and then slide and then gradually came to a stop. Through the whole experience, I had looked at his face and seen complete and utter astonishment before the rigors of his fall broke our eye contact.
The children who had gathered cheered delightedly and some older kids ran to Horatio to give him aid. He was busy standing up, brushing himself off. One kid brought his staff back and grabbing it graciously he limped back to stand before me. I had a sheepish grin on my face. I had never in all my days been able to do something as cool as that. This body was awesome. How could I ever go back to Earth when I could do this?
“Are you okay?” I asked. “I’m sorry for the shove. It was completely way more than I intended.” Inwardly I reveled in these new powers and what I had just done. That would teach him to start full no-holds-barred combat with me.
Horatio just hummed and then from his barely able to move position he straightened, gave me a wicked toothy smile, and pointed his finger at me. The very grass I was standing on began to grow, entangling first my feet, then my legs. I tried to use the stick but sticks are great at beating things, blocking things and burning, but they are useless at cutting things.
No sooner did I have the thought and the staff I held warped and suddenly I held a short sword. It was on the way to hacking at some grass around my feet and I had to will myself to stop in case I cut my whole foot off accidently. I was beginning to see the pattern here. This trusty stick I had been carrying with me was a multi-tool of sorts. I could visualize it to be different types of weapons depending on the situation. That would have been very handy if I had known a few Sims ago.
Well, as they say, you live and learn. I then proceeded to hack myself free of the clinging grass. It got frantic as I cut it away but once free I did a backflip landing in an area free of the vicious grass.
Horatio still smiling said “Enough!” and the grass retracted and it left me panting, staring wildly around, looking for the next batch of dangers. “Fear not Petros, the assessment is over, come, let us get refreshments and I can begin to instruct you.”
He turned his back and walked towards the tree city. The kids gathered around began to disperse, although one little girl came up to me and reaching out touched my arm. Then giggling, she ran away to tell her friends of the achievement. Kids, you can never understand them, and they will always surprise you.
I jogged quickly to Horatio and asked, “Any chance I can get clothes?” I was still only clad in my loincloth.
“You surprise me, Petros. You display intuitive skills without effort, you tap into magical abilities that some of my people take years to master and yet you don’t know how to conjure yourself simple clothes?”
I almost blushed when I realized what he was saying. Like the force barrier I had conjured in Winter Sim, I could probably do the same for clothes. I just needed to visualize them and imbue them with color and apply a little magic and voila I would be clothed. As we walked, I did this, cycling from Bermuda shorts to Wrangler jeans, settling on the jeans. These fit me way better than any pair I had ever owned. I looked good in them too. I could probably feature in one of those Abercrombie & Fitch adverts. I decided that I should probably try imitating the clothing style of my host, but kept the jeans on underneath.
With a thought and willpower, I conjured a robe. I chose blue. Blue is a neutral color, and it made me feel comfortable. The robe settled around me and felt soft and supple. I tried something then. I willed the staff away, and it promptly disappeared. Willing it back, it reappeared. I was getting the hang of this.
I then imagined an H&K MP5 submachine gun. A weapon I was intimately familiar with, but nothing happened. Trying again, I imagined my K-bar combat knife. Sure enough, the staff transformed into the knife. Awesome! This is more like it. I went one step further.
When what I imagined appeared in my hand, I smiled in awe and pure satisfaction. The balance was perfect; The folded dull metal blade with a slight banana curve extended almost a full meter from the grip. A Katana! Not just any Katana but my very own collector's item, straight from the mantle above my fireplace. This would make a huge difference. A game-changer. No more stumbling through Sims weaponless.
The huge smile on my face came to an abrupt end as I realized I had left the calf behind in the meadow. “Horatio, wait, I have to get the elk.”
“Don’t worry Petros, the animal will be perfectly safe and tended to by the children. Come on, we are almost there.”
“Where? Where are we going?” The Elven city seemed to grow the closer we came to it. I could see suspended bridges branching between the trees, steps curving around the massive trunks extending high into the tree canopy. Doorways and windows appeared the whole way up the massive trunks.
Higher up the trees, the bridges became more magical? Seeming to be reinforced by light force shields, the golden glow of the shields sparkling with the sunlight making the whole city glow with abundant light and brightness.
People moved from trunk to trunk going about their business along the pathways interconnecting everything. Some trees were big enough to be building size, Elves coming in and going out open doorways into what appeared to be large roomy halls within. If I didn’t believe in magic before, I sure did now.
Some Elves turned to look at our approach, but generally, we were ignored. Two strange horse-like beasts and four guards stood at the entrance to the boundary of the forested area. The horses had sharp teeth, and a ruff around their neck like a harness yolk, extending down their chests and along down to their groin. Like a mix between a horse and lion. Their eyes had the look of reptiles or birds. When they glanced at me, it was anything but friendly. They were not harnessed in any way, and seemed to participate in the guard duty as much as being beasts of burden.
Having one of those to ride would be quite thrilling I thought offhandedly. Realizing I was beginning to settle into this insane lifestyle I was embracing. When strange beasts and mystical cities became the norm, it said a lot for the human mind and how quickly it can adjust to change.
I quickly realized someone had asked me something, but I had not been paying attention.
“Pardon?” I said quizzically to the group which included Horatio now as they all turned to me awaiting my answer.
�
��They asked if you mean harm to anyone or anything in the city.” stated Horatio patiently.
“Who me? Nope, I’m just here for the training. Amazing place though. I’ve never seen the like.” As I said this, there was a strange feeling on my brow as the Horus insignia brightened and then faded. This seemed to quell the guard’s stares, and they moved aside letting us through.
Each held his fist to his heart as Horatio passed and the horse beasts lowered their eyes subserviently. He undoubtedly was someone important.
“If you like how it looks from the outside, you will love the inner city. Sadly, we are not here for sightseeing. I am taking you directly to the library, where you will have to do research into what you now know as Magic.”
“Research?” I said disdainfully thinking of the long mathematical rant Horatio had given me earlier. “I thought the training was all practical? I have been fine so far. Why the sudden change?”
“What you have used is instinctive, it doesn’t help you when you want to deliberately do something magical unless you understand the mechanics and thought processes that trigger those responses. Do you not agree?”
“Fair enough,” I said, “I just thought my days of active study were behind me. Admittedly, this whole magic business is fascinating. Knowing more about it will help a lot.”
We walked on for a while beneath the magnificent trees, along a flattened road of sorts that linked between all the trees.
“I feel like I am in a web, but are you guys the spiders or the flies?”
Horatio eyed me speculatively “When Grant told me you were not a trusting sort, I didn’t realize how right he was. Understandable though, under the circumstances. Rest easy Petros, we mean you no harm. In the interests of goodwill, I have allowed you to see our inner sanctum. Our capital city on this world in an alternate dimension is really our last refuge. Our foe hunts us relentlessly and we seldom let anyone have access without many security checks and clearance. When I saw you risk yourself to rescue the Elk calf, you immediately showed yourself as someone whom we could trust."
"When I heard you are a Prodigy, I realized that events are blowing in our favor and that you needed specialized training sooner rather than later. While I don’t mean to pressure you, I think you can handle it.”
“You keep talking about the enemy. Who is the enemy? Why do I have to face them?”
We were now deep in the forest city and a large clearing surrounded two ultra-huge trees in the center. The one tree seemed slightly larger around than the other, but when I say city block size big, I’m not exaggerating. I would not have noticed that these two trees were special, except that the surrounding clearing was equally large. Making the two trees stand out proudly in all their isolated magnificence. Their height was equally as impressive as their girth. They extended up, up and away as far as I could see, and the network of bridges that had webbed throughout the forest before, stopped as if the open ground was a barrier extending to the heavens. There was a network of bridges linking the two trees to each other, however.
The ornate spectacle of hundreds of riding guardsmen in aggressive lines and formations left little doubt that these two trees were the center of power in Illuminous and that entry to here was strictly controlled. Forgetting my train of thought, I just stared in amazement.
“Is that the Palace?” I queried slack-jawed.
“Yes, the Palace and the Grand Library of Illuminous, our two most illustrious and cherished treasures. Welcome Petros, now follow me. We are almost there.”
As I stepped onto the open courtyard between the forest city and the massive island trees of the palace and library, my forehead began to tingle. It quickly subsided, and I realized I must have passed the security checks again. We made our way between two massive roots forming a balustrade on either side that grew hundreds of lesser roots to join together in the middle forming into ornate functional stairs.
The stairs, perfectly level and polished from daily use, led to a somewhat underwhelming doorway at the base of the tree, which opened when we approached. There weren’t any elves around us anymore. It seemed as if few elves ventured to these important buildings. Rushing to keep up with the smooth gait of Horatio, as he glided effortlessly up the stairs and into the doorway, I had a last look around at the spectacle.
The guards in the courtyard had formed up on either side and were facing outwards towards the city. I could tell that they marched around the two trees to designated points, then stood to attention. Most likely they would march and guard like this, moving clockwise all day long. It was a sharp regiment with prestigious black shimmering uniforms. Each man had a bow across his back, a sword at his side and a staff in one hand, which he used to direct the beast they were astride.
The officers wore blue, brown, and gold on their lapels. I guessed this depicted which regiment or unit they represented or else the rank of that individual. Each cohort or platoon had easily 50 men and associated beasts of burden. They moved methodically like the arms of a clock rotating around and around. These Elf men marched and guarded tirelessly. From my vantage point, I could see just less than an arc of 160-degrees and four arms of the clock extended towards the tree line. If the pure grandeur of the place didn’t attest to its importance to these people, then the sheer number of guards surrounding what was supposed to be a safe place definitely put it into perspective. I don’t even think the Pentagon had so many active guards moving about at one time.
Horatio was standing with an elderly wizened elf, who was glaring at my lack of decorum with distaste. Hurriedly I joined them and extended my hand for a traditional greeting. The man stepped back surprised and no fewer than a dozen elves materialized with weapons cocked, drawn and raised threateningly.
“Whoa!” I exclaimed, pausing. “I’m just introducing myself.”
Horatio quickly signaled the guards to back away, and that it was okay. They promptly faded away and the Elder Elf stepped forward to grasp my hand. His grip was strong and assured.
“I am Petros Arkansas,” I said and perhaps squeezed harder than I would usually. Not surprising considering my adrenaline had just spiked at the appearance of so many guards from out of nowhere.
“Welcome Petros Arkansas” the Elf intoned, his face still serious, his handshake released, and he appeared slightly flustered. His deep voice was reminiscent of James Earl Jones. “I am King Albarkin.”
There was a pregnant pause, because what do you say after an introduction like that? I tried anyway, “King? um, your highness, that is to say, umm Sir?, well I have never met a King before, my usual form of address to anyone on the brass path to heaven is ‘Sir’. How do I address you? Sir, and to what do I owe this unexpected honor?”
Horatio, who had been stoic the whole time, suddenly radiated a bright smile. “Father, you are being too stern. This human is from the Absinth and has the qualities we need. You know Humans left the monarchy system behind for what they call democratic society. The last thing we need is another groveling subject. This one has lots of potential and we need men of his ilk.”
I was still stuck on the “Father” statement, reconciling the way the everyday citizens had moved out of our way and the guards around this place had paid us little mind. Horatio was the Prince of the realm. This explained a lot.
King Albarkin was still looking at me speculatively. “He is not fully realized, and may present the same issues we had before.”
The King stated this ambiguously and Horatio quickly interrupted him patiently explaining. “Father, he is untrained, we have the acorn to sculpt the perfect tree. Don’t be so easy to discount him. With no magical training, he bested me out in the field. He completed the first phase of Saving the Elk calf quest. The first ever to do so. I tell you Father, this time we will succeed.”
“Harrumph…” intoned the King and
then nodded to me and turned to leave. His last statement to me left me reeling.
“If you should succeed, it would mean a great deal to me, and my kind. I wish you good luck. You will need it.” With that he turned and I was left standing with Horatio in the large hall. I looked sternly at Horatio who had the good sense to look guilty. Clearly there was more going on here than I was aware of. Not a new state of affairs by any means, but at least in this I would have some answers.
“Prince Horatio, what the hell is going on?” I said, arms folded and not in any mood to continue without them.
“Ah, well, my father meeting us here was… unexpected. I am going to tell you everything, but first, let's get into the library proper and find some refreshments shall we?”
I relented, and we approached another set of doors opposite to the way the King had left. As they opened before us, my breath caught and I spluttered. What I saw within was so absolutely beyond comprehension I nearly fainted.
As far as I could see and as high as I could see were shelves and shelves of books, tomes, tablets and parchments. Scrolls too. They stretched up the sides of the library in every conceivable way possible. Right to the very heights of the tree where a deep and rich green glow emanated from a large gem at the very top.
The inner sanctum held tables, benches, and chairs with scholars busily doing scholarly things, but if you were to imagine a huge sports stadium, then the shelves extended around, like the seating within that stadium, and the center field was where the tables nestled.
