Chapter 25
“Does being a man on Galbria mean one of those bears might eat me?” I asked.
Melony laughed. “Of course not, you are perfectly safe here Daniel. My sister’s companions visit here often, and not one has ever been eaten by a bear. Everything here is part of nature and lives in peace.”
Good to know, but I couldn’t help feeling like I was walking in an open zoo.
“Come Daniel, I want to show you something.”
Melony kneeled down and placed her hand on a patch of green grass.
“Watch this Daniel.”
She closed her eyes and small white flowers spouted up from the grass all around us. When she opened her eyes, she could barely control her excitement and started laughing as she jumped into my arms.
“Wow, that’s pretty cool,” I said. “You learned how to do this in a couple of days?”
“Over a week in Earth time. Isn’t it wonderful?”
“Yes, it sure is. It’s wonderful and very beautiful.”
Melony spun in circles with her hand stretched out.
“I knew you would love this place Daniel. I couldn’t wait to show you how beautiful Galbria is. It’s truly a magical place.”
Melony jumped into my arms again and gave me another long kiss, weakening my knees as usual, and then picked up the picnic basket and began pulling my arm.
“Come with me Daniel. I have a very special place for us to picnic.”
We walked down a path under branches of willow trees to a meadow next to a pond and waterfall. Swans and ducks were wadding up and down the shoreline without a care in the world, or moon in this case. The waterfall poured into the pond from a granite cliff 100 feet high and set the stage for a truly majestic view.
Melony spread out a red and white checkered blanket and began organizing plates, glasses and containers of food all the while smiling and telling me about Galbria. She was always cheerful, more so than anyone I ever met, and had recovered remarkably well from the horrible night when I last saw her. Watching her now so happy and full of life, well, she looked as perfect as nature itself. The nightmarish reality we faced back on Earth had become a distant memory.
We finished our lunch as it was beginning to get dark. The setting sun reflected off Keob providing a twilight ambient atmosphere – I wished this day would never end. Melony and I were lying on our backs looking up at the sky, and a few moments later, we found ourselves in a romantic embrace.
The strangest thing then happened. Flowers began blooming all around us and the branches of the willow trees swayed back and forth even though the air was still. I didn’t want any of it to end, but it did when my phone buzzed telling me I had a text. I looked at Melony and pouted. She laughed and so did I as we sat up to read the message.
“I have to go Melony. Sarila says Alura and Thyzil are waiting so we can be briefed on a new problem.”
Melony got up and started packing things up.
“Okay Daniel, but you must come back to me very soon,” she said with a big smile, then wagged her finger at me to emphasize a note of seriousness. “Wizard or not, I won’t take kindly to your absence if too much time passes.”
Sarila had placed a blue coin in the lunch basket to use for my transporting back to Keob. I placed the coin in the center of the pentagram and Melony kissed me goodbye.
“Remember Daniel, for every one day on Earth, four days pass here. Please come back to me soon.”
“I’ll be back soon Melony. I promise.”
I wonder if she knows that Daniel isn’t my real name.
“Melony, you should know my real name is Azul.”
Melony put her hands on her hips and tilted her head.
“I know wizard, but I like Daniel better.”
I crushed the coin and said, “Transmati Keob,” and was transported back to Keob.
“Welcome back lover,” Alura said.
Thyzil had his eyebrows raised and was rubbing his chin hiding a smile. Sarila made no effort to hide her smile and Alura was the worst of the three.
“Did we interrupt anything important dear brother?” Alura asked in an attempt to embarrass me, which worked because I felt flush and was sure my face turned red.
“Ha ha, very funny. If you three are going to stand around and make jokes all day, I’m going back to Galbria.”
“Very well wizard,” Sarila said. “Let us begin.”
Sarila nodded at one of her assistants who then placed a blue crystal into an opening on a console. The crystal lit up and a hologram of our sun and planets appeared above our heads. There were more suns and planets outside our solar system as well as asteroids and a host of other objects moving in a circular pattern like clockwork. It was quite beautiful to see the Earth in relationship to other galaxies.
Sarila nodded again and her assistant turned the crystal more which made the hologram separate into nine squares having various Mayan symbols appeared along the edges.
“I’ve seen this before at the Gate of the gods,” I said. “In fact, I have this same map stored in ancient tubes at my apartment.”
“Yes wizard, you made the map a very long time ago, about 25,000 years ago to be more precise,” Sarila said.
“I made it?”
“Yes, you did so to help design the technology you are now looking at. The map was your blueprint. Don’t worry wizard, in the centuries to come your human mind will adjust and remember how to perform the same complex mathematics and physics as before.”
“I thought the scrolls were connected to missing pages from King Solomon’s Key.”
Sarila grinned. “Yes, I must admit this was one of your more cleaver deceptions. You left false clues with a number of artifacts in case anyone got close to discovering your staff or the true nature of the Mayan prophecies. It was quite ingenious.”
I felt my ego deflate. For nearly a year I struggled over what the artifact meant and now I learn it was a deception that I created. True, I did find my way to the Gate of the gods, but a self made deception seemed over the top.
Sarila nodded and her assistant turned the blue crystal again. The hologram folded just as Manco and I saw when organizing the nine sections of the scrolls. Now the planets in our solar system were shown in alignment with the Milky Way to the galactic equator on December 21, 2012. There were also a number of red dots blinking at the outer edge of the hologram.
“What are those dots?” I asked.
“Those dear wizard are ships from the Darkzon Armada,” Sarila said. “The Darkzon are able to leave their void of time and space every 25,000 years as space folds upon itself. The most recent fold occurred on December 21, 2012 and they have been traveling to Earth since then. We expect they will reach our solar system in 100 Earth years, depending on how many planets they pilferage along the way. This, however, is not you immediate concern.”
Yea, 100 years is a long time away and I’m in no condition to deal with an alien invasion.
Sarila made another nod to her assistant and a new map appeared showing the Earth slowly spinning on its axis. There were small red dots, mostly located in developed countries, but every continent had some. Sarila explained that each dot represents a hundred dark crimes against mankind over the past twelve months. Additional red dots appeared with each rotation of the Earth. Sarila had her assistant turn the blue crystal once again making the hologram zoom in on Manhattan. A counter was flashing months and years rapidly upward to the future and projecting more crimes.
“As you can see wizard, the number of dark crimes in New York alone will grow at an exponential rate unless we are successful in intervening. As the Darkzon get closer to Earth, more dark creatures will seek out dominance among their kind in order to survive under Darkzon rule. These creatures respond to hard coded instincts triggered by the Darkzon’s presence during each galactic cycle. They will not stop creating havoc until either dead or in full power over their own kind and humans. Your job wizard is to make sure they are not successful.”
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“All those red dots are just in New York? How many crimes against mankind are being committed in other cities and countries around the world, and who’s going to take care of those?”
“There are other wizards in a number of hot spots all having the same agenda as you. Your territory is Manhattan, which unfortunately, is the most prolific place where dark creatures exist.”
“Did you say there are other wizards?”
“Yes, and their identities, as is yours, are kept secret to protect them. When the Darkzon finally arrive on Earth, it will be your task to lead all the Zeshtune wizards into battle as you have for millenniums.”
This is what Kyiel had told me and played out in a vision when I achieved recognition in the subway after defeating Lupzarro. Memories flooded my mind then and I remembered what I thought was everything. I remembered the great battle on Zeshtune and expelling the Darkzon, but have no detailed memories of prior recognitions on Earth, except for a couple of prior visions.
When first visiting the Keob library, the voice of my older self told me it would take years to achieve full recognition and explained how my memories and knowledge would come in stages.
“Sarila, destroying lycanthropes is hard enough, but leading an army of wizards in the future against some technologically superior alien race sounds delusional.”
Granted, I was learning a lot of magic and getting good at casting spells, but I am far from leading a group of wizards, or anyone else for that matter, into a battle against an army of technologically superior beings. Alura sensed my doubts and attempted to clarify what Sarila had told me.
“Azul, you always return to Earth for recognition years ahead of the Darkzon’s arrival in order to prepare for battle. It is what you do big brother. With each day passing, you become stronger and more aware of your responsibilities.”
“We’re talking about an army Alura, of who knows what exactly, not a few lycanthropes which by no means were a stroll in the park to defeat.”
“The Darkzon have been defeated throughout the ages and will be again,” Alura said. “Thyzil and I have been at your side during every battle and will be there with you this time. As your power increases, so will your knowledge of the past and all fear and doubt will disappear.”
Alura always had a sense of calm about her while I often felt like a bag of nerves. Then again, she completed her recognition a hundred years ago and had more time to work out all the self identity bugs.
“Thyzil, do you remember any of these past battles with the Darkzon?” I asked.
“Sometimes, yes, but not everything. I have visions of battles in dreams. I also learn from great library.”
Good idea. I need to spend some serious time in the library as well, or if I had half the brain I think I have, hide out with Melony on Galbria and live happily ever after. Having a picnic by a waterfall with a beautiful girl beats fighting monsters any day of the week, month, year, or eon.
Alura smiled. “I have something to show you,” she said and took a small wood carving from her pocket. “It’s a carving of a pig called a Peccary by the Mayans.”
Alura placed her hand over mine and folded my fingers over the Peccary.
“Close your eyes Azul and concentrate. Think about the day when you gave this to me at the great Mayan city of Tenochtitlan. Concentrate brother.”
I closed my eyes and focused on the Peccary. A small light appeared in my mind that took the shape of trees, clouds, and ancient Mayan structures. I saw native Mayans walking on roadways lined with stone who were carrying blankets, food, and vases of water as children played near stone walls. It felt very real, if I was walking with these people myself.
“Azul, come see what Inca has made,” a voice said.
I turned and saw Alura standing next to an artisan table. She was dressed in white cloth painted with bright colors. A leather headband with small beads wrapped around her head and she wore leather sandals laced up over her ankles. Alura was younger, perhaps 12 years old, and full of energy that only children possess.
“Look brother, Inca has made a Peccary. Isn’t it wonderful?”
I held the carving of the Peccary, a small pig, and examined the fine detail and artistry. Alura was beaming with a smile. I smiled back and asked her if I should make a trade for the Peccary, and if so, why? Alura arched an eyebrow and kept her eyes focused on mine.
“Of course you should trade for it brother. Why? Because you’re my brother and you love me.”
“Precisely,” I said, then traded a small bag of cocoa beans for the carving. “Inca, your artistry gets better everyday my friend. My sister and I are honored to have such a beautiful example of your great talent.”
Inca smiled while nodding his head in a thankful gesture and Alura kissed my cheek.
“Thank you brother, thank you. I will keep the Peccary with me always for good luck.”
The images in my mind faded and I became aware that I was standing in the Batcave. When I opened my eyes, I saw Alura smiling.
“Do you remember brother? Can you name the artist who made the carving?”
“Yes, Inca made it. You were very young Alura, not even yet a teenager and it was so real. We were among the Mayans at Tenochtitlan thousand of years ago. It was as if I were there only minutes ago.”
“Very good wizard,” Sarila said. “All your memories are locked up in that advanced wizard brain of yours. Nothing has been lost and your many memories will surface in time. All you need now is patience and determination to keep focused on the present.”
Alura held her hand open. “The Peccary … it’s mine buster,” she said with a big smile. “Ancient or not, it was a gift from you and it’s my lucky charm.”
I handed the Peccary back to her and she put it back in her pocket.
“Now children, time to turn our attention to more immediate problems facing your Earthly home,” Sarila said, then nodded to her assistant who replaced the blue crystal with a white crystal which created a another hologram.
The new hologram looked like a transparent wall and had a number of televised news broadcasts, police scanners, maps, and more. Sarila touched the hologram where a news broadcast image was playing coverage of a fire burning out of control at Sunset Park. It was the warehouse where Alura and I found all those shriveled up bodies, and now it’s engulfed in flames that stretched into the night sky. The fire was so hot that it was melting the brick walls. No ordinary fire could produce enough heat to melt bricks – magic was involved.
“There is more,” Sarila said, then touched another section of the hologram. “It appears our electronic surveillance at the park was successful in taking a message.”
The hologram widened to a full screen view showing an infra red outline of something not human. The message was a warning translated using an animated computer voice.
“You have desecrated this sacred place with your foul presence and will pay for your transgression with your lives,” the voice said, then continually repeated the message in an audio loop.
“Simple and direct,” I said. “It’s not much for mixing words, is it? A get to the point kind of monster. What the heck is that thing?”
Sarila wasn’t sure what killed the humans we found at Sunset Park, but she did know what the creature was delivering the message.
“It is an assassin demon who should be taken seriously,” Sarila said. “They are called Hyzits and can remain motionless for months hiding in shadows and small places unnoticed. They don’t require nourishment because they absorb carbon dioxide in the same way trees do. Once they have an contract, they will observe all the routines and behaviors of their targets before attempting to kill them. Hyzits never waiver from their task and few have seen them, and those who have, usually do not live long to tell.”
I grimaced. “And this thing is after Alura and me? What about other people around us? Can others get hurt, or killed?”
“No, Hyzits take pride in secretly assassinating their targets,” Sarila rep
lied. “They will not hurt or attack anyone else and only act when their target is alone. There is time to prepare wizard. Hyzits hibernate underground until mid-winter and are unable to reach you until then. Kyiel will show how to prepare a defense and offense.”
I frowned. “Wonderful, we just dusted a bunch of wolfs and lycanthropes, barely escaping with our lives, and now we have our own personal assassin coming after us. Things keep going from bad to worse.”
Alura grinned. “Azul, there is always something dark trying to kill us, yet we have survived through the ages while our enemies perished. Plus, it’s only June and winter is six months away. There will be other things to worry about before Hyzits end their hibernation.”
Thyzil wrapped his arm around my shoulder and had a serious look on his face.
“Do not worry wizard. I will help destroy Hyzit. We will teach it how Zeshtunians fight, like we did with big doggy lawyers.”
As I’ve said before, one can’t help but admire Thyzil’s ability to simplify the possibility of eminent death. He usually laughed when thinking about fighting monsters. Thyzil’s semi-broken English and fearless manner continues to make the big guy such a lovable character, even when facing nasty assassins.
“Yes Thyzil, we will be ready and destroy the Hyzit too.”
“Let them come,” he said and raised his claymore above his head. “I am ready.”
“Well, I’d say we have had quite a day in the Batcave classroom,” I said. “If it’s alright with you Sarila, I’d like to have a couple beers and spend some time in the library.”
Sarila made a slight bow of her head in agreement and Alura, Thyzil, and I headed to my apartment for refreshments and some down time. The three of us nearly knocked each other over trying to open the refrigerator at the same time. I bowed to Alura and said, “Ladies first.”
Thyzil smiled. “She is too ferocious to be lady. More like tiger I think.”
Alura arched her brow. “Watch it muscle man or you’ll be sleeping in the Batcave.”
Thyzil laughed and winked at me. “I mean lady tiger,” he said while ginning, then grabbed a six pack of my favorite domestic beer.
Not to be outdone, I grabbed my own six pack. If we were going to have another testosterone contest, I wanted to be at least a contender, even though winning a crushing anything contest against Thyzil was a foolish hope.
Sally must have already been fed and taken for a walk. Normally, she is all over me when I come home, but this time she only wagged her tail while half asleep next to the fireplace. Having a full belly and nice walk always put her into slumber mode, which I didn’t really mind because it gave me some time to relax.
Speaking for myself, I was lucky if I could ever get a few hours sleep or a burger before all hell broke loose. Sally, well she had a pretty easy going and happy life – a sharp contrast to my wacky world. Okay, that’s enough self-pity.
I put some more wood in the fireplace and sat down with Alura and Thyzil to drink some brews. As always, the first cold beer taste like liquid gold. Thyzil looked at me while placing an empty beer can on his forehead and then crushed it with the palm of his hand. So much for my testosterone preemptive strike, but to be fair, he practically inhaled his beer before I had a chance.
Thyzil was challenging me again, in a manly prehistoric sort of way. Alura jabbed him in his side while rolling her eyes then looked at me shaking her head.
Hmm … if I ignore the challenge, Thyzil will never let me live it down. If I crush the can on my forehead, I’d likely knock myself out and get a bruised ring on my head.
I had to do something less physical, but of equal or greater manly value. I got up and walked over the wall behind my chair and placed my empty can of beer on the floor against the wall. I casually walked back to my chair without taking my eyes of Thyzil as he kept a serious gaze on me. I sat down and took one of my shoes off and held it for a few moments while tapping it on my leg. Thyzil narrowed his eyes and looked puzzled, but said nothing.
Alura must have figured out what my next move was because she bit down on her lip to hold back grinning more than she already was. I arched my eyebrow, tilted my head slightly at Thyzil, and tossed my shoe backwards without looking. The shoe hit the corner of the shelf knocking a stone sculpture off directly onto the empty beer can. It not only crushed the can completely, but is stood perfectly upright on top of the can as if it was carefully placed there.
I never took my eyes off Thyzil and didn’t blink or smile. I extended my arms outward palms up and said, “Tadah.” Thyzil looked at the can, then back at me, and then at Alura. He wasn’t sure what to say at first. Then a smile began to form at the corner of his mouth while he tried to hold back his emotion, but his face gave way to a big smile. I smiled in return and Alura started laughing, which was too much for the Zeshtune warrior to handle. Thyzil slapped both his hands on his knees and laughed so hard that tears formed in his eyes.
“Pretty good wizard, pretty good,” he said. “Never underestimate a wizard, yes?”
“Let’s hope not Thyzil,” I replied and the three of us leaned forward, tapped our beers together, and cheered.
“To Zeshtune, family, and our fallen comrades,” Alura said and raised her beer.
Thyzil and I seconded the motion, then tapped each others beer cans and and enjoyed our tasty brews.
“Let’s see,” I said. “We destroyed Lupzarro, Moon, Moon’s partners, hundreds of wolves, saved three hostages, and we found and recovered three brave Zeshtune warriors. Not bad for a couple of days work.”
Alura smiled. “Not bad at all. But we still have a loose thread to take care of.”