Exile Musings

Written by Talmid, posted on 25-05-2016 [incomplete]<infobox>

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   <default>Exile Musings</default>
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3024 AF

Prologue

The location: Planet Elistra.

In the Talmid family home, the morrow after a holiday called Thanksgiving....

Part 1

"So you're leaving now?" a sister asked her brother.  She was a woman of twenty-nine years, fair skinned and dark haired, her name was Marie.  Where she stood on the banistered stairs overlooked the entrance hall of their parents' home, where her brother, a young man named Killian, stood at the front door.  It was open, letting him face the morning air, his feet inches from the treshold.  A suitcase was tight in his hand.  He was about to leave.

Marie descended another step.  "You just came back." she stated.  Just to leave again.

Killian did not look up from the floor.  "Marie," he addressed her, "I made my decision and it's final.  Please don't make it harder for me."

"Well you're not making it easy for us."

"Marie-!"

She let go of the banister and sighed.  "I'm sorry, that was selfish to say." She straightened her skirt and looked up.  "I'm not ignoring the points you made last night.  What you are doing, I understand it is for us.  I'm sure we all will."

Killian nodded.  Last night, he had told his siblings and their parents of his decision to enlist in the Nexus Force, but it had not gone well.

Then he turned around to face her.  "In time, perhaps.  And you don't need to apologize, because you're not being selfish... I am.  There are things I haven't told the rest of the family.  Joining the Nexus Force and fighting the Maelstrom are not the only reasons I'm going to Crux."

Marie looked at him hard.  For the moment, neither of them spoke.  The whooshes of cars outside on the main road interrupted the otherwise still atmosphere.  Killian closed the door.

Then Marie smiled.  "You and your secrets.  I'd always hear you and Abe confiding, and then I'd just walk by your room and suddenly, silence."

Killian smiled, reminiscing.  "Abe doesn't know about this one." he said.

"And I don't suppose I will know, either?"

"No." Killian said surely, but not too regrettedly.  "But," he said, "you have reminded me of the importance of family.  Of our family."  He set his suitcase down and stepped up the stairs to give his sister a hug.  "I'll stay for breakfast."

"Or lunch." Marie said hopefully.

Killian chuckled.  "Don't get your hopes up."

...

Part 2

  That evening, Killian bid farewell to his assembled family again.  He said goodbye to his parents, his sister and brother Marie and Abe, and to his sister-in-law Hafwyn, and to all his little nephews and nieces: Aiden, Shira, Evelyne, Alex, and Chloe.

Last night's arguments were not forgotten, but for today they were ignored since no one's minds would be changed.

For a small family, the Talmid family had spread apart over the years.  Marie had organized this Thanksgiving reunion, for which Killian truly was thankful, as he had not seen any of them in the year he'd been away.  Only one Talmid was not present: Tiberius had not been heard from for much longer than Killian's absence.

Now aboard the Venture Explorer, a Nexus Force spaceship assigned to shuttle minifigures to the Nimbus System, Killian put his family aside and looked ahead.  He closed his notebook, in which all matter of his writings were writ.  Story chapters, character descriptions and illustrations, and on latest page letters to family.

This was it, he was joining the Nexus Force and moving to the Crux System, in particular a world called Nimbus Station.  Then he opened a second notebook and began to write in that.  

Saving imagination is a noble fight. he wrote.  Fighting the good fight is what I have signed up for.  But, as I hinted to Marie, I have another reason for embarking on this journey.

That reason involved a girl who he had met twelve years before, and for twelve years he never saw her again.  Their experience then was short, but taking in his age and the circumstances, impacting, and he was unable to forget what they accomplished then.  The experience, to him, was like one chapter in a larger story, and there were loose ends he wished to tie up.

Now Killian had good reason to believe she had joined the Nexus Force.  If he would only see her again, he could hear the end of that story.   And, he thought, maybe even start another...

If asked, he would not deny it.  Killian Talmid wasn't an experienced romantic, but he was without a doubt very much in love.

3027 AF

The location: Planet Militiregnum.

In the weeks of Perpetual Doom, after the Knights of the Olde Speech's crushing defeat at the Battle of the Skyfalls....

Chapter 1

Part 1

Defeat, loss, and sorrow.  Sir Talmid felt all of these.  His friends and allies, he did not know what became of them.  They could be lost, escaped hopefully, or smashed pray not!  Or held captive like him.  In the three weeks since his capture, after the failed battle at the Skyfalls, Sir Talmid had been moved from jailhouse to jailhouse, as the Rogue army was spread thin.  Judging by the sun, the shadows, and the sounds of the wildlife, Sir Talmid figured they were slowly but surely moving him north.  To the castle, where the usurper thedude sat on King Mathias's throne.

At one point Elepharian guards were part of the contingent, but they were soon sent off to where, Sir Talmid did not know.  Eventually it was a force so small, just three Rogues guiding him to his chariot - he got a chariot, woohoo!  Such luxury, NOT, there were no benches, the windows were tiny, and the walls were moldy.

Sir Talmid could see nothing of the outside world from the inside of the chariot, except for a beam of sunlight through the small door window, whichever one faced the sun at the time - so he tried to listen as he had before.  He heard the Rogues' chatter.

"Hey, Joe!" one Rogue said, "Joe, my man!  I haven't seen you since we stormed the castle!"

"Oh, hey Jay." another Rogue said.  "Yeah... I got sent to Elepharia.  For thedude's surprise.  You hear the news?"

"No, what?"

"The Knights of the Old Speech got defeated - at Elepharia.  I probably shouldn't be saying this, but that's what thedude's surprise was.  We got the Elephanters to join us, and we defeated the Knights at the Skyfalls.  It was crazy.  That gravity..."

"What gravity, bro?"

"Exactly.  It's like the gravity just turned off, and we were flying!"

"Bro, man, whoa hey, bro!  That's impossi-"

"Shut up!" the third Rogue finally said.

Part 2

Now that they were silent, Sir Talmid heard more birds, more buzzing creatures now than before, and they had distinct calls he recognized.  He was in Morcia now.  Their destination was close.

Suddenly, shouts and clanging was heard.  Sir Talmid sat bolt upright, a mistake, as the carriage shook and he fell down to his side again on the floor.  He heard the spin of a wormholer preparing to fire, and it did fire, but it was cut off in an instant.  Then keys jingled as they were jammed into the lock, and the door swung open.  Sir Talmid shielded his eyes from the intense burst of light.  He saw two thin silhouettes.

"He doesn't look like a rich man!" a tinny girl's voice squeaked.

"No, he -ack- doesn't!" a high-pitched boy replied in between cracks.  "Nor does he -ack- travel in a rich carriage!  Nothing to plunder!"

Who were these people? Sir Talmid wondered.  He began to climb out, but then the girl aimed a stubby sword at his chest.  "Don't move!" she said.

Sir Talmid held his hands up and open.  "Apologies, good lad, and lass... I wish only to get some air.  And then run away."

"To tell your superiors that we -ack- slaughtered your soldiers?!" the boy shouted.  "No!  You can't find us!"  He too held a small sword, a shortsword, and it too was aimed at Sir Talmid.

Sir Talmid began.  "I intent to do no such thing.  I'm not with thedude."

"Who?"

"I'm with King Mathias!" Sir Talmid clarified.

The girl pushed her sword closer to him.  "See, he is with the authority!  We should smash him!"

"Haven't thou been in touch with any current events?" Sir Talmid asked, flabbergasted.  "Mathias is dethroned, thedude is taking over, and the longer thou detain me, the closer he is to destroying the world!"

The boy demanded, "Who is this thedude?"

"He is an outlaw, and he is trying to rule Morcia."

"Like us!" the boy said.  The girl elbowed him sharply and he dropped his sword.  Sir Talmid noticed, but the girl's sword was still on him.

Part 3

"Don't worry, it is obvious by your demeanor," Sir Talmid said, but the boy was no longer listening to him.

"This is great," he said excitedly, "if the authority is gone, no one can stop us from raiding the city!"

"Quiet!" the girl hissed.  "Sshh!"

"And then we can rescue-"

"BRENDAN!" she shouted.  "Shush!"

He stopped, then shrugged at the girl.  "Why, this guy is -ack- not going to be alive to tell on us!"

"Soldiers." she said.

They both darted into the woods and out of sight, leaving Sir Talmid in the carriage.  He got out of the vehicle and listened.  Footsteps were echoing up the path.  A patrol?  Sir Talmid noted the Rogue soldier closest to him, knocked out and on the ground.  Thinking quickly, Sir Talmid picked up his Wormholer and inspected the weapon.  It was live and did not need a reload, so he could fire it as soon as he needed to.

A platoon was headed up the path, and as soon as they rounded the bend, they saw the stopped carriage and ran over to investigate.  They did not see Sir Talmid hiding in the treeline.  He watched carefully, aiming the wormholer from soldier to soldier, unsure of which to target.  He mentally rehearsed his moves, and then he jumped out, squeezing the trigger and letting loose a hail of energy blasts.

The weapon thudded in his arms and the recoil made it hard to aim - but he had the element of surprise and in a second half of the platoon was smashed!

He darted for cover behind the carriage and reloaded, then rounded the corner to blast the next Rogue.  He heard rustling and a Rogue jumped out behind him, only to be knocked out by a swing from the Wormholer's heavy bow.

Sir Talmid checked the remaining ammunition.  There was plenty, in the weapon and waiting to be picked up.  He collected provisions from the various felled or unconscious troopers, then noticed the boy and girl watching him.

"Wow." the boy said.  "You can really use that thing."

"I have knowledge of Nexus Force technology." Sir Talmid affirmed.

Part 4

The boy and the girl exchanged glances, some silent agreement, and then the girl stepped forward and said, "I'm Blair, this is Brendan.  There's a penitentiary in a town not far from here.  We're trying to rescue some people inside, and we were wondering, could you help us?"

Sir Talmid contemplated the predicament.  "I am a Knight," he said, "it is my duty to help people.  Where is this jail?"

"Somna.  It's not far."

"Good." Sir Talmid said.  "I have business there.  And whoever it is you're, you say, 'rescuing,' does it involve more ambushing carriages?"

"With you with us, no!" Brendan said.

"We were trying to get stuff to trade for better weapons, and healing potions, and things." Blaire explained.  "But if you can use that magic thing, and you'll help us..."

Sir Talmid shrugged and joined them.  Whatever they were doing, he figured he could bail as soon as he wanted to, or regrouped with other knights.  He was free and on the move now, so nothing could go wrong, right?

[This is where the writing stops]

[This is where the writing resumes]

Chapter 2

Penitentiary was an old fashioned word related to penitence, meaning repenting, referring to a jail. Somna's jail was a stout building built of copper tone bricks, Sir Talmid knew, and it was only two streets inside Somna's wall. As Sir Talmid and his two little companions approached Somna through lesser known forest paths, the sprawling stone border wall appeared.

Any man, woman, or child in Morcia would gladly relate the story of Somna's wall to anyone who didn't know. Having been a tourist in Somna before, Sir Talmid knew the story. He doubted his two little companions knew its heritage.

"Stupid wall!" Brendan squeaked. "You said you'd get us past it!"

"What year is it?" Sir Talmid asked, crouching down near a particular stone and feeling its surface.

"Tree-thousand twin-tee-even years after Figoranos." Blaire enunciated.

"Thank thee. Now, about a thousand and two-hundred years ago," Sir Talmid relayed, "there was a great war fought between the Great Kingdoms and the Morgai. The Morgai practiced dark magic and used it to destroy the nearby Morcian town of Evereed two times in the war. After the war ended and Evereed was rebuilt, the Evereedians built themselves a wall, and they hired good sorcerers to enchant it with all sorts of 'good' spells.  Of course, every other town in Morcia copied them, which is how Sombra got its wall. According to the historical accounts, flowers bloomed on the entire span of the walls for the entire year, even in winter.”

Brendan scrunched his nose at Sombra's wall's plain grayness. "All I see is a wall."

"Of course, spells fade over time," Sir Talmid said, "but these stones were enchanted once, so I believe they are still enchantable." He set the Wormholer down and looked into his pack, retrieved from the Rogue's prison carriage. He still had some Nexus Force gear, tech, and currency in there. He found what he was looking for, his Nexus Force Thinking Cap and a general-purpose White Imaginite crystal to power it. Through the cap's goggles his entire vision was augmented, and as he suspected the stones showed as modifiable. He attached a basic move behavior to a particular large stone, then stepped back and watched as that stone moved outwards by itself, creating a hole in the wall large enough for them to climb through.

The Knight smiled at his handiwork and went through, then looked back and gestured for Brendan and Blaire to follow him, since they remained on the other side gaping at him.

"He really can do magic." Brendan whispered to no discretion.

"It's not magic, now come along." Sir Talmid urged. "Thou said we art to break someone out of the jail. I can't just go in there without knowing who ye want liberated."

"Right." Blaire said seriously, and pushed Brendan through the wall. She looked back, shortsword still gripped in her little hands, before climbing through too. The stone then slid back in place.

They were now inside Somna and the jail would not be far. Sir Talmid had picked a close by, but discrete location to enter the woodland town, behind some wooden shacks in its busy marketplace. The noises of that locale concealed the sounds of their entry.

Sir Talmid stowed the wormholer, then with Brendan and Blaire in tow, they headed for the road that would take them to the jail.

Chapter 3

Part 1

  Sir Talmid proceeded down a path close to Somna’s wall.  The gravel road was close enough to the wall that the branches of the giant fir and great oak trees in Morcia’s forest lands cast their shade over the path.  The gravel stopped when it entered a cobblestone path, Somna’s main road, and across from that was the jail.

  With Brendan and Blair in tow the knight looked both ways, so they would not be run over by carriages, before crossing the street to go around the side of the jail’s brick facade.  There, Sir Talmid crouched and inspected the ground.  As he expected, there was an old wooden pallet covering an obvious hole in the ground, but it had been filled with sand.

  “What’s this for?” Blaire asked.

  “Escaping,” Sir Talmid answered, rising to his feet.  “But not this time.”  Then his keen senses alerted him to danger and he pulled the children under the shadows of an overhang, behind an alcove created by the jail’s front facade being wider than the actual width of the building.

  Sir Talmid peeked out and saw Shadow Knights entering the city through the gate.  This made things more difficult.

  “I’ll go in the back door.” he decided.  “And the two of ye should stay out here.”

  Sir Talmid did not think dungeons were a nice place for children.

Part 2

  Somna’s jail, a typical medieval prison on the inside.  Sir Talmid practiced silent walking as he made his way down a round stone stairway.  Honestly, he had no clue who Blair and Brendan wanted him to break out, which meant he would have to ask around.

  Soon he faced rows of torch lit cells carved into the natural subterranean rock and barred with metal.  Occupying each was a typical depraved ruffian he would expect in a prison, until Sir Talmid came upon a cell that was blocked up with a steel door and had only a small window.  Curious, Sir Talmid put his face to the bars and stared in.  Inside was a man lying on a stone bed, dressed in Nexus Force Summoner clothes.

  The prisoner must have heard Sir Talmid approach, since he began saying, “Great, the sooner we leave the better.  The porridge here is atrocious and unfit for human consumption!”

  “Hello, Legoboy!” Sir Talmid said into the cell, and the Summoner sat up immediately.

  “Talmid?” Legoboy said, getting to his feet and dusting off his robes.  “Not you too.  I thought the Rogues had come to move me again.”  Despite the dirt and grease in his cell, Legoboy’s clothes were pristine and white, as if he was using Imagination to keep his clothes clean.  “Somna is not far from Orlan.”

  “Two children freed me from the prison carriage.  In return, I’m busting everyone out for them.” Talmid explained, while he stepped back and inspected the steel door’s array of locks, padlocks and deadbolts.  “How do I open this thing?”

  “You need the keys.” Legoboy said.  “The warden has them upstairs.  But wait-!”

  Sir Talmid, who had turned to the other steps to the first floor, turned back.  “What?”

  Legoboy beckoned Talmid closer.  “I already told Sharpie to get the keys.” he said quietly.

  “Sharpie is here too?” Talmid asked, although it was a fact.  “Interesting.”

  “That was yesterday.  That’s why I said, ‘Not you too.’  I fear he’s been captured too, or he is still hiding, so we need to find him after we escape.” Legoboy urged.  “Now get me out of here.”

  Sir Talmid nodded and went back up the stairs.

Part 3

…


  In the prison antechamber, behind a desk, sat a Paradox Rogue instated as warden of the Somna prison.  Sir Talmid ran up behind him and hit on the head with his wormholer, knocking him out.  Then he began rummaging through the desk’s drawers, pushing aside papers and paperweights while he looked for keys.

  “Looking for these?” a high-pitched voice said and Sir Talmid spun around in alarm.  The front door was closed and no one had entered, nor come up the stairs.  His eyes narrowed, Sir Talmid scanned the bookshelves and under the benches for any hidden passages or trapdoors.  There was a fish tank atop one table, along with flowers and magazines.

  Wait, a fish tank?

  The cartoonish head of a large yellow fish broke the surface of the water and then Sir Talmid heard the squeaky voice again.  “Buddy, it’s your tasteh fishy pal, Squeaky the guppy!!”

  “Squeaky?” Talmid repeated, flabbergasted to see the fish alive, and his thoughts went to his… owner might not be the right word.  The Princess.  “Is Lady Jonna alright?”

  “Don’t you care about me?” Squeaky squeaked.

  “Sorry.” Talmid nodded.  “Didn’t you die?”

  “Never mind that!” Squeaky ordered.  “I have the keys to the cells!”  A ring of keys suddenly flew out of the tank and Sir Talmid caught it with both hands.

  “Are you working with Sharpie?” Talmid asked.

  “I haven’t seen the lunatic daredevil!  Sir Fishul brought me here!  He’s around here somewhere.”

  The entrance door suddenly opened and Sir Talmid spun to face it with his wormholer.  It was the platoon of Shadow Knights from earlier.  At seeing the fallen Rogue and sighting Sir Talmid, their hands went to the hilts of their swords which they drew in a second, and Squeaky dove under the surface.

  Then a bunch of knives flew out of the tank and hit many Shadow Knight in vulnerable points.  Some smashed but not all of them.

  “Squeak!  Get Legoboy!” Squeaky cried, and Sir Talmid ran back down to the prison, hoping that Squeaky could keep holding off the Shadow Knights.  He jangled the keys as he got to Legoboy’s cell, then he began the long process of unlocking each lock.  The first one was semi-rusted.

  “Hey,” a young prisoner, probably in his teens, with messy hair and freckles called from a neighboring cell, “I heard you say you were releasing us.  If you pass us the other keys we can move out faster.”

  “Better take this.” Sir Talmid aimed his wormholer at that cell’s comparatively simple lock and sawed it off.  When the prisoner stepped out Sir Talmid hoped he wasn’t making a mistake by giving him the weapon.  “I doth not suppose thou know a Blair and Brendan?” he asked in passing.

  The prisoner held his hand flat, facing down, at exactly their height.  “This tall?”  Sir Talmid nodded.

  “My brother and sister.” the young man said.  “Thanks for letting me out.  Illegal possession of a weapon will be my worst offense yet.”  Then he took the wormholer and ran up the stairs.

  Sir Talmid decided not to facepalm and instead continue freeing Legoboy.  The first lock opened and clattered to the ground.  The second lock was easy.  The third used a key that looked like most of the others so he had to find the correct one.

  “Better hurry.” Legoboy said.

  Talmid grunted and after half a minute the last lock finally fell and Legoboy swung the door open, and they ran for the steps.

  “You’re not going to free everyone?” Legoboy asked.

  “I repaid those children.  I don’t want to know what anyone else is here for.” Talmid panted as they got to the entrance, where Squeaky’s fish tank remained.  Fallen Shadow Knights were all around him.

  “Let’s go!” Legoboy said, but Talmid stopped.

  “Go on!” Squeaky insisted.  “This tank is stationary.  Stop waiting for me, it’s not going to sprout wings and fly, you’ll be caught for sure!  Fishul will come for me.  NOW GO.”

  “Farewell, Squeaky.” Talmid said, and he and Legoboy ran out the door.

  The streets were empty of people except a squad of Paradox Rogues coming in through the city gate.

  “Not good.” Legoboy muttered, and the two ran in the opposite direction only to bump into Blair, Brendan, and their brother.

  “You can have this back.” the latter said and threw the wormholer at the Knights feet.  “It has a tracking device or something.”

  “Bye.” Blair said and they ducked into an alley.

  “You’re kidding me.” Legoboy said, picking up the Wormholer while Talmid picked a sword off a fallen Shadow Knight.

  “No, take this.” Talmid handed Legoboy the sword and went for another.  Then they ran for the gravel road.  “I made a hole in the wall down this way, we can get out through there.”  He heard wormholers charging behind them but the Paradox Bolts were not ranged enough to hit them.  In no time they got to the hole in the wall and Legoboy activated the behavior, and he followed the rock out, and Talmid followed him.

  Then they bumped into a Daredevil who had stepped out behind a tree.

  “Don’t drop on us like that!” Legoboy protested.

  “Hello Sirs.” Sharpie greeted them.  “I’ll talk while we run.”

  The three ran into the forest as fast as they could, but the shouts of pursuers remained present behind them for the several hundred feet they ran.  Suddenly Sharpie turned around, holding a familiar sword high.  There were explosions behind them and the Rogues were silenced.

  “YOU HAVE THE GRAMMAR SWORD?” Legoboy screamed.

  “So?” replied Sharpie.  “It’s been with me the entire time I’ve followed your prison carriage to this town.”

  “We left Squeaky behind.” Talmid groaned.  “Hopefully Sir Fishul can save him.”

  “Wow, Squeaky’s alive.” Sharpie said.  “I thought he died.”

  “You will all die if you don’t give up your weapons peacefully!” a familiar voice giggled.

  The knights whirled on Barney the Dinosaur, flanked by Rogues on each of his sides.  Talmid and Legoboy held up their swords while Sharpie stowed the Grammar Sword and whipped out his Flareguns.  In their aimless running they had come to another of Morcia’s main roads, now often traveled by the army of thedude.

  “I thought you died too, Barney!” Legoboy cried.

  “It’s not Barney.” Sharpie said.  “Watch.”  He pointed a gun at Barney and the dinosaur’s body exploded in a shower of sparks, sending his head screaming into the forest.  The Rogues responded by scattering to find cover behind trees.  Paradox lightning conjured by the Shinobis fell from the sky, lighting the trees on fire, while Sharpie used his electrokinesis to aim the Bolter fire harmlessly away from them, but a stray bullet struck Talmid in the knee.

  “Into the trees!” Sharpie shouted.

  “But they’re on fire!” Legoboy protested.

  “Fire is nothing.” Sharpie jumped onto a trunk and ran up it.

  “For a daredevil.” Legoboy muttered, and launched himself after Sharpie, pulling himself up on stronger branches and avoiding those set aflame.  Halfway to escaping, Legoboy turned around and saw Talmid holding his knee on the ground, surrounded by Rogues in the process of apprehending him.

  “Sharpie, what about Talmid?” Legoboy cried.

  “There’s nothing we can do.” Sharpie lamented.  “He would want us to get away.”  And so they escaped.

  Meanwhile Talmid’s leg was causing him a lot of pain as the Rogues dragged him to his feet.  At least I will see Squeaky again, he thought while squeezing his eyes shut from the discomfort.  When he opened them, he realized that the Rogues were taking him to a prison carriage that was pointed at Orlan.  So unless Squeaky was going that direction, north, he wouldn’t see him again.

  The Rogues threw Talmid into the carriage and they were off.  There was only one barred window in the back of the carriage, which Sir Talmid pulled himself towards to look through.

  Somna’s great wall receded in the distance.

  We’ve met in exile before, great city. Talmid thought.  But will we meet again?

  He would have watched it until its vanishing point, but a bend in the road caused it to disappear that way, and so Killian Talmid, bruised and beaten, resigned himself to the road ahead.  It would be another two days by carriage to Orlan and no doubt the dungeons that awaited him, so he took to reminiscing instead….

3012 AF

Chapter 4

Part 1

Year: 3012 After Figoranos

Location: Inside a spaceship

The cabin wall was lined with pictures and in the artificial light a dark haired man inspected them. Grayscale, monochromatic, colorized, and digitally produced images made up the gallery of stills, some framed and most just laminated card stock. Some showed distant lands, even other planets, and all were points of interest to their family. The man’s blue eyes always gravitated to the partially colored still in the gallery’s upper left corner, the point where it all began. The foreground showed a city street busy with carriages, the horsedrawn type, and pedestrians blurred by the exposure, but the object of focus stood out. Dyed in gold, the letters of the “Talmid Letter Company” adorned a wide storefront.

The man smiled at it before he panned to an incomplete row of images where the collection’s ended. He reached behind himself for a stack of three new card stock images, freshly printed depictions of recently taken scenes, and a roll of sticky tape. The first image was of a colorful planet viewed from space, all blue, green, brown, and white; the second showed a spiry castle, observed from afar, built on a grassy hill overlooking the surrounding cities; the last was a family portrait with seven people dressed in medieval attire ranging in age from adults both old and young to a teenager barely thirteen.

On the left stood the oldest and tallest man. His name was Ben, surname Talmid. His brownish hair was beginning to gray, but his grinning face exemplified energy. Next to him stood a raven-black haired woman, Ben’s wife, and the beloved mother to the presently youngest generation of Talmids, Lucille Lars-Talmid, the matriarch of the family. The fingers of her right hand and Ben’s left were intertwined in eternal companionship. Her other arm was draped over the shoulders of her first son, the young man placing the pictures now. She had insisted he stand next to her, and called him her boy, a remark to which he laughed, but he lovingly did as she said. At twenty-four years old he was hardly a boy.

After them stood the second son, handsome Abe, and his girlfriend Hafwyn. Abe, with his curly brown hair, brown eyes, and triangular face was a twenty-one year old version of Ben, without the facial hair. Hafwyn was also twenty-one and quite beautiful. Her auburn-haired head was leaning on Abe’s shoulder, a common pose.

As the family stood in age order, Ben and Lucille’s seventeen year old daughter Marie was next, and there the organization ended. Their last child, thirteen year old Killian, was a full head shorter than his sister. He stood in front of her almost protectively, his round face serious and his arms crossed, while Marie’s were wrapped around his waist. The youngest Talmids were close.

“It’s beautiful.” a lady’s voice said from behind him, and her oldest son smiled.

“I know, mother.”

“Photography was never in my interests,” Lucille continued, resting her hands on his shoulders, “yet you’ve mastered it all by yourself. When you told me you wanted a camera, I thought I’d have to teach you to use it!”

“You, teach me to use a digital camera?” the man questioned. “Did they even exist back in your day?”

His mother laughed. “Different worlds develop at different rates.” she said mysteriously. “You know that, my dear boy.”

Her hands left his shoulders and he turned around to face her. She still wore the navy dress and blue vest over a white blouse in the picture. An otherwise plain attire, she made it look majestic.

“Mother, I’m not a boy anymore,” the man said, smiling to let her know he didn’t mind, “and neither is Abe. I think ‘dear boy’ better suits Killian now.” And his mother laughed.

“You’re right,” Lucille agreed and she paused to kiss him on the forehead, “but you’re still my son. You’ll always be my dear Tiberius.”

Part 2

Location: Somna

A brother and a sister occupied a bench outside the Morcian town’s bakery.

The sun felt hot on Killian’s head and sweat pooled against his back. His shirt that was too baggy, too large, a contrast to the tight breeches that hugged his legs. The bench was uncomfortable no matter how he slouched.

“It’s better for your back if you sit up straight.” Marie advised, and Killian rolled his eyes to glare at his sister. Of course she was sitting straight as a stick, hands interlocked on the lap of her skirt.

“Why do we have to be here?” Killian groaned.

A man poked his head out of the window above their heads. “You could be in here with me and dad,” Abe said, “see the sights, sample the cuisine, anything to at least look like you’re having a good time.”

“He’s not.” Marie shot him a look.

“I can see the sights.” Killian jumped off the bench and stalked into the road. He ignored the words of protest from his older siblings. Touring this town, Somna, was not his idea. Visiting another planet, Militiregnum, wasn’t his idea.

A hard step into a puddle splashed mud onto the front of his beige shirt, and who knew where else, and Killian decided to avoid puddles, not because he liked the shirt. Dressing like the native populace wasn’t his choice either. His mom kept him from wearing a jacket, and his breeches were pocket-less, so he was without his notepad to write or illustrate in.

Something knocked into the side of his head and Killian stopped to see a muddied loaf of bread, round like a bun, hit the ground beside him. Would the obstacles ever stop? I can dodge what I see, but not what I cannot. Killian thought, and he wished he could write that down, meanwhile a group of children his age or younger ran up to him. The oldest kid, a tall and husky boy, picked up the bread and looked Killian in the eye, his face red.

“Prithee hear my dearest apologies.” he said. “We dident mean to hit thee.”

Killian blinked. “I’m sorry?” he asked.

“No, I’m sorry!” the boy clarified, his face blushing more.

He’s sure colored apologetic, Killian thought, and he stuck out a hand. “All’s forgiven.” he said, and the husky boy’s complexion turned visibly relieved, but not entirely.

“Thou want to play with us?” a tiny girl squeaked.

“Is that like a ball?” Killian asked of the bread, and he was answered with a cacophony of yeses. “I’m sorry, I can’t throw bread. You all, I mean ye all have fun.”

“Goodbye!” The small kids shouted and ran off into a courtyard, taking the bread from the husky boy and leaving Killian… and the husky boy.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” the boy asked in perfect modern speech and Killian looked at him in surprise before he recovered.

“I’m completely okay.” Killian said. “I already forgave you.”

“I know, I just wanted to make sure.” the boy answered. “I’m Bartholomew Eccleston. The others call be Barc.”

He stuck out a hand to shake and Killian took it, relieved that they skipped the spitting part. “I’m Killian Talmid.”

“What brings you around here, Killian?” Barc asked, before blanching. “If you don’t mind me asking. Sorry it that was rude.”

Bartholomew Eccleston, Killian thought, a boy with a good heart. It was a good character description. Then he shook his head. “No, it’s fine.” he told him. “I’m here with my family… on a field trip… vacation, sort of.”

“I figured you’re not from around here.” Barc said. “Me neither. My father’s a horse trader and we’re here on business from Orlan.”

The capitol, Killian remembered from the brief overview his mother taught him on Morcia. “I’m from…” Killian paused. “Farther away.”

“Halfay?” Barc asked. When Killian didn’t answer, he covered his mouth and whispered, “Are you from Aquila?”

Killian had no idea what or where Aquila was, so he shook his head.

“Elepharia? Or Britay? Or the far east?” Barc suggested.

“A spaceship.” Killian said.

“Aspashyp?” Barc repeated.

“No, a ship, that travels in space. It’s practically my home. Come with me and I’ll show you.” Killian said.

Barc looked around, obviously nervous. “I’ll ask my father. You can come with me.”

Killian nodded, and the two boys turned towards farther down the road, before someone popped in front of them.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Marie asked sternly.

“To see horses.” Killian said, and Marie paused for a second.

“I’m coming with you.” she stated, and they continued down the road. It was sparse and they walked in the middle, while other passerby hung to the storefronts. Barc was taller than Killian, but they were both short at their current ages, thirteen and however many years Barc was. Marie was taller than both of them.

“Barc,” Killian said, “meet Marie.”

“I’m Bartholomew Eccleston,” Barc said, looking at up her, “or Barc. How do you my lady?”

“Just Marie.” Marie said. “And I’m fine, if not bored like Killian. We’re seeing horses?”

“We’re seeing my father, he does trade horses.” Barc explained. “Killian invited me to his az… spas… spaceship?”

Marie whirled on her brother. “What the heck?”

“Friends can visit each others’ homes.” Killian said matter-of-factly.

“Oh, you’re friends?” Marie looked surprised, and she turned to Barc. “You’re his friend?”

Barc nodded. “As fate would have it.” he said and Marie whistled.

“Amazing.” she said. “You’re his first friend.”

“Not really.” Killian protested.

“He is.” Marie said. “Now table it.”

“I’m all the gladder to meet you then, Killian.” Barc said. “And you too, Marie. Are we friends too?”

“You seem sweet enough.” Marie said, and Barc beamed while Killian inspected the road ahead. A set of stables was close with two carriages out front. The first had a full team of six horses standing in front of it, while more horses occupied a fenced off field next to the stables. The other carriage only had two horses, but it was painted silver and blue, with gold wheels and doors. Killian went towards it but Barc pulled him back.

“It’s a royal carriage.” Barc said, and from a distance Killian noticed the black lion’s head printed on the doors. Above it was a crown. “My father must be dealing with the King.”

“The presence is too small for the King to be here.” Marie pointed out, and they headed for the stable doors.

As they approached it suddenly swung open and two guards stepped out, surveyed the area, then separated for a man clad in dark navy to exit. He had short black hair, thick bushy eyebrows, and a pointed face, and he carried a royal sword by his side. At the sight of the children the man smiled. “Good day to ye lads and lass,” he wished them, before boarding the royal carriage. One of the guards took the driver’s seat and he cracked a whip. The royal horses entered a canter and they were quickly gone.

“Not the king.” Marie quipped.

“No,” Barc confimed. “His Majesty's advisor, Lord Vladek.”

A gray haired, wide shouldered man stood in the stable doorway watching the carriage leave as well, and Barc ran to him. “Hello, Father!” Killian and Marie followed.

“Bartholomew.” the man said. He smiled, but not before Killian had noticed his previous expression. Barc’s father was anxious.

“These are Killian and Marie,” Barc introduced them, while his father headed to the six-horse carriage. “They kindly invited me to their spaceship.”

“Thank ye,” Mr. Eccleston said, turning to them, “but it’s a bad time, I’m afraid. Barc and I… we have to leave.” He began guiding the carriage in the other direction that Lord Vladek had went. “We’re returning to Orlan.”

“What was Lord Vladek here for, Father?” Barc asked.

“Just meeting with friends.” Mr. Eccleston said, his brows furrowed. “People he trusts. Now, we must leave.” He opened the carriage door for Barc, then climbed to the driver’s bench.

“I’ll miss you.” Barc said. “You should come see me in Orlan.”

“Maybe we will.” Marie said.

His father urged the horses to a trot, and then they were gone.

“We could have asked for a ride!” Killian realized, but Marie went to the fence and began pulling up grass.

“I thought you said we were watching the horses?” she said, while holding the grass over the fence. A nearby horse approached to inspect the grass, and for some reason took it when there was plenty grass everywhere in the field.

While Marie ran her hands over the horse’s head and combed its hair, Killian sat back on an uncomfortable wooden bench outside the stables and sighed.

Part 3

As Killian and Marie returned to Somna’s square, a woman in a violet Victorian dress watched them approach. She pushed off the base of a stone horseman she had been leaning on then rounded the pedestal to face them, her arms crossed. Hafwyn Dhanawade was an attractive young woman with coppery auburn hair, light green eyes, and a pale complexion. Abe Talmid felt privileged to be engaged to her; that he had told her more than once, and although she’d dismissed it each time, she was touched by the endearment. They both loved each other.

“If it isn’t our two runaways.” she chided his younger siblings in an accented voice.

“We saw horses.” Marie said, as if that excused the new grass-stains adorning her previously white skirt. Killian just looked bored, as always.

“That’s nice.” Hafwyn replied with understanding, an equestrian herself. “Your parents and Tiberius are here for a magic show in the square. They kept seats for two more.”

“Not for Abe and you?” Killian asked.

“He’s shopping.” Hafwyn said, suggestively glancing at a nearby diamond cutter and artisan’s shop. “I’m not supposed to know what for, however...”

“You know, though.” Marie said knowingly, a smile creeping on her face.

Hafwyn nodded and slipped her left hand into the folds of her dress, where she’d sewn a hidden pocket, and withdrew a small box that she opened for Marie and Killian to see. Perched on a blue velvet cushion was a platinum ring, and Killian’s eyes shifted from the piece in the box to the jeweled silver piece already on her ring finger. He raised his eyebrows at Hafwyn and she winked back at him, then Marie covered her mouth.

“You’re going to propose?” she gasped. “When?”

“Hopefully before Abe does.” Hafwyn said quickly, as she let her enthusiasm overtake her usually serene demeanor. “He will be awhile, you know how he is with choosing. He thinks it’s fun to be traditional, but surprising him is funner.” She popped the box shut and hid it again, then turned serious. “Don’t tell him.”

“Cross my heart and hope to die.” Marie whispered, and Killian mimed zipping his lips shut, and Hafwyn returned to leaning on the statue. “Can you believe it?” she hissed to him once they rushed past Hafwyn, headed towards the square’s fenced in dirt and garden center where tents were pitched and a small crowd sat on benches, for the magic show. “I think you’re a bit young to be an uncle.”

Killian shrugged. “We don’t know there’s a baby on the way- not yet, I mean.”

“I suppose not.” Marie said, a strange tone in her voice that Killian thought he detected, but when he glanced up at her she just shrugged back. They walked through the open gate and made their way around families sitting on rugs and occupied benches, towards two adjacent benches. Their parents sat in one, arms around each others’ shoulders, while Tiberius sat on the far edge of the other that effectively kept the seats between them open.

Part 4

“About time you showed up.” they heard Tiberius say quietly after Killian and Marie joined him on the front row bench, seated in age order. He was faced downward with his knees up, almost to his chest, and his large hands helped obscure a digital camera.

“You look like an idiot.” Marie said.

“Mom said to be inconspicuous.” Tiberius murmured.

“Looking like an idiot is conspicuous. Put your feet down.”

He didn’t move. “And when the locals ask what this magic box is, you can tell them.”

“Not my responsibility, Tibby.”

“Not if they think it’s yours.”

“Stop it you two.” Killian groaned. “He’s not the one attracting stairs. Look.”

Marie rolled her eyes away from Tiberius, who continued looking at his camera. They who cared stared ahead as the flaps of a small blue tent parted and a middle aged man exited. He wore a pinstripe suit and carried a small briefcase, but most remarkable was the jangling jester’s hat on his head. The hat changed colors as he walked, an illusion that evoked some oohs and ahs from the crowd around.

And he had not opened the briefcase yet, Killian thought. Then he heard a quiet rustle. He glanced at Marie, who hadn’t moved, then in the other direction at his parents, who had sat up straighter. Their tranquil expressions had dialed down a notch as they turned their attention to the performer, in particular his hat. Unlike the rest of the audience who regarded it with fascination, Ben and Lucille carried an almost troubled look.

“My name is… Brian.” the performer introduced himself with a wide smile. “Not a remarkable name, I know, not by itself at least. No offense to other Brians here. You’d think I’d have a cooler name, being an acclaimed wizard, right? What? You haven’t heard of me? Not one of you?”

Killian snorted. Brian the Illusionist, sure, he thought. Stand up comedian? Maybe. Wizard? No way would he buy that.

Brian set the briefcase on the ground, undid the brass buckles, and removed a large book.

“The typical coloring book trick?” Tiberius asked without looking up.

Marie shushed him. “Don’t be a cynic. You too, Killian. And yeah, he’s holding a book.”

“I can see that.” Tiberius said. His camera had a pivoting screen through which he recorded the scene. “That’s not what I asked.”

Brian opened the book’s covers wide to reveal a completely empty binding, and Tiberius raised his eyebrows at the lack of pages.

“I’m a good artist, right?” Brian asked with a grin.

“Yer book is empty!” an audience person crowed.

“What, really?” Brian rotated the book around to face him. “No it isn’t!” he denied. He spun it back to the audience, still page less.

“So you’re an abstract artist?” Marie called, playing along.

“I prefer photo realism,” Brian said, turning to them. “Portraits of people especially. Sometimes landscapes.” He mimed flipping invisible pages, then he shrugged. “Surely you can see that, unless... oh no! I must have cast a disappearing spell on my artwork! That’s why you can’t see anything.”

Killian and Tiberius both sighed.

“It’s alright.” Brian continued. “To undo a disappearing spell needs two people: me and a volunteer.”

“Of course.” Tiberius said to no one.

“Did I hear a volunteer?” Brian swung to face their direction again, his jester cap changing hue. He seemed to stare straight at Tiberius, until Marie waved a hand in the air and attracted his attention.

“I volunteer.” she said and stood up.

“Excellent, you can step right up!” Brian beckoned, and Marie joined him in the clearing. He shut the book and leveled it toward her. “It’s a simple reversal spell. No words needed. Just hold the edge and picture with me the missing portraits.”

“I don’t know what they look like.” Marie stated.

“I’ll tell you.” Brian said. “Just close your eyes and picture my words.” She shut them. “Good. Now, relax… and think. My last drawing was a beautiful maiden in a flowery dress, but that’s not the important part. Blur the foreground. Her face takes center focus, framed by flowing locks of the deepest black hair, dark as night, a contrast to the day scene behind her. Her face is the most wonderful mixture of God-given features, her smiling lips and relaxed brow exhibit so much love and care, and her eyes are– open your eyes a second?”

Marie popped her dark eyes open.

“A deep brown.” Brian finished, and with a flourish he flipped the book open to reveal a portrait drawn on a paper page. Killian heard his parents gasp, like many in the audience, except for himself and Tiberius. It was a little too far to see clearly, but Tiberius zoomed his camera in on the portrait and aimed the screen to Killian. Now he had no doubts. It was a portrait of Marie.

“What a coincidence!” Brian said. “You are as beautiful on paper as in real life, before all our eyes. You can keep it, for your inner narcissist.” He gave the page a small tug and it disconnected from the book. He reached into his briefcase to take out a frame, which he slid the page into, then he handed it to Marie. She politely took it before briskly returning to the bench, a blush on her cheeks.

She sat quickly and hissed, “The hell happened there?”

“Imagination happened.” a deep voice said. They looked up to see their father standing close, his hands on his hips. There was a look on his face similar to disapproval, but Killian knew it was something else, distant.

“Imagination energy.” Tiberius clarified, and he tapped his fingers on the Marie portrait. “Imagination created this. Yours or his. That means Imagination tech.”

“Not from Militiregnum.” Ben appended with a nod towards Brian, and Killian and Marie turned back to see the ‘wizard.’ He had put his book back in his briefcase, a modern accessory piece, and was walking back to his blue tent. Ben rested a hand each on Killian’s and Marie’s shoulders. “My fellow travelers,” he said to his children, “it would seem we’re not the only field trippers here.”

>> Next Suggested Story>> Aquila ~-~-~ Geography, History, and Important Figures