Parallel inversion, p.7
Parallel Inversion, page 7
part #1 of The Parellyrian Chronicles Series
Niffain charged into the living room, dropping his bag into the corner and retrieving a blanket from it. He plopped down onto the smaller of two couches and tried to fall asleep. Aseria made herself comfortable on top of a bookshelf. Dalius gathered some firewood that was laying down in the corner of the room and used it to start a small fire in the wood stove near the entrance to the kitchen. He then used his torch to light a lantern that was sitting on the table in the middle of the living room. He threw the torch in the fire, picked up the lantern, and walked back toward the front door, motioning for Karen to follow him, which she did.
They went outside and walked to the nearby windowless outbuilding. Dalius hesitated at the front door, then he turned the handle and stepped inside. Karen, with much less hesitation, followed him in and watched as Dalius hung the lantern from the ceiling a few feet from the entrance to the single room building.
As the contents of the room slowly became more visible, Karen gasped at the familiarity of what she could see. Each end of the room housed a large wooden desk, set up so their occupants would be facing each other across the large interior. The walls were lined with tables with different mechanical experiments, although much more rudimentary than anything Karen would expect to see in a scientific laboratory in her world.
In the middle of the room, completely separate from everything else, stood a large metallic cone with a baseball sized sphere at the top, fused to the floor at its base. Karen stared at it, recognizing it as identical to the last object she had touched in Romanbak's laboratory before she woke up in the middle of a strange forest.
“Anything look familiar?” Dalius asked.
Karen turned to him, startled. She had been so focused on the object in the middle of the room that she almost forgot that Dalius was there. She looked back to the cone as she answered. “That looks exactly like what sent me here.”
Dalius stepped toward her and looked at the cone. “Do you think it could send you back?”
“I don't know. Maybe.” She inched toward it hopefully with her hand outstretched. Before she could touch it, she stopped short, and turned to Dalius.
“In case I disappear,” she said, “I just wanted to say, thank you.”
Dalius stepped even closer to her. “You're welcome,” he said. “And in case this does send you back, and Romanbak is indeed still alive, please, tell him to come back here.”
Karen smiled and nodded. She realized that, despite the brief amount of time she had been acquainted with Dalius, she would miss him. It was clear that Dalius felt the same way, as he silently moved in for the clumsiest hug of his life. He wrapped his arms around her slight frame, catching his chin on her forehead, while she returned the gesture, unintentionally pressing his sharp sword into his back and into her wrist at the same time. She pulled away before it could draw any blood. The two chuckled simultaneously at the awkwardness of the situation.
“Tell Niffain and Aseria goodbye for me,” she said. She continued toward the object, then laid her palm upon it.
Nothing happened.
She shifted her hand around to various positions. Still nothing. She tried putting both hands on it. The hum and glow that had accompanied her transportation to this world did not come, and she remained where she stood.
“Well,” she said, placing her hands on her hips and examining the cone, “that was anti-climactic.”
“Yes it was,” Dalius agreed.
“So, I guess I'm going to stick around for a while.”
Dalius tried to hide the fact that he was glad she hadn't vanished.
“While I'm stuck here, why don't you tell me more about Romanbak?”
“All right,” Dalius said. He grabbed a chair from behind one of the desks and dragged it across the room to behind the other. He set the lantern on the desk and motioned for Karen to sit across from him.
“Have a seat,” he suggested. “This might take a little while.”
Karen turned the seat around and sat down, leaning forward attentively against the back of the chair. Dalius thought for a moment, determining where the story should begin.
“Niffain's father was a professor of the physical sciences at Melamina Royal College,” he began. “His prize student, I am proud to say, was one Terimor Thorogren... my father. And my father, in turn, had as his best friend, the soon to become famous Haridor Romanbak.
“Unlike my father, Romanbak was not a prize student. Far from it, actually. In fact, Romanbak often relied on my father for help with his studies. He once told me, when I was just a boy, that if it hadn't been for my father, he wouldn't have become the man he was.”
Dalius spoke with a mild air of smugness, but this quickly faded when he remembered that Karen would not be familiar with the context of the story until he finished telling it. Karen sat, patiently waiting for the story to continue.
“The college's professor of the magical sciences was an elf who went by the name Levaricent. Being an elf, he had centuries of experience over any human wizard--”
Karen cut him short. “Wait a minute, here. Magical sciences?” she asked. “Isn't that an oxymoron?”
“What do you mean? What's an oxymoron?”
“A conflict of terms,” she explained. “Like 'a real, live ghost' or 'old news'. Aren't magic and science mutually exclusive?”
Dalius spat in incredulity at her remark. “Of course not! How could magic exist without the influence of science? Is that what they teach you in your world?”
“Magic doesn't exist in my world.”
“Well it exists here, and it most definitely relies on science. As the spark of fire, or the growth of a tree is explained by science, so is the magical appearance of an object, or the turning of lead into bread.”
“I'm sorry,” Karen said. “This is all pretty new to me. Please, continue...”
Calming down, Dalius shifted to a more comfortable position and spoke again. “Levaricent, the elf wizard, worked together with Niffain's father, Professor Brondin Marduk, on a number of experiments. Now, Marduk was mostly concerned with experiments on how to control existing natural forces. He had machines that he was working on that he felt could harness the powers of fire and of lighting, and wanted to be able to use those machines to carry out difficult functions that would normally require an individual to perform them. He also developed nutritional compounds that would help improve someone's strength or stamina.
“Levaricent was very intrigued by Marduk's nutritional compounds. He convinced him to temporarily abandon his other experiments so they could work together on improving them with his magic.
“Now, in order to do what Levaricent had in mind, he and Marduk needed a willing test subject. Once they were sure the experiments would be safe, they approached my father and Romanbak to ask if they knew of any students who might be interested in taking part in exchange for school credit. Romanbak jumped at the opportunity.
“I personally don't know the details of their experiments, but the results were, eventually, a rousing success. Romanbak acquired incredible agility and speed. He could outrun the fastest animal, and dodge any arrow. He also gained unbelievable strength. Toward the end of the experiments, he even gained the power of flight.
“All in all, Romanbak spent three years undergoing these experiments with Levaricent and Marduk. Not all of them were successful, but the ones that were, were very much so. After Romanbak graduated from the college, he dedicated his life to the protection of the kingdom. Crime practically disappeared in Melamina City. Giant attacks throughout the country stopped completely.
“Even as Romanbak got more and more famous, he always stayed friends with my father. He even introduced him to my mother, who was a young widow with a son of her own at the time. Also, Romanbak continued to work with Marduk and Levaricent, helping them with their research and experiments for years to come.
“Levaricent and Marduk branched out from the Royal College, establishing a private laboratory right here, where you and I are sitting at this very moment. Marduk and his wife, Niffain's mother, lived in the house where he and Aseria are sleeping now. Levaricent lived alone in the other house.
“When Niffain's mother died giving birth to him, his father distracted himself from his grief with his experiments. Sometimes he would completely ignore his son for days at a time. Romanbak tried his best to help raise Niffain, and he did a pretty good job, but he was charged with the protection of the kingdom, and couldn't always be there. Since I was only a year younger than Niffain, my parents would come here often to let us play together. My father tried to help Marduk regain sight of the family he still had, but to little avail.
“When Niffain and I spent time together, it was easier for him to forget about his problems with his father. We had fun together, often pretending to be Romanbak on one of his adventures. Occasionally Romanbak would even show up to tell us all about his exploits. He would show off by throwing each of us hundreds of feet into the air and then flying up to catch us before we started to fall. Let me tell you, that was something else. Romanbak was as much a father to Niffain as his own father was.
“One day, Romanbak brought this cone of nelodomite to the lab for one of Marduk and Levaricent's experiments. I have no idea where he found so much. I wasn't there for the incident, but Niffain was in the lab with his father when Romanbak arrived, and even though he was only a child of nine years old, he remembers that day quite vividly. He once described it to me, and I will do my best to try to remember all the details.
“When Romanbak arrived, Marduk was extremely excited. He thanked him for the delivery and prepared to use the nelodomite for his experiment. Levaricent, however, had other ideas. He wanted the nelodomite for his own purposes.”
Dalius paused, remembering a detail that Karen would not be familiar with, and realized that it would be important to include it.
“Now,” he said, “as you probably don't know, one of the most notable features of nelodomite is its ability to attract and absorb magical forces. It is sometimes used in the most expensive armors, but it is especially rare, so it is not used often.
“After Romanbak delivered the supply he had just acquired to the lab, Marduk and Levaricent started to argue over who should get to use it for their experiment. As the argument got heated, Romanbak decided to step between them and try to peacefully break it up.
“When Levaricent felt that the argument was not going his way, he responded with a magical attack. Niffain described a fire-like substance emerging from his hands and striking the nelodomite that Romanbak was carrying. The magic fire beam was then redirected at Marduk. The next thing Niffain remembers is that Romanbak was gone, and his father lay dead on the floor. Levaricent gave him the dirtiest look, and then left Niffain alone with his dead father.
“Two days later my family and I came to visit, and we found Niffain curled up in a ball in the corner of the lab, a few feet from his father's body. Right away we took him in, and my parents raised him as their own. It was the least they could do.
“So, in a way, Niffain lost both his fathers at the same time, on this very spot. I've always felt it was up to me to protect him from such a tragic memory, and I've always been able to do so, until now."
Karen breathed in the implications of the story. “I'm sorry,” she whispered. “I didn't know.”
“It's all right,” Dalius said. “If what you say is true, if Romanbak is alive, if he has sent you here, and if he might be coming back, then maybe I won't need to protect Niffain from this anymore.”
“Well, I hope he does come back," Karen agreed. "But you shouldn't have to protect Niffain from his own memories. He needs to face them, accept them, and live with them.” Karen had taken an elective psychology course at Tigermount, and was applying what she remembered to her recommendation to Dalius.
“Perhaps you're right,” Dalius conceded. “So I thank you for making us come out here. That may be the first step.” He smiled at her, noticing how magnificently her blue eyes were shining in the light from the lantern. “Do you have any questions about what I just told you?”
Karen nodded. “One.” She pointed to the cone at the center of the room she had touched earlier. “Just to be sure, that is what sent Romanbak to my world?” she asked.
Dalius shrugged. “Maybe, based on the twenty-year-old account of a traumatized seven-year-old dwarf.”
Karen knew there was more to it than that. Romanbak had clearly recreated it in her world, and his creation had delivered her into this land.
“Maybe it just needs to absorb some magical power,” she suggested.
“Maybe,” Dalius agreed again. “But almost every magical creature in the kingdom is in hiding, and none of them has power that comes close to Levaricent's."”
“We should still try to find them.”
“That's part of why we're going to the castle.” Dalius stood up from his chair and picked up the lantern. “Come. Let's return to the house. We have another long walk ahead of us tomorrow.”
Chapter Seven
The following day's journey was noticeably shorter than that of the previous day, but it was still early evening by the time the company of travelers arrived at Melamina City. It had rained the previous night, but the weather had remained pleasant for the entire day, and was still quite nice by the time they arrived at the city walls.
Melamina City was a well-fortified enclosure that was home to more than a million inhabitants. The residences within its walls were generally smaller and set closer together than those in Phellanore. The residents, however, seemed lively and happy. The streets were vibrant with merchants lining either side, lights shining above them, and consumers haggling for better deals on merchandise. Such was the scene when Karen and her friends arrived at the front gate that Saturday evening.
While the high walls of the city were guarded rather heavily with armed men walking along the top of the wall looking out for an attempted invasion, either by a neighboring country's army or by a certain known evil elf wizard, small groups of peaceful visitors were more than welcome. Karen, Dalius, Niffain, and Aseria, the latter of whom was hiding in Karen's coat pocket, knowing that the sight of a fairy might cause a stir, made their way through a small aperture at the bottom of the larger gate and into the city.
As dusk was approaching, some of the vendors were beginning to gather their items and preparing to close their businesses for the night. Despite the slowly dwindling number of merchants and shoppers, Karen was in awe at the sheer energy that surrounded her. It seemed vaguely reminiscent of a fantasy-style video game she had once seen her younger brother playing.
Dalius led them swiftly down the road. The castle stood directly in front of them, approximately two miles away. Even from a distance, the palace was quite visibly an embodiment of sheer luxury. It was bigger than any residence Karen had ever seen, including the very extravagant celebrity homes she'd glanced at on television. It was situated on a hilltop at the center of the city. The walls of the architecturally classical palace were painted a myriad of colors, and surrounded by lush, garden-like property the size of a small forest. As the group approached, it became clear that some sort of celebration was being prepared on the grounds. They could hear music and laughter, and see a multitude of lights beyond the outer walls.
“My brother is being named the King's Head Knight,” Dalius explained. “My parents are here for his initiation. I wasn't invited.”
“The queen's still pissed at you for your comment, I suppose?” Karen said.
“I guess so,” Dalius replied.
“Those rich jerks will find any excuse to throw a party,” Niffain complained.
“Niffain!” Aseria shouted from inside Karen's pocket. “You'd better shut your mouth before we get to the castle!”
“It's a legitimate complaint!” he responded. “Tell me why I shouldn't bring it up?”
“If they even let us in, we'll need to tread lightly,” Dalius explained. “The last thing we need is to get kicked out because you don't like their party.”
Karen added, “Tell me you wouldn't do the same thing if you were in their position.”
Niffain closed his eyes in imagination as they walked. “I would put their parties to shame,” he bragged. Then he tripped over a rock and stumbled head first into a pole on the side of the street.
“Are you all right?” Karen asked. Dalius did not look concerned.
Niffain picked himself up, brushed himself off, and looked at Karen. “Of course,” he said. “It takes more than a pole to injure me!” The group continued toward the castle, Niffain having dropped the subject of the reason for the palace festivities.
The main gate to the castle, a firmly closed door made of powerful metal, was defended by two guards, one on either side. One spotted Dalius and the group approaching, and he stepped forward to obstruct them.
“Invitations?” he requested.
Dalius patted himself in a mock search for the papers the guard had requested. “I must have left them at home,” he said. “It's my brother's initiation,” he explained.
The other guard looked up abruptly. “Dalius?”
Dalius turned to the guard and recognized his face instantly. “Baladour?” he replied.
“It is you!” Baladour stepped forward to embrace his friend, which Dalius happily reciprocated. “What are you doing here?”
“Leaving!” the other guard answered for Dalius, then looked directly at him. “Didn't you get kicked out of here a few months ago? I don't imagine you're exactly welcome to an invite-only event, even if it is for your half-brother.” The guard was clearly aware of Dalius's connection to the event.
“Look,” Dalius said, searching his mind frantically for an excuse that would get him past the gate. “My parents are inside. I need to give them a message.”
“Give it to me,” the guard suggested. “I'll pass it on to them.”
