Machine, page 11
part #1 of The Peradran Legacy Series
“I can guess how I learned Peradran.” After his nod I continued, “How is it that you speak my language, there was no sensation except when I was absorbing yours.”
“You felt nothing? Perhaps your arrival left you a bit cold?”
“Yes, I shivered for hours inside that Suit.” Peradran time was measured much like Earth time; years, months, days, hours and minutes. With different phonetics of course and the Peradran year was longer than an Earth year, being farther from their sun.
“That is why; you felt cold which masks the Arcane influence. That is also why you waited so long, your English is quite complex and riddled with slang.” He spoke the word 'slang' in English. “Tell me more of the Void, if I am to free my soul I'll need as much information as I can get.”
“Most likely,” I started, “Your soul was without a host. The dominant influence from the Void seems to be a fusion-like alteration. The more complex an item is, the more unique the transformation. We've proved that. The Void also has no dimension, in reality it occupies no space. It exists and has a presence like that of the Arcane, a presence I can now feel.
“There is another man, on Earth, that experienced the ultimate effect of the Void. He was, mind and body, fused with a Suit much like the one I arrived in. So, the same must be true betwixt your soul and it. Which might explain why it didn't happen to me; your soul was available and possibly more vulnerable. There is no doubt that your soul is thoroughly fused, I have witnessed actions that would be impossible to duplicate otherwise. Our science has recorded virtually all of it.
“Randomly, it would, with the Suit, attempt to damage anything close enough to reach immediately. With fists or legs it would smash at anything. Once we fully examined the damage with our science, we freed it from our control where it would remain still for days. On several occasions it reacted solely due to my presence, we are somehow connected.” I then remembered my second contact with the Void, I explained; “Soon after my first visit to the Void, I had another. In it was your image, performing hand gestures that later were copied by the Suit. A matter of fact I blamed you for the experience. Though it was short, your image played into my dreams regularly. Meeting you in person makes me wonder. Did you find your soul through me or was there another way?”
“I have no previous knowledge of your science. To me, there was another Wizard. I thought that to be you. But I could not reach you fully, my search could only reach my lost soul. The gestures suggest that there is still a connection between the soul and I. That is a crucial factor in my favor.” He put his hands together and touched his lips before he continued. “During your studies, were there any other signs of cognition from the Suit?”
“There were several times when it would examine the chamber. It would pace, then face a random feature, as if it were looking at something; like the electric eyes that we studied it from another room. There were several and it stood before each. Several times it would go through a self awareness trip, exploring its own construction. Never, though, did it attempt to communicate. Apparently it can see, through a small electric eye on its forehead. But it never attempted to produce sound of any kind through other devices available. Nor did the sounds produced by the Suit itself result in any pattern we could understand. The gestures it copied from you were repeated several times but only for short periods. Each time I observed, it drew me into a light trance that led me to remember your presence in the Void. To remember a vague message; 'this is real...return'. I did not wish to return to the Void as I thought the message meant. Now I know it was you trying to make a connection, to return the soul to Peradra.” I stopped for a moment as a thought came to me. “Being here is quite an experience. Your sure I can return to my dimension?”
Morbannon seemed ready for the question but he delayed from answering immediately. He touched his chin with both forefingers and pinched the skin there.
“There is no doubt that you will be able to return safely Eric. There is even a chance you could take the Suit with you. Just be patient and cooperate fully with the Arcane forces at hand. Your willingness to cooperate weighs heavily on our success.”
Behind me Cohiri appeared in the arch. “The candles are lit and the armor is fully contained. The circle will endure for now. There is no resistance when Eric is out of contact.” She glanced at me watching her over her shoulder. She was very attractive, in her mid twenties. Blonde hair, green eyes. Her leather armor accented every curve of her shapely anatomy. A sword hung at her side.
“Cohiri, I must return to the lab. You remember the way to the quarters?” She nodded and Morbannon stood. “If you will excuse me Eric, time is short. We will talk more later. Cohiri will show you around the living section of my Keep. You should be quite comfortable. Eat all you wish, Peradran food should be safe for you to eat.” He walked past my chair and left the room, through the opposite arch, into darkness.
Cohiri, who remained in the arch, smiled then said, “Join me, I haven't eaten since your arrival.” She smirked then added, “You must be hungry?”
“I think a Peradran meal would do me a lot more than good.” I stood and approached the arch. Cohiri turned and led me through the center arch. It led to a curved alcove with beads hanging in an average sized doorway. She parted the beads and continued through a simple room and another door. We passed through several seemingly useless rooms. Until we came to a lavishly decorated foyer. A massive staircase led to a second floor. The ceiling was vaulted and resembled a gothic castle in style. The many arches met in a complex design centered by a circular stained glass window high above. Ample light filtered through, lighting various portraits displayed around the foyer. The paintings depicted maidens and warriors alike. One stood out, different from the rest, it was one of Morbannon in full armor painted red. He held a sword in each hand, crossing them before him. There was a presence of the Arcane. I had become sensitive to its influence. Then Cohiri spoke.
“You notice it too? That portrait was painted by a great artesian who was also a great Wizard. It is highly treasured by him.” She meant Morbannon, the power of that portrait represented not only his status but something more. He was more than a Wizard, more than a warrior. He was both and that was uncommon.
“The term your looking for is Steel Wizard; the name means he has a destiny with power; Immortality”
She watched my expression of fear and respect.
“I share such a destiny. In another circumstance he would destroy me. Instead he has chosen to help me in exchange for the use of my charm.” Her right hand found the opposite wrist, there she held it, like something was missing.
She began to explain where the numerous doors and arches led from the foyer. One exit led outside, a huge double door with brass hardware. Another led to a library. Idly I wondered if I could read Peradran script.
Lastly was the kitchen, we both headed for the appropriate door. The room was large with a strange looking oven. The Arcane presence was everywhere. I could only guess what Peradran magic was capable of. Cohiri opened a cupboard and began to remove various food stuffs; bread from one, meat from another. “How about a sandwich? You like chilled wine or tepid? He also has milk and water as well as fruit-essence. I'm going to have the fruit-essence; I'll chill some. Its best chilled; a trick he taught me.” She continued to put out glasses and utensils, even what turned out to be a lot like mustard.
As she put a couple of sandwiches together I said the first thing that came to mind. “How long have you been a Steel Wizard?” I asked because apparently Morbannon was more experienced.
“Not long enough to acquire a Keep such as this, that is for sure. Actually I have a teacher waiting for my return. He will guide me in the Arcane ways.” Then to answer she said, “About six weeks.” The sandwiches were ready. “I'm going to eat in here, the dining room is too formal.” We stood at the counter. I tried the fruit-essence; it was not alcoholic, more like just fruitjuice. It was quite cold. My sandwich was piled high with various Peradran vegetables and slathered with the 'mustard'. I opened wide and bit into the bread, it was sweet and soft. The meat was juicy and fresh and tasted like unnaturally tender venison. I finished and made another, smaller sandwich. When it was ready Cohiri had finished eating. She sipped the fruit-essence like it would be her last. She noticed my attention. “I never had such beverages at home, we drank alot of bitter wine that my father just loved. Fruit-essence was just too quick to go bad, the same as milk. Only the rich could afford such delicacies.” She put down the glass and asked, “What do you think of our food? Is like yours?”
“On Earth fruit-essence is common, we have mastered the ability to keep such foods cold. It is quite mundane. We call it juice. The meat is delicious, such meat is rare. The vegetables taste different but altogether they're tasty. This is quite an experience; I'm eating food from another dimension. Its different, yet similar. Our two worlds are amazingly alike. What do you know of dimensional travel?” She looked at me and smiled. I thought of Lena.
“Nothing, except that there are many, not so alike. Some have demons that crave evil and strive to escape to a dimension like mine; with magic. In others there exist beings that are like gods. I used to think that is where magic came from, the gods. But Morbannon said that is not true, that is why we have little religion. Peradra stands divided between using the Arcane and shunning it. There were many battles in times long ago. Law and order prevailed and people are now free to choose their way of life by living in a city where they belong. There is still tension because magic continues to spread and there are many who believe it is the root of all evil. Like my hometown Koroot, there even the Lalgoré citizens support the mundane way of life. An Lalgoré city has formed in the forest near Koroot. If not for the Lord's mate Ciltia, a Lalgorè herself, unease would prevail. She has proven to the Koroot people that Lalgoræ can be trusted, they were welcomed on the condition they obey the laws against openly using magic. Personally I distrust Ciltia, I've had visions of her coveting her magic. But you don't need to know these things, you'll never leave this Keep if things go well.” Suddenly I wished my visit could have been under different circumstances. It would be incredible to travel Peradra and visit the different regions.
“Do you know how much of your world is land and how much is water?” Even though I was tired, my questions bade me on.
“We know the world is round. Peradra, including fresh water lakes covers fifty percent of the planet. There are islands on the far side but they are all merely gigantic rocks and volcanoes. Seafarers use them to anchor to when hunting the oceans for profit. They provide safety from the great storms. There is a globe in the library, want to look?”
I answered immediately, “Yes, that would be perfect.” At that we left the kitchen, leaving everything laying where it was. Cohiri brought her freshly filled glass of fruit-essence, so did I.
The library was two levels high with a walkway halfway between the floor and ceiling, twenty feet above. Every wall was lined with shelves. Shelves stood in rows on the open floor. All were filled with books of every size and color. The globe was near the floor shelves on a massive brass stand, its diameter was nearly three feet. It was fully colored and fashioned in relief, showing the various mountain ranges, rivers and lowlands. The dominant mountains were near the center of Peradra. “This must be the Great Ridge.” It spanned the entire continent on a slight angle going down from West to East. Starting just short of the North Pole and ending in a massive peninsula that pierced the south pole. The globe was not on such an axis like Earth but more straight up and down. “Does the weather change much throughout the year?” I was curious as to whether or not the globe was correct.
“There are seasons that mark our worlds elliptical orbit around our Sun. Morbannon's Keep is here.” She pointed to a place on the west side of the range about thirty-five degrees north of the the Peradra equator. “Here is Koroot.” Again she pointed but far to the east, where the land was near sea level. According to the globe Koroot was in a plains near the center of many great forested regions. The eastern lands seemed overall more fertile, the west being dominated by deserts except to the north where small mountain ranges divide the desertland with several different green valleys.
For a world without sciences like those on Earth, their knowledge was quite detailed. “Do you know if there are other worlds orbiting your sun?” I decided to learn all I could, no matter how brief my stay would be.
“There are but there is no life on any of them.”
“How many?” She was listening to what I was asking but she seemed focused on the books on a certain shelf.
“Five including Peradra. I'm not really sure though. I spent my life learning how to fashion leather, I helped make this armor.” She pointed to herself then spread her arms out to show it off. It was finely crafted, tied together with leather laces. The heavier padding was fastened with thick studs. The whole suit seemed to fit a bit tight but it looked real good on her – barbaric.
“Seers use special magic to fashion devices that allow them to view the space around Peradra. Most of them live in An'gor, which is here.” She indicated a southern delta that must have covered hundreds of square kilometres, the city was at the top.
There were no markings on the great globe, it was strictly geographical. “Do you know where there may be a map of Peradra. With the cities labeled and the landmarks named?” I still didn't know if I could read Peradran. I turned my attention to the countless books. Cohiri was still focused on the same shelf of books. “What are those about?” I followed her gaze to the shelves and nodded.
“Those are Lalgoré translations of ancient history, before Humans began to make their own records. They contain the history of Arcane evolution. They go back to the Eschelea, the ancestors of the Lalgoræ. I saw one for the first time when I arrived in Morbannon's Keep. They use their minds to communicate in silence. One spoke to me and it was the strangest feeling, not like magic at all.”
“What did it say?”
“It said, 'good luck'. That's all, just 'good luck'.” There was a look of concern on her face. I decided to try and read the closest book. I tried and failed. I tried a few others, apparently I was illiterate to Peradran script.
“I can't read these book titles. Are they Peradran?”
“Yes, but they are in the ancient language. Try the ones over there.” She indicated the far wall, near the stairs leading to the walkway.
When I left her side, Cohiri moved toward the ancient Lalgoran books she had been focusing on.
The titles Cohiri suggested remained illegible. My gift was limited to speech alone, reading was not included. Nevertheless I picked up a volume and opened it. I flipped through the pages, the paper was thick and the script was hand written. There were no illustrations. I replaced the tome and wandered the shelves, picking at random different books to scan through. Most of the books were hand written, some were printed. The printed books were generally smaller than the hand written ones and had illustrations.
One of the illustrated books was about artillery. The various images illustrated giant ballista to huge cannons, even battering rams. The use of gunpowder was still dwarfed by the Arcane. Some of the illustrations depicted individuals singularly opposing the heavy artillery with special magic's. Without the inclusion of the Arcane, such a book would be incomplete by Peradran standards. I admired the craftsmanship, the entire book was a work of art. Down to the crease in the binding that allowed the pages to rest flat when open.
The value of that book alone must have been great. The entire library would be priceless. For Morbannon to acquire such treasures so early in life; I judged him to be in his lower forties, meant that his destiny as a Steel Wizard was a benevolent one. His fortune easily equaled that of any King, on Peradra or on Earth.
But to him it all meant nothing without a soul. He had told me that he wandered and searched for ten years before his recent attainments. The Amulet which could find the soul in any dimension and with, bring it back. The Suit was the receptacle of his lost soul and me once, who had traveled through the Void with and witnessed its reaction to confinement. It was all more than Morbannon expected.
I wondered if Morbannon realized how pure the rage in his soul was. Without that rage he became a different man. Soon he would have that rage again. Combined with his magic, the result could become a fearsome reality. Re-released into Peradra he would do anything to achieve immortality, his ultimate destiny.
I wondered why the absence of his soul in the Void did not alter the time continuum of Peradra. Perhaps it was due to the Arcane nature of its entrance to the Void or because Morbannon himself did not join his soul in isolation. Perhaps both reasons applied. In both cases magic was involved. Their Arcane sciences were aware of the Void well longer than PPT. Zeraad always existed in Arcane terms. It was just another dimension to which a door could be opened, among many. Even in a world of magic the Void was empty, limitless and immeasurable, not there. A cruel choice for banishing one's soul, its very presence in the Void was nothing short of uncertain. Though Peradrans didn't know of the effect of the Void, it was then known firsthandedly by Morbannon when I told him in the Trophy Room. Such a fusion like the one of the Suit and his soul was not unknown to him. Only the nature of its occurrence was in the Void, something he knew little of.
I approached Cohiri, who had chosen a great volume to inspect. The pages were filled with diagrams, symbols and explanatory script. She was oblivious to my presence at her back, so immersed in the tome was she. The pages were parchment, thick and well oiled. She uttered exotic words under her breath as she scanned the precious scriptures. Her Arcane presence was vivid, almost emotional.
The lighting in the room seemed to change as she repeated the words again and again. Power was being focused upon the air around us. Unaware of the dimming lamplight she continued. Soon it became hard to breathe, yet she continued her chant. I began to feel lightheaded and reached for her shoulder for balance and faltered before contact. I fell on my butt, my vision whirled before me. The twisted image of Cohiri's back swam to the distant sound of her chant, the room was nearly dark or I was blacking out.
