Blood Moon, page 5
part #1 of The Wizard's Journal Series
I exited the elevator and walked over to the front desk where a man was now working.
“Can I help you sir?”
“I hope so. There was a stranger was in my room.”
The clerk frowned. “A man was in your room sir?”
“Yes. He called himself Kyiel, but it was that Jules guy from the magic act in your show earlier this evening. His stage name was Jules the Elementalist.”
The man raised his eyebrows. “A magic act?. I’m afraid you must be mistaken sir. We have not had any magic acts here at the Sierra for sometime now, at least a year or two.”
“No, I’m afraid you’re the one who is mistaken. I saw his act from the front row during intermission. He was introduced as Jules the Elementalist and did floating sheets with unicorns and stuff.”
Just then I realized how crazy I sounded. The clerk cleared his throat and blinked several times.
“You say this person was in your room and calls himself Kyiel?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying. He was in my room a few minutes ago.”
“In room 1301? Uninvited?”
“Yes and yes,” I answered, irritated with the line of questioning.
The clerk looked at me like I was at a DUI stop with empty beer cans rolling around the backseat of my car.
“Please wait a moment sir while I check,” he said, then keyed something into his computer. “I’m sorry sir, we have no guests or anyone registered at the hotel named Kyiel or Jules. Perhaps you are mistaken.”
I gritted my teeth. “I am not mistaken and I am not crazy. A guy broke into my room. It was the same guy doing all that hocus pocus crap in your show tonight.”
The clerk frowned again. “Should I call for hotel security sir?”
“No, that won’t be necessary.”
The last thing I needed now was for more people thinking I was a crackpot. It would be better to let the clerk believe I had too much to drink.
“Do you have any other rooms available?”
“No sir, we are fully booked.”
I shook my head and went back to my room. If I wasn’t hallucinating and don’t have brain damage, that means I have a ghost or freaky magician stalking me.
I was a bit jittery and dropped the electronic card key trying to open my room door. Once inside, I again looked in the closet, bathroom, and of course under the bed. No spooky guy was found. I double locked the hotel door and peeked outside the peep hole to the hallway. No one was there.
Get a grip. There are no such things as ghosts. Maybe a freaky magician stalker, but not a ghost.
This time I kept a light on and held the artifact in my hand. I figured the solid artifact would knock Kyiel’s teeth out should he return. Using an artifact as a weapon was, of course, a last resort. I’d hate to break something this old, especially if swinging at hallucinations and hit a wall.
My eyes remained wide open for about an hour, but I finally did fall asleep and began dreaming. At first my dream was disjointed as usual. You know, one moment walking down a street, the next sitting on a mountain top watching eagles fly by. It wasn’t long before my dream got strange when everything went black. I could hear myself breathing, but saw nothing.
A light began to emerge with clouds passing all around me. It became brighter, like mid-day, and I realized I was flying through clouds at an increasing speed. All I could see were clouds, then I heard a loud crack of what sounded like thunder followed by blinding light. I found myself standing in … well … nowhere. There were no doors, windows, clouds, or anything that looked real, just white all around me. I could move around, and I saw my hands and feet, but there was no place to move to. Everything was the same white nothing.
I heard something from behind, and when I turned around, there was Kyiel wearing the same emotionless expression and dressed in a white suit.
“You again. First you break into my room and now you’re in my dreams. How about cutting me a little slack here pal and let me go back to flying in clouds and sitting on mountain tops.”
“Azul, I am binded to you and am your guide. I will assist you during recognition.”
“Really? You’re my guide? Let’s start with telling me why you call me Azul.”
“That is your name.”
“Okay, I'll play along. I’m all ears pal. Fill me in on why you think you need to guide me anywhere, and then get the heck out of my dream.”
Kyiel told me his body perished after a battle on a planet called Zeshtune and that his conscious mind has since been compelled to assist me until the end of days. As he spoke, the whiteness around us began to take form and dark clouds with lightening filled the sky above with mountain ranges below.
We drifted to a large plateau where two men were finishing their ascent up a mountain path. One of the men was Kyiel, who looked very much the same as he did now, except for being dressed in a white robe draped with a blue sash. The other man appeared much older with long white hair waving in the wind. He wore the same garment and held a staff in his right hand.
As we got close enough to see details, I noticed both men had blue eyes that glowed with an unnatural brilliance. Kyiel was a few steps behind the older man when he stopped and called out to him.
“Azul … I can go no further. I am sorry, but I can not join you in this battle.”
The other man turned to face Kyiel. “You must not do this Kyiel. You will suffer tremendous consequences if you fail to join in battle. You know this and must not make the wrong choice when our people need us most.”
“It is a choice already made Azul. You have sensed this and know it to be true.”
At that moment a dragon carrying a rider dressed in black and red robes swooped down from the sky toward Azul. The rider lifted a large sword over his head poised to strike, and as the sword swung down, Azul turned and blocked the blow with his staff. An ear piercing crack of thunder sounded and sparks flew into the air when the staff and sword met, knocking Azul off his feet. He pointed his staff at the dragon and shouted, “Aknor stellara.”
Lightening fell from the sky onto the top of Azul’s staff and he shouted, “Aktum,” which redirected the lightening toward the rider and encompassed him and the dragon in bright blue-white light. The dragon roared in pain, drowning out any sound its rider made, and both exploded in a flash creating smoke trails that fell to the ground.
Azul turned back to Kyiel, but he was gone. He shouted out Kyiel’s name while moving closer to the cliff’s edge where they had ascended. There was no response nor any sign of Kyiel as wind whipped furiously in the air and thunder and lightening grew louder in the sky. Azul called out again to Kyiel, but there was still no response nor was his companion anywhere to be seen.
Azul frowned, then he turned to face the battle waging at the center of the plateau. His face stiffened and he charged into hordes of monsters of all sorts. As he ran, Azul rotated his staff in circles above his head while shouting words to difficult to distinguish over the battle cries and roaring wind. Bright blue-white lights flowed out of his staff and cut through the monsters, turning them to flames and ashes. The images then faded and I was back in the white place feeling a little motion sickness.
“You were right about the consequences of my decision,” Kyiel said.
“I was? Are you saying the old guy shooting those bolts of lightening out from his staff was me?”
“That is correct Azul.”
Kyiel explained how he no longer had any concept of free will and was compelled to serve me because of his decision on the Zeshtune battle field.
“I stood with others who watched the battle, choosing neither side, and have remained a construct without physical form even since. I have served you Azul during many recognitions over millenniums and will continue to do so until the end of days.”
“Let me get this straight. You have served me for millenniums, like in one-thousand year millenniums, and you say this recognition thing has happened before?”
“That is correct. The battle on Zeshtune occurred long ago. This in one of thousands of recognitions you have completed in years past. Your last recognition occurred 25,000 years ago.”
I raised my eyebrows in disbelief. “So you’re saying we are thousands of years old?”
“We are among many who have existed over eons of time.”
“Really pal? I’m only 32 years old, so if I’m so old, where have I been all this time?”
“You last lived on this planet for nearly 600 years during your last construct.”
“Construct … what is that?”
“It is the coalescence of universal elements that give you physical form. In between recognitions, you possess no physical form and your conscious mind sleeps in your amulet. The form you have now was constructed 20 years ago. You began aging at 12 years in age, which is why you have no memories of your existence prior to that age.”
I grinned. “Well then, since we have some sort of magical power, perhaps you wouldn’t mind conjuring up a burger and fries? After all, this is some kind of crazy dream, so why not get us some fast food so I can enjoy the ride?”
Apparently, my dream pal Kyiel was not familiar with sarcasm because he didn’t even smile. Kyiel then told me that the process of recognition would take time due to the limited capacity of human like brains, even it was a construct. He also told me I would not be able to master the full knowledge that I once had in my original form.
“You will become more aware of who you are and what your purpose is with each passing day,” he said. “In time, you will reacquire more of your ability to protect yourself, mankind, and Zeshtunians on this plain of existence. The amulet that you carry was made by you on Zeshtune and carries great power. You must keep it with you always to protect you through recognition and thereafter.”
“Wait a minute. Are you saying that there are others like us?
“There are many, but none possess your ability and knowledge. While you are powerful Azul, always remember that your physical form can still be destroyed. Should this happen, the inhabitants of this world will fall to the Darkzon.”
Things went black and I was then surfing in Hawaii. One minute I’m fighting dragons, the next I’m shooting the waves off Maui – go figure. Maybe next time I might fight sea serpents while surfing and drinking a margarita. I was beginning to enjoy this crazy dream, until the phone rang.
“Good morning sir. It is 5:00 AM. As instructed, we will have hotel transportation waiting to take you to the airport in one hour.”
I thanked the clerk for the wakeup call and stared at the ceiling thinking about my crazy dream. Normally, I don’t recall many details of my dreams. The dream I had last night was fresh in my mind. In fact, I could recall every detail and it seemed very real.
Chapter 5
Honestly, if anyone had magical powers, they’d hit all the casinos and drain them dry at the poker tables. Okay, I probably wouldn’t, but it’s a tempting thought and made me smile as I envisioned myself rolling in plies of money. I picked up the amulet from the nightstand and stared at it. If this amulet is authentic and as old as my dream pal Kyiel says, I’ll be a wealthy man if no one claims it. I’ve seen many fakes in my time and this thing looked brand new and real.
After a good stretch, I got out of bed and took my backpack, artifact, and amulet with me to the bathroom. Arms reach, I reminded myself, then hung the amulet on the bathroom door hook and placed the artifact inside my backpack on the floor. I was in my shower for only a couple of minutes when I heard what sounded like my hotel room door closing. I turned off the water to hear better, but it was quiet.
“Hello, is anyone there?”
There was no response. I looked out from behind the shower curtain and saw the amulet glowing on the door hook. I rubbed my eyes, thinking I was seeing things, and when I looked again, the amulet had stopped glowing. I wrapped a towel around my waist and opened the bathroom door and saw my bed mattress overturned, draws pulled out, and other things tossed around.
How could anyone get in with the door latched from inside, and what were they looking for? Enough, I’m getting the heck out of this place.
I got dressed, gathered my things, and exited the room to checkout. About twenty feet down the hallway, I suddenly felt nauseous, so I went back to my room, kneeled on the bathroom floor with my face hugging the toilet ready to … wait … the nausea stopped. I splashed some water on my face and then noticed the amulet’s reflection in the mirror – it was glowing brightly, but dimmed when I turned to look at it. I had accidentally left the amulet behind when I bolted out of the room.
It did glow. I wasn’t seeing things and am not going crazy.
I placed the amulet in my pant pocket and again left the room, hopefully for the last time. I didn’t mention the condition of the room when checking out because of my complaint last night. If they didn’t already think I was crazy last night, they certainly would now if I told them someone broke into my room again while the door was securely locked. Hopefully, I would not get billed for anything since the room was only messy and not damaged.
“Thank you for your stay with us at the Sierra Mr. Willington. Your limo is waiting out front sir,” the clerk said.
I nodded and returned her smile thinking to myself this place would never see me again. I’m not superstitious, but things were a bit too spooky for me at the Sierra.
“What happened in Las Vegas, better very well stay in Las Vegas,” I muttered, then exited the hotel where a long stretch limo was waiting.
Alright, things are looking up.
As I approached the limo, I heard a voice call out from several cabs behind.
“Mr. Willington, over here sir.”
I should have known the sweet ride wasn’t for me – too good to be true.
The driver of the cab was an attractive young lady, shoulder length chestnut colored hair, average height of about 5’ 7”, and wearing black dress pants and navy blue jacket. As I got closer, I saw she had the same brilliant blue eyes as my dream pal Kyiel.
On second thought, the cab is not such a bad idea because the limo driver looked like he overdosed on steroids and belonged to the Russian mob. In any case, having a pretty driver with a great smile would do just fine.
“How are you today sir?” the driver asked.
“I’m okay I guess, thanks.”
I sat down in the back and she closed the door. When I looked out of the window I noticed someone wearing a hooded robe, like one of those monks wear in medieval movies. The robe was a dark grayish color and covered the face, hands, and feet of whoever was wearing it. The monkish character was just standing there staring at the cab and no one seemed to notice. Maybe he’s an entertainer for one of the shows.
“Just a few moments longer sir, the traffic lane is moving along now.”
“Excuse me driver. Is that person standing next to the front entrance actually a monk or part of a show?”
“Who are you referring to sir?
“That guy over there,” I said, pointing to the entrance, and when I turned back to look, the monk was gone. “Never mind, whoever it was, he or she must have went inside the hotel.”
“How long will it take to get to the airport?
“About 30 minutes. Don’t worry sir, I promise you will get to your destination on time.”
I could only see desert in any direction after riding in the cab for 10-minutes and began to think I’d be late for boarding my plane.
“Are you sure this is the way to the airport?”
The driver looked at me from the rear view mirror and then took a sharp turn onto a dusty dirt road causing me to bang my head against the window.
“Hey, what are you doing driver?”
A moment later she stopped the cab suddenly and I lunged forward banging my head again, this time on the on the front seat.
“Damn it driver. If you do that again, you’ll be taking me to the hospital instead of the airport.”
Almost as fast as I said this, I realized how stupid it was making threats to a stranger in the middle of a desert. Okay, don’t say anything more to tick off the crazy cabby. I rubbed my head and the driver turned and looked at me.
“Azul, we knew you returned when you unlocked the Gate of the gods. Kyiel and I have been sent to help you during your recognition.”
“What did you say? Do you mean the same nonsense in my dream with the magic guy? And how do know about the Gate of the gods?”
“It wasn’t a dream Azul. Everything you experienced last night was real.”
“Look lady, the police don’t take kindly to kidnapping. I’m a university professor and have friends who are expecting me.”
“Are you sure professor? I’m afraid that part of your life is over now and there is no one waiting for you. You must not contact anyone you have known prior to this moment.”
“The heck you say,” I said and took my phone out of my pocket to call the university.
The driver turned and faced forward while watching me from the mirror. Seconds later, an automated machine answered my call.
“Good morning, thank you calling the Harvard Cambridge campus. If you know your party’s extension, please enter it now, or stay on the line for someone to assist you.”
I keyed in my office extension and was very happy to hear a familiar voice.
“Hello, this is Jackie Swanson. How may I help you?”
“Thank goodness. Jackie, it’s great to hear your voice.”
“Who’s calling please?
“Jackie, it’s me, Professor Willington,” I said, followed by a long pause. “Jackie, are you there?”
“Is this some sort of cruel joke? What kind of sick creep would do this?”
“Do what?”
“Listen up creep. Professor Willington died this morning on a flight out of Las Vegas and only a sicko would pretend to be him.”
“What? No, Jackie it’s me. I’m still in Vegas and haven’t even got to the airport yet.”
“Don’t call back again creep or I’ll contact the police,” she said and hung up the phone.
