• Chapter I - The Call



    For those of you who have not had the pleasure of visiting Portland, the climate is rain, rain and maybe some more rain, and today was no different. I was walking to school, all of four blocks, when it really started to pour, and by the time I got to my first period health class, I was soaked.

    I should probably tell you that I have one of the most boring health teachers in the existence of health class, so it should come as no surprise that I was zoning out in the back when I heard a small voice call “help.”

    At first I thought that one of my classmates had asked me to help them on the assignment, but when I looked around Mr. Scott was still droning on, about nothing to do with Health. I started to zone out when I heard it again, only louder and clearer.

    “Help!”

    Now I could tell why no one else seemed to be reacting. This had to be a call from a denizen of another world, calling out in the language of the Magi, a language not spoken on Earth for at least 1000 years. Apparently a Gatekeeper was needed, and I was the first one they could reach.

    I needed to get to the closest Gate, and fast. Unfortunately I couldn’t do this until the end of school. The first rule of The Gatekeepers is no one can see you leave. In other words: Working Hours 3pm to whenever my parents get home.

    My friend Aubrey, another mage, a druid to be exact, could tell something was wrong, but I couldn't say anything yet.

    I got home at around 3:15, almost seven hours after I got the call for help. I quickly ran up to my room and grabbed a small sliver of diamond, an item that would allow me to open the Gate I had in mind. I have got to be one of the luckiest Gatekeepers alive, because the closest gate to my base, my room, is about 20 feet straight down, in my basement, right next to the washing machine.

    I guess that explains where all the socks disappear to.

    I descended the back stairway into my basement and placed the diamond on the floor. I watched as it began to glow and the room was bathed in pale blue. A small, perfect, circle appeared in front of me. The circle itself was black, but it was bordered by the same pale blue glow as emanated form the diamond. The circle grew until it was large enough for me to step through.

    I walked up to it and, concentrating on the feel of the mind that called me, stepped through--only to be blocked by an invisible force. Great, he had blocked me. I was going to have to try a different approach. Instead of attempting to reach my destination in one jump I instead cleared my mind and willed the portal to take me where it would.

    I appeared in the Atrium, a world halfway between worlds. This was a realm of darkness and half truths, but it was the safest place to be. Here no harm could come to you, for only the spirit existed. Again I called to the mind who had contacted me, calling out Shaenun. I am a friend.

    I waited for a few minutes, or it could have been a few hours; time doesn’t exist in the Atrium. Soon a new mind entered the Atrium. I recognized this mind as the man who called to me, though he took no form. Each mind has its own feel, and mages learn to tell people apart by the things that none can change, their mind and soul.

    “Who are you? You’re one of them, aren’t you?” The man was trying to sound brave, but I could tell he was scared, as scared as anyone can ever be. “Leave us! We already gave you everything we can.”

    I set his mind to ease. “Fear not, I am a Guardian, and a friend.”



    I could feel his fear melt away, and he took the form of a strongly built man of about six feet. He had brown hair that he wore short. I could see that he was a warrior by trade, for he had many battle scars. He was clothed in a loose fitting wool tunic and leggings. I assumed that this was what he really looked like, for it is very hard to lie in the Atrium, although it is easy to avoid telling the full truth.

    I also took a form, appearing as I do in real life, as is the custom of the Guardians, but clothed in a silk robe, with a long sword at my side and a bow and quiver on my back. The look given made me feel as though I'd made a mistake.

    “Guardian you may be,” he said, “but friend is yet to be determined. And I don’t remember calling a diplomat. I called a warrior, and you don’t look like you could kill a rat.” He spat out at my feet with the last sentence.

    Now I was getting pissed. Not only had this man not let me through the first time, he had insulted my skills with the sword and spell. I’m normally an easygoing guy, but no one calls a Guardian weak and gets away with it. If we were in a real world, I would have his head. As it was I couldn’t do anything to him, but I could reveal the true extent of my powers to him through a spell.

    I dropped my voice into the deep, powerful, baritone register so popular in Hollywood movies—it seems to be the only thing they got right about us. I cleared my mind and began to chant a spell known as The Soccer’s Sigil, a spell that calls forth a magical sign unique to each caster.

    “Krendoth shaltoh necal ethun shemanok nencire sheltoh menun…”

    As I chanted the darkness that is the Atrium receded and a grand hall came into existence around us. On the floor around me, and in the air near me, there sprung into being symbols crafted form the purest of lights. With each word came another symbol, spelling out the words of the spell in the most ancient of languages, a tongue so old it has no name.

    “…krendu quedan meltoth yenthso…”

    As I neared the end the floor around me began to glow. I had but to speak the last word to him and he would see all the power that I command.

    As I spoke my name it was as if all the choirs in all the realms joined in with me and in unison we spoke the three syllables that unleashed the power stored in the spell.

    “AMARIL”

    As I finished two great columns of light rose up form the floor. To my left was a pillar made of the deepest purple, and to my right a ray of the clearest white. They approached each other and, at the moment that they were perfectly overlapped, they disappeared, leaving behind my personal sigil in the form of the purest diamond, with vanes of the purest amethyst at its core.

    The man said nothing, but turned his back sharply and walked away, leaving an open door in his place.

    CH II - The Wings

    I stepped through the door, closing my eyes against the sun, and felt my body follow my spirit into the new realm. This is quite an interesting feeling, as your soul feels both joy and despair at the same time. The joy stems form the reunion with the flesh, and the despair from the loss of the ability to go anywhere and do anything. In the first second I felt the soft grass between my toes and the warm sun upon my skin. I smelled the purest air, purer than anything on Earth. It was as if this was the first breath on the cleanest mountain on the first day of spring. I could hear every note in the songbird’s serenade of joy. I could taste magic upon the air, but it tasted bitter, and left a foul taste in my mouth, like the taste of morning breath. When I opened my eyes I saw the greenest grass and the tallest trees I had ever laid eyes upon.

    I opened my mind, hoping to revel in the joy and harmony of the natural world, but found only fear and discord. I cast my mind further and found the traces of that which can strike fear into even the bravest man. A Shelthon had passed this way, a creature of pure evil, with a soul as black as the power it wields. A Demon had been to this world.

    I was pulled back into myself by the sound of a snapping twig. I crouched low, concealed by the underbrush, and muttered “Eurnem,” bow, under my breath. If the being that had snapped that twig was intent on harming me they would have a surprise waiting for them.

    I saw a pair of wool leggings enter the clearing and a voice called “Guardian, I know you are here. I come in peace, show thyself and let us be friends.”

    I recognized the voice of the warrior who had confronted me in the Atrium. I stepped out into the clearing, releasing the bow I had conjured back into the tree it had come from. “Greetings, peace and goodwill.” I called with both my voice and mind. “What are you called, he who guards his land and kin?”

    “I am Gregory,” he replied, “Shaman of the people of the Kelnak, the planes of Kenthor. Greetings Amaril, Guardian of the Far Realm and Keeper of forces both Blessed and Fell.”

    I was a bit surprised by his knowledge of me and my power, but had no time to ask more. There was a Demon somewhere, and I was quite sure he couldn’t handle it alone.

    “Gregory, as much as I would like to stay here exchanging pleasantries, you called for a Guardian, and one of the Shelthon is here. Tell me, how did it come and where is your Guardian?”

    “Alas, that tale is too long to tell now, for my village is many hours away. Come, I will take you to my people where you shall be welcomed into my house. Tonight you shall feast at my table and sleep near my fire. Tomorrow shall begin the hunt.”

    He turned and beckoned for me to follow. It was three hours before we began to see his village on the horizon. As we walked he told me that his village was called Kuren, and that he was the chief. He explained that his race, the Kelnak, were the only ones who could live there. Because of this they were the defenders of all the lands behind them. As we approached I saw that it was surrounded on all sides by a deep, wide canyon, but I didn’t see a bridge. This troubled me, I didn’t want to climb down a canyon just to get to a village. When I mentioned this, he just laughed.

    “We don’t need a bridge, we can get across just fine without one.”

    I was puzzled for a moment, but then Gregory removed his tunic and I saw two great wings sprouting from his shoulders. With one giant flap he launched himself over the edge. He plummeted towards the bottom with his wings held tight against his body, just as I expected him to crash, he flared his wings and flew back above the canyon and landed on the other side.

    Now, I’m ashamed to admit it, but I can’t fly. I never learned how to , the spell was too complex. Instead of flying I constructed a stone bridge over the canyon, allowing it co collapse behind me. When I was over the canyon, Gregory asked me why I hadn’t flown across the canyon. I told him that I was too tired, and the tone in my voice told him to leave it at that.

    He led me through the village, where many people stopped and stared at my dress. I felt a little self conscious, I was probably dressed in cloths that would have cost them their entire life’s savings. I’m pretty sure at least five were planning ways to kill or rob me, and the only thing stopping them was the fact that the chief was with me. We arrived at his hut, which was better kept than the others. When we entered I was greeted by a beautiful woman and two young girls who ran into Gregory’s waiting arms shouting “Daddy!”

    Gregory straightened up, holding one girl in each arm.

    “Allow me to introduce my wife, Aurora, and my two daughters, Alexis and Rose. Aurora, allow me to introduce Amaril.”

    The look of shock on Aurora’s face didn’t look like a good omen, and my intuition was dead on.