Between Darkness and Light Trilogy (3 page)

William looks positively distressed, “But it
hasn’t been long at all yet!”

Cailliach smiles, “It has been precisely as
long as I say it has been. Time is a dimension, child, and just as
controllable as the others… to those who have mastered the
Path.”

I see a playful glint behind her eyes and
can’t resist asking, “And to she who created it?”

“Effortless.”

Our surroundings sparkle around us a third
time, and we are left standing in yet another room, this time
without our escort. A man sits behind a desk in what looks like an
outer office. He is a large man, yet not so large as the Emperor.
He appears well built, and yet he doesn't sound quite right to me.
Perhaps it is his hair, or lack thereof. I can hear that he should
have a fine head of light blond hair, but he doesn't – he is
clean-shaven. Why would anyone remove something perfectly fine that
the Universe has gifted one with?

He looks up, “Exactly on time, of course.
His Imperial Majesty will be with you momentarily.” His tone sounds
entirely unimpressed, even annoyed – I find myself instinctively
disliking him. I reach out to take Williams’ arm and speak to his
mind; one of the many skills we have always shared, but was beyond
our people.

‘Little brother, things are going so fast…
how are you faring – I’ll admit I’m… a bit overwhelmed.’

‘Agreed! But it’s exciting too, isn’t
it?’

‘I suppose, in much the same way that
falling off a high cliff with no way of breaking one’s fall is
exciting.’

‘Oh come on, Sis, I’ve never seen you
hesitate in the face of the unknown before. Besides, I’ve got a
really good feeling – there’s something about this place that
feels… well, like I’m supposed to be here.’ Before I can respond
the door before us opens, and William and I walk forward, arm in
arm.

“So…” the Emperor looks us over critically,
“descendants of Nebulaea, I would say. Who are your parents?”

We glance at each other, then I reply, “The
people called Mathair ‘beautiful lady…’”

“And you never knew her name?”

“She was taken from us when I was quite
young, William was little more than a babe.”

“And your father?”

William and I exchange another silent glance
before I answer, “We have never known a father, there was only
Mathair.” He gazes disapprovingly at us.

“Just what we need – unidentified
foundlings. Tell me, how did you come to find yourselves within the
main gates?”

“We found a strange obelisk deep in a great
mountain. It bore an inscription that read, ‘Those of the blood,
prove it.’”

“And so you appeared here?”

“After a second obelisk, yes.”

“Obfuscating your point of origin – how
convenient.”

“Speaking of our origin,” I add, “How do we
get back home?” He looks at me as though I’m a fool.

“You are at the origin of reality – surely
that must be more important to you than your insignificant
homeworld.”

“Our people – they did not expect us to be
gone. If we disappear without explanation, our dragons could be
blamed!”

“Dragons took you to the obelisk?”

“Yes – my Zah-Ha’Gor found it and felt we
should investigate.” He looks me up and down, his eyes pausing on
my fire diamonds, then eyes William, and nods in understanding.

“Oh this just keeps getting better and
better.” Then he raises his voice slightly. “Lucian!” I notice
movement in a chair off to the side – I hadn’t noticed anyone there
before – he’d been here the whole time and I hadn’t even heard him
breathe! He is… well, extremely attractive, but in a dark,
dangerous way. His hair and eyes are identical shades of near
black, his skin far darker than mine, but not nearly so dark as my
people's. He is nearly as tall as the Emperor and his build is
undeniably strong, but not overly bulky. His expression sends
chills down my spine.

“Yes, Father?” His voice is dark and cold,
so very cold, as though something important within him is missing,
or dead.

“Take these two to the Nebulaean quarter and
assign them rooms. Escort them to dinner tonight.” The Emperor
turns away from us as Lucian approaches – I get the distinct
impression that we are dismissed.

~~~

“Follow me.” It is plain to hear that he
isn’t exactly pleased with this duty, we follow him silently. “So
you two are dragon riders… is that common on your world?”

I stifle a choke of surprise while William
answers with laughter behind his voice, “Oh no… Dragons consider
men to be inferior creatures, for the most part. They’ve taken a
fancy to us, however. I suspect they consider us their pets.”
William and I share a smile; he has described our relationships
with Zah-Ha'Gor and Puff quite well.

“Very astute of you, young William. Dragons
are extremely powerful and dangerous magical creatures… consorting
with them is usually considered rather suspect.”

I don’t understand… “Why?”

He just looks at me… piercingly… and says
nothing. He leads us through a long succession of corridors,
finally stopping in front of a large wooden door. “These will be
your rooms, Shi'ahn. I would appreciate it if you would stay in
them until I come to escort you to dinner. You may wish to appear
somewhat more formal then, feel free to choose something more
appropriate from the provided wardrobe.”

~~~

He closes the door behind me as soon as I
step in, though at first I hardly notice; I’m absorbed in exploring
my new accommodations. I have been given a very nice suite; beyond
the entrance is a sitting room/study containing a wide variety of
items, ranging from books to a large, oddly designed wooden desk.
Further within is a larger sitting room. A door off that room leads
to a nice bedroom with attached bath. A corner of that room looks
as though it may be a shower, judging from the complete lack of
anything other than a smooth surface on the floor, walls and
ceiling, but there are no fixtures, no defined enclosure and no
controls. I sense no magic in it, only cold technology. “I wonder
how it works?”

A voice rings out, “State the purpose of
your cleansing.”

“What?”

“Do you seek disinfection, beauty treatment,
relaxation, massage? State your need.”

“Ah, none at this time, thank you.” How
strange. I leave quickly to continue my tour. Another door off the
bedroom leads to a large closet. As I pass through the doorway I'm
scanned, then there is a flash of sparkling light and while I'm
unsure of the method, I suspect that all the clothing will fit me
perfectly. I look more closely and see a plethora of clothing
options, almost all of which are rather lower cut than I usually
wear, and decidedly more pretentious. The materials are beautiful,
though…

It would take the addition of only a kitchen
to make this place a complete apartment. As it is there are
absolutely no means of storing food, I must be expected to go
elsewhere to eat. I return to the study and gaze at the books;
where to start? The titles are daunting, “
The
Nature of a Bi-Polar Universe
.” “
Order,
Chaos, and You
.” “
When Rules Quit
Working
.” “
Striking the Cosmic
Balance
.” To name but a few! I obviously have a great deal
to learn. I lift down one with a title that sounds as though it may
have been written just for me, “
Elementary
Physics For Those Who Have Lived Sheltered Lives
.”
Intrigued, I begin to read.

~~~

Primitive civilizations often see their
worlds as being merely three-dimensional.

~~~

I snap the book shut and give it a stern
look of disapproval – such rudeness is entirely uncalled for! I
move to replace it on the shelf, but… I have a nagging suspicion it
may contain information that I need to understand.

~~~

The three dimensions of space are all that
are needed to understand the physical world around them. Some come
to recognize time as a dimension, the final indicator of exactly
where one is in relation to not only their world, but also its
past. Gravity and electromagnetism are often considered forces,
alongside weak and strong forces. It isn't until a society begins
to understand just how complex and varied the universe is that they
realize they need more unified theories on how everything works -
that they either need new terminologies, or they should re-define
existing terms. Here in Lumina a dimension is a specification of
mass, location, forces or powers that are the most important to
existence in the universe. (Force explanations given in
disgracefully simplistic terms)

1. Physical space

2. Time

3. Strong Nuclear Forces (Hold things
together)

4. Electromagnetism (EM waves, radio, light,
etc.)

5. Weak Nuclear Forces (Decay)

6. Gravity (Keeps things from floating
aimlessly about)

7. Physical Energy, all forms.

8. Mental Energy

9. Mystical Energy / Bridging all other
dimensions, non-technologically.

~~~

Wow, those really are simplistic, what do
they think I am, a child? Sigh, I read on…

~~~

The first seven dimensions are purely of the
physical world, the last is metaphysical, and the eighth, mental
energy, can be of both. Most of Lumina find it far easier to
control the physical dimensions; generally only those of the
Nebulaean line find mastery of the metaphysical to be a natural
progression of their skills.

There are those who consider Chaos to be a
tenth dimension, allowing within it infinite sub-dimensions to
'work out' the difficulties inherent in certain theories, yet here
in Lumina most feel that Chaos is not a dimension, but merely a
state. There are also those who strongly feel that Sesh is a
dimension, but in truth, much like our Spire, it is merely a means
of gaining control over one's reality, or lack thereof.

~~~

I've just recently learned of the Spire, but
what in the Shir is Sesh? I feel my mind begin to drift into a
haze; I let the book slip from my fingers and fall to the floor.
How could I have not suspected that there was so much beyond
Shiral? There we were, surrounded by people that, beloved though
they were, were not… like us. They could not establish mental
contact with a simple touch, as William and I do. They could not
see the extent of the beauty of the Shir due to their inability to
see into the infrared and ultraviolet spectrums. They did not
intuitively understand the languages of magical creatures. They
were not able to mimic the effects of mystical disciplines other
than their own. By mass, they were weaker than William and I, and
tired far more easily. Their skin was affected by exposure to the
elements, while ours was not. We were stronger, faster, and healed
far more quickly than they did. So many factors pointed to what I
now know, that we were from somewhere else, but I never even
suspected.

Still contemplating the depth of my lack of
understanding, I hear a knock at the entry door, “Shi'ahn, may I
come in? Shi'ahn? Are you still in there, Sis?”

“Yes, of course, William. Come in.”

“Gee Sis, why did it take you so long to
answer?”

“I… I guess I didn’t hear you. Say, aren't
you supposed to stay in your rooms?”

“Lucian said that if I were to venture out,
your rooms were to be my only destination. So what were you doing,
reading your entire library?”

“Ah, no, I was just… thinking.”

“I hear that. Isn’t this place fascinating?
I always knew there had to be more to existence than what we had on
Shiral. Now I finally understand. Man, it feels good to know I’m
not crazy!”

“Yes, I suppose you would have felt that
way. Oh William, how could I have been so deaf to the anomalies
that surrounded us? The only thing I felt was missing from our
lives was Mathair. I never even stopped to wonder where she was
taken. I just accepted that it was… away. I feel so…”

William, oddly, smiles. “Blindsided? It’s a
first for you, I’d wager. You’ve always had a knack for
anticipating just about everything – it used to drive me nuts.” He
smiles almost sheepishly. “Of course, I didn’t tell you that, but
it really did get to me. It made me feel inept. But now… now I
think things will be different. I’ve been glancing through some of
the books in my own library, and so many things make sense to me
now. What have you learned?”

Learned? Oh… from the books. “I only managed
to read the introduction to one.”

“Wow, you really are in bad shape. Here.” He
reaches out to take my hand, and my mind floods with the contents
of the books he has read – he did far more than glance through them
– I hadn’t realized just how fast a reader he had become! I also
pick up on his understanding of all he has read – and it all fits
in quite well with both what he seemed to think was lacking in
life, and the implications of the introduction I had read. He was
also provided far more technical explanations of the forces; these
people are far, far more advanced than our Technologists. My little
brother who couldn’t catch on to simple sorcery was right in
believing there had to be more to the Universe, a greater,
technological reality.

“I really have to hand it to you, William,
all this time… you were right; something very important was
missing.” My heart floods with joy for him, crowding out some of
the feelings of inadequacy that had paralyzed my mind. I pause and
think back on what he showed me – this place is so different from
home! They even mark time differently here. Our time segments are
based on life and the land, while theirs are cold, meaningless
increments. Here they would call me 37 years old, and William 34,
but their 'years' seem to have no basis. They have no sun to
revolve around, and no moons. No growing cycles. I don't
understand, yet I feel certain I should start using some of their
terms as soon as I gain a proper understanding of them. “Well,
there is obviously a great deal for us to learn here, as quickly as
possible!”