The Mage of Orlon: The beginning (14 page)

“
Nathan is it?
”

“
Yes.
”

“
Kira is indeed an ocean nymph, she was once the first in command of a siren brigade.
The siren brigade is the elite militant group that protects their underwater empire.
The problem is that Kira fell in love with me when I was traveling abroad to procure some hard to find objects for a client of mine.
My vessel wandered into the sirens
’
territory and they sank it.
The water rushed up to meet the crew and the few passengers on board.
I still remember the icy grip the water had on me.
Fourteen of us where on the boat, only I survived.
The crew knew how to swim, but the sirens made sure to pull them under and hold them until the ocean filled their lungs.
One by one the passengers were drug down to their demise, until I was the only one left.
Suddenly hands grabbed my ankle and I was pulled under into that icy abyss!
I knew I would die in that watery grave never to feel the sun on my face again, and then it happened.
The siren that had my ankles was hit with a harpoon!
It didn
’
t kill her, but the shock on her face showed she could not believe what was happening!
That is when I saw Kira swimming towards the siren that had the harpoon in her.
Kira pulled the harpoon out with a mighty yank, causing the wound to bleed more.
The sirens didn
’
t know what to think, one of their own had just betrayed them!
It would have been both our deaths, but the other sirens became nervous, you see the siren Kira had harpooned was leaking a lot of blood into the ocean which brings in their natural enemies
…
sharks!

The siren brigade
’
s second in command issued the order to fall back, and that Kira was no longer one of them!
I was half frozen when we landed on the island; Kira had swam with all her might to get me to the little oasis in the sea.
She built a fire, and a small shelter the whole time threatening to end me if I tried to double cross her.
It was funny but the whole time I knew she wouldn
’
t hurt me.
We were rescued by another passing vessel four days later.
I introduced her as my wife to the crew, four weeks later we were married.
She is my wife, but I am her Delphi which in her language means life partner.
The cultural clashes we have had over the years have been numerous, but what it really boils down to is we love each other and always will.
”

“
Anyhow, how about I take a look at the spell book that you need me to restore?
”
Lex said.

The spell book was still in one piece, but charred.
Lex began to open the book when Nathan and Lela both screamed no!
Lex already had the book open and was looking through it with no signs of the book
’
s magic attacking him.

“
It is okay my friends, I felt the book when you handed it to me. If the enchantments were still on the book I would have felt them.
”
Lex explained.

Lex then looked at the ancient book and frowned.
Shaking his head he asked Nathan how the book had been damaged, Nathan related the story to a shocked Lex.

“
You say an ordinary candle lighting spell caused all this damage, and Nate you cast this spell?
”

Nathan hung his head low and nodded his answer.

“
It will take me some time to determine how much I can save, but I will do my best. You have traveled a long way and need to rest.
”

The room was dark and quiet.
Shadows played across the walls given life by the fire that had burned low.
The unfamiliar house had its own set of sounds creaking and groaning as if it were alive, and resented the travelers
’
presence.
The sound of the brook seemed near reminding Nathan of his first meeting with Kira, and the feel of the nymph
’
s blade against his throat.

Nathan had tossed and turned throughout the night, wishing that Lex could hurry up the restoration of the mighty book.
Finally Nathan
’
s nerves could handle no more, he looked at the two sleeping women at each side sleeping so peacefully, and felt a stab of homesickness rattle through his heart. How long had he been gone?
Only ten days?
It felt like a lifetime.
Nathan quietly crawled over to where the backpacks lye and wrestled with his until he felt the corner of his tablet.
Nathan pulled the black plastic device from the pack, and stared at it wondering if the device still had enough charge left on it to work.
Nathan debated if he should turn it on when he heard Lela
’
s sleepy voice ask.

“
Nathan what are you doing?
”

“
Sorry Lela I didn
’
t mean to wake you.
”
He whispered.

“
Nathan, what
’
s wrong, can
’
t you sleep, why not come over here and let the demon archer rock you to sleep in her ample bosoms!
”
Ileana flirted.

Lela rolled her eyes, and caught a glimpse of the shiny black plastic Nathan had in his hands.
The dark shape was like nothing Lela had ever seen before; her curiosity got the better of her.

“
Nathan what is that object in your hands?
”
Lela asked.

Hearing the question Ileana touched her bow, but she couldn
’
t see what Nathan was holding only that it was something.

“
Yeah what is that Nathan?
”
Ileana asked.

With a slight grin Nathan crawled over to the two perplex women and showed them the screen.

“
It
’
s a tablet from my world it shows pictures, words, and a few other things.
”
He explained.

“
Nathan we have tablets here, we read, write, and draw pictures like any other society!
”
Lela said sourly.

“
Yeah, but can your tablets do this.
”
With a dramatic pause Nathan pushed the power button and the tablet flared to life bathing the room in light.

Lela
’
s eyes grew wide in amazement.
This tablet could make light! Lela shied away from the alien object in Nathan
’
s hands.
Ileana only frowned. Her heat vision could tell a difference in heat the device emitted, but little else.

Nathan had an idea, he would show these two amazing women a little bit of his life before coming to their strange new world.
Nathan ran his fingers across the screen until he found the video clip he wanted.

“
Come here both of you, I want to share something with you.
”
He said.

All three of them huddled together and looked at the screen.
Ileana sighed deeply, she couldn
’
t see the screen, the picture wouldn
’
t make sense to her.

“
Nathan I can
’
t see the pictures my vision is based on heat.
I can tell there is light and heat coming off of the tablet, but I can
’
t see what it is doing.
It
’
s not fair!
”
Ileana pouted.

“
It
’
s okay Ileana you can still listen to what is going on.
”
Nathan replied.

Both women looked at him.
Did he say that they could hear what was going on?
This was strange magic indeed.
Lela was dumfounded by the comment.
Nathan touched the play icon and the video began to play.

The scene was of a typical backyard.
There were birds singing in the background, a gas grill came into view showing an assortment of hamburgers, hotdogs, and even a steak!
The camera panned to a middle aged man who was greying at the temples, wore glasses, and a funny garment that proclaimed to
“
Kiss the cook
”
.
Lela watched in silence as the camera made its rounds to land on a small girl about three years old.
The little girl raced around screaming in delight, she noticed the camera and laughed followed with a bellowing
“
Catch me Nate!
”
as she sped off out of view.
The picture moved up to see a woman carrying a tray with three glasses and a Sippy cup.
She had long red hair that came down to her shoulders.
She smiled, as the little girl with the loud voice ran between them screaming
“
Mama, Mama, Mama!
”
and ran off with the Sippy cup. The picture shook and Nathan was chasing the little girl.

Lela gripped Nathan
’
s arm and looked at him to make sure he had not somehow slipped into the picture that was moving!
How could he be in two places at once? Maybe he was a great wizard in his own world, but then he would not have burned the spell book would he?
Lela
’
s mind began tugging in both directions until the little girl
’
s high pitched squeal brought her attention back to the picture once more.

Nathan had pinned the girl to the ground and was tickling her.
She laughed that much more loudly.
Finally the woman called to them
“
Nathanial James Kincaid, stop tickling your sister!
”

“
Oh mom, Maddy started it!
”
Nathan called back.

“
Both of you get ready to eat!
”
The woman replied.

The family sat down and began to talk of things to come, Nathan
’
s senior prom, when Maddy should start kindergarten, where to go on vacation next year.

Nathan noticed the low battery light flashing and within a few seconds the tablet went dark along with most of his hopes of ever seeing his family again, the homesickness reared its ugly head once again.
Nathan remembered how he had felt when he first arrived in this strange new land, strange that until the tablet lost power he had not missed home as much as he did now.

Lela blinked at the sudden darkness and when it seemed like no one else was going to speak she asked the only question she could think of.

“
How were you in two places at once Nathan?
”
Lela
’
s perplexed look could be seen even in the darkness.

Nathan smiled,
“
I wasn
’
t in two places at once.
That was a video of last summer
’
s fourth of July picnic my family had.
”

Lela looked at the tablet again in amazement.
This little device had shown her a glimpse of Nathan
’
s past.
Maybe it would show her a glimpse of her past as well!
It was powerful magic that Nathan held, so would he let her see into her past again?

“
Can your tablet show me my past Nathan?
”
Lela asked cautiously.

“
I am sorry Lela, but the tablet isn
’
t a portal into the past, the pictures you saw were recorded by the tablet when they happened.
”

“
I see, it is okay.
”
Lela said with sadness.
Then another though occurred to her.

“
Can we watch the pictures again?
”
Lela asked hopefully.

“
We can
’
t Lela, the battery is drained.
There is no way to charge it in this world.
”
Nathan said, a tight bit of sadness gripped his throat.

Ileana lifted her head, it had been beautiful!
The sounds of a happy family at ease with each other.
The tears came quietly, she hadn
’
t meant to cry, and yet here they fell.

Nathan noticed Ileana
’
s unusual quietness, and when he touched her he felt the dampness the tears had left behind and the slight trembling.

“
Ileana why are you crying?
”
Nathan asked.

“
It
’
s just been so long since I had heard a family being together, and the sounds of children at play it reminded me of the village I grew up in and my father.
I miss him so much and all the things he used to do with me.
I had so much and now it is all a faded memory!
”

Ileana leaned against Nathan, when his arms slid around her, he could still feel her hiccupping with quiet sobs.

The mighty demon archer scourge of Santrose was crying in the arms of someone that had nearly taken her life.
It was pathetic, but it still felt good to be held by someone. Ileana thought.

Lela remained still she didn
’
t know how to react or what to do.
Ileana had all of Nathan
’
s attention just like she had planned, but now she felt a twinge of jealousy.
It was unexpected, she didn
’
t love Nathan and yet she was starting to crave Nathan
’
s attention.
She was so confused, and still at that very moment she envied Ileana with every ounce of her being.