can see the other realms and having found
where you wish to be, you can change your location with a
thought.”
Jeremy sighed heavily and asked,
“Okay, what do we do now? You have to know I’m getting a terrible
headache just thinking about this.”
“ Over the coming nights, an
elf will escort each of you to the different realms of existence.
To you, it will seem like a dream and you will awaken refreshed,
but you will have learned. When you are ready, either Jeremiah or
Jedidiah will begin teaching you the techniques so you can
transmute yourself anywhere. That ability, along with your fighting
skills will make you both true Knights of Winterpast.”
“ Yea!” the boy
cheered.
“ Arthur, what about our
ages? He is just a child and I’m not young anymore. Isn’t this a
waste of time?”
“ First you must know that I
would never endanger your grandson, but he must be able to defend
himself. There may come a time for him to join the fight, but he
will be much older then. As for you, I know how you feel, but we
have been living in a different reality. Life is short and hard in
the Empty Realm. Things are very different in the more enlightened
realms. Do you know how old your father was when you left
Winterpast?”
“ I’d guess he was younger
than I am now, because I was just fifteen.”
“ Mordechai Davis Iron-Heart
left Winterpast when he was just over fifteen hundred years old.
How does that make you feel?”
“ You’re lying,
Arthur.”
“ No, he’s not!” said a
voice behind them. They turned to see a pretty, redheaded woman
wearing gleaming silver armor. Jedidiah and Jeremiah stood on
either side of her. “Cousin, it’s good to see you
again.”
“ You can’t be Lydia. I was
fifteen when she was born, and now I’m sixty.”
She bowed deeply and said, “A blessing
on your home, Cousin. It is I, Lydia Amaranths
Iron-Heart.”
He returned the bow and replied, “A
blessing on your home, Cousin. How did you stay so
young?”
Arthur put his hand on Jeremy’s
shoulder and said, “Now that you are away from the Empty Realm, you
will feel your youth and strength returning. Within seven to ten
days, you will be like her.”
“ Although not as pretty, I
fear,” she said and they all laughed.
Chapter 6
Jerry found himself in a darkened cell
with thick stone walls and heavy bars blocking the entrance. The
Emperor of the Universe was nowhere to be seen. There was a steel
toilet, a small sink, a table with one chair and a narrow cot in
the cell. There was no window, but he could feel a gentle breeze.
One bare lightbulb hung just out of reach over his head. He walked
over to the bars and looked both ways down the corridor. There were
other cells on both sides of the corridor, although none close
enough to see if they were occupied. To his right, the hall ended
in a solid stone wall. To the left, a single wide metal door stood
closed and locked. His first experience with folding had left him
nauseated, but this second trip did not affect him at all. He
wondered if he was getting used to it, or whether some repressed
memory of this kind of magic was beginning to surface.
With no other options, he sat on the
cot and thought about his life back in San Diego. He wondered
whether the image the abbot had shown him of his family safe on
Whistlestop was real. Perhaps they were still living on Earth and
wondering what had happened to him. Or if the demons really did
attack, they might all be dead. A shiver traced itself down his
spine and he pushed that thought far away. “I’m on a mission!” he
blurted out. “Maybe this really is my destiny?”
“ I would agree with that!”
exclaimed a voice he had not heard before. He looked up to see a
man standing outside the bars wearing a long white hooded robe. He
appeared to be quite young with a trimmed beard and short-cropped
black hair. His eyes were luminescent turquoise, which caught
Jerry’s eye.
“ Who are you?” he asked.
“How come I
where you wish to be, you can change your location with a
thought.”
Jeremy sighed heavily and asked,
“Okay, what do we do now? You have to know I’m getting a terrible
headache just thinking about this.”
“ Over the coming nights, an
elf will escort each of you to the different realms of existence.
To you, it will seem like a dream and you will awaken refreshed,
but you will have learned. When you are ready, either Jeremiah or
Jedidiah will begin teaching you the techniques so you can
transmute yourself anywhere. That ability, along with your fighting
skills will make you both true Knights of Winterpast.”
“ Yea!” the boy
cheered.
“ Arthur, what about our
ages? He is just a child and I’m not young anymore. Isn’t this a
waste of time?”
“ First you must know that I
would never endanger your grandson, but he must be able to defend
himself. There may come a time for him to join the fight, but he
will be much older then. As for you, I know how you feel, but we
have been living in a different reality. Life is short and hard in
the Empty Realm. Things are very different in the more enlightened
realms. Do you know how old your father was when you left
Winterpast?”
“ I’d guess he was younger
than I am now, because I was just fifteen.”
“ Mordechai Davis Iron-Heart
left Winterpast when he was just over fifteen hundred years old.
How does that make you feel?”
“ You’re lying,
Arthur.”
“ No, he’s not!” said a
voice behind them. They turned to see a pretty, redheaded woman
wearing gleaming silver armor. Jedidiah and Jeremiah stood on
either side of her. “Cousin, it’s good to see you
again.”
“ You can’t be Lydia. I was
fifteen when she was born, and now I’m sixty.”
She bowed deeply and said, “A blessing
on your home, Cousin. It is I, Lydia Amaranths
Iron-Heart.”
He returned the bow and replied, “A
blessing on your home, Cousin. How did you stay so
young?”
Arthur put his hand on Jeremy’s
shoulder and said, “Now that you are away from the Empty Realm, you
will feel your youth and strength returning. Within seven to ten
days, you will be like her.”
“ Although not as pretty, I
fear,” she said and they all laughed.
Chapter 6
Jerry found himself in a darkened cell
with thick stone walls and heavy bars blocking the entrance. The
Emperor of the Universe was nowhere to be seen. There was a steel
toilet, a small sink, a table with one chair and a narrow cot in
the cell. There was no window, but he could feel a gentle breeze.
One bare lightbulb hung just out of reach over his head. He walked
over to the bars and looked both ways down the corridor. There were
other cells on both sides of the corridor, although none close
enough to see if they were occupied. To his right, the hall ended
in a solid stone wall. To the left, a single wide metal door stood
closed and locked. His first experience with folding had left him
nauseated, but this second trip did not affect him at all. He
wondered if he was getting used to it, or whether some repressed
memory of this kind of magic was beginning to surface.
With no other options, he sat on the
cot and thought about his life back in San Diego. He wondered
whether the image the abbot had shown him of his family safe on
Whistlestop was real. Perhaps they were still living on Earth and
wondering what had happened to him. Or if the demons really did
attack, they might all be dead. A shiver traced itself down his
spine and he pushed that thought far away. “I’m on a mission!” he
blurted out. “Maybe this really is my destiny?”
“ I would agree with that!”
exclaimed a voice he had not heard before. He looked up to see a
man standing outside the bars wearing a long white hooded robe. He
appeared to be quite young with a trimmed beard and short-cropped
black hair. His eyes were luminescent turquoise, which caught
Jerry’s eye.
“ Who are you?” he asked.
“How come I
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