Distant Reality Chapter Twenty Four
GRID Traveler Trinity: Distant Reality
Author: J Carrell Jones
Table of Content
Chapter 24
Betrayal is such that it may be subtle or blatant. When it is subtle it rips and tears at your heart and your dignity and all that you stand for. When it is blatant you see it coming and can mount an adequate defense. Confronting this type of betrayal takes all the energies and all the feelings one can squeeze out at a moments notice - that’s easy. The other can never be fully confronted. The assault is too devastating, too deep, and too thorough to confront in one battle.
Chapter 24
Randals looked up at the laughing Statues. They were like Agegi but not like him. He had a gold sheen. They were dull brushed silver. After a moment, they stopped. One of the other Ancients spoke.
It looked down at Randals and said, “Our new front line troops?”
“Greruti, yes. This one is Randals, a most helpful one indeed. Without him and his fellows you would still be frozen. But we most hurry. The Elders are asleep in their folly of a plan. We but have to open the Great Doors and slaughter them as they sleep. Then we may take the other’s flying crafts and make claim to other systems.”
Greruti nodded.
As Randals followed them down the chamber he could not help but think that the Ancient ones all had history together. He and the other humans were the babes in the woods, the new hired hand. ‘New front line troops’ particularly didn’t sit well with him. He was not going to be any one’s red shirt. He decided that once this was over he would take a shuttle of his own and find his own place in history. The hell with them all.
Adruqu frowned and said, “It is almost time.”
Sean turned to her, “What do you mean, it is almost time?”
“Agegi has awakened the other Ancient ones. He has others with him. The other Ancient ones being awakened was not foreseen.”
Herb said, “Our fault. I created a device that would fool your DNA sniffer thing.”
Adruqu thought for a moment and smiled, “Of course, that should have been foreseen. I suppose that is the price to pay for arrogance. Being as old as we are, we think we have all the answers.” She laughed out loud. Almost scaring the group. “No matter,” She said, “we will still make our stand. Agegi and his minions wish to destroy us in our sleep. He would kill or transform you. I hope we are in agreement that this must not happen.”
Sean thought for a second. “Wait a moment here. You knew all this was going to happen. Why didn’t you stop us before awakening Agegi? You could have prevented all this in the very beginning. You’d be asleep and safe.”
Adruqu looked at him inquisitively.
Sean tried again, “We didn’t have to go through all this.” Then it dawned on him. “You wanted all this to happen. You wanted to put yourself in danger; you wanted Agegi to be revived. This is all some sick game you wanted played out.”
Adruqu turned to Sean. She stepped toward him and he took a step toward her – stopping her from moving any closer on her own choice.
He starred deeply into her eyes. He was mad as hell, yet another arrogant shit manipulating him. Playing him like some pawn in a twisted game of chess. “I’m getting tired of having my fucking chain jerked around.”
Loggar stiffened, but Sean reached back and touched her on the shoulder to reassure her it was all right.
Adruqu thought and said, ”Sean, I am sorry for all this, but at this moment it is something that can’t be changed. . .”
“Yes, it can! We can run through that time machine of yours!”
“It is not that simple,” Adruqu said, “The events have been put into motion. Yes, it’s true that we could have stopped you, but that would have defeated our purpose.”
Sean hissed, “And what purpose is that?”
Adruqu blinked as if the answer was simple and very plain. “For you to be able to earn the right to do Magick.”
Sean stood still and looked at his hands. Somehow he knew things he didn’t know before. He scowled and thought of a fireball and threw his hands at the corner of the door. A ball of fire whipped and whirled in front of him and roared toward the door and exploded in licks of flames and heat knocking everyone to their feet except Adruqu.
“Sean!” Adruqu yelled. “Think defense” and she fired a light ball at him.
Sean hesitated for a second but thought the word ‘defense’ and the energy ball engulfed him and a second later passed behind him.
Everyone stood silent.
Herb spoke first, “We can all do that?”
Adruqu said, “Yes. You just have to believe, think it, give the word and it will happen.”
The natural ambient silence of the chamber was broken by the sound of the Great Doors’ mechanism. The Great Doors’ were unlocking.
Herb said, “Oh shit. This is not the time to just learn how to do this! You guys are sick for throwing us into the fire like this. I’ll never forgive you!”
Sean faced the door and realized this is exactly how they meant this to happen. Adruqu said that the Necronians were aware of everything that was happening and that they all were watching this. It was something like a vid program to them. Look, behold, the Monkeys learned Magick and now they are going to show us some tricks. Sean shot Adruqu a dirty look. She nodded that she understood him perfectly well. Sean turned back to the door. “Okay, if this is how you want this played out then so be it. Let’s have our showdown and give you guys millennia to talk about the Hu-muns and how they fought the Ancient ones.”
Loggar understood, so did Herb, Milkens and Kurp. Robin stood in the background, uncertain.
Herb closed his eyes and yelled, “Ruogka!” And he was dressed in a purple long tunic covered with Griffin motif. It was something out of the 12th century, animal skin boots and a thick leather belt. He wore a tall pointed hat complimented by a purple long cape and in his hand was a large wooden walking stick.
Not to be out done, Milkens imagined himself as some white sorcerer, a fine white linen gown with a white rope belt around his waist with a heavy cotton mid-waist cape. He saw a heavy oak wood staff six feet tall in his mind’s eye and uttered, “Ruogka!”