A Prison of Worlds (The Chained Worlds Chronicles Book 1) (24 page)

“When
is the next gate due to open?” I asked as I filled the cups up.

“Oh,
they open all the time, I feel them when they open and just go through,” she
waved her hand.

“Can
you take other people with you?” I casually asked.

“Only
if you are oath sworn to my people or our liege.”  She sipped from the cup with
a nod of thanks.  “The pact we have with Heimdell is all that allows safe
passage through the World Tree.”

“The
god Heimdell,” I asked flatly.

“Oh,
you've heard of him,” she asked merrily.  I gave a sickly grin.  I knew the
gods exist and wanted nothing to do with them. 

“Wait
a minute, a god like the one at Moscow,” Mei interjected forcefully.  Estella
and I just looked at her blankly.

“Yes. 
Like that,” Faramond responded in a pleasant baritone voice.  I had somehow
expected it to be guttural, more brutal. More like Mr. Evil's.

“You
lost me, what does Moscow have to do with anything?”  I was puzzled by the
seemingly irrelevant comment.  Mei looked at me sideways as if I had grown an
extra head, but Faramond just looked at me and nodded, as if I had confirmed
his suspicions.

“Decades
ago a huge glowing opening in the air appeared in Moscow...”

“Central
Square,” added Faramond.  Apparently he was overcoming whatever shyness he had
earlier.

“Yes.
 Out of if came a huge being claiming to be the Egyptian god Set.  The details
aren't known, however apparently there was an altercation between the god's
emissaries and the government that escalated.”

“Most
likely the government attacked or was rude and impertinent to the entity,” the
knight stated quietly. I noted the irony and ignored it.

“After
most of the armies had been killed by one mysterious means after another the
government finally just nuked the entire city.  Afterward, the only thing that
still stood was Set and his minions... though I suppose the older vampires were
around too, if they had stayed that long.  The entity was completely unaffected
by the attack.  We think he retaliated because several cities just vanished immediately
after...”

“Define
vanished,” I prompted.

“Bare
stone where they used to be.  The entity left a day later.  Went away and took
the portal with him.”

“And
no one started to look into the supernatural at this point?” I asked caught
between surprise and disbelief.  I had been under the impression that until shifters
and vampires came out of the closet the world hadn't a clue about the other
side reality.

“As
I recall there was a ton of questions but no answers.  The mages of the world
were kept busy with hypnotic spells and geases to keep the inquiries from
getting anywhere.  I think it was the first time and last time they ever agreed
on something.  There are rumors they cast a huge spell to make people ignore
anything that smacks of magic.”

“Until
the vampires outed everyone.”

“Not
really, I am not sure if you've noticed it, but the mages are still mostly in
hiding except for a few mystics,” I gave Mei a flat stare.  I had noticed
this.  “Since the people who were in power are still mostly in power, most of
them still ignore the magical world unless it's shoved in their faces,” she
continued her explanation.

“Like
the vampires did,” I clarified.

“Yes,
like that,” she said, disgruntled.  I suppose when the vampires acted unilaterally
for the mystic races they didn't make too many friends.  “It's unlikely that
the magical community will ever get its act together enough to do that kind of cover-up
again and considering that the vampires plan actually seems to be working I
suppose there's no reason.  Eventually, the magic will wear off and the
government will start to address these things faster.  Until then, the response
is going to be sluggish.”

“I
see.  That’s why the mayor's special division isn't getting any support from
the federal level.”

“I
suppose.  I would guess that the mayor wasn't holding office during the Moscow Event
or they still wouldn't have it.”  Mei finished telling me this with a grim
expression.  I didn't really know how to take this.  It explained a lot of the
denial I had been seeing, but the average person still seemed a bit complacent.

I
heard some sniffling off to the side and turned to see Estella blowing her nose
as tears poured down her face.  She saw me looking at her and burst out.  “That's
so sad!  I had heard a few things that some of the meaner gods did, but I never
knew it happened here.  It's practically next door.  Heimdall said there was an
agreement in place among the gods to make this world neutral ground.”

“Well,
I guess if you attack a god you take your fate into your own hands,” I offered
lamely.  If I was standing near an open portal in a confluence of magical
energies I could likely be able to walk away from a nuclear attack too.  I
suppose a god would barely need the additional power.  Anyway that sort of
nixed the idea of using the World Trees gates to travel.  There was no way I
was swearing to serve an elf or get near a god if I could possibly help it.  “So
what brought you here?”

“As
I said previously, I went back home.  The oracles were all up in arms. 
Something about horrible visions of doom and danger to the Tree's roots.”  She
seemed to gather herself and finally put away the hanky.  “They determined it
was a danger coming from this world and sent me to look into it since I was
familiar with the world and my vassal, Sir Faramond, is a native.”

“Ah,
I see.  So what brought you here,” I stressed the word 'here' once more.

“Oh,
you left something at the place we last met and I used it to track you here. 
You seem to be a power here in this world and I was hoping that if you were
friendly, I would be able to stay with you while I search for the problems. 
The oracles 'saw' you involved so it only made sense.  I am so glad you offered
to let us stay.”

“What
did I leave behind?” I asked before switching gears again.  “Wait.  Offered to
let you stay?”

“You
left this behind,” the álfar took out a small satchel that I had not noticed
previously and opened the drawstrings.  She then stuck her entire arm into the
small container and started to feel around.  I had seen such containers before
at home, but I heard a gasp from Mei at the unusual sight.  After a moment, she
came out holding a broken tooth the size of her forearm.  My tooth.  I rubbed
my jaw thoughtfully as she held it out to me.  Apparently body parts that left
my presence long enough reverted to their original form.  Great.  If I could
survive my head being detached from my torso it would revert to my true shape. 
How utterly useless. 

There
were some marks carved into the surface.  I reached for the tooth so I could
read it better.  As soon as I touched it a fat spark of pure energy passed from
the tooth to my hand accompanied by a loud snap.  Instantly afterward I
clutched my chest, as I felt the 'Human' rune burn with fire.  I felt more than
heard a disturbing crack, as what I could only guess was a rib gave way. Groaning,
I fell back in my chair.

Mei
was at my side in a moment forcing me to look into her eyes with one hand and
holding out a finger in the other.  I was confused for a moment before I heard
her say “Can you track my finger?  Look Derek.”  Oh, how sweet, she was
concerned.  Me too. The good thing was I don’t think she was paying attention
to Estella as she went on about the tooth.  That might be difficult to explain.

“I'm
fine,” I grunted.  “What the hell was that?”

“I
have no idea,” Estella said haltingly.  “The tooth just has some runes of
finding and truth carved into it.  It seemed a shame to have a perfectly fine
dragon's tooth laying around without anything on it so I asked the priests to
put something useful on it that would let me find you.”

“You
know runes,” I labored out, fixating on the most interesting part.

“No. 
Of course not.  Do I look like a priest of Odin or a dvergar?” Oh crud, doesn't
her society have anything useful that's not connected to a god?  “Do you want
me to take it back?”

“No!”
I almost shouted, causing the subsiding burning pain to peak again for a
moment.  “I'll take it, it just startled me.”  They were all looking at them
oddly.  This didn't stop me from telekinetically lifting the tooth and floating
it back to my room for study later.

“So,
this house seems a bit small for us plus your wife, is there another area?”
Estella began, changing what she may have noticed was an awkward subject.

“Mei
is not my wife.  I am far too young to get married,” I slowly stood up.  The
pain was slowly subsiding and now that Mei knew I wasn't having a seizure she
was snickering at the question.  I hobbled over the front door, gesturing them
to follow.

“Normally
I would have guests stay over there,” I said, pointing at the now destroyed
house.  “However it seems to have suffered an accident.”  Mei began snorting
again.  I was glad to be amusing someone.  Faramond just looked on impassively
and the elf was yawning.  “That house will be your new residence,” I said
pointing at the next building over.  “Wait a minute.  That one has vampire
juice all over the basement.  Use that one.” I pointed one more building over. 
There should be linens in the closet and we can get your cooler stocked in the
morning.  Assuming the vid terminal still work.”  Mei was giving me a nasty
look.  I guess her wrist terminal wasn't quit the same since she got here.

“I
thought you had a place in the Blight.  Although you’re welcome here, why do
you need a place to stay?”

“Vampires
and shifter rogues and outcasts are congregating in the Blight in response to
some kind of rebuilding project,” Faramond stated in response.  “For the
vampires, I suppose they like the free food laying around and lack of police. 
The place is full of the mentally unstable and rebels.  Ironically this
migration will actually make the Blight a better place as each group makes its
little niche.  I hear they are already starting to renovate buildings and the
vampires are actually going to set up a club.”

“A
club for who? No one will dare set foot in the Blight.”

“The
vamps and shifters will. A few hours out from under the thumb of the Council
and control of the registered packs.  I can see it getting a bit too popular,”
Mei chimed in.  “Assuming they don’t kill each other.  It will likely be
divided into new territories eventually once they rediscover they can’t live
with each other.”

“How
does this affect you?  You are in no danger from a dozen packs of shifters and
vampires,” I asked Faramond.  He was suddenly very chatty.  I admit it was
different than what I had imagined a conversation with him would go.  A lot
less grunting.

“Agreed,
but while milady sends me on an errand she may be vulnerable to trash like that. 
She can usually handle humans but supernaturals are an unacceptable danger.”

As
they hurried off, I turned back into the house and took a notepad to the
counter.  I started to list the various things I needed Jeremy to do tomorrow
including having a contracting company fix the house across the way, maybe a
few barrels of holy water and stock up some generic food for our surprise
guests.  Or at least it was a surprise to me.

I
looked up and Mei was still glaring at me.  “I am sure I mentioned the issue
with communicators and other electronics around here,” I stated defensively.

“Do
I look like I care about some stupid terminals?” I didn't reply to this,
because it looked like she was caring deeply about something and if it wasn't
the wrist terminal then I didn't know what it was.  “How come I am staying in
this house if you own half the block?”

I
did, in fact, own the entire block, but I didn't feel like this was the proper
time to share this.  “I just thought we could work better to deal with Jin if
you were here.  There's also the issue of him having already sent his minions
after you.  If your actually here then we should have an easier time dealing
with additional issues.”

“So
it's not because you want me?” she snarked.  She sure had loosened up a lot.  I
paused to look her over.  She was an extremely attractive Asian woman.  Maybe
in a few years I may be interested in a fling.  Most of the multi species
shapshifters were open to interspecies relationships.  I wouldn't be ready to
truly mate and have children for a few centuries yet, but maybe a little
recreation would be acceptable.  But not now.  I was about to explain some of
this when she continued.

“Gotcha!”
I was beginning to think I was going to miss the stiff and unfriendly Mei Ling
I had first met.

“Bah. 
Whatever.  In the morning why don't you tell our guests about Jin and his
connection the circle guy?  Since they are enjoying my hospitality they may
feel obligated to help out.”

“Wouldn't
that be taking advantage of them?”

“It's
up to them and there's actually a good chance that it’s all connected.  Jin
wants to open a portal to a demon dimension and the others were in
communication with him.  Sounds like a recipe for possible Armageddon to me.”