Chapter 4

As soon as Balvor was free, she thanked Maranu and then left, flying off into the stars to find her mate called Graymor, the Great Black Dragon she fought earlier. She was hoping to quell his anger so that he would not attack humanity again. Shortly after the White Dragon left, the colony of Tarrus was besieged by Goblins. Some of the Demihumans watching the events on the planet had been influenced by Graymor who prophesied that humanity would build a vast Empire that stretched across the universe and would result in many lives lost. He was right, of course, but I personally don’t see that as a justification for the extinction of an entire race, even one as corruptible as us humans. After all, every sentient race has their own flaws. Still, I suppose I couldn’t blame some of the Demihumans of the time for their decision. Although many, like the Sages for instance, chose to remain impartial as they were aware of Graymor’s own destructive nature and knew that heeding his advice might even fulfill the prophecy of doom he envisioned. With the arrival of the Goblins, Maranu was once again tested. He managed to drive them off and protect the colony, but after overusing his powers, he came to realize that he had limits. Knowing that more invaders would likely return, Maranu sought Rhuknor for advice. The Golden Dragon said that he would not aid the humans any longer. Being a divine entity charged with maintaining balance, Rhuknor believed that mortals must handle their own affairs. Since many races naturally possessed Elemency, he didn’t consider blessing Maranu as showing favortism. However, he did mention that Maranu did not have to fight this battle alone.

Ryan stepped through the Gateway, feeling the familiar sensation of vertigo that accompanied these trips. Ryan had traveled through Gateways several times at this point, so he was fairly accustomed to it. Honestly, teleporting through a Gateway was a hell of a lot easier than flying in a ship. Space trips weren’t so bad once the vessel got into deep space and the artificial gravity mimicked the gravity of earth-class planets, but that first part of breaking through a planet’s atmosphere always made him sick to his stomach. As the swirling vortex of the doorway comprised of silver energy vanished behind him, Ryan looked up in awe at his destination. Auntie Hannah had called it Corinth. It was one of the largest and oldest Monastery strongholds on Galsin, and also the abode of the mysterious Prime Minister of Elemency. Standing alone on a hill amidst a sea of white sand, the fortress was large, made from several domical structures that gave it a diameter of at least a few miles. The walls seemed to be made from a white, crystal substance that appeared to be partially transparent as the silhouettes of walking figures could be seen even outside the fortress. A wide, marble staircase led up to the structure with two large, white metal doors framing the entrance which were adorned with glowing white runes and vague depictions of birdlike creatures that could’ve either been swans or Dragons. The atmosphere of Galsin was still breathable because of an artificially generated environment that even mimicked earth-like gravity, but it wasn’t like living on a planet like Tarrus which had blue skies and clouds, so the skies of Galsin were always black as pitch. The black sky might’ve been disheartening, but at least the sight of countless shimmering stars felt comforting. Against the backdrop of space and stars that glistened behind the fortress, Ryan was struck by the otherworldly feeling the building gave off. There was a tangible presence in the air that made his hair stand on end. He’d been to Galsin before, but this was the first place on the moon that made him feel goosebumps.

This is it, Ryan thought resolutely to himself. After all this time, I’m finally going to get the power I need to avenge you. Mom. Dad. Henry. Everyone back home at Toramirese. Everyone who’s been hurt by him. You can all rest easy. I’m going to make that bastard pay. I swear, once I gain the power I need, I’ll make sure he never hurts anyone again.

Not sure what to expect, Ryan had opted to wear his red Fire Ministry uniform. He wore the boots that came with it too since he figured it wouldn’t do to approach the most powerful man in the universe barefooted. Taking a deep breath, Ryan steeled himself as he made his way up the steps. His new Psionic Weapons that Thisy made for him were stored inside him, but his armor was kept in a backpack slung behind his back since he still didn’t know how to store Psionic Armor yet. As he approached the doorway, he perceived four figures waiting to greet him. He recognized Auntie Hannah, along with three other lower-ranked Monks. The two male Monks - one a human and the other a Dwarf - weren’t familiar to him, but Torsha sure was.

Torsha was a female Werewolf, and also one of Ryan’s dearest friends. Since coming to the Fire Ministry to tutor Ryan, Torsha had become an unofficial member of Squad 99. Torsha had a furry dog-like face with a short snout and a black nose, but she still possessed enough similarity to a humanoid face to look pretty. She was short, at maybe about five foot four, and had a nice, girlish figure that many men would find appealing. Though her whole body was covered in thin yellow fur, the hair on top of her head had been grown out like a mane to appear human-like. If one were to look at Torsha from behind, discounting the large, pointed ears and the big, bushy tail, she would look like a young, pretty human girl with long blonde hair. Torsha wore the white robes of the Monks, similar to the other two Monks next to her. Ryan heard that her achievements had been acknowledged by the Monastery and that she was climbing the ranks on her way to becoming an Acolyte, which is why her wardrobe had been updated recently. That made Ryan happy to learn that she’d soon be graduating from Steward to Acolyte, although he hoped she would still be able to stay on the team. Torsha helped Ryan after he’d been going through a rough patch whenever his Goblin friend, Silvia, had died. The Lycan Monk was part of his family, and he cared about her dearly. Also, he’d been meaning to catch up with her, especially since he heard that she and his Dragon friend, Tork, had broken up. He couldn’t fathom why since that Tork was such a sweetheart, but he hoped he might be able to get the two of them back together again.

Ryan grinned broadly. “Torsha, how’s my favorite hairball doing?”

Torsha smiled back at him, her lips curling back to show off her large, glistening fangs. “Better now that you’re back, cherry boy. While you were gone, I had no one to make fun of. You’re pretty much the comic relief of the group.”

Though her tone was light, he could see some real emotion in her deep, golden-brown eyes as her gaze quivered a bit. She strode up to him, hugging him tenderly around the neck. Her voice broke a little as she whispered, “I’m so glad you’re okay. You were asleep for so long on the trip back ... I wasn’t sure you or Éclair would wake up. I was so afraid that I’d lose my two best friends just as we were all starting to become a family.”

He rubbed her back as he said, “What are you talking about? Starting to become a family? We already are a family.”

She sniffled a bit as she drew back and looked at him. “And always will be.”

He rubbed her arm as a thought came to mind. “Speaking of our family, what’s going on with you and Tork? You guys were like the perfect couple. I was hoping I’d be the godfather of your Were-Dragon hybrids when y’all got married.”

Torsha sniffed. “You’ll have to ask him that. I told him we’re just taking a break for now, but if we do break up permanently, it’ll be all his fault.”

Ryan raised his eyebrows skeptically. Given that Tork was by far the more mild-mannered of the two of them, he tended to doubt that the Dragon was the one to blame.

“What?” she cried defensively. “It’s true. He was gushing all over this Satyr chick back on Nirvana. From the way the hussy was all over him, it was obvious that they grew close.”

Ryan guffawed in disbelief. “Tork a two-timing playboy? Have you met the dude? He’s the sweetest guy ever, pretty much the Dragon equivalent of Gandi. There’s no freakin’ way.”

Torsha crossed her arms indignantly. “He says that nothing happened between him and Shaya, but with the way he blushes every time her name comes up, I have my doubts.”

Torsha looked away, and for some reason, Ryan got the faint sense that she was embarrassed about something herself. “Anyway, I ... I don’t know if I have time to think about relationships right now. I’ve been putting off my advancement at the Monastery for too long, so I’ve been taking time off from Squad 99 to work on my studies here on Galsin. And when I’m not here, I’m ... I’m doing other stuff. I’m just really busy right now, so I’m wondering if the Lord Caretaker doesn’t mean for me to be dating at this point in my life.”

Her tone had Ryan curious as he asked, “What other stuff are you doing?”

Again came that almost guilty look as she glanced back at him briefly. “I ... I’m learning how to control my Werewolf instincts with Mozar. He’s been teaching me about the hunt ... about our people’s nomadic culture. He’s even taken me out hunting a few times. Simulated hunts with holograms on the holodeck back at the Fire Ministry. He says it’ll do as a substitution for now, but that I won’t be a real Werewolf until I sink my fangs into live prey instead of artificially created ones. Lady Lioness says it’s good for me to learn about my heritage as long as it doesn’t contradict my studies here. She says that I could probably even go out on a real hunt someday if I want to, so long as we aren’t hunting and eating sentient lifeforms which is considered the sin of cannibalism by the Light Realm.”

Ryan bit his bottom lip as he considered. “Mozar teaching you stuff? I never took him for the teaching type. He seemed more like the ‘I’ll-rip-your-throat-out if-you-cross-me type.”

“There’s a lot of things we didn’t know about him, Ryan,” she said softly without meeting Ryan’s gaze.

Before Ryan could inquire further, Hannah stepped up from behind, her posture seeming strangely reserved. “Sister Torsha, forgive me for intruding. I know you are just exchanging greetings, but the young Elemental has important business that needs attending.”

Torsha looked a bit startled as she bowed while giving the sign of the Lord Caretaker by touching her index finger to her forehead. “Of course, my Lady Priestess. I am the one who should ask your forgiveness. Ryan Uruks needs to be off for that ... special joint training exercise between the Fire Ministry and the Monastery.”

Since Zand was considered a fugitive of the Tarrus Empire, no one could know that Ryan was going to see him. They had tried to keep his trip to Galsin quiet, even taking an indiscreet Gateway that was owned by the Fire Ministry and wasn’t easily traced. But in case any of Chissler’s agents were listening, Ryan was operating at Corinth under the pretext that he was conducting a joint training exercise to find new ways of combining Light Elemency with Fire Elemental techniques. The Fire Ministry and the Monastery had been working together recently to weed out Mystics and Mages, so the story would be believable.

Sensing the need for formality, especially with the other two Monks present, Ryan said with a polite bow, “Lady Lioness, may I ask who my trainer is?”

Hannah gestured behind to the two men. “Brothers Jonathan and Gromix will be taking you to your special instructor within Corinth.”

Ryan glanced uncertainly back at Torsha. “You mean you and Torsha won’t be coming?”

Ryan thought he saw a brief flash of concern in Hannah’s eyes before her face returned to a neutral expression. “I’m afraid not. The Steward and I have our own activities to attend to. We just wanted to welcome you to Galsin and wish you well in your studies.”

Ryan wasn’t sure why she looked a little worried, but then he guessed it made sense. He would be studying under the Prime Minister, the most powerful Elemental in the universe. Maybe he should be a little more worried himself.

“Alright, then. It’s too bad that you and Torsha won’t be there, but I guess it can’t be helped.”

Torsha gave him a kind smile, but she also looked worried as her ears drooped slightly. “I’m sure you’ll do fine, Dragon Boy. But if you don’t, feel free to cry on my shoulder if you want.”

Ryan snorted a small laugh at the jibe. “Just wait. I’m gonna kick the snot out of this training. Ultimate enlightenment, you’re about to get owned.”

As he stepped forward towards the two men, Hannah stopped him with a hand to his shoulder. Her blue eyes regarded him carefully as she said in a quiet voice, “Take heart, Ryan. This training ... it’ll be unlike anything you’ve ever experienced before. More intense than you can possibly imagine. I hope you keep that in mind.”

Ryan gave her an encouraging smile, trying to help his own waning confidence as he said, “Don’t worry. If I can survive learning under a grouch like Eramar, then this should be a walk in the park.”

“Hopefully,” she said softly as she squeezed his arm, giving him a half-smile that didn’t touch her eyes.

Not sure what she was so scared about considering what a nice guy Zand was, he looked to the two male Monks and said, “Lead the way, boys.”

The Dwarven Monk, Gromix Ryan guessed, made a grim face, as if he wanted to scold Ryan for addressing him so cavalierly. Ryan hadn’t known many Dwarves before, but they tended to be tough and cranky. This Dwarf certainly seemed to fit that description with his big, bushy eyebrows that seemed frozen in a perpetual glare, plus his stout face, dark eyes, and overly large arms and chest that seemed out of place with his short stature of only four and a half feet. His muscular arms almost looked bigger than his stumpy legs, and his hairy hands were disproportionately large. The Dwarf’s beard was unusually tidy for one of his people, with only light, blonde stubble on his grizzled face. He was also bald with a shiny, pale head that looked like polished steel. Without a word, the Monk made an about-face towards the large, glowing doors and clasped his hands together while bowing his head. It sounded like he was mumbling something indistinguishable. It took a moment for Ryan to realize that the Monk was praying. The Dwarf was using a different language, so Ryan didn’t understand the words, but he had heard that prayer spoken by preachers many times during service every Sunday.

The human Monk, Brother Jonathan, gave Ryan an apologetic smile. “You’ll have to forgive Brother Gromix. He’s not much for pleasantries. Just give him a moment while he finishes saying the Lord Caretaker’s prayer, then the doors will open.”

Brother Jonathan was a man of average height, making him perhaps an inch or two shorter than Hannah. He had dark, tanned skin, short black hair, green eyes, and a clean-shaven face. The man looked to be in perhaps his mid to late thirties. His demeanor was more relaxed than the others, giving off a very mellow vibe. He seemed fit enough, but he didn’t give off the air of a soldier like Hannah, Torsha, and the Dwarf did. Ryan couldn’t explain it, but as he observed the man standing there in his loose-fitting, white robes and brown, sandaled feet, he just didn’t have the same movements Ryan had become familiar with among those who fought regularly. Ryan reasoned that the man could hold his own if he needed to, but Jonathan just didn’t have the same warrior vibe as the others. Perhaps that meant he wasn’t as powerful in Light Elemency, or perhaps he had more of a managerial position. The Monks were far less militarized than the Elementals, so it certainly seemed plausible for one of their higher-ranked Acolytes to not know much about fighting.

I wonder if it’s because of my Saurian blood that I can instinctually tell the general level of strength of those around me. Or maybe it’s something else. On the other hand, I might just be imagining things. As if I have enough battle experience to be able to tell pros from amateurs.

“So, is saying the Lord Caretaker’s prayer like the password or something?” Ryan asked. “Seems a little risky. A lot of people besides Monks say that prayer every Sunday during service.”

Brother Jonathan gave another pleasant smile, and Ryan found himself liking the guy a lot. “It’s not just the Lord’s Prayer. He also must use the right frequency of Light Elemency. He’s lacing his words with a small amount of psions, raising his power level at just the right intervals with the inflections of his syllables. The radiation of Light Elemency is not replicable by technology, and only certain Monks are powerful enough with the art to make the doors open. Corinth Monastery is one of our most sacred sites, after all. One of the few places on Galsin that is almost completely closed off from the general public, and for good reason.”

That seemed really cool to Ryan, and indeed, he did see a faint aura of white energy surrounding the Dwarf as he continued to pray. Ryan could even feel the power in the air. He wasn’t just imagining that menacing feeling when he first saw Corinth Monastery. He could actually feel the Monk communing with the aura of the building, becoming one with the daunting powers surrounding this place.

Never been one for religion myself, but if they get to make prayers that actually work like passwords and stuff, it might tempt me to convert. Coolest religion ever.

The Dwarf finished his prayer and took a step back. Ryan expected the doors to just open, but instead, they started making a soft humming noise. Then that humming turned into a loud whine as the symbols on the door started glowing brighter. Not only were the white symbols glowing brighter, but they also seemed to be expanding as well. Soon, the entire doorway looked to be made from white energy, similar to a Gateway. And then the massive doors vanished, disappearing as if they never existed at all. Ryan stared in wonder down the long crystalline hallway that now lay before him.

Kinda reminds me of the way doors just vanish and reappear in a puff of flames back at the Fire Ministry. Wonder if that’s related somehow?

Without turning, the Dwarf said gruffly, “Follow, Light’s Student.”

Jonathan touched his forehead with his finger and gave a respectful bow to Hannah and Torsha, who also bowed while giving the Caretaker’s sign in return. Brother Jonathan then trailed after the Dwarf, and Ryan supposed that he was meant to follow as well. He turned back to Hannah and Torsha, waving goodbye. They gave him encouraging smiles, but the foreboding looks on their faces made him wish they were coming with him.

Ryan followed the two Monks in silence down the many corridors of Corinth Monastery. He was astounded to see people walking above and below him as the walls and ceilings were transparent. Although the figures were a little fuzzy beyond the crystal walls, so it wasn’t like staring through a window. Also, he could make out several large, circular rooms dotted throughout the facility that were blurred out completely, and he guessed these must be the Monk’s private quarters. That relieved Ryan. It would’ve been awkward to start this training with the image of a few dozen Monks bathing or taking a dump. The maze-like corridors were disorienting as Ryan followed the two Monks. He had no idea how they even knew where they were going, or even how they avoided walking into the nearly invisible walls as their sandaled feet padded down the crystalline floors. He hoped that Zand didn’t ask him to try and find his way through this place as his first test, because he knew he’d get lost for sure.

After a long while, the Monks stopped at another pair of white, metal doors somewhere near the center of the large building. They stood at either side of the threshold expectantly. Since they made no move to open the door for him, Ryan guessed he was meant to go in alone.

Do you have to be so freakin’ ominous about it all? The way these guys are acting, it’s like I’m going in for an execution.

Sighing deeply, Ryan hoisted up his backpack and pushed through the doors. They gave way fairly easily without the disappearing act this time. As Ryan stepped through the opening, he was greeted with a large chamber that seemed to be oval-shaped. Looking at the circular, cone-like roof and the slightly dipping floors, the room was vaguely reminiscent of a teardrop. Monastery symbols were etched into the walls, spiraling around the room like hieroglyphics in an Egyptian tomb. There was a man sitting cross-legged at the bottom of the dipping floors. Surprisingly, it wasn’t Zand, but an older-looking balding man of middling height, a stooped back, and an old, wrinkly pale face that lacked the beard and distinguished features of the Light Wielder. He wore slightly different white robes than the other Monks, with a long, white cape draped about his shoulders, so Ryan guessed that perhaps the man was a liaison of Zand’s. Or maybe he was Zand himself in disguise. It certainly seemed probable that Zand could change his form given that he had access to every Elemental spectrum.

The man gave no explanation, but just watched Ryan silently. Ryan carefully walked down the slightly sloping floors where the man sat. The doors closed loudly behind him, making Ryan feel strangely claustrophobic despite the largeness of the room. Ryan set down his backpack and also sat cross-legged across from the man. When the man said nothing, but just continued staring with wizened, sky-blue eyes, Ryan decided to break the silence.

“Are you my instructor?” he asked simply, thinking he was being tested somehow.

Without a word, the old man placed his hand to the floor. Ryan instinctively stood to his feet as he felt the power of psions resonating from the man. He was almost certain the old man was Zand in disguise at that moment and nearly asked him to drop the act. But before he could, the room started spinning. Or rather, the white runes around the room started spinning, glowing brighter all the while. It was similar to how the door outside Corinth had vanished earlier. A soft buzzing sound filled the air, all the while growing persistently louder. Ryan could feel an immense power sizzling through the room almost like static electricity.

Then Ryan felt ... something. A weird buzzing sensation that only happened to him when he went through a Gateway, so he had the feeling he was being teleported somewhere. However, the old man with his hand on the floor was slowly becoming translucent, as if vanishing from the plane of existence. As Ryan reached out for the old man, he realized that the same thing was happening to him, that his arm was turning transparent as if he were becoming a ghost. Even stranger, he noticed something materializing into existence next to him. It was a mirror image of himself. There was another him standing across from him in the exact same pose and with the exact same facial expression. There was even another brown backpack behind the second Ryan. Before Ryan could come to terms with any of this, the spinning lights from the glowing runes grew so bright that all he could see was a white haze. The buzzing noise grew louder until it became deafening, and then abruptly stopped.

When his vision finally cleared, Ryan was no longer standing in the tear-shaped room. Instead, he was standing in a large chamber with a white, crystal floor. He said ‘chamber’ for lack of a better word. In truth, it was like a vast ... nothingness. He could make out the white floor he stood upon, but that was about it. The floor stretched out as far as his eye could see, going off endlessly for miles in every direction. Above him, there was no roof. Instead, it looked like space. Just a vast black sky with the tiny white dots of stars fluttering above like dragonflies.

“Hello, Ryan. Thank you for coming,” said the familiar voice of a man with an impeccable British accent.

Ryan slowly turned around, and there he was. Zanderius Alastar. The most powerful Elemental alive. The Prime Minister of Elemency. The Light Wielder. The Sacred Vessel of Purity. Zanderius Alastar was a tall man – perhaps even a little taller than Ryan himself – with snow-white hair tied into a ponytail that went down to his shoulder. He had a fit, lean build, standing straight with an imperious quality similar to Eramar. His slightly wrinkled skin was ivory like Saria’s, and he possessed that same distinguished air about him that only people of vast authority could wear. Zand had a short, well-trimmed beard that covered most of his face, but no mustache. He wore grandfatherly spectacles on his slightly crooked nose, and his bright green eyes seemed to shine with intelligence and wisdom unfathomable by mortal comprehension. Like many older Elementals that Ryan knew, his face and his eyes seemed to possess a glow that could almost be described as timeless. Though Ryan got the sense of immense age from Zand’s wizened face, there was also a vibrancy about the man that went beyond youth. Zand watched Ryan with his hands folded behind his back, his long, white cape draped about his shoulders. The Prime Minister wore full-body silver armor that covered every part of him save for his head. Glowing white symbols went down the length of the armor, the same glowing symbols Ryan saw among the walls of the Monastery. His suit must’ve been Psionic Armor, and yet, there was no question that Ryan felt like it gave off a different sort of energy than regular Psionic Armor. If he had to describe it, he’d say that Zand’s armor was more ... pure.

“Zand,” said Ryan, his mouth feeling a little dry. Then, remembering himself, he gave a low bow and rephrased. “I mean, Master.”

Zand politely returned the bow with a small incline of his head. “I’m glad you brought your Psionic Armor. I made that set specifically for you. Well, you and Éclair who has the other set. It will serve you well. Before we begin, I’d like you to put it on.”

Ryan glanced down at his backpack, which had survived the trip with him to ... wherever this place was. Curiosity got the better of Ryan as he asked, “Really? Why, will I be needing it for my training already?”

“It would be better that you not think of this as training, but rather as a battle. On the battlefield, a soldier never goes into the fray without his armor,” Zand said simply. If he was annoyed by Ryan’s question, he didn’t show it as his face and voice remained passive.

Ryan shrugged, and said, “You’re the boss.” But then he quickly added, “I mean, yes, Master.”

Ryan figured it would get hot in the armor with his uniform still on, so he removed his coat so that he only had his white shirt covering his frame. He then stooped down and carefully began to bring out his golden armor piece by piece. First the helmet, then the gloves, the boots, the breastplate, the greaves, the shoulder pads which consisted of the gardbrace and the pauldron, everything. Every bit of armor that would cover him from head to foot. When he put the armor on, it would seal to his flesh, leaving no cracks or seams while providing air through the mouthpiece so that he could move freely through space if he wished. Getting the armor on by hand was slow and tedious. When he first activated this set of Psionic Armor, it had bonded to him, automatically forming itself around him so that it outlined the shape of his body perfectly. Now that he had already bonded with the armor, he didn’t have that luxury as he had to put it on the hard way just like the knights of old. If he knew how to store the armor like his Psionic Weapons, he could make it appear over his body whenever he wanted. At least he was fairly familiar with putting armor on at this point. The training armor low-level Elementals used didn’t come with all the bells and whistles of true Psionic Armor. For Elementals, you had to earn the right to get your armor on the easy way.

As Ryan slowly put his armor on, every piece sealing tightly to his frame like a magnet, a few questions sprang to mind. “By the way, where are we exactly? I know you’re like ... pretty much a Genie, so I wasn’t surprised by all this magical stuff happening; but still, a little explanation would be nice.”

Now Zand actually did look annoyed as he rolled his eyes. “Genies are tricksters who bait people with their desires, but then ultimately offer little substance. In fact, historically, Genies don’t usually grant wishes, at least not permanently. Most of the time, they offer straightforward illusions to temporarily fool their victims into thinking their wishes have been granted, which is simple enough to accomplish using telepathy, or even through the manipulation of photons. What I offer is very real power, Ryan ... and very dangerous power.”

Ryan looked up in surprise as he considered. “Wait, so Genies are real? I always thought that-”

“There will be time to sift through your misconceptions of fact and myth later. To answer your previous question, this is a pocket dimension that I have fashioned for my purposes.”

Ryan’s head felt like it might explode as whole new possibilities boggled his imagination. “So we’re in another dimension, like multiverse stuff? I thought that kind of thing was outlawed.”