Chapter 38

Day 140 continued / day 43+:

John’s heart leaped and his head spun around. Veronyka, Brunhyldar and Raiginlef stood off to the side regarding the chaos with interest. Others who’d been on the island were trickling over to watch as well: a couple of Raiders, looking much worse for wear, as well as an entire contingent of Mer-folk who looked just as bedraggled. John practically teleported himself to Veronyka’s side.

“Hey there!” He struggled to keep his voice level.

Her smile melted his heart. She crushed herself to him with a hug.

“I’m glad to see you!” She rested her head on his shoulder.

Their hug lasted for a few minutes before she stepped back.

“How have you been?” John asked.

“Looks like you finally made it!” She exclaimed at the same time.

“Yeah.” John admitted. “It’s been a bitch, but we’re here. When did you arrive?”

Veronyka looked up. “Almost a week ago, now.”

“Oh, wow.” John blinked. “Have you...”

He tilted his head towards the Tower.

Veronyka smiled, knowingly. “Yeah, all three of us.”

“So, are you—b”

“Is Melvin going to be okay?” She interrupted him.

John held his hands out helplessly. “I hope so. Vasin’s a healer. Pretty good one actually.”

Veronyka nodded, then ignored him to step over and kneel between the two injured men. Her comments to the Islander went unanswered, but she didn’t move. Spooky walked over to stand with John.

“That’s amazing to watch.” Spooky remarked, after Melvin’s labored breathing steadied and Numb’s hands knit themselves back together.

“No joke.” John agreed. “I think there’s probably ten people I know, including myself, who would be dead without his help.”

“With that much blood loss,” Spooky mused, “I’ll bet they get really thirsty, and maybe hungry when he’s done.”

John snapped his fingers and walked over to where the rest of his crew were gathering.

“Can someone get them some water, and food?” He inquired.

Svend nodded, and Treb darted off at his signal.

“Who are they?” The navigator asked for all of them.

“One is the guy who helped me learn your language.” John explained. “His name is Melvin. The other is a warrior I used to fight beside, a long time ago. He is a healer in my world, though he doesn’t have Vasin’s powers. He heals using extensive knowledge of people, illnesses and injuries.”

A murmur ran through the group at his description.

“And the others?” Svend indicated the women, and Spooky standing off to the side.

“The dark Alfyr is another warrior from my past. The women are Valkyries, the taller one is their leader, Brunhyldar. The other’s name is Raiginlef.”

“The third?” The Raider pursued.

“Another healer from my world, who is now part Valkyrie, I guess. Veronyka.”

Finally, Vasin sat back, withdrawing his hands. Melvin was unconscious, but Numb was examining his hands in amazement. John walked over and put a hand on the Islander’s shoulder.

“Thank you.” He said with feeling. “They are my friends.”

The healer nodded, visibly exhausted.

“How were they injured? Their wounds were unusual.”

“Some of those weapons I talked about. Projectiles moving very, very fast when they hit them.” John described.

Vasin shook his head. “The damage they did was ... bad. I am glad you do not have those here.”

“Yeah.” John agreed. “Me too.”

Treb trotted up with three more canteens and a sack of dried food. Vasin and Numb began alternately stuffing handfuls from the bag into their mouths. Veronyka began examining Melvin while Hal and Sygraid stepped back. John repeated his explanation regarding their new additions in response to the companions’ questioning looks. Now that things appeared to be finished, the rest of the crowd dispersed.

“Well, I think Melvin’s fine now.” Veronyka reported, a few minutes later. “Your friend won’t let me check him out, but I don’t see any cause for concern from here.”

The other Valkyries and Spooky moved closer. Svend and Sygraid dismissed the rest of the crew, but both stayed to hear John’s explanation. Veronyka haltingly translated for the two soldiers after Spooky asked her quietly what John was saying.

“ ... and then my other friend, Spooky and I came back here.” John finished his short description.

“You have Dukalfyr on your world?” Svend asked wonderingly.

“No.” John shook his head. “The Network that controls the portals gave some of us the option to use a different appearance while we’re here. Although, it does seem that in my case, it’s now permanent, both here and back home.”

The Raider stared at him for a long time, then just shook his head in disbelief and walked away.

“Anything else you guys want to know?” John looked around at his friends.

“Can they understand us?” Sygraid wanted to know.

Both Spooky and Numb looked up after Veronyka’s translation. They shook their heads emphatically.

“They will need to learn.” She remarked.

Numb smirked. “Challenge accepted.”

“What Challenge is this?” Typhon asked, appearing beside them.

The dragon’s size was shrunk to no larger than that of a small bear. Her head pointed at Numb for a moment before swinging to take them all in. Though the soldier’s comment had been in English, her question was in Trade.

“Uh, it’s an expression from my world.” John spoke up after an awkward pause. “My friend doesn’t know the language here, but is experienced at learning new ones in our world. He meant nothing towards you, or the Challenge. I don’t know if he even knows what that is, actually.”

Numb gave a helpless shrug after hearing Veronyka’s translation.

“Very well.” The dragon sounded annoyed. “But if you bring one more Visitor here with you before doing the Challenge yourself, I shall devour every one of you and willingly accept whatever sanction I receive. I am not like my sisters. Part of your Challenge is the task of getting to each of our lairs. Your use of the portal circumvents that, and I’ll not allow it.”

“I apologize!” John offered emphatically. “They were wounded badly, and this was the only place I knew had a healer who might save them from dying. I meant nothing towards you.”

“Very well.” Typhon sounded minutely mollified. “But now that they are here by your hand, they may not leave without doing the Challenge. So, your efforts to save them may well have been in vain. As the two were injured, they may have the customary three days. The other one, and you, must come Challenge tomorrow.”

With a puff of water vapor, the Sapphire Dragon disappeared.

“Well, this will be interesting.” Spooky muttered after Veronyka’s translation.

The Alfyr walked off while Veronyka explained the situation to John’s former teammate. Hal helped a burping Vasin to his feet and the two went in search of even more food. John signaled Sygraid to wait, but before he could explain, Brunhyldar spoke.

“You keep interesting company these days.” The Valkyrie remarked. “Where are the rest of your group?”

John gave her a long, hard look before replying. “One of the things I like most about our relationship is that I don’t have to explain myself to you. You have ways of finding things out, I’m sure you’ll have no problem tracking them down.”

She caught his arm as he turned back to Sygraid. Her grip was hard as steel.

“You would be wise not to antagonize me.” She huffed.

John glared down at her hand.

“I wonder what constitutes breaking the peace here.” He wondered aloud when she didn’t release him. “I don’t know if you saw, but the last ... person who did so got punished pretty badly. Should I ask Typhon? She may not be enamored of me, but I’m pretty sure she likes people who break her rules even less.”

The Valkyrie finally let go of him.

“You are not welcome in our home any longer.” She scowled, stepping back. “Do not look to us for aid in the future.”

“Wow,” John blinked, “no help from the people who haven’t given any so far, and no visiting a place I have no desire to ever see again. I am absolutely devastated by the news. Damn, you’re some arrogant...”

“John,” Veronyka spoke up, “they did help me.”

“No Veronyka, they helped themselves.” John disagreed. “They didn’t want someone running around who looked like them that didn’t know how to fight. It might ruin their reputation. That’s all they cared about.”

“Maybe.” She didn’t argue. “But they still did it. I am grateful for the instruction. Would you please, for me, set aside whatever issue you have with them?”

“Sure.” John turned to look at her. He noticed she looked a little different than when they’d first come through the portal together. But he couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was.

“But I’m also not going to kowtow to somebody who acts like they do towards us.” He finished.

She nodded. “That’s fair.”

“Sister, you should return and complete your training.” Brunhyldar said. “You have found your friend, and seen that he is traveling his own path. It is past time for you to return.”

“I will stay.” Veronyka shook her head. “I have my own path to walk as well.”

“If you do not return with us, your welcome will be withdrawn as well.” Brunhyldar warned.

Raiginlef’s hiss of in-drawn breath was audible to everyone.

But Veronyka just smiled. “You may not do so without a full council. Go give that a try, and let me know what happens.”

The Valkyrie stalked off, while Raiginlef walked up to him.

“I am glad that you fare well.” She held a hand out to him.

Three small, gray ovals, each the length of her thumb lay on her palm. This time it was Veronyka’s breath that hissed.

“I also wish to atone for leaving you in the Dwimar city. Take these with my blessing for your continued success.”

“Uh, what are they?” He asked, not reaching for them.

She nodded at Veronyka. “My sister will tell you. I must go.”

The Valkyrie caught his hand and forced his fingers around the three hard objects. Their exterior was smooth as glass.

“Also,” she continued as she backed away, “my sister has the items you left with Yvin. I do not think you will be able to return to him. I am sorry, but you shall have to find another for that task.”

“It’s all right. Thank you.” He bowed as she turned away.

“What are these?” He asked, holding his hand out to Veronyka.

She quickly took them and tucked them into a pouch at her waist.

“I’ll tell you, later.” She looked around furtively.

“No problem. But I’ll want the other stuff she mentioned before my Challenge. I have an idea.”

“Sure.” She patted another pouch. “I have it right here.”

He turned back to the Shield-maiden, who was shaking her head at him.

“What?” He asked.

She snorted, then held up Kort’s satchel.

“Why did you give this to my son?” She demanded.

“Because he’s the best at figuring out how to do new things with your powers. I hoped it might help him even more.” John explained, confused.

Sygraid sighed. “He does not know how to read.”

“Oh.” John was taken aback. “I didn’t know. Uh, do ... you ... know?”

“A little.” She admitted. “Enough not to be cheated, but that is all.”

“All right.” John agreed, thinking. “We’ll figure something out. Heck, maybe Melvin can help him.”

She slung the strap over Treb’s neck.

“Very well. I too will ask among our crew for who may know writing.”

“Before you go...” John waved as she turned away.

“Yes?”

“There is one more thing...”

Sygraid wasn’t the only person staring at him in astonishment. Both Veronyka and Treb had their jaws on the ground.

“I ... you want me to go into another world ... with you?” Sygraid stammered.

“Awww, can I go too?” Treb asked.

“Yeah, what he said!” Veronyka half joked.

“Yes. No. I don’t think so.” John answered each in turn.

“And you haven’t been to this new place before?” Sygraid continued.

“No. And I’m almost positive I have never met whoever wants us to go there.” John admitted.

With a gulp, the Shield-maiden nodded. “I will go.”

Treb kicked a rock and crossed his arms. John put a hand on the boy’s shoulder, and leaned in.

“Your mother and I are scared, but we’re trying to be brave.” He explained. “Will you stay here and wait for us to come back? It would mean a lot if you did.”

“But why are you scared?” The boy wondered.

John smiled grimly. “Because whoever it is has enough ... more power than we can imagine. We’re like a bug crawling on the ground compared to them. We would be foolish not to keep that in mind.”

Treb looked at his mother. “Be brave.” His voice cracked. “I will wait here for you, and be brave too. Okay?”

The mother blinked back tears. “Thank you, son. You make me proud.”

“I’m going to try to go with you.” Veronyka declared.

The Shield-maiden hefted her spear and shield, as the threesome faced the portal arch. Spooky came back as they marched onto the platform.

“What’s going on?” Spooky asked.

John tossed him a wink. “Be right back.”

He and Sygraid disappeared. Veronyka didn’t.

“Damn it!” She cursed.

“Doctor, what just happened?” Spooky tried again.

The woman sighed and stepped off the raised stone.

“John and Sygraid got some kind of special ‘invitation’. I was hoping to tag along, but it looks like no dice.”

“Invitation to where?” Spooky wondered.

“Another world, apparently. Not ours.” She tried to keep the bitterness out of her voice.

John hadn’t wanted to do it anyway, that much was clear.

“Well, damn!” Spooky snapped his fingers. “I don’t know whether to be worried about his safety, or envious that he got to go.”

Veronyka blinked. “Wait, you’re speaking ... who are you?”

Spooky’s grin unsettled her when he said: “You don’t recognize me? Colonel Mason?”

“Colonel?” She picked her jaw back up again.

“Let’s call me Spooky from now on, shall we?” He offered, and she almost convinced herself he wasn’t intending it as a threat.

“Uh ... sure. Spooky, really?”

“Really.” His wink made her question her link with reality.

She pinched her skin, just to be sure.

“Who in the hell are you, and what did you do with the real Colonel Mason?” She demanded, in the first ever joke between them.

“Our enemies are both more dangerous, and more numerous than I knew. It would be prudent to blend in more, here. Don’t you agree?” He reasoned.

“You’ll have to learn the language then.” She remarked.

“Yes.” He agreed. “Hopefully Melvin can assist with that. Assuming we all pass the Challenge.”

“Yeah.” She didn’t sound hopeful, as she regarded their linguist sadly.

Sygraid was the first to reappear, over an hour later. The warrior’s eyes quickly found her son. She marched up to him, and gripped him by both shoulders.

“Son.” She hoarsed. “Come with me.”

Keeping an arm around him, they walked off towards the other end of the island.

John returned after another quarter-hour. The look on his face was haunted. Dried tear tracks marred the dust on his face. With a grim look, he trudged up to Veronyka.

“My god!” The woman asked. “What happened?”

John shook his head. “I can’t speak of it. But I can ask you this question: what have you learned about the history of our world, and its connection with this one?”

Veronyka sighed. “Quite a lot, actually. That’s a really long answer. We should get comfortable.”

As Melvin was still unconscious, Veronyka, John, Spooky and Numb sat in a circle around him while she talked.

“What do you know about human sexual biology, and it’s impact on the evolution of our species?” She assumed what John would later call her ‘professor voice’.

“There are mechanisms in the production of sperm, and eggs which occasionally result in random mutations. Some are non-viable, and others result in less well-adapted offspring. It’s how we’ve adapted to different climates.” Numb answered.

“All true.” Veronyka acknowledged. “I guess what I was talking about was the males’ preference for organizing into hierarchical structures, and females’ preference for mating with the highest status male from that structure that she can get.”

“You mean: how did we get from the trees to the caves to building cities all over the world.” Numb realized.

“In a manner of speaking, yes.” She agreed. “See, as prehistoric men competed for dominance in whatever their local social hierarchy was, and women mated almost exclusively with only the most successful, each successive generation exhibited exaggeration in whatever traits made their ancestors successful. If they hunted by brute strength, then children became stronger and stronger. If by speed, then faster and with greater stamina. If by cunning, then more and more intelligence led to traps and tactics and strategy. This is how humans differentiated themselves from the other primates, and led to the development of the modern world.”

“So, you’re saying that the interplay between how men group themselves, and how women reward the winners is what made modern mankind?” Spooky summarized.

“Exactly. But here’s the thing, our development began accelerating around forty to fifty thousand years ago. At the time, we shared the environment with the Neanderthals, even going so far as to interbreed with them. But we, the human side, what we call Homo Sapiens, won that struggle for dominance and the Neanderthals disappeared. Our sudden accelerated capability is referred to by some archaeologists as the ‘Great Leap Forward.’ There’s a lot of discussion about why that occurred, but as with most academic studies, the ivory tower operates in a vacuum.”

“Next you’re going to tell us it was aliens.” Numb snarked.

Veronyka snapped her fingers, pointing at him. “Indeed, it was. But not the bug-eyed, flying saucer type that’s so popular right now.”

Numb waved his newly-healed hands around, indicating where they were. “Given that we’re currently in some other world, where somehow they can heal us with magic, I’m not arguing with you. But still, how do you know what kind of aliens it was?”

John cleared his throat. “They’re called the Elohim. That’s what the Network said, anyway.”

Veronyka stared at him. “If you already knew, why’d you ask me the question?”

But he shook his head. “I made an offhand remark when I was inside the portal, and whatever entity it is that talks to you there made a single statement about them. It said that it had cut Earth’s solar system off from them, called them the Elohim by name and said I should watch what I say. Totally separate from what I just asked you to explain.”

“All right.” Veronyka accepted. “Well, the Elohim were, or rather still are I’m told, involved in a war with some other race I’ve never heard of. It’s been going on for a very long time, mostly because the Network doesn’t allow use of its resources to conduct one. Getting a foothold on a new world, and using its resources is the only way to kick your enemy out. The only resource that’s transferable is people. Sentient beings, of whatever type.”