#3: The Pursuit of Forever - Part Two May 2001 By: Christian Cole Editor: Michael Franzoni Magic is a strange and powerful thing, unpredictable and ever-changing. There are those who consider themselves masters of the art, but instead frin themselves slave to its promise of power. There are many who have been corrupted by the Winding Way, ever trying to advance themselves upon the twisting path of heirarchy and falling prey to the temptation of power. These were the mad, the desperate, and the greedy, forever vying for a larger slice of the pie. Ji Nai has seen men and women such as this, tortured by their need to improve their stature and avoid the period of lowliness that all the walkers find themselves upon at one time or another. Today, Ji Nai wishes that he could find another way, that he could have that additional power to pierce the veil of worlds, even if it means giving into the temptation that has twisted so many before. But he knows that surrender will not bring about the effects he so desperately needs, it can only serve to corrupt him. If he could only search the various subdimensions, he could locate Seth and Daytripper*, and possibly save them from whatever harm might have befallen them. Unfortunately, scrying has never been his specialty, nor do his magicks reside within the realms, but just this once, he wishes that he could be an opener. * (See Strange Tales Unlimited #2 for details - Christian) But only fools waste their time on condemnation and regret. Instead, he chooses to use this opportunity to exercise his own magical specialities. A fire crackles in his eyes as words spout forth from between his lips, words that he has not uttered since the Marquis last stood beside him.* "" * (Strange Tales Unlimited #1 - Christian) Lightning cascades beyond the window in the Marquis' study, lighting a previously unblemished night with a phsophorous burst. A strong wind blows in from the horizon, silencing the galmes that had once danced upon the candles in the room, and Ji Nai is left alone in the darkness. With all hope, Radice will find his friends and guide them back onto this plane. But if all he has left is hope, he has very little to rely upon. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- In another place, another time, an ancient memory stirs. It is a name, a face that has been forgotten through the generations, remembered only in tales buried in myth. There had been a time when she had worshipped Mars, the all-mighty master of the gods. But as the glory of ancient Rome had crumbled away, the gods found themselves on the cusp of being forgotten, cast aside for a singular deity who claimed absolute obedience, a God whose followers could not recognize the gods of days ago. And when they came for her, she begged and pleaded with them, telling them that they had shunned the only gods who had ever brought them prosperity. But they were beyond listening, intent upon removing the blasphemous element from their precious new society. They came in the midst of night, ripping her from the bosom of prayer and making a mockery of her throughout her village as they carted her to their prisons of the damned. From there, she recited her prayers, her lone reminders of the life that had once been. Her tears glistened her cheeks, running like rivers from the windows of her soul. Her head had been bowed, hung low with shame at the thought of her gods abandoning her when she had not abandoned them. And the she had felt it, a warm touch carressing her shoulder. Turning, the radiance of the Goddess of Love warmed her face and she whispered, "Thank Mars." Without saying a word, Venus cradled her chin in her hand, lifting the girl's eyes to meet her own. It was then that she knew that the gods would not deny their duties, nor would they forget those who served them whole-heartedly. And her tears dried away, burning off her cheeks as if they had not been there at all. It was then that Venus finally spoke, her lovely lips parting only slightly with her words, "You have served us well, my sister. You have given of your heart and being to my father. For that, you shall live forever with your beauty, secreted away from those who might do you harm." That was then, and this is now. Today, she opens her eyes for the first time in ages, stone crumbling away into dusts as she blinks away a timeless sleep. At her feet, a broken husk of rock lies in the dirt, and she realizes how it was that Venus rewarded her. By pledging her allegiance to Mars, Radice had earned the right to hide herself within a statue, hidden well within a mountain. She would dwell upon it for a little longer, ut already a shimmer calls her attention away from her past, and she gazes at the specter before her. "Radice, follower of Mars, you have been freed from your prison of stone. Walker of the tempests, you are beckoned by your name to do my bidding. Do you wish to return to the embrace of forever or will you heed my word?" The ghost speaks, transforming into the image of a man. "Who are you?" She asks, uttering her words in a language she did not know she understood. "My name is my own, for names are power and you shall not have power over me." The ghost answers, a tender calm residing in his voice. "I have freed you in order to assist other innocents in a journey that has taken them beyond my realm. Once there, you shall encounter pantheons unlike those you endeared yourself to. It will be a journey that will forever enamour you in the eyes of your masters." "Then I shall accept it, for any task that shall earn me favor with Mars is worthy of my freedom." And without another word, the worlds shift, leaving behind her hidden sanctuary and sending her, in a shimmer, into another place. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Did my mom sign a permission slip for this?" Seth asks, sweeping back the sweat-soaked locks of hair that stick to his forehead. He is just barely ready to accept this notion of magic, that there is a force in this world beyond normal human power and mutant abilities. And now, he finds himself wandering an alien landscape, parched and sun-burnt, wishing for an oasis or something that will give him some shade. "I think that most states consider it statutory rape if you take a child across state lines, let alone out of the known universe." "We haven't left our universe. In fact, we're likely still in the same time-loop that we were previously in. However, when one transubstantiates between dimensions, it sometimes seems like quite a journey." Amanda answers, her hood drawn over head and the Soul Sword hanging loosely at her side. Turning toward her other camarade, casting a look of thinly veiled contempt his way, "So, what's your story?" "My name is Matthew, and I was once part of an order of monks, the Vindictis. My brothers were a benevolent folk, hidden away in the hills of Italy, and living our lives in service to God. But even the greatest among them must have their trials, and God sent a trial to our door, a captured demon whom were to contain until the end of time. But the end of time did not come before the end of our days, and the creature was loosed upon my people. There was a great carnage, bloodshed unlike any I had ever seen or head of. I, alone, escaped the creature's hunger." He answers, his head dipped toward the ground as the words spill out in a somber monotone. For a moment, he considers the tears that had come so long ago, and then realizes that the time for tears is long past. "To end the creature's reign, I turned to the dark arts, the forbidden recognition of being that God himself had deposed. Calling forth the son of darkness, our salvation was met with damnation. One evil for another. Penance for our desperation." "What happened then?" Seth asks, suddenly enrapt in the drifter's tale, ignoring the effects of the sun beating down upon him. "I was cursed to wander the world until the end of time, renouncing a God I had once loved beyond all love. For his abandonment, I had turned to his damned, and for that single moment of temptation, I was condemned in the eyes of the only one who could forgive me. For generations, I have wandered the Earth, watched lives move on, watched nations rise and fall, and still, there is no end to my journey in sight. Until now, that is. Now, I have the chance to right the wrongs I had set in motion, and to prevent the fabric of worlds from being torn asunder." "Seems like I've heard that someplace before. You do any astral travel?" The boy inquires, suddenly aware of the similarities between the drifter and Katrina, the woman who had tried to use him as bait against Aryas*. But there are also differences, but Seth can't quite put his finger on it. * (See Strange Tales Unlimited #1 - Christian) "No, my knowledge of the dark arts is limited entirely to teleportation and the blessing of items, mostly clerical usage." Matthews responds, placing his hands on his hips and brushing the faded tunic backwards. As he does so, Seth catches a glimpse of the pistols slung on his belt and wonders if the blessings pass along to the weapons. Amanda takes the time to interrupt, pointing off in the distance at a tower extending high into the sky. "Not to indicate the blatantly obvious, but I think that our calling card is over there. Also, I'm not sure if you're attuned enough to notice it yet, Seth, but there's been a disturbance in the ley lines. Something's followed us through." --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The last steps are always the hardest to take, and every second is left to curiosity. They are tortured moments, spent wondering if this decision is the right one, if somehow circumstances could be different if another path were taken. These are moments laid thin, excruciatingly long as the heart begins to wonder how much has the world changed from the world of memory. But he needs only to remind himself that this is not his world, not his life. At least, in a manner of speaking. His is a flawed existence, for he is a man of many reflections across the multiverse, but only one true soul to guide them all. And perhaps that is what makes these last steps the hardest, because he knows that no matter how hard he tries to make it painless, no matter how clearly he can explain it, the apprentice will still come away hurt. He turns the last corner, standing for a second in the doorway of a study he has seen only through the eyes of another, tucked away in shadow within the recesses of his mind. There, framed by candlelight, he watches as Ji Nai flips through the pages of his endless tomes, trying desperately to find that one spell that will set everything right. Breaking the silence, he says, "Do you not yet realize that magic is not predicated by spells and weavings? Instead, it is an expression of the soul, a reflection of who one is." The student spins quickly, the book falling to his feet, its pages ruffling through its descent. In his heart, he wants to believe that this is his teacher, his mentor, the man who had a father to him. But these past few months, having been privy to the Marquis's writings and his collected magicks, Ji Nai knows that this is only another facet of the man and his existence. "You...I mean he...I don't know who I mean...always told me that the answers to one's problems always lay in the knowledge of others. I've been praying to find that the knowledge I need is yours." "By doing so, you place little faith in your apprentice and Ms. Sefton, not to mention the Drifter and your summoned spirit. They are in good hands, Ji Nai. For now, let us attent to matters of our own concerns." "And what would those matters be?" "When there is a tear in the fabric of time and space, it occurs at two junctures. At one point, in one dimension, and at a similar point, in this dimension. When those two junctures collide, there is an exchange of energs, but one must realize that not all energies are cohesive or compatible with one another. When these two energy types meet, it could produce an implosion that could claim not one, but both worlds. It had become our responsibility to prevent this from happening." Ji Nai runs his hand back through his hair, showing the stress that is washing over his soul. On the one hand, he is concerned over the good of his friends, but on the other, he knows that there are matters more pressing than the welfare of three individuals. "Tell me what we need to do to help." "First, we go back to where this began, for that is where time and space began to unravel. From there, we shall determine the course of action that shall better suit the circumstances. In any case, we face a terrible ordeal ahead. Are ready for a twist in the Way?" --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seth stands still, examining the tower in front of him, running his fingers along the stone and tracing its outlines. Extending his gaze upward, he comments, "That's a pretty damned big door." "Language, Seth." Amanda warns, trying to keep the child with some semblance of dignity in the absence of his mother, even if she's begun to feel old because of it. "But you are correct, it is a big door, and unfortunately, it is locked." "The door is of no concern, as it is only a barrier that keeps us from our righteous objective." Matthew responds, reaching beneath his tunic and removing one of the pistols from its holster. Checking the charge on the weapon, he aims it toward the lock on the door, and says, "You all might want to take a step back. This is not your garden variety weapon." As they comply, the Drifter pulls the trigger back, releasing an ebony charge from the chamber. The energy explodes against the great door, casting a crimson backlash into the air. When the smoke clears, the door stands as it had before, unblemished and unbroken. Matthew stares in disbelief, unwilling to think this his weapon has had no effect on the door, whatsoever. "That's impossible." Laying a hand on his shoulder, Amanda pulls him back to their view and says, "We're in an outer realm. The rules of 'what should be' and 'what should not be' do not apply here. Instead, we should concentrate on other ways of getting through that door." He doesn't mind being on the outside of this, wondering what scene is unfolding before him, but if there's on thing that troubles Seth, it is that he is increasingly torn by his inability to affect the circumstances. If the unexpected events would hold of flong enough for him to master his abilities, he would be more than happy. Biting his lower lip as he descends into deep through, his eyes shoot wide and he remarks, "I think I might have a solution." He breaks rank with the group, stepping forward on his own and examining the door once again. Tracing the splinters in the ancient wood, he nods his head once, and closes his eyes. There is a moment of silence, an absence of any sound save the sounds of their breathing, and then that silence is shattered by the tumbling of the lock from within the door. Opening his eyes once again, he pushes the door open, and with a smile, says, "After you, lady and gentleman." Amanda passes through the entrance first, and as the Drifter begins to pass him, he turns to Seth and asks, "I'm confused. We tried force. We tried just plain turning the door knob. How is it that you managed to open the door without doing anything?" "I guess I just have a way with things," Seth replies, thinking for a moment that his answer should be sufficient, but then he reconsiders, realizing that there needs to be trust here if they plan on making it back out of this world. "I simply communed with the door, tried to understand its place in this world. Once I had gotten into a point of understanding with it, it was simply a matter of convincing the door that iwas unlocked, and needed to turn its tumblers in otder to keep us out." "Amazing. Then I have chosen well in finding my companions for this journey." They pass through the threshold into the front chamber, where Amanda awaits them at the edge of the light from the world outside. The rest of the front chamber is swathed in darkness, its secrets tucked away in shadows. Peeling the hood back from her head, Amanda casts a sphere of light into the air, and illuminates the room in a faint cyan. "So, our perceived destination, which was locked upon arrival, is empty except for the dust and us? The question then is....why was it locked?" From every direction, a strong wind rushes at them, thrusting the door shut behind them and shattering Amanda's concentration enough that the sphere of light dissipates, and they are left alone in the shadow. She feels a warm hand grasp at her arm, squeezing twice lightly in order to assure her that it is a friend, then Seth's voice drifts to her ears, saying, "Light the room again, Amanda. I think we're in danger if we stand in the darkness for too long." But before she can act, a scream erupts from the shadows, piercing in its protrayal of pain and anguish. She quickly weaves the spell, thrusting the sphere of light into the air and drawing Seth closer to her. When the light falls across the room once more, Amanda recoils in fright at the scene laid before her. The blood is the first thing that she sees, as it drops quietly from its exposed teeth. In the creature's arms, Matthew shudders slightly, a gash ripped in his neck and swatched in crimson. His breath is shallow, fading quickly, and the creature fixes its gaze on Amanda and Seth, rattling out a few words, "At last, after decades and centuries, I have completed that which I started so long ago, and the last of the Vindictis lies at my feet. And I have only you to thank for it." --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Next Issue: The Marquis and Ji Nai travel to the ruins of a monastery in Italy, while Daytripper and Seth fight for their lives aginst the vampire that destroyed the Vindictis. Will Ji Nai's emissary arrive in time to save them? Even so, what will Blackheart thinkg now that his prisoner has been set free? And what does all of this have to do with the fabric of realities?