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Pantheon: Chapter 2: Beyond the Curtains

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Chapter Two: Beyond the Curtains

Yuki led them through the archway, again into total darkness. He stopped walking and just stood there as the light behind them seemed to fade. Once everything had grown pitch black, light started to return. This time there wasn't just torchlight. Something else, something Black had never seen was giving off a peculiar shine. There were a few glowing orbs floating in the air, the Aegis Oculi. As the room became lighter he saw that they were not alone, in the room stood two other men wearing long dark blue cloaks.

"Good evening." One of the cloaked men said as Black became fully aware of the gothic style room they were in.  There were intricate carvings all around the room and the ceiling came to a point. The corners all had thick columns and everything was stone, uncommon of the surrounding desert. The room had an eerie feeling about it apart from the out of place architecture. The feeling tugged at his concept of reality. It felt foreboding and ominous.  There was a large desk topped with a fat long spent candle and some very old large books. The man who had spoken was leaning against the desk and the other was sitting behind it.

"Evening," came the response from Yuki in a surprisingly polite tone.

"What do you wish of the gatekeepers tonight?" The seated man gave the impression that he was reciting memorized lines as he spoke.

"I wish to bring a Gaiean in from Terrene," Yuki said almost as if he was making a difficult request.

"Show him." That was the only response from either of the two guards. Black was nudged forward by Yuki into the center of the room. The orbs in the air collected right above his head and became a little brighter. The seated sentry stood and walked over to him and eyed him inquisitively.

"State your name and reason for passing through the gate." One of them said to Black. Before Black could open his mouth, once again, Yuki inserted his words.

"I ask for pardon masters, but I will speak for the boy. His name is Richard, he has no surname. He was an un-adopted orphan on Terrene but a true Gaiean. I wish to guide him back, that he might find his place."

"We need to see his papers and emblem of passage."

"I cannot meet your request. Young Richard was maltreated under government care and will become an omittant. Thus he has no emblem of passage. I do however have all the necessary paperwork for relocation. He'll exist only on milk cartons. Consider this all the documentation necessary for a one way ticket."

The guard thumbed through the papers not paying attention to black letters or red stamps.

"Very well, step into the light, young Richard."

Black took a step into the column of white light underneath the orbs, instantly immersed in the light. He could not see anything except whiteness that appeared to go on forever, until he looked down. Then there he was in the middle of it all black as anything could get. It seemed that all light was sucked into a Richard shaped void. As sharp a contrast as possible, a pillar of glowing white surrounded the permeating shadow Richard.

There was a long moment of near silence as the guards exchanged puzzled looks and mumbling tones. They seemed to wait for something. As if standing under the glow of the orbs didn't give off a strange enough sensation alone, the air in the room became very tense and awkward to breathe. Then a voice too loud came from the only guard who seemed able to speak. "Step out of the light boy. Now step back in, we will attempt this again."

As Black stepped under the orbs he looked down immediately, anxiously. This time his whole body appeared a transparent white. Still he didn't know how to react.

"The boy checks out." stated the guard with a monotone demand directed at Yuki. "Now, you sir, state your name, region of residency and present your emblem of passage."

"Yuki Segoa, of Capriis, city of 1,000 canyons.  Field Worker for G.A.T.E.S. Richard is my assignment. That is all," with that he handed them something Black did not see.

"The light Sir."

Yuki stepped into the light, Black watched. Black thought he understood how the orbs worked. Anything that isn't supposed to be brought into, wherever he was going, glows a bright red under the intense light.  On Yuki's hand there shone a mark of bright red. Where the mark appeared Black knew there was a deep gash, underneath bloody bandages. The guards examined it and Yuki removed and re-wrapped the bandages once again around his hand with a look of satisfaction on his face. Black wondered how the glorified x-ray machines didn't catch his mp3 player. 'Oh well, if they don't work right it's not my problem,' he mused.

"You ought to tend to that as soon as chance allows," said the guard dully and without concern.

"Gee, thanks."

Black scorned at Yuki's sarcasm, 'so he's allowed to mouth off but not me? Go figure!' Caught up in his head with smug comments and questions he hardly heard the end of the formalities and legalities. The guards beckoned towards the Aegis.

"You may pass."  The squeaky voice of the second guard startled Black. He had not noticed the gate behind the Oculi until now. Black didn't appreciate a squeaky voice, to poke at his nerves. Feeling uneasy he wondered if the gate had actually been visible before, 'What else in here is invisible?' Hardly ever nervous here he stood nearly shaking, 'I've already past security once,' but he needed to walk under the aegis a third time to get to the gate. Black hated the feeling, he hated his stomach. His apprehension elevated as they moved towards the gate. 'Alright, best two out of three.' Spring loaded Black stepped, blinded by the brilliant flash as he moved in and out of the light. He stopped beyond the gate just one stride away. Yuki was right behind him. Black speculated if anyone had seen him shine darkness again like his first attempt.

Yuki put his good hand on the gate, it pushed, the gate swung. 'They must have missed it,' Black mused, 'or was I black again?' Black was so occupied with questioning that he didn't admire the intricate patterns and skilled workmanship of the gate. The questions kept him from seeing what lay on the other side, possibly more alarming to a nervous stomach than anything could have been.

On the other side of the gate there was a dark room, a perfect mirror image to the room the pair had just left. Identical columns, identical desk and peculiarly there were identical guards, none of which lured Black form his thoughts. Black didn't notice when the twin guards welcomed them nor did he hear anyone say they were now in Gaia.

All through the poorly-lit corridors past the gate room Black's mind was filled with dark and nagging thoughts. He hated the fact that so many questions were swimming around in his mind. 'Where are they taking me? What is G.A.T.E.S.? Isn't that what Yuki said? It sounds like another state program for troubled youth, is that where I'm headed, just another state facility to help me find my place?' For nine years under state custody he had wondered about his parents and the note tied to his leg but always used tact with his questions. He could never get it out of his mind, driven to find the answers. The questions were like stones lodged in his head and gut. None of the questions however screamed for answers as much as 'why was I black under the aegis, and what is a Gaiean?'' The worry lingered even when joined with a cool feeling of self-importance having broken the security scanners.

It was dark outside of the tunnels. The clouds were speckled with a few patches of night sky.  Lightning sputtered in the distance. Black carried an expression of intrigue that came with the weather. The sky wore the same face as it did back in Las Vegas. Only here there was merely desert as far as the eye could see, just desert, mountains and desert.

"Where are we?"

"The middle of the desert."

"You're sure about that?"

"Shut-up kid." Was all Yuki intended to say but the look on Blacks face was relentless. "We're just outside of Vegas. The less you ask the better. Just hope we don't have any trouble on the way."

"The way wh-" Interruption came by way of a sharp, silent finger pointed at him like a knife.

Yuki began the journey with a quick pace. Confused, Black hurried to catch up leaving a solemn opening in a singular obelisk standing in the middle of a desert valley. They walked for quite some time until Black felt his mind slip off into some other realm.

He woke up around mid-day feeling the warm beginnings of sunburn on his face. The sky was bright, few clouds highlighted the atmosphere and a breeze blew. After a good night sleep he felt a little more like himself. Black was bothered by the sunlight. It seemed brighter than usual, like there was more of it coming from all directions. Before finding time to look around, the gentle motion of the boat explained everything, except he had lost all recollection of having boarded one. He remembered nothing from the late hours of the last night since the gate room, nothing besides a desolate wasteland. 'Man, I must have been out of it' he thought, recalling the questions he had from the night before.

He felt a little out of place when he saw Yuki and all the other crewmen in robes and other more appropriate desert attire. His regular attitude however convinced him they were idiots. 'Ok keep your cool man,' he said to himself, as the thought of them possibly being terrorists crept into the shadows of his mind as he went underneath the deck. There with the quiet gentle sounds of the vessel's movement he was again lost in his thoughts. Where he was going, how he would steal some clothes, and so on.

"Get up worm, and pull your weight around here. Don't think you can sleep your way out of the exodus." Yuki's voice startled Black, hardly aware that he had again been asleep. "Well get moving boy." With that Black made his way up to the deck. He didn't like the chores they made him do. But finally it came to an end climaxed by more work docking the boat to a rickety pier with only a single boat house beside it. It was obvious this desolate corner of the lake was not their destination.

'This must be the east end of Lake Mead,' thought Black, having been there before but this time it seemed a bit different. Not being able to put his finger on it, he tried to put the thought out of his mind. Instead his mouth opened as if it had some question to ask. One that he should have thought of already but he paused, his query having slipped away.

"No questions? Good! Just follow me and keep your eyes on the road, no wandering." Yuki made the rules pretty plain, but being drawn out of his stupor Black decided he had no intention of making them his own. Before long it was dark and Black had his eyes on nearly everything but the road. It was a spectacular view yet there was nothing to see. Black didn't know what to expect. He had seen the Grand Canyon before, but this time he was waiting for something more than just a bright red and orange panorama.

As they walked uphill in silence Black's perception of time did flips. They may have been walking for hours or maybe just a few minutes, every step felt as though time had changed, faster, slower, faster. Lost in thought Black tried not to pay attention to time. This place felt different somehow, confusing, like everything around him was more complex, alive even. His head spun with shifting reality.

It was the sunset that broke the silence, the sharp contrast of the shadows bouncing off the walls of the canyons and the dramatic glow of the rock reflecting sun. The shadows danced along the towering walls as twilight withered away. They looked animate and moving.

"What are you looking at squirt? Never seen the grand canyon before?"

"No I've seen it but…"

"But what?"

'But what,' thought Black, 'but not at sunset,' 'but not with shadows like that.' Both sound stupid he thought.

"But it's been a while," Black lied.

"I see, well if you think you see anything in the shadows, you don't, keep your eyes on the road.  I've got a whip in my box, if I decide I need it…" Yuki trailed off not finishing his threat. He didn't need to. Black understood, considering how much of it might be literal. Still that wasn't going to stop him from disobedience. He wasn't going to just bow down to Yuki, not after he made it clear there was something to see. Black wouldn't tolerate being kept in the dark.

As they reached the top of whatever climb it was they were hiking they approached a small village. The village was made up of no more than fifteen buildings and a few farms. The houses all looked out over the west end of the Grand Canyon. The view was gorgeous especially at night when there was more mystery behind each peak and a palpable secret deep in every crevice.

The town was more or less empty except for a few people outside of one of the buildings, the biggest, the only one with a glow in the windows. Thinking the sheen was a bit oddly colored Black was dragged towards the building. It appeared to be an inn. It was that moment that Black realized the strange light was not from electric lights but from fire, lanterns and candles. They must be too remote out here for any electricity, he cursed.

"Off the grid is right! But what's the point when there's nothing here worth stealing?"

Yuki only kept walking. Ignoring Black's protests he disappeared into the low light of the inn.

"DUO  PINY."

By the time Black located Yuki he realized everyone was speaking another language he couldn't recognize. Baffled, he at least picked up on what was last said when the bartender handed them each a drink. Black wasn't sure what he was drinking but he liked it. It was cold and refreshing. It was sweet with some bitter taste to it like some kind of watermelon ginger ale he thought. The mug emptied in a few swallows. His aching and fatigue seemed to lessen quicker than normal after such a long hike. Black wanted another glass. He needed more. All he could think about was getting another drink. A dreamy smile grazed his face as he turned towards the bartender. Then the room became blurry but Black didn't care, he was as content as he had ever been. If only he could have another drink. He opened his mouth to ask for another and tripped. He blacked out when his face hit the edge of the bar.

Yuki raised his hand and without any physical contact, scooped Black up off the floor. Ignoring the stare of several nearby patrons Yuki tipped the bartender and pushed a floating Black out the door. The weightless hovering body was then slipped onto a cart waiting in the unpaved street. With a gesture and a few whispers Yuki began the long trek to the heart of the Grand Canyon.

------------------------------------------------

"So how'd you sleep little one?"

"Wha- What ha- You, you slipped something in my drink!"

"It's better this way…"

"What the hell! I swear I'll kill you if you don't start giving me some answers."

"Keep your pants on kid. I'm going to tell you everything now. It was better to wait, you'll thank me later squirt"

"Like h-"

"Shut up and listen. If I told you before you would not have believed me anyway. You'd have not been able to handle the truth even if you believed it. Just be glad I am even telling you at all, instead of wiping your memory. You're extremely lucky."

"The truth?" Black added his sarcasm. Everything that had happened since the museum felt like it was out of some far-fetched movie. "What, no blue or red pill to choose from?"

"I said shut up and listen. Dinosaurs…er uh," Yuki stumbled, not knowing where to start. "Well you don't know much about history do you?"

"What do I care about history?"

"Alright smarts how about this, magic is real. You've seen it already. The world you came from, Terrene, Earth as you call it, is a twin. Its twin is called Gaia. There are a lot of unknowns of where Gaia actually exists but well, what do you know about myth and religion?"

"...uhh...-"

"So, just as much as you do about history then huh? You are hopeless boy. Forget it come with me."

Black hesitated as Yuki tore off the bed covering. Intuition told Black that he wasn't quite well enough to get up yet. Black defied and quickly got to his feet. He wasn't going to let Yuki think he was weak. His head swam as blood rushed through his body like a sailboat in a tsunami. Yuki cracked a smile waiting for Black to stand by him, next to massive curtains hanging over what could only be the large mansion-like windows crammed inappropriately into this small room.

The moment Black reached the spot where Yuki was waiting the rushing sound of thick blood red drapes swept over him and blew his hair back. Black was instantly blinded by a blazing hot morning sun. He staggered and nearly fell. Yuki laughed and pulled his young tyro up by the arm. "Get up worm legs," Yuki mocked.

Black regained his ground just as his eyes had finally adjusted. Leaning over the windowsill, his breath was stolen by what lay beyond the curtains.

Stay tuned for Chapter Three: Heist!
the beginnings of Black's journey in Gaia; the magical counterpart to earth. i dont think ill post more than three chapters whole. still making slow progress editing the second half of the book.

all comments and feedback are super appreciated!

enjoy
© 2012 - 2024 neophytegod
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JustBecause62's avatar
Very nice! You've really gotten me into this story, which is saying something as I'm only 2 chapters in.

Two little things I'm not sure about:
a) How did Black learn that the orbs were called Aegis Oculi? It seems like he just suddenly knows what they are, even though they're clearly magical.
b) Even more minor, but I don't think it's mentioned that Yuki gives the papers to the guard. Yuki talks about the papers, then suddenly the guard is paging through them; that threw me off a little.

Now...must go read more chapters. :sprint: