Outside the time, p.18
Outside the time, page 18
Henry stopped long enough to take a drink of water before he continued.
"My intention was not to use it but I also wasn't going to let them hurt me. The man reached into a satchel he had over his shoulder and pulled out a juicy orange and slowly held it out to me. Releasing the flames I grabbed it from him, afraid or not I was starving. The man kept trying to calm me down while the others had backed off. They were telling the man they needed to move on it was too dangerous to stay on the road for very long with the warlocks after them. That's when I saw her she had been hiding in some rocks with two other children."
Henry squeezed Molly's hand again.
"It was the first time I saw Molly. She ran up to the man, who turned out to be her father though not her biological father, and stood beside him. With both hands she snapped her fingers and an icicle appeared between them."
"I knew when my father was failing to calm him it wasn't going to end well. My situation was similar in that my father had found me by the side of the road, discarded like trash when I was only a year old. I was raised amongst the Nomag as one of them until my magic woke up. In fear, the village cast me out and my father wouldn't leave my side so he came with me. We had been traveling ever since."
"We've been together ever since the day we met. There are two ways for us to be attracted to someone, both in the traditional sense with the physical attraction but also through our spirit guides. They are an extension of ourselves so it is possible that we can hate someone in their human form but our spirit guides are drawn to them. This was the case with Molly and me. After that first encounter we really didn't get along at all. She got on my nerves and she thought I was a pompous ass."
"He was a pompous ass." Henry ignored her.
"As we traveled that's when I learned that somehow, someway, Khail had started a revolution of sorts. He had convinced the warlocks to finally show how much better we are to the Nomag and take them out. Those that weren't killed, were captured as slaves, or were to be nothing more then baby factories."
"That's the part I don't understand." Mike asked softly. "If they hate the Nomag why the hell would they want to have babies with them? Wouldn't they want to preserve their so called master race by making more pure bread magical munchkins?"
"Because just having two magic parents does not necessarily mean you will have magic offspring. There is about a five percent chance the child is Nomag, just like there is about a thirty percent chance a Nomag woman can bear a magic child when she has sex with a warlock. So they increase their odds by raping any woman, magic or not."
Molly was quick to answer.
"Being a woman in Azrail or any of the lands in our dimension, is dangerous, they have not yet discovered equal rights for woman. Our place is very much on our backs with our legs in the air. A woman who cannot bare children is murdered. A woman who does not produce a magical heir is hung from the gallows, and a woman who does not hold her tongue in the presence of a man will lose her head without question. That is another reason why we will not force our children to go through the rift. Here they can be whomever they want. If Mike wants to continue to be an artist he can, if Angie decides to be a doctor, she can. Sam can keep changing his majors a thousand times but it's still his right to do so. But there… they would be lucky if they were the servant of someone powerful and Angie would already be taken by someone to prepare for birthing."
"No offense but that sounds like an absolutely sexist and crap society!" I suddenly shouted.
Now I was no feminist mind you, I would never burn my bra for liberation, I did not care if someone called me chick or babe. But I sure as hell would not stand by and let someone tell me what I could and could not be when I grew up. What I could or could not do with my life. Those choices were mine and mine alone. My blood was boiling over this civilization I had never seen and probably would never see, but there it was. Boiling over like a pot stuck on the stove way to long. Taking deep breaths I tried to calm myself.
"It was, and probably still is, a very sexist backwards society. But you must keep in mind there was a time when that kind of behavior was also viewed as acceptable here. The only difference is there has yet to be anyone to stand up for their rights there. And unlike here they probably would be slaughtered easily by a warlock." Henry tried to explain but it really did not make things better in my eyes. "Molly and I managed to make it through our childhoods and eventually her father met another and settled down. Because she and I were magic users we didn't stay, we both agreed that it was too dangerous both for us and for them. At that point the war between Nomag and warlocks had really come to a boiling point."
"Father protested at first but we were both seventeen and in that society sixteen is considered an adult. A boy turns sixteen he is drafted to fight and he is put to work at whatever career he has been deemed worthy of. A woman turns sixteen and it is time for her to be wed and begin baring children, so we knew that father could not stop us, but just to be safe we left under cover of darkness." Molly sighed. "While he was not my biological father it pained me to leave. Through his second wife he bore two of his own children, to go with the three she already had, so I knew he was happy and he would be safe with the protection charms I gave him and the children."
"In a way leaving together is what brought us closer. We agreed to marry, despite at that time neither of us having feelings for each other outside the attraction our spirit guides had for one another." Henry added.
"A dog and a cat in love, what are the odds?" Sam cracked. Henry glared at him through the corner of his eye.
"The marriage was out of connivance and safety. Being able to call her my wife gave her a better chance of not being taken by another. It would bring up less questions about a man and woman traveling together un-wed and of age. It worked for two years until a passing group of bandits came upon us. I don't know how they suspected that we weren't really married but they did, and I was given a choice. Take her into my bed or they would."
"Not sure I want to hear this." Sam said covering his ears.
"Me either, ew." Mike cracked joining his brother in the covering of his ears. Both started saying 'la la la la' over and over again.
"So I allowed him to take me that night. It was awkward at first he kept apologizing for it but then…" She smiled at Henry who smiled back. "I realized I was enjoying it. I knew then I loved him and wanted to be with him always. We conceived Samuel a couple months later."
Henry touched Sam's arm to let him know it was safe to lower his hands.
"When Sam was born we settled in a Nomag village. The road was no place for a baby. Never mind the dangers of bandits but also of weather, animals, everything was a risk to the baby and even more he slowed us down. We lived in shelter of the Nomag for two years. Using our magic only to aid them when needed but otherwise we acted as if we were one of them. We were on the very outskirts of Azrail, at the boundary of Xyriece, so we thought we were safe. Xyriece would not let any from Azrail cross into their lands but they also would not attack a Nomag village as they still lived in peace with them. Many in Azrail would not go near the boundary so we truly thought we were safe. But then one day we were at a river a few miles away teaching Sam how to swim. Over the ridge there was a plume of smoke coming from the direction of the village. I left Molly and Sam at the river to investigate and told them to head for the boundary if I did not return."
My eyes were wide as I was truly engrossed in the story. What he was saying was something out of a movie or book. It could not possible be real and yet it was.
"When I reached the village Khail was still there with a handful of survivors begging for their lives. He was demanding they tell him where the magic users were, he could sense that we had been there. I thought maybe I could save them if I stepped out. Honestly I didn't know Khail was my brother, I couldn't sense him at all, just thought he was any other Warlock. But the second I stepped out of my shadow he knew me. That was when I felt it, an evil like no other. My stomach turned over on itself, the hairs on my arms and back stood on end, and nausea rushed over me. It took all my strength to stand before him and not collapse from the sickness that plagued me. My only thought was to get away, get away as far and as fast as I could but I had to be careful about how I went about it."
"Henry was gone too long so I scooped up Sam and headed for the boundary as he had suggested. If it had just been me I would have gone after him, but I had to think of our son. When I reached the boundary I was naturally met by the protectors of it. I begged them for safe passage to the nearest village. But they wouldn't hear of it. So I tried another approach I begged them only for the safety of Sam, that he be given asylum and I would go look for his father who was in danger. They still didn't care they continued to order me to leave. Having no place to go and with a young child I held my ground. Even if they were not going to grant me asylum I had to think they wouldn't let me and my child be slaughtered if anyone came. So I took Sam to a tree nearby, still in sight of the boundary protectors. I tried to remain a wake at all times but on the third day sleep over came me."
Sam quickly hopped up from his seat and rushed over to his mom to wrap his arms around her. Tears were flowing freely as she remembered everything. She patted his hand and he returned to his seat.
"When I awoke I was lying in a bed in a brick room somewhere. Fear overcame me as I frantically called out for Sam who was not by my side. A woman entered with a wreath made of thorny roses on her head, her golden hair flowing down all around her like a blanket. She smiled at me as she carried a plate of food towards me. It turned out that she had had me brought to that place, the capital city of Xyriece where her husband the Cahgie resided. Sam was outside playing with the other children, she assured me he was fine and that I could eat and join him. I don't think I have ever eaten that fast in my life."
Molly wiped the tears from her eyes with a small laugh.
"My food was inhaled and I was out the door looking for Sam within minutes. There he was chasing around a chicken with a couple other young Nomag children. Off to the side there was a group of warlock children being taught how to control their powers. It was the first time I had seen so many Nomag and warlocks in one city. The Cahgie greeted me and offered me asylum until Henry came for me. I had asked him why, when his people had so adamantly refused to let me through the border, but he never gave me an answer. I didn't know when Henry would come but I knew I would have sensed it had he perished so I knew at least at that time he was safe."
"I wasn't gone long. I played along with Khail, trying to study him and find out who he was. It still hadn't dawned on me who he was but something felt very familiar about him. He had killed all the Nomag that I wasn't able to free and he was about ready to move on, taking me with him and away from my wife. So I knew I could wait no longer. I had to make my move and get away. Perhaps it was courage or just stupidity but I confronted him. Demanded he tell me who he was. He laughed and seemed surprised I didn't recognize my own brother."
I took a quick glance outside and saw that the sun had set and it was starting to rain out. I was so engrossed in the story that time had past by quickly. Despite the sleep washing over me I did not want to stop as we were going home the next day, I had no idea when I would get another opportunity to hear about anything.
"That was when he told me his plan to eradicate all the Nomag from the land, starting with Azrail before moving on to the others. When he said he planned to make me suffer for abandoning him, by making me watch as he slaughtered my wife and child, rage like no other shot through me. My blood boiled, it didn't matter to me that he didn't actually know before then that I had a wife and child. He was simply grasping at straws, but I attacked him. As bad as it is to brag I have to admit I did a good job. I held my own before he got the upper hand. He was about to strike the killing blow when a bright light came out of nowhere and distracted him long enough for me to get up and get away. I didn't want to lead him to Molly and Sam so I hid out for a couple of days to ensure he wasn't following me before I went in search of them."
"Was it the Xyriece Cahgie that caused the light?" I asked.
My body really felt exhausted. Sleep had been pulling on me and it my eyes were heavy. I covered my mouth to hide a yawn. Mike squeezed my hand and I felt some of his magic creep into me to provide me a little more energy to continue on.
"We still don't know. He wouldn't admit to it when I asked. It was he who taught me how to open the rift. He said I would be safer there. I asked him why he was helping us escape and he only said the fates had deemed me worth rescuing. But again he wouldn't elaborate. He told me it wasn't a permanent fix as Khail would eventually discover it himself. But that I could gain some time to raise my child and build up my strength to face him again. He gave me a single book of spells to practice with and sent us on our way. That was it, no other guidance, no other reasoning; it amounted to nothing more then a pat on the back. It was hard adjusting to life here at first. Cars, televisions, airplanes, hell just electricity was incredible! Another family of Warlocks felt the rift open and they came for us. They were the ones that helped us first assimilate into society, they were good to us."
"How long were you here before Khail found you?" I asked.
"Two years. We had just conceived Mike when Khail first appeared in a fog rift. For some reason he couldn't cross over though, he could only stand in the fog. But to me that didn't matter, eventually he would find a way to cross over. So we ran. Mike had just turned six when Khail first managed to cross over and almost got him. That's when I decided to find a way to close the rift. We sought out others of our kind, scoured the book the Cahgie gave me, anything we could think of." Henry finished. "So that's it, that's our story. We move to keep our children safe and to find a way to stop Khail from crossing over."
"Why does he go to these lengths to kill us?" Mike asked. "I mean I get he thinks you some how betrayed him but why cross into another dimension after you?"
"Because he's nuts! Even I can see that." I muttered. I looked at the scar on Mike's arm that had to have been cause by Khail when he attacked.
"I think it has more to do with the fact that it is a world full of Nomag. A world without Cahgie rule, a world that he can take for his own if he can ever find a way to stay. Once the fog clears he is gone, every time. I don't know if it is because he is actually too weak to completely cross over or that he simply can't." Henry sighed. "He can crossover but only in short bursts."
"Have you never gone back then? I guess to see what the situation is? Maybe it isn't as dire as it was when you left and Khail is going rouge or something." I tried to sound hopefully but also was kicking myself.
Come on Paula why are you even hinting at the possibility of them taking Mike away from you? Get a grip girl!
"No, I've never gone back and without my family I never will." He did not say another word. Just stood up and walked over to pick a sleeping Angie off the floor and take her to bed. No matter how hard I tried to imagine it, I just could not fathom the idea of leaving my home behind nor being hunted by my own brother. But the nagging question rang in my head. Just what the hell did Khail want with me?
Chapter 15 – Wake me up
With a loud growl I slide my phone closed and shoved it back in my pocket forcefully. Mike did not even bother looking at me as we rode the bus back to my house after our movie date. He knew why I was upset. It was my birthday and normally the first person to wish me a happy birthday was Charlie.
I knew it would be harder with me on the west coast but I expected to wake up to an email, a text message, hell I would have been happy with a carrier pigeon! But no! Instead I got nothing, all day long nothing.
No call.
No text.
No email.
No smoke signals.
My former best friend in the whole world did not bother to wish me a happy birthday, yeah I was pissed! And above all I was hurt.
I really did not want to go out for my birthday, I was so used to just staying home and watching crappy movies with Charlie. I knew it would not be possible for us to do that after the move, so things had to change a little bit, but it did not make me any less un-happy about it.
The movie was my choice so I went with a comedy figuring it might cheer me up. But it turned out to be an absolutely crap movie. Like a lot of movies, the best parts were shown in the trailer, while the rest was a complete and utter dud.
That took my already sour mood in a choke hold, threw it against the ground with a pile driver, and then repeatedly hit it with a sledge hammer. Mike was smart enough not to even attempt cheering me up. I would have just bit his head off and crammed it down his own throat. He simply held my hand and kept quiet.
Officially that was our sixth date since we came out as a couple to everyone. My brother and Claire both took the 'it's about time' approach, my mom and dad naturally sat us both down and gave us that talk. They would often find time to come by my room and make sure the door was open more often then they had been before.
Jez did not say much, she kind of glared at us both before mumbling something I could not make out. Vanessa and Marsha both gave me the death stare the first time we walked through the school holding hands. I thought for sure Vanessa was going to shoot lightning bolts at me when she saw us kissing on a bench in the quad between classes.
Vanessa was so jealous she actually flagged me down while I was walking to meet Mike for lunch. She pinned me against the lockers, hard enough the lock actually bruised my back, and told me to break up with him. I had no business being with him ever. That he was not my type.
