Dreams of Jupiter

Part 4 - A New Horizon

Myles had just enough time to blink before he found himself being slung forward into brilliant light and strength-sapping heat. Instinctively he tucked himself into a ball as he flew through the air. Just in time; just as he finished pulling his legs in, his shoulder hit ground and he was rolling, dissipating momentum as he did. 

Before he could come to a complete stop, however, he was jerked to a halt by strong hands taking hold of him. They then hauled him bodily to his feet. 

"Hey, ...!" he angrily began. Only to stop short when the flat point of a long, lightly curved blade was pressed against his chest. A single-edged blade attached to a long shaft, like a medieval polearm. A shaft being firmly gripped by a heavy-shouldered being in motley armor. 

"Careful, my young friend," Steve said from somewhere behind him. "These Eskarin warriors may look rough and ill-kempt but they are experts with those razor staves. He'll gut you like a fish before you had the chance to breathe!" 

Then the lean sorcerer gingerly stepped into view. A wave of his hand and the knot of Eskarin in motley armor that had Myles surrounded, slowly lowered their deadly-looking weapons. 

"Thankfully I have an understanding with their master," Steve said, looking at Myles. "So there will be no fish gutting today." Another wave and the Eskarin took a step back from the bewildered and tremulous young man, giving him a bit of breathing room. And the chance to take a quick look at their surroundings. 

The last thing he had seen before crossing the portal's threshold was the city covered by jungle. Judging by the dense undergrowth that surrounded them in various shades of green, they had landed somewhere in that jungle. The air was heavy, both with humidity and a thousand smells Myles had never before experienced. It felt so thick, in fact, that nearby structures, already nearly hidden in the undergrowth, were further obscured by an eye-bewildering haze. A glance upward yielded what sky was visible through the overhanging canopy was such a vibrant cerulean to be almost purple. A sky that was half full with the misty crescent of the world Steve had called Bordain. 

Blinking as if to wash away the alien vision, Myles let his eyes drop back to an amused Steve. 

"That's right, Mr Abbott, you are no longer on Earth," the lean sorcerer confirmed drily, a slight smile visible now that daylight could throw aside the shadows beneath his hood. "I'm glad you can breathe our air." Then he was sobering. 

"As much as I'd like to play the gracious host and give you a detailed description of this place, how you got here, and why it was so imperative that you accompany me here, time and the situation doesn't permit such a luxury. So I will be succinct." 

Steve paused to make a circular gesture with a long-fingered hand. 

"What you see around you is the tired and worn remains of a once mighty empire. An empire that, by virtue of strength of arms and cunning tactics, conquered far and wide, bringing thousands of worlds under their dominion. Eventually, however, the empire exhausted itself and collapsed, its surviving citizens falling into a dark age where much of their learning and technology was lost." 

Steve paused there, as if to gather his thoughts. 

"It took some time but, after several generations of struggle, the descendants of those citizens have begun to emerge from the darkness. Unfortunately they still struggle as the various races trapped on Vandium when the empire fell, continue to fight for territory, scarce resources, and what little hope remains for the future." 

Again the sorcerer paused, this time to turn his gaze fully on the stunned young human. 

"The greatest of those hopes are embodied in a single entity, a being we call the Seer of Vandium. From the beginning the seer has carried the essence of hope from generation to generation, passing from one vessel to the next, preserving the very heart and soul of our ancient race, the Vengazi. Most recently the mantle of seership has fallen to a young and gifted woman, Ceana of Tor Kaelem."