Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2001 19:59:36 -0400
From: Dabeagle <dabeagle@hotmail.com>
Subject: Through Time 3

Through Time 3

	We followed the flashing orbs down the passageway, and Kody was
fascinated. I have never seen him so interested in something but those orbs
had made him forget that we had been being chased just a moment ago. My
heart, meanwhile, was galloping in the next town somewhere. We continued
following the glow of the orbs on the slight downward angle until we were
once again in the huge domed chamber. Kody stood in awe as he tried to take
it all in at once, the jeweled keystones and the gold gilt reflecting a
mellow glow as the orbs lighted the room.
	I began looking around for some kind of weapon to defend with in
case Michael somehow figured out how to get in. As I searched I figured
that he probably hadn't found the note, more likely he had seen us leaving
somehow and decided to follow. More than likely he thought we had the knife
and were going to hide it as a blackmail tool or something. I figured he
was panicking up there but the chances of his finding the stone were
small. Just the same I didn't want to die, and now I was responsible for
Kody as well.
	Kody had wandered to the mural that had enchanted me less than 12
hours ago and was staring at the image. If you ask me I think he was
staring at the kid with the satchel, but that was probably just my
imagination running away with things.
	"Who do you think these people are? Do you think they were real
people?" Kody asked.
	"I don't know Kody. They look too real to me to be made up." I
replied distractedly. There seemed to be no weapons. In the distance I
heard a rumble and realized that Michael had found the flagstone and had
opened the door. I was seized with the thought to defend myself with an
orb, don't ask me why. I reached into the nearest sconce containing a blue
orb and tested its weight in my hand. The soft gel feel gave it the heft of
a baseball, more or less. I moved nearer the doorway he'd come from. Again
I was seized with an idea, and I was beginning to feel as though they were
being suggested to me rather than me thinking them up all by myself. Almost
like I was getting help. I took the orb and stepped about a foot into the
passageway and threw it on the floor with as much strength as I could
muster. What happened next was like out of a movie. The orb split open on
the floor like an overripe pomegranate and the blue seemed to spread on the
floor to the walls, and then started to climb the walls, finally snapping
in place as it stretched across the passageway to join solidly in sealing
the passageway.
	Michael screamed as he caught sight of me and aimed the pistol. The
report was deafening in the small passageway. I no sooner had the gun been
fired than I saw the slug in front of me, surrounded by a blue aura, and
slowly dissolving into small round pellets, and they in turn dissipating
again into yet smaller pellets. I stood in amazement. I heard the pistol
dry fire once, twice and then Michael bellowed and charged down the
passageway, I could only assume that he didn't see what happened and I
yelled to him to stop. He threw the pistol at me and before our eyes the
gun disintegrated as the bullet had. He slowed his approach and stood on
the opposite side of the blue splotch on the floor that was joining itself
on the ceiling, having completed its journey up the walls of the
passage. He stood in amazement of the wall, and I have to say I was pretty
impressed myself. Or would have been if I wasn't ready to piss myself.
	"How'd you do that?" He asked cautiously.
	"Magic." I replied, and turned to walk back to the chamber. Inside
I was shaking and wondering what just happened. Kody stood open-mouthed in
the doorway of the chamber. I tugged his sleeve and told him to help me
gather the remaining orbs into our bags. It looks like they could come in
handy. Strangely enough, as we gathered the orbs, the light didn't fade
away, as I thought it would.
	"Hey, look!" Kody said, "The sun came out over there!"
	I turned to look at the giant mural and sure enough he sun was
shining brightly in the blue sky behind the two riders and the boy, and the
sunlight was illuminating the room. I was dumbfounded. I wondered how long
the blue wall would hold.
	"The portal is fickle. But the one thing it cannot ignore is need."
	I whirled to look for the voice but found just Kody and I. Our eyes
locked and we realized there had to be someone else here. We scoured the
room silently until we came back to stand in front of the mural. I heard
Michael grunting and went to see what he was up to. The blue light was
fading and he was throwing small pebbles at it to test its integrity. One
got through the middle. I wheeled quickly and tried to head for the exit
but I found that the door that had been hiding in plain sight the last time
I was here was gone.
	In desperation I pulled Kody onto the blue disc with me and I began
to sound the words again that were written on the edge of the disc,
desperately hoping my need was strong enough to activate the portal. The
portal shimmered to life. And Kody and I ran into it, stepping into the
barn.

	Michael thrust into he room to find it laced with shadows, almost
as if the sun were setting. Two silver poles sparkled for a moment in the
fading light and he saw a door standing open across the room. They must be
there! He hurried through and found himself in a stone passageway that
slowly arched upward towards the surface. He came to the doorway Aaron had
seen less than twelve hours before, with ornate leaf carvings so realistic
they seemed to move in the breeze. He pressed all about the doorway and one
leaf sunk into the foliage and the door swung open, and a few minutes later
found himself on the grass near the school. They must still be inside,
tricked me he thought to himself. He raced back to the stone floor of the
keep, and found the stone that would let him in, but it refused to
budge. He threw his head back and screamed in utter rage and frustration.

	The smell was awful. A cow pie mingled with mud does not a pretty
fragrance make. We moved carefully to get deep into an empty stall, so as
not to catch anyone's attention. As we slowly adjusted to our environment I
realized our clothing had changed. I was wearing what appeared to be
leather breeches, as was Kody. I had a green tunic and he had a red one of
similar cut. Weren't we christmasy? Our backpacks had turned into leather
pouches with drawstrings at the top. Kody said something and at first I
thought that I hadn't heard him, but then I realized that I had, it was
just that he was speaking the same language as the boy I had seen in the
portal yesterday.  What's more, I understood him.
	"It looks like were in a barn, Kode." I said, hearing the fluid
tongue come from my mouth.
	"Yeah, but where's here?" Kody asked.
	"I don't know, but we better be careful and stick together." I
said. Kody nodded his head in agreement. We shouldered our bags so that
they could not be easily stolen from us, and we left enough room to reach
an orb for protection. So doing we stepped into the sunlight in front of
the barn.
	The sight was breathtaking. We were inside the keep, as it had been
hundreds of years ago. Tall stonewalls rose around us, and the main tower
stood about two hundred feet or so away from us. People bustled in and out
of the main gate, which was off to our left, and an open-air market teemed
with people on our right. We slowly walked through the crowd threading our
way along the booths with people selling their wares.  Hot meat sizzled on
open pit fires and fresh vegetables were stacked high on covered carts.  I
wasn't exactly sure what to do, so I headed for the tower, maybe I could
find that flagstone and access the chamber that was hopefully to be found
with it. As we approached the tower there was a set of guards on either
side of the doorway questioning and examining credentials. Before we could
turn away the guard on the left spoke.
	"You two are the kitchen boys?" He asked gruffly.
	"Yes," I replied before Kody could speak. The guard grunted and
motioned to a servant inside the doorway and spoke roughly to him.
"William, take them to the kitchen, and bring me drink on your return." The
boy nodded and gestured for them to follow. They were led into the tower
and then through it, past a courtyard of swordsmen sparring with one
another, and then down a flight of stairs. As they descended the
temperature rose and they were deposited in the kitchen. A great oaf of a
woman was tending pots and screaming at three other women to mind their
work. She wheeled abruptly and eyed us while addressing William.  "And
what's this about, eh? You better have a good reason to be in my kitchen,
I've no need of freeloaders, and I haven't any scraps."
	William gave a small nod of his head at us and nudged us in her
direction, and then pointed at the clay mug on the oven and indicated that
it should go upstairs.
	"A drink, that fat cow wants a drink from me? I'll piss in a flagon
for him, and he'll be happy with that!" She cackled and poured wine into a
clay mug and set it in William's hands.
	"Now you fetch me that cup right back, you hear what I tell you?"
She waggled a fat finger at William, who lowered his head demurely before
beating a retreat. The ox woman turned on us and seemed to be weighing and
measuring us with her eyes.
	"You two have parents? Any family at all?" She inquired, not
unkindly.
	"No mum." I murmured, mimicking William's lowered head. Kody
followed suit a moment later.
	"Well, at least you have manners, you remember them and you'll be
fine. I'll feed you first, gorry you look hungry, and then you can
start. The pigs will get slopped after the evening meal, William will show
you where all that is when he returns from playing guard with the master at
bloody arms." She laughed uproariously, and set about filling a clay plates
with food. It smelled delicious and we set to them ravenously.
	"Poor dears probably haven't eaten in days. Well, you'll be well
fed while in the kitchen, that's for sure." She smiled and went back to her
pots. After eating we were put to work as promised, although truth be told
it wasn't bad. We went out as our last chore to slop the pigs, escorted by
William, who seemed to be very quiet. We talked quietly between us about
what to do about our predicament. We had to get to the main tower, but we
were bone tired. We agreed we'd look the following day. We carried our
buckets, but as we walked Kody nudged me and said, "Aaron, look! It's him!
The one from the picture!"
	I looked up quickly to see the lone figure enter the barn and
disappear. We slopped the pigs and tried to wait for the boy to reemerge,
but William urged us back and we followed.
	That night we bedded down next to the hearth and slept solidly, as
we had no energy left. William lay with us, and as the night grew longer
and the heat of the hearth faded, we clustered tighter together for warmth.
	The next day was strange, to say the least. We were woken roughly
and the ox woman seemed not to know us, although she softened just as she
had the day before and put us to work. The guard that was on the front gate
the day before came down and took William for his first day of
training. First day? What the hell happened to yesterday? Everyone seemed
to have forgotten we were here and working! The day progressed and we slept
again by the hearth when the day was done. We awoke the same way the next
morning. What the hell was going on?
	That night the three of us walked out to slop the pigs. Let me tell
you walking behind William is no chore, he's absolutely gorgeous. I tried
to engage him in conversation and he didn't seem to hear me. I spoke again,
louder this time. He continued on as if nothing had happened. I was getting
frustrated when Kody burst out, "Aaron, look it's the boy from the
picture!"
	I looked up quickly to find he was correct, it was the boy from the
picture. He went into the barn with a pitchfork over his shoulder. William
looked at the retreating boy and shivered a bit. We proceeded to the slop
pens, just next to the barn doors and began pouring out the contents for
the smelly animals. We lingered and waited and presently were rewarded with
the sight of the boy reemerging from the barn. He walked with his shoulders
slumped and was almost on top of us when William whistled lowly and the
boy's head whipped up.
	"William! Oh, William how are you?" He cried out softly, embracing
our escort. William just nodded ands smiled at the other. The boy noticed
us just then and his eyes went wide.
	"You, you're from the portal. I saw you."
	I opened my mouth to reply, but we were cut off by the emergence of
the man I had seen in the portal the other day. He growled angrily at the
boy we had just met and he spoke to us quickly.
	"William, they were sent to help me, come find me in the
keep... William, show them the way, they will help us."
	William nodded and seemed to regard us a bit differently. I wasn't
sure if that was a good or bad thing, but it happened nonetheless. The
large man had reached us and cuffed the boy hard on the shoulders and
pushed him into motion ahead of him.

After we had lain near the hearth for about an hour, William woke us. He
beckoned us to follow him and we crept cautiously to the keep's tower. We
came to an intersection in the passageway William chose the right hand
passage and headed down the windowed passage with Kody and I in tow. As we
reached the end of the passage there was another hallway and two sets of
stairs, one going up and one down. We followed the stone stairs up. As we
reached the second level we found ourselves in a deserted
passageway. Walking slowly in the curved space we made a slow circle
whereupon we came on another set of stairs leading up.  We ascended again
into a hallway with three doors. We walked down the passage testing the
first door, which was locked fast. We walked to the second door and before
I could push the third door opened and a guard emerged cinching his
waistcoat. I decided it would be bad to be caught here and pushed on the
second door, which opened quickly and we ducked in unobserved.
	We were in a largish chamber with a desk on one wall and a chair
and couch near the leaded window. If I had to guess I would say it was a
sitting room. There was another door that looked as if it might lead to the
first room, which had been locked. We headed to that door and pushed, and
found ourselves in a sleeping chamber with a huge, elevated four post
bed. It looked as though someone important lived here and I thought it best
we leave. I turned on my heel and the door wouldn't budge. I went to the
door leading to the passageway, and it too was shut tight. We were trapped.

	We inspected the room in order to just keep busy, mostly but
curiously enough William seemed completely at ease. The doors were solid
hard wood and seemed to have some kind of catch so that the one leading to
the sitting room could be opened from one side, but not the other. Curious,
I wonder if there was a way to see what was holding it? I scanned the door
but didn't see anything, and then we started to take stock of the room,
looking for likely hiding spots. From the looks of things, under the bed
was about it. Something rattled heavily off the door leading to the
hallway, followed by a rattle of a key sliding home in a lock, William,
Kody and I slid under the bed quickly. By tucking back into the shadows we
could see the door opening, but be lost in the folds of darkness under the
bed. The heavy door swung open and several sets of feet were visible. One
smaller set stumbled into the room followed by a much larger pair. The door
slammed shut and the two sets of feet stood toe to toe.
	"You realize your mother is dead." An older voice said slowly, and
the large set of feet turned and began to pace slowly on the stone floor,
"She dies screaming for more from the men that took her, repeatedly, like a
common whore." The feet paused and the voice continued, "But that was weeks
ago and your father did nothing. By this time in a fortnight your father
will receive word of you having a living death, that will surely break
him." The voice paused as if to grind a point home, " And when I take him
on the battle field I will cut your throat in front of his face, just
before I slit his."
	"Asmodean will stop you." Came a much younger voice, apparently
belonging to the owner of the smaller set of feet.
	"Asmodean? He has broken; convinced I have killed you
already. Stupid boy, don't you hear his cries of anguish and failure from
his cell?" the voice continued contemptuously.
	"You lie!" The smaller feet charged forward and the sound of a
stinging slap could be heard as the challenger fell to the stone floor.
	"Listen and you shall hear him late at night, it is most amusing."
Sneered the first as he exited the room and the tumblers could be heard in
the door.
	The one that hit the floor lay there, and slowly began to shake as
sobs wracked his body.  Slowly we extracted ourselves from our hiding
space. I could see right away it was the stable boy that I had seen before,
and I have to admit it was really getting to me that he was crying. Even
more so since I knew why.  I went to him and knelt down to his shuddering
form and placed a hand softly on his shoulder. He jumped and scrambled away
from me. His eyes were wide with fear and his face was smeared with tears,
eyes puffing out with a red tinge at the edges.
	"It's ok, it only me. Aaron, remember?" I said in the most
soothing, calming voice I could muster.
	He looked at me through bleary eyes and slowly seemed to find some
recognition. "You...you can speak as I do?" He stated in a questioning
tone. "You were...sent by Asmodean?"
	I was about to answer no when Kody interrupted.
	"Aaron, the orbs. Dude, they're glowing really bright!"
	"You were sent by Asmodean!" The boy exclaimed. The orbs seemed to
intensify their light at the mention of the wizards' name.
	"No, I don't even know him, I have never met him before. We came
through..." I began.
	"You came through the portal because it sensed need." He finished
for me, confidently now recovering himself and wiping his face clear.
	"Well, yes. I guess it did open because of need, but I heard some
one say that. I mean, we did, but I have no idea who."
	"Asmodean." He replied as he got to his feet, sniffling a bit. "He
promised he would come for me, but I haven't seen him in almost two
months. He cast a spell, and we are stuck in this day again and again. Each
day my Uncle Orund tells me of my mother's death, and each day I am forced
to work in the stables, doing the same chores, the same dirt gets removed
from the same places, and the bastard ostler hit me day after day. Until
yesterday that is, when you showed up." He stopped and stared at me for a
minute before continuing, "He was so scared he wet himself. Ruined his
leggings. Please, are you here to help me?"
	I looked at Kody who had a pleading in his eyes, and then I looked
back at his strange boy who had a very similar look in his eyes and to
William who showed a spark of hope in his deep eyes. Why did these people
trust me so much? And just what was I supposed to do to help them? I needed
for Kody to be safe and now this guy wants me to save him or something?
Kody surprised me by throwing us in on the whole thing.
	"Yes, how can we help you?"
	Now, again it could be my imagination running wild, but I think
Kody was in love. I had never wondered about his sexuality. Ok, that's a
lie; I guess I should say he never indicated anything that would give away
his sexuality. But the look he had on his face was of pure adoration. It
was so cute. Anyway, back to reality.
	"Hold on, I'd love to help you out, but we are pretty new around
here and know nothing about this place or even how to get home." I said,
trying to be practical. Kody grabbed my sleeve and turned me in to face
him. He glared at me in a way I have never seen Kody look at anyone before.
	"Didn't you hear what they did to his mother? What that guy plans
to do to him?" He hissed.
	"Kody, it's awful, but what can we do about it?" I asked in
exasperation.
	"What if she was a good mom, huh? Maybe he misses her like I missed
mine even if she wasn't so great. What if his dad is a good dad? It's not
right; Aaron, and you always do the right thing. Please? We have to help
him."
	I was pinned in between Kody's point and my good sense. Who do you
think won? I sighed and turned to face the boy and William.
	"Ok, look, I just want to ask a few questions first, ok? Like, who
are you and what's the deal with Asmodean?" I asked.
	He straightened a bit and spoke with pride, instantly becoming
royalty in pauper's clothes. "My name is Roland, Crown Prince of the
Demetralli people. My father is Demetral Corvan; he built this keep the way
it is now. My mother and I came here for the summer months, with my
father's wizard and champion, Asmodean. He is also my friend. He was sworn
to protect me, and I thought him dead."  He hesitated and then continued,
"The keep was betrayed internally. A group of Orundians opened the gates at
night and allowed the invaders free reign. Asmodean was only able to cast
one spell, and that spell keeps this day one step out of time. It keeps us
from any real harm, because the day will start over again tomorrow, but the
Orundians don'r know that. I only know Asmodean cast the spell because I
felt him cast it; it was in my bones. Whenever he works magic near me my
bones go cold. " He looked up at us fixedly, "There has to be a way out,
and Asmodean knows what it is. Please help me."
	"What exactly do you want us to do?" I asked.
	"You have to go to Asmodean, he holds our way out. He can probably
send you home as well." He replied.
	"And just how do I do that?" I asked.
	"William will help you, and there are a few secrets about this
castle that they don't know about, and if they found them they would forget
tomorrow anyway."
	I regarded William and was once again struck by his simple beauty
and was intensely curious as to why he refused to talk to me.
	"Look, William hasn't said a word in the three days that I have
known him for one thing, and how will I know Asmodean when I see him?"
	"William cannot speak." Roland said quietly, gesturing to William
who obeyed and pulled down the front of his tunic. He had a scar running
low on his throat, probably had destroyed his voice box. I looked at the
floor ashamed of myself. William placed a hand on my chin and lifted my
gaze to his smile. Damn, he has a great smile too.
	I heard a door opening and Roland gestured at a gaping hole in the
wall that had been solid only moments ago.
	"There is no time to waste, Asmodean must be found."