The Brotherhood of
Poor Knights of Saint Michael had commandries throughout most of the known
world. The chapterhouse near Bridgetown was one of the largest. It was founded
a thousand years ago as a protection from orc raids off the grasslands. The
orcs had been reduced to bedtime stories to frighten children and the forest
had pushed itself ten miles into the grasslands leaving the chapterhouse
actually in the forest. Long established farming hamlets surrounded the large
stone fortress and its outer baily wall. The farms provided food for the
chapterhouse and the knights and brothers provided protection both physical and
spiritual for the surrounding hamlets.
The forest nearest
the chapterhouse and hamlets was a tame wood full of alders and thick old
maples along the riverbanks and creeks while planted oaks provided mast for the
hamlets for the hamlets' swineherds and their domesticated charges. Mature
chestnuts and walnuts made up a good portion of the wood as well. There was a
grove of elven trees planted as a gift from the queen of the Hidden Folk nearly
five centuries before so they still had another fifteen hundred years before
they were fully mature.
The charcoal
burners and woodcutters left that grove alone but it was a favorite for young
married couples as folklore said children conceived there would have the
blessings of the elves and be happy and healthy their whole lives.
For Justin riding
into the broad flat settled lands near the chapterhouse it was a strange
experience. Kantrus had spent many hours there pouring through the large
library and consulting with the brother-scholars. Justin was seeing the place
for the first time. It was the kind of settlement that every roleplayer
recognized; small cottages and barns clustered around a central well or other
feature and in the center of it all a great stone fortress. The largest
building was topped with a gold-steel cross that gleamed in the sunlight. Most
of the great fortress was situated towards the grasslands and the Union river
was the source of the water for the fortress' large moat.
The group was well
known and well liked at the chapterhouse and surrounding little communities.
Justin had many friends and acquaintances and they stopped to say hello or to
answer friendly questions before they made their way into the open iron-bound
oak doors.
Justin felt the
air of the tunnel wash over him like dipping into a cool stream. The ceiling
was too high to reach even if he were to stand in the saddle and filled with
murder holes and dog-legged making it harder for any attackers to batter their
way through the iron portcullises and inner gate at the end of the tunnel. The
fortress had not faced a serious threat in well over a hundred years but the
Brothers took their duties seriously both military and spiritual and the
fortress was kept in a state of constant readiness and repair.
What he was most
interested in was their libraries. The printing press had existed in the known
parts of this world for hundreds of years. Brought first by the freebooters and
Spaniards swept up from the Bermuda triangle, it was first used by the various
Christian churches to print their own versions of the Bible. In some places the
press remained the tool of the church or never caught on at all in others,
where something like the industrial revolution occurred the printed word became
ubiquitous.
Through Kantrus,
Justin knew that Grossdeutschland had a vast printing industry both to support
their bureaucracy and their powerful propaganda apparatus. That was the one
nation that had deliberately brought their old culture with them to the extent
that they could. Film did not work so the vast torchlight parades and military
ceremonies were no longer shown to the whole world but the citizens of the Nazi
run state swam in the national socialist culture.
The only real
rival near Grossdeutschland was the Empire, a group of Romans who had been
brought over when Pompeii exploded. They had changed little in the over two
thousand years since their coming to this world. Although they had split in a
religious war nearly five centuries before, the Empire remained the largest
land area of the known world if no longer the most ambitious. Justin hoped to
find details of where the Nazis had first opened their door and how they did
it. He did not expect the Nazis to have left a deliberate trail but the arrival
had to have been noticed by someone.
By the same token
efforts to obscure events to hide their place of origin might signal where to
start looking as well. Kantrus had been a student of magical gates, that was
the reason he had lost himself from the Faery realm where he was born. He
suspected that he would be able to piece together the entry-point of the Nazis
if given enough time.
The inner
courtyard was much warmer as the flagstones and walls reflected back the
sunlight and heat leaving them all blinking away the bright light when they
emerged from the shadow of the gatehouse. “God's Blessings on You,” a tall gray
haired brother called from where he was pitching manure from the where the
messengers’ horses were kept ready.
“May God and Mary
Bless you as well!” Sean replied.
“Felt the need for
some penance, your Holiness?” Sean asked the gray haired man. Although he was
obviously past his 'three score and ten' the Bishop was still a vigorous man
with corded muscle standing out from his rolled up sleeves.
Bishop Geal was
the religious leader and Grandmaster of the Order although no longer a field
commander he lived under the same discipline as the other brothers and hard
work was considered good for the soul as well as promoting humility.
“Not this time,
Brother Imhotep,” Geal replied. He nodded to his two assistants who were
working with him. “Although, I think my good assistants wish I would find a
less messy way of getting my morning exercise.”
The Bishop's
assistants were well known to the group both were young men who showed promise
and initiative but that was just the kind of man who would rather work his
muscles with blunted swords or lances from the back of horse rather than with a
wheelbarrow and shovel from in back of a horse.
“Brother Grey,
Brother Woodman,” Sean greeted the assistants, “God's Blessing on you as well.”
“May God and Mary
Bless you and your family, Brother Imhotep,” the two chorused together. Brother
Grey sounded resigned to his 'martyrdom' but Brother Woodman was cheerful.
Brother Woodman had been the son of charcoal burners and had spent every spare
hour learning from the brothers at the chapterhouse. Sometimes men who rose
from humble beginnings resented the manual labor that reminded them of their
origins. Other men like Brother Woodman remembered how much harder even his
grandparents had it even now his parents and grandparents were doing the
back-breaking work to make charcoal and distilling tar.
Sean laughed,
“When you are finished with this round of your never ending task here, could we
have a private conversation at your convenience?”
“Indeed,” the
bishop nodded, “just finishing here anyway. I was planning on teaching these
youngsters the finer point of sword and shield but that can wait. I'm sure the
swordmasters can do nearly as well.”
Justin slid off
his horse and handed the reins to the grooms, mostly young boys who were just
learning what it took to be a brother and knight. Being comfortable around and
with horses was an absolute requirement for a military order consisting mostly
of heavy cataphracts, lighter horse archers, and dragoons who fought as
infantry but rode to battle on horseback.
The order also
trained paladins and battle mages and war healers into integrated corps that
worked with the other knights and soldiers or who took on specialized tasks on
their own or in small groups like group Justin was with. These specialist units
were an elite among the highly trained and tested brother knights if only for
the effort it took to learn the ways of power and magic as well as being a
skilled fighter. No one, not the most powerful mage or channeler of holy power
could be a brother of the order if they could not perform as soldier and
knight. There were many other options even within the church for people with a
talent for magic but not the skills of a soldier or warrior.
While the order
was a brotherhood and nearly all male there were a few women who were called to
the vocation of a paladin, battle mage, or war healer. Michelle knew that women
in her world simply physically could not compete with men in sports much less
the military. She had no illusions about that but here the universe or God or
something gave women truly called to a militant vocation the physical ability
to at least keep up with the men or sometimes in rare cases like herself and
her daughter to actually be among the best of the best. Champions for their
faith and capable of standing toe to toe with the strongest of enemies whether
natural or supernatural.
There was a
separate barracks for women next to that for the married knights. The
chapterhouse normally kept a suite of rooms available for Michelle and her
family. There children had not grown up here but had been frequent visitors and
they operated in the Order's interests enough that they made more than occasional
use of the facilities here. Except for the large libraries found on Atlantis or
the Elven kingdoms, no one had finer collections that the order.
Justin was hoping
that the library would hold the key to solving their biggest problem; where
were the Nazis planning their breakthrough and how could they stop them? He
greeted old friends as he made his way to their suites. His room had always
been set at the end of hallway but he asked Andy if he could move in with him
next to his parents. Although Kantrus was centuries old, Justin was not and he
felt very much Justin rather than the character he had created.
Andy was glad to
have his friend join him in his room. It soon became clear that Dog and Riddick
would abandon their masters to sleep on the floor with the boys although Don
suspected that both animals would wind up sleeping on the boys' beds rather
than the floor. After the midday prayers they met with the bishop.
Bishop Geal met
with them in his inner chamber. It was furnished with well-made but simple desk
and chairs and shelves of books on the walls. An armor and weapons rack stood
next to his wardrobe and a well-cared for but obviously well-used suit of plate
and mail hung on the rack.
They were shown in
by his elderly assistant Brother Samuel. Samuel's nearly bald pate and frailty
reminded Justin of his own changed state. Kantrus had seen Samuel go from a
vigorous man of middle age to this slowed and weakened state. His parents were
Tuathe De so they would live very long lives as humans measured them. Some
never appeared to age but would they one day be frail and slow as Brother
Samuel was now?
The bishop was
wearing the plain black uniform of the order, tunic and trousers that could go
under padding and armor and a plain pair of boots. The only marks
distinguishing him from any of the Brothers bustling down the halls or working
in the courtyards were his cross which was gold on a green and white cord and
his ring. Justin bowed when he entered
only Michelle and Sean kissed the Bishops ring although they did have a casual
relationship with the bishop they were acutely aware of their need for the Holy
power that they channeled and were not completely sure what might or might not
cause them to lose the gifts they had been granted. After the bishop greeted
the people he blessed the animals as was his habit. The bishop obviously liked
animals and was considerate as he could be. Though he needed animals to work
for his order as mounts and pack animals he never took their efforts for
granted and always extended what kindness he could.
“Bishop Geal,”
Michelle began, “We have something to tell you that must remain in utmost
confidence.”
The bishop signed
for his assistant to provide his guests with refreshments and replied,
“Confession is an individual rite generally but if this is something you have
done as a group -” he trailed off and Scott answered, “Oh, no your Holiness,
we've naught to confess that way.”
The bishop
retained a politely interested expression until Michelle interjected, “No he's
not serious, Sco-, uh, Malmir. His Holiness is just having fun with us.”
“And at your
expense as well,” bishop Geal laughed. Andy was the first to join him but
eventually all of them were laughing.
“I'd like Brothers
Woodman and Grey to remain. They will be my successors or perhaps his closest
advisers and they need to learn to deal with sensitive information.”
Michelle glanced
over at her husband who nodded.
The sharp-eyed
bishop did not fail to note the gesture, “So it is a matter where the husband
has as much say as the wife rather than that, that falls under the authority of
the Church itself.”
“There is some of
both, your Holiness,” Don replied apologetically, “The Church is involved and
we will ask it to become more involved but there is more as well and it does concern
our family of which I am the head.”
The assistants
tried with varying degrees of success to hide their scandalized feelings about
their church's and order's authority as well as the authority of a paladin a
position of great honor and esteem. Geal laughed, “Oh, I think you two have
managed to upset our good brothers. Connor Silver-Arm is correct he is the head
of his own house. Most paladins whatever their circumstances do not marry.
Connor was a novitiate here where he met his wife and he was the one who
encouraged her greater devotion.”
The younger men
looked at the man they had always presumed was younger than they were with
calculation. Both Geal and Don laughed.
“We were
novitiates together,” Geal explained. “He's the one who broke my hand showing
me the proper way to take a sword from someone although I suspect it was not as
accidental as it appeared.”
“No,” Don
confessed, “It was not, 'the burned finger remembers best'. Although I was just
trying to dislocate your finger.”
The assistants
didn't try to hide their surprise and outrage that anyone should harm the head
of their order.
“Oh do not take it
to heart,” Geal told them, “It was long ago and I was arrogant about taking
instruction from a dung-footed Tuathe De.”
“Sissified
city-boy,” Don said quietly and both men laughed again.
“I am afraid we
will provide terrible temptation to gossip if we continue, Connor. Let us speak
of your more immediate needs.”
Don sobered a bit,
“Alright, this will be hard to believe and maybe harder to keep to yourselves.”
He didn't look at the assistants but that last part was clearly for them.
“I know my men
best, Connor.”
Don nodded his
head, “Of course. How to begin?”
“Beginnings are
best started from the first and moving to the last. I know your brother Denis
doesn't agree, he tells tales in the order he thinks most interesting but
fortunately in this you are not your brother.”
“Perhaps he should
be the one to explain this. It sounds like one of his tall tales anyway.”
Don took a deep
breath, “We are not who we appear to be.” He paused to see how the bishop would
deal with the enigmatic statement but Geal only raised his eyebrows and kept a
polite expression waiting for Don to continue.
“We are from
another world, another universe or realm further than Faery. We have been
fitted into this world like pieces of a puzzle but we also have other names and
had other lives.”
“That is not
exactly news to me,” Geal surprised everyone except perhaps Sean and Michelle.
“I knew something was different the moment we spoke at the gatehouse stalls.
Thinking about it I found myself with a greater mystery and a voice whispered
to me that not only was something different but I was different.”
“Do not trouble
yourself with trying to remember even my brother did not remember although he
noticed the differences.”
“He tries to play
the jester but you're a fool if you let yourself think so.”
“He is the
smartest man I know or knew in both worlds.”
“There is that
other world you spoke about,” Bishop Geal gestured towards the bowl shaped 'globe'
of the world. The known world was a very small portion of the bowl's surface
and a golden sphere was held in place by curving silver rods above the surface
of the bowl. From what Justin remembered, the 'known world' had figured out the
actual size of the inner-verse thousands of years ago even if they had no real
way to explore more than a tiny fraction of their world.
“It truly is much
smaller than this one and 'inside-out' to your view,” Don replied. It is sphere
that orbits a sun and has a smaller body.”
“A moon,” Geal
said with a little awe. Stories of a sun and moon were still parts of folk lore
and legend in many parts of the world and travelers to Faery often reported
sun, moon, and stars.
Geal rose and
waved his guests back to their seats he strode to his book shelves and pulled a
strange volume from his shelf. The book was small in height and length but very
thick for that and had strange lettering on the front “The World Almanac and
Book of Facts”.
“This came from a
ship salvaged by Sea Elves who sold it to a trader in Bridgetown knowing that I
collected such. This book describes that world and matches much of what the
Church herself teaches.”
They discussed the
almanac and Don explained what he had learned from 'Sally', their experiences
since they came and how they had been left with memories of the other world
when they translated. Don was curious as to how Geal had been able to sense the
differences with his friends.
“I am not head of
a chapterhouse of an order of magic using knights because I am a bishop,” he
said with a wry smile. “I am a bishop because of who I am and the men and
women,” he nodded to Michelle, “that I lead.”
“We are the
Church's shield and sword cutting down our enemies or cutting away falsehoods
to find the truth. Indeed, being able to discern truths from deception is one
of the most important gift certain members of our order possess.”
“So I knew you
were not all as you seemed but that you were, well you,” Geal finished
obviously frustrated with the limits of plain language to describe something
spiritual.
“Did the part of
the world that was here before your 'translated' world change? Was it destroyed
to bring you here? Was it the same and you just added?” Geal mused. “I see no
way of knowing any of those answers and would it make any difference if I did?”
He held up the
leather bound book.
“I am not able to
read this book without magic. However, with translation it tells me that the
one thousand nine hundred and thirty sixth year Olympics were held by Germany.
The same government that conquered and rules Grossdeutschland. They did not
come here as conquerors. They came fleeing defeat. That much we have been able
to piece together despite their reticence on the subject. They were remarkably
organized and able to conquer a big part of the world at the edge of the known
world. They took a decade to prepare but since that time have never stopped
expanding.”
“The only wars
they have lost have been against the unlikely alliance of the Empire and
Atlantis and when they made war on the Sea Elves. Their ships and men are
vulnerable at sea but their Sea Havens are nearly unreachable by the
Grossdeutschland navies. Faery is difficult to reach for those who are
uninvited.”
“Now you tell me
they wish to reinvade their original world. Further, the process will kill
millions here and there. We must stop them, assuming that this 'Sally' was not
deceiving you?” Geal asked.
“No, I don't
believe so,” Don replied, “Sally may have been deceptive about who she was when
we knew her in the other universe but I doubt we would have believed her if she
had told us the truth of her nature.”
“Seeing that there
are real Nazis here and their activities I cannot doubt they would be willing
to set two worlds ablaze just to regain the power they lost previously. That
part of Sally's tale is likely true as well. The Nazis that founded
Grossdeutschland are likely connected to their occultism and mumbo-jumbo they
believed in our world.”
“The joke is on
our people. For nearly a century we've believed that there are no supernatural
explanations for anything.”
“I understand you
say that miracles and magic are rare in your world, so rare that most believe
they do not exist at all,” Geal replied. “If magic was that weak in my world I
would likely discount it as well.”
“Magic is woven
into the very fabric of this world,” Justin interjected, “Everyone has seen it
work a hundred times in their lives. They look up at the light-giver that has
no possible way of working as it does and know that there is magic.”
“Every sailor that
meets the Sea Elves ships shimmer out of nothing on their great winged sails
sees it. Every farmer that shares the Yule feast with the household spirits
sees it.”
“Your life here is
better for it,” Justin said with the certainty of a wizard, “but I wish I were
home or I was myself but that is not what Sally thought she needed.”
“I wouldn't say
that it is an unmixed blessing,” Scott replied.
“We do not need to
fear the dead will find themselves restless or that werewolves will plague a
town. We need not fear that a wizard will conjure up demons from his working or
a door open onto unnamed gulfs of time or space.” Thinking about the Nazis'
attempt to open a gateway he added, “Well not normally anyway. No one has a
memory of anything like that so it must not have happened in a very long time
if ever.”
The bishop asked
them probing questions and soon Justin found himself weary from seeking inside
himself for answers he was not able to completely explain even to himself.
Others began to try with varying degrees of success to hide the effort it was
taking and their fatigue from the battle and the forces they had used in that
battle with the hags.
“I am sorry,” Geal
said with a sigh.
“I kept you a bit
longer than courtesy allowed because I find that often truth may come when the
mind is relaxed or so fatigued that our normal preconceptions no longer hold
much sway but you all need refreshment and a break. Let us get some fresh air
in my garden.” Geal had his assistants fetch lunch and more drink for his
guests while he ushered them into the garden just off of his private chambers.
The garden was a
riot of color. Many of the trees and flowers were gifts from Faery and a
fountain played in the middle. It had been built a century ago by Atlantean
artisans with leaping dolphins, merfolk at play and seashells of all shapes and
colors decorating the basins and sides. Unlike plain stone work or painted
stone work the Atlantean decorated stone was as bright and vibrant as the day
the artist finished. Several millennia would pass before the stone would erode
or the colors would fade.
Justin breathed
deeply of the scent of the elven trees and flowers so like the flowers and
trees of his lost home. Still he had no idea if the realm Kantrus had lived in
existed at all. No one had ever been able to tell him and not a single book
mentioned the details he remembered so vividly.
Some realms
matched some of the details of his memories but none matched all of them. It
left both sides of his nature wistful but Justin and to a strange degree
Kantrus was growing more content with the way his new life and family were
coming together. His mom and dad looked different but they were still the
people he loved. Where it mattered there was no difference. Grandparents and
other family members that had died since he was younger in the other world were
alive here. He decided that whatever happened if he did or did not find his way
back to his old realm it did not matter the family that cared for him and loved
him were here.
He was not sure
how long he had been lost in thought but Brother Woodman cleared his throat to
get Justin's attention. The brother was holding a basket with bread, cheese and
sliced meats as well as a couple of flasks and bottles.
“Kantrus can I
offer you anything?” Woodman asked politely but with a hint of impatience.
“Justin, that is
my real name,” Justin replied, “I know it sounds odd but I prefer my own name.”
“Of course,” the
normally cheerful brother was obviously troubled but did his best to digest the
information, “You still remember me as a child? You visited our home once as a
guest of my dad. You met while you were walking in the woods near the Elven
glade?”
“Yes,” Justin
replied, “I have all those memories but I have another set that is much more
real and I suspect that while both sets are 'valid' in their own way, I am
meant to be Justin rather than the wizard Kantrus.”
“Justin does
indeed sound more like a more common name. It is of course, common in the
Empire as Justinian and shortened in the Avalon kingdoms as Justin or Justis.”
the brother replied. He gave Justin a tentative smile. “I am sure that we will
remain friends.”
“As am I,” Justin
grabbed several items from the basket including a cloth to spread on a bench
under the trees. It would never be in sunlight as it never moved during the day
so it was still cool.
“My dad, Don, uh,
Connor, gave an explanation of how we came here in brief outline. Sit with me
while we eat and I'll fill in the important details,” Justin offered as he
swept leaves from the bench before laying down the cloth.
“Certainly, you
can tell me all of your world without magic,” brother Woodman replied.
“Oh, there are
wonders,” Justin replied with a smile, “Let me tell you about video games.”
