The Flames Of The Phoenix

Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

Brian stood in a green meadow beneath an opalescent sun. Two moons, one red and the other blue, looked down at him through a lavender afternoon sky.

Brian took a step forward and stopped, uncertain how to proceed. Here he stood in a world unlike anything he had ever seen, but he had no idea where in it he was or where to go.

He remembered what Arlown had said; seek your answers in the book. He pulled out “The History of Valikara,” hoping to find a map of some sort so he could get an idea of what kind of mess he had gotten himself into. He kept his mind from Kris and what he could possibly say to her that would explain what had happened.

Finding a map listed in the table of contents he turned to the indicated page. There between the pages, he found a folded piece of paper. He opened it and was surprised to discover that it was a note to him.

Brian,

On this map is an X. That is the meadow you are in now. The dotted line is the path you must follow. At the end of that path lies safety from any who pursue. You will notice a second, smaller X, not far from the first along the dotted line. I have left something there for you. You should know it when you see it. It will give you an edge in this world.

You should remember that this world operates on slightly different principles than Earth. Something else, the days here are thirty hours long, with twenty-four days to the month, except for February (28 days). Years are the same length in hours as Earth, but only 292 days long. The sun rises in the west here—don’t let that throw you.

That's all for now,

Arlown.

Brian's mind began working fast, like wheels spinning helplessly in the mud. Slowly, he got a grip on himself, though understanding still escaped him.

At this point, he could safely assume that his finding of the book and his roundabout arrival on this new world had not been a coincidence. Neither fate nor chance had directed his path. Arlown, or whoever the faceless man really was, had somehow engineered it. Manipulated it. If they met again, Brian intended to find out why.

Just then, Brian heard a sharp crackle that subsided into a faint hum. He looked toward the sound and saw a shimmering spot in the air. Recognizing that it was a portal, Brian decided to conceal himself in the bushes at the edge of the meadow to see who came through.

A group of men stepped out of nothingness into the meadow. They wore the same tight-fitting blue uniforms Brian had seen on Astral-One. They also carried weapons.

Treading on the edge of panic, Brian knew he was in danger. As he turned to leave, a twig snapped loudly underfoot. His mind screaming with fear, he spun to see if any of the men had heard. He slipped on a mossy rock and fell heavily to the ground. The slip saved his life, for just as he fell one of the men saw him and fired his long-blaster from the hip. Because of the timing, it was difficult to determine if Brian had fallen from the fire of the laser rifle.

“I think I got him!”

Brian knew he was in deep trouble. Keeping low, he ran in the opposite direction of where the men searched.

As he ran, Brian hoped his course followed in the general direction of the path that had been indicated on the map. After hiking about a quarter mile, he topped a hill and turned to look back.