CHAPTER 3: Don’t Accept Powers From Strange Old Men on Beaches

CHAPTER 3: Don’t Accept powers from strange old men on beaches

“-RUN!” Isaac yelled as Lily tackled him and the two flew through a portal.

Then gravity fled, Isaac and Lily tumbling through the void as reality peeled away and their surroundings became a singular stream of darkness and stars.

A scream sounded out with Isaac taking a moment to realize it was his voice mixed with Lily’s as the pair held tightly to each other as they tumbled through space.

“HOLD ON!” Isaac shouted, his hands straining to maintain their grip on the little girl’s backpack as some invisible force seemed intent on pulling them apart. “I’ve got you! Just hold on!”

The backpack began to tear, an audible sound that shook Isaac to his core.

“I’m try! Isaac! I’m try-” Lily cried before Isaac’s suit jacket tore and the girl was sent flying through the void.

“LILY!” Isaac yelled, his sister vanishing into the infinite tunnel of black and stars with Isaac powerless to help.

Damn it! DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN!

Then, the world of shadows faded, blossoming into a white bloom that encapsulated all of Isaac's vision until he lost consciousness.

****

“LILY!” Isaac screamed, the first words out of his mouth upon waking being the name of his sister.

Isaac’s gaze shifted left, then right, the scenery before him an empty beach in the middle of nowhere with twin suns out over the horizon.

“Where… where the hell am I?” Isaac muttered, attempting to get his bearings before immediately calling out for his sister.

“Ah, Mr. Carter, I see you’ve finally awakened,” A familiar voice said, drawing Isaac's attention from the sand and waves.

“Mr. Ambrosia?!” Isaac spun, recognizing his next door neighbor.

The old man smiled, his golden eyes like predatory orbs amidst the background of trees that hung behind him.

“Please, it's just Emrys… or Merlin if you prefer,” Emrys said, stepping from the shadows of the woods and dressed in khaki shorts and a hawaiian shirt.

“What… what the hell is going on? Where am I?!” Isaac demanded, backing away from the advancing old man whose appearance seemed to flux.

First he was old, then young, then old, his body aging and de-aging with every step he took until his body was that of a young man with long brown hair and a wiry smile.

He was plain, exceptionally unnoticeable if not for his eyes and smile that bore the traits of a schemer.

“Welcome to the shores of Camelot. Or, well, a phantom imitation of a beach from my youth,” Emrys said, bowing elegantly to Isaac, “It is a rare pleasure that anyone can bear witness to these shor-”

Suddenly Emrys was held by his collar, Isaac's face contorted with anger a mere inch from Emrys’ own.

“WHERE IS SHE!” Isaac roared, “Where is my sister?!”

“I… I see. So that's what that disturbance was,” Emrys' said, his expression darkening. “My apologies, if she isn't with you and were lost in the transposition, then she-”

“Shut your mouth, don't you dare tell me she's dead,” Isaac hissed, the memory of her crying his name echoing in his mind that called his rage to bear its fangs. “I'll kill you, do you understand? I'll cut out your tongue if you're-”

“What you'll do is calm down,” Emrys said, vanishing only to reappear nearby and pat his own shirt. “Especially if you wish to save your sister.”

Isaac spun, drawing his gun and pointing it at the man. “Oh I'm calm, ice cold. Just tell me what I want to know and I won't blow your brains out across the beach.”

“Oh my, threatening an old man?” Ermys chuckled, “Maybe I've missed judged you.”

“Cut the crap. I don't know what you are but you ain't old. Now tell me where my sister is.”

The man sighed, sagging his shoulders as his clothes transformed into a navy blue robe.

“Unfortunately, I have no idea where your sister is. If she jumped into the portal then she could be anywhere in Syleria. I'm truly sorry young Isa-.”

“Syleria, what is that? A country? A city?”

“A world.”

Isaac's heart seemed to skip a beat at Emrys’ words.

Then, Emrys appeared close, standing at the barrel end of Isaac's 1911.

“If it'll make you feel better, go ahead, pull the trigger.”

“Tch!” Isaac's hand wanted to. Desired to, yet his mind stayed his finger and held back his emotions. If he killed this man, how would he find his sister? How would he figure out where he was?

Questions that needed answering. Answers that Emrys had.

“Go ahead Isaac, I know you wish to. I can feel it, the trembling of your finger, the boiling rage beneath your skin that would put even Mordred to shame,” Ermys said, his hands suddenly wrapping around Isaac’s gun. “So come on.”

“What the hell?! What are you doing?!”

“Come on! Shoot! Let's do it together!” The man laughed, his voice twisting manically as his finger pushed upon Isaac’s own and the trigger was pressed.

*Bang!*

Isaac went wide-eyed, his face distorted with disbelief. Not because the man was dead, but because Emrys remained unharmed.

“Bullshit, I don't know what kind of trick this, or what hallucinogen or virus you've uploaded to my head, but I-” Isaac clenched his jaw, the gnashing of his teeth leaving a faint taste of copper in his mouth as he backed away.

Between the taste of the sea salt on his lungs and the sand getting into his boots, Isaac was having a harder and harder time believing this was anything but reality.

“Why?”

“Hm?” Emrys raised a brow.

“Why the hell did you bring me here? How do I get home, and what can I do to get my sister back?” Isaac demanded.

“Oh? Finally asking the important questions,” Emrys' smiled, cocking his head to the side. “You were chosen because you have the qualities of a King.”

“What?”

“The qualities of a King. Willpower. Hardwork. Quality of character. You, Isaac Carter, have been chosen to inherit the power of the Timeless Mage.”

“You're fucking with me.”

Ermys chuckled.

“These are merely the facts,” Then the man began to visibly age, growing a beard. “I have watched you for many years, Isaac. I have seen your struggles.”

“Yeah, and it looks like you're trying to add even more to them,” Isaac hissed.

“And I am deeply regretful for the position you find yourself in. But…” Emrys trailed off as he waved his hand, revealing a floating tear in the world that displayed an aerial image of a city Isaac was all too familiar with. Except, it was vastly different, in ruin, partially destroyed and surrounded by trees and lush greenery with raging fires and smoke, “Four hundred thousand citizens of New Orleans just found themselves teleported into this world. Four hundred thousand with twenty-five thousand dead and fifty thousand wounded.”

“Mom!” Isaac went breathless, his heart beating rapidly in his chest as his gun began to move.

“I, did not do this,” Emrys assured, staying Isaac's hand. “There are forces at work here, ancient and powerful, calamities that threaten your world and the lives of billions.”

“So what is this? You're asking me to save the world? To become some kind of Hero?”

“I'm asking you to save yourself, Isaac. To save those you love.”

“You have a funny way of showing it.”

Emrys sighed.

“Long ago magic once flourished on Gaia. Your world. But it was crude, unwieldy, and brought cruelty and despair to all those who knew of it,” Ermys said, turning away from Isaac with a forlong look in his eye as he gazed at the sea. “So my king bade me, in his final breath upon that hill. To cast out magic. Banish it to a realm where the lives of humanity would be free of the corruption of such power. In my naivety and belief at the time I did, creating a parallel world where all magic, tangible or otherwise were displaced. Leaving a world where humanity and humanity alone could flourish.”

Isaac frowned, attempting to make sense of the man's rant.

“And flourish it did,” Emrys continued, then he turned to Isaac, “But at what cost?”

“So, is there a bus stop between this and the point?” Isaac asked. “How does any of this help save my sister? Or help my mother? I need to be down there doing something!”

“Right, calm down. Truth be told, you aren't my first choice but this power must be passed on. So it's… uh, taking a moment.”

“Oh, great, you strand my sister and leave my mother in peril. I'd hate to see what you'd do with your first pick.”

“Right right, I'm working on it. Believe me, I'm in your corner here Isaac,” Emrys said as a blinding pain took hold in Isaac's mind. “I truly am sorry about your sister… and…”

Suddenly Emrys' form began to shimmer, his body glitching out with the scenery around Isaac doing the same.

“The hell?”

“Ah… looks like I'm out of time,” Emrys said, clasping his hands together as his body rapidly aged, a wiry smile on his face as if finding something funny, “I'll leave you with this Isaac, whether you save Gaia or Syleria, or let both burn, the choice will be up to you. This is my last act as The Arch-magician of Gaia and the Custodian of Time.”

“Mr. Ambrosia!” Isaac winced, his headache worsening as his body began to shimmer as well.

“Oh, and one more thing, I've adapted your HUD implant thing into a sort of training wheel program akin to those video games you kids are so fond of. Something to help you in your journey. My magnum opus if you will, just promise to take care of her.”

“Mr! Mr. Ambrosia!” Isaac hissed, falling to his knees, his vision swimming between consciousness and unconscious.

“Please, it's just Emrys,” The Last Magician of Gaia said before sleep took hold of Isaac and he fell towards the floor only to be grabbed by a figure feathered red. “Take him near to where his sister is.”

“Are you sure about this Merlin? He has no royal blood. No legitimate claim to any thrones.”

The magician smiled, his spiritual body fading.

“Well, if King Arthur is indisposed, we'll just have to settle on making our own.”

“Always the schemer,” The woman in red said, unfurling her wings of orange and red. “Are you sure this is what you want?

“I am.”

“Then so be it,” The feathered woman said, her gold predatory eyes fixed on Isaac's unconscious form, “I've enjoyed our pact, old man. For what it was.”

“And I, old soul,” Emrys said, bowing as he faded into oblivion.