Priya Echo's Adventure - Part 11

CHAPTER 52 - ALEXA’S SWORD

Swordcarrier Alexa rested against a hardy pine until her head was right. The pounding dizziness of the tornado soon passed. The soldier made her way across a now ticket strewn meadow, following a raggedy path. Encased in her green armor, adorned with steel spikes like a cactus. The patron had a more toned body than the others. A countenance that was more butch than most of her generation. But when did looks matter when you had class. A passing wind desperately tried to push her backwards, but she thwarted it by putting one foot in front of the other. Around her, clusters of trees displayed priceless treasures of the fruity variety. Enveloping a hill, the grass was in a haze of constant motions. She did not feel out of place in that jade filled world. “Ah, there you are, Alexa, take us over there will you” Linden bid, an uncommon sliver of a smile upon his face. Buoyancy born from a trivial matter. The Divine Couple were the most fascinating creatures. And they bore enough light to animate the most crestfallen soul. “I’d be happy to accompany you sir” she replied, thankful for her new employment. Melina touched her elbow and chimed in, “I’m glad to have you by our side again, dear.” “Likewise,” Alexa nodded solemnly, “the fiefdom is in another crunch to be sure”. The odyssey of animals through the forest was audible from far away. Interwoven between their feet were the commonplace imprints of tracks. And it gave Alexa memories from days before. Déjà vu from the forest. More concessions from nature would follow, with blue surprises between flower littered branches. “The patrons are scattered and they are in the depths of a hundred battles'' Linden continued, kindling the fires of war in his eyes. “I must go and help them now!” the soldier reasoned. Melina brought her hand to the other’s chin for guidance, “Not now. I want something important up here.” The smolder of her golden armor appeased the confident patron. Alexa had rarely stood down from a fight. She was always making herself useful. And the thought of an enemy escaping her blade almost brought a tear to her eye. “So what could that be?” she wondered aloud. Linden let his feet sink in the earth. He pointed a finger towards the distant meadow. Ahead of her she spotted an enemy base, hopping with squirrels. “I want those people trapped in acorns. The enemy is keeping them in a stockpile. The university will restore them later” he explained intently. Melina laughed at the thought of their forthcoming excursion. The land between them was dotted with the cores of scavenged fruit. Revealing specks of color amongst the backdrop of the grass. A southerly wind made a brief sweep against her face. Its kindness would be remembered. The spikes on her green armor extended an inch. Upon the ground, a summoning circle of inscription brought forth what Echo had entrusted her with. The scalpel-like, shimmering mirror sword. Alexa knew that the Couple would simply walk ahead and not sully their hands. She looked around them and mentally indicated a circle of five feet around them. Now the shape of the storage facility was thoroughly clear. Checking them out, a battalion of squirrels assembled. Alexa saw the first wave charge. A squirrel with brass knuckles and a smug attitude. She elbowed him in the face and relocated herself in front of the dreamers. The second one thought he could swing an ax but got shattered instead by the mirror sword, shifting like a flicker of light. Ninja squirrels soon followed, with weapons that melted at the touch of her blade. One had snuck up behind them, looking like a damn pirate with a scimitar. To reach him, she did a backflip to the other side of her associates. The Couple placidly walked towards the storage facility. The fray then resumed at a glorious pace. She went along with it, weaving in and out. Defending every inch with martial madness. As a wave of ten squirrels surrounded them, they found themselves impaled by swords shot out through the invisible barrier of her inner realm. She was Swordcarrier Alexa. There were a thousand swords in there for just this very occasion. A knight in shining armor with a bushy tail charged right into them, because apparently chivalry was dead. Alexa beat him with a right hook and moved on. By the gate, a second wave collected itself. A less historical one with plenty of spiffy gadgets. Around them, the blue sky lingered with fresh delight. But it was not meant to be. Lasers careened towards them like blistering torpedoes. Red in the extreme. The mirror sword did what it was made to do, splintering them before they made contact. And soon the enemy discovered that they were worthless. Linden walked besides his wife to the gateway entrance. A quick witted squirrel tried to jump them with nunchucks, but was soon dispatched by their protector. Inside, a third wave amassed itself. Alexa used a spell she had learned and grew a cactus with fierce spikes to down an opponent. All the same, they continued to encircle them. The woman retracted her spikes before grabbing onto Melina and did some sort of gymnastics around her body to fend off two attackers. The insatiable mirror sword discharged the rest, blinking fairly. A tool of flawless reflection. Now everyone was in their proper place … in a big pile that is. “That will be enough, patron, '' Linden said, breathing heavily from the exertion of his stroll through the meadow. “That door over there should let us into the acorn room” Melina observed, excited to see the payment for their labors. She put her hand on the cool doorknob and thrust it open. Alexa spiritedly leapt onto one of the acorns. Rows of them filled the volume of the chamber. “I think this is what you’re looking for '' she joked, knocking the wood with a good click of her heel. “Excellent work patron. The civilians should all be right here” Linden acknowledged. The Couple nodded between themselves and shared a few quiet words. As they drew near, the light from their gleaming armor was exchanged, from one surface to the other. “Alright, everything looks good. I’m going back to the front” the soldier willed. Dreams of perilous battle filled her head, and made her heart swell. The enemy army was a whetstone and she had to sharpen her knife on it. Melina crossed her arms to signal she was bothered by her no holds bar attitude, “Not so fast. We don’t want you there, Alexa. Here is a special task for you. Go to the University and train the new regiments. Look over the primary depot where we will store the first acorns. It’s a mission best suited to your abilities.” Alexa’s jaw dropped. She didn’t know what to say, “Best suited?. I should be out there, in the action!”. Around them, the acorns rustled as there was life stirring within. Steel walls enclosed their candidness and its rumblings. The air was filled with lukewarm impotence. The meadow and its dalliances were far behind. Linden adjusted his circular glasses, “The other patrons can take care of themselves. We need you to cover the home base”. A deep sigh welled up in the jade figurine standing atop an acorn, “Very well”. After all, Priya was still out there somewhere, fighting to save the day.

CHAPTER 53 - RECLUSIVE WATERCOLORS FIGHTS A CYBORG KANGAROO

Like a thousand yawns, the sky stretched out to eternity. Somewhere in its wide-ranging breadth, a lightbulb flicked on. It was no ordinary one to be sure. Reclusive Watercolors found herself among many floatation devices, using only the wind for their propulsion. The world had fostered her and given her a firm intellect. In the last few days, she had learned to cover a distance in a shorter time by focusing the energy behind her like a jet. Both hands ahead of her, feeling the remedy of wind on her face. These white, billowing masses were evocative in their movements. She dived down into the gaseous heart of a cloud, and out the other side. She continued through that aerial obstacle course, seeking any hint of blue. Looking down, the world below was brimming with campfires that she dared not speak of. The smoke rose ceremoniously to the sky. Escaping, as it would if the world was a hand and it passed through its fingers. Yet still the landscapes transpired one after the other. A knobby, overly detailed thing. Making her dispassionate to the plight of its citizens. An untethered wind adjusted the course of her flight. She let the sky mentor her. Being its student was not so bad. She was among the breath of eagles. But no! The war was not over. That time she alighted. The thing that the soldier had whispered in her ear. The university was up ahead, following the cardinal north. Parapets like a chivalrous stronghold. And so, she hastened her pace. Reclusive Watercolors came to earth amid a rush of students. They crossed the intimate paths of the university courtyard, deep in various gossip. Their backpacks were heavy, and they had to endure the weight of them. At every angle, the buildings looked like oversized chess pieces, donned with the most appropriate bricks. The air was warm and its touch soothed her senses. Working through hesitation, she moved her legs so as to quietly shift her body into a forward motion. The faces around her seemed affable enough. They talked of things that were considerably tame when compared to the indulgences of the realm. A student jumped over and tried to flick her on and off as a joke. Reclusive pointed back in jest as it was the proper thing to do. But out there, far away from the tranquil halls of the university, there was someone else. And he did not have a sense of humor. That building she had been admiring was vaporized in a burst of hot red laser light. Telenon’s forces made their way into the courtyard, as yet another brazen assault was underway. Reclusive felt the pulse of war beat in her chest. As the veil of dust settled, a form arose behind a hill of bricks. A tall, misshapen fellow. The cyborg kangaroo charged up its right laser eye. Now that the last barricade was all but pulverized, he had a new target in his sights. Reclusive understood his intentions and caught the beam with her own. He had a chiseled, unforgiving face. The luminous pole surged constantly towards her. At the impact there were crescents and coils of escaping light. The girl gave back in equal measure with a column of polychromatic force. Its regularity did not waver. She did the work and pushed it through to the kangaroo, who promptly was enveloped in a fit of flame. Now his enhanced body was weakened from the twofold attack. And she spared no time. Reclusive propelled herself forward, amped up a first full of quintessence and rammed him in the chest. As a foregone conclusion, the frazzled thing leaned back into the mound of bricks, never to mess with innocents again. Even though their commander had fallen, the main throng of the enemy barreled over the rubble towards the university. The academic population fled in exasperation at yet another assault. Among the reckless invaders there were lions with arms wrapped in long chains, feline lynxes with turrets atop their backs, hedgehogs with shovels, snow wolves in snowmobiles, one bowling ball triple serpent, mimes doing somersaults, flamingos with war hammers that they had to awkwardly hold with their necks giving people more time to dodge them, and some guy named Fred with big colored pencils. As the underground of the university was now as sizable as a city, the university regiments charged out of every hall. It took but an hour to shrink their numbers until they were convinced to fall back. In the aftermath, the student was made an honorary regiment commander and sent out with the University 33rd Student Regiment to clear the hills of Little Finnegan’s-ville. The skin upon her neck and shoulders began to look like an illuminated manuscript, but vanished just as quick. The student was relieved at how the rest of the regiment effortlessly followed behind her. The high-flier smiled to know she was now a tinker toy amongst those knobby, overly detailed things. The fully grown trees that gave structure to the hills. Tall grasses brushing the passersby with their springy stems. Their faded, honey colored inflorescence. A log falling apart at the seams as if it had enough of the season’s nonsense. The continuous hills like an endless erosion of green. Doted on by virgin clouds. Reclusive looked to her left and saw a ram looking longingly behind a farmer’s fence. It was soon thrust upon their senses that the hills were clear. An advisor uncurled a map, and they proceeded up to the next major city, a society nestled in the shadow of a plateau. And the sight of it reminded her of the one in the realm, although the former did not have a trio of skyscrapers. The attendant beside her was curious as to why Lusi had suddenly dropped down onto her knees. Spectral flames began to pour from her eyes. Inside, the student could feel a thrust on her psyche. An affliction rushed in, and down her legs, pulling at her sinews. Although her chest was still, she could feel the convulsions propagate. Heat frolicked in her head like a bonfire. The inferno spun threads that were woven around the student’s from the inside. “What … is this?” she mouthed to the gathering circle of helpless onlookers. THE PUPPET SPELL. A vision welled up in her memory, that of a dome the size of the sky, its petulant surface burning bright yellow. The charlatan solar Gaia arising delicately from formless swirls. Yet it was not one of them. Absurdly long blond hair, with individual motions down to the very fiber. An ornamental armor tainted with blotches of paint as if a child adorned it. Thick silver divided at strange intervals. Long, sharp fingernails. A suave, polished face with intellect concealed beneath aesthetics. “Damn you Linden, you were her child all along? But you taught her well” the hallucinated gaia mustered. “I can’t feel anything. It’s you again!” the student noticed, her heart fluttering like so many butterflies turning to ash. “Yes indeed, my child. You were smart to get this far. The lightbulb of quintessence shines so well with your personality” the interloper uttered, a thin smile between both ears. “The battle is over. Let me go!” the student roared. But she could not move, the threads of the inferno kept her bound. “But you are so very close to someone who I’m interested in. The one who holds the key” the woman clarified, as the ephemeral flames drifted off her back. At their feet, the titan broiled with arcs of orange plasm.. “Priya hasn’t done anything to you! There’s nothing to revenge!” she cried, writhing to escape the grasp. “But she has insulted me. I was the only one at the very center of her being. Millenia passed but I found the truth. So yes, you can call me another avatar if you like” she related, harkening back to earlier times. Her fingertips went onto the student’s forehead, imprinting it with an eerie glow. “It's our fate, not an insult!” Reclusive shouted back. Ochidia Everglow was not swayed. She had aspirations that the little one could not conceive of. And a strategy that had started long ago. Across her palm, Reclusive could feel an eager magic like wind taking shape. An anarchy of fire erupted from her eyes. “Take the whisper dagger. Be my avenger!” the false gaia roared. The soldiers could not believe it. Their commander lifted off the ground, straight towards the waiting sky. A trail of chaos left in her wake. They were now abandoned.

CHAPTER 54 - ERIC IN THE ECHO REALM

Location: Echo Realm

Date: Present Time

The man got to his feet and dusted himself off. A moment ago he was laying flat on the ground. It was a rude awakening, and it certainly was a long way down. The shirt as well had to be removed of litter and leaves. He turned around to get a good sight of the environs. “So this is what she’s been up to,” Eric observed. The earth stretched out, sculpted into the unmistakable shape of an anechoic chamber. It was a placid day and a few stragglers from the afternoon’s labors happened by. He took a few steps to find the balance that would keep him from falling back onto the ground. The trees around him were ripe with autumn. They felt a certain governance from the wind, and there was a velvety note to their bark. “Leave it to Priya to make a park look so excellent” he noted as the grass brushed against the trunks of the trees. The memory of her soft kiss shivered throughout his body, and it took a minute to regain full composure. Eric continued along a path, dodging a frisbee that a youth had flung with abandon. The stairs hugged the edge of the plateau, and they led down into the city. It was good concrete that stiffened the boot so to speak. The newcomer expertly located a sidewalk from which to observe things. He would study Priya from the inside out, and finally figure her out. The perfect girlfriend was just around the corner. It would be a cinch. As that thought congealed, he skipped down the sidewalk, navigating through locals, a self-righteous expression on his face. It was all going well when he caught sight of a bicycle rolling on down the street. “Hmm, that bicycle doesn’t have anyone on top” he pondered. The bicycle continued towards the wall of a three story building, and climbed up its wall until it crashed through a window on the second floor. It was then surprising to see the building itself bend from a rectangular form into that of a wheel and spin away. “How did that happen! The building just changed and went away!” he clamored. At the outcry a friendly local slowly explained to him that since the bicycle runs on wheels, it simply entered the building and converted it into a wheel as well. The explanation didn’t seem to touch the enormity of the situation. However, the crowd was incessant, and so he broke away again. The heart of the city would be towards the bustle, and so he turned north. A woman crossed his path with a certain blue dress that had a scene on it of water and a man being chased by an alligator. “Of course, that must be just a screen or something” he presumed. The mouth of the alligator desperately wanted to chomp his butt. The woman paid no mind, folding a purse and setting foot in a department store for a leisurely tour. “Whew” he sighed, tossing some sweat from his brow. Now that he thought of it, the Priya he knew from the start was a little different from all that confronting Telenon business. Over their heads, a toucan started flying with a cluster of grapes, and offered one each to the people walking along the sidewalk. In a generous reply, they tossed a coin to it. Eric kindly declined as he was in deep thought about Priya, but as soon as the toucan was gone realized what had transpired. The cocky student swiveled around on his heels to watch the toucan conduct his business. Everyone likes a good grape it seems. “What the flip is going on!” he hollered. Now the culture shock was starting to do a little dance number on his noggin. Eric rubbed his eyes profusely. Maybe he had woken up on the funny side of the bed. But no. At a sidewalk stand there was a couple on massage beds getting a backrub. They were grunting in the usual way that was completely devoid of the good old-fashioned shame their parents should have instilled in them. And above them were two elephants, pounding their backsides with their trunks. Kneading it real good. With a dexterous limb he flipped the man over like a pancake. That trunk did things that got rid of all the pain points. Eric took a step back onto the sidewalk squares, getting brushed from both sides but only weakly. The sounds of the crowd made waves down the thoroughfare, but it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. The corridors led to places of denser life. As far as cities went, this one was mildly noisy. The road was where most of the action took place. He witnessed the jam until one car honked their horn. It was a family that passed up a slowpoke. A dad and mom with three kids. The car they drove wasn’t made of all that standard metal. Just a car made of toucans, even the steering wheel. Heat from the road was like a desert mirage. It cleared, and at the other side of the road, there was a line of stores. Eric went over them with his eyes to see if he could catch anything of importance. There was a store where people went up to the cashier and gave him money, and the cashier shook his hands at them. It didn’t seem to make any sense until Eric looked up and saw the title above, which read “Jazz Hands”. The patrons continued to wait in line, only to be showered with the performance of the jazz hands. Eric bolted into an alleyway to recover from the amazement. To be honest he was expecting some lighthearted girl stuff. The boyfriend didn’t know what to say. He scratched his four o’clock shadow which was kind of cute and not in a gross kind of way. “I didn’t know that she was so … flamboyant” he articulated. Going deeper, the alleyway led to a larger square area enclosed by brick tenements. Besides the road, there was one other path doubling the arrangement. An ordinary looking guy strolled past and pressed himself up against the brick wall. The inevitable sound of an unzip followed. Eric looked up to the sky as thunder commenced. Past the tenement roofs, the clouds were white, and the sky was blue. There wasn’t a rumpus in sight. He moved around the square trying to get a look to see if there was a storm coming in the distance, but nothing. After the local had found relief, he zipped his pants back up and moseyed on over. The guy put a hand on Eric’s shoulder, and looked him straight in the eye, “Dick’s a cloud bro”, and walked straight off back to the street. Woozy from the comment, the boyfriend fell back against the wall. A second later, he realized that Priya had indeed founded the magical human-weather hybrids in her echo realm. It was starting to become clear how exuberant she had become. “What ever happened to the low maintenance Priya who liked to hang out with her three friends” he wondered aloud. It was getting all psychological up in this joint. A memory of the girl delicately brushing his face made his heart waltz and pacified him, “All right. I get it now. Priya, one point. Eric, zero points. Now I’m going to go back to that city and get to the bottom of this”. Finding no barrier, he easily walked over to the neighboring alleyway square. “Shit” he thought, biting his lip. Ten street toughs, one uglier than the next. The guy in the middle had a falcon tattooed on his chest and he had apparently forgotten to button up his shirt. A messy game of jacks was strewn out across their feet. “Um, please be careful with that thing” he politely asked. A bead of sweat formed on his temple as he raised his hands to both sides. The tuff had his fingers in the holes of a partly chipped brick that would have been more aesthetically pleasing on the wall. “You ain’t from around here, are you?” he managed to utter. For Eric, It seemed the tuff was a little more curious of him than would suit his liking. “Not really, I’m from there” he admitted, pointing to the place beyond the clouds where you couldn’t get your hands on them diamonds even if you tried. “Get this fellas. This one’s from out of town. The big one”, the main guy called. Now he had really piqued his interest, and those of his friends. “Tell me, they got anyone as bad as me up there?” he questioned, poking the innocent boyfriend’s chest with the dull side of the brick. “Probably a lot of goody two shoes up there” one of them shouted. “I know one girl who is” he blurted out clumsily, redeemed with a soothing smile. The ones in back chuckled. “Already know that one, fella” his questioner said, a note of displeasure in his tone. As that situation was developing, another local just happened to wander into the alley. A noble looking man wearing a bathrobe with a long belt dangling down. “Are we done here gentlemen?” he inquired eagerly. The tuffs circled around their new plaything as one of the followers pulled a crowbar out of his backpack. Eric was staggered by what happened next. The man used his bathrobe belt and flung it against the main tuff. He shot backwards against the tenement wall as if he was made of feathers. Seeing their leader humbled, the others fell in. Some sort of martial arts with the bathrobe followed. The belt could curl around people’s limbs and sweep them off the ground. They turned upside down a few times as they were sent in all directions. Soon enough the floor was covered in sprained ankles and Eric slipped out of there back to the safety of the crowd. “Priya can be as weird as she likes as long as I can keep my lunch money” he vowed. A woman in a tan dress glided down the street. Her right hand gripped a dog leash and as he made his eyes down the length of it, he could see the canine was hollow and made of puzzle pieces. “Let me guess, this is the normal part of town” he parried. Touché. Eric was now intent on cataloging all the idiosyncrasies of his so-called girlfriend. Down the way, there was a man watering his plants in a glass terrarium on mechanical legs. Then there was a women’s shoe store, but all the shoes are glass and filled to the brim with jewels and diamonds. “Are you kidding me? This shoe is only half filled with diamonds!” a gutsy woman roared. Eric’s eyebrow twitched as she turned it upside down and poured all the stones on the carpet. “How are they supposed to wear them anyway?” he wondered. The lady was in furs, but they were man made. A surviving street tuff passed by the store like it was nothing and gave him a chin up before departing. The next block had some kids playing with spinning tops which grew in size magically, allowing one of them to jump on top and when they did they were spun so fast that they flew up into the air as if it was some kind of child launching pad. “THIS IS SO FLIPPING STUPID!!!” Eric hollered to the four corners of the world. “Do you need a guide my dear boy?” a handsomely dressed wizard with a conically shaped dunce-style cap and a blondie beard offered. “You know what … Mr. Wizard … take me wherever you’re going” he replied, grinding his teeth without showing it. Priya could do her worst. Did he not take her to that restaurant? Did he not buy her that dress? This was just another checkbox for the standard boyfriend bureaucracy. Hanging onto his shoulder with one hand, they weaved through the city until coming to a sidewalk next to an inclined hill, where he summoned a waterslide from pure magic and slid down. Eric followed him down, the water splashing against his sides like a waterpark on a summer’s day. Fencing contained a widespread ledge of walkable stone beyond which was a landscape that resembled a national park. The wizard was happy to spot the various landforms for him, as it would give the newcomer a breath of fresh air from the daunting city life. Eric felt a bit of relief and bantered with him. The conical hat was starting to look good on him. It was a wise fashion choice. The sky was so clear and only a few loitering clouds could be discerned among an aquamarine layer spanning the remainder of the world. “And that down there is the lake” the wizard mentioned, and it was dawning on him that he had not gotten his name. Eric turned to him to ask … but then something stopped him. “What was that above the lake?” he thought. After looking across the vistas of nature, he had turned quickly back to his guide. Instead of returning to that conversation, he swiveled back for a second look. The upside-down mountain hovered up and down, glancing the lake with its peak. From the exchange, gorgeous circular ripples fanned out across the rippling surface. Its motion made Eric drowsy. “She is very low maintenance!”. Felicia’s cheery, high-pitched voice. It resonated in his memory. That day at the spin class. It raced through his body, filling it with all the aquamarine purity of the sky. How had they been so naïve? In his mind he saw Priya again, pulling a strand of his hair down from his ear. She must have seen how brown it was and admired it. The moderately popular college guy felt the ambush of love enter his heart. He sat on a bench for consolation, “Alright, so my girlfriend is weird …. That’s the truth”. Bidding adieu to the wizard who was now captured by the freshness of nature, he made his way up a stairway that ran parallel to the waterslide. For some reason he had perfect navigational skills and effortlessly made his way back to the sidewalk where he first met the guide. The traffic felt like a time lapse as it blurred across his vision. Eric put his hands in his pockets until the melancholy subsided. The blues as they call it, and not even the jazz hands could help him now. “Hey buddy, is that you '' came a voice from the first lane. There was a big car whose wheels were hamster wheels, with a familiar face in the driver’s seat. That day in the park … the one that got away. No, not Priya. The other one. The little furry one. A big hamster face popped out of the window and motioned for him to come near. “Haven’t seen you in a while. I thought you were going to live under that bush” Eric replied cautiously. “Well buddy, life had other plans for me. Jump in the passenger’s seat and we can talk it over” the hamster advised, wiggling his petal shaped ears. He departed back to the road once his passenger was strapped in and comfortable. The invitation was of good merit and Eric gave a sigh of relief. Then things got personal. “So what’s the deal with the Indian babe?” the chubby hamster wondered. Eric rolled his eyes at the very mention of it, “She has magic powers and this whole world is her dream realm”. “Gotcha, a real tough customer huh” the animal said as he changed lanes. They drove through the city, trading pleasantries until the college guy opened up. It was about that time that a cultic officer noticed the interloper and blared his alarm. The hamster screeched the wheels to a standstill, and hand cranked the window until it was down.

OFFICER - Can I see license and registration?

HAMSTER - No prob officer, here you go.

OFFICER - Is that your friend over there? Looks like he’s not from around here.

HAMSTER - He’s an old friend officer, we met on the way here.

OFFICER - Is that so? The both of you, get your tails out of the vehicle.

ERIC - I don’t have a tail.

OFFICER - No tail huh? Good to know.

HAMSTER - Uhh … should have kept that to yourself bro.

OFFICER - In fact, I haven’t seen your face around here.

ERIC - I’m new to town officer.

OFFICER - And what planet are you from?

ERIC - Earth obviously.

OFFICER - Don’t get smart with me, new guy.

HAMSTER - Wait a second officer. I told you he was an old friend.

OFFICER - Can you vouch for him?

HAMSTER - Yes, certainly. He is a good guy.

OFFICER - And what makes him so decent?.

HAMSTER - Trust me. He has a girlfriend. He’s a real good guy.

OFFICER - You’re a real lucky guy.

ERIC - I do my best officer.

OFFICER - But that doesn’t mean you're good. I don’t have a girlfriend and I’m good.

HAMSTER - Wait a second officer. This guy is a real good boyfriend. Trust me.

OFFICER - And that makes him good? I don’t think so.

HAMSTER - Yes it does! He’s super good. I’ve seen him being lovey dovey and all.

OFFICER - Oh really, is that true sir?

ERIC - Yes it is!

OFFICER - Hurts a-lot to hear this. I’ve got no girlfriend and I’m not good but you're good?

ERIC - I’m a good boyfriend officer! I bought her this hamster.

OFFICER - Now you’re just making things up.

ERIC - I swear. I took her on a date and everything!

OFFICER - Oh I bet you did. I’m placing you under arrest sir, get in the car.

HAMSTER - He’s just a tourist!

OFFICER - Get out of here hamster … I don’t want to see your furry face again. You’re on notice.

After some security checkpoints, they took him to the sitting regent in the heart of the SOTA. Like toy soldiers, a column of cultic officers marched through the halls, and tossed open a mahogany door. They dragged him by his arms and savagely threw the prisoner at her feet. “Is this for me?” Etheria asked. “Yes mam”, one said. They nodded politely and made for the door. Eric got to his feet and composed himself again, hopefully for the last time. The regent was sideways with her knees draped over one of the legs of the throne. Eric was just a touch disappointed. She looked like your typical yuppie businesswoman, tall and attractive with medium length black hair. The kind of person who could be seen carrying a briefcase down a financial district. In fact she did keep some soul points in her briefcase for safekeeping. “Are you the big shot of this place?” he tentatively inquired. Etheria looked at him with piercing eyes. It was apparently an honor to be at her mercy. “Yes, I oversee this whole domain. My name is Etheria, what’s yours?” She revealed, alighting from the most comfortable position onto the veritable ground. “Eric” he reciprocated. Being in the presence of someone less regal, the man felt a little less distraught. He adjusted his posture. Etheria approached him and sensed the difference in his aura immediately. “You are from upstairs,” she remarked. Eric smiled, knowing the jig is up, “I am. I was sent down here”. Etheria circled around him like a shark who was already full but could stuff in one last morsel, “Did they? Who exactly sent you down here?”. As the long day was mostly at a close, he was more sociable than usual. Eric rubbed his chin and realized he would have to give her some insight into his purpose. “Her name is Priya Echo '' he intoned. “For what reason? Are you a hero?” Etheria guessed eagerly. Eric shifted a little in his posture. This was going to be a little difficult to explain, “Well actually … a war started and she wanted me to be safe … I’m her boyfriend”. The regent could not believe her ears. Euphoria flooded her body. The tips of her fingers tingled. A wry sliver of a smirk uplifted her face. “Oh, is that so?” she beamed, looking him up and down. Inspecting even the fabric of his pant pockets. “But I don’t know if we’re right for each other” he mumbled, looking with dismay at his feet. “That’s boyfriend talk. They all say that!” one of the female bodyguards shouted. Etheria put a finger to her forehead and thought to herself. Through the eons Sam-Henry-Claudius-Dazin was a regular member of the family. Even from the very start. The years began to flow like some insubstantial element back to their source. Ahh … those were the days. So many reincarnations and so little time. And now it was confirmed. All counterparts of this earthborn fellow. The regent put a hand on his shoulder just to steady him, “Well then Eric … this may come as a bit of shock but … you have a dream counterpart here in the echo realm … so you should go and discover what that is all about. I’m going to send you to the planet Cyalola. The ruler there, whose name is TAP, will be able to help you”. “Thanks, but I’m sort of a one planet man, '' Eric avowed. A serious look on his face transformed as he realized what had happened. It turned out celestial monogamy was his thing. Etheria threw back her head, “Very funny. I’m starting to like you”. The business settled, the newcomer paced all the way to the door. As he put a hand on the side of the door, he decided to give the regent some advice as it was his nature to be helpful, “Oh, and …. your domain is full of weird stuff. try to do something about that please”. Ferried by the cultic officers, he was sent expeditiously to the resident spaceport. A modern, silvery number that flattered the surrounding architecture. Eric nudged his head through the window to perceive the cumbersome ship. It must have been able to house a small city. The driver gave him a water bottle for the way and he climbed the ramp with the other families and buttoned down military officers. He got snug in his seat before the lumbering giant left the solid ground behind, and sailed unimpeded to the outer belt. There, the pilot pressed his finger to a view screen and the mausoleum ship activated its mirror light drive. The stars became a wall of pearly white, like the supple curled up inside of a conch. A waitress tried to convince him to try a fuzzy new soda but he declined. She got bonuses on the number of drinks. When he departed they crossed by a hallway with a viewing hall. The glass had a handprint from a kid who must have been on the last ride. And above those fingers he saw it. The vibrant green tapestry of Cyalola, wrapped up in a ball for safekeeping. It was as if a barren world was seeded with a field of clovers. Eric was so impressed by the islands that he did not register the ocean. He took a step back and saw it. The type of thing you would throw a bottle in if you wanted to be rescued. An officer who had been assigned to his duty grabbed him by the collar. A private shuttle was waiting for him. Sleek and sporty like someone had maxed out their credit card. It positioned itself outside the glass, atop the dark bottomless canvas, so you knew you were getting a good fall. Inside, two specialists of Etheria told him that they would personally introduce him to TAP, the ruler of the world below, "We will do the talking. Be cool. After that, I will let you meet her". The pilot was likewise handpicked and she turned around to get the go-ahead from the rest of the crew. Royal purple flames exploded in the nothingness of space, and propelled the convertible down to the surface. As dignitaries, they made their rounds before coming to the final, awesomely adorned chamber. Like they said, the ambassadors did the talking first, while he stood patient, then abandoned him to the safety of the outside room. After seeing what he saw, Eric was expecting a real luminary. But instead … the woman had her hands over her face and was shivering audibly. "Are you crying … please stop" he begged. With that, she revealed her face but continued the waterworks, "I'm told your name is Eric. A pleasure to meet you". "Good to be here. I didn't have a choice but you have a beautiful planet" he offered, trying to reassure her with niceness. She nodded in approval, yet without an ounce of sadness. Then something remarkable happened. Those parcels of salt as that fell from her damp cheek took flight. They circled in wide spirals around the room, flickering with nascent light. They broadened and formed into watery figures of birds with long tails. Each of them landed square on the ground, erupting with unimaginable color. And they were peacocks. "Thank you. That is kind. I am Tears Are Peacocks, or TAP for short" the empress acknowledged. Eric blinked a few times instead of falling flat on his face, which would have been a sensible option, "I can definitely see that ''. The woman was never sad, she was simply using her power. TAP noticed his reaction with amusement and quickly changed the subject, "Alright then, from what they said you are here meet your counterpart. Dazin, the star-map". She gave him a wet hand shake that he wiped off on the side of his pants when she wasn't looking. "Yes, that is what Etheria said,'' he remembered. The empress smiled with delight, "Very well. He is on the maiden island of Jabecera. A boat can take you there". "Things were going smoothly this time, he supposed '', It's that easy? Alright, I will go. Eric felt gratitude for the way this was being handled. At his knee, a peacock was rubbing its head and purring in amorous fixation. His host was remarkably calm, "I will have someone escort you to the shore. I expect you will enjoy the island. good tidings'' TAP elected. It was all coming together. That matter from the Battle of Cyalola would soon be resolved. She smiled even grander than before.``Thank you. I hope you get relief for whatever you are crying about. bye!" Eric answered. They saluted each other again and then he was sent out, past those big mahogany doors, towards a maiden island and the promise of the future. He just hoped that he could capture it.