(I have the authors consent. The previous two books can be found on amazon) The Heroes Guild Book 3 The Hero’s War Copyright May 1st 2013 By John Bradford Genre: Sci-fi/Fantasy/Romance/Time-Travel Synopsis: In the third installment of The Heroes Guild series depending on your ability to comprehend the intricate chain of events that were, are, and will be time travel. Byron Lei’s tale is revealed on how he built his time machine and then was hurled centuries into the future only to start a chain of events that will affect the past, present, and future destiny of known and unknown heroes all because of a simple question he wanted the answer to. Were the stories true? And in this futuristic world of aliens along with the wizard Walter Redd and treasure hunter Gustvapor already chasing Maylift the dark fairy. His tale now takes place after the destruction of his time machine. Leaving him stranded with no may to stop Maylift in the past. But the future holds other possibilities. And the scientific whiz must make the most important decision of his life yet again. Will he build a time machine? Or will his meddling have already caused a chain of events somewhere in the pages of history that might just atone for his biggest mistake. Walter and Gustvapor have joined forces and a fourth unknown hero is somewhere, hiding, possibly waiting to get Maylift, or perhaps he is in league with her. Only time will tell. Chapter 1: The Parasite Byron closed his eyes tight cause the brightness of the portal opening was only that much worse when you entered and found the massive void of darkness inside. Byron hypothesized that time particles were not on any known spectrum or measuring device. He had built the time machine on the theory that gravity stretched time and space and held the universe in place. So it was very much like a spiders web made of rubber bands that could be twisted, and re-designed if one were able to find a suitable power source. Byron’s only error had been Maylift. One she had come from the other side of the portal. How this was possible would have been churning Byron’s mind had he not been her mind slave for the past few months. When the dark pixie found her prize was merely testing an idea, she was infuriated to say the least. But alas she had done the unthinkable and discovered that she was indeed in the past from her perspective and could redo many of her exploits better as long as she didn’t run into her other self. She probed Byron’s mind for hours and only after a while did she realize that not only was her prize in need of sleep, food, and water, and basic comforts. But worse he wasn’t going to live long compared to her. She had to finalize his research fast or at least find individuals like him who could continue his accident until it was perfected. She had even gone as far as to marry him as a farce in the hopes of siring a child who would continue their fathers work while mother reaped the benefits. And Byron had foiled this plan. Even at the subconscious level he fought her when he learned she was just another fiend that would use his science for evil. She nearly killed Byron several times when his Page 1 built in failsafes and back-ups evaded her magic and attempts to tinker. Then Quintell had shown up, and she had finally found a promising possibility. Get a group of humans to work for her but not know what their ultimate goal was. That was how most human industries worked. The owners lounged about while the workers did everything and knew everything but the real plan. Only problem was the workers asked questions, and then it came time to kill them and replace them. Quintell, Gustvapor, Woodeye, and their friends Triptrapper and Icemist had been her best idea in decades. She had hoped the humans , dwarf, and elf would figure out how the time machine worked, gain Byrons trust and then somehow convince him to use it and then she would be there to undo the only event that mattered. Her marriage to Byron. In her mind it should’ve been easy. Byron would giver her a child and she would be able to use more magic than normal by having subjects empower her. Now because of Byron that was all about to change. Maylift and Byron had both gone through the portal. It had been set to self-destruct. Byron had never hinted or mentioned it. A supreme testimony to his genius. He had kept all the vital secrets to himself. He had never truly trusted Maylift, and the irony was he was right. The human scum had outwitted a creature capable of even holding his mind and body hostage. And like those infernal videogames that Gustvapor loved to play. Now they were either resetting everything, or worse, they could be at any level at the beginning or ending of the game. Byron retained consciousness long enough to see Maylift vanish, pulled to wherever the pull of time, gravity, and a third force Byron now counted, magic was taking her. Byron feared he would simply be pulled with her like a fish on a line. But Gustvapor had ended his contract. So the question in Byron’s head right before he vanished into the time whirlpool was. When am I going? It was several hours before Byron could open his eyes. The first time he had attempted time travel he hadn’t even gotten to travel anywhere he wanted. Maylift had simply taken him against his will to some realm he now termed Fairy realm and under mind control he had only caught bits and pieces of what was going on. The pixie wanted his time machine, wanted a child, and wanted to rule. Byron would’ve thought more but Maylift had suppressed his mind and finding ways around her magical ability had been a nightmare that challenged him in ways he’d never had to before. If it was chemistry, engineering, or physics he was fine. But this creature used feelings, and Byron didn’t need those to build machines. Plus she had toyed with him and that made suppressing his emotions that much more desirable so he could not feel pain. But then he changed strategies and used those emotions to get the freedom he needed to find a way back home and to destroy the time machine. Getting cryogenically frozen had been his idea, but he made Maylift think she had thought it up. Maylift obviously didn’t read a lot of science fiction cause there was lots of that in Byrons mind. But Gustvapor had thawed him out, and better, had just so happened to be married to a fairy that knew to trust him and had taken him precisely where he needed to be. That was the second time Byron had time traveled. Page 2 And even now he had no idea how many years had actually passed cause he had been a prisoner and frozen in the collected months. Wasn’t exactly easy to keep track of time when all that was happening. And now Byron awoke finding himself unable to move, and he would’ve screamed because he realized before long that whenever this was, he was on what appeared to be an operating table. The room was completely brown and somewhere just out of Byrons head turning capabilities was some strange lightsource. Strange because it was violet in color. Byron wasn’t sure if he was just exhausted or sedated because aside from being naked he was having trouble thinking again. When Maylift probed his mind it was like an enormous hand grabbed a part of his mind and simply strangled it. The sensation he was feeling now was more like he had simply had part of his mind switched off. Byron tried to move but could not. Finally the door opened and Byron could only wait for a chance to see what new being had taken him prisoner. Byron was dumbstruck when a fairly humanoid creature appeared. Byron noticed the enormous eyes and hands. The clothing seemed nothing more but rags, and once more the creature was very tall. Possibly an evolved Ostrich Byron deduced. But it made sense for the creature to have large eyes and hands if its profession for the last thousand years had been laboratory science. Byron realized this suggested he was either in earths future where more evolution had occurred, or he had somehow against impossible odds ended up on a different planet with a completely different biological history than earth. It was at that moment Byron realized he was going to die. If he was in either situation he was not equipped to the air, water, and land chemistry and thus would die very shortly. Byron tried one last time to free himself when he saw the creature holding what appeared to be a highly advanced laser scalpel. Byron realized there was no point moving. Struggling would only increase the odds of causing a vital organ or body part to be damaged and he’d just die that much faster. Byron prepared for the operation the only way he could think of. He closed his eyes and tried to contact the Wizard named Walter. It was a hopeless attempt given the time and distance, but Byron for the first time in his life truly was out of ideas. If psychic transmission was magical in any way, then maybe just maybe he would be heard. It seemed like hours before Byron finally mustered the courage to open his eyes. To his astonishment he was clothed in his own clothes and perfectly able to move and think. When he saw his physician he was confused and puzzled. But only long enough to unbutton his black coat and see a huge scar across his chest. Byron eyed the room for his supposed missing organ but then realized he actually felt heavier not lighter. The doctor had not removed an organ, he or she had added something. Byron scanned for a monitor or chart and sure enough a screen to his far right showed some star fish shaped entity being highlighted. The specs weren’t in English but Byron understood. He was carrying something. Before he could answer the tall doctor handed him a small electronic device no larger then a flash drive and lifting another just like it to its beak like lips began uttering a very bird-like chant. Moments later an electronic English verse followed. Page 3 “Vitals are stable. The parasite is converting the proper ratios of oxygen, nitrogen, and other gases you need. The parasite seized nerve functions only long enough to learn what areas to leave undisturbed. Your brainstem as you call it is now one of five branching sights it is fused to.” It was Byrons turn to try the device. “Where am I and where did you find me?” The device translated his line into several chirps and screeches. “The forbidden zone. A wasteland with only artifacts and occasional food. This lab is several of your miles as you call them from there. I did not see your ship or mode of transport. Only a large amount of energy, light, and some circular door that seemed to close after spitting you out. You were dressed when I found you. And your belongings and other oddities are still in the forbidden zone. Your vitals were dropping when I found you so I did not stop to pick up any of your items.” “How do you know about miles?” “The parasite is called a larvik. It is genetically modified organism to allow you and other beings to live in Terax’s atmosphere. You were the most compatible subject I have ever found. It will relay information when it binds to you via brain synapses to my computer and inform me of what modifications I must make to make the symbiosis most efficient. It sometimes captures residual information such as memories and facts. I already know that you were a prisoner, you believe in time travel, and that you were trying to contact a friend.” “Will it kill me?” “No. It will require a small portion of your nutrient intake to live and it will also feed off of your brain activity to some degree. Without a host it is a very simple organism. But when fused with a host the parasite actually evolves with its host. If you die, the parasite will die too not just from physical trauma but from the mental trauma of breaking the mental link. Like a brain synapse that has been silenced. It’s still a theory, but I theorize that communication with the parasite may be possible. I haven’t ever genetically modified it to do so. Or rather I am not permitted to do it.” “Why’d you save me then?” “I was breaking the law already when I entered the forbidden zone. Now that I’ve saved your life I am basically a criminal if they ever find either of us. But you’d risk your life to learn more wouldn’t you as a fellow scientist?” “I’m Byron.” “I’m Oskin, a former inhabitant of a now extinct planet. I came as a refugee to Terax.” Page 4 I work a farm most days, but when I am not I conduct research as I did back home. You must excuse my excitement but I have so many questions to ask you such as what planet you are from and how your brain is as complex as it is? The larvik bonded to you without hesitation I am almost certain because of your brain capacity. “We can talk while we make our way back to the forbidden zone to harvest anything useful that might have come through the portal with me. Especially if that thing turns out to be another person.” “Then you were not alone?” “There were a few people, but I don’t think we all got off our transport at the same time.” Chapter 2 Gustvapors Ailment
Posted on: Fri, 22 Nov 2013 19:11:56 +0000