Far Horizons: Tales of Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Horror. Issue #17 August 2015 | Page 26
“Manfred has selected the settings,” Jhamed said. “It
will take you to a time around thirty thousand years
ago and a place far from here. Manfred and his twin
Mandred will both be there. Remember that you must
not let them know that you are from the future or
that you have met or will meet Manfred before. It’s
confusing me already. You must behave as you think
best and deal with the situations that arise. Manfred
would tell me no more. When you are ready to return
you must want in your heart to come back and you
must picture this place in your mind. I’m afraid that
you will be naked when you get there. I hope that
it’s summer time, for your sake. I hope that it’s dark,
for theirs.” He laughed at his little joke, but his heart
wasn’t really in it. “Do you understand?”
elf my friend.” He turned to Taran and slapped him
on the back so that he almost fell over. “We are the
last best hope for peace in FirstWorld and the wider
multiverse. We all wish we could come with you on
this task, but it is one you must shoulder alone. At
least Manfred will be there. I often wondered what he
was like as a young wizard. You must tell us when you
get back. Good luck, my friend. Hurry home, we shall
be waiting.”
Simon had tears in his eyes as he hugged the
three of them. All he could manage to say was, “Thank
you, I’ll see you soon.” I don’t deserve such good
friends. He stepped up to the archway, glanced back
at his friends, waved nonchalantly, and walked under
the obsidian time portal. There was no flash, no bang,
and no science fiction movie theatrics; one second he
was there, the next he was gone. A pair of sneakers,
two short white socks, a pair of torn jeans, a green
tee shirt, and a well-used pair of blue jockey shorts
remained behind.
Simon nodded. “Are you sure Kin Slayer will
go with me?”
“Manfred assured me that it would be so. It is
part of you now and you are part of it. You have killed
together.”
“Thanks for reminding me.” Simon sighed. “I
suppose I had better get it over with.”
At that moment, there was a sound of feet on
the stairs and muffled shouts. Taran ran out onto the
parapet. He was followed a short while later by Dawit.
The dwarf was puffing and panting hard. Taran hardly
seemed out of breath. “Did you think to sneak off
without saying goodbye?” Taran asked. “We are not
that easy to shake,” Dawit gasped.
Simon was embarrassed. He had deliberately
avoided seeing anyone but Jhamed during his
recovery from the events at Dishley. He was ashamed
about that, but he was more ashamed about his actions
there and what his friends thought about him.
Dawit spoke for both of them. “Simon, we
understand. It is a huge burden to carry to be the
Everlasting Hero. It is not one either of us would
relish. But we would be there to help you carry it, as
we carried you home from Dishley. We four have a
special fellowship, five when Manfred returns. Just a
few days ago, I could never have imagined calling an
Simon felt a wave of nausea hit him, and each
of his limbs was wracked with the worst pins and
needles he had ever experienced. The world went
dark and then extremely bright. He fell to his knees
and tried not to pass out. He took a grip and focussed
his eyes. It was a bright, cool day; already he was
shivering because he was naked. Kin Slayer was
indeed strapped to his side. He was in a small clearing
in a forest. Through the trees, he could see a larger
clearing where a small crowd of people were gathered
around an old man who seemed to be performing
magic tricks. Simon’s heart lifted. Manfred is here.
****
The three friends looked at each other. Jhamed
finally spoke. “I wish that I could go with him. He’ll
find Manfred as old and cantankerous then as he is
now, except that he was a different sort of wizard back
then. During our many years in exile he sometimes
opened up to me about his past and his regrets. He
feels guilty that he let down his mentor Bedwyr. He
hated being away from the comforts of Melasurej and
was in a great sulk because he’d been sent to a boring
backwater with Mandred. From what he told me, the
two of them didn’t get on at all. He always thought
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