10.
The Vainglorious
Vance vaguely
remembered being taken out of the truck and dragged into a small rickety house.
They’d cleaned him, dressed his wounds, and given him water, which he’d drunk
greedily. Then, he fell asleep...and now, he lay in a bed, with a strange,
red-haired girl staring down at him from above.
"I said,
who the hell are you?" he repeated, as his eyes flitted between the other inhabitants
of the room. "You know what, on second thought, I don't wanna know."
Cliff moved
forward. "Please tell me your name, and where you come from."
"Why
should I? I don't even know where I am."
"Hey, enough
with the attitude, kid!" Cliff shouted, his anger rising. "These
people were nice enough to pick you up from the desert and save your life. The
least you can do is let them know who you are!"
Vance eyed the
cowboy. He looks ridiculous...but he also doesn’t look like he’s joking
around.
"Fine,"
he grumbled, adjusting the long underwear he’d been given. "My name is
Vance Darcouver. I live in Turtle Creek, PA. One minute I was sitting in my
room slitting my wrist...and then I wasn’t."
Vance noticed
Eden’s bright eyes staring intently at him as he explained himself. But before he
could say anything, Robin spoke up.
"So that explains the blood." Robin raised an eyebrow.
"Vance, I'm Sheriff Robin Cole. Them two guys found you out by the hills,
covered in dust. Now why would you try and kill yourself, Vance?"
A long sigh
escaped Vance’s lips as he formulated an answer. "I thought it’d help me
find my mother."
Robin glanced
at Cliff, then turned back to Vance. "What happened to your mother?"
"She
disappeared," Vance said, looking away. "Everyone else thinks she’s
dead."
Eden let out a gasp and put a hand on the old table in order to stabilize
herself. "Vance..." She said the word slowly, feeling it out with her
mouth, took a breath, and then continued. "You said you’re from Turtle
Creek, right? Is your mother's name...Victoria?"
Vance froze. He felt a strange surge of emotion, like his heart was in
his throat. Color returned to his face. "You know my mother?"
"I think used to...when I was very little," she said, struggling
to catch her breath. "She had eyes just like yours...and I’ve never seen
anyone else with eyes like that. Oh my God...she used to come over and play
with me, when I was little. I'm from Pittsburgh, too..."
A chill ran up Vance’s spine. He looked over to the sheriff, as if waiting
for some explanation, but everyone on that side of the room looked equally
confused.
"So..."
Cliff ventured. "You’re from Earth."
Vance’s face
scrunched up. "What, do you think I just hopped off the moon or something?
Of course I’m from Earth!"
"Let me explain," Eden said calmly. "Okay, Vance?"
Vance eyed the
girl suspiciously. She knew my mother...so then why don’t I know her?
"Yeah,"
he said finally. "Go ahead."
"My name is
Eden Gardener, and I'm also from Earth. Cliff saved me when I was in danger. It
was a shock at first for me, too...but—"
"Let me
guess," Vance said suddenly. "I’m in another dimension?"
Eden’s eyes
widened, and she hesitated for a moment. "Um...yeah. That’s exactly it."
Vance let out
a dark laugh. "So it did work...I guess Mr. Caskett wasn’t a total lunatic
after all..."
Suddenly, he
realized something, and frantically patted himself down. He flipped the covers
up and looked to the table.
"Oh no..."
he said. "The diary...hey, didn’t you people find anything with me out in
the desert? A book? Or a clock?"
"A clock?" Cliff’s eyes narrowed, and he moved up to the side
of the bed. "Hold on, I thought you came from Earth? How do you know about
the clock?"
"I found it downtown last night," Vance said. "And
then...when I was sitting on my bed with the knife...it struck 13. That must have
been what did it!"
"Hey!"
The old man hobbled over to the three. "Enough yappin’! Where’s my Kurt,
boy?!"
"We’re
trying to figure that out," Cliff said, impatiently. "Go on, Vance.
What else do you know?"
"The clock
brought me here," he answered, slowly wrapping his mind around the truth.
"Just like Caskett wrote in his diary...with the clock, I was able to remove
myself from the world."
"But...but
how?" Cliff threw his hands out. "How did you use your clock?
Was it linked to this one, somehow? How did you activate it?"
"What do
you mean, activate it?" Vance looked equally frustrated. "It was
already ticking when I found it...I think. But it was going slower than a
normal clock..."
"You said
you found it downtown, right?" Eden asked. "We were downtown too, that
night..."
Cliff backed up
slowly, fear in his eyes. "Scripture says that only the Daughter can unlock
the power of the clocks. If you didn’t activate it...then someone else did."
His eyes slowly shifted over to Eden.
"Scripture?"
Vance winced. "What does God have to do with the clocks?"
Cliff’s eyes
grew serious, and he hesitated a moment. "Scripture states that twelve clocks
were created, each to represent a disciple of the son of God, the one who
caused the initial collapsing of worlds. Scripture states that someday, a
second child of God will descend – the Daughter, who may use them to travel through
the universe unharnessed. If all twelve were to be used in unison...they could
open the doors to the Space-Time Continuum."
"The
what?" Vance furrowed his brow.
"The core
of the entire universe...the first dimension, the framework that holds them all
together. The place where God resides. Unlocking that door means..."
Cliff's voice wavered uncertainly. "...unlocking the power of God."
The room was
quiet for a while, until Vance grew impatient and spoke up. "Well, now
what? I don’t have to go back home, do you?"
Cliff looked
at Vance in confusion. "You don’t want to go back home?"
"Not until
I find my mom, at least," he said, rising from the sheets. "There’s
nothing left for me in that hellhole anyway."
"So be it,"
Cliff said, growing impatient. "But we need to check out the mine first.
Vance, just stay here and wait. We’ll pick you up on our way back."
"No way,"
Vance said, looking at Eden with the hint of a smile. "I’m going with you."
Cliff clenched
his fists and looked down at the teenager. He was only a few inches taller, but
far outclassed the boy in terms of physique. After a few moments, Cliff turned
to glance at Robin.
"I don’t want
him here," she said with a shrug. "He’s weird."
Cliff shook
his head. "This is such a bad idea, but...Vance, I’m Cliff Walden,
Vice-Captain of the 4th Division of Dimensional Knights. If you can
follow my lead, I will allow you to accompany us to the mine. But only if you’re
willing to obey me."
Vance gazed up
at Cliff with firm eyes. "Lead the way, captain."
Turning on his heel, Cliff looked back to Robin "Mind if we borrow
your buggy?"
"Sorry." Robin shook her head. "I lent it out to Kurt
this morning...and he ain't brought it back yet."
"Okay." Cliff bit his lip. "Is there any other vehicle
we can use? I know that mine is about an hour’s walk from here..."
"What’s
wrong?" she asked with a chuckle. "Not up to it, big guy?"
Cliff rubbed
his aching body with chagrin. "Well, I suppose it’ll give us time to talk.
Vance, get dressed and we’ll leave at once. We have a lot to discuss."
*
The moon glimmered as Cliff, Eden, and Vance made their way to the mine.
In order to kill time, Cliff and Eden told Vance about their journey so far.
Then, Cliff decided to try and teach Eden how to harness some of her newfound power.
"Now, Eden, try focusing psynergy into your right fist," he
ordered.
"Alright,"
she said nervously, holding out her fist and concentrating on it. After a few
moments of silence, it began to glow in a faint orange light. Her eyes widened,
and suddenly it disappeared.
"Not bad for your first time." Cliff gave her a smile of encouragement.
"Most newbies can't even concentrate it into a certain part of their body.
Now all you need is firmer concentration. You'll get it down eventually, so
keep practicing."
"What does that stuff do, strengthen her fist?" Vance asked.
"Exactly,"
Cliff confirmed. "Watch, I'll demonstrate." He held up his fist, and instantly
it erupted into a bright tan glow, illuminating the evening landscape. "It
can also be used as a source of light."
"Interesting,"
Vance said, not waiting for Cliff to give him a turn. He stared at his fist
intently, mimicking what he’d seen Eden just do. Soon, his whole arm erupted in
a purple blaze. He shouted in surprise, waving his arm in fright and
consequently losing his concentration. As the flames faded, he was filled with
a mixture of nostalgia and fear.
"Holy..."
Cliff stared at Vance's arm, now empty and hanging limp at his side. "That
can’t be. You’re an Earthling..."
"But so
am I," Eden cut in nervously. "Right?"
Cliff gave
Eden a concerned look. "You’re...special, Eden. The events yesterday
proved that to me. The truth is, Earthlings – that is, people born on Earth –
can't use psynergy. Being born in a dimension where there's a psynergy vacuum
must have something to do with it. I don’t know the details, but one thing is clear:
Vance, if you were born on Earth, there's no way you could have done what you did
just now."
A smirk crept
across Vance’s face. "You're telling me..." he said slowly, as if
hypnotized, "that I was born somewhere other than Earth?"
"I guess
that’s what this means," Cliff said, still incredulous. "This can’t
be mere coincidence. Maybe it was some greater power that brought us together
like this."
"Maybe,"
Vance said, grinning ear to ear for the first time in a long while. "This
is so cool."
"Well,
don’t get ahead of yourself just yet," Cliff said, smirking a bit at Vance’s
awkward show of gratitude. "All you've done so far is create a little
light. If we run into anyone, you need to let me handle it. All you two will be
able to do now is pad your fist or arm for a normal punch. You've yet to truly
enhance it with psynergy."
"Man, stop getting all dramatic on us!" Vance shouted, letting
his excitement get the best of him. "Let's just go in and get the clock.
Whoever's in there can come right at me! I'll kick their ass."
Cliff’s frustration returned to his face as he watched Vance walk toward
the cave's entrance alone, concentrating psynergy into his arm and
shadowboxing.
"Well...maybe
he does have a point." Eden shrugged. "You said we're good for
beginners. Besides, Cliff, you can’t push yourself either."
Cliff let his
irritation seethe inside as he gestured for Eden to enter the cave ahead of
him. On their long walk, he’d listened to Vance and Eden talk about their hometown
and childhood memories at length. Eden seemed to happy to have found a friend with
a similar background, and was also visibly affected when Vance spoke of his
mother’s disappearance. But to Cliff, every word out of Vance's mouth seemed
like a trap designed to ensnare the woman he wanted to protect.
He just seems
like a cocky, edgy little brat...why do I have to babysit him?
Carefully, the
trio moved deeper inside the cave, each with their own lights glowing in their
fists.
"Vance,
wait up!" Eden called out.
"Yeah,
slow down, we have to stick together," Cliff added. "And don't waste
your psynergy if you don't need to. Here, allow me." Cliff proudly powered
up his fist, creating a smaller, yet significantly brighter light source than what
Vance had mustered.
Cliff’s aura
illuminated the entire tunnel, removing any need for Vance or Eden to try and
light it up themselves. Weak-looking wooden slats nailed together into a frame held
up the grey bedrock as they continued deeper down. Eden looked around vigilantly,
keeping herself close to Cliff's bright light. Vance seemed bored, kicking up
dirt and rocks as he moved downward, acting unimpressed with Cliff’s light.
Finally, they reached the bottom of a slanted passage, which opened into a
larger room. As Cliff stepped forward, his aura spread through the room and illuminated
it.
"I'm emitting
my psynergy in streams now," Cliff elaborated. "Anyone can do it with
a little practice. In more extreme cases, you can make it destructive. Expanding
your aura like this allows you to sense other psynergy auras that you normally
wouldn't be able to, as long as they aren’t being masked. This should let me
find the other members of the 4th division."
Vance lit up his fist once more. Then, after a few minutes of concentrating,
he shot a marble-sized ball of psynergy at the wall. It smacked into the bedrock
as if it had been thrown, leaving a small burn mark behind.
Cliff paled. "How’d you learn that?!"
"I was
practicing when we were coming down here." Vance shrugged, letting a
conceited grin slide on to his face. "I can do it in my arms, legs, and head
now. Channeling the psynergy seemed pretty easy, but I didn't wanna embarrass
you by doing it before you explained it to us."
"Right.
Of course." Cliff’s face contorted, and his aura pulsated with irritation.
This kid is
infuriating! I’d like to give him a psynergy lesson he’d never forget...
Eden was a quick learner as well. Her citrus psynergy spread out into
the room with ease, mixing in with Cliff’s. "I don’t sense anyone,"
she mentioned. "Do you?"
Cliff searched his mind’s eye for any other signs of psynergy. "No,
now that you mention it, I don’t. But they could be masking their auras in
order to stay hidden..."
"Oh, they
were," a male voice cooed, as its owner stepped into the light. "But
I still found them. Made quick work of them, too."
A young man
with pale blond hair and a butterscotch-colored frock coat stepped forward, now
in the center of Cliff's glow. He smiled invitingly and raised a hand to his
chest.
"I am
Winslow Bandeaux, 11th of the Dark Zodiacs. I see that you are all novice psynergy
users. This should make things simple. First things first: you will not reach the
clock you so desperately seek. I advise you all to turn to back immediately, or
I will use force to remove you from the premises. Do not attempt to fight me,
as I will easily crush you. I have graduated from-" Winslow stopped abruptly
and turned his eyes to Vance, who had just let out a loud, obnoxious yawn. "Excuse
me, you inferior trash! Your very life depends on my grace and pity, so I would
advise you-"
"I would
advise you to shut the hell up!" Vance shouted. "I don't care
where you graduated from, you egotistic prick."
Winslow
scoffed. "How dare you? Don’t you realize how much stronger I am? I
graduated with highest honors from the legendary Vonnornoth Psynergy Research
Institute. Surely you’ve heard of it."
"I don't
really care," Vance spat, then looked up to Cliff. "Are all the Dark
Zodiacs this stupid?"
"Vance!" Cliff shouted nervously. "Shut up!"
"For your
information, boy," Winslow continued, "I joined the Dark
Zodiacs because they were the only ones who could possibly stand up to my
power. You really don't know a thing, do you?"
Vance rolled
his eyes. "Are you kidding me? Cliff, come on! This is one of the infamous,
uncatchable criminals you people are afraid of? He's a nutcase. You know what,
actually, this'll be perfect. I need a punching bag to test my psynergy on,"
Vance sneered, and began walking toward his adversary.
"Vance,
get back here!" Cliff demanded. "Whatever he is, he’s still stronger
than you! Let me take him!"
"Screw
you!" Vance retorted. "I've spent my entire life listening to
assholes like this. Conceited assholes who think they're better than everyone
else, and never seem to get any punishment for it. Now I finally have a chance
to teach one a lesson...I’m gonna make him beg for mercy!" Vance declared,
cracking his knuckles forebodingly.
"No!" Cliff shouted. "You don't know what you're getting
yourself into, Vance! Stop! Help me out here, Eden!"
"Help
you? How?" Eden’s thin eyebrows curled upwards. "He won’t listen to
anything we say!"
"I don't
believe this!" Cliff grabbed his head in vexation. "Vance, you have
to stop! You could die!"
A twisted smile
crept on to Winslow’s oddly child-like face. "Come, boy. Allow me to know
your identity before I rid you of your worthless existence."
Vance took off his ragged jacket and tossed it onto the ground behind
him. "I'm the guy who’s gonna kick your ass."
Next: The Serendipitous