Prologue

  Strange how a single moment in your life can change, even shape, and show you everything about who you really are and what kind of person you will turn into. I was no different in that regard however the moment that showed me who I really was and shaped the man I would later become is without question, not like most. It was the day I escaped my father. The day I escaped my father’s wrath I understood only one thing: no one would come and save me, so I had to save myself. It was that mentality that carried me through the next couple years; my thoughts were “if no one was going to save me why should I save anyone”. I began living only for myself taking whatever I needed from whoever stood between me and what I wanted, but living in this way is truly a hollow existence. Numb to the wants and needs of others, only caring for myself, only getting involved when my hand was forced, and more often than not those times always ended in bloodshed and ruined lives.

  As time passed I gained power, and met people who changed my life for the better, people I grew to trust and hold close to my heart. Fought many blood soaked battles side by side with. Until the five of us had become a true force for all that was good in the world, I even met someone. Her name was Elizabeth. She became the light in my darkness, my only reason for being, she was my everything. I would have done anything she asked of me, anything at all. My love, my devotion to her was unmatched. I should have known it would end the way it did. The very party I traveled with, that I called my friends, my brothers in arms, betrayed me.

  I can still remember her last words as the light faded from her eyes. “You don’t understand he’s trying to save you all.” Her words were meant as a warning, for only she and I knew the hidden truth of creation. However, before I could act to protect the woman I loved above all else, Michael, my once best friend, used an ancient and powerful artifact to lock me away outside of all time and space, effectively trapping me in the void outside all existence. I swore I would return and when I did all of creation would burn.

  Chapter 1

  The Deals We Make

  In the Void there is no light, no dark, no up or down, no time or space, just endless nothingness, you can’t even scream for there is no sound only the muted cries, rage and the madness that comes from endless years of isolation. I should have been torn apart, reduced to nothing, fading away into oblivion as that is the nature of the void, but my cage kept me alive and aware for countless centuries. The only saving grace I had was the fact that every once and a while I would catch a glimpse of the lives of others within creation. It helped pass the time and retain what little sanity I had left. There were times when I would go hundreds of years in total nothingness, bringing back the utter hopelessness of imprisonment. This was how the years passed, that was until she found me, bringing with her an offer: a chance to return to the world.

  “Draconis, I’ve been searching for you for a very long time. To think you were way out here, so far into the void.” Before I could say, “Who are you?” The sound of snapping fingers echoed loudly all-round, and I was blinded by a bright white light.

  When my eyes adjusted I found myself in yet another endless empty space only this one was a brightly lit white emptiness. No, emptiness is the wrong way to describe this place. It is more like the endless potential of what could be, like a blank canvas waiting to become a masterpiece. I knew where I was, but never thought I’d be standing here.

  “The edge of creation.” I muttered to myself.

  Getting to my feet, my legs felt as though they were filled with jello, limp and squishy, but that was to be expected. After all, it had been several billion years since the last time I moved. Weakness of the body was an understatement. Yet this weakness did not last long for my regeneration began to kick in and my body was slowly restored to at least working order.

  “Come, sit, have some tea, we have much to talk about.” Before me rested a small round table built for two, exquisitely crafted, the kind you might find resting under a gazebo in the backyard of some well off Royal’s home, the kind of table where two could come sit, have tea and discuss business. Resting on either side of the table were two chairs with round cushions. Atop the table was a oriental style teapot with matching cup, saucers, sugar and cream containers. In front of me was an empty chair, meant for me. On the other side of the table sat the one who had spoken, a woman appearing to be a human in her early to late twenties with long snow white hair and an equally white formal dress with red roses acting as clasps along the front of the dress. Next to her stood a tall equally young appearing human dressed like a butler of a royal family, tailcoat and all. I could tell from the blatant look of disgust ingrained upon his face that he already didn’t like me. Well who am I to disappoint. “Get on with it, what do you want? So I can tell you where you can take it and shove it.” I sat down across from her and poured myself some tea.

  “How dare you speak to her Ladyship in that manner! Do you not know whom you speak to?!”

  “Why yes I do,[sipping my tea] she is the architect and the great creator, the One Above All.” Setting down the tea cup and leaning back in the chair I said with a grin. “I just don’t really care.” Watching amused as his dog-like nature began to show and he started to almost bark at me before I interrupted him with. “Now why don’t you be a good doggy and go mark your territory somewhere else. The grownups are talking.” His face turned a cartoonish bright tomato red with anger; however Her Ladyship raised her hand as she sipped her tea, eyes closed her face seemly a little embarrassed by the action of her attendant, whom of which fell silent knowing he was in the wrong and it was unwise to upset his lady.

  Propping my feet up on the edge of the small table, slumping deeper into the chair till I rested on my lower back, fingers interlocked, resting in my lap, eyes on her attendant. My goal was to anger one if not both of them to the point that they would end me. At that moment I could only guess The Lady in white, as she is known, had brought me here to make some kind of deal with me in which she would promise me something I wanted in exchange for some service only I could perform. However I no longer felt any love for the world or its fate. After all, my world was long gone.

  “I’ve brought you here because I wanted to make you an offer” Before she could finish what she was saying I butted in. “No! Whatever it is, the answer is no.”

  “Please hear me out.” Her tone was soft with a hint of annoyance. “I brought you here to speak with you about the possibility of freeing you from your prison and returning you to creation.”

  “Why? For what reason would a being such as yourself want to free me?” Removing my feet from the table, sitting up, I leaned forward. “After all you are number one on my shit list, you’re the reason my world is gone. So why in all the Nine Hells would you want to free me?”

  “It’s simple really, you are the only one who has a chance at combating what’s to come.” She said unfazed by my threat

  “And what might that be?” Leaning back I got the sense she was hinting that something big was about to happen within creation, an event that would more than likely change or even destroy existence as we knew it. In either case it was none of my concern.

  “The Prime Material Plane is about to undergo a drastic change.” She sipped her tea, as if waiting to see if I understood what she meant by drastic change. “So the Mortal Plane is expanding, that’s nothing new. Happens all the time.” I waved my hand with disinterest of the gravity of what she was saying.

  “Yes, normally I would agree, however this will be an expansion unlike any other. We are not talking about not just one or two new realms being born but hundreds, maybe more.” Her words carried with them a heavy weight and fear, but not fear associated with this grand expansion of the plane. No it went deeper than that, she feared what would come after. There was only one thing that I could think of that would have a being as high up on the food chain as her so spooked.

  “You’re afraid of the Outsiders, The Rejects, The Forsaken and all the others who just didn’t make the cut and were forced out of existence. You’re worried they will in the aftermath of the expansion find a way back into creation through the cracks that will form as a result of the expansion to either seek vengeance or just do what is in their nature to do: consume.”

  For the first time since our meeting, she opened her eyes and her gaze met mine. Her eyes carried within them endless wonder and beauty of the clear starlit night sky. As I looked back into her eyes I felt something stir from the depths of my soul. The thought of my Elizabeth filled my mind and heart thoughts of how disappointed she would have been in me if I had said no.

  “Ok fine, I get it I’ll go back, but understand I’m only going back because I know what those bastards will do to creation if left unchecked.” That’s what I said, but I cared little for creation. I was doing it because my wife would have wanted me to. The Lady in White’s eyes seemed to grow ten times bigger and with a bright overjoyed smile she leapt over the table, knocking the tea set over, and wrapped her arms around me like a child greeting a loved one, “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I knew I could count on you.”

  We both tumbled backwards falling from my chair onto the floor. “Get off of me, what kind of Supreme Being are you?” Try as I might I could not pry her off me even if I had an enchanted crowbar made from Mithril and all the strength of a titan, I could not have freed myself from this death hug of gratitude.

  “My Lady! Compose yourself.” Her attendant barked looking both flustered and a little jealous.

  “Oh! Forgive me.” The Lady, her cheeks a rosy red, got off me and rose to her feet. Still on the ground I sat looking up at her and my thoughts turned to My Elizabeth. She used to smile at me with that same child-like smile whenever I agreed to do anything I did not really want to do. That innocent, yet devious I’ve got you wrapped around my little finger smile.

  “Understand I’ll keep an eye out for any of the Outsiders along with the others, but make no mistake I will not be helping out any of the mortal races to deal with the coming troubles.”

  “Fare enough,” And with that she snapped her fingers as she giggled mischievously. From under me a door appeared. Looking down, dread crept over me, as it opened revealing a way back into creation. Only I was ten thousand feet in the air, “Fu…” before I could finish I fell through the doorway and back into creation

  “Soooooooo going to make her pay for this,” Skydiving the wrong way, I plummeted towards the ground gaining speed with every second. Yet feeling the cool air rush across my body, the crisp smell in the air, the warmth of the morning sun felt, well words can’t describe it. Being trapped in the void for as long as I was, you forget everything, what the crisp morning air smells, how food tastes, the warmth of a summer breeze, the beauty of the morning sky as the sun rises over the horizon, bringing with it hope for a new and better day.

  Now that I was back I felt like a newborn baby experiencing the sights and sounds of the world for the first time, I was surprised at how overjoyed and happy I was to be back even though I was falling at terminal velocity.

  My fall was broken along with nearly every bone in my body as I landed in a dense tree line hitting the ground and after bouncing twice I laid there broken bloody and in pain but alive.

  “Ouch”

  It took a moment but my body's regeneration kicked in as my bones began to reset with a snap. Each resetting of bone was painful, yet after another moment or two the joints were a little stiff but the pain was gone.

  The Dragon’s Eye did not detect any life around me other than plant life so for now at least I would not have to worry about defending myself, not that I really could. My body was in no shape to move let alone fight. Truth was the prison I was placed in came in two parts. There was the cage my body was bound in and then there was, The Seven Seals of Binding that was placed upon me directly locking away much of my former power and abilities I had gained in my former life.

  The seal itself appeared on my left shoulder blade as a seven layered cycle, the outer cycle being the largest, each growing smaller as you reached the eighth and final core seal, in between each layer of each seal were arcane runes from a time long forgotten even by my standards. Breaking the seal would have been beyond me when trapped in the void but now back in creation I had a chance it would just take time.

  For a time I just laid there staring up at the dense interlocking tree branches watching as small rays of sunlight shined through tiny gaps along the upper treeline. The cool, leaf coated earth smelled slightly of compost and wood, in the distance I could hear the morning song of birds chirping a sweet melody of good morning to the world around. Sitting up and looking around, noticing the surrounding area was more open than I would have thought it would be as I came crashing down from above. Each mighty oak, pine, beech, and cedar tree were spaced more or less evenly from each other at least ten to twenty feet from each other. Each trunk stood large and proud spreading far and wide above. This left little room for bushes and other smaller plants to grow as the trees blocked out most of the sunlight. They only grew in small patches in the gaps where life giving light shined down like little rays of hope.

  As I walked through the forest, leaves crunching underfoot occasionally catching a glimpse of deer, rabbits, a squirrel or two, and many other creatures you would normally find in a forest like this one. I thought about several things like what I would do once I met other people. Fighting was an option, despite my current weakened state, I felt I could handle a normal person or even a couple of well trained fighters. Magic users I wasn’t worried about. After all, being a Null Void has its perks, magic of most schools does not work on me. Downside is I cannot use magic of any kind either, that includes magic items and weapons. The Dragon’s Eye that acts as my left eye is not a magic item. It’s something older, an object born at the dawn of creation and gifted to me as a reward for saving one of the last Silver dragons in existence, Still thought it best to avoid combat if I could, no need to make too many enemies so early in my return.

  My other thoughts were of The Lady in White, I understood why she picked me for the task of keeping the Outsiders, and the rest out of creation. In my former life I delved into forbidden truths, secrets that no mortal was ever meant to know. One of those secrets is the existence of creatures like the Outsiders and the Forsaken. Their very nature defies all natural law and corrupts all that they touch, twisting and warping the very laws or creation into a dark twisted perversion that can only lead to oblivion. I met one of the Outsiders once and even though it was one of the weaker ones, I just barely was able to cast it back into the void of nothing from which it came.

  So yes I understood her thoughts behind picking me. I know things no other mortal and perhaps even some gods do not know, but surely she could have chosen someone else to do this task. Hells, her attendant could easily do this, all he would have to do is bark and growl at the Outsiders, the Forsaken and all the others and they would turn tail and run. Furthermore her doggy would be a lot easier to control. So why throw such a chaotic element like myself into the mix, she must know I do not play well with others and will more than likely cause more trouble than I would solve. For better or for worse, perhaps that was what she was counting on, for me to do what I have always done; whatever I want.

  Those were just some of the things chugging alone through my mind as I made my way, keeping a close eye out for danger of any kind, whether that be monsters or other people. To the right of me I could hear the rushing sounds of water from that of a fast paced river, which derailed my train of thought, pushing me towards the sound. Exiting into a clearing in the forest, there the crystal clear waters of the river flowed the fresh scent of water in the air, The light from the sun above sparkled along the surface of the river. Bass swam upstream searching for food and potential mates.

  Without a second thought I danced into the water enthusiastically as if I were but a young boy seeing the water for the first time and wanting nothing more than to play and have fun. My tattered clothes swayed back and forth in the water as I swam about splashing water up into the air and over my head, the crispness of the river had an invigorating effect on me as I drank deep of its waters. I swam around scaring frogs and other fish that called this river home for fun.

  Sitting along the shore line, my clothes soaked, tattered from my fall earlier but cleaner than they were before. Seeing that this river almost seemed to flow right through the center of this forest, if I were to follow the river downstream, I might find a town or perhaps a small village near the river. It made sense, most towns and villages back in my day were either built near or right on the edge of a clean reliable source of drinking water. With that in mind, took my boots off and started down river, feet splashing along the water’s edge.

  Hoping to find a town, and what one actually finds are two different things. About an hour later on the other side of the river there was a path leading farther in the forest, after getting wet yet again, the path ahead was one that had not been used in a very long time, but one that had been used often enough in the past to leave a lasting impression on the landscapes. “Where do you go?”

  Walking the path, a sense of calm, and peace washed over me putting me on high alert. There are few things in the world that could have this kind of effect on me. Magic was out of the question, I’m a Null Void, magic does not work on me, also the Dragon’s Eye protects me from any and all false hoods that includes emotions that are not my own. However that does not mean I’m totally protected, if an entity such a god or other type of higher plane creature that was more powerful than myself were to exert their will upon me I’d feel the effect of their will pressing down upon me such as now with the sudden feeling of calm and peace, but given that I posses the Dragon’s Eye, it protects from a more powerful force or will from controlling me.

  “Show yourself!”

  No reply came. There was no loud cacophony of booming voices screeching “How dare you intrude upon these woods!” There was only a calm still silence in the forest, not even a bird could be heard chirping nearby. With caution I pressed forward. Before me stood not a town or a village, but a single house style Bed & Breakfast. A stone step walkway led to the screened in front porch with its white trimmed black shingle roof. A wide wooden swing rested suspended from the ceiling to the far right side of the porch facing the front door. The building, pale yellow in color, not a sickly yellow but more like a bouquet of yellow carnations, subtle yet beautiful.

  Taking the stone step path I reached the door to the screened in porch. Reaching for the handle another emotion passed over me. It was a sense of welcoming and as if someone was saying “Please come in, you're safe here.” The screen door, though seemingly well maintained, creaked and groaned as it opened. Stepping onto the wood floor of the porch it too groaned and creaked. The screen door slowly closed behind me as I stepped to the front door, fist out ready to knock. The front door opened of its own accord and though I could detect no danger, stepped back nonetheless.

  “Hello,” once again no vocal reply, only a warm welcoming sensation acting as an answer. Stepping in, standing at the reception area of the B&B, to my right a flight of squared stairs, 20 steps in total, ten up one way then a platform a turn to the left then ten more to the second floor where I assumed the guest rooms were. To my left was the reception desk. On the desk rested a simple bell, the roundish one with the dinger on top. Next to it an open guest ledger, its pages facing towards the outer side of the desk, next to that was a quill and ink vial. Just below it rested a small oval shaped glass candy dish filled to the brim with those little peppermints in the individual wrappers. Behind the desk, set into the wall, were seven square shaped letterboxes within each rested a key with a rectangle red tag with a gold room number engraved on it. To the left of the letterboxes, a red door with a plaque across the front that read ‘Employees Only’

  The décor of the B&B was simple yet everything was effective in its attempt to give anyone the feeling they had just returned home or had come to visit their grandparents. Everything from the simple paintings of flowers that hug in various places along the walls to the throw rugs in their simple yet pleasing colors and patterns as well as the welcome mat that I stood on all seemed to say ‘Come in stay awhile you are welcome here.’

  The Dragon’s Eye revealed to me that everything from the desk, to the ledger, the quill and ink, the candy dish, the walls, ceiling and floor all gave off a tranquil blue aura, an aura I was all too familiar with, one I thought I would never see again. “I am truly sorry, should have realized sooner. You are a Caretaker.”

  To summarize, the Caretaker was the whole B & B. Everything from the reception desk to the stairs, the walls, the floor, the paintings, the rugs and the surrounding area was the body of the Caretaker. No one, even in my time, really understands what a Caretaker truly is, whether they possess buildings like the monster known as an Animator, or if they are in fact the building itself. No one really knows. They have been around since early days of creation. “Never thought I would see one of your kind again.”

  Overjoyed, the Caretaker sprung to life as lights turned on and off, the bell at the front desk chimed almost endlessly, “Ok I get it you’re happy to have a guest. Calm down, I need your help.”

  I wanted to ask the Caretaker all sorts of questions like ‘What realm I was in?’ and where the nearest town was and what kind of people inhabited this realm. Sadly trying to communicate with a Caretaker directly is impossible, to attempt to do so would be like trying to hear the words of a god directly or stare into the Abyss or like trying to perceive the true face of an Eldritch God, you would lose your mind in the attempt. However there is always a way around the rule.

  “Ding the bell once for yes, twice for no,”

  ‘ding’

  Looking over the ledger seeing all the pages from start to finish were blank I asked. “You’ve been alone a long time haven’t you?”

  From the bell rang a sad ‘Ding’

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “Are there any other people in this realm?”

  ‘Ding’ excited

  “Have these people always been here?”

  ‘Ding Ding’ confused

  Had guessed as much already, The Lady in White returned me after the Prime Material had its little growth spurt. An expansion on that level would have caused a shockwave to spread all throughout the P.M.P. (Prime Material Plane) causing the barrier between realms to destabilize as it passed through it. People, places, things from all over the P.M.P would suddenly vanish from their home realm as they fell out of reality wherever the barrier between realms was at its weakest, and be lost to the void for all time. The Lady in White knowing this would happen, likely created a system of sorts that would redirect all things lost in this way to a single point in creation, the realm I now was in.

  Signing my name in the ledger I asked. “I’d like to stay for a while, if that’s ok?” Several very enthusiastic dings rang from the bell. On the desk one of the seven keys from the alcove appeared. Taking the key, seeing the number seven, I headed up the stairs to my room.

  The upper stairs consisted of a single hallway, a long rectangular carpet lined the center of the hallway, four doors on the left wall and four doors on the right with a small round table to the left of each door with a single plain vase and a single carnation flower sitting within. Each door was numbered one to seven odd numbers on the left even numbers on the right; the last door on the right was labeled ‘Supply Closet’

  Opening the door to my room, and stepping in. The room was simple yet cozy in its furnishings, having only a single sized bed in the center of the room, against the wall just inside the room to my right a chair and table for eating meals. On the back wall rested a simple armoire dresser, to the right of the armoire was a door, guessing that was the bathroom. Opening the door to confirm it was indeed the bathroom which had a toilet, a sink with a mirror above it and claw style bath tub with a plain grey colored curtain. “A shower sounds great right about now.”

  After removing my tattered clothes and taking a shower I stepped out to find a solid grey towel waiting for me on the rack as I forgot to look for one before showering.

  “Thank you.”

  Grabbing the towel and drying myself off, wrapping it around my waist I stared at my reflection in the mirror. Thankfully my prison had kept me in a state of suspended animation so neither did my hair grow nor did I have any more facial hair then I did when I was first locked away. Rubbing my chin, taking note of the five o’clock shadow I had, thinking I really wanted to shave. Looking down at the sink, resting on either side of the faucet was a razor and bottle of shaving cream.

  “Perfect thanks.”

  After the shave I stared at my left eye. The Dragon’s Eye, though artificial in its nature, appears to look like a real dragon’s eye: yellow in color, reptilian in the shape of the pupil. The Inhuman appearance of it has led to many misunderstandings. Back when I walked the planes in the past, most who beheld the unnaturalness of my eye viewed me as some sort of demon or devil, and, well, given my approach to most problems I could understand their reasoning.

  Knowing my need for a change of clothes the Caretaker had discarded my old clothes and had a new set waiting for me. A pair of plain black dress pants, a white dress shirt, an ankle length black duster, and a red tie waited for me, each folded neatly on the edge of the bed. At the foot of the bed, a pair of black leather slip on hiking boots, and socks.

  “Once again thank you.”

  I could only guess where the clothes came from; The Caretaker must have had them in storage from someone who stayed before me who left them here. Each Caretaker can only produce items commonly found within the nature of their structure, meaning that a B&B style like this one could only produce items found in a B&B such as food, linens, furniture, bathroom supplies and the like, while a general store would have stuff for sale affiliated with that type of store.

  While getting dressed, as I went to put on the final piece of clothing, the coat, I glanced over at the night stand next to the bed where there rested a black leather eye patch with a sleeping dragon embroidery. Putting it on, turning back to the open bathroom door in view of the mirror, I held out my arms and did a little spin. As if to say ‘what do you think?’ The Caretaker used my reflection to give me two thumbs up and a nodding approval.

  “Why thank you, thank you,” I said with a bow.

  The front door opened as the sounds of several people stepping foot inside echoed throughout the halls. From down the stars a rough and thick voice called out “Aye anyone here?”

  “Yes we have been traveling for several days now and are in need of food, water and a place to sleep.” Another voice called out this one not as thick or rough as the first but betrayed a tone of refinement that comes with years of study and old age.

  “Are they friend or foe?” giving my reflection a thumbs up for friend and a thumbs down for foe. The Caretaker, using my reflection once more, held out a hand and waved it back and forth as if to say ‘Not sure.’

  Returning to the edge of the second floor stairs, aiming to greet the Caretaker’s new guests, making my presence known with each heavy foot step. “Are you by chance the owner of this establishment?” An older late forties/early fifties human man wearing a long silky blue robe, that had seen better days, as it was splotched with patches of dirt and mud. His silver tinted eyes showed the many years of knowledge and wisdom he had no doubt gained from many years in study, His cheeks red from the long walk.

  “No. I am a guest here just as you.”

  Descending the stairs one at a time careful not to make any sudden or alarming moves, taking note of the four who had come here. Next to the old man stood a three foot roundish but well built Dwarf, his bright red hair was held in place by several braids and decorated with little ornaments and bands, as was his well kept and trimmed beard. The Dwarf wore chainmail armor with a white tunic over it, his clothes also were covered in filth. Engraved on the tunic was the symbol of a smithing hammer crashing down upon an anvil, sparks flying from the impact. I knew the symbol, it was a symbol commonly used in many worlds to signify a Dwarven God, the name given to this Dwarven god depends on the Realm but no matter the name, the God is the same.

  Behind the two stood a frightened and confused human woman, barefoot, her grey sweats torn on the left knee and her plain white tank top barely covering her assets as the strap on her left shoulder was broken. Next to her, a young girl dressed in a once bright blue dress but now was a pale, tattered, and torn mess. The older woman held the girl close behind her, the girl’s mother perhaps, not likely the woman was in her late teens at best while the child was maybe 11 or 12 years old.

  “If ye not the owner then where be he.” The Dwarf puffed, his eyes fixed on my every move, smart Dwarf.

  The old man muttered a few arcane words to himself; his eyes grew wide with childlike wonder as his spell gave him the answers he sought. “A Caretaker, I’d thought they only to be a myth nothing more but here it is.” The other three gave the old man a more than puzzled expression. “Oh yes sorry, one moment and I’ll explain.”

  “Before that you may want to sign in” I gestured towards the ledger on the desk “It's standard practice when checking into any form of establishment of this nature after all.”

  The Dwarf and old man signed with little hesitation the other two had to be reassured more before they two signed. The Dwarf’s name was Throngood while the old man was Marcus, the young woman Evie which was short for Evelyn and the little one was named Lilly Ann.

  “I’m guessing you must be John then.” Marcus had seen that there was only one other name written in the ledger.

  “Yes that’s right, names John, John Walker.” It was not a lie, my birth name is John Walker, Draconis was the name given to me the day I received the Dragon’s Eye, in any case Draconis is more of a title than a name really, roughly translated it means ‘Little Dragon.’

  The five of us made our way to the kitchen which was down the hall, straight ahead from the front door and reception area, Our respective groups keeping a close eye on the other. Thorngood and Marcus watching me and I watching them, the other two seemed more lost as to what was happening than anything else, simply following along with what the other two decided to do.

  Entering the kitchen/dining room we were greeted with a table filled with food and drink, the room brimming with the scents of eggs, ham, flapjacks, sweet honey, fresh squeezed orange juice and coffee. Surprised, the four stared at the grand display, jaws gaping, mouths watering,

  “I had heard that Caretakers are able to conjure all sorts of things, but never in my wildest dreams did I think they could do something like this.” Marcus motioned with his hand at the display of food. “I mean, where did it all come from?”

  “Never ye mind that let's eat.” Thorngood pushed past Marcus taking a seat at the table, piling a mountain of eggs, ham and flapjacks on his plate. Evie and Lilly Ann took their seats across from Thorngood and the two began to eat. I took a seat at the far end of the table taking eggs and ham. I'm not a flapjack kind of guy, but a good cup of coffee was always a welcome sight. Marcus sat at the other end of the table across from me and began eating.

  As we ate Marcus went into a long winded explanation as to the nature of Caretakers, come to find out he knew about as much about them as I did which I have to say is not very much. Thorngood stopped Marcus cold interrupting him mid sentence with. “So John, are ye a native of this world or are ye like us and just woke up here?” Thorngood’s intuition was good to say the least.

  “No, I am not native to this world. I just arrived here not long ago.” Leaning back in my chair sipping my coffee, of which was heavenly.

  “Let us each tell our own story as to how we each came to be here; perhaps we can come to some kind of understanding about our current predicament.” Marcus suggested as he began to explain.

  Marcus explained that he came from a world called Evanvale of which he served as a court mage to the kingdom of Fallrin. He was in his study reading a book when the ground began to shake and before he could react, he fell through the floor and when he awoke found himself here in this forest, shortly thereafter he met Thorngood, Evie and Lilly Ann.

  As Thorngood spoke his tone was somber, full of sadness and worry. He told us that it was not just him who found themselves in this strange world but his wife and daughter as well; he had been searching for them when he came across Evie and Lilly Ann and later Marcus whom he knew from back in his adventuring days.

  Evie is from a realm called Earth as well as Lilly Ann, Evie is Lily Ann’s older sister. The two were at home while their parents were on vacation, Evie had returned home during summer break and agreed to watch Lilly Ann while their parents were away. Evie explained they were about to sit down to have popcorn and watch a movie when the ground shook, the sky turned a bizarre shade of purple, and then as she put it ‘No-clipped out of the world’

  When it was my turn, all eyes were on me, their stares cold and full of curiosity and a bit of suspicion, well Marcus and Thorngood’s eyes were. The others did not seem all that worried about me. I could not very well tell them the truth, as that would be too much for them to handle right, however lying was out of the question as well. Because of the nature of the Dragon’s Eye I am incapable of lying. I explained that like them I was dropped into this place by a powerful force beyond my control and have spent my time trying to figure out where I am. It was not a lie in the truest sense of the word, but it was not the whole truth either.

  Marcus’ eyes were fixed still on me. I could tell he did not fully believe my story or rather he knew I was not telling the whole story, but he left it alone and we all moved on with breakfast. After the morning meal, we each went about to do our own thing. Evie and Lilly Ann went to their room and we all could hear their respective cheers of joy as they found they could finally take a bath. Thorngood went out to set up warding Runes around the perimeter of The Caretaker, as they all collectively decided to stay here under the watchful eye of the Caretaker until they could get a better grasp on their surroundings. Marcus met with me out on the front porch to speak with me alone away from everyone else who was off doing their thing.

  Sitting in the swing, watching Thorngood as he set the runes, Marcus stepped out onto the porch, his eyes betraying how uneasy he was with my presence.

  “I know that look.”

  “What look would that be?” Marcus leaned against the wall next to the swing looking down at me, awaiting my answer.

  “You have the same look every magic user gives me when they first meet me. That look of there is something wrong with that guy.” Giving him a half grin, then turning back to look at Thorngood.

  “I will not lie, since the moment we met, I’ve felt there was something off about you, almost like you are not really here.”

  I turned back facing Marcus, eyes fixed on his. “Not surprising seeing as you are a spell caster, you are in tune with the magical energies that flow through all things, but you see I am what you might call a Null, well to be more precise I am a Null Void.”

  His eyes grew wide and his jaw nearly fell off with how fast it dropped. “So you're telling me that not only can you not use magic, but you in fact repel or even negate magic around you.” Marcus ran his hand through his thinning brown hair. “I understand now it all makes sense. In mine and Thorngood’s world, people like you have been hunted down and killed just for simple existing.”

  I could tell he shared that bit of information not as a threat but more of a warning in case I met anyone else from their world. Not that I needed the warning, I was well aware of Evanvale, and the kind of world it was. It was a world that praised Magic users and shunned anyone who was not.

  “I assume you did not come out here just to put your mind at ease as to the nature of my existence, so what do you want?”

  “I know you did not tell us the whole truth of how you came to be here, furthermore I suspect you know more about the event that led us all to be here in this new world.” Marcus turned to look out at the forest beyond, taking in how strange and foreign it was from his own world.

  Marcus seemed, to me, to be the kind of person to accept new concepts no matter how outlandish they may sound, so I decided to throw him a bone and tell him a little bit about what was going on.

  “To start I had nothing to do with all of you coming here, it’s true though I was not completely honest with you as to how I came to be here, and yes I do have a better grasp on the event that brought you all here.”

  “You just said ‘you all’ does that mean you came here by different means?” Marcus it would seem was the clever one of the group while Thorngood was the heart of the group.

  “Ok look, every 10,000 to every 100,000 years or so the Prime Material Planes expands as new realms are born. This event released a tremendous amount of energy sending a shock wave across the Plane. Normally this shock would dissipate after passing through the surrounding realms causing little to no damage to it as it passes through. I mean in the worst case, an affected realm may experience some abnormal weather: A snow storm in the middle summer or heavy rain where it normally does not rain much, but that’s about it.”

  I could see the gears turning in Marcus’ brain as he worked out what I just told him, and came to the correct answer all on his own. “So this growth of the Plane is what caused all this but I’m assuming on a much larger scale.” I nodded, confirming what Marcus just said to be true.

  “Yes hundreds of new realms were born, the resulting shock wave spread, and is still spreading across the Prime affecting all the realms it passes through. Only instead of freaky weather, the shock wave has destabilized the barrier between realms causing gates to open at the places where the barrier is at its weakest, you and the others just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time no more, no less.”

  Marcus took several moments to wrap his head around what I had just explained to him, I could tell he had many questions yet there was one question that stood out above the others. “If we truly were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, then why are you here?”

  “That does not matter, all you need to know is I am not your enemy nor am I your ally.”

  Standing and pushing past Marcus, he grabbed my arm, not satisfied with my answer. “Wait we are not done here, you know more than you are letting on don’t you?”

  Jerking my arm free I said nothing and returned inside and back up to my room. There was still much I had to do in order to prepare for what might come, starting first with removing the Seven Seals of Binding or at the very least unlocking the first seal.

  After that day, I assumed Marcus must have told the others what he had learned from me, as well as the fact that I knew more than I told him, and that I had no intention of aiding them in anyway, because three of them Marcus, Thorngood and Evie all kept their distance from me. However, Lilly Ann on the other hand took every opportunity she could get to either say hello to me or spend time with me. Why she chose to be around someone, who for the most part gave her the cold shoulder, is beyond me, but there she was each day like a little shadow following me around. Of course, Thorngood or Evie always kept a close eye on me during the time Lilly Ann spent hanging around me.

  During the few times I had to myself or when Lilly Ann was just content being near me, while she occupied herself with other things, and not asking me a half a million questions every second of the day, I spent my time meditating trying to unlock the first of the seven seals.

  To unlock a powerful seal like the Seven Seals of Binding, or just undoing any kind of magic barrier is not too difficult or at least the method used to unlock or dispel seals and barriers is not hard to learn, execution of the method on the other hand, that’s the tricky part. The method works like this, first you need to find the flow of energy that powers the seal/barrier, whether that energy is magical in nature or divine. Once that’s done then you have to trace it back to its source. Once you find the core of the seal/barrier it's just a matter of unraveling the energy like untangling a ball of yarn that’s made up of several dozen strings all tangled together. That being said, to actually untangle those strings is a long, and time consuming process that requires years of practice and a fundamental understanding of how the seal or barrier works.

  Several days later, while sitting outside in the backyard of the B&B, legs crossed deep in a meditative state, in my mind’s eye I was tracing the flow of energy back to the core of the first of the seals that bound my abilities, when I felt the presence of Lilly Ann skipping towards me from the back porch. Evie not far behind, I could feel her eyes watching me, though she made no moves to stop Lilly Ann from coming close to me, she herself kept at a safe distance. Perhaps Evie did this to not anger or alarm me, or perhaps she kept out of my way out of fear, whichever it was I did not really care, Lilly Ann would have just come and sat next to me regardless of what anyone else said anyways.

  “What do you want, little one?” I asked knowing now that she was here, I would not be able to concentrate so I may as well indulge her.

  “What are you doing?” Lilly Ann sat next to me crossing her legs as I had.

  “Nothing now,” letting out a small sigh of frustration.

  “Great, I wanted to show you something I found.” Lilly Ann, with excitement in her eyes, took me by the hand and started pulling me back into the B&B.

  “Wait, where are we going?” I could have resisted and told her I was too busy to indulge whatever it was she wanted to show me, yet how could I not indulge her. She was just a child who unlike her sister was just trying to make the best of a bad situation.

  Past her sister, back into the B&B, through the kitchen, back down the hall, and to the reception area she pulled me while I was just barely able to keep pace with her hunched over as I was. For a little girl she sure can move when she wants to.

  Standing at the reception desk Lilly Ann pointed at the employees only door of which was slightly ajar. “In there I saw a robot.” Her tone was one of excitement and wonder; I on the other hand stood puzzled.

  “Robot, a robot, robot, a robot.” Muttering to myself trying to understand what she meant by robot.

  The Caretaker, seeing that I finally understood, made a small ball of light appear over my head as the light bulb in my head lit up. “Oh! Right the interface.” I said with a smack to the forehead how I could have forgotten something so important.

  Entering the room, hunched against the wall next to a desk was a humanoid clockwork automaton female in design. Her maid clothes were battered and torn, having faded from years of decay. Her once porcelain, white colored, synthetic skin was now a dull grey, having peeled and rotted away revealing the metal exoskeleton and clockwork mechanisms that lie beneath.

  Turning to Lilly Ann, I kneeled down in front of her. Lilly Ann, seeing my face, must have thought I was mad, or that she was in trouble because she had this fearful look on her face, the kind all children get when they think they have done something wrong.

  “Am I in trouble?”

  Patting her on the head gently, my expression softened. “No you are not in trouble, in fact I could not be happier.” Her eyes brightened up as she smiled cheerfully. “Now I need you to go get Marcus and the others and bring them here, can you do that for me?” Lilly Ann stood proudly as she gave me an enthusiastic thumbs’ up and darted off to get everyone.

  “What is that?” Evie asked coming in from the other room, she had apparently followed the two of us to the employee’s office, and after seeing Lilly Ann dart off she wanted to see what had made her sister so happy.

  Ignoring Evie I began examining the unit, assessing the extent of the damage to her inner workings, taking a mental note of what would be required to repair her. Of course, this meant having to sit the unit up and remove her clothes in order to access the removable panel on her back so I could get a better look at the core that powers the interface. “Ew gross, what are you doing? You pervert.” In annoyance I glanced back at her sharply as if to say ‘Please just shut up.’

  The interface’s core was thankfully intact, it just needed to be powered back up. However many of the cogs and gears connected to her limbs that allowed her to move were either damaged beyond repair due to centuries worth of rust or were seized up, so even if we were able to power her back up she would not be able to move, let alone speak.

  Marcus entered the room, Thorngood and Lilly Ann stood at the doorway,

  “What do we have here?” Marcus said slowly bending down to examine the interface, “What manner of automaton is this? I've not in all my years seen a clockwork automaton as complex as this.” Marcus in that moment, had all the wonder and excitement of a young boy on Christmas morning, as he marveled over the complex yet beautiful design of the Interface.

  “I know she’s magnificent, is she not” For several moments Marcus and I went back and forth pointing out different things about the interface, and commenting on what a masterpiece the interface truly was.

  “Aye, aye that’s all well and good and all, but what are we looking at? I don’t see the point of this hunk of gears and cogs.” Thorngood blurted out seemingly annoyed by the two of us going on and on without saying a whole lot.

  “As per the norm Throngood you are too thick in the head to understand what’s going on.” Marcus said poking fun at his old friend.

  “Baw, bugger off” he replied Turning to leave the room, could have sworn I heard him mutter something about Marcus’ head being up his rear end.

  Getting back on track I turned to Marcus, “So repairing her inner workings should not prove to be too difficult, as the Caretaker should have spare parts stored somewhere here.”

  With that another door grew from the ground up along the back wall behind where the Interface had been propped up, Marcus, hesitant at first, opened the door to find a whole workshop with spare parts, a place to make more synthetic skin and all the tools we would need in order to make the repairs.

  “The major problem is her power source.” Pointing to the outer casing of her core, then opening the core casing, there within rested a charcoal black stone, “That stone is what powered her, it’s called a Moon stone. When it’s fully powered it becomes a Sun Stone.”

  Removing the stone, holding it in my hand the stone was cold like ice. “The problem is that charging one could take days, weeks, or even years depending on the stones max capacity, and this one looks like it’s been refined which means its capacity is much higher than its size would suggest.”

  Standing up, entering the workshop I walked around looking for a replacement sun stone and lubricant, neither were anywhere to be seen.

  “Caretaker, where can we find another sun stone and lubricant to repair the interface?” From the reception room we all heard the bell ring. Returning to the reception room there stood Thorngood, he was looking over a map that the Caretaker provided us with the locations of both highlighted on the map, one marked with a sun icon the other with the icon of a bush. Both icons were to the west of the B&B, the sun icon was to the north west while the bush icon was to the south, both looked to be within one or two miles of each other but it would take a couple hours just to reach one of them.

  “I’m guessing we need to find these things to fix the clockwork lass in the other room?” Thorngood pointed to both points on the map. “This here spot looks about where I woke when I first arrived.” Thorngood tapped the spot on the map with the bush icon.

  “Yes and this spot here looks close to where you and the girls met with me.” Marcus chimed in, pointing to the sun icon, “Now then, I think I should stay here and do what repairs I can while you and Thorngood go out and collect what we need to finish.

  “Wait, Marcus, you know how to fix her?” I was a little stunned. The Interfaces were made by the ancients, a race of beings that are older than old and have long since left this mortal plane.

  “Yes, I spent the better part of my youth studying golems, automatons, and magically powered machines. While her design is more complex than what I am used to, there are blueprints in the workshop I can use as a guide.”

  “Alright then it looks like we have a plan, let's get to it.” Thorngood grabbed up his hammer and made his way to the kitchen to grab a few supplies. When he returned I saw him tuck a bottle of wine into his pack. I already understood why he grabbed it and it had nothing to do with a Dwarf's love for drink. “Ye be ready?” Thorngood asked and I nodded. “Aye then off we go.” I grabbed the map as we headed for the door.

  Lilly Ann stopped Thorngood and myself by grabbing our hands “You two be careful out there, ok.” We both told her we would and we left to find what was needed to get answers.