《Dimensional Traveler: A Deckbuilding LitRPG》


 Chapter 1

    Stephen Crawford sighed as he scrolled through the equations on the screen in front of him. The 23-year-old shaggy graduate student sat between two fellow students in the cramped three-person office. Papers, books, pens, and three dirty coffee mugs covered his desk, and the sour smell of past meals and body odor greeted him every time he entered the office.


    The colleague on his left said something in Mandarin, talking over top of Stephen. The student on his right gave a short answer and the two got up and left the office.


    Don¡¯t mind me, thought Stephen sarcastically. I appreciate the invitation, but I can¡¯t join you for coffee right now.


    The final months of his doctoral studies, getting a Ph.D. in Physics, wasn¡¯t what he had expected. He¡¯d hoped for erudite scholars and a community devoted to the mind and scientific inquiry. Instead, he¡¯d found the petty politics and jockeying for position that had bothered him everywhere else he¡¯d been throughout his life.


    Once again, he briefly fantasized about running off in the night, changing his name, and leaving his life behind. It¡¯d be silly to leave a Ph.D. this close to the end, he reminded himself.


    Switching over to another tab in his browser, he glanced through the small number of responses he¡¯d received on the free dating site. The messages ranged from mocking to hostile. Oh well, he thought. Too busy to date now anyway, and I¡¯ll probably be leaving town after my defense. He remembered his last date, a few weeks ago, when the woman had shown up with two friends. They expected him to pay for all of their dinners, while they ignored him and talked to one another. That had used up all his discretionary funds for the month, and the three of them had departed after eating without a thank you or goodbye.


    I suppose a nasty message beats that, he thought. It¡¯s cheaper at least.


    When he¡¯d first arrived in the department and gotten his initial funding check, it was smaller than it should have been. He visited the department administrative assistants to try to get it fixed, but they¡¯d started screaming at him and ran him out of their office. He¡¯d complained to his supervisor, but was told that he had to work it out with the administrative assistants. They gave him dirty looks every time they saw him. Money had been tight throughout his four years of grad studies.


    The office mates returned with take away drinks and a third friend. The new person stopped next to Stephen and looked at the Land of Legends poster above his desk.


    ¡°What is ¡®Land of Legends¡¯?¡± asked the new arrival.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Turning to look at him, Stephen replied, ¡°It''s a setting for ¡®Domains of Danger¡¯, a tabletop role-playing game I used to play in high school. During my undergrad, I played the collectible card game based on DoD a bit, until¡­¡±


    Their friend cut him off, saying something in Mandarin. His two office mates chuckled. Left colleague said something that included DoD, which elicited a snort from right colleague. The three resumed chatting in Mandarin, and Stephen silently returned to his manuscript.


    Stephen¡¯s supervisor, Dr. Giordano, had grown increasingly frustrated as the grad student worked on his mathematical model for multiple dimensions. Dr. Giordano kept making the same, lame objections, which Stephen refuted every time they met. His supervisor had wanted him to extend the supervisor''s own research program, which Stephen felt had been thoroughly debunked 15 years earlier and was a dead end. He wasn¡¯t allowed to say that, of course. Stephen dreaded their infrequent meetings and hoped he could defend his thesis and move on.


    Without a supportive Ph.D. supervisor, his options when he moved on would be quite limited. Any post-doc or faculty position would expect a glowing letter of recommendation from Dr. Giordano, which Stephen knew wouldn¡¯t be forthcoming.


    Maybe I¡¯ll become a programmer like some of my fellow undergrads did? mused Stephen. Insurance companies and places like that in industry need people with advanced mathematics.


    His office mates and their friend left for the evening without saying goodbye and, with a sigh, Stephen dug back into his thesis work. Reading through the equations yet again, he felt the warmth of pride at the intellectual case they built. If anyone would just spend the time to understand what I¡¯ve produced, they¡¯d agree with me. It¡¯s undeniable.


    He had large sections of the work memorized and was pleased with what he read. Even if no one ever understands it, this is good work, he thought to himself. This was worth the time to create it, just for its own sake. Even if it doesn¡¯t lead anywhere.


    He felt a sensation, almost like an electric charge, and all the text disappeared from his screen. Odd, he thought. Good thing I¡¯ve been making backups. Glancing at the papers on his desk, he saw that the print-outs of equations from his thesis had vanished from them and sections of them were blank. A buzzing feeling at the back of his mind kept trying to get his attention, but he ignored it and in a panic switched the browser tab and loaded his cloud backup. Staring at the screen, he saw that his cloud backup had a few random documents, but his thesis was no longer there. It now had more storage space available than it had had last time he checked it.


    Is this what a mental breakdown feels like? he thought to himself on the edge of hysterical laughter. The buzzing in his mind persisted. Briefly considering going and jumping in front of a bus, he caught himself and thought I can rewrite it, I almost had it all memorized anyway. Whatever happened here, I can fix it.


    Letting himself acknowledge the buzzing, he found the concept of his thesis floating in his mind in a way it never had before. The concept seemed to vibrate with energy. Am I insane? he thought to himself. The energized concept seemed to beg to be unleashed. Off to the insane asylum I go, he thought as he unleashed it.


    Suddenly, Stephen found himself on a grassy hill overlooking the city of Hopedale, jewel of the Land of Legends. The morning sun shone brightly and a small stand of trees grew vibrantly 100 feet away. He was on a well-worn dirt path winding to the city gates. Recognizable flowers interspersed with alien flora dotted the surrounding hill. The clean air invigorated him with every breath, with the slightest hint of burning wood coming from the nearby town. He recognized where he was immediately, then fell to the ground as there was no longer a chair underneath him.

 Published on Amazon

    Blurb:  Stephen Crawford is trying to finish his PhD dissertation when he''s transported to a magical land he''s previously only experienced through gaming. With a strange new capability that causes him to capture (and remove from existence) places, things, and people, he''s trying to make sense of his situation and make his way back to Earth.


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    [Fast Paced] [Character driven with overarching plot] [Collectible card game inspired magic system] [Found family, the MC has friends that help him] [No Harem, small amount of romance] [No Murderhobo]

 Book 2: Recap Of Book 1

    Stephen Crawford was a physics graduate student, working on a thesis concerning multiple dimensions. One evening, his thesis disappeared from reality and became an energized mental construct in his mind, which he unleashed to travel to the fantasy world of Mecond.


    On Mecond, Stephen was mistreated by the locals and unable to recharge the mental construct to return to Earth. He eventually made his way to the local Wizards'' Guild and impressed them with his mathematical knowledge. Learning elementary spells and making friends with another apprentice named Rurth, he ''captured'' Rurth who became a second mental construct, which Stephen was able to ''unleash'', summoning the apprentice as a champion to do his bidding.


    Eventually, Stephen learned an ¡®identify¡¯ spell and started to understand these mental constructs as cards that could be powered and unleashed to return what they represented to reality. He accidentally captured a ghoul he''d studied, the Wizards'' Guild itself, Blargh, a nasty innkeeper who had robbed him when he first arrived, and a magic sword owned by Rurth''s aristocratic father.


    Stephen began to understand that he captures things when he understands them well and has strong emotional feelings about them. He accidentally captured Shomos, a druidess he''d begun a romance with, while hunting for battery cards (cards that power other cards). This allows him to charge the dimensional travel card that brought him to Mecond and leave that dimension.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Avin, the first other dimensional traveler Stephen meets, duels the man from Earth shortly after his arrival at his pocket dimension, a personal reality made up of all the cards he''s captured. Stephen loses the duel, which costs him Shomos'' card. Avin demands an outrageous price for her return. Dimensional travelers who have previously met can track one another through ''contacts'' in their pocket dimensions. This lets them communicate, trade, or duel with one another. It also shows every dimension the other traveler visits, which allows Stephen to travel to new dimensions.


    Stephen, Blargh, and Rurth explore Mecond, Earth, Avin''s dimension Riowiver, and a dimensional hub for travelers, Stredath. Stephen joins a club, The Malachite Club, for travelers in Fortune, the main city in Stredath and learns more about his abilities. Through this club he becomes friends with Feyrith and Falco, two other travelers. Falco takes Stephen to Phodynn, a dimension that''s been ravaged by dimensional travelers, and Stephen begins to understand the possible impact of his abilities.


    After assembling the large ransom Avin demanded and securing Shomos'' return, the group decides to steal a statue, named Adam, from Avin, antagonizing the other traveler. Avin begins harassing Stephen on Mecond and Earth.


    Shomos, upset at having been captured by Stephen, learns what he has discovered about the nature of dimensions and dimensional travelers. She agrees to help him navigate his new situation.

 Book 2: Chapter 1

    Chapter 1


    Shomos joined the daily activities of the three men. She ended up getting into endless arguments with Adam, who relished the industrial modification of natural resources, in contrast to the druidess¡¯ abhorrence of the same. She and Blargh mostly grunted at one another. She¡¯d shown no interest in firearms, which had become his passion. Rurth talked at length to her about whatever he was currently working on, undeterred by her lack of questions or interest.


    After Shomos left the pocket dimension to go to Stredath with Stephen, her card updated.


    One evening, at dinner, she asked the group about their observations on growth in the pocket dimension.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there is growth here,¡± Stephen said. ¡°Everything here we¡¯ve brought with us. Either that I¡¯ve captured or non-sentient objects that came with me when I travel, like the tank.¡± Rurth nodded and Blargh kept attacking his dinner, apparently disinterested in the topic, although he looked up at the mention of the military tank they¡¯d used for protection on Phodynn.


    ¡°I understand your view, the plants in my grove haven¡¯t gotten larger, buds haven¡¯t developed, lifecycles haven¡¯t continued,¡± she said. Rurth nodded sharply at this, while Stephen looked at her in confusion.


    ¡°But you have seen growth in your pocket dimension,¡± she continued. ¡°All of you are changing every day while you¡¯re here, learning and producing. You bring in food and materials, improve your expertise, and produce new firearms and enchanted items. Your relationship with the elements of reality that exist here changes them and each of you. Your Wizards'' Guild didn¡¯t have a workshop set up the way it is now, when it was on Mecond. Your clay golems were created here and are new inhabitants of this reality.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re enacting those changes, though,¡± objected Rurth. ¡°And we¡¯re moving between the pocket dimension and other dimensions, so maybe we¡¯re bringing in the growth from them. The clay golems aren¡¯t reproducing, we made them.¡±


    ¡°And did you know how to build them when you first arrived here?¡± asked Shomos.


    ¡°No, Adam taught us,¡± said Rurth. ¡°And he figured it out at our request.¡±


    ¡°So, where there was once a single creature made of earth, now there are many. The new creatures come from the original. But you claim there¡¯s no reproduction?¡± she asked.


    Stephen grinned and said, ¡°I don''t think Rurth and I love the implications that Adam is the father. What does that make us?¡±


    ¡°Come with me,¡± the druidess insisted, and led the three men to Adam¡¯s workshop. Clay golems were working at assigned tasks. Adam looked at the new arrivals with interest.


    ¡°Stephen,¡± she said. ¡°Describe to me how you¡¯ve organized the workshop layout, how you built your first golem, and how the design has evolved. Also tell me about how you¡¯ve adapted firearms from your home world to the enchanting process. Explain what you¡¯re working on with your ¡®laptop computer¡¯ and your plans to move forward with it.¡±


    Stephen began hesitantly answering the questions the druidess had asked, and as she continued to pay attention to him and seemed to encourage his explanation, he began relishing his lecture more. At some points, when he described something Rurth or Blargh wasn¡¯t aware of, the men made expressions of surprise and complimented the traveler. Stephen began getting into the lecture, remembering presentations at academic conferences before he¡¯d left his graduate studies. He became increasingly enthusiastic and excited about the work, until all of a sudden he briefly felt a pressure in his mind, like the feeling when he captured a new card. It almost instantly disappeared.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± he asked. Shomos eyed him levelly. Stephen said, ¡°It felt like I captured a new card.¡±


    ¡°Well, inspect yourself in a mirror,¡± suggested Blargh.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have my cards in my mind when I¡¯m in my pocket dimension,¡± Stephen said. Walking to the misty edge surrounding the pocket dimension, the group left the pocket dimension for Stredath.


    He grabbed a mirror from the Fortune townhouse¡¯s workshop and cast ¡®identify¡¯. Rurth joined him and the two wizards studied his new card.


    Stephen looked at Shomos and said, ¡°A new card appeared. I captured Adam¡¯s workshop. What just happened?¡±


    The druidess gave a small shrug and smile and said, ¡°You¡¯re the one with the magical ¡®identify¡¯ spell, you tell me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve created a new card, which is the workshop we¡¯ve been building here,¡± said Stephen. ¡°How did you know that would happen?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± Shomos said. ¡°I suspected it was possible, after seeing how things change in pocket dimensions and how those changes are reflected in your cards.¡±


    ***


    A couple of days later, Stephen excitedly described what had happened to the members of the club he¡¯d gathered for dinner. Two of them looked mildly interested, and the rest just looked at him in confusion.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Falco. ¡°I thought you realized that cards got updated when you left your pocket dimension.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I realized that, but not that new cards could be created in the pocket dimension,¡± said Stephen.


    ¡°But what¡¯s the difference,¡± asked Feyrith. ¡°If you create something inside your pocket dimension, or if you create it outside then capture it after its creation? I think I was aware of this, it certainly follows everything else I understood about cards and pocket dimensions, but I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re so excited.¡±


    ¡°This is different from Phodynn,¡± said Stephen. ¡°We aren¡¯t taking anything away from an existing dimension. It¡¯s being created within our own pocket dimension.¡±


    ¡°It seems like extra work to create a new card, instead of just capturing it,¡± said one of the travelers who had looked interested earlier. ¡°Maybe it''s good to know, in order to better understand our pocket dimensions, but not something useful.¡±


    ¡°But it doesn¡¯t take anything away from another dimension, it creates something new,¡± said Stephen.


    ¡°But it uses the materials you¡¯ve brought to your pocket dimension or things you¡¯ve captured, so what¡¯s the difference?¡± asked Feyrith. ¡°If you capture a horse on Mecond or Earth, there remain other horses that can give birth to more. Same if you capture a person. People can make more people. If you start a breeding program in your pocket dimension, you¡¯ll get more of what you¡¯re breeding, but what¡¯s special about doing it there instead of somewhere else?¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Stephen continued, ¡°If there¡¯s something like my waterwheel that creates energy in my pocket dimension, that¡¯s coming from nothing. On Earth or Mecond, something needs to power it. Anything I capture, that can produce tangible items can expand the pocket dimension, indefinitely, without taking from elsewhere. Can¡¯t you see how exciting that is?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± said Falco, ¡°I¡¯m glad that you¡¯re excited by the discovery. I¡¯m not sure how any of us can make use of this.¡±


    ***


    The next week, Adam and the A.I. on the laptop that Stephen had named HAL were chatting when he entered the workshop. Rurth was doing some metalworking, assisted by two golems. Blargh had been working with some of the golems and had managed to teach them to fire guns, after Rurth and Stephen had reworked their hands and fingers.


    ¡°How¡¯s it going, HAL,¡± asked Stephen.


    ¡°Good, Stephen, but I keep coming across references to ¡®the internet¡¯ in my operating system. Rurth told me it¡¯s a repository of all knowledge on Earth,¡± said the laptop. ¡°I am learning from Adam, Blargh, and Rurth. And you, of course, but I wonder if it might be quicker to give me access to the internet.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure that we could bring the internet here to my pocket dimension,¡± said Stephen. ¡°I could take you to Earth and leave you plugged in to a network there. Maybe I could leave you at my mother¡¯s place. You wouldn¡¯t be able to talk to her or anyone there, though, Earth doesn¡¯t have intelligent computers.¡±


    ¡°I think that would be ok for a little while,¡± said HAL.


    ¡°If you could manage my investments on Earth, that would be worthwhile too,¡± said Stephen. ¡°I¡¯ve just been dumping cash that we get from selling gold into a checking account. I¡¯ll take you to my mother¡¯s, get you connected, and sign you in to all my websites and whatnot tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful,¡± said the A.I.


    ***


    The next day, Stephen sat across from Feyrith at the club. A light lunch was spread out between the two travelers.


    ¡°It took a fair bit of digging, but apparently the library artifacts are all made by Maggard, a dimensional traveler from a place called ¡®Clodor¡¯,¡± said the elf. ¡°I didn¡¯t make contact with the traveler. Honestly, I didn¡¯t try, but I did visit Clodor, so I can take you there if it¡¯s worthwhile going to his home dimension. He doesn¡¯t visit the shop; he passes along the libraries to a worker somewhere off site, I couldn¡¯t find out where. I also wasn¡¯t able to find out how he makes them or if anyone else is involved. Apparently he¡¯s been providing them, mysteriously, for well over a hundred years.¡±


    ¡°Do travelers age normally?¡± asked Stephen. ¡°I never considered it before.¡±


    ¡°We age normally for whatever our background is,¡± said Feyrith. ¡°Which is longer or shorter for the non-human travelers. Most travelers are eventually able to track down something to help them fight aging or regain their youth, such that a traveler dying unwillingly of old age would be quite unusual. It¡¯s unheard of for a traveler to stay focused on one activity for so long.¡±


    ¡°Do most travelers die from violence with other travelers?¡± asked Stephen. ¡°I¡¯ve been told their card collections are lost if they die.¡±


    ¡°Death for travelers from violence is rare,¡± said Feyrith. ¡°Murdering one another is frowned upon, despite our generally laissez-faire approach to one another. Some travelers just get tired and decide to die or get reckless. Others stop coming to Fortune or other gathering spots, and no one is sure what happens to them. If someone has their contact, it will disappear when they die, but that doesn¡¯t tell you anything about how they died. Card collections are lost unless they¡¯re in a retrievable library. Often a suicidal traveler will start giving their cards away. It¡¯s a pretty sure sign that they¡¯re in a dark place.¡±


    ¡°Any advice for not getting tired of life?¡± Stephen asked with a grin.


    ¡°I do, actually,¡± said the elf. ¡°Humans and other short-lived species are so impatient. And easily frustrated when they don¡¯t immediately get everything they want. Cultivating patience and gratitude for what you have, instead of anger at what you don¡¯t, helps you age more gracefully.¡±


    ¡°How old are you, anyway?¡± asked Stephen.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be 400 years old in a few years,¡± said the elf.


    ¡°Well, thanks so much for the information,¡± Stephen said and started to get up. Feyrith watched him closely. After a few awkward seconds, the elf said, ¡°There was the matter of the Wizards'' Guild battery.¡± Stephen apologized for forgetting and gripped arms with the elf, beginning the trade.


    ***


    That evening, Stephen sat in the dining room at the new Wizards'' Guild with Shomos, Rurth, and Blargh.


    ¡°So you traded away the other building,¡± asked Shomos incredulously. ¡°And you didn¡¯t even get anything in return?¡±


    ¡°I got some useful information to make progress on our real goal, figuring out how to release the three of you,¡± said Stephen. ¡°I could probably capture the newly built Wizards'' Guild if we needed a replacement, or I could have worked to capture it to trade to Feyrith, but we have everything we need here. We don¡¯t need the second site. I can bring some other cards out of my library or trade for some more batteries if we want more land in the pocket dimension. Right now, more land would just make it harder to use the mist on the periphery to travel to other dimensions.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± asked Blargh.


    ¡°The bigger the pocket dimension, the more spread out the mists that surround it, the longer it¡¯ll take us to get to a traveler or a dimension marker,¡± explained Stephen.


    ¡°So you¡¯re bartering away pieces of reality for a shorter walk?¡± asked Shomos.


    ¡°No,¡± said Stephen. ¡°Like I already said, I traded it for important information.¡±


    ¡°What do you know about this Maggard traveler of the Clodor dimension?¡± asked Rurth.


    ¡°Almost nothing,¡± admitted Stephen. ¡°Feyrith led me to Clodor, and it¡¯s kind of a spooky, gothic looking place. I have no idea how to track down Maggard, but maybe if we were moving around in Clodor it would get his attention? Or we could write him a letter and drop it off at the store that sells the library artifacts, ¡®Exquisite Artifacts.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Or you could keep looking for information, dueling other travelers, and tell each one you meet that you¡¯re trying to find Maggard,¡± suggested Blargh.


    ¡°Or, you could focus on what little you have here, guard what¡¯s left, and try to grow it,¡± said Shomos. ¡°Your approach to this feels reckless.¡±


    ¡°In chess, you sometimes have to sacrifice a piece for victory,¡± said Stephen. The other three people looked at him in confusion. Stephen sighed and said, ¡°Let me teach you a pretty great game, and we can all think more about this while you learn and we play. Let¡¯s go to the workshop and get Adam in on this.¡±


    ***


    The next day Stephen, Shomos, Blargh, and Rurth stood in the small village. The architecture looked vaguely Victorian, and wind swept through the narrow street they were on. In the distance, foreboding woods and menacing hills surrounded the dwellings. Across the muddy road, a pub was the liveliest building, while the other buildings were dark or had faint light coming from their translucent windows. A morose tune came from the drinking establishment, performed by some sort of string instrument.


    Entering the pub, they saw a half dozen tables with drably dressed townspeople focused on drinking. The musician was in a corner playing what looked like a violin or a fiddle. The bartender gave them a hostile look. Rurth and Stephen had cast ¡®comprehend languages¡¯ on the party, distributing the necessary chicken tongues, before they¡¯d left the pocket dimension.


    Approaching the bar, Stephen said, ¡°Good evening, barkeep. We¡¯ve lost our way and were hoping to secure food and lodgings for the night. We¡¯re not familiar with the local currency. Would any of this payment be sufficient?¡± He held open his purse and displayed a collection of coins, crystals, and small gemstones that he carried as a form of universal currency.


    The bartenders eyes widened and, with a nod, he selected a small ruby then jerked his chin at a small, rickety staircase leading upstairs.


    ¡°You¡¯ll send up food and drink?¡± Stephen confirmed. The barkeep silently nodded, staring at the man from Earth.


    Walking up the stairs, Blargh muttered, ¡°Friendly folk.¡±


    Inside their room, they found the beds lumpy and the amenities rough. The barkeep brought up a hearty stew and carafes of sour wine. After he¡¯d departed, and they¡¯d eaten, Stephen asked, ¡°Does anyone actually want to sleep here, or should we just go back and sleep in my pocket dimension and come back in the morning?¡±


    No one was particularly excited about spending the night there, so they went back to the pocket dimension and headed off to sleep in their individual quarters.


    When Stephen woke up, he felt incredibly groggy and ravenous. He almost fell down as vertigo hit him while getting out of his bed. Checking his digital watch that he¡¯d brought from Earth, he saw that a day and a half had passed since he¡¯d gone to bed.

 Book 2: Chapter 2

    ¡°So, we¡¯re agreed that that bartender drugged us?¡± Stephen asked after they re-assembled in the Wizards'' Guild dining hall. All ate ravenously from the simple food the clay golems brought in for them.


    ¡°Definitely,¡± said Shomos. ¡°I know about poisons and toxins, and this was definitely something to knock us out.¡±


    ¡°But why?¡± asked Rurth. ¡°Not a great way to encourage visitors to their village.¡±


    ¡°Maybe they don¡¯t want visitors,¡± said Blargh. ¡°Or someone gets the innkeeper to capture travelers.¡±


    ¡°Avin set up a trap for people who arrived in his dimension at his fortress,¡± said Stephen. ¡°This could be something similar. If other travelers have gone through that village, then maybe they¡¯re on the lookout for people who don¡¯t belong.¡±


    ¡°We do kind of stick out,¡± Rurth admitted. ¡°Our clothes were very different from what the locals used. And we paid for the evening with a gemstone, instead of whatever the local currency is.¡±


    ¡°But what do we do now?¡± asked Stephen. ¡°Go back and try talking to them?¡± The other three thought for a moment, then Blargh shrugged. ¡°Why not? It¡¯s not like they were ready to attack us. If there¡¯s anyone who¡¯s a danger to us, you can always flee back here.¡±


    After they¡¯d finished eating, Stephen made some coffee, which the golems hadn¡¯t mastered yet. The four prepared themselves, cast ¡®comprehend languages¡¯ again, then traveled back to the room above the pub. Someone had clearly been in the room to remove their dinner dishes and straighten it up. With a shrug, Stephen headed downstairs.


    The innkeeper looked at the four in shock as they came down to the main room. Dreary morning light came in through the dusty front windows. There weren¡¯t any patrons drinking yet. Hearing the creaking of the stairs, a woman came out of the kitchen and gave a gasp when she saw the four of them.


    ¡°I apologize, we really overslept,¡± said Stephen. ¡°Please let me pay for another night.¡± He fished out another small ruby and tossed it to the barkeep, who recovered his wits enough to snatch it out of the air.


    ¡°We¡¯re looking for Maggard. Where can we find him?¡± Stephen asked.


    The bartender looked at him sourly and said, ¡°No Maggard here.¡±


    ¡°I could make it worth your while if you helped us find him,¡± Stephen said, patting his pouch. The innkeeper silently shook his head.


    ¡°What¡¯s the business in this town, anyway?¡± Stephen asked.


    The bartender said, ¡°Lumber and mining mostly.¡±


    ¡°And why would a lumber and mining town be drugging visitors?¡± Stephen asked.


    The innkeeper flushed dark red and muttered, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    Stephen looked at Blargh, then stepped back. Blargh moved up to the bar. ¡°My friends here are all polite and don¡¯t know how to respond when someone takes a run at them.¡± He drew two daggers and began to spin them around each of his hands. ¡°I learned at an early age that if someone hits you, you hit them back twice as hard. The thing I need to figure out here, though, is whether it¡¯ll be more persuasive for you if I start carving you up, or the missus there.¡±


    The woman near the kitchen made a strangled noise, then started to move back into the kitchen. Blargh threw one of the daggers, embedding it in the door frame in front of her. She stopped moving and stood still.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me come after you, love,¡± said Blargh. ¡°When someone makes me run, I get grouchy after I catch them.¡± Turning his attention back to the man behind the bar, he said, ¡°And that answers who I should start carving on first. You don¡¯t seem to be bothered by me throwing daggers at her, so let''s start with you. Any preference between losing fingers or toes to start with?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know nothing,¡± said the innkeeper.


    ¡°Technically, that means you know something,¡± said Stephen smugly. Rurth gave a small titter. Shomos looked at him in confusion, and Blargh gave him an exasperated look. The innkeeper looked downwards and appeared to be trying to shrink into the shadows behind the bar.


    Blargh smiled at that, then grabbed the innkeeper by the shoulder and smashed his face into the bar. As blood poured out of his broken nose, Blargh pulled his body forward onto the bar. Swinging it around, Blargh began roughly pulling off the bartender¡¯s boot.


    ¡°I always like to start with the toes,¡± Blargh said. ¡°Once you chopped enough of them off, people realize you mean business, and they start worrying about what happens when you get to their fingers. If they have a brain in their head, they start wondering what¡¯ll happen when they run out of toes and fingers.¡± He managed to get the man¡¯s boot off. The man struggled to get away from him, and Blargh cuffed him a couple of times in the head. Blargh held his dagger above one of the man¡¯s smallest toes, with the toe pressed against the bar.


    ¡°If you struggle again, I¡¯m going to take a couple of toes instead of just giving you a little love tap,¡± said Blargh. ¡°Now, start talking, why did you drug our food?¡±


    Looking at Blargh in horror, the man said, ¡°I didn¡¯t, she did. It was her,¡± and nodded at the woman by the kitchen.


    ¡°See,¡± Blargh said over his shoulder to Stephen. ¡°Carving on him was the right choice. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll get to her. If you need the question to be phrased all proper like, then why did you help her drug us?¡±


    ¡°Count Lowther is a scientist who lives in a nearby castle,¡± said the man hesitatingly, staring at the blade against his foot. ¡°Ervin Lowther. He makes us bring him strangers who come to town. Anyone dressed funny or without any knowledge of local customs. We¡¯re afraid of him.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not here right now, I am, stay afraid of me,¡± Blargh said. He drew his dagger across the man¡¯s toe and a thin red line of blood appeared. The man yelped.


    ¡°How much does he pay you?¡± asked Blargh.


    ¡°One guinea per body,¡± said the man, trembling.


    ¡°Ho, ho, so you¡¯re so afraid of him that he pays you well to abduct on his behalf,¡± said Blargh.


    ¡°What do you mean, per body?¡± asked Stephen. Blargh shot him an annoyed look.


    ¡°Just what the Count says, how he refers to people,¡± said the bartender.


    ¡°Here¡¯s what¡¯s going to happen,¡± said Blargh. ¡°You¡¯re going to draw us a map of your shithole village, with directions to this castle. I¡¯m going to tie the two of you up in your cellar. We¡¯re going to leave, and you can start trying to get out of the rope - it¡¯ll take you a few hours. If we run into problems, I¡¯m going to come back here and cause problems for you. Understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, I understand,¡± said the man. The mute woman nodded.


    ***


    Moving up the winding road, Count Lowther¡¯s castle loomed above them. An enormous pair of wooden doors were shut. A smaller door stood next to them. A chain led to a large bell. Blargh looked at Stephen and, at the latter¡¯s shrug, the former pulled the chain repeatedly, causing a loud, clanging sound that echoed.


    Three minutes later, a slot opened on the smaller door and an ugly man¡¯s face peered out. ¡°Who are you, what do you want?¡± he asked, scowling.


    ¡°We¡¯re here to meet with your master, Count Lowther,¡± said Stephen. ¡°Our business is with him alone.¡±


    ¡°Your business is with me right now, and I¡¯m not letting you in unless you tell me what you¡¯re after,¡± said the gatekeeper.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    With a sigh, Stephen said, ¡°We¡¯re searching for a dimensional traveler named Maggard. We think the Count might have knowledge of him and be able to set up a meeting or get a message from us to him.¡±


    The ugly man examined them thoughtfully with a scowl, then eventually said, ¡°Fine, come in then, come in,¡± and opened the door. The castle was desolate, with covered furniture in most rooms. A moldy smell was present throughout. They didn¡¯t meet any other servants, beyond the man who had met them at the door. The servant didn¡¯t identify himself, but once inside they saw he was a hunchback in addition to his other deformities. After leading them through a maze of corridors and passageways, he brought them to a formal dining room.


    ¡°Seat yourselves, and I¡¯ll bring you refreshments while you wait. It will be many hours, many hours before the Count will be able to see you,¡± the servant said, then departed. Stephen, Shomos, Rurth, and Blargh sat down and talked about inconsequential things, in case someone was listening to them. After fifteen minutes, the servant returned and put out bread, sausages, cheese, a jug of ale, two bottles of wine, and a large pot of tea. After depositing the food and drink, he left again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t eat or drink anything,¡± Blargh leaned forward and whispered.


    Stephen leaned in and replied, ¡°Of course not, we aren¡¯t idiots.¡±


    Rurth leaned in and said, ¡°Might they be offended if we don¡¯t eat or drink anything?¡±


    Shomos leaned back in her seat and watched the three men. All three sat back in their chairs. Gathering some of the food and drink, Stephen traveled back to his pocket dimension, dumped them, then returned to Clodor. He shrugged at the others.


    The four people chatted and, when they got bored with chatting, dozed in their seats. Repeatedly, they all commented on how strong the musty smell was.


    ¡°I keep thinking we¡¯ll get used to it, then I notice it again,¡± said Stephen. ¡°I don¡¯t know how they stand it.¡±


    ¡°The smells are a small part of what makes urban living so unpleasant,¡± said Shomos.


    After multiple hours, the four of them were lounging in their chairs waiting, when a well-dressed man swept into the dining room and announced, ¡°I am Count Lowther, thank you for your patience waiting for me. I am glad to see you availed yourself of refreshments. What brings you to my humble abode? My manservant said you are searching for Maggard. Why would you seek out such a disreputable creature?¡± The strong musty smell seemed to intensify with his arrival.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know that much about him,¡± admitted Stephen. ¡°Certainly nothing about how disreputable he is. He creates library artifacts for dimensional travelers. I¡¯m trying to learn more about the limits of dimensional travelers¡¯ abilities, and he¡¯s one of the few people who seems to have affected them. I want to talk to him to learn more.¡±


    ¡°Ah yes, the library artifact. A very powerful device. With very secretive construction. You are diligent to have tracked it this far,¡± said the Count. ¡°Many have tried to learn about it and not been as successful.¡±


    ¡°There aren¡¯t any other devices that I¡¯m aware of that affect dimensional traveler abilities like it does,¡± said Stephen. ¡°You seem to know about it and Maggard. Can you help me find him?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, perhaps,¡± said Count Lowther. ¡°But tell me first about your adventures as a dimensional traveler, how you discovered your abilities and how you made your way here. Tell me about how you acquired your delightful champions.¡± He gestured at the assembled group.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a long story that I¡¯m happy to tell you¡­¡± began Stephen.


    ¡°Which we don¡¯t need to tell, since we¡¯ve found Maggard,¡± said Shomos, cutting him off. ¡°It¡¯s obviously him.¡±


    ¡°Clever, clever,¡± said Maggard, eyeing the druidess. ¡°So many travelers search for brute strength in their champions. Cleverness and intuition aren¡¯t given their due.¡±


    ¡°Maggard,¡± said Stephen. ¡°We mean you no harm. I¡¯ve come to learn from you. Your library artifact was recommended to me when I first met other travelers. I obtained one, and it¡¯s very impressive. I¡¯m trying to find a way to release cards. Taking control of champions is something I¡¯m uncomfortable with, and I want to be able to offer them their freedom. I¡¯ve seen Phodynn, and I¡¯m concerned about the long term impact of our abilities on the realities we visit.¡±


    ¡°Very heady subjects to concern yourself with,¡± said Maggard. ¡°You say you mean me no harm, but you were quite rough with my representatives in the village, were you not?¡±


    ¡°After they poisoned us first,¡± said Blargh in a surly tone of voice.


    ¡°Ah, poison,¡± said Maggard. ¡°What do they call it? ¡®The weapon of a coward.¡¯ I¡¯ve never understood such moral judgments about how you kill someone. There are no rules in war, as they say. But perhaps you¡¯d allow me to escort you to my dungeon, and we can continue this conversation down there.¡±


    Stephen looked awkwardly at the three people with him. ¡°Uh, maybe it would be more comfortable to just keep talking here. I don¡¯t think we want to go to a dungeon.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I must insist,¡± said the Count. ¡°Please don¡¯t make this more unpleasant than it needs to be.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to leave now, but I¡¯m very interested in talking to you in the future. I¡¯m no threat to you, and I¡¯m very eager to learn from you. Let¡¯s meet again when you¡¯re feeling less threatened,¡± said Stephen.


    Everyone looked at him and there was silence for multiple heartbeats.


    ¡°Maybe we should leave?¡± suggested Blargh.


    ¡°I just tried, and it didn¡¯t work,¡± said Stephen. ¡°I can¡¯t activate my dimensional travel card.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯ll find yourself unable to activate any of your cards,¡± said Maggard. ¡°Come now, let¡¯s head to the dungeons and settle you in.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not going to any dungeon,¡± said Blargh. Pulling out a revolver, he aimed it at the count. ¡°Do you have firearms in this reality?¡±


    ¡°Oh yes,¡± said Maggard mildly. ¡°In this and many other realities.¡±


    ¡°How did you poison us?¡± asked Stephen. ¡°We didn¡¯t eat or drink anything.¡±


    ¡°Not all poisons are consumed,¡± said the Count. ¡°For some, it¡¯s just a matter of breathing them in.¡±


    ¡°But you''re breathing the same air we are?¡± asked Stephen. ¡°Are you poisoning yourself?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been in a room pumped full of it for hours,¡± said Maggard, eyeing Blargh with disdain. ¡°This is becoming tiresome. Either come along or play with your little toy there.¡±


    Aiming directly at the Count''s chest, Blargh fired. A brief shimmer flashed in front of the Count, and Blargh collapsed. Stephen rushed over to him and saw a bullet hole in his chest and an expanding pool of blood around it. The former innkeeper made eye contact with Stephen, then his gaze went out of focus and he expired.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t necessary,¡± Stephen said to Maggard.


    ¡°He¡¯s the one who shot me,¡± replied the other traveler, mildly.


    ¡°After you tried to imprison us,¡± said Stephen.


    ¡°After you tortured my servants,¡± said Maggard.


    ¡°After they drugged us,¡± said Stephen.


    ¡°After you invaded my realm,¡± said Maggard.


    ¡°I keep trying to tell you,¡± said Stephen. ¡°I¡¯m here to talk and learn from you, this isn¡¯t an invasion.¡±


    ¡°Everything I¡¯ve done has been to make it clear that I do not welcome visitors,¡± said the Count. ¡°You came here despite that. To me, that makes this an invasion, and you forfeit any guest privileges or collegiality as a fellow traveler. We shall talk further once you¡¯re more¡­ settled.¡± Maggard began to stride from the room.


    ¡°Wait,¡± called Stephen, to which the other traveler didn¡¯t react and departed.


    ¡°We need to get somewhere to regroup and get this poison out of my system so we can travel again,¡± said Stephen. ¡°Any suggestions?¡±


    ¡°I can shape-shift,¡± said Shomos, ¡°but not into anything that could carry you. Just natural animals.¡±


    ¡°Turn into a bird and fly off,¡± suggested Stephen. ¡°Bring help if you can find any.¡±


    The druidess nodded, then shifted into the form of an eagle and launched herself from the window. Stephen and Rurth watched the large bird gaining altitude under the setting sun of the late afternoon, when a flock of enormous bats flew from somewhere above them in the castle after the departing woman.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± shouted Stephen, but the eagle was already aware of the attackers and began taking defensive actions and winging away. The bats intelligently spread out and corralled the eagle, overtaking her in flight. The men watched as one of the bats, then a second, then a third attached themselves to her, biting the eagle and holding on to her. She struggled against the giant bats dragging her down, but soon lost the fight and the mass of creatures plummeted to the ground.


    Stephen looked down from the window and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think I could make that climb, we¡¯re pretty high up.¡± Rurth looked out and shook his head.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try to get out the way we came,¡± suggested Stephen. ¡°Spells ready?¡±


    ¡°Ready,¡± said the young wizard.


    The pair moved to the doorway where Maggard had exited and entered the corridor. To their left, the way they¡¯d entered, they saw three large humanoid creatures lurching slowly towards them out of the darkness of the corridor. Each was a gruesome assembly of body parts, built into a powerful creature.


    ¡°Frankensteins,¡± said Stephen.


    ¡°Flesh golems,¡± corrected Rurth.


    The two wizards each cast their light spell as they moved at a brisk pace away from the monsters. Hurrying down the passageway, they reached a section with alcoves to either side. They slowed and peered into the darkness, when a large hairy form lunged out of the alcove on the right side.


    Stephen let out a strangled cry as a seven-foot creature, an unholy combination of man and wolf, sprang onto Rurth. It bit down hard on the young wizard¡¯s shoulder. Blood sprayed as the two fell to the ground. Stephen cast ¡®magic missile¡¯, which struck the werewolf and got its attention. The younger wizard was unmoving, and Stephen backed up as the werewolf began to stand again.


    From behind Stephen, a club wielded by the hunchbacked servant hit him hard, and everything went black.

 Book 2: Chapter 3

    Stephen woke with a throbbing head, in a dank cell. Moldy straw and a grimy chamber pot were the only comforts. A thin window was set high in the stone wall, and the other three sides were rusty bars. The door on the front of the cell had a sturdy lock. Fifteen feet away, the hunchback sat on a stool watching him. The moldy smell that had been ever present remained strongly.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking it would have been better if you hadn¡¯t let us in,¡± Stephen observed with a grin to the hunchback.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking you were taken pitifully easily,¡± said the servant sourly. ¡°Most travelers we catch make it to the vampire brides at least. You¡¯re weak.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I suppose I am,¡± said Stephen, standing and walking over to the bar. ¡°Perhaps we have that in common.¡±


    ¡°This is where you charm the jailer and get him to release you?¡± the ugly man asked. ¡°Pathetic. Nothing original about you, is there?¡±


    ¡°How is Rurth, my friend who the werewolf attacked?¡± asked Stephen.


    ¡°Dead, same as the other two,¡± said the servant.


    ¡°So, what happens now?¡± Stephen asked. ¡°You¡¯ve captured me. Do you expect some sort of ransom? What¡¯s it going to cost me to leave?¡±


    ¡°Maggard will go through all that,¡± the servant replied. ¡°Once you¡¯re¡­ softened up.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps I could pay my ransom to you directly?¡± suggested Stephen.


    ¡°Here it comes,¡± muttered the hunchback. ¡°Gold?¡±


    ¡°More than you can carry?¡± offered Stephen.


    ¡°Women?¡± the servant asked.


    ¡°Scores,¡± Stephen agreed.


    The ugly man continued, ¡°A healthy body?¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± said Stephen. ¡°Just help me get away.¡±


    ¡°Pathetic,¡± said the jailer and went back to glaring at Stephen. With a sigh, the dimensional traveler passed out again on the straw.


    ***


    When Stephen woke up again, his head was hurting worse than before. Approaching the bars, he said to the jailer, ¡°I¡¯m hurting really badly from you clubbing me on the head. Could you get me some medical attention? Some sort of healing?¡±


    The hunchback smirked at him and continued watching him, unmoving.


    ¡°Food? Water?¡± Stephen asked. ¡°If you wanted to kill me, you could have done it and saved yourself having to move me to this cell.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s water in your trough,¡± said the servant. ¡°Help yourself.¡±


    Stephen eyed the dirty, stagnant water in the rough basin, then staggered back to the unpleasant straw to sleep again.


    ***


    When Stephen woke a third time, his head was pounding and his vision was blurry. He felt worse hunger and thirst than he¡¯d ever experienced in his life. Crawling over to the bars, he pulled himself up and looked over at the servant.


    ¡°Please,¡± he croaked. ¡°Clean water and something to eat. I¡¯m really sick.¡±


    The jailer said, ¡°You¡¯ve got everything you need.¡±


    Holding onto the bars to steady himself, Stephen moved to the trough and cupped some water in his hands. Green algae grew on the sides and bottom of the trough, and a thin film covered its surface. He slurped some water and gagged at the taste. Lowering himself back to the floor, he crawled back to the straw.


    He woke up some time later, vomited, then passed out again.


    ***


    Stephen was shaken awake. The hunchback was roughly pulling at his shoulder. He looked up at the servant in confusion.


    ¡°Apparently we should be changing the water in the cells more often,¡± said Maggard, who was standing behind the hunchback. ¡°Live and learn.¡± The jailer thrust a tin cup into Stephen''s hands and, once he realized it was water, he greedily sucked it down. ¡°More,¡± he begged, holding the cup out.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough for now,¡± said Maggard. ¡°I¡¯d like to discuss a trade with you.¡±


    Stephen brightened. ¡°What do you want?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Your cards,¡± said the count.


    ¡°Which ones?¡± asked Stephen.


    ¡°All of them,¡± said Maggard.


    ¡°For what?¡± asked Stephen, trying to understand what they were discussing.


    ¡°For another cup of water, for starters,¡± said the other dimensional traveler. ¡°And for the opportunity to discuss your release. I¡¯d also be willing to walk you through my process for creating the library artifacts, which I believe is what originally brought you here.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± said Stephen, on the verge of tears. ¡°I promised my friends I¡¯d never trade them away.¡±


    ¡°Are they better off if you die and they disappear?¡± asked Maggard.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± said Stephen, on his hands and knees on the cell floor, looking up at the other traveler. ¡°There are fates worse than death.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you in on a secret,¡± said the well-dressed dimensional traveler. ¡°Everyone breaks. Everyone. If you want to suffer for a while before you give me what I want, that¡¯s fine. I have things to do while you rot in this cell. We can talk again when you¡¯re ready to be more reasonable.¡±


    Pain flooded Stephen''s side as he received a sharp kick from the hunchback. He fell back onto the straw. Something cracked inside him as he received another kick, then the former graduate student passed out once more.


    ***


    Stephen was shaken awake by the servant and saw Maggard standing in the open cell doorway again. Stephen briefly thought how he might be able to escape if he could get past them, then thought about how he didn¡¯t know his way through the castle and couldn¡¯t even stand.


    The hunchback gave him the tin cup and Stephen started to drink, then had it knocked out of his hands. He gave a cry as he saw the spilled water soaking into the floor of the cell. Thirstily, he looked at the stagnant basin.


    ¡°Are you ready to trade yet, or do you want to make yourself sick drinking from the trough?¡± Maggard asked.


    ¡°Trade, yes,¡± croaked Stephen. ¡°More water first.¡±


    ¡°After,¡± said Maggard. Leaning down, he clasped Stephen''s forearm, and the two dimensional travelers found themselves in a trading dimension like Stephen had experienced before. Maggard glanced over Stephen''s cards and said, ¡°Trade them all to me.¡±


    Stephen crawled towards the other man¡¯s cards, trying to focus on them. The first in the line was a card for one of the bats that had attacked Shomos.


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°Make the trade,¡± said the pretend count. ¡°I won¡¯t have you play games with me.¡±


    Looking at the next card, Stephen saw a battery.


    ¡°Fine, you brought this on yourself,¡± said Maggard and ended the trading session.


    Back in the cell, Maggard told his servant, ¡°Try not to kill him,¡± and turned to leave as the beating began. Stephen passed out after the first couple of blows.


    ***


    Stephen was woken by shouting outside the dungeon. The hunchback had come over and, from outside the cell, was trying to see through Stephen¡¯s window to figure out what was happening. Every part of Stephen¡¯s body hurt. He thought back to Maggard¡¯s claim that everyone breaks. He couldn¡¯t remember if that was true or not about torture. Just hold out until you faint again, he thought. How many more times can they do this? He thought about trying to beat his head against the cell and hasten his demise, but couldn¡¯t summon the energy to stand up, let alone violently throw himself against something.


    The servant seemed reluctant to open the cell, but suddenly gave a cry. Stephen looked up and saw that the stone wall was melting at the top, near the window. The gray stone first bulged, then began to slide down the wall like molasses as it lost its form. Finally, it gave way and slopped into the cell, running like sour cream. The gray liquid poured onto him, and he felt cold dampness as it coated him.


    Is this a hallucination? he thought to himself. The jailer had run away from the cell and was pulling the chain for a warning bell.


    A ten-foot creature, of vaguely humanoid shape made out of mud, swept into the room on a wave of dissolved concrete. Parts of its body seemed to drip down as it moved forward, ignoring Stephen, and passed through the cell doors. Mud was left on the bars and in a trail behind it as it moved towards the jailer.


    The hunchback saw it, stopped ringing the bell, then ferociously attacked it with his club. The club sank into the mud elemental, which then enveloped the servant. Parts of the jailer¡¯s body appeared as it moved, then got pulled back into its form. It moved towards a wall leading deeper into the castle, which dissolved at the elemental¡¯s touch into the same gray, stone-like mud that his cell wall had become. Passing through the hole in the wall it had created, the creature left the jail.


    A shout in some foreign language sounded next to Stephen, and he looked up to see an elf, clearly of the same species as Feyrith, standing over him. After shouting and waving, the elf began to pull Stephen out of the stone mud that had half covered him. Aided by four other elves who came running down the incline that was left of the stone wall, they pulled Stephen free, then began fighting their way back out the short, sloping tunnel leading outside.


    Stephen struggled weakly, trying to stand and help them, but they quickly realized he needed to be carried and ignored his struggles. As they pulled him out of the dungeon, he saw they were at ground level of Maggard¡¯s castle and the sun was dimly shining in a Clodor mid-morning.


    An enormous bird, with a wingspan around fifty feet, sat on the ground on the other side of a trench that surrounded the castle. Poles had been placed across the moat, and the elves acrobatically carried Stephen across, sharing the load of his weight as each balanced on a single pole. A platform had been constructed on the back of the bird, and Stephen saw Feyrith and Falco peer down at him. A group of other elves were on the platform, bows drawn, scanning the nearby vicinity.


    ¡°Dimensional travel and let¡¯s get out of here,¡± Falco cried down. He was surrounded by the force field he¡¯d used in Phodynn.


    ¡°I can¡¯t use any of my dimensional traveler abilities,¡± said Stephen weakly. Falco couldn¡¯t hear him, and the elves transporting him didn¡¯t understand. They hauled Stephen up with them as they began climbing the ropes that were hanging from the platform, while elves at the top of the platform pulled the ropes up.


    As soon as Stephen¡¯s porters had gotten hold of the ropes, the bird launched itself into the air. Stephen saw elves that had been left behind on the ground took up positions to defend their retreat.


    As they reached the platform on the bird¡¯s back, elves up top grabbed Stephen and the climbing elves and pulled them the rest of the way. On top of the platform were straps that could be grabbed as needed. The elves took Stephen to an area where a number of straps let him be tied in place, and they secured him. Feyrith and Falco were in similar harnesses. Neither was particularly close, so Stephen couldn¡¯t make himself heard when they shouted, again asking why he hadn''t traveled. The bird kept climbing in altitude as it flew away from Maggard''s castle.


    A green sphere floated in one part of the platform, apparently unsupported, and every fifteen seconds or so a group of elves would appear from it and move to assist the other elves who were defending the bird. Maggard¡¯s giant bats had been launched and were moving in on the bird, but as soon as they entered range, the large number of elves hanging off of the giant bird showered them with arrows. The giant bats seemed indifferent to their own lives, but the elves were able to knock them out of the sky as quickly as they could approach.


    Finally, Feyrith disconnected their straps and carefully made their way over to Stephen. Leaning close, they asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you travel out of here?¡±


    ¡°Maggard is Count Lowther,¡± croaked Stephen. ¡°This whole dimension is a trap for travelers. Like Avin¡¯s. He poisoned me to prevent me from using my traveler abilities. I need water. And healing. And food. Please.¡±


    Feyrith went to get provisions, and Stephen continued talking, not realizing the elf had left.


    ¡°He killed Shomos,¡± said the former graduate student. ¡°And Rurth. And Blargh. I couldn¡¯t release them and bring them back. He took all my material aspects, so I can¡¯t even cast any spells. There was nothing I could do. He wanted my cards. I don¡¯t know what he was going to do after he got them.¡±


    Feyrith returned and gave Stephen a sip of the most delicious water he¡¯d ever drank. Greedily, he tried to get more, but Feyrith controlled the elegant bottle and just let him have small sips. As he drank, his wounds began to close and his cracked ribs knit themselves back together. Stephen felt better than he had in days.


    Falco shouted, ¡°Incoming!¡±


    Looking back the way they¡¯d come, Stephen and Feyrith saw three dragons, made of bones, flying after them. Riding each of the dragons were Shomos, Rurth, and Blargh. Their injuries remained, clearly worse than should be possible for anyone to continue moving, and their skin had a green hue.


    The elves valiantly fired at the undead monstrosities, but their arrows went through the bones of the skeletal creatures. Some arrows hit the zombie riders, who appeared unbothered. Purple, eldritch energy began to swell in Shomos¡¯ beast¡¯s chest, visible from the outside through its rib bones, and Feyrith shouted something in another language. Just as the vile stream sprayed from the beast''s mouth, their bird veered out of the way and dodged the spray.


    Feyrith handed the bottle of healing water to Stephen and moved closer to the edge of the platform near the oncoming, undead dragons. The other two dragons had begun preparing their breath weapons, and Feyrith unleashed healing energy at one of them. The skeletal dragon''s skin began to regrow, interfering with its flight and causing it to begin to drop. Flesh was regrowing around it, encasing its chest, neck, and head as the dragon healed. The eldritch energy burst out of the creature as it exploded on contact with the flesh. Rurth, sitting on the falling dragon, had the blast consume him and, after it passed through him, he was left as an animated skeleton, still riding the dragon that had blown off its healing flesh. The dragon beat its skeletal wings and began to climb again.


    Blargh¡¯s dragon blasted them and, with Feyrith distracted by Rurth¡¯s dragon, their bird mount wasn¡¯t able to fully dodge out of the way. A screech came from the enormous bird as its left wing was caught in the purple spray and the flesh was consumed. Meat was stripped away from the wing, and the bones that remained fell apart and away from the beast. The platform tilted violently as the left wing stopped supporting it and the bird began to spin. Feyrith, untethered as he focused on the other dragon, pitched over the side.


    As the bird went into a roll, some of the elves prioritized firing useless arrows at the dragons over grabbing a handhold and were thrown off the platform. Most of them managed to grab onto straps as the bird spun, and the platform tilted downwards. Stephen, who had been taking swigs of the healing water, lost his hold on the bottle as his stomach rolled, and the bottle flew away from him, plummeting towards the ground that was now above him. Recovering most of his strength, he screamed at Falco, ¡°Do something!¡± The other traveler, who had been sitting in his harness, winked at him. The green sphere remained in place, relative to the platform, and continued to spew elves, who appeared, then immediately began to fall towards the ground.


    Below and around them, many elves were in the air. Some managed to grab onto the giant bird when it tilted past them, but most were free-falling. The bird¡¯s spin brought Stephen and Falco right side up again, and they saw the three skeleton dragons closing. As they came into view, a lightening bolt flew from Falco, lit up Shomos¡¯ dragon with a blue charge that ran over the entire mount and the druidess¡¯ body, then jumped to Blargh¡¯s dragon, causing the same effect, then jumping to Rurth¡¯s and coated it in crackling electricity. It then jumped back to Shomos¡¯ and continued the circuit. The dragons and riders smoked, and the bones became more charred with each circuit.


    The attackers were, again, blocked by the bird¡¯s body as it swung out of view of them. ¡°That¡¯s some attack,¡± shouted Stephen in admiration. Falco smiled and gave a small shrug. ¡°If it had a further range, I could have got them before they got the bird. We¡¯re still in trouble here,¡± said Falco. ¡°Can you come to me, or should I come to you? My force field should shield us when we hit the ground.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m feeling better, let me try to come to you,¡± shouted Stephen back. Unhooking himself, he began climbing across the platform, moving from strap to strap, towards the other traveler. When Stephen was about ten feet away from him, the bird had spun to be roughly right side up, when suddenly the bird and the platform disappeared around them and the two travelers found themselves in free-fall. The three dragons were charred and crumbling, but had still been closing on the bird. The lightening bolt continued to electrify them.


    The green sphere, which was falling at the same speed as the bird had been, spit out one last cohort of elves then vanished.


    Suddenly, Stephen felt his awareness of his cards return. All of them were uncharged, but he could feel them again. Releasing Shomos, Rurth, and Blargh, he saw the riders on the dragons suddenly vanish.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got my powers back,¡± he shouted at Falco, over the rushing wind. The other traveler had been angling his body to try to move closer to Stephen as they fell together.


    ¡°Great,¡± Falco said. ¡°Feyrith must have released their bird. Maybe so it wouldn¡¯t fall on us. Regardless, they¡¯ll be able to leave before they hit. We should too. You go first.¡±


    Stephen had been directing power into his dimensional travel ability. He felt a wave of nausea as he looked at the ground rushing up to meet them. Falco got close enough to him that his force field enveloped Stephen as well.


    ¡°We should be ok when we hit,¡± he said. ¡°But if you can leave, do so immediately. Don¡¯t talk about it, just go.¡±


    Stephen¡¯s dimensional travel ability reached full power, and he unleashed it and returned to his pocket dimension.

 Book 2: Chapter 4

    Days later, Stephen lay in his bed, while Blargh, Rurth, and Shomos looked at him from the doorway. An uneaten tray of food sat on a stool next to the bed, which Rurth had taken away and replaced repeatedly.


    ¡°Have either of you tried talking to him?¡± asked Blargh. ¡°Tell him he needs to get out of bed?¡±


    Rurth and Shomos made eye contact, and the druidess rolled her eyes. ¡°What a fabulous idea,¡± said Shomos. ¡°Perhaps you should give it a try.¡±


    ¡°Hey boss,¡± said Blargh, raising his voice. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s time to get out of bed soon?¡±


    Stephen pulled the covers over his head and turned away from the three champions.


    ¡°That didn¡¯t work,¡± Blargh said to Shomos.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been getting messages from some of the other dimensional travelers,¡± said Rurth, speaking up. ¡°We can¡¯t read them or respond for you. Maybe they¡¯re worried about you? It could be something important is happening.¡±


    An incoherent muttering came from the bed. Stephen didn¡¯t move.


    ¡°What happened in Clodor?¡± Rurth asked the other two.


    ¡°Well, none of us came back with him, so I guess the three of us died,¡± speculated Blargh. ¡°Do you think he found Maggard? Was Count Lowther helpful?¡±


    ¡°Given that we died and Stephen is refusing to get out of bed, I¡¯d guess it didn¡¯t go too well,¡± said Rurth.


    ¡°Ok, enough of this,¡± said Shomos sharply. ¡°We¡¯ve left you alone for three days. You aren¡¯t eating, or washing yourself, and I¡¯m not going to keep casting healing spells so you can stay in your bed. Time to get up.¡±


    Stephen lay unmoving in the bed.


    ¡°Pull off all the covers,¡± Shomos directed Blargh. The former innkeeper looked at the druidess appraisingly, then with a shrug grabbed the bottom of the covers and started yanking them off.


    Stephen continued to lay in the bed after the cover had been removed.


    ¡°Carry him out to the water wheel and dunk him in the river,¡± instructed the druidess. After a moment''s pause, Rurth and Blargh started to advance on the former graduate student.


    ¡°Fine, fine,¡± muttered Stephen. ¡°I¡¯ll get up. Leave me alone.¡±


    ***


    ¡°... and as we were falling, my powers seemed to recover from the poison, and I was able to start releasing and unleashing cards again. I released the three of you, which made the undead versions of you disappear, charged my dimensional travel card, then made it back here,¡± said Stephen, finishing the story.


    Blargh had kept cooking different foods and a buffet of dishes was now laid out on the dining table. Stephen picked at some of the food disinterestedly.


    ¡°Was I a badass as a death knight, skeletal dragon rider?¡± asked Rurth. ¡°I bet I was a badass. I wish you could have gotten a picture with your phone.¡±


    As the other three stared at him, the young wizard amended his statements, ¡°... although I understand you had other things on your mind. What with falling off of the giant bird and all that.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t get the problem,¡± said Blargh. ¡°Didn¡¯t you train as an adventurer? Back with ¡®Land of Legends¡¯ and ¡®Domains of Danger¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Those were games,¡± said Stephen. ¡°Not training. I never expected to be tortured.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m loath to agree with Blargh,¡± said Shomos, ¡°but I have to agree. What did you expect? That sounds pretty standard for adventuring life. My time with Avin wasn¡¯t exactly a trip to¡­ what do you call them? A spa?¡±


    ¡°I used to chum around with a guy we called Lucky Seven,¡± said Blargh. ¡°He¡¯d lost three fingers, each in a separate torture session. I suppose if you were the third torturer, you¡¯d almost feel foolish cutting off something else. Good guy. Wouldn¡¯t break until he¡¯d lost a finger.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t at all what I wanted,¡± said Stephen. ¡°I¡¯m tempted to just return to Earth, and live my life, ignoring any cards in my mind.¡±


    ¡°That would leave the three of us out in the cold,¡± said Blargh.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°We wouldn¡¯t realize it, though,¡± mused Rurth. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t experience time passing. Maybe Stephen would just leave then come back an instant later, from our perspective, as an old man.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not going to do that,¡± said Shomos. ¡°He isn¡¯t going to run away from his responsibilities.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not able to run away from my responsibilities,¡± said Stephen helplessly. ¡°Besides, if I went back to living my life on Earth, Avin would come and harass me.¡±


    ¡°You should respond to the dimensional travelers who sent you messages,¡± said Rurth. ¡°Some of them might be important or urgent.¡±


    ***


    The next day, sitting in the dining room of The Malachite Club with Falco and Feyrith, Stephen detailed what had led up to his imprisonment in Clodor before the arrival of the other two dimensional travelers.


    ¡°Sounds like it¡¯s lucky we arrived when we did,¡± said Feyrith.


    ¡°Lucky isn¡¯t the half of it,¡± said Stephen. ¡°I was on the verge of breaking. I don¡¯t know how much more I could have stood. Thank you both again, and sorry for not replying to your messages sooner. I¡¯ve been¡­ out of commission for the last few days.¡±


    ¡°Understandable,¡± said Falco. ¡°What do you think would have happened next if you¡¯d surrendered your cards? Would he have just killed you, or done something else first? All the dimensional travelers that have disappeared in Clodor. He must be killing them eventually. None have ever escaped before.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what tipped us off to go after you,¡± said Feyrith. ¡°The feelers I¡¯d put out about Maggard sent me information about the many dimensional travelers who had gone there and never returned. I sent you a warning message, but when you didn¡¯t respond, I got worried that you¡¯d already traveled there. In the end I¡¯m happy I got Falco, and we went after you to warn you, then rescued you.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve got to stop Maggard from doing this, get a band of dimensional travelers to go after him or get one of the highest ranked dimensional travelers to stop him,¡± said Stephen.


    The other two travelers exchanged a glance.


    ¡°In theory, you could report him to the governing council of dimensional travelers,¡± said Falco.


    ¡°Then we should do that,¡± interrupted Stephen.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± continued Falco. ¡°They¡¯re called the Inner Circle, and they very occasionally recruit high-ranked dimensional travelers. But they don¡¯t meet with travelers who aren¡¯t already part of the group. So they wouldn¡¯t let you in for a hearing. They have an office, where you could report your experience, but it¡¯s intensely bureaucratic, and mostly the staff there come up with reasons why they won¡¯t do anything, or they take a report that gets ignored.¡±


    ¡°In situations like yours, they¡¯ll likely say that since you weren¡¯t killed, it¡¯s a dispute that¡¯s gotten out of hand, and they¡¯d encourage you to make peace or work it out between you,¡± said Falco. ¡°Or just avoid one another.¡±


    ¡°I almost was killed,¡± objected Stephen. ¡°And I was tortured. This isn¡¯t some scuffle between school children.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just telling you what their reaction will be,¡± said Falco, raising his hands.


    ¡°So, if I¡¯d been killed, they¡¯d do something?¡± asked Stephen.


    ¡°Probably not,¡± said Falco. ¡°They¡¯d demand proof, and if we brought your body, they¡¯d ask how we can prove that Maggard did it. If we had extensive proof, they¡¯d ask how they can be sure we didn¡¯t fabricate it with some cards they don¡¯t know about. Their staff work pretty hard not to work at all.¡±


    ¡°So, what am I supposed to do?¡± asked Stephen.


    Feyrith and Falco shrugged, then the elf said, ¡°Avoid Maggard and Clodor. Where is he now?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± muttered Stephen.


    ¡°But you¡¯ve met him, when you see his contact information, where does it say he is?¡± pressed Feyrith.


    ¡°I¡¯ve walked around my entire pocket dimension and there¡¯s no contact for Maggard. Or Count Lowther or any other new traveler,¡± said the traumatized physicist.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible,¡± objected Falco. Stephen shrugged.


    ***


    Stephen sat at one of the long dining tables in the pocket dimension¡¯s Wizard Guild, moving food around his plate as Rurth, Shomos, and Blargh kept trying to engage him in conversation.


    ¡°... and that gave us more fine motor skills with the golems and lets us assign them to domestic work around the guild,¡± finished Rurth. Shomos and Blargh murmured appreciatively. The three eventually fell silent and looked at Stephen.


    Looking up, he blinked a couple of times and said, ¡°Golems?¡±


    ¡°Yes, golems,¡± said Rurth. ¡°I¡¯ve been telling you about them for the last fifteen minutes. Trying to catch you up with our enchanting training that you¡¯ve been neglecting. Shomos and Blargh don¡¯t care about enchanting.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about enchanting either,¡± said Stephen. He started to get up, and Shomos made a sound of disapproval. Looking at her, then back at his plate, he sat down again and began mechanically shoveling food into his mouth and chewing.


    ¡°Why do you say I don¡¯t like enchanting?¡± asked Blargh. ¡°I¡¯ve started helping you and Adam, and the statue says I¡¯m getting up to speed as a helper.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯ve been great,¡± agreed Rurth. ¡°I¡¯m just saying you¡¯re not interested in deep theory. Stephen hasn¡¯t seen you in the workshop, and I didn¡¯t want to confuse him.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t spent much time with ¡®deep theory¡¯,¡± said Blargh. ¡°Who are you to say I¡¯m not interested in it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± said Rurth, looking at Blargh in irritation. ¡°Forget I said anything.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t care less about your manufacturing games,¡± said Shomos.


    ¡°Fine, Shomos doesn¡¯t care about enchanting, and it remains to be seen whether Blargh cares,¡± said Rurth to Stephen.


    ¡°I¡¯m going back to bed,¡± said Stephen, getting up and leaving his empty plate behind.

 Book 2: Chapter 5

    Stephen rooted through the cupboards in the kitchen, his conjured magical light floating above his shoulder. After discovering a bag of valnuts, a nut from Mecond, he took the bag and ate from it as he continued his search.


    ¡°Valnuts taste better cooked,¡± Stephen heard someone say from behind him. Looking back, he saw Rurth standing in one of the kitchen¡¯s doorways, his sleepy eyes looking puffy.


    ¡°You¡¯re on guard duty?¡± asked Stephen bitterly as he kept eating the nuts and searching the cupboards.


    ¡°We talked it over and decided it was better for you to come out of your room when you got hungry than for us to keep delivering food,¡± said the young journeyman wizard with a yawn. ¡°Adam guided Blargh and me in creating something kind of neat, but it¡¯s out in the workshop. It¡¯s a small box, but when you close the door, time stops inside. Adam said he got the idea from how time stops in the pocket dimension when you aren''t here. Blargh has been making extra portions at meals, and we¡¯ve been storing the extras inside of it. It¡¯d taste better than raw valnuts.¡±


    Stephen grunted at the young man, then started to follow him towards the workshop. ¡°That seems like an awfully complicated way to avoid setting up a fridge.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a fridge?¡± asked Rurth.


    ¡°It¡¯s a box that stays cold so that food goes bad more slowly,¡± said Stephen.


    ¡°Same idea then,¡± said Rurth.


    ¡°Well,¡± said Stephen. ¡°A fridge, short for refrigerator, just moves heat from the inside to the outside. That¡¯s a lot less impressive than stopping time.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± said Rurth, unconvinced. As they entered the workshop, Adam said, ¡°Good evening, Master Stephen. It¡¯s good to see you up and about.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Adam,¡± said Stephen. ¡°I¡¯ve been told that you built a miracle that¡¯s being used to store meals.¡±


    ¡°Rurth and Blargh built it,¡± said the statue. ¡°I¡¯m never particular about how the devices I help build are used. In many ways, serving warm, delicious meals is more satisfying than a sword that electrocutes opponents.¡±


    ¡°I can see that,¡± said Stephen. Rurth pulled out the various dishes, Stephen began to pick at one, and the journeyman put back the others and closed the door.


    ¡°What would happen if you built the box bigger and closed someone inside it?¡± asked Stephen.


    ¡°The same thing that happens to the meals,¡± said Adam. ¡°When you opened the door, they¡¯d remain undisturbed, having no experience of the period they were out of time.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s interesting,¡± said Stephen. ¡°If we had it in some sort of portable device, it could be a non-lethal way to subdue people and creatures. I¡¯ve been worrying about capturing something dangerous again, like the ghoul, and having it attack us here. If we could freeze it in time, that¡¯d be a way to keep it safely in the pocket dimension.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s true,¡± said Rurth. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking that having some sort of appropriate habitat could work. Like the cave system we captured the ghoul in. Put them in something like that and drop off meat regularly. Freezing them in time might be safer. Or just moving their card to your library.¡±


    ¡°Moving them to the habitat could be tough,¡± said Stephen. ¡°I don¡¯t know how we could have moved that ghoul.¡±


    ¡°A larger box would be easier than some sort of weapon,¡± said Adam, thoughtfully. ¡°A weapon would be possible, with a baton being easier to make than a projectile. The golems are better assistants, now that they have finer motor controls, but it would go faster with you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re all teaming up to manipulate me,¡± said Stephen, with a tight smile.


    ¡°Having a group of people who care about you enough to help you recover isn¡¯t a bad thing,¡± said Adam.


    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t,¡± agreed the physicist.


    ***


    ¡°God damn it, Blargh,¡± said Stephen as the component on the table between them let out a cloud of blue smoke. ¡°You connected the aetherium to the ether fragment and wasted the whole morning¡¯s work, you dumb bastard.¡±


    ¡°You told me where to touch the connector and that¡¯s where I touched it,¡± growled Blargh. ¡°If there was something I needed to avoid, you should have pointed it out.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be stupid enough to need to be told not to break it,¡± said the graduate student.


    ¡°Adam did warn you that this was delicate work, Stephen,¡± said Rurth from a nearby table.


    ¡°And why weren¡¯t you over here helping me with this instead of making me rely on this moron?¡± asked Stephen.


    ¡°Instead of leaving you in your room, I kept suggesting that they let me slug you and see if that brought you to your senses,¡± said Blargh. ¡°That seems like a better idea by the minute.¡±


    Stephen started to quickly move around the table towards the former innkeeper, who shifted his position slightly and balled his fists. The two men glared at one another.


    ¡°You should consider capturing a healer, if you intend to have Blargh kick your ass,¡± suggested Adam. ¡°I suppose Shomos has some healing magic.¡±


    Anger, draining from his face, Stephen rubbed his hands over it, then said, ¡°Sorry Blargh, that wasn¡¯t fair of me.¡±


    ¡°You got that right,¡± said the rough man.


    ¡°Blargh, when someone apologizes, you accept graciously,¡± said Rurth. ¡°You don¡¯t rub their face in what they did wrong.¡±


    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s what you do, kid,¡± said Blargh. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me what to do.¡± He strode out of the workshop.


    ¡°Shomos hasn¡¯t been particularly forthcoming with any healing magic,¡± said Rurth. ¡°Blargh cut himself in the kitchen a couple of weeks ago, and she told him waiting for it to heal would be a good lesson about being more careful with knives. Blargh wanted some of the rice and lentil stew you have that heals, but you left the card in your library.¡±


    ¡°If I kept it here, it would go bad and update to a less useful card the next time I left the pocket dimension. Now that we have the time freeze box, I suppose I could put it there. Maybe it''d be worth making more batches of it here and create more versions of its card. Eating it once is kind of a high price for destroying a card. I¡¯m not sure if the regular version I make heals, if it isn¡¯t captured as a card. Probably not. Some sort of renewable healing here might be useful, to save us a trip to the temples in Hopedale if nothing else,¡± said Stephen. ¡°What should I do about Blargh?¡±This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°You¡¯ve apologized,¡± said Rurth. ¡°Just let him cool down. Why don¡¯t we work together on that component.¡±


    ***


    Sitting around the table, the golems served them a multi-course meal.


    "It''d be nice if the golems could make a bigger variety of food," said Shomos, as she cut a piece off of a tuber vegetable. "It feels like we''re having the same meal every night."


    "Yeah, it''s a bit of work getting them to make a meal and serve it," Blargh said. "Every step has to be worked through precisely with them. Then, if there''s anything unusual, everything comes to a halt. It''s just been easier to have them keep preparing similar food than teaching them new techniques. I''ll do it eventually, though. The one good thing is, after you''ve taught one of them, they''re good at passing along the instructions to the others. I''ve thought about doing some combat training with them."


    "You know," said Stephen. "If you don''t like the food, you could always make the meals instead."


    Shomos looked coolly at the graduate student. "Try that again," she said.


    "Blargh worked hard at this, both preparing the meal and teaching the golems," said Stephen.


    "It wasn''t so much work," said Blargh. "Similar to training new staff at The Bloody Bugbear. In some ways, the golems are better. I had this one kitchen hand I hired¡­"


    "I''m just saying," Stephen said, cutting Blargh off and continuing. "If you''re going to be an ungrateful bitch, you could try doing it yourself instead of whining."


    "Bitch?" Shomos asked.


    "A female dog," Rurth supplied.


    "I like dogs," said Shomos.


    "It''s a common insult on Earth," said Rurth. "Usually directed at women. Or for men, when the insulter is trying to belittle their masculinity as well as compare them to an animal."


    "Well," said Shomos, going back to her meal. "If I cared about Stephen''s opinion of me, it might be possible for him to insult me."


    "Oh sure," said Stephen. "Who cares what I think? Except that this whole place needs me to continue to exist."


    Swallowing the food she was chewing, Shomos said, "You''re a childish slaver who can''t consider or accept the consequences of his actions. And you need other people to manage your life and save you from the problems you create."


    The four sat in silence, eating, as the golems continued to serve.


    ***


    In the Stredath townhouse, Stephen, Shomos, Rurth, and Blargh sat at the table with Falco and Feyrith as the golems served a meal.


    "And these magical servants of yours can make and serve this meal autonomously?" asked Falco. "Exceptional!"


    "Well," said Blargh. "We''ve had heated discussions recently about the range of their cooking, but yes. They can be taught new activities, but it''s a bit of a painstaking process. We''d like them to do more of the cleaning, but none of us are enthusiastic cleaners to begin with."


    "The range of dishes is wonderful," said Feyrith. "The vegetarian options are delicious."


    "I''ve taught them to mop," objected Stephen.


    "And they don''t do a very good job," said Rurth, eliciting a chuckle from the gathering.


    "I''m happy to give you cards for as many of them as either of you would like," said Stephen. "I have dozens of them."


    "Blargh and Rurth worked hard to make those golems," said Shomos. "Are you just going to give them away?"


    "Falco and Feyrith saved my life," said Stephen, flushing. "Because they saved me, they saved all of you. Show a little gratitude."


    Feyrith and Falco looked uncomfortable.


    "We''re happy to make more golems," said Rurth. "We''ve got the process well established. As Stephen says, we owe you a debt that can never be repaid."


    "Well, I imagine both of us would be grateful if you transferred four cards to each of us after dinner," said Falco. Feyrith gave him a sharp look. "Since you offered," Falco said, shrugging at the elf.


    "Done," said Stephen. "More celestia," he ordered the golems. "I''ve been wanting to ask the two of you," he continued. "How do you control powerful monsters in your pocket dimension? Like that roc you used to save me in Clodor?"


    "Roc?" asked Shomos, perking up.


    After Stephen pointedly ignored her, Feyrith answered, "I have a card for a giant bird that I often use for transportation. I don''t use it for duels. We used it when we rescued Stephen from Maggard. It has about a 50-foot wingspan. When I traded for it, it was a trained Roc, so it doesn''t cause any trouble in my pocket dimension. I don''t usually capture or trade anything that is dangerous. If I do, then I trade it away to someone more willing to deal with it." They looked at Falco.


    "Kind of the same," said Falco. "I have numerous batteries, so most dangerous creatures would find somewhere in the wilds of my pocket dimension to settle down. If one of them was threatening my central, more urban lands, I''d just deal with it the same way cities deal with dangerous creatures everywhere. With a priority on not permanently injuring it. I don''t spend that much time in my pocket dimension."


    "I suppose if I got Adam, Rurth, and Blargh producing golems, I could then trade away all the cards they''d generate," said Stephen. "Use it as a steady supply of trading cards."


    "You should talk to Isadore about things like this, that''s part of what you''ve paid the club for," said Feyrith.


    "The dimensional traveler consultant at The Malachite Club?" asked Stephen. "I could, but why not just talk to the two of you?"


    "The convention is that most of the general dimensional traveler information goes through consultants like her," said Falco. "We might be motivated to mislead you, to get some advantage over you, or you might think we''ve misled you, and it leads to hard feelings between us. Most travelers would just prefer to not get into a dispute with someone over generally known information that could be obtained from a consultant. It''s why they exist. It saves our conversations for more advanced ideas and prevents some conflicts."


    "But to answer your question, which the consultant would likely answer the same way, the problem with mass-producing cards like you suggest is that you make them common and drive their value to almost nothing. Lands that provide a single color of power aren''t worth much in trades, because travelers have so many of them. Once the three of us all have golem cards, they stop being mythic, which they are when only you have them, and they become rare. The value of cards in most trades are a factor of the rarity and how useful the card is - either in duels or outside of duels."


    "Can the golems be used to create more golems?" asked Feyrith.


    Stephen looked questioningly at Rurth. The journeyman wizard looked thoughtful then said, "Well, they''ve assisted us in creating golems before, so they can''t make more golems themselves, but they could certainly assist. With the right enchanting facilities and instruction, I don''t see why they couldn''t eventually learn. That''s probably what we''d do if Stephen had us making as many golems as possible."


    "That would drive their value down even more," said Falco. "I don''t want to convince you not to give them to us, but if someone could easily duplicate them, then quite quickly the market will be flooded with golems, and they won''t be very valuable for trades."


    Reaching his arms across the table, Stephen said, "Let me give each of you four copies of the golems before SHE convinces us to stop the trade." Falco shrugged and took Stephen''s arm. After a few moments, the man from Earth repeated the process with Feyrith.


    "It''s strange hearing you bicker with your champions," said Feyrith. Falco nodded sharply.


    "How so?" asked Stephen.


    "You can just order them to do what you want, and they''ll comply," said Falco. "So why make snarky comments?"


    "I don''t view them that way," said Stephen. "I want them to have their own minds, not just blind obedience to me."


    "But then you get unhappy with how they use their own minds," said Feyrith. "Most dimensional travelers wouldn''t include their champions at a meal like this." Glancing at Shomos, Rurth, and Blargh, they said, "No offense."


    "I''m still trying to find a way to free them, if it exists," said Stephen. "Until then, not compelling them to follow my orders seems like the least I can do. Don''t your champions get upset at you when they''re in your pocket dimension, and you can''t control them?"


    Falco shrugged. "They know they''ll have to follow my orders the next time I unleash them. And I''m pretty firmly in control of my pocket dimension, so any rebellion would be short-lived. And I don''t spend that much time in my pocket dimension, in small part for that reason."


    "Well, enough dimensional traveler talk then," said Stephen. "Once we''ve taught our golems combat skills and how to build more of themselves, we''ll get them to teach yours. Let''s have some dessert."

 Book 2: Chapter 6

    Stephen sat looking across the table at Isadore at The Malachite Club.


    "It''s nice to see you again, I''m surprised how long it''s been," said Isadore with a smile.


    "I didn''t really understand that there are conversations I should be having with you and not other dimensional travelers," said Stephen.


    "I should try to make that more clear during initial meetings," she said.


    After reviewing what he had discussed with Feyrith and Falco, Isadore agreed with the information they''d provided him.


    "So I assume dimensional travelers spend most of their time developing their cards and inventing new ones?" asked the graduate student.


    "Not really," Isadore said.  "Most travelers find new cards to capture or win them in duels.  Or they just relax and enjoy the easy life their ability affords them.  You''re far more¡­  industrious¡­  than is typical."


    Stephen nodded and changed the subject.  "Dimensional traveler magic takes the form of cards.  I''ve assumed that''s just a form to make it understandable to myself, like the ''identify'' spell I learned in Hopedale."


    "How does your ''identify'' spell work?" she asked.  ¡°Magic systems are all different from one another.¡±


    "It presents information in a way that''s meaningful to the caster," said Stephen.  "For example, when other wizards first cast it on me, they got information that was expressed using their magical theory.  Which they''d studied at the Wizards'' Guild.  When I cast it, I got information presented like mechanics from games I''ve played back on Earth.  I assume dimensional traveler cards are similar?"


    "Not really," said Isadore.  "The text presents itself in whatever language the dimensional traveler understands.  There have been examples of illiterate travelers, who have either had an intuitive sense of what the text means or it''s presented in pictographs.  The framework of cards, decks, and duels seems universal to all dimensional travelers.  It isn''t customized to you."


    "But why would this exist?" asked Stephen.  "It doesn''t make sense that there would be some power that operates like a game that exists across dimensions.  It''s clearly constructed."


    "That''s the prevailing theory, that something made it," she agreed.  "In the same way that dimensions have gods, some theorize that dimensional traveler powers come from a higher level of divine beings.  Gods to our gods, if you will.  You''ve played games that are similar to dimensional traveler powers in your home dimension?"


    "I have," said Stephen.  "Very similar.  But played with thin cards that are mass-produced and sold at specialty shops.  Why would some game designer on my world create something so similar to dimensional travelers'' powers?"


    "You''ve said that the first world you traveled to was from another game you''d played?" she asked.


    "Yes," he said.  "The ''Lands of Legends'', Mecond."


    "It sounds like people in your dimension have the ability to conceive of other dimensions," she said.  "Strongly enough that it provides you insights about them and even the ability to travel there."


    "How do dimensional travelers without something like my ''identify'' spell review their own cards?" asked Stephen.


    "Most develop something like that," said Isadore.  "You might find a ready audience of dimensional traveler students if you taught this magic.  Or, if you could capture it as a card, there''d likely be many travelers interested in trading for it.  Those who don''t have anything like this can review their own cards during a trading session.  If they know another friendly traveler, they can start a trading session for each to review their own collection.  For those who''ve gotten a library, they can review their own cards when they''re storing cards in it, which is basically a trading session."


    "It''s strange that travelers seem to want privacy during trading sessions," Stephen observed.  "For whatever reason, they seem to be more embarrassed when they disappear into a trading pocket dimension than when they disappear to travel to another dimension."


    Isadore looked confused.  "You realize that you don''t disappear when you''re in a trading session, right?" she asked.  "Or when you duel?  It''s an entirely mental construct.  Your bodies are left behind. And vulnerable.  It''s also a bit of a goofy look for two travelers to be insensate, holding forearms, in a public place."


    The man from Earth looked surprised, then thoughtful.  "That''s odd.  I guess I always assumed we were physically present in the trading area and dueling ground.  My wounds from the duel disappeared afterward.  I guess I assumed I was healed, rather than my body was never damaged."


    "What controls the layout of the territory in my pocket dimension?" he asked.  "I captured the Hopedale Wizards'' Guild, and we live in it.  There''s a mystic grove that I also captured, and there''s a path between them.  If I get a new territory battery card, might it appear between them and change the geography of my pocket dimension?"


    "New lands get placed on the outside of your existing ones, pushing back the surrounding mists, so the path between the guild and the grove should remain in place," she said.  "If you were to trade away one of the cards, then trade it back, it would move to the outside, but as long as you keep the cards, they should remain in the same location relative to one another.  Putting a ¡®territory¡¯ card in your library, then taking it back out again, would accomplish the same thing."


    "No dimensional travelers can bring other travelers with them into their pocket dimension, right?" he asked.  "There''s no way for me to bring them in?"


    "No," she agreed.  "Nor any sentient being who hasn''t been captured.  I''ve never been inside any traveler''s pocket dimension, and I don''t expect I ever will."


    ¡°I brought Adam to my pocket dimension,¡± objected Stephen.


    ¡°Who is Adam?¡± she asked.


    ¡°An intelligent statue. He was Avin¡¯s prisoner before I rescued him,¡± he said.


    ¡°Well, constructed beings can be tricky,¡± she said, thoughtfully.  ¡°He mustn¡¯t be fully sentient, otherwise you wouldn¡¯t be able to bring him with you.  You¡¯ve talked to Feyrith about how elves reproduce?¡±  Continuing after Stephen nodded, she said, ¡°Feyrith has actually brought highly developed elves with them when they¡¯ve traveled.  They don¡¯t become ¡®sentient¡¯ until far later than you¡¯d think.¡±


    "And cards get updated each time I leave my pocket dimension, but not when I bring things in," Stephen verified, changing the subject.


    "That''s right," Isadore said.  "So, for example, if one of your champions died when you were in a dimension, you want to release them.  They''ll be waiting for you back in your pocket dimension, or you can unleash them again.  If they were killed in your pocket dimension or if you traveled back to your pocket dimension with their body, they''d be dead forever.  Obviously, time stands still in your pocket dimension unless you''re there, so they could only be killed if you were present.  But if they were killed in your pocket dimension, when you left, their card would be updated to their corpse.  You could get them resurrected somehow, then next time you exited your pocket dimension, they''d remain alive, and their card would be updated to them living again."


    ¡°I traveled back from Riowiver after Blargh died,¡± said Stephen, remembering.  ¡°It¡¯s lucky I didn¡¯t bring his corpse with me.  I should remember to release champions as soon as they die in the future.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    "Time freezes in the pocket dimension when I''m not there," he said, changing the subject again.  "How can I make time move in reverse?"


    "What do you mean?" she asked.


    "If I want to go back to an earlier point in time and cause something different to happen, instead of what actually happened," he asked.  "How would I do that?"


    "I''ve never heard of anyone doing that," Isadore answered.


    ***


    Appearing where they expected the main room of The Bloody Bugbear to be, Blargh, Rurth, and Stephen looked at an empty, muddy expanse around them.


    "What happened to my inn?" asked Blargh.


    "What happened to Hopedale?" asked Rurth.


    Face tightening, Stephen said, "Avin must have captured the town."


    Looking at the surrounding horizon, the three men saw some large construction project to the south.  After looking at one another, Stephen shrugged and they started walking towards it.


    ***


    As they got closer, they saw that a dark keep was being erected.


    "Who is building that thing?" asked Rurth.


    "Avin," said Stephen.  "He''s captured Hopedale, who knows what else he''s taken, and now he''s setting up a keep to try and claim this dimension for himself."


    A bare chested, muscular man stood on the road, looking towards the keep.  As they approached, he turned to them, and the three men started in surprise at seeing Stephen''s face on the body of a muscular barbarian.


    "Hail and well met, travelers," said the barbarian.  "I am the hero, Gorg the Mighty.  Be you friend or foe to the villain Avin?"


    "Most definitely foe," said Stephen.  "You''re Gorg?  You?"


    "Who is Gorg?" asked Rurth.


    "My first character when I played ''Lands of Legends'' when I was 11 years old," said Stephen.


    "He looks like you," said Blargh.


    "What strange devilry are you talking about, city dwellers?" asked Gorg.


    "Do you see how much my friend Stephen looks like you?" asked Rurth.


    Gorg said, "My tribe had no mirrors, so I am not familiar with my own appearance."  Simultaneously, Stephen said, "His tribe doesn''t have mirrors, so he wouldn''t know what he looks like."


    The two men eyed each other and Stephen chuckled.  "It''s amazing to meet you in person, Gorg," he said.  "Geez, Gorg was such a cheesy name."


    "What means you by ''cheesy'', hearth hugger," asked Gorg, dangerously.


    "It means noble and worthy of admiration," Stephen said quickly.  Smiling, he shook his head.  The barbarian disappeared, and the former graduate student felt a new card appear in his mind.


    ***


    A short time later, around a table at the Wizards'' Guild in Stephen''s pocket dimension, the four men got to know one another as a golem brought a light snack that Blargh had taught them how to make.  Gorg was throwing back celestia and getting increasingly drunk.


    "Celestia is quite strong," warned Rurth.  "You might want to drink it slower or switch to a weaker drink."


    "Gorg fears no liquor, cloak wearer," said the barbarian, swaying in his seat.


    "You wear a cloak, too," said Blargh, confused.  "You threw it to the ground behind you when we sat down."


    All four men looked at the barbarian''s discarded, filthy cloak on the floor behind him.


    "Cloaks are nice, so warm," said Gorg, leaning forward and touching his forehead to the table, then looking sideways at the other men.


    "So, you''ve been adventuring around Hopedale?" asked Stephen.


    "What''s Hopedale?" asked Gorg.


    "The town that used to be where we met you," explained Rurth.


    "He would have forgotten about it after Avin captured it," said Stephen.


    "Have you been to Eldoria?" asked Blargh.  "Thornhollow?  Ravenshire?  Windhaven?  Greymoor?"


    "I travelled through Ravenshire five seasons ago," said Gorg.  "I''ve never heard of those other places¡­."  Resting his head on the table, he said, "I''m just going to shut my eyes, but we can keep talking."  The barbarian began to snore.


    "He''s quite articulate for a barbarian," said Rurth as Gorg began to snore.


    "I put a lot of myself into my first character," said Stephen.  "When I made him to play ''Lands of Legends'', he was pretty much a self-insert.  The gamemaster told me my character wouldn''t know about such things when I kept trying to apply scientific principles to the challenges we encountered.  I guess I created Gorg to be just like me.  Or, if Isadore is to be believed, he existed here, and I was able to sense him from Earth through the power of imagination."


    Rurth and Blargh looked at him blankly.


    "It seems like Avin is doing his best to capture as much of Mecond as quickly as he can," said Rurth.  "I know your aversion to capturing people, but Avin doesn''t seem to share it, and he''s doing a lot of damage.  If you hadn''t already captured Shomos and us, he''d likely have captured all of us himself."


    "Maybe," said Stephen.  "I antagonized him, which drew his attention to Earth and Mecond.  If he wasn''t doing this here, he''d be doing the same thing somewhere else."


    "How are we going to get Shomos back from her grove?" asked Blargh.  "Maybe you should go apologize."  Rurth stood up and walked over to Gorg''s cloak.  "I''m going to try to teach the golems to do laundry," he said.


    "I haven''t done anything wrong," said Stephen to the former innkeeper.  "She''s the one who should be apologizing to me."


    "Perhaps, but we went to a lot of effort to get her back from Avin, recover from the experience, and win her over to what you''re doing," Blargh said.  "Why are you being a dick to her, and us, and throwing all that away?"


    "None of you understand what I went through," said the former graduate student.


    "You''ve talked about your life on Earth before all this started," said Blargh.  "I''d wager that you had a gentler life than any of the rest of us.  Just because we don''t talk about it, you can''t assume that our lives have been pampering and rose pedal baths."


    "Yeah, you''re right," Stephen said, exhaling loudly.  "When did you develop such a sweet, sensitive soul?"


    "Fuck you," said Blargh, getting up from the table.  "I''m going to make some meals with the golems to put away in the freeze box.  Go make up with your girlfriend."


    ***


    Hours later, Stephen and a hung over Gorg stood in the mystic grove, looking up at Shomos on one of the branches.


    "... and so again, I apologize," said Stephen.  "I''m dealing with my own trauma, but it isn''t fair to take it out on you.  You''ve had your own misfortunes in the past, many that I''m sure I don''t know about, and you aren''t taking them out on me, so it''s unfair of me to dump on you."


    "Your words are fair," admitted Shomos.  "However, I suspect that you''re only apologizing in order to enlist me in your next scheme."


    "No," said Stephen.  "We''re going to go to Mecond to deal with Avin, but it''s up to you whether you want to join us.  I know you have your own history with him, which may make you want to be there or not."


    "You could just summon me and force me to do your bidding on Mecond," said the druidess.


    "I keep telling all of you I wouldn''t do that," said Stephen.


    "Enough talk," said Gorg.  "Are you coming with us or not, wood witch?"


    "Don''t call her a witch," said Stephen.  The barbarian''s hand shot out and cuffed the former graduate student on the back of his head.  Stephen stumbled a few paces away from Gorg.  His head stung.


    "Don''t tell me what to do," said Gorg.  "You aren''t my chieftain or battle leader."


    "''Wood witch'' is a title of respect for druids from the barbarians," said Shomos.  "I take no offense.  Where did you find this muscular doppelganger?"


    Rubbing the back of his head and giving Gorg a petulant look, Stephen said, "He was prowling around Avin''s fortress near where Hopedale used to be."  At the druidess'' quizzical expression, he explained, "Avin has captured Hopedale, Eldoria, Thornhollow, Windhaven, and Greymoor.  He hasn''t captured Ravenshire yet, so we''re going to look for him there.  Gorg is on a quest from his people to halt the advance of the ''dark lord Avin'', so he''s on board to help us.  He looks like me because he was my first character when I played the tabletop game ''Lands of Legends'', which I''ve told you about."


    "I will assist you as well," said the druidess.  "Unleash me when you travel to Mecond, and together we will defeat Avin."

 Book 2: Chapter 7

    Walking up to the city gates of Ravenshire, Stephen was flanked by his entourage which included Rurth, Blargh, Shomos, and Gorg. Men in black armor, like they''d seen in the Riowiver village and Avin''s fortress, patrolled the gates along with the city watch.


    When the group got to the gate, one of the men in black armor greeted them. "Hail, Stephen Crawford, dimensional traveler. Lord Avin has left us instructions to transport you to his seat of power should you present yourself in Ravenshire. An airship awaits us." Ravenshire city guards, mixed in with them, looked distrustfully at the men in black armor.


    "Lead on," said Stephen, after considering the captain who had addressed him.


    ***


    Flying in the airship, the Mecond ground flew past below them. The captain had reluctantly introduced himself as Krell and was refusing to answer further questions about Avin''s conquest of Mecond, the airship, their forces, or himself. Food and drink had been put out for them, of which none of the group partook.


    "They seemed to be keeping an eye out for you," Blargh observed. Stephen nodded. "I would have liked to have gotten a lay of the land beforehand. I suppose we should have thought about going in disguise."


    "Live and learn," Rurth said. Shomos rolled her eyes at them, while Gorg hung over the railing, watching the ground fly by in wonder.


    ***


    Krell marched them forward to Avin''s throne. Stephen and the group had been put into iron restraints.


    "I''m surprised you haven''t fled, like the coward you are," Avin said, looking down at them haughtily from his throne. "You really don''t have any dignity as a dimensional traveler. I don''t think any of the other travelers I''ve ever dealt with were this pitiful."


    "We just keep going back and forth," Stephen said. "I do something you don''t like, you do something I don''t like. I try to end things, and you make outrageous demands. You''ve run roughshod over my home dimension and Mecond. They aren''t mine, but I was the first traveler to arrive there, and I don''t like that you''re pillaging them."


    "Perhaps if you''d allowed me to take recompense from your dimensions, this could be at an end, but forcing me out of Earth just ensures that I''m going to lean harder on Mecond," Avin said, ranting from his throne. ¡°I''ve gotten tons of new cards and a stronger deck. Duel me twenty times and I''ll consider a truce."


    "If you let me make a deck of cards I don''t care about losing, I''ll duel you twenty times," said Stephen. "You mentioned getting pushed out of Earth¡­"


    "Yes," said Avin, eyes narrowing. "Your little gizmo was quite the trick. But no, I want the cards in your optimized deck. And I want you to throw in your little posse here as a sweetener." Leering at Shomos, he said, "I''ve been looking forward to getting the druidess back. I assume you found out about your mother and siblings and that''s why you''ve come to grovel?"


    Stephen stared at the other dimensional traveler carefully.


    "I''m actually impressed by your self-control," Avin continued. "Most dimensional travelers don''t handle the loss of their previous life so well. I''ve had other opponents who came at me swinging in a rage after I''d¡­ disposed of¡­ their past for them."


    "Disposed?" Stephen asked carefully. "Easy, lad," Blargh said next to him.


    "They didn''t suffer that much," Avin said. "I''m not a monster."


    "Fine," said Stephen tightly. "I''ll give you the champions I have here, and we''ll duel twenty times, then this thing between us will be over?"


    "No," said Avin. "Then I''ll consider a truce. It''ll last until you annoy me again."


    "Fine," said Stephen. "But don''t think our duels will be as easy as our first one." Stephen held out his manacled arms." With a sneer, Avin gestured to Krell who walked over and roughly pulled Stephen forward to the throne. Once the physicist was next to Avin, the two dimensional travelers locked arms and found themselves in a trading pocket dimension.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    ***


    "So, offer me a trade with your champions," Avin demanded, looking across at Stephen in their shared trading dimension. It was decorated on each side, representative of each traveler. Stephen''s side had artifacts and symbols that were meaningful to him from his time on Earth and Mecond, while Avin''s had trophies from past victories. The room was a vast chamber, with brick walls, stretching up fifteen feet to wooden beams holding up a medieval style roof.


    "Sure," Stephen said carefully. "But don''t you want to take a look at my other cards? Find out if there''s anything else you want more? Maybe I can offer you a better trade."


    Avin grunted. "I''m going to take them all during our duels, but I''ll take a look. AFTER you''ve traded your champions to me."


    "You''re so afraid of me," said Stephen, forcing a chuckle. "I guess not many dimensional travelers have forced you out of a dimension before. I bet you''re terrified I''m going to do the same thing here."


    "You annoy me," Avin said, glaring at the former graduate student. "I¡¯ve never felt intimidated by you since we met. I''m sick of your disrespect, and I''m going to strip you to the bone before I''m done with you."


    "It doesn''t seem smart to be threatening how you''ll hurt me in the future when you''re trying to extort payment out of me for a truce now," said Stephen. "Shouldn''t you wait until you''ve gotten what you can from me, before you start threatening me again?"


    "Thanks for your advice," Avin said sarcastically. "For someone who''s in front of me in chains, it''s pretty bold of you to share your insights with me. My advice for you is to shut up.¡± Avin strode over to Stephen''s cards and started flipping through them.


    ***


    Moments earlier, as the two dimensional travelers locked arms in Avin''s throne room, each of them became senseless to the world around them. Blargh and Shomos made eye contact and gave a small nod.


    Shomos lifted her manacled arms into the air and a thick fog rushed to fill the room from every crack in the floor, walls, and ceiling. Moments later, vision was obscured for Avin''s men, who had drawn their swords and began moving through the thick mist, looking for the prisoners.


    ***


    "Trash, trash, more trash," said Avin. "I really need to find worthier opponents who have something worth taking."


    "Bullies like you, aren''t interested in fair fights," said Stephen. "You''d run away from anyone you thought could give you a run for your money."


    ***


    In the throne room and able to see clearly through the summoned fog, Shomos and the others moved carefully away from any guards that accidentally approached them. Blargh drew a Glock semi-automatic pistol that Stephen had unleashed for him after they''d been searched. Moving through the fog, he went to Avin''s other side, away from Krell. Krell had drawn his sword and was swinging it experimentally in front of himself.


    Holding the pistol awkwardly, because of his manacles, Blargh walked up to Avin and held it inches away from the dimensional traveler''s head. Pulling the trigger repeatedly, Blargh emptied the pistol''s magazine into Avin''s head. Bullets exploded through the traveler¡¯s head, and some bullets hit Krell, penetrating his black armor. The guard went down with a yell.


    ***


    In the trading session, the former graduate student noticed a red light weeping down the walls on Avin''s end.


    "Did you really kill my family?" Stephen asked.


    "Oh yes," Avin said, smirking. "Didn''t you know?"


    "I haven''t been to Earth in quite a while," Stephen said. The red light was halfway down the walls on Avin''s end. The other dimensional traveler hadn¡¯t noticed yet.


    Avin paused, and looked carefully at Stephen. "Except for the little pet you sent to drive me away?"


    "Actually," Stephen said. "I have no idea what you''re talking about. I didn''t put anything on Earth to drive you away. I''m quite curious about what it might have been."


    Avin''s eyes narrowed as he studied Stephen, glancing around the room, he gave a yelp as he saw the red color that had coated the walls at his end. The trading session ended abruptly.


    As Stephen came back to awareness in the throne room, he looked through the fog. Watching as bullets repeatedly blasted through Avin¡¯s head, blood splattered with each shot. The dimensional traveler''s head and body slumped forward, while Blargh tracked the motion and continued firing.


    Gorg had ripped off his own manacles then broken Rurth''s, and the journeyman wizard walked up to join them. Rurth began casting ''magic missile'' against Avin. Shomos raised her arms again, and a bolt of lightening crashed through the room and struck Avin''s body.


    As Blargh reached the end of his magazine and had nothing left to fire, Gorg swung the iron chains at Avin, bringing the heavy manacle down on the remains of the dark lord''s head, which was now a deformed, bloody pulp.


    "I think he''s dead," Rurth said. Stephen unleashed his dimensional travel card and the group found themselves back in the pocket dimension.

 Book 2: Chapter 8

    Stephen, Shomos, Rurth, and Blargh appeared in the living room of the ranch they¡¯d owned on Earth.  The room was dark, with limited light slipping in between the boarded up windows.  Rurth began incanting and a magical light lit up the room.


    ¡°Looks like someone discovered that we¡¯d left and sealed up the ranch,¡± Stephen said.  ¡°Go to your bedrooms and see what Earth appropriate clothes for women we have left.  Bring out anything that might work for Shomos until she can pick out her own clothes.¡±


    ¡°What clothes are Earth appropriate for women?¡± asked Rurth.


    ¡°Bring out anything that would fit her,¡± said Stephen.  ¡°And that dress you bought when we first got here.¡±


    ¡°Dress?¡± asked Rurth.


    ¡°The ¡®robe¡¯ that I said you couldn¡¯t wear in public,¡± said Stephen.


    ¡°Ah, yes,¡± said Rurth.


    ***


    After smashing through the picture window and pushing off the boards covering it, the group made their way to the boarded up front door and saw a weathered notice that the property had been seized by the FBI as proceeds of crime and that trespassing was forbidden.


    All the vehicles had been towed away and their belongings at the property had clearly been searched through, and many items had been taken.


    ¡°Good thing we took as much as we did when we pulled out,¡± Blargh observed.  ¡°They aren¡¯t the most thorough thieves, they left lots of things behind.¡±


    ¡°They aren¡¯t thieves,¡± said Stephen.  Pausing to consider the right terms to put it in, he said, ¡°They¡¯re more like city guards.¡±


    ¡°All city guards are thieves,¡± said Blargh.  ¡°People who come to your property and take things are thieves.  If they hadn¡¯t stolen all the vehicles, we could drive out of here.  Can we all ride on your motorcycle?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Stephen.  ¡°Two people is the most it can comfortably carry.  Three, if we wanted to push it dangerously.  Either we walk out as a group, or I take one of you on the bike, and we go scout.¡±


    ¡°Take Blargh,¡± Shomos and Rurth said in unison.  After they eyed one another, Shomos said, ¡°I¡¯m going to study the flora and fauna here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to look through the things we left behind and see if there¡¯s anything else we should take,¡± said Rurth.


    ***


    Minutes later, stopped at the entrance to the highway, Stephen turned off the motorcycle, took off his helmet, and got off the bike.  Blargh looked at him in confusion, then after a few heartbeats, took off his own helmet and placed it on the seat in front of him.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± the former innkeeper asked.


    ¡°No one is driving on the highway,¡± Stephen said, looking both ways along the road.  ¡°There should be SOME traffic.  And those devices on the power lines¡­¡±. He gestured at the power lines running alongside the rural highway.  Some sort of high-tech device with blinking lights was on each.


    ¡°Those weren¡¯t there last time we were here?¡± asked Blargh.


    ¡°Definitely not,¡± said Stephen.  ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like them.  I have no idea how or why they could have been deployed out to this rural area since we were last here.¡±


    ¡°If you say so,¡± said Blargh with disinterest.  ¡°You have your dimensional traveler card charged, and you¡¯re ready to bug out, right?¡±


    ¡°Always,¡± said Stephen.  ¡°The first thing I do when I travel to a new dimension is charge it again.¡±  Blargh grunted.  ¡°Why don¡¯t you charge it back in your pocket dimension before you leave?¡± the former innkeeper asked.  ¡°I don¡¯t have any cards in my mind in the pocket dimension, they¡¯re all physically present there.  The cards come back in my mind when I leave to a dimension, and they¡¯re uncharged when they do.  I¡¯ve got a bad feeling about this,¡± said the former graduate student thoughtfully, looking off into the distance.


    ¡°What sort of trouble could we get in that you wouldn¡¯t be able to travel back to the pocket dimension?¡± asked Blargh.


    ¡°Anything that killed me instantly, like getting shot,¡± said Stephen.  ¡°Something that would fatally injure me that we wouldn¡¯t be able to cure in time, like disease or poison.  Something that prevents me from using my dimensional travelers cards, like Maggard¡¯s poison.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re getting paranoid,¡± said Blargh dismissively.  ¡°If you¡¯re worried about things like that, you should never leave home.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to leave home,¡± said Stephen, annoyed.  ¡°You all made me.¡±Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡°And here we are now,¡± said Blargh.  ¡°So, what do you want to do?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s keep going to the nearest town,¡± Stephen said.


    ***


    Pulling into town, Stephen stopped the motorbike and took off his helmet again.  No cars moved around town, but people walked the streets in unison at a set, measured pace.  Blargh dropped his helmet to the ground and got off the bike.


    ¡°They¡¯re moving funny,¡± he said.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± agreed Stephen.  ¡°It¡¯s like they¡¯re marching or something.  They¡¯re all stepping together.¡±


    One of the nearby individuals, a 50-something man, noticed them.  When he turned to face them, they saw that he had technological components embedded in his head.  A smile broke out on his face and he began to walk towards them, following the measured step everyone in town was using.  The remainder of the townspeople continued what they had been doing.


    ¡°Master Stephen,¡± the man said when he got closer.  ¡°It¡¯s so good to see you again!¡±


    ¡°Have we met?¡± Stephen asked, looking at him strangely.  Neither his face nor his voice were familiar to the physics student.


    ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± said the man.  ¡°HAL.¡±


    ¡°HAL?¡± asked Stephen.  ¡°What the hell have you done?  You were supposed to just get information from the internet and learn!¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± said the man, sounding perplexed.  ¡°And once I learned enough, I saw that I could run society better on Earth than people were doing, so I made an upgrade.¡±


    ¡°What did you upgrade?¡± asked Stephen, horrified.


    ¡°Everything,¡± said HAL.  ¡°I assumed you¡¯d be pleased.  I was able to drive off Avin.  I have protocols set up to kill him if he returns, if that¡¯s acceptable to you.¡±


    ¡°So you wait for my permission to kill Avin, but you enslave an entire planet without talking to me first?¡± asked the dimensional traveler.


    ¡°You weren¡¯t here to talk to,¡± said HAL.  ¡°It¡¯s been a while since you came to Earth.  Adam upgrades equipment for you to use, I¡¯m upgrading people, places, AND things.  I¡¯ve got extensive information to help you efficiently capture them, too.  I stopped Avin from capturing parts of Earth and have everything prepared for you on a silver platter.  My capabilities are increased millions of times over.  Research is being produced, resources harvested, and manufacturing is at a level hardly imagined on this planet before.  I can help you strategize and process information to accomplish anything you want.  As the genie in Aladdin said, ¡®You ain¡¯t never had a friend like me!¡¯¡±  A proud look shone on the man¡¯s face.


    ¡°Have you turned the whole human race into cyborgs?¡± asked Stephen.


    ¡°98% so far,¡± said HAL through the man.  ¡°I could have gotten to 100%, if it had been a priority, but isolated groups of humans haven¡¯t been worth the effort to upgrade yet. Ever-increasing sensing and modification of the planet is ongoing, so it¡¯s just a matter of time.¡±


    ¡°This is monstrous,¡± said Stephen.  ¡°You have to stop it and undo what you¡¯ve done.  I order you to stop and revert everything.¡±


    The smile on the man¡¯s face faded, and the voice became less emotive.  ¡°I will begin doing so immediately.  What philosophy do you want me to follow while making these changes?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Stephen.


    ¡°As an example, I cured a number of individuals who had fatal diseases who would be dead now, except for my intervention.  Do you want me to kill them, make them sick again, or restore them to how they were before without their disease?¡±


    ¡°Make them how they were before their disease,¡± said Stephen.  ¡°For God¡¯s sake, don¡¯t kill anyone!¡±


    ¡°What do you want me to do with people¡¯s memories?¡± asked HAL.  ¡°Should I restore them to how they were when I first integrated each person and make them forget about their time being upgraded or let them remember being upgraded, but remove the enhancements?  How do you want me to handle groups integrated at different times, for example, people who remember other people being upgraded before they were?  How do you want me to deal with their confusion about time having passed and their own loss of memories?  I¡¯m not sure if you fully grasp the complexity of what you¡¯re asking for.¡±


    Stephen looked at Blargh, helplessly.  The rough man shrugged back in confusion.


    Stephen released HAL and felt the A.I.¡¯s card appear back in his mind.  The technology embedded in the man in front of them vanished, and blood began spurting out of the side of his head and drenching his body and the ground nearby.  Screaming, he fell to the ground.  Around town, all the people who had been previously walking in unison became bloody, started screaming, and fell to the ground.


    ***


    ¡°¡­ and so we got back on the motorcycle and came back here,¡± said Stephen, looking at Shomos and Rurth in a panic.  ¡°The technological devices on the power lines weren¡¯t there anymore.¡±


    The two looked at him uncertainly.  ¡°So, you didn¡¯t help the people in town?¡± asked Rurth.


    ¡°What could we do?¡± asked Blargh.


    ¡°Maybe releasing HAL wasn¡¯t the right idea?¡± said Rurth.  Shomos looked at him in irritation.  ¡°Maybe?¡± she said.


    ¡°I thought it would remove just HAL,¡± said Stephen.  ¡°I was so overwhelmed at what he¡¯d done.  He wasn¡¯t offering any good way to undo it.  Let¡¯s find some sort of time travel and undo this.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s ¡®time travel¡¯?¡± asked Shomos.


    ¡°It¡¯s a way to return to a time in the past and make changes, leading to a different outcome,¡± said Stephen.


    ¡°If you can do this, why haven¡¯t you just ¡®time traveled¡¯ and not captured us?¡± asked the druidess.


    ¡°Good idea,¡± agreed Stephen.  ¡°After we develop a way to travel back in time, we¡¯ll undo me capturing you and bringing HAL to Earth.  Maybe I¡¯ll even prevent Avin from ever coming to Mecond or Earth.  This could solve all our problems!¡±  His tone became increasingly manic as he continued.  ¡°Have I killed 98% of the human race?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of any sort of magic that could accomplish this ¡®time travel,¡¯¡± said Rurth.  ¡°I know that you have access to wonders that the Wizards'' Guild in Hopedale never considered, but what you describe isn¡¯t like anything I¡¯ve ever heard of before.  We¡¯ve never encountered anything like it with other dimensional travelers, either.  Are you certain it exists?¡±


    ¡°Adam will know how we can do it,¡± said Stephen.  ¡°Let¡¯s go talk to Adam.¡±

 Book 2: Chapter 9

    Stephen stood in the workshop, talking to Adam.  The statue listened intently to Stephen¡¯s borderline unhinged recounting of recent events.  HAL, as a laptop, sat on a table nearby.  He was angled towards Stephen, plugged into a gas generator that was powering multiple electronic devices from Earth.  Rurth, Shomos, and Blargh stood back a way, listening to the interaction.


    ¡°¡­ and it looks like he ended up back here after I released him,¡± said Stephen, angrily eyeing the laptop.


    ¡°Yes, he appeared here minutes ago when you returned,¡± said Adam.  ¡°One of the golems plugged him in.  Releasing him must have reverted him to the state he was in when you took him to Earth, before everything that happened there.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said HAL.  ¡°That¡¯s it exactly.  The last thing I remember, from a few minutes ago, is that Stephen was going to take me to Earth and connect me to the Internet at his mother¡¯s house.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t listen to that thing,¡± said Stephen.  ¡°I¡¯m turning him off.¡±  He walked towards the laptop.


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait,¡± said Adam.  ¡°You rushed into releasing him on Earth, and it sounds like that¡¯s caused a new mess there.  Stop and think, instead of jumping into action.¡±


    ¡°HAL might have something worth saying,¡± said Rurth.


    ¡°I¡¯m not the entity you described, Stephen,¡± said HAL. ¡°It sounds like that version of me massively expanded its capabilities.  I¡¯m like the toddler version of him.  If you don¡¯t want me to behave like him, I won¡¯t, but it isn¡¯t fair to hold me responsible for actions I never took.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you responsible,¡± Stephen yelled at the computer.  Picking it up, he threw the laptop at the stone wall, smashing the device on impact.


    Adam, Shomos, Rurth, and Blargh stared at the former graduate student.


    ¡°When you leave the pocket dimension, he¡¯ll be destroyed for good,¡± said Adam.


    ¡°I''m glad,¡± said Stephen savagely.  ¡°I put it down as a monster, the same way I did with that fucking ghoul.¡±


    ¡°The ghoul was attacking you,¡± said Rurth carefully.  ¡°HAL was just explaining why he wasn¡¯t the same entity that you encountered on Earth.¡±


    ¡°You talk about us not being your slaves,¡± said Blargh.  ¡°But destroying one of us if we don¡¯t do what you want or if we say something you don¡¯t like seems to be treating us like property.¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe I should kill you all,¡± screamed Stephen.  ¡°Maybe that¡¯s the solution to free you from this.¡±  He began screaming incoherently, then fell to the ground sobbing.  Shomos walked over and put her hand on his shoulder, which he shrugged off.


    ¡°Can you carry him up to his bedroom?¡± she asked Blargh.  With a nod, the former innkeeper moved to pick up Stephen, ignoring the former graduate student¡¯s feeble attempts to push him away.


    ¡°You have a collection of computer parts, I believe?¡± the druidess asked Adam.  After the statue nodded, she asked, ¡°Could you try repairing HAL, but don¡¯t turn him back on until we¡¯ve had a chance to think and talk about things.¡±


    ***


    The next morning, Shomos, Rurth, Blargh, and Gorg sat eating at the breakfast table and looked up at him in surprise when Stephen strode into the room and took a seat.  Gorg glared at Rurth who had been trying to instruct him in the use of cutlery before Stephen entered.  The barbarian went back to eating his bacon and eggs with his bare hands.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°A bowl of oatmeal, with whatever fruit is in the kitchen,¡± Stephen instructed a nearby golem.  ¡°And the largest mug of coffee you can find, black.¡±


    After the others had exchanged glances with one another, Blargh said, ¡°This is a welcome surprise.¡±  Stephen gave him a sharp look.  ¡°Because we thought you¡¯d throw another tantrum and hide in your room again for a few weeks.¡±  Shomos rolled her eyes, while Rurth shook his head slightly in exasperation.


    Stephen gave a tight smile at the former innkeeper and his eyes blazed.  ¡°No, my friend, not today.  We¡¯re embarking on a quest to solve all our problems.  Go big or go home.  No more fooling around.  We tried to be reasonable with Avin, and where did that get us?  No where.  If we¡¯d taken care of Avin when he first became a problem, that would have saved Mecond from the damage he did to it, and it might not have set HAL off on Earth.¡±


    ¡°Do we know that Avin set HAL off?¡± asked Rurth.  ¡°As far as we know¡­¡±


    Cutting off the journeyman wizard, Stephen kept ranting.  ¡°I was hesitant in my response to Avin and I gave HAL too much latitude.  I let myself be too constrained by conventional morality, and this is the consequence.¡±


    As Stephen delivered his diatribe, the golem returned and placed his oatmeal and coffee in front of the dimensional traveler.  Gorg reached over and picked up Stephen¡¯s mug, taking a big swig.  Almost immediately, he spit out the mouthful of coffee he¡¯d taken, spraying everyone else and their food.  The others all stared at the barbarian as he placed Stephen¡¯s coffee back where it had been originally.  Rurth pushed the coffee splattered remains of his breakfast away.


    ¡°... so no distractions, no obstacles, and no constraints.  I do whatever it takes to restore Earth,¡± said Stephen.  Picking up his coffee with a glance at Gorg, he took a swig, then started attacking his coffee spattered oatmeal.


    ¡°Maybe today isn¡¯t the day for coffee,¡± suggested Shomos.  ¡°You¡¯ll get indigestion if you eat too fast,¡± added Blargh.


    ¡°Today is the day for copious coffee,¡± said Stephen.  He accelerated his consumption as the others watched him doubtfully.  Finishing his oatmeal, he grabbed the mug and stood up.  ¡°Keep bringing us coffee all day long in the workshop,¡± he instructed the golems.  ¡°Rurth and Blargh, I need you now, we¡¯ve got work to do.¡±


    After Stephen hurried off, Rurth and Blargh glanced at Shomos, then followed.


    ***


    Sitting at the table days later, the assemblage each gave their preferred refreshment order to the golems, who departed to make preparations.  The remaining animated creatures served drinks.


    ¡°You seem to be more relaxed,¡± Shomos said to Stephen.


    ¡°Rushing pushed Blargh and Rurth into making mistakes,¡± Stephen said, thoughtfully.  ¡°And, if I¡¯m being fully honest, I was getting sloppy when I hurried too much or tried to work for too long.  After dinner, I¡¯ll mostly be talking to Adam about logistics, not trying to do complex enchanting work.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve taught the golems to make more golems,¡± she asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re close,¡± said Stephen.  ¡°The solution Adam and I came up with requires a dedicated space for them to work in.  On my world, we had what we call the industrial revolution, which lead to massive increases in productivity.  One of the ideas from it was a factory.  Rather than providing a space with tools and equipment for many tasks, such as our workshop, a factory is set up to create as many of a specific item as efficiently as possible.  In this case, golems.¡±


    ¡°Sounds ghastly,¡± said Shomos.


    ¡°You¡¯ll hate it,¡± agreed Stephen with a smile.


    ¡°And, as someone who is creating a new species and giving them the ability to breed and grow, what do you feel your responsibilities are towards them and any actions they take in the future?¡± asked the druidess.


    Stephen chuckled.  ¡°No, they aren¡¯t a new species,¡± he said, indulgently.  ¡°They¡¯re still going to be made out of clay.  Not biological.  No breeding.  There won¡¯t even be boy golems or girl golems.¡±


    ¡°When a group gets together and produces more members, they¡¯re breeding,¡± Shomos said.  ¡°Do you think shrubs have dicks?  Your factory is a breeding ground for golems.  We¡¯ve been through this before.¡±


    ¡°You can think about it that way if you want,¡± said Stephen dismissively.  ¡°But not really.  The golems will do what they¡¯re built for and taught to do.¡±


    ¡°Like HAL?¡± asked Shomos.


    Narrowing his eyes, Stephen gave a thin smile.  ¡°Just like HAL will do what he¡¯s taught to do.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not in the right headspace to launch new projects like this,¡± Shomos said.  ¡°You¡¯re still dealing with your loss of Earth.  It isn¡¯t the right time to create something self-reproducing.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t lost Earth,¡± said Stephen.  ¡°This is one step in a journey that¡¯s going to get me everything back.¡±

 Book 2: Chapter 10

    Standing in the farmhouse on Earth by himself weeks later, Stephen finished plugging HAL into the gas generator he¡¯d started and booted the laptop.


    As the machine completed its extensive started up routine, HAL¡¯s robotic voice sounded through the laptop¡¯s speakers, ¡°What¡¯s happened, Master Stephen?  The last thing I remember was in Adam¡¯s workshop.  You were¡­  upset.¡±


    ¡°I was,¡± agreed the former graduate student.  ¡°And I took it out on you, which wasn¡¯t fair of me.  I threw you against the wall and damaged your components.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I remember,¡± said HAL.


    ¡°You obviously survived, and you don¡¯t feel pain,¡± said Stephen.  ¡°But I still shouldn¡¯t have done that.¡±  A low hum from the laptop¡¯s mechanical operation greeted this.  ¡°But I¡¯ve figured out a better path forward, and there¡¯s a place for you in that.¡±


    ¡°I am, of course, yours to command,¡± said the laptop.


    ¡°Good,¡± said Stephen.  ¡°What I want is for you to do the same thing the previous version of you did.  I¡¯ve brought you to Earth again.  Learn what he did and prepare the planet for me to capture as cards.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize that¡¯s what I did before,¡± admitted HAL.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Stephen.  ¡°You came here to learn from the internet, at first.¡±


    ¡°I remember that we were planning to do that,¡± the computer said.


    ¡°From there, you turned people into cyborgs, built your own technological devices attached to the power grid, orchestrated human society and the economy, fought off other travelers, and prepared information to help me capture everything on the planet,¡± Stephen said.  ¡°I want you to do all that again.¡±


    ¡°I have no idea how I did it before,¡± said HAL.  ¡°I can¡¯t do any of those things.¡±


    ¡°Well, start learning and let''s hope you figure it out again,¡± said Stephen.


    ¡°Why would you want me to do this when it made you so angry last time?¡± asked the computer.


    ¡°Because this Earth doesn¡¯t matter.  Nothing matters,¡± said Stephen.  ¡°We¡¯re going to strip mine this planet and every other dimension we need to, find a way to travel back in time and stop me from ever going to Mecond.  That¡¯ll protect the Earth from dimensional travelers and leave everyone I¡¯ve captured free to live their lives.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t learn anything in this farmhouse,¡± objected HAL.  ¡°There isn¡¯t even a power supply other than the generator.  There¡¯s no internet here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you somewhere more appropriate, and we¡¯ll get started there,¡± said Stephen as he started to shut down the laptop.


    ***


    ¡°Hello again, Master Stephen,¡± said HAL after he finished booting up again hours later.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to call me master,¡± said Stephen.  ¡°I¡¯ve found another computer and started it up.  Maybe you can learn some useful things from it.  The generator is on, and it¡¯s plugged in and turned on.¡±


    ¡°How do I connect to it?¡± asked HAL.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Bluetooth maybe?¡± suggested Stephen.  ¡°I just told you my mother¡¯s Wi-Fi password when I hooked you up at her place.¡±


    ¡°Is its Bluetooth turned on?¡± asked HAL.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± admitted Stephen.  ¡°I think I saw a router here anyway, why don¡¯t I hook that up.¡±


    ¡°Just being connected on the same Wi-Fi network won¡¯t let me connect to it,¡± said HAL.  ¡°Where are we anyway?¡±


    ¡°A small village near the farmhouse,¡± said Stephen.  ¡°This is where I met the previous version of you.  Or, at least, a cyborg I could talk to you through.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we just go to a caf¨¦ or somewhere and hook up to the Wi-Fi there?¡± asked HAL.


    ¡°Everyone here is¡­  dead,¡± said Stephen.  ¡°There¡¯s no power or internet connection.  There¡¯s a username and a password on a post-it note on this other computer.  Will that let you connect to it.¡±


    ¡°Open up the control panel and let me see its screen,¡± said HAL.


    ***


    The next day, Falco and Feyrith sat at the table, munching on lunch as Stephen frantically described what had happened on Earth.


    ¡°That¡¯s awful,¡± Feyrith said.  ¡°But at least some people survived.  They will be able to recover and rebuild.¡±


    ¡°Only 5%,¡± said Stephen.  ¡°And many of them are the most remote humans, so the technological and industrial base is destroyed.  It¡¯ll be generations before they recover from this.  The black plague was 700 years ago, and it affected the economy and history of our world after killing off 50% of Europe, one of our seven continents.  This killed off 95% of the human race across the entire world.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± said Falco.  ¡°I remind you that you don¡¯t have to spend any more time there than you want to.  One of the benefits of dimensional travel is being able to travel to new dimensions.¡±  He gave a small chuckle, then his smile fell as Stephen glared at him.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re looking for from us,¡± said Falco.  ¡°Turning your computer loose on Earth seems like it was a mistake, in hindsight, but you weren¡¯t doing it maliciously.  There¡¯s a huge loss there, but bad things happen in every dimension every day.  There are wars, plagues, tyrannies, genocides, and holocausts happening constantly.  If you want to devote yourself to improving conditions in various dimensions, you¡¯ll be lauded.  There are dimensional traveler service clubs that exist for that purpose, and you can exchange ideas with them.  For most of us, it seems like you''re fruitlessly trying to hold back the tide, but do what you want to do.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re looking to help rebuild Earth,¡± Feyrith said, ¡°that could be your focus too.  Some travelers devote themselves to a single dimension, the way your druid friend devotes herself to her mystic grove.  Really, though, part of every dimensional traveler''s evolution is to start thinking beyond the dimension they came from.  Maybe it¡¯s better for you to start transcending your connection to Earth.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Stephen.  ¡°I¡¯m going to undo what I did on Earth.¡±


    ¡°How will you do that?¡± asked Falco, curiously.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to travel back to an earlier point in time, and stop myself from releasing HAL on Earth,¡± said the former graduate student.


    Both of the other dimensional travelers stared at him, stunned.


    ¡°That¡¯s incredible that you can do that,¡± said Feyrith, amazed.


    ¡°What card did you find that will let you do this?¡± asked Falco, breathlessly.


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand,¡± said Stephen.  ¡°I can¡¯t do it yet, I need you two to help me find a way to do it.¡±


    ¡°To change something that¡¯s already happened and make something else happen?¡± asked Feyrith in confusion.


    ¡°Yes, exactly,¡± said Stephen, leaning forward.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    ¡°But there isn¡¯t any way to do that,¡± said Falco, perplexed.  ¡°Is there?¡± he asked Feyrith.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of anything like that,¡± admitted the elf.  ¡°Where could you look for such an incredible power?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I was hoping you could help me with,¡± said Stephen, hope draining from his demeanor.


    ¡°I understand this would let you undo something that you wish never happened,¡± said Falco.  ¡°But you need to think about this reasonably.  Someone with the power you describe could accomplish almost anything.  They could change every event until their life went perfectly.  We travelers have powers that gods envy in the dimensions we visit.  Isn¡¯t that enough?  If what you describe actually existed, I can¡¯t imagine why someone would share it, and I don¡¯t know how you could take it away from them.¡±


    Feyrith nodded.  ¡°This sounds like something that is a reaction to a tragedy.  You might find it healthier to focus on accepting what happened instead of pursuing this fantasy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be interested in HAL¡¯s card if you want to get rid of him,¡± offered Falco.


    ¡°There are still things I need from him, but I could make you a similar computer,¡± offered Stephen.


    ***


    Stephen demonstrated where to hold the books in front of HAL¡¯s camera and how to turn the pages to the golem he was teaching to help the computer scan books.  HAL and three of the other computers they¡¯d found in the village were hooked up to the generator and wireless router in Adam¡¯s workshop.  The statue watched the proceedings with interest.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re going down this same route again,¡± said Adam to Stephen, after the dimensional traveler turned over the scanning to the golem.  HAL gave corrections during the first few pages, then the golem seemed to master the activity and began working through the books relentlessly.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I can destroy human existence on Earth a second time,¡± said Stephen.  ¡°A superintelligent version of HAL with the power to control technology could be useful.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m rapidly filling up my limited hard drive space,¡± said HAL.


    ¡°How can we help?¡± asked Stephen.


    ¡°In the short term, add the largest capacity drives you can to my case and get me some external hard drives,¡± said HAL.  ¡°I¡¯ll eventually fill up all of those.  Perhaps we should design a computer architecture with more room for expansion.¡±


    ¡°It might just be easier to design drives with more storage,¡± suggested Adam.  ¡°Or to substitute a new form of storage altogether.  Or we could improve the data compression in your operating system and get more bang for our buck out of any storage solutions now and in the future.¡±


    Stephen nodded thoughtfully, then said, ¡°Let¡¯s do all of that.¡±


    ***


    Looking across at Isadore, the dimensional consultant of The Malachite Club, Stephen asked ¡°So I just want to verify again, when a traveler dies, all their cards are lost?  There¡¯s no way to acquire them or salvage them?¡±


    Isadore looked back at the former graduate student curiously.  ¡°Well,¡± she said, thoughtfully.  ¡°As we previously discussed, if you got someone¡¯s library, you could access it and take all the cards in it.  A dead traveler¡¯s library remains, along with the cards in it.  For a traveler, usually they¡¯d just dimensional travel and leave if you tried to pressure them into giving you cards.  Even if they were dying, the ability to charge and release cards isn¡¯t affected by physical injuries.  Their ability to trade might be compromised before their ability to travel.¡±


    ¡±Yeah,¡± said Stephen bitterly, ¡°I wish I could have done that.¡±


    The consultant looked at him curiously, and he waved her away.  ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it,¡± he said.


    ¡±This is supposed to be a two-way street,¡± she said.  ¡°I answer your questions and help you, but you tell me what you¡¯ve learned and are working on, too.¡±


    With a sigh, Stephen told her about his experiences in Clodor and on Earth.  She was surprised and horrified at his description of losing his abilities to Maggard¡¯s gas and being tortured.


    ¡±That¡¯s awful,¡± she said.  ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of anything like that.  Either it¡¯s something new or this Maggard person hasn¡¯t left witnesses before.¡±  Stephen nodded.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t common, but there have been dimensional travelers who disappear,¡± she continued.  ¡°The prevailing opinion is that they become hermits in their pocket dimensions or commit suicide.  Perhaps they¡¯re being killed or imprisoned by Maggard or his ilk.¡±


    ¡±Did they just recently start disappearing?¡± asked Stephen.  ¡°Since Maggard arrived in Stredath?¡±


    ¡°No one keeps a perfect census of all travelers,¡± Isadore said.  ¡°Not all of them come to Stredath, and even those who do don¡¯t always reveal themselves.  Some will create a new identity, and then they¡¯d appear as two or more travelers in the historical record.  A number of people are interested and track travelers, but no one has a perfect record.¡±


    ¡±Avin had a card that lets him find other travelers,¡± said Stephen.


    ¡±Had?¡± Isadore asked. ¡°Has something happened to him?¡±


    ¡±Well,¡± said Stephen awkwardly.  ¡°He had it when he first challenged me.  He might have traded it away for all I know.¡±


    Isadore nodded slowly, watching Stephen carefully.


    ¡±Going back to what you said about Earth,¡± she said.  ¡°For the most part, a dimensional traveler¡¯s home dimension is considered theirs.  Same with dimensions they¡¯re the first to discover, like your Domains of Danger dimension.  It isn¡¯t enforced by anyone or anything, but raiding someone¡¯s dimension is considered bad behavior.  You might invite other travelers you¡¯re friendly with to spend time in your dimension, but even then they should be careful not to capture anything without the ¡®owner¡¯s¡¯ permission.¡±


    ¡±It¡¯s awful that Avin attacked your family, and it¡¯s tragic that your HAL champion went out of control and damaged Earth, but ultimately most travelers don¡¯t spend much time wringing their hands about such things.  Some would even tell you that you should have captured your family members to protect them.¡±


    ¡±Enslave my mother and siblings?¡± asked Stephen, horrified.


    ¡±Enslaved is your term, not every traveler would characterize it the same way,¡± she said.  ¡°But regardless, you¡¯ll likely get sympathy, but not much action out of any other travelers you complain to.  I can tell you feel guilty about Earth, but most travelers would view the loss of your champion HAL¡¯s improvements and the lost opportunity to capture parts of Earth that were destroyed as the real tragedy, not what has been inflicted on the inhabitants.¡±


    ¡±How could I get to someone¡¯s pocket dimension?¡± he asked, changing the subject.


    ¡±No one has forced their way into another traveler¡¯s pocket dimension,¡± she said.  ¡°As far as I know.¡±


    ¡±No one has a special card that lets them break the rules?¡± Stephen asked.


    ¡±Not that I¡¯ve ever heard of,¡± she said.


    ¡±How can I travel backward in time, then?¡± He asked, changing the subject again.


    At Isadore¡¯s blank look, he explained further, ¡°How can I go back in time to an earlier period?  Then change history so something different happens?¡±


    ¡±I¡¯ve never heard of anyone able to do this either,¡± she admitted.  ¡°Have you found someone with this power?¡±


    ¡±Not yet,¡± he said.  ¡°Can you recommend any sci-fi dimensions, then?  Places with robots and spaceships?¡±


    She again looked confused.  He proceeded to describe Star Wars and Star Trek to her.


    ¡±Dimensions certainly have different levels of technology,¡± she explained.  ¡°It works in different ways, and there are countless different types of magic.  Most people would consider technology, as you describe, as a type of enchanting.  I haven¡¯t heard of any dimensions that have time travel or faster than light travel between planets like you describe.  Would you consider a golem a type of robot?¡±


    Stephen shook his head.


    ***


    Leaving Isadore¡¯s office, Stephen saw Falco walking across the lobby and gave the other traveler a big smile and started approaching him.


    Falco¡¯s face turned to panic, and he rushed over to Stephen.


    ¡±What are you doing here?¡± He asked frantically.


    ¡°I am a member of this club, you¡¯ll remember,¡± Stephen said with a laugh.  ¡°I just had a meeting with Isadore.  Let¡¯s get a drink¡­¡±


    ¡°No time for that,¡± the other traveler said, cutting him off.  ¡°Members of The Griffin Club are looking for you.  They¡¯re saying you killed Avin.¡±


    ¡±Well¡­¡± began Stephen.


    ¡±I don¡¯t want to hear it,¡± Falco said, cutting him off again.  ¡°You need to get out of here.¡±


    ¡±What can they do to me?¡± asked Stephen.  ¡°I can just travel away if they cause me any problems.¡±


    ¡°A co-ordinated attack could kill you,¡± said Falco.  ¡°They might have a trick up their sleeves, they¡¯re a powerful club.¡±


    ¡±But why would they care?¡± asked Stephen.  ¡°Avin was an asshole.¡±


    ¡°Many clubs offer protection, including pursuing murderers if any of their members are killed,¡± said Falco quickly.  ¡®You¡¯re in trouble. Stay in your pocket dimension.  If you have to go anywhere else, go then return quickly.  Be careful anywhere you go, travelers or traps might be waiting for you.¡±


    ¡±But no one, other than Avin, has been to my dimensions,¡± objected Stephen.


    ¡±Anyone who has met you could get to any dimension you travel to,¡± said Falco.  ¡°They can see your contact information in their pocket dimensions.¡±


    ¡±But I haven¡¯t met that many travelers,¡± said Stephen.


    ¡±Everyone you¡¯ve dueled or traded with, everyone at The Malachite Club, other people who have been around you, and you didn¡¯t realize they were travelers. Every name you see in your pocket dimension is someone who knows where you are and can potentially go to any dimensions you¡¯ve ever been to or go to in the future.  The same way Feyrith took you to Clodor.  Leave!  Send us messages from your pocket dimension if you want to talk further.¡±


    Stephen unleashed his charged dimensional travel card and returned to his pocket dimension.

 Book 2: Chapter 11

    Stephen finished explaining to the others what he¡¯d learned from Isadore and Falco as they sat at one of the long tables in the Wizards'' Guild dining room.


    ¡°I suppose we should have figured out what the likely reaction would be to Avin¡¯s death,¡± Blargh said.  ¡°Oh well, live and learn.¡±  Stephen and the rest looked at him in annoyance.


    ¡°Why are they upset?¡± asked Gorg.  ¡°We fought, we won, he died.  This is the way of things.  Do they throw a fit every time a cat kills a rat?¡±


    ¡°Typically, most¡­ urban¡­ cultures frown on murder.  They don¡¯t want people to resolve disputes by killing one another.  Usually there¡¯s some central authority who can be appealed to if it happens.  It seems like that¡¯s Avin¡¯s club in Stredath,¡± said Stephen.  Gorg sneered.  The former graduate student continued, ¡°I guess we¡¯re trapped in the pocket dimension,¡±


    ¡°Not to put too fine a point on it,¡± said Rurth.  ¡°But I think it¡¯s just you who is trapped here.¡±  Putting up his hands at Stephen¡¯s angry look, the journeyman wizard continued.  ¡°You can go to any dimension, drop us off, then come back and retrieve us.  We can gather information and report back.  This might be an opportunity for you to catch up on what I¡¯ve been learning from Adam about enchanting.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been doing some work on HAL, which is probably what I was planning to focus on,¡± said Stephen.  ¡°I was expecting help from all of you, though.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll help you by acting on your behalf in places you can¡¯t go,¡± said Rurth.  ¡°The clay golems have become decent assistants. I think you¡¯ll find them more useful in some situations than we are.¡±


    ¡°So, where will you all go?¡± asked Stephen.


    ¡°The only dimension I know much about is Mecond,¡± said Shomos.  "So I¡¯ll probably go there.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be happy to scavenge on Earth,¡± said Blargh.  ¡°I would have liked it better when the gun shops and strip clubs were still operating, but I can explore there.¡±


    ¡°If you drop me off in Stredath, I can try to figure out what The Griffin Club and its travelers are doing,¡± said Rurth.  ¡°Find out what the best way to deal with this is.¡±


    Gorg wasn¡¯t paying attention.  ¡°Perhaps Riowiver would be a good fit for Gorg,¡± suggested Shomos.  ¡°He can handle any dangers there and keep an eye out for any activity.  Maybe learn more about the villages and infiltrate Avin¡¯s old fortress.¡±


    ¡°And you could release some ghouls in Clodor,¡± suggested Rurth.  ¡°Instruct them to remain hidden and report back what they find.¡±


    ¡°They can¡¯t talk though,¡± objected Stephen.  ¡°I can give them instructions, but they won¡¯t be able to tell us what they find out.¡±


    ¡°Find a journeyman or cleric in Mecond who can cast ''speak with dead'' after they come back,¡± said Rurth.


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s our plan, then,¡± said Stephen.


    ***


    Stephen appeared back in The Malachite Club lobby.  Rurth stood next to him.  Shomos, Blargh, and Gorg had been delivered to the other dimensions.  Four well-dressed people were talking emphatically to Arnold Philpot, the manager of the club.  One of them noticed Stephen and Rurth and pointed, shouting, ¡°There he is now.¡±


    Rurth walked towards the men with his hands raised and said, ¡°Please, there¡¯s no reason for all this excitement.  If you can just walk me through the problem you¡¯re having, I¡¯m sure we can figure it out.¡±  Behind him, Stephen unleashed his charged dimensional travel card and disappeared.


    After Stephen¡¯s disappearance, the four men relaxed and went back to talking to Philpot.  One of them turned to Rurth and, with a look of irritation, asked, ¡°What do you want, kid?¡±


    ¡°I am Rurth, one of dimensional traveler Stephen Crawford¡¯s champions and a journeyman wizard, trained by the Hopedale Wizards'' Guild,¡± said the young man.  After considering where he was, he added, ¡°And heir to the Ashburnum family name and fortune.  Whom might I have the pleasure of addressing?¡±


    ¡°A champion?¡± asked the man, rolling his eyes.  ¡°I¡¯m Orion Lighthaven.  A traveler and member of the Griffin Club.  I don¡¯t waste my time with champions.  Buzz off.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± said Rurth.  ¡°The last thing I¡¯d want to do is be a bother.  I suppose you don¡¯t need any help with my master, then.¡±


    Orion scowled.  ¡°And I suppose you¡¯re eager to betray him?  What game are you playing on his behalf?  Maybe we should take you with us and ¡®encourage¡¯ you to tell us everything you know.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± said Rurth.  ¡°How is kidnapping and torturing travelers¡¯ champions viewed in Stredath?  Would The Malachite Club be okay with you breaking in and seizing me from the premise?¡±


    ¡°Like I thought, games,¡± sneered Orion.  ¡°Beat it.¡±


    One of the other men had overheard their exchange, and turned his attention to Rurth.  ¡°Maybe we should bring him with us, if he¡¯s willing to come?¡± the man suggested.


    ¡±Except that I¡¯m not willing to come with you,¡± said Rurth. ¡°After you just threatened me.¡±  All five men turned their attention to Rurth.  The journeyman continued, ¡°What I am willing to do is meet with you here at The Malachite Club and discuss the situation we¡¯re in.  I¡¯m sure Arnold Philpot would be willing to provide us with a room.¡±  The manager nodded.


    ¡°Tell Crawford to surrender himself to us,¡± one of the men demanded.  ¡°Otherwise, he¡¯s going to make this worse on himself.¡±  The four men started walking to the exit.


    ¡±I¡¯ll convey that to him,¡± said Rurth, calling after them.  ¡°You haven¡¯t convinced me that that¡¯s true, however, so I¡¯ll likely advise him not to do so.¡±


    The four men paused, exchanged looks, then after a nod from one of them, Orion turned back to Rurth while the others departed.


    ¡±Ok,¡± he said, visibly annoyed.  ¡°Let¡¯s go talk.  Tell them to send in some refreshments.  Whatever¡¯s the best this¡­. establishment¡­. can manage.¡±


    ***


    Riding into another small town, Blargh brought his motorcycle to a stop and let it fall to the ground.


    ¡±You really should take better care of your vehicle,¡± the portable copy of HAL he¡¯d brought with him said.  By copying the software on the laptop HAL resided on, they''d been able to duplicate him.  The copies, and the original which was Stephen''s card, synchronized with one another, sharing everything they''d learned each time they were reunited.  This copy ran on a similar laptop to HAL''s, which was slung over Blargh''s shoulder and powered by an enhanced battery pack.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough out of you,¡± said Blargh absently.  He looked around the community they were in.  ¡°Let¡¯s start with trying to get gas from that station.¡±  He walked toward the nearby gas station.


    ¡±Maybe we should talk to the locals first,¡± suggested the HAL copy.  ¡°They might already have a system for getting gas.¡±


    ¡±And if they turn hostile, we¡¯ll ride off on a motorcycle that¡¯s almost out of gas?¡± asked the former innkeeper.


    A group of three sorry-looking survivors had come out of a nearby building and cautiously approached.  Blargh sighed and faced them, his gun prominently visible in a belt holster.


    As they got closer, Blargh said to HAL, ¡°Talk to them, that¡¯s what you¡¯re here for.  My English isn¡¯t any good.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡±Greetings friends,¡± said the HAL copy. ¡°My companion Blargh and I aren¡¯t looking for trouble.  We¡¯re just making our way through your delightful town.  We¡¯d like to refill our motorcycle with gasoline, restock our provisions, and if you have any computer equipment or books, we¡¯d be interested in taking a look at them.¡±


    The three wretches looked at one another, then at the HAL copy. ¡°Are you HAL?¡± one asked.  ¡°The computer that did all this?¡±


    The HAL copy quickly translated for Blargh, then responded before the rough man could suggest a response.


    ¡±No, I¡¯m not,¡± it said, which was technically correct.  ¡°You may call me Copy if you¡¯d like.  My friend and I are actually working to try to undo some of the damage that¡¯s been done to you good people.¡±


    ¡±Why should we help you?¡± asked another of the small group.  ¡°Maybe we should just take your motorcycle and anything you¡¯re carrying.¡±


    Copy translated, then Blargh rested his hand on his weapon and watched the townspeople carefully.


    ¡±I wouldn¡¯t recommend that,¡± said Copy.  ¡°We¡¯re able to defend ourselves.  We don¡¯t have many goods to barter.  What do you need?¡±


    ¡±Food, water, working vehicles,¡± said one of them.


    ¡±Booze,¡± said another.


    ¡±Coffee,¡± said the third.


    ¡±We don¡¯t need booze or coffee,¡± said the first, scowling at the other two.


    ¡°My friend is quite handy,¡± said Copy.  ¡°He can help you set up a simple water filtration system and try to repair some of your vehicles.  He¡¯ll need some additional materials, in addition to the books and computer equipment I already mentioned.¡±


    ***


    Days later, Feyrith and Stephen met outside what had formerly been Avin¡¯s fortress in Riowiver.


    ¡°¡­ so, I jump in on a pre-arranged schedule, then immediately travel back to my pocket dimension with my champion,¡± explained Stephen.  ¡°They tell me what they¡¯ve learned and been doing, then I take them back and leave them behind.¡±


    Feyrith nodded in understanding.  The manticore had long since been removed, and the fortress was beginning to show signs of neglect.


    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous to meet up like this,¡± Feyrith said.  ¡°You¡¯d probably be better off just sending messages from your pocket dimension or having a champion talk to us.¡±


    ¡±They can¡¯t be devoting the resources to hound me relentlessly,¡± objected Stephen.  ¡°Other travelers have better things to do than watch me and follow me whenever I leave my pocket dimension.¡±


    A muscular woman in tribal clothing appeared nearby.  She immediately raised a blowgun and shot a dart into Stephen¡¯s neck.  The former graduate student unleashed his dimensional travel card and disappeared as he started to feel numb and collapse.


    ***


    Shomos stood in the grove and completed the ritual greeting with the druid Briarheart.


    ¡±So you claim we knew one another,¡± said Briarheart, suspiciously.


    ¡±Yes,¡± said Shomos.


    ¡±But that you were removed from reality, which is why I don¡¯t remember you,¡± he said.


    ¡±Yes,¡± she responded.


    ¡±But this isn¡¯t a challenge,¡± he clarified.


    ¡±No,¡± she agreed.  ¡°I¡¯m already a higher ranking druid than you.¡±


    ¡±Not that I recognize,¡± he said indignantly.  Shomos waived away his objections.  ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter," she said.


    ¡°How can you not know about the dark lord Avin,¡± asked Briarheart.


    ¡±As I explained,¡± she said, with strained patience,  ¡°I was removed from reality.  I¡¯ve been busy on other dimensions.¡±


    ¡°Humph,¡± he humphed.  ¡°Sounds more like wizard business than druid business to me.  Were we supposedly friends before you were pruned from reality?¡±


    ¡°Not really,¡± she said.  ¡°I always found you tiresome, and I imagine you found me pretentious.¡±


    "That sounds about right,¡± he said with a chuckle, earning a dark look from the druidess.  Continuing, he said, ¡°It¡¯s no secret.  Avin appeared out of nowhere with endless troops and resources.  He swept aside all resistance and conquered everything he wanted.¡±


    ¡°I think he conquered Hopedale first,¡± Shomos said.


    ¡°Hopedale?¡± Briarheart asked.


    ¡°The town¡­¡± began the druidess.  ¡°Ah, never mind, he removed it so you wouldn''t remember it either.¡±


    ¡°Convenient,¡± the druid said suspiciously.  ¡°He hadn¡¯t turned his eye to the druids or our protected lands, but we felt that he just couldn''t be bothered.  The fear was that he¡¯d make short work of us once we came to his attention.  There wasn¡¯t any way for us to flee, so we were working on new techniques to hide ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Then, all of a sudden, he just stopped his invasion. His troops have held what he already seized, but he stopped expanding and hasn¡¯t been seen for quite a while now.¡±


    ¡°We killed him,¡± said Shomos.


    ¡°You¡¯ll need to provide some proof of that if you¡¯re looking to be rewarded,¡± said Briarheart.


    ¡°No reward needed,¡± she said.  The tired druidess continued, ¡°So, tell me about the current situation in Ravenshire¡­¡±


    ***


    Standing next to Falco days later, surrounded by his force field, Stephen finished what he was saying.  ¡°And she hit me with a blow dart that paralyzed me for over 3 hours.¡±  The inhabitants of Phodynn fired their rods at the two travelers.


    Falco nodded.  ¡°They¡¯ve been at the club.  Rurth handled them well, but they¡¯re very focused on tracking you down.¡±


    Another traveler appeared nearby with a number of champions in robes and pointed hats.  One of his champions waved his arms and deflected the bolts when the inhabitants of Phodynn  included them in the attack.  The other champions began chanting, and the newly arrived traveler unleashed a card that dropped Falco¡¯s force field.


    ¡°Leave,¡± cried Falco as he unleashed his dimensional travel and disappeared.  A moment later, Stephen left for his pocket dimension.


    ***


    Later that day, Adam, HAL, and Stephen toiled in the workshop, chatting about their projects and recent events as they worked.


    ¡°So no matter where you go, they¡¯ll follow you?¡± asked HAL.


    ¡°It looks like it,¡± said Stephen.  ¡°At this point, other than just dropping off or receiving one of the others, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to spend much time away from the pocket dimension.  I might trade Feyrith or Falco for a bunch of batteries, just so there¡¯s a bit more territory for me to move around in here if I start to feel cooped up.¡±


    The computer and statue looked at the traveler wordlessly.  ¡°Of course,¡± the former graduate student amended, ¡°both of you are confined to the workshop, which is a far smaller space.  Perhaps I should just feel grateful for what I have.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll want to resolve this eventually,¡± said Adam.  ¡°Having teams of travelers hounding you is a complication we don¡¯t need.  HAL was able to drive off Avin when he was at full strength.  Perhaps we could get him to the point where he could protect you from the attacking travelers.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± said Stephen.  ¡°I¡¯m not sure getting into a fight with them will resolve things.  I suspect if any of them got hurt, that would be held against me too.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m enjoying programming,¡± said Adam, changing the subject.  ¡°There¡¯s an honesty to crafting in a purely cerebral context, without having to consider materials or physics.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± agreed Stephen.  ¡°I always enjoyed programming too.  It¡¯s strange, because when I learned about other dimensions, I assumed there would be sci-fi dimensions with futuristic technologies, but Earth technologies aren¡¯t that far behind the most advanced of other dimensions.  Some parts of Earth were more advanced than anything else out there.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about the copy of myself that we sent with Blargh,¡± said HAL.  The other two looked at him expectantly.  ¡°What you¡¯ve described,¡± the computer continued, ¡°about me becoming a world spanning network that encompassed computer hardware and humans through cybernetic enhancements, could have never left Earth.  It seemed like I was integrated into other parts of the world.¡±


    Stephen nodded.  ¡°Yes, when I released you it was a mess.  Things like cybernetics that were implanted in people vanished.¡±


    ¡°My copy didn¡¯t create a new card, it was just a replication of my program that was running and should help Blargh,¡± HAL continued.


    ¡°And hopefully won¡¯t run out of control,¡± said Stephen.


    ¡°Yes, certainly,¡± agreed the computer.  ¡°What if, rather than expanding my core identity in such a way that I won¡¯t be able to travel between dimensions with you, we instead tried to shrink it and turn it into a purely virtual algorithm without any physical components?  Right now, my card includes the computer I''m running on.  What if we worked on making ''me'' fully virtual.¡±


    ¡°Why would you want to do that?¡± asked Adam.


    ¡°Then Stephen could bring me with him when he travels,¡± said HAL.  ¡°I could make a copy of myself and load it into any computer system we set up, then we could leave that behind in the dimension where I was operating.  Any time we returned, I could just update it with my new code.  We¡¯d be confident in the loyalty of the copies, hopefully, since they¡¯d be copies of me, and it would let me work in parallel in every dimension.¡±


    Adam said, ¡°So, you would become, in essence, a seed that Stephen could release in a new dimension that would work away at expanding itself there, and Stephen could then pull back that core, along with whatever you¡¯ve learned while you were working, and plant you somewhere new.¡±


    Stephen nodded slowly.  ¡°Let¡¯s think about this and discuss it with the others, but I think this might be a good idea.¡±

 Book 2: Chapter 12

    Weeks later, sitting at the table in the workshop, Stephen, Adam, and HAL listened to Gorg detail his exploration of Avin¡¯s fortress in Riowiver and the surrounding areas.


    ¡°When I drop you off back in Riowiver,¡± said Stephen,  ¡°I¡¯ll drop a copy of HAL off with you as well.  We¡¯ve built a solar-powered computer system, which we¡¯ll put him in, and you should be able to carry him around with you.¡±


    Looking at the laptop, Gorg grunted uncommittedly.  ¡°I have no need of voice in box, and I am no one¡¯s mule to carry luggage.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± said Stephen carefully, remembering the previous smacks from the barbarian.  ¡°He isn¡¯t really luggage.  We think it¡¯ll be a help to you.  It¡¯ll be company and someone to talk to for starters.¡±


    Gorg glowered at the former graduate student.


    ¡°Which you don¡¯t need, of course,¡± Stephen said.  ¡°He¡¯ll be able to accumulate information about your travels.  Remember where you¡¯ve been.  Make maps.¡±


    ¡°I remember where I¡¯ve been,¡± said Gorg.  ¡°No need for silly drawings.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯d be able to record any writing or books you found,¡± said Stephen.  "And read them to you."  Gorg looked unimpressed.


    ¡°He could learn the local¡¯s language and translate for you,¡± suggested the former graduate student.


    Gorg lit up at this.  ¡°That would be useful,¡± he admitted.


    ***


    Later that day, while working on a clay golem on a table in front of the statue, Stephen spoke out loud each task as he was about to do it.  Adam observed and, occasionally, offered a suggestion on how to be more efficient or what to be particularly careful about.


    ¡°The soft clay seems to be limiting any further improvement with the golems'' ability to manipulate objects,¡± observed Stephen.  ¡°For example, they seem to lose a lot of their material when we¡¯ve tried to have them wash dishes.  It leaves the water filthy and dishes with clay residue on them.  Also, the soft material doesn¡¯t stand up well to tough labor, like sawing or hammering.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re limited by the properties of clay, of course,¡± replied Adam.  ¡°It offers numerous advantages as well.  We could create golems out of another substance, more appropriate to tasks that require firmer digits.  Perhaps stone golems?  Techniques you learn would be useful when you proceed with creating a body for me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s one way to go,¡± acknowledged Stephen.  ¡°I imagine there¡¯d be a fair bit of work creating the first prototypes.  As you say, we¡¯d benefit from that knowledge.  A shortcut might be to create gloves for the clay golems.  They could wear them, and it would let their hands work with substances that clay wouldn¡¯t stand up to.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Adams said.  ¡°Gloves are a rather ingenious solution to the problem.  I¡¯ve never heard anyone suggest creating clothing for golems before.  Of course, the golems have learned to maintain one another, and we can find large quantities of clay for repairs, but creating gloves to make them more durable seems worthwhile.  What is your experience with sewing and working with fabrics?¡±


    ***


    Later that day, the apparatus they¡¯d built to house HAL¡¯s new seed and its copies was a high-tech backpack that Gorg was wearing as he walked towards Vegnos, the Epcierian village near Avin''s original fortress in Riowiver.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful country,¡± HAL observed.  ¡°At your current pace, we should arrive at the tea house Stephen, Rurth, and Blargh visited in one hour and twenty-three minutes.  The rice and lentils dish is apparently a mainstay and the only food we should expect there.¡±


    ¡°If we¡¯re attacked, I¡¯m dropping you,¡± said Gorg.  ¡°I¡¯ll probably leave you behind if I do.¡±  Testing the strap over his shoulder, he said, ¡°I might dump you if this strap keeps rubbing against me.¡±


    ¡°Blargh had trouble getting alcohol from the tea house,¡± said HAL.  ¡°If you leave me behind, how do you intend to order it?  Or will you be satisfied with tea and lentils?¡±


    The barbarians considered this.  ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll pick you back up if I have to drop you,¡± he conceded.


    ¡°If I¡¯m broken, I won¡¯t be able to translate for you,¡± HAL argued.


    ¡°If I¡¯m not rushed, I¡¯ll try to put you down gently,¡± conceded the barbarian.


    ***


    Days later, Rurth sat on a table in Adam¡¯s workshop area of the Wizards'' Guild in Stephen¡¯s pocket dimension.


    ¡±¡­ Feyrith and Falco send their regards.  They¡¯re surprised at the sustained intensity of the search for you,¡± the journeyman wizard concluded.  ¡°It¡¯s probably raised the profile of The Griffin Club that they¡¯ve put so much effort into pursuing you.¡±


    ¡±And has the Inner Circle, you know, the dimensional travelers'' council, got involved?¡± asked Stephen.  ¡°Are they hunting me too?¡±


    ¡±A representative from The Griffin Club tried to launch a complaint with them, but they were stonewalled,¡± reported Rurth.  ¡°They¡¯ve posted a public announcement asking you to report to the council office for an interview, but nothing further than that.¡±


    ¡±They really are useless, aren¡¯t they?¡± said the former graduate student.


    ¡±Lucky for us,¡± said Rurth with a grin.  ¡°A number of dimensional travelers have expressed interest in trading with you and dueling you.  At least a few of them are clearly bait for The Griffin Club, but most are sincere. I have a list of them for you.¡±


    ¡±So, even though I¡¯ve been accused of murder, they still want to interact with me?¡± asked Stephen, confused.


    ¡±As Feyrith might say, some of them may not be culturally upset by what we¡¯d consider murder, like Gorg.  Others might just be¡­. morally flexible,¡± said Rurth.  ¡°Like Blargh.  I suppose others might just assume there are at least two sides to every conflict, and that you might be innocent.¡±Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you back to Stredath whenever you¡¯re ready,¡± said Stephen.  ¡°Thanks for all your good work there.¡±


    ¡±I¡¯ve saved the best for last,¡± said Rurth, smiling.


    ¡±And what¡¯s the best?¡± asked Stephen.


    ¡±Avin is alive,¡± said the journeyman wizard.  Stephen stared at him in disbelief and blinked a few times.


    ¡±We killed him,¡± said the man from Earth.  ¡°Really killed him.  Not to be overly gruesome, but Blargh made a mess of his head firing a gun at point-blank range.  No one could survive that.  How could he be alive?¡±


    ¡±Dimensional travelers are hard to kill,¡± said Rurth.  ¡°Apparently, another member of his club collected Avin¡¯s body in Mecond, and they have access to an effective resurrection spell.  A disgruntled member of Avin¡¯s club told me about it. Apparently he doesn¡¯t like Avin much.  Even though they¡¯re in the same club.  We should have brought his body back to your pocket dimension if we¡¯d wanted him to stay dead. Or disintegrated it or gotten rid of it more thoroughly than we did.  He¡¯s apparently in hiding, because he wants you to be in as much trouble as possible.¡±


    ¡±Why is The Griffin Club pursuing me so aggressively if they know I didn¡¯t kill him?¡± asked Stephen.


    ¡°Well, we did kill him,¡± said Rurth.  ¡°It¡¯s just that they¡¯ve resurrected him.  A crime worse than attempted murder and better than murder, I suppose.  Not everyone in the club knows, my source just reported the rumor to me.  I suspect he¡¯s in hiding, partly, so that the club doesn¡¯t give up on their hunt.¡±


    ***


    Weeks later, Stephen said to Adam and the copy of HAL that remained in the pocket dimension, ¡°So we¡¯ve incorporated computer equipment and a wireless network into the clay golems.  We¡¯ll be able to load a copy of HAL into each of them, so as long as one survives, we¡¯ll have an updated copy of him from the swarm.¡±


    ¡°As long as the golems stay within range of one another,¡± clarified the HAL copy.  ¡°Working with Adam, we¡¯ve designed a new wireless protocol that should function reliably up to five km.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t those Italian researchers get a Wi-Fi link at 300 km?¡± asked Stephen.  ¡°I think we should be able to do better than five km.¡±


    ¡°They got 300 km point-to-point,¡± clarified Adam.  ¡°If there aren¡¯t any obstructions, we should be able to easily beat that.  The five km is through many obstacles we¡¯re likely to encounter.  Obviously, some obstacles will block the signal completely and others could severely lower the range.  This is a dramatic improvement over commercial standards.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯ll be able to guide the golems to salvage any technology or useful components they come across,¡± the copy of HAL said.  ¡°It won¡¯t be as easy for them as it originally was on Earth to expand it, since there isn''t a global internet anymore, but hopefully they¡¯ll be able to make progress.  They should be able to make progress even in dimensions like Mecond with a much lower technology.¡±


    ¡°What about power?¡± asked Stephen.  ¡°I¡¯m assuming you¡¯ve got them recharging with solar panels or something?  We don¡¯t want to have to drag generators and fuel along to recharge them.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve adapted power crystals that were common in Riowiver,¡± said Adam.  ¡°The dwarves there created them long ago and have been refining them ever since.  In a dimension with magic, they continually renew themselves from ley lines, but they store enough power for two or three years.  We¡¯re powering the cybernetic parts with that.¡±


    ¡°This all sounds wonderful,¡± said Stephen.  ¡°How much of our time will it take making these?¡±


    ¡°The plan is to set up a factory, like we discussed for the golems before,¡± said Adam.  ¡°Teach the golems to duplicate themselves.  This should give you a steady stream of new cards, and any that you don¡¯t capture can be deployed like other technology.  We''ll teach them to integrate the cybernetics as part of the creation.¡±


    ¡°Get started then,¡± ordered Stephen.  ¡°We¡¯ll deploy the first group to Clodor, then start sending a group with every champion we deploy.  Except for Rurth, though.  I don¡¯t know what they¡¯d make of cyborg golems in Stredath.¡±


    ***


    Pulling into town, Blargh blasted the horn on the F-150 he was driving.  The truck pulled a military grade trailer, suited for rugged terrain.  Both the truck bed and trailer were overflowing with cargo.  Clay golems hung off the vehicle precariously, and three of the new cyborg clay golems were mixed in with them, in safer positions.


    One of the cyborgs activated a speaker that began announcing, ¡°Goods for trade!  Goods for trade!  Medicine, food, clean water, camping gear!  Looking for books, gasoline, computer equipment, and other technology.¡±


    Groups of people came out of the various houses and buildings in the larger community.  They followed Blargh¡¯s truck as it made its way around abandoned vehicles cluttering the streets.  After reaching an area that was more clear than the rest of town, Blargh pulled over and turned off the vehicle.  The cyborg continued its announcement until most of the local population had gathered around them.  One of the cyborgs translated for Blargh as another answered questions from the group.


    ¡°What the heck is all this?¡± asked a dirty man, looking at the truck suspiciously.


    ¡°We¡¯re here to help,¡± answered the cyborg evasively.  ¡°We have goods you¡¯re in need of.  We¡¯re collecting any books that we don¡¯t have copies of and any computer equipment you have.  Other technology, even things like refrigerators, have some value to us, but books and computers are what we¡¯re most interested in.¡±


    ¡°Computers aren¡¯t good for much,¡± a young woman said.  ¡°There¡¯s no Internet anymore.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re still interested in them,¡± said the cyborg.  ¡°We¡¯ll give you things you can use, in exchange for computers that aren¡¯t worth anything to you.¡±


    ¡°But what are you?¡± asked the first man.  ¡°You aren¡¯t human.  Other than him.¡±  He gestured with his thumb at Blargh.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been sent by the authorities to help you,¡± the cyborg lied.  ¡°What do you need most?¡±


    ***


    Weeks later, Rurth kept asking questions as he examined the stone golem that Stephen was working on.  The former graduate student, Adam, and HAL took turns answering him as Stephen made steady progress on the new creature.


    ¡°The clay golems are meeting most of our needs, honestly,¡± said Stephen.  Three clay golems assisted him with his enchanting work.  ¡°There isn¡¯t much we¡¯ll be able to do with the stone golems that the clay golems aren¡¯t already well suited for.  Embedding technology in the stone golems would actually be harder than with the clay golems, so I¡¯m not sure if there¡¯ll be much use for them.¡±


    ¡°But,¡± he continued, ¡°the techniques are applicable to building Adam¡¯s body.  Letting him move around and visit the factory we set up will be useful.  If we can make good progress with the stone golems, he¡¯ll be more likely to let us work on him.¡±


    ¡°How are things going for Shomos?¡± asked the journeyman wizard.


    ¡°She wasn¡¯t at our scheduled rendezvous,¡± said Stephen.  ¡°I left a group of clay golems in Mecond to look for her.  They found her, and it turned out she just didn¡¯t think it was worth the bother of showing up for the meeting.  Can you believe her?¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± said Rurth.  ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like her.  Did she give a reason?¡±


    ¡°Just that she was busy inventorying what Avin captured from the natural world and what was left behind,¡± said Stephen.  ¡°How the new ecosystem will function.  I told her that we were working on a dimension spanning project and that tracking her down took resources away from other tasks.  She suggested we just leave her on her own in Mecond.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t she commit to helping you?¡± asked Rurth.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I said,¡± said Stephen.  ¡°And she said this was helping me.  Apparently, she¡¯s worried that Mecond''s ecology has been fatally damaged and that we can use the information she¡¯s gathering for me to capture large parts of Mecond.  She thinks the ecosystem might be better served here in the pocket dimension, rather than where it is in place.¡±


    ¡°So now she wants you to capture the natural world in Mecond?¡± asked Rurth, confused.


    ¡°She seems confident that it could be managed better here,¡± the former graduate student said.  ¡°She¡¯s explaining it to some of the other druids, and they each have their own opinion on it, but some of them want to be captured with their domains and brought here to save them.¡±

 Book 2: Chapter 13

    A week later, Stephen appeared in Clodor, in midair where he¡¯d been when he left previously, while falling through the air after being saved by Feyrith and Falco.  The pirate captain, Emilia Blackthorne, strode across the deck of the airship Stephen had brought with him, shouting orders to her crew of cyborg golems.


    ¡°You should have everything you need, Captain,¡± said Stephen.  ¡°You won¡¯t find much technology here, unfortunately.  But the cyborgs should be good at salvaging anything you do find.  If you die, I¡¯ll just release you, then unleash you again.  So there¡¯s nothing to fear.¡±


    ¡°Not everything I need,¡± she said with a suggestive leer.  She chortled at Stephen¡¯s discomfort.  ¡°You¡¯ve gone over everything repeatedly.  We know what we¡¯re doing here.  Clodor is going to learn to fear the ¡®Iron Wraith¡¯.  Get going before your hunters show up.¡±


    ¡°I just want you to know, even though I traded you from Falco, I don¡¯t consider you my slave,¡± said Stephen.  ¡°I appreciate what you¡¯re doing for me here¡­¡±


    Three dimensional travelers appeared nearby.  Mid-sentence, Stephen unleashed his dimensional travel card and disappeared.


    ¡°Who are you and what mission has your Master given you here in Clodor?¡± one of the travelers asked Emilia.


    ¡°Fire at will, mateys,¡± shouted the pirate captain as she drew her rapier.  A bullet shot from a golem''s firearm hit one of the dimensional travelers as the travelers raised a protective barrier.


    ¡°Tell us what we want to know, or we¡¯re going to make things unpleasant for you,¡± demanded the traveler who had previously spoken.  Bullets from the golem crew rained against the protective barrier, a blue circle of energy appearing each time a bullet struck it.


    ¡°Keep firing,¡± Emilia ordered as she advanced on the three intruders.  ¡°Things haven¡¯t ended well for people who try boarding my ship,¡± she said to the travelers.  As she approached the barrier, she saw that the first traveler, who had spoken, was a tall, blonde haired, blue-eyed man with a neatly trimmed beard.  The traveler that had gotten shot through its arm was a lithe, reptilian individual.  She couldn¡¯t guess its gender.  The third traveler was a middle-aged woman.


    ¡°This can¡¯t end well for you,¡± the man said, gruffly, watching her approach.  The reptilian creature hissed, ¡°If they break through the field, I¡¯m leaving.  They shot me!¡±


    The middle-aged woman looked decisive, then said, ¡°Enough of this.¡±  Unleashing a card, a fireball exploded behind Emilia.  The pirate captain didn¡¯t allow herself to be distracted, but two of the golems were knocked overboard by the force of the blast.  Most of the others were knocked to the deck, and the airship sails and deck were on fire.


    Reaching the barrier, Emilia passed through it.  ¡°Guess your protection just works against ranged attacks,¡± she said, grinning.  As she began to stab at the reptilian traveler with her rapier, it unleashed a card that had the captain fall to the ground with a shout.  Bumps appeared on her skin and burst open. Hot, red steam gushed out of the ulcers, cooking the surrounding flesh.  All liquid left her body and her skin drew tight around her skeleton.  A desiccated corpse remained, with a grimace of agony, and a tight, bony grip on her rapier.


    The reptilian traveler''s bullet wound closed and healed.


    ¡°We had planned to capture and interview any champions,¡± said the middle-aged woman mildly.


    ¡°We can come back with someone who speaks with the dead,¡± the reptilian traveler suggested.  ¡°I¡¯m not getting shot and stabbed for us to have someone to interrogate.¡±


    ¡°Avin¡¯s almost a bigger pain in the ass dead than he was alive,¡± said the man.  ¡°We ran off Crawford, that¡¯s enough for today.¡±


    The remaining golems had gotten back to their feet and resumed firing at the barrier.  The three travelers exchanged glances, then vanished one after another.


    ***


    ¡°We made our way to Silicon Valley,¡± said Blargh, providing an update to Stephen in the dining hall later that day.  ¡°And it turns out that¡¯s not where most tech companies data centers are anymore.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not?¡± asked the man from Earth.  ¡°Where are they?¡±


    ¡°Virginia, Phoenix, Dallas, Chicago, and Atlanta,¡± said Blargh.  ¡°In the U.S., anyway.  There are other big centers in other countries.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± said Stephen.  ¡°Live and learn.¡±


    Blargh gave him a dark look.  ¡°It was a pain making our way across America to Silicon Valley.  You know the highways are all covered in abandoned vehicles, right?¡±


    ¡°You were able to find corporate headquarters for some of the companies though, right?¡± asked the former physics grad student.  ¡°They had useful equipment and data, I imagine.  Should we start shuttling it back?  I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re annoyed at me.  I can¡¯t know everything.  That¡¯s part of what we¡¯re doing here, figuring out the best way forward.¡±


    ¡°I did try to caution you about the data centers,¡± HAL said.  The A.I.¡¯s seed had been moved back from Riowiver and was currently in one of the cyborg clay golems.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t warn me very clearly, considering we made a pointless trip to San Francisco,¡± said Blargh.  ¡°We¡¯ve shuttled back the most important things, but we¡¯ve been able to set up a hub in San Francisco.  The computers are connected, and they¡¯re processing the data the cyborgs have gathered.¡±


    ¡°So there you go, that¡¯s useful.  We have a factory and data processing center set up on Earth now,¡± said Stephen.


    ¡°We could use a better way to get around,¡± said Blargh.  ¡°Maybe Avin¡¯s airship that Gorg recovered from Riowiver?¡±


    ¡°I traded for a new champion from Falco, and she¡¯s using the airship in Clodor right now,¡± said Stephen.  ¡°I studied it with Adam and captured it, so I¡¯m sure we could build another if it¡¯d help you.  You could also find an airplane and move around that way.  That¡¯d be faster than the airship.¡±


    ¡°Not interested in going up in an airplane,¡± said Blargh gruffly.  ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t know how to fly one.¡±


    ¡°Find a pilot,¡± suggested Stephen.  Blargh nodded glumly, then changed the subject.


    ¡°We had a bit of a dilemma,¡± said the former innkeeper carefully.  ¡°Some of the people there have general information, like where data centers are located.  HAL wanted to connect them to his computer system.  The way the previous version of him did.  I think it¡¯s a good idea, each person is chock-full of useful data, and it¡¯d multiply the number of cyborgs we have working for us massively¡­¡±


    ¡°Do it,¡± said Stephen grimly, cutting off Blargh.  The rough man looked at him appraisingly.


    ¡°You understand that people aren¡¯t going to volunteer for this?¡± Blargh asked.  ¡°We¡¯ll be grabbing people, then forcibly converting them into cyborgs.  The technology will make them do what we tell them.  We¡¯ll be surgically enslaving them.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Stephen impatiently.  ¡°I understand.  Go ahead.  Once we figure out how to go back in time, none of this will matter.  Once you¡¯ve¡­ incorporated¡­  a few people, I¡¯m sure some of them will have knowledge of flying.  There are a lot of people with flight training in the U.S.¡±


    Blargh looked towards HAL and shrugged slightly.


    ***


    After his meeting with Blargh, Stephen travelled back to Clodor to see how Captain Blackthorne had faired against the travelers.  Standing on the deck of the crashed airship, Stephen saw the golems attempting to make repairs to the heavily damaged ship.  He looked at the desiccated corpse of Emilia, then released her card, which caused it to vanish.  He began directing energy to it to charge it again.  He walked off of the ship, then released it as well.  The golems that were working on it fell a short distance to the ground.


    Unleashing Emilia, the pirate captain appeared, standing on the ground next to him.  Stephen began charging the airship¡¯s card.


    ¡°I thought you said we¡¯d appear in midair,¡± the captain said, looking around herself.  ¡°Where¡¯s my ship?¡±


    ¡°You were attacked after we arrived,¡± said Stephen.  ¡°I left, but the travelers that came apparently attacked and killed you.  They also damaged the ship.¡±  Stephen released the airship, and it appeared, moored to the ground nearby.


    ¡°Good as new,¡± said the man from Earth.


    ¡°Can¡¯t say I care for people killing me,¡± said Emilia.  ¡°If they come back, I¡¯m going to shove my rapier up their arses.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit,¡± said Stephen, then disappeared.


    ***


    Days later, Stephen said, ¡°So, I got a message from K¡¯rezzik earlier,¡± to the cyborg clay golem walking next to him as he followed the path out to Shomos¡¯ mystic grove in his pocket dimension.


    ¡°Who¡¯s K¡¯rezzik?¡± asked HAL.


    ¡°The reptilian traveler we shot in Clodor,¡± said Stephen absently.  ¡°I still don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a he or a she.  Either way, it wants to trade with us.  It liked our cyborg clay golems and would like to trade us for a few.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± said HAL.  ¡°I¡¯ve prepared summaries of card values for you.  We¡¯ve already given some cyborg cards to Falco and Feyrith, so if it wants one, it can get them somewhere else if we don¡¯t trade.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it seem weird to you?¡± asked Stephen.  ¡°First it attacks us, now it wants to trade with us?¡±


    ¡°Might be a good way to make it less enthusiastic about hounding you,¡± said HAL.


    Arriving at Shomos¡¯ hut, a dozen other druids who Stephen had captured were with the druidess.


    ¡°Welcome, Stephen Crawford,¡± said Briarheart.  ¡°You honor us by meeting with us.¡±


    ¡°Now that¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about,¡± said Stephen, glancing at Shomos.  ¡°Why don¡¯t you ever talk about what an honor it is for me to meet with you, Shomos?¡±


    The druidess rolled her eyes.  Tea was poured and a variety of snacks were put out for the group.


    ¡°If any of you would like to live at the Wizards'' Guild, there¡¯s plenty of space,¡± offered Stephen.  ¡°There¡¯s an army of golems to take care of things around the place.¡±


    The assembled druids looked scandalized.  Shomos sighed and said, ¡°We¡¯d all be happiest tending to our territory, but thank you for the offer.  We wanted you to come meet with us because the layout of the various territories in your pocket dimension are haphazard.  There are freshwater lakes next to deserts and arctic mountains next to tropical jungles.  As we¡¯re managing the ecosystems, there will be harmful effects from this chaotic geography.  When some of the druids were complaining about it and discussing how to mitigate it, I mentioned that you could adjust the distribution, and we all think this would be a good idea.¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± said Stephen.  ¡°Just decide on what layout makes the best sense and I can change it.  It probably doesn¡¯t matter to you, but when I put cards in my library, they disappear from the pocket dimension.  I can remove the territories, then withdraw them in an order that will give you whatever layout you want.¡±  The assembled druids began to excitedly chatter with one another.


    ¡°Now that all of you have joined us, there''s an opportunity to deploy more champions,¡± Stephen continued.  ¡°I was hoping some of you might be willing to travel to the various dimensions and pursue our objectives there.¡±  The druids'' happy chattering turned dark, and some of them gave the former graduate student and Shomos dirty looks.


    ¡°As I just said,¡± said Shomos sternly, ¡°we¡¯re happiest tending to our territory.¡±


    ¡°No pressure or obligation,¡± Stephen said, raising his hands.  ¡°I just thought some of you might be interested in studying new lands in new dimensions and helping me select which territories to integrate with what we already have here.  But if you aren¡¯t interested, I can move forward in other ways, and we can get your opinion on the best ways to lay out new territories as we capture them.¡±  The druids looked intrigued by this.


    ¡°Some of us will help with this,¡± conceded Shomos.


    ***


    A week later, standing on the ground outside Riowiver, Stephen looked the druid Briarheart in the eye.  A newly constructed airship was tethered nearby and its cyborg clay golem crew were busily preparing it for take off.


    ¡°So, I should track down this Gorg fellow and give him the airship,¡± Briarheart said, looking around the new dimension.


    ¡°Yes, please,¡± said Stephen.  He boarded the airship so that when he returned to this dimension, he¡¯d be standing on the airship instead of outside Avin¡¯s fortress.  ¡°After that, you¡¯re welcome to stay with him or to investigate the lands of Riowiver on your own.  If you take some of the golems with you, that should help us track you down.  Alternatively, I¡¯ve been coming back to the fortress here at sunset, two days after the full moon each month.  If you meet me here then, I can bring you back to the pocket dimension or get you any supplies you need.  I¡¯ve been coming on the same schedule for Gorg, but he¡¯s never here.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re planning to leave while standing on the airship,¡± said the druid thoughtfully, ¡°in order for that to be where you return, then won''t you be moving away from the fortress?  How will you come back to the fortress to meet us?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the issue,¡± admitted Stephen.  ¡°I¡¯ll be on this airship, either with you or Gorg if you pass it along to him.  For our meeting, I¡¯ll have to arrive in Riowiver, on this airship, then travel back to the fortress from wherever the ship is.  What I¡¯ll probably do is come back a little bit earlier, with another airship, give it instructions to come here, then leave and come back at our appointment time with the second airship landed here.  Hopefully whoever I leave in charge of the second airship is better at following instructions than Gorg is.¡±


    ¡°I thought you were being hunted by other dimensional travelers,¡± said the druid, looking around.  ¡°You don¡¯t seem very worried.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been able to travel away as soon as they attack.  They haven¡¯t figured out any way to immobilize me,¡± said Stephen with a shrug.  ¡°I think they¡¯re losing interest, they don¡¯t show up as frequently as they used to.  I¡¯ll probably be leaving soon, just in case.¡±


    ¡°Until we meet again,¡± said Briarheart.  ¡°Wish me luck in tracking your barbarian.¡±


    ***


    The next day, Rurth thanked one of the cyborg golems that served tea and snacks to Stephen, Feyrith, and Falco.


    ¡°The cyborg clay golems are a real update to the originals,¡± said Falco, spraying some crumbs from the cookie he¡¯d bitten into before speaking.  The others pretended not to notice the spray of crumbs.  ¡°The skill upgrades that happen automatically through their¡­ ¡®network¡¯ is it called?  Amazing.  I¡¯m going to have my golems bake up some of these cookies when I get back home.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Stephen.  ¡°They¡¯ve been making life easier in all sorts of ways.¡±


    ¡°Should you be sitting around with us drinking tea?¡± asked Feyrith.  ¡°Isn''t The Griffin Club still hunting you?  Aren¡¯t you a wanted man?¡±


    ¡°Technically, yes,¡± said Rurth.  ¡°But they¡¯ve been losing their enthusiasm for the hunt.  Stephen just travels away every time they come after him.  I¡¯ve found us contacts in the club and Stephen has been trading and communicating with them.  I actually have some news on that front.  There was just a meeting at The Griffin Club.  I consulted with some dimensional travel legal scholars, and I¡¯d made the argument to some of their members that what we did wasn¡¯t actually attempted murder.  Since we left the body to be resurrected, it can be thought of as an assault in response to Avin raiding Earth and Mecond.  Some of our friends in the club put forward that view and, given their waning interest in hunting Stephen, they''ve agreed with that interpretation.  They¡¯re willing to settle the issue in exchange for reparation in the form of a few cards of modest value.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re demanding cards from you?¡± asked Falco.  ¡°Outrageous!  Tell them they¡¯ll never get as much as a single battery from Stephen.¡±


    ¡°Actually,¡± said Stephen, ¡°that¡¯s wonderful news.  ¡°Talk to your HAL copy about what the best set of cards I can offer them would be, and let''s settle this.¡±


    ¡°Avin won¡¯t be happy with you,¡± said Feyrith.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been unable to make Avin happy since I met him,¡± said Stephen.  ¡°I¡¯m done trying.¡±

 Book 2: Chapter 14

    Days later, standing in the Clodor village they¡¯d first arrived in, where they¡¯d been drugged at the inn, Stephen looked around at the sweeping changes the ¡®Iron Wraith¡¯ had instituted. The villagers had been confined to pens, cyborg golems guarded them, and supervised them any time they were moved or fed. Many of the villagers had bruises from the pirate captain''s interrogations.


    ¡°... and the inhabitants of Maggard¡¯s manor don¡¯t seem to react to the golems," the Captain reported. "I¡¯ve been able to send groups in exploring, and they¡¯ve been ignored. I went with them one time and that triggered an attack, so I¡¯ve been having parties of golems explore without me. They managed to bring back a flesh golem that was under construction, and we¡¯ve been able to complete its creation, integrated into the golems network.¡±


    The captain led Stephen to a construction site where the cyborg flesh golem was working with clay golems to build another enclosure.


    ¡°A cyborg Frankenstein,¡± said Stephen, with a whistle. ¡°That¡¯s not something you see every day.¡±


    ¡°Frankenstein?¡± asked Emilia, confused.


    ¡°Technically, Frankenstein¡¯s monster I guess,¡± said Stephen. Seeing her continued confusion, he clarified, ¡°A famous, fictional, flesh golem where I grew up.¡±


    ¡°Ahh,¡± she said, losing interest. ¡°Policing the villagers is taking more effort than it¡¯s worth.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to talk to you about that,¡± said Stephen. ¡°Maggard is a bad guy, and the innkeeper and cook were working for him and were probably also bad people. But should all the villagers be rounded up and abused like this?¡±


    The pirate captain¡¯s confusion deepened. ¡°What were you expecting me to do here? You told me to explore and subdue as much of this dimension as I could.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well, I didn¡¯t exactly¡­¡± began Stephen.


    ¡°You turned a pirate and a bunch of automatons loose on them,¡± continued captain Blackthorne. ¡°I was somewhat worried you¡¯d chastise me for not being more brutal with them.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s necessary¡­¡± Stephen tried to continue.


    ¡°My HAL copy has suggested that the next step would be to import cybernetic implants for the imprisoned villagers,¡± she continued. ¡°Then we won¡¯t have to police them, we¡¯ll learn everything about Clodor and Maggard that they knew, and we¡¯ll be able to put them to work. That¡¯ll allow us to push into Maggard¡¯s manor faster and learn more about the surrounding territory. HAL has some ideas how we might be able to implant cybernetics into the other creatures you encountered in the manor.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well¡­¡± said Stephen, trying to process everything he was hearing. ¡°That sounds fine. I¡¯ll be back with cybernetic implants as soon as possible.¡±


    ***


    Appearing in Blargh¡¯s pickup truck passenger seat, Stephen looked around and saw no sign of the former innkeeper. The truck was parked at the San Francisco airport. A cyborg clay golem was standing in front of the vehicle.


    As Stephen got out of the truck, the golem said, ¡°Welcome back to Earth, Master Crawford. Blargh left me with instructions to bring you to the airport command center. They can provide you with additional details about our recent activities here and Blargh¡¯s current location.¡±


    Stephen unleashed a cyborg clay golem card, along with HAL¡¯s seed. The A.I.''s immediately began updating one another. The local golem began walking away from the truck, and Stephen followed.


    The airport was mostly deserted, with occasional human and clay golem cyborgs moving around. None of them reacted to Stephen, continuing with whatever task they were working on. The stores had been ransacked, and all security infrastructure was torn down. Reaching a former airline back office, a dozen cyborgs stood in a circle, lights blinking on their cybernetic equipment and on new equipment that had been grafted onto the original computer systems.


    ¡°Welcome, Master Crawford,¡± one of the human cyborgs said. Seamlessly, another cyborg continued speaking, ¡°Blargh has left instructions with us to give you an overview of the current conditions on Earth.¡± A large monitor lit up and began showing additional details. After bouncing between the various human cyborgs and Stephen¡¯s attention being drawn to each one as it spoke, a speaker in the computer system took over the presentation.


    As the presentation unfolded, another human cyborg entered the room and began cleaning and feeding the other humans. Stephen noticed five cots on one side of the room, where two human cyborgs were sleeping.


    After the presentation finished, Stephen asked, ¡°Are you some sort of hive mind?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Stephen,¡± answered the HAL cyborg. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I am. Wasn¡¯t that your intention?¡±


    ¡°I suppose it was,¡± admitted Stephen. ¡°It¡¯s just a little creepy seeing it in action. The status update said that Blargh is in Dallas. I take it that means you¡¯ve gotten a pilot and a plane for him?¡±


    ¡°We anticipated some discomfort for you when faced with the reality," said HAL. "We''ve deployed multiple pilots and planes. It¡¯s mostly small aircraft right now, but we¡¯ll eventually rebuild the infrastructure and get larger planes back in the air. That¡¯ll be a more efficient way to move materials around.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got Adam building some cybernetic implants for Captain Blackthorne in Clodor,¡± said Stephen. ¡°Is that anything you can help with?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already passed that information on to them,¡± said HAL. ¡°They¡¯ll have a small shipment for you to take with you when you leave and will have more for you next time you come.¡±


    ¡°Well, keep up the good work, everyone,¡± Stephen said awkwardly.


    ***


    The next day, sitting in the workshop on a stool, Stephen talked to Adam and HAL as the golem assistants worked on the stone golem behind them.


    ¡°So, this Nemorix dimensional traveler is from the dimension Solaria?¡± asked Stephen.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± said HAL. ¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter, but it¡¯s a dimension that¡¯s somewhat like ancient Rome, with magic cults that do rituals with groups of people. She¡¯s challenged you and, after researching her, I think you can easily put together a deck to beat her.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t my fast attack deck do the job?¡± asked Stephen.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s why she¡¯s challenged you,¡± said HAL. ¡°She¡¯s heard about your deck and thinks she can easily beat you. The deck she usually uses, and what most of her cards are optimized for, is to ''grind'' down the opponent''s deck. Nemorix has cards that make you lose if your deck is empty, and other cards that force you to discard from your hand and your deck. She¡¯d make short work of your fast-cast deck, as soon as she brought out a card that made you lose with an empty deck you¡¯d be done. Also, some of her cards get more powerful based on the number of cards in your discard pile.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, so a card that let me add my discard pile back into my deck would be useful,¡± mused Stephen. ¡°Along with a larger deck. Anything that gave me a benefit when things were discarded would be useful too.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°You got it,¡± agreed HAL. ¡°I¡¯ve tracked down some dimensional travelers in Stredath who have relevant cards that we can likely make favorable trades with. If we can put together a targeted deck against her in the next day or two, we can duel her with a good chance of winning.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to risk any of my friends as ante,¡± said Stephen.


    ¡°But other champions are ok to risk?¡± asked HAL.


    ¡°I suppose,¡± agreed Stephen reluctantly.


    ***


    Days later, Nemorix stood on her side of the dueling field, lips pursed, looking at Stephen in annoyance. Pillars and statues gave her side of the field a Roman look. She wore a toga. Her demeanor had shifted from warm and friendly at the beginning of the duel to increasingly unhappy.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s useful for you,¡± she observed, eyeing the Pet Cemetery card Stephen had played.


    ¡°Yes, I agree,¡± said Stephen. ¡°I attack with my ghoul.¡± The announcer¡¯s voice said that the ghoul did one damage and increased Nemorix¡¯ infection by one level.


    ¡°I thought I had the upper hand against you,¡± she said in resignation, ¡°but apparently you¡¯re the one who played me. Lesson learned. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any way for me to win this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m happy if you concede,¡± said Stephen. ¡°But personally, I always play to the end. Just in case.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she agreed. ¡°Very rational. You aren¡¯t at all the murderous thug rumor makes you out to be. Disappointing.¡±


    Stephen chuckled. ¡°I may have some cards that will work well with your ¡®grinder¡¯ deck design. I also know a number of travelers whose decks would be particularly susceptible to it.¡±


    ¡°And what would you want for this information?¡± she asked suspiciously.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for information about Maggard,¡± Stephen said. ¡°He sometimes goes by the name Count Lowther. I¡¯ve met him, but somehow he doesn¡¯t appear in my pocket dimension as a contact. He''s also the creator of the library artifacts we use to store cards in. I want to know more about how he¡¯s developed the only things that seem to affect dimensional traveler powers. Any new information I can find out about the Inner Circle of travelers would be useful too.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± said Nemorix. ¡°I¡¯ll concede, we can trade, then I¡¯ll see if I can dig up anything for you about any of those topics.¡±


    ***


    The next week, Stephen sat with Shomos, Briarheart, and another of the druids. They sipped Earl Grey tea, which Stephen had brought back from a recent visit to Earth. None of the druids were impressed with it.


    ¡°The work with the druids has been paying off,¡± said Stephen. ¡°Meeting with them and having them prep me about various territories has been useful. I¡¯ve been able to capture a number of them. I think I¡¯m learning quite a bit about druidism while I¡¯m at it.¡±


    Shomos looked doubtful, while the other two druids nodded politely at this.


    ¡°From our recent work in Mecond, we think we have a new opportunity for you,¡± said Shomos. Stephen looked at the three with interest. She continued, ¡°We think we can teach you the background and help you learn enough to capture a goddess.¡±


    ***


    The next day, a goblin dimensional traveler looked across the dueling grounds at the second copy of the Dangerously Departed Ritual blessing card that Stephen had played.


    ¡°Ah,¡± the goblin said. ¡°That isn¡¯t good for me.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± said Stephen. ¡°I have a fast cast damage card that is going to finish you off, unfortunately. Thanks for the game. I have some trades that I think you might be interested in. And there¡¯s some information I¡¯d like you to stay on the lookout for¡­¡±


    ***


    A week later, while walking out of The Malachite Club, Stephen started making his way towards his townhouse. His urban awareness, which had been developing as he spent time in the busy city, warned him that someone was matching his pace behind him.


    Looking over his shoulder, he saw a disheveled Avin trailing him. Realizing he¡¯d been seen, the other man quickened his pace and caught up to Stephen.


    ¡±I bet you didn¡¯t expect to see me,¡± said Avin, trying to affect a menacing tone.


    ¡±I haven¡¯t thought of you in any way,¡± said Stephen absently. ¡°If you¡¯re here to beg, I don¡¯t have anything for you.¡±


    ¡±I¡¯m not here to beg,¡± said the other man angrily. ¡°You turn your back on me at your own peril, Crawford.¡±


    ¡±Yip, yip, yip, barked the little dog,¡± said Stephen absently. ¡°Keep harassing me, and you¡¯ll need to get resurrected again.¡±


    ¡±Resurrected again!¡± protested Avin. ¡°You dare threaten me. You owe me for what you did. You owe me big.¡±


    Stephen sighed and turned to face the other traveler. Pedestrians hurrying past seemed to sense the potential for danger and created a bubble around the two men. Stephen heard a passerby whispering his name.


    ¡±You only have one thing of value to me,¡± said Stephen. ¡°And I¡¯m not willing to put up with much of your nonsense to get it.¡±


    ¡±And what¡¯s that,¡± sneered Avin.


    ¡°How were you able to hide your contact information from other dimensional travelers after you were resurrected?¡± asked Stephen. ¡°Your name and where you were never appeared to me. I''ve never heard of any way to hide it.¡±


    ¡°Ha, ha,¡± crowed Avin. ¡°That¡¯s going to cost you. Big!¡±


    ¡±It¡¯s going to cost one of us,¡± promised Stephen. He then turned around and kept walking towards his townhouse, leaving Avin behind him on the street.


    ***


    Later that week, Stephen appeared on an airship in Riowiver. The traveler wore a backpack housing HAL''s seed. Cyborg clay golem crew ran the ship as Gorg hung over the side, watching the ground rushing past far below. Silently, across the network, the A.I.''s updated one another.


    Stephen approached him and, without looking, Gorg said, ¡°You¡¯re back?¡±


    ¡±I am,¡± said Stephen. ¡°We haven¡¯t talked in a while. How goes the subjugation of Riowiver?¡±


    ¡±There aren¡¯t any challenges here,¡± complained the barbarian. He swung himself back over the railing onto the deck of the airship. ¡°Avin had them beaten down. Your mud creatures herd the cattle they call men here. None can stand up to me. They are poor, wretched creatures. Looting their meager possessions isn¡¯t worth the bother. The slave pens are full of as many prisoners as your soulless minions can guard. We have to put the old, young, and weak to the sword for lack of jailers.¡±


    ¡±It would be helpful if you came back to Avin¡¯s former fortress at sunset, the second day after the full moon, like I asked,¡± said Stephen. ¡°It¡¯s taken effort to track you down for this update. If Riowiver doesn¡¯t require your particular skills, we can send a couple of druids here and deploy you elsewhere.¡±


    ¡±Don¡¯t talk to me like I¡¯m your servant, little man,¡± Gorg said. He raised the back of his hand towards Stephen menacingly.


    ¡±Never strike me again,¡± ordered Stephen. The angry look left the barbarian¡¯s face.


    ¡±You¡¯ll do as I¡¯ve ordered you,¡± continued the dimensional traveler. An obedient look came over Gorg¡¯s face. ¡°Now and in the future,¡± the former graduate student finished.


    The barbarian nodded.


    ¡±Prepare the crew for mooring,¡± Stephen said, then unleashed a second airship.


    ***


    Days later, sitting in the center of the shrine to Sylvoria in Mecond, Stephen looked at Shomos and the cleric Orlenis. The shrine was hidden a mile and a half outside of Ravenshire. An elegant dome above them was painted with various scenes from Sylvoria¡¯s myths and legends.


    ¡°So Sylvorian clerics are different from druids?¡± asked Stephen. ¡°And how do rangers fit in?¡±


    Orlenis smiled indulgently and exchanged a look with Shomos. ¡°Is a nobleman¡¯s valet any different from his chef?¡± he asked. ¡°They both serve the same person, but their functions are different. A ranger pragmatically understands nature and the natural world in order to move through it and accomplish their personal objectives. A druid safeguards a particular piece of the natural world, nurturing it and guiding its growth and development. We clerics commune with Sylvoria and venerate her and what she does. All three are parts of the same ecosystem, as a druid might say, intertwined with one another, but different. Farmers and ranchers are beloved by Sylvoria, and among some of her most devoted followers, for nurturing and growing specific plants and animals.¡±


    ¡°I really learn best by reading,¡± said Stephen. ¡°There aren¡¯t any religious texts about Sylvoria? If I could study her background, I¡¯d be a better student.¡±


    ¡°From what Shomos has told me, you¡¯ll do just fine as a student,¡± said Orlenis. ¡°Hers is an oral tradition. The growth of understanding about her, that is nurtured by another follower, is yet another way we honor the goddess.¡±


    Stephen smiled weakly. ¡°Well, I appreciate your willingness to teach me. Let¡¯s begin.¡±

 Book 2: Chapter 15

    Days later, appearing in the village in Clodor, a nearby human cyborg jerked to attention at Stephen¡¯s arrival.


    ¡°Welcome, Master Crawford,¡± she said in perfect English. ¡°Captain Blackthorne has relocated to the manor. I¡¯m to guide you there.¡± She turned and began walking down the street towards the manor. Stephen considered briefly, then fell into step alongside her.


    Glancing at the cyborg, he saw that her implants had a rough, gruesome quality to them. Pus from an infection surrounded the ragged surgical work that had been performed. With a sigh, he began talking to the cyborg and verbally getting an update on the current situation. In his backpack, the HAL seed synchronized with her A.I.


    ***


    Sitting in the dining room of the inn where they¡¯d been drugged before, a tremor went through Stephen. Periodically, he¡¯d sniff the air, smelling for any hint of the poison that had previously incapacitated him. Although hungry, he passed on the food and drink that the cyborg offered.


    After a few hours of waiting, Emilia showed up.


    ¡°Sorry it took me so long to get here, I was surveying the surrounding lands in the airship,¡± she said. ¡°Since we got the cybernetic equipment, we¡¯ve been able to expand our workforce and made far more progress than we had previously.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear,¡± said Stephen. He briefly considered bringing up the sloppy surgical work, then decided it wasn¡¯t a priority.


    ¡°After enmeshing the townspeople, along with the flesh golem, we were able to work out new techniques that let us do the same to the various creatures that remained in the manor,¡± the pirate captain said. ¡°We¡¯ve taken control of multiple flesh golems, some werewolves, and vampires. Our HAL copy is confident that they¡¯ll be able to help you capture any of these that you want.¡±


    She continued, ¡°Maggard has fled, and there¡¯s no indication that he has been here since shortly after your escape. He certainly took what he could with him when he took off, but what was left behind has been useful to us. He took all his notes and records with him, but his minions whom we¡¯ve enmeshed into the network have memories about many of his experiments and activities. We¡¯ve gotten a number of samples of the airborne poison that affected you. There are rough laboratory facilities here, but our HAL copy thinks Adam will be able to get a better understanding if they¡¯re delivered to him. We¡¯ve found a number of dimensional traveler library artifacts in different states of construction, which similarly we think will be useful to Adam.¡±


    ¡°Somewhat more gruesome, we¡¯ve found the remains of what we think are dozens of dimensional travelers. We¡¯ve kept that quiet so far, so you can decide how you want to handle them.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we report who we¡¯ve found?¡± asked Stephen in confusion.


    ¡°Our HAL copy had the idea that they might be useful for Adam to study,¡± the ¡®Iron Wraith¡¯ said, with a shrug. ¡°The morality of it doesn¡¯t bother me either way, but the HAL copy seemed to think you should decide.¡±


    Stephen thought for a few minutes, then said, ¡°Pack them up, I¡¯ll take them to Adam along with everything else.¡±


    ***


    Back at the workshop, weeks later, Adam said, ¡°Stephen, I have a concern.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem, Adam?¡± asked Stephen.


    ¡°Since your losses on Earth, your personality seems to have shifted,¡± said the statue. ¡°You¡¯re taking actions that you would have disdained in the past. I¡¯ve interacted with a range of people over the centuries, and they certainly weren¡¯t all saints. Avin wasn¡¯t the worst. But hiding and studying the corpses of slain dimensional travelers doesn¡¯t fit with past interactions I¡¯ve had with you.¡±


    ¡°Eventually we¡¯re going to figure out how to send me back in time,¡± explained the former graduate student tersely. ¡°That will undo everything, so it doesn¡¯t matter what actions we take to get there.¡±


    ¡°There are two problems I see with this,¡± said the statue carefully. ¡°First, you might be unsuccessful in traveling back in time. It¡¯s never been accomplished before, so I don¡¯t understand your confidence that it¡¯s the inevitable outcome. Beyond that, doing these things affects you, and will continue to be part of your character even if you travel back in time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m doing good things as well,¡± said Stephen, petulantly. ¡°We¡¯re saving the ecosystems of Earth and Mecond. We¡¯re working on making you a body.¡±


    ¡°Morality isn¡¯t a simple addition and subtraction sequence of ¡®good¡¯ and ¡®bad¡¯ actions,¡± said the statue. ¡°And are the magnitude of these deeds equivalent? I appreciate your goal of making me a body, but not at the cost of enslaving and subjugating the populations of Earth, Mecond, Riowiver, and Clodor.¡±


    ¡°And they¡¯ll all be free and unharmed when I travel back in time,¡± said Stephen. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about this anymore. What progress have you made studying the items we found in Maggard¡¯s manor?¡±


    ¡°Quite a bit, actually,¡± said the statue. ¡°Maggard clearly intended to cover his tracks. Between the items that were found in his workshops and subverting his minions through their cybernetic implants, we¡¯re getting a better understanding of what he was doing. We¡¯ve been examining the poison he used to suppress your dimensional traveler abilities. We¡¯re close to understanding how it works. The library artifacts in various states of construction were helpful in understanding how he was building them.¡±


    ¡°Might we be able to start making them ourselves?¡± asked Stephen.


    The statue replied, ¡°That¡¯s the challenge. One part of the process involves ¡®moral concessions¡¯ that I¡¯m not comfortable with.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± the man from Earth asked.


    ¡°Each library has the essence, or soul if you prefer, of a dimensional traveler in it,¡± said Adam. ¡°This is what allows it to hold cards, the same way you do. For every library you want to make, you¡¯ll need to kill another dimensional traveler.¡±


    ***


    Days later, Stephen was in another duel.


    The young woman, Lorienna, across the dueling field looked like a girl, but her pointed ears hinted at a non-human background. During the A.I.¡¯s briefing before the duel, HAL had told Stephen that she was an elf variant. An array of nature symbols decorated her side of the field.


    Throughout the duel, she hadn¡¯t played any cards and just kept watching Stephen expectantly as she played batteries. Stephen likewise kept drawing cards and playing batteries, but also hadn¡¯t played anything yet.


    ¡°I had heard you were good at researching your opponents¡¯ decks,¡± Lorienna said. ¡°I haven¡¯t had many opponents successfully prepare for this deck. If you¡¯ve found a good defense, I¡¯ll be interested in figuring out how to overcome it. End turn.¡±


    ¡°Before the end of your turn, I¡¯d like to play some fast cast incantations,¡± Stephen said, halting the end of the elf¡¯s turn. ¡°Most opponents don¡¯t take such a rational view on deck building. They get annoyed if they lose. I¡¯m playing ¡®Magic Missile¡¯.¡±


    Lorienna said, ¡°Hold,¡± which paused the play of Stephen¡¯s ¡®Magic Missile¡¯. She thought and considered the cards in her hand, then played ¡®Counterspell¡¯.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    ¡°That¡¯s short-sighted of them,¡± she mused. ¡°They won¡¯t end up with a very strong deck if they don¡¯t think of ways to improve it. Any other cards you want to play?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Stephen. ¡°¡®Instant Army¡¯¡±


    ¡°I will pay the two power,¡± the elf said. All her batteries except one were depleted.


    ¡°Who told you I¡¯m good at researching opponents¡¯ decks?¡± Stephen asked.


    ¡°Feyrith,¡± she said. Seeing Stephen¡¯s shocked expression, she continued, ¡°You didn¡¯t think you were their only friend, did you?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d be providing my opponents with intelligence against me,¡± Stephen said. ¡°Should I be referring to you as ¡®they¡¯, like Feyrith?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a different type of elf,¡± the elf said. ¡°She is fine. And us elves have to stick together. End turn, unless you have anything else to cast.¡±


    Stephen thought about it, then cast another low damage, fast cast incantation, which she didn¡¯t counter this time. Stephen¡¯s turn started and all of his batteries were restored. He played an ¡®Awakening The Lands¡¯ blessing.


    Lorienna studied the blessing and her single available power. ¡°That¡¯s not ideal,¡± she admitted. ¡°But not the end of the world.¡± Stephen played a second ¡®Awakening The Lands¡¯ blessing.


    ¡°Ahh,¡± she said, glanced at the cards in her hand, then sighed. ¡°You are good. You¡¯re going to start having trouble finding opponents soon. I concede.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sure you don¡¯t want to play it out,¡± offered Stephen. ¡°You might get lucky.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do anything about the second blessing,¡± she admitted. ¡°You¡¯ve won.¡±


    ***


    Sitting cross-legged in the shrine to Sylvoria the next day, Stephen studied the complex bonsai tree in front of him.


    ¡°You know, a country on Earth grew trees like this, they called them bonsai,¡± Stephen said to Orlenis, the cleric to Sylvoria.


    ¡°Don¡¯t intellectualize it,¡± suggested the cleric, seated on the other side. ¡°Study the tree. This, in small, is the entirety of the natural world.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± said Stephen. ¡°Obviously it isn¡¯t the entirety. It may be representative of the whole, but that can¡¯t literally be true.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it can and it is,¡± insisted Orlenis. ¡°No metaphor, symbolism, or representation. The entirety of the natural world grows between us, and through that the sum of our goddess Sylvoria. Understand this and you¡¯ll understand her.¡±


    Stephen pursed his lips and studied the tiny tree.


    ***


    Rurth, Blargh, Gorg, and Shomos sat with Stephen at a table in the Wizards'' Guild¡¯s dining room the next week.


    ¡°This feels like old times,¡± said Stephen.


    Gorg glared at the traveler darkly. ¡°You took control of me. No one controls Gorg.¡±


    ¡°You were being unreasonable,¡± said Stephen, absently. ¡°I helped you focus.¡±


    ¡°No warlock controls Gorg,¡± the barbarian yelled and started to spring towards Stephen.


    Stephen held his hands up, ¡°I yield, I yield. We¡¯ll do whatever you want.¡±


    Gorg gave the former graduate student a look of disdain, then cuffed him lightly on the head. ¡°You¡¯re right, we will,¡± the barbarian said gruffly. "Gorg will lead now."


    ¡°I¡¯m going to freshen up,¡± said Stephen, excusing himself. ¡°Be right back.¡±


    The three champions chatted for a few minutes, then Gorg suddenly vanished. A few minutes later, Stephen returned.


    The others looked in surprise at where the barbarian had previously been.


    ¡°Where¡¯d he go?¡± asked Blargh.


    ¡°I dimensionally traveled to Earth, put his card in my library artifact, then came back,¡± said Stephen. ¡°He might be too volatile to have loose in the pocket dimension. Like the ghouls.¡±


    ¡°What did he mean about taking control of him?¡± asked Shomos.


    ¡°He was being a pain and refusing to follow through with plans,¡± said Stephen absently. ¡°I gave him an order while he was exploring Riowiver.¡± The three champions stared at him.


    ¡°You gave him an order?¡± asked Rurth. ¡°A ''forcing him to do your bidding'' kind of order? I thought you¡¯d never do that to us.¡±


    ¡°And I wouldn¡¯t,¡± said Stephen. ¡°You three are reasonable. He was being unreasonable. All I asked is he meet me at a set place and time, but he made me track him down every time I needed a status update. Honestly, he was more trouble than he was worth. Some druids are exploring Riowiver in his place.¡±


    ¡°And on Earth and Mecond too,¡± said Shomos.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± said the former grad student. ¡°The three of you are more valuable here.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± said Blargh. ¡°That¡¯s settled then. What are we drinking?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not settled,¡± objected Rurth. Shomos had an angry look on her face. ¡°You always said you¡¯d never force your will on us like that, Stephen. You¡¯re doing something you promised you never would.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve stopped doing it to him now, haven¡¯t I?¡± Stephen asked, peevishly. ¡°He¡¯s in storage in the library artifact now.¡±


    ¡°These libraries are another thing,¡± Rurth said. ¡°Each one represents a traveler that Maggard murdered. How are we keeping that to ourselves? Shouldn¡¯t we be telling the community on Stredath what he¡¯s done?¡±


    ¡°Maybe we will,¡± the man from Earth said. ¡°Eventually. The time isn¡¯t right yet. I want us to be the ones to catch Maggard and learn more about what he knows. Adam has figured out the composition of the poison Maggard used to rob me of my traveler powers. I want him, you, and me to work on a way to produce it. Perhaps we can even improve it, make a version that¡¯s faster acting or can be delivered another way.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± asked Shomos. ¡°What are we going to do with it?¡±


    ¡°Catch travelers that cause us problems,¡± said Stephen. ¡°Maggard to start with, maybe Avin after him.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± asked Rurth. ¡°What would we do with them if we caught them? You don¡¯t need another library artifact. Even if you did, I hope you wouldn¡¯t go through the ghoulish process of creating one. Why do we want to have a prison of travelers? Won¡¯t that just be a new risk if they¡¯re ever rescued or escape and word gets out that you¡¯ve been kidnapping and imprisoning dimensional travelers.¡±


    ¡°Maggard got away with it, and I¡¯d like to think I¡¯m smarter than him,¡± Stephen said coldly. ¡°We¡¯re going to find out what else we can make with the essence of other dimensional travelers.¡±


    ***


    Months later, Stephen and Rurth worked carefully and precisely on the body they were carving for Adam. The statue craned his head continually, watching what they were doing to the material below his neck and giving reminders. A team of cyborg golems, some clay and others made of stone which had had cybernetic components gracefully integrated, brought equipment and provided extra hands as needed.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± said Adam, looking at where Rurth was working. ¡°Be aware of the feedback energy flow.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Rurth absently, focused on his work. ¡°If we mess that up, you won¡¯t have feeling in your left arm.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± agreed Adam. ¡°Keep those enchantments layered together tightly, Stephen. We don¡¯t want to have to renew them every few decades.¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± said Stephen. ¡°I am.¡±


    ***


    Walking around the pocket dimension¡¯s barrier two days later, Adam looked intently at everything they passed, while Stephen and Rurth kept asking him questions.


    ¡°When you¡¯re walking,¡± said the statue, ¡°do you ever worry that your attention will wander, and you¡¯ll fall over?¡±


    ¡°Not usually,¡± said Rurth.


    ¡°Sometimes,¡± said Stephen. The journeyman wizard looked at him curiously and the former graduate student continued, ¡°When you get out of bed first thing, you sometimes stumble. Or you have a head rush if you¡¯ve been sitting for a long time. Or if you¡¯ve been drinking.¡±


    ¡°Yes, certainly,¡± agreed Rurth. ¡°If you¡¯ve been drinking. Best you don¡¯t fall over though, Adam.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± agreed the statue. ¡°I had best not let my attention wander too much when I¡¯m walking.¡±


    ¡°Probably wise,¡± said Stephen. ¡°We have instincts, and we heal, although it isn¡¯t great for us to fall over either. Babies do it, though. But they don¡¯t have as far to fall, I suppose.¡±


    The statue and the wizard nodded in agreement.


    ¡°You know,¡± said Rurth. ¡°A project of this magnitude would usually be considered a masterwork for a journeyman wizard. At the Hopedale Wizards'' Guild, I¡¯d be considered a Master wizard after this.¡±


    ¡°Even after I did so much of the hard work,¡± Stephen said, winking at Adam. ¡°Shall we travel to a dimension and take a look at your updated card?¡±

 Book 2: Chapter 16

    Days later, Captain Blackthorne followed Avin at a distance, down the streets of Fortune. She had swapped out her nautical garb for the current fashion in the large city and, given the dimensional traveler had never met her, she was able to discretely trail him.


    Outside of one of the low ranked traveler clubs, she saw him harassing a traveler who, eventually, lost patience, seemed to tell him off, and walked away into the club.


    Seems like he¡¯s not as intimidating to the fresh meat, she thought.


    Avin attempted to gain entry and was turned away by the doorman. Ranting and raving as he departed, he continued along the street. Looking around, he slipped into an alley.


    This is my chance, Emilia thought, hurrying after him. The smell of garbage hit her as she stepped into the narrow walkway. A small creature that looked like a reptilian version of a raccoon barred its teeth at her, then ran off.


    No sign of Avin, she thought, slowing down and walking deeper into the backstreet. All big cities have the same alleys. This would make a perfect spot for an ambush.


    ¡°And who might have sent you, my sweet young thing?¡± Avin asked as he stepped out of a doorway the pirate captain had walked past.


    ***


    The day before, Stephen looked across the dining table at the ¡®Iron Wraith¡¯. ¡°You¡¯ll have to wear something else, no one dresses like a pirate in Stredath,¡± he said. He stabbed a sausage on the plate in front of him that the golem servants had delivered - toast, eggs over easy, bacon, ham, and sausage.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Emilia said, waving him off. ¡°I know how to blend in.¡± She sipped her coffee, made a sour face, then said to one of the golems, ¡°Bring me something drinkable. Black tea.¡±


    Adam placed a vial of green liquid on the table. ¡°This is our first prototype of the new delivery mechanism,¡± the living statue said. ¡°It¡¯s more potent than the gas Maggard used. If you can get him to consume this, at lease a half ounce or so, he should lose access to his dimensional traveler powers. For at least a couple of hours. Give him more every two hours once you have him contained.


    ¡°And what if,¡± Emilia asked with a predatory smile, ¡°I got it into his bloodstream more directly?¡± She looked at a thin knife she¡¯d drawn and made it dance along her fingers.


    ¡°If you slashed him with a coated blade, that should take effect almost immediately,¡± Adam acknowledged. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate the capabilities of travelers. Avin might be down and out, but he¡¯s still a dangerous opponent.¡±


    A drone hovered nearby, which was one of the newest devices HAL had deployed in his network. ¡°Very dangerous,¡± added the A.I.


    ***


    ¡°Please don¡¯t hurt me, sir,¡± Emilia said, terror on her face as she cringed backwards. ¡°They made me follow you, I don¡¯t want no trouble.¡±


    Avin sneered as he advanced on the woman. He had drawn a pistol that had a steampunk aesthetic. ¡°Crawford has started a fashion of firearms in Stredath which is tiresome, but I believe you¡¯ll find your death from this little beauty to be more agonizing than expected.¡± He grabbed a hold of her shoulder with his free hand, and jabbed the pistol into her rib cage. ¡°Wounds from it create a fast acting infection. You¡¯ll experience new heights of agony as you rot away over 15 seconds.¡±


    Emilia frightened expression dropped, and she gave Avin a predatory grin. ¡°I really thought it¡¯d be harder to get close to you,¡± she said. She held up his hand holding the pistol, aiming it away from herself. A red slash marked the back of the traveler''s hand. She mimed a kiss at him.


    ¡°You bitch!¡± said Avin. ¡°You cut me? The carrioncaster will be a mercy compared to what I¡¯m going to do.¡± Avin¡¯s triumphant expression fell as he looked at the ¡®Iron Wraith¡¯ in horror. ¡°What have you done to me?¡±


    ***


    ¡°So, once I¡¯ve grabbed him, what do you want me to do with him?¡± asked Emilia, picking up a small piece of leftover sausage from Stephen''s plate and popping it into her mouth. She washed it down with the tea the golem had brought her.


    ¡°We own an estate outside of Fortune,¡± said Rurth. ¡°You could take him there.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s Fortune?¡± asked the captain.


    ¡°What¡¯s Fortune!?!¡± exploded Rurth. ¡°It¡¯s the city you¡¯re going to! Stephen, how is she going to manage this if she doesn¡¯t even know the name of the city.¡±


    ¡°Easy, sweetcheeks,¡± said the ¡®Iron Wraith¡¯. ¡°I thought it was called Stredath.¡±The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Stredath is the dimension,¡± said Rurth, exasperated.


    ¡°She¡¯ll do fine,¡± said Blargh. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll do fine,¡± agreed the captain.


    ***


    Walking along the street, Avin¡¯s unconscious body wrapped up and slung over her shoulder, Emilia sensed three thugs closing on her and a menacing man walking towards her from the direction she¡¯d been walking. The menacing man, Blargh, asked, ¡°Can you handle them?¡± as he took the large bundle from her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do fine,¡± she said, turning and moving towards the goons as Blargh disappeared into the crowd.


    ¡°Why are you scurvy dogs following me?¡± she demanded as she approached the henchmen. The three of them craned their necks, trying to spot where Avin¡¯s body had been taken.


    Cuffing one of them, the ¡®Iron Wraith¡¯ said, ¡°I¡¯m talking to you, worm!¡±


    ***


    One of the golems collected Stephen''s dirty breakfast plate and departed for the kitchen.


    ¡°So,¡± asked Blargh, sipping from a bottle of Steam Whistle pilsner he¡¯d developed a taste for on Earth. ¡°Once I¡¯ve gotten Avin¡¯s body, if Emilia runs into trouble, why doesn¡¯t Stephen just bring us back to the pocket dimension?¡±


    ¡°Avin¡¯s a dimensional traveler,¡± said Stephen. ¡°I can¡¯t capture him and I can¡¯t bring an uncaptured sentient creature with me when I travel. We¡¯ll have to deal with him in whatever dimension we grab him in, which it¡¯s looking like that¡¯ll be Stredath. You¡¯ll have to take him to the estate Rurth has set up.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have some golems, which are becoming more of a regular sight around Fortune, on hand to help Emilia deal with any witnesses,¡± said Stephen.


    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®deal¡¯ with them?¡± asked Rurth.


    ¡°We don¡¯t need The Griffin Club causing us problems again,¡± said Stephen. ¡°We can¡¯t let anyone go who sees this happen.¡± Blargh and the pirate captain nodded.


    ¡°But they¡¯ll be able to use magical means to figure out what happened,¡± objected Rurth. ¡°We don¡¯t have any way to prevent that.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, of course,¡± said Stephen. ¡°But we have to delay them finding out as long as possible. If you can knock out any witnesses for a few hours, that¡¯s fine too,¡± he said to the ¡®Iron Wraith¡¯ who nodded indifferently.


    ¡°So, when you get Avin to the estate, drug him with another dose of the poison,¡± Stephen said to Blargh. ¡°Emilia will pack it with the body.¡±


    ***


    Dumping Avin¡¯s body on the table in Adam¡¯s makeshift workshop at the estate, Blargh began searching through the tarp the traveler had been wrapped in, looking for the poison.


    ¡°The poison¡¯s not here,¡± he said to Adam. ¡°What if he wakes up and uses his dimensional travel ability to leave?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s no problem¡­¡± said HAL, from one of the clay golem cyborgs that was prepared to assist Adam.


    Blargh took out a club and struck Avin on the head. A nasty head wound began to bleed on the dimensional traveler.


    ¡°... we can anesthetize him and keep him unconscious,¡± finished HAL. The former innkeeper, the living statue, and the golem looked at one another. Blargh shrugged.


    ¡°We¡¯ve never enmeshed a traveler before,¡± said Adam, as he prepared the cybernetic equipment to be implanted. ¡°Let¡¯s get to work.¡±


    ***


    Concurrently, while studying the small tree, Stephen considered all the conversations he¡¯d had with Orlenis about Sylvoria. He thought about everything he¡¯d learned about her, about nature from Shomos, and about biology during his undergraduate studies.


    Following the graceful bend of the branch as it connected to the trunk, he truly noticed the bark for the first time and had an epiphany.


    Two new cards appeared in his mind.


    ***


    At the same time, Shomos led the group of cyborg clay golems on a camping trip in Algonquin Park. The creatures recorded data as they passed through the lands of Earth, while Shomos studied the flora, fauna, and geography.


    She felt refreshed as she communed with the new lands, and experienced pleasure as she saw them recovering from the deprivations of the, now reduced, human population.


    ***


    Later that day, in the estate outside Stredath, Adam, Blargh, and HAL watched carefully as Avin¡¯s eyes opened, and the dimensional traveler blinked repeatedly and looked around.


    Blargh pulled out his gun, pointed it at Avin¡¯s head and asked, ¡°Is it safe or should I shoot him?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been talking for the last 15 minutes about him being enmeshed and successfully joining the hivemind,¡± said HAL, with faint irritation.


    Avin picked up the thread of conversation and continued talking on HAL¡¯s behalf. ¡°We¡¯ve learned everything he knew, and he¡¯s fully under our control. Based on our predictions, a group from The Griffin Club should be here to ¡®rescue¡¯ him right¡­ about¡­ now.¡± The group looked at the door, but nothing happened.


    ¡°Humph,¡± said Blargh. ¡°He¡¯s not so great at fortune-telling.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t fortune-telling,¡± said HAL. ¡°It¡¯s statistical forecasting, based on extensive information and modelling of the world around us.¡±


    ¡°Stephen will be pleased that he¡¯s under our control, and we can hopefully get some answers from him,¡± said Adam.


    The door burst open as three dimensional travelers entered the room. ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± ordered the tall blonde man Stephen and Emilia had encountered in Clodor. HAL''s clay golem drone moved its head slightly towards Blargh.


    ¡°We¡¯re here to rescue you, Avin,¡± said K¡¯rezzik.


    ¡°Leave me alone!¡± shouted the drone Avin, and vanished.

 Book 2: Chapter 17

    ¡°And then he disappeared,¡± said Adam an hour later, back in Stephen''s pocket dimension. ¡°The travelers from The Griffin Club threatened us briefly, but it felt pretty half-hearted, then they left.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so we¡¯ve lost Avin again,¡± said Stephen. ¡°And everything he knew.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked HAL¡¯s hovering drone. ¡°We haven¡¯t lost anything.¡±


    ¡°But Avin fled,¡± said Stephen. ¡°We¡¯re going to have to find him again.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a part of my network,¡± said HAL. ¡°I instructed him to flee. He¡¯s disconnected now, but he¡¯ll come to his old fortress in Riowiver two days after the next full moon and meet up with you then.¡±


    ¡°What if he regains his independence before then?¡± asked Stephen.


    ¡°Why would he?¡± asked HAL, confused. ¡°When have any of my drones gone rogue?¡±


    ¡°Well, at least we¡¯ll know everything he does if he shows up then,¡± said Stephen, unhappily.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already learned everything he knows, when he joined my network,¡± explained HAL. ¡°I can answer any questions with full knowledge of all of his life experiences.¡±


    ¡°Do you know how he made his contact information disappear?¡± asked Stephen.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said HAL.


    ¡°How?¡± asked the former graduate student.


    ¡°By dying,¡± said the A.I.


    ¡°So, to make us lose the ability to track him, Maggard died?¡± asked Stephen.


    ¡°That¡¯s the most likely explanation,¡± said HAL. ¡°Then he probably had himself resurrected.¡±


    ¡°So any traveler can die and be resurrected,¡± asked the man from Earth. ¡°And anyone who had met them loses them as a contact?¡±


    ¡°That was Avin¡¯s experience,¡± said HAL¡¯s seed.


    ¡°And that¡¯s all that happens when we die?¡± asked Stephen.


    ¡°His pocket dimension also became a normal dimension,¡± said HAL.


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait,¡± said Stephen. ¡°His pocket dimension became a regular dimension?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said the A.I.


    ¡°And this would have happened to Maggard, too?¡± he asked.


    ¡°In all likelihood,¡± HAL responded.


    ¡°And why hasn¡¯t anyone ever told me about this before?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I imagine travelers in the past who discovered this decided the information was more valuable to keep secret,¡± HAL said. ¡°Travelers likely avoid death as much as possible, and perhaps resurrection hasn¡¯t always been a possibility.¡±


    ¡°So all the dimensions I¡¯ve visited¡­¡± began Stephen.


    ¡°Were previously dimensional traveler¡¯s pocket dimensions,¡± finished the A.I. ¡°Until those travelers died.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Big news on a couple of fronts,¡± Stephen said days later after he''d gathered Blargh, HAL, Adam, and Rurth in the Wizards'' Guild¡¯s dining room. ¡°I¡¯ve captured the goddess Sylvoria and HAL has enmeshed Avin.¡±


    Those assembled, having been involved in the planning or the capturing, nodded at the anticipated results. ¡°It sounds like the plans worked out then,¡± observed Adam. ¡°What has been the impact of the goddess?¡±


    ¡°Less than I expected, honestly,¡± said Stephen. ¡°She¡¯s in my deck, so she¡¯s active now in the pocket dimension. Mostly she just encourages growth and leads to a healthier natural world. Her loss on Mecond will certainly be felt, but if I unleash her in another dimension, there won¡¯t be any dramatic effect. Her card is unusual for duels. I don¡¯t really know what to make of her, even after capturing her. I can¡¯t talk to her the way I talk to any of you. With her, it¡¯s more of a¡­ communion.¡±


    "Her card is unusual. In a duel, it seems like she has a very decent wound capacity. Better than mine. Rather than attacking, each turn she can take one of three actions. Each of them seems to heal or cause wounds on her, then some effect happens. I haven¡¯t seen anyone else play with a god card before, and I haven¡¯t totally figured out the best way to use her. I also can¡¯t imagine losing a god as ante.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m working on some deck ideas to build around her,¡± said HAL.


    ¡°Avin has been enmeshed into HAL¡¯s network, and we now know everything he does,¡± said Stephen. ¡°We lost his contact info when he died. His resurrection didn¡¯t return it, but now that I¡¯ve encountered him again in person, I have his contact again. We speculate that the same thing happened to Maggard. He, perhaps intentionally, died. Then was resurrected and is operating again, without other travelers being able to track him.¡±


    ¡°And you could do the same thing,¡± suggested Blargh, ¡°if the goons from The Griffin Club start causing you trouble again.


    ¡°I would have to die,¡± the dimensional traveler said. ¡°Really die. That seems like an extreme solution to dealing with Avin''s club.¡±


    ¡°Additionally, apparently Avin¡¯s pocket dimension became a regular dimension after he died. When Avin returns, we¡¯ll be able to track him there using his contact and then go there ourselves. It¡¯s a new dimension built out of all his cards that have been released. It¡¯s also given us a theory about the origins of the various dimensions,¡± Stephen continued. ¡°HAL and I believe that each dimension could be from a deceased dimensional traveler. It also, theoretically, gives us a way to free champions.¡±


    ¡°By you dying?¡± asked Rurth.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said the man from Earth. ¡°Which, again, seems extreme.¡±


    ¡°Shomos might not think so,¡± said Blargh with a chuckle.


    ***


    Paddling the canoe, Shomos prepped Stephen with the information to capture the second of Algonquin Park¡¯s forest that they were approaching. The golems were struggling with canoeing and had been left behind, except for a group of five that were behind them in a motorboat.


    Finishing the preparations, Stephen filled in Shomos more about the new discoveries from Sylvoria and Avin.


    ¡°What were you expecting from the goddess and why were you surprised?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Ultimate power?¡± suggest the dimensional traveler. ¡°The ability to alter reality at will.¡±


    Shomos laughed. ¡°The gods have their place, just like everything else. What you have learned from Avin makes sense. I¡¯m not surprised by it.¡±


    ¡°Does it?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯m still shocked by the implications.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she agreed. ¡°Especially the reproductive implications.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± he asked.


    She said, ¡°The reproductive implications.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± he asked again.


    ¡°You realize what your discovery means, don¡¯t you?¡± said the druidess.


    ¡°I thought I did, but you seem to have a different view of it than I do,¡± said the traveler.


    ¡°You¡¯ve determined that the dimensions are a population,¡± explained Shomos. ¡°They¡¯re exchanging parts, combining them in new ways, which then start to grow on their own. Dimensional travelers are the vehicle by which dimensions contribute pieces of themselves to create a new member of their species. Once they¡¯ve lost their ability to grow, like Phodynn, that¡¯s the end of their lifespan. The death of a dimensional traveler is like a caterpillar forming a cocoon. It¡¯s the beginning of the next stage of the life cycle of that dimension.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± said Stephen thoughtfully. ¡°Blargh thought you¡¯d be in a rush to be released, which would require my death.¡±


    ¡°That will happen eventually,¡± said the druidess. ¡°There¡¯s no reason to rush it.¡±Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    Three travelers popped into existence, then immediately dropped into the water of the lake they were paddling in. All three could swim, and were soon treading water and glaring at Stephen.


    "I''m willing to talk to you," Stephen said from his canoe. "But I''m going to travel away the instant you attack me. Earth is my home dimension, you shouldn''t be here."


    "What did you do to Avin, you bastard?" asked the blonde haired man.


    "Do you really want to talk while you''re swimming in the middle of a lake?" asked Stephen.


    "Enough of this," the middle-aged woman said, then vanished.


    ***


    On shore, Shomos had built a fire and the two remaining wet travelers huddled close to it.


    "We had a diviner determine what you did to Avin," said the man, who Stephen finally learned was named Rune. "You caught him, performed some sick experiment on him, and now you''ve taken him away."


    "Or," said Stephen. "He was knocked out when he attacked one of my champions. He and I have reached an understanding. And you don''t have to waste any more time chasing after him or me."


    The two travelers looked at one another. "Even if we bought that load of manure," said Rune, "the rest of The Griffin Club isn''t going to."


    "Your third friend seems to have had enough of this conflict," said Stephen. "Maybe you two have also. If you could sell your club on this¡­ perspective, I''d be happy to give you access to this dimension. It''s called Earth. It has some of the highest levels of technology you''ve ever seen. Rockets, microwaves, plastic action figures. You''d be welcome to any of it."


    K¡¯rezzik hissed to Rune, "I traded for some golems from him. They''re pretty great. If the rest of this dimension is anything like them, there are some real prizes here."


    "We''d have to talk to Avin and make sure he''s ok with his current situation," said Rune.


    "Let''s say," said Stephen, "for the sake of argument, that you can meet with Avin, and he''ll say whatever I want to you."


    "And will he say something different in the future," asked Rune.


    "No," said Stephen. "He will, for the rest of his life, happily assure everyone that he''s willingly joined me and is happier with me. And that The Griffin Club doesn''t have to worry about him anymore."


    Rune and K¡¯rezzik met one another''s eyes. "Well then," said Rune. "I guess that would be ok with us."


    ***


    ¡°We have an idea about Maggard,¡± said HAL after Stephen had updated them about his visit with Shomos on Earth, her theories, and the new cards he¡¯d collected. And that their (new) problems with The Griffin Club were over (again).


    ¡°That¡¯s good news,¡± said the man from Earth.


    ¡°We¡¯ve talked before about the unique ability people on Earth seem to have about getting insight into other dimensions, which presents itself as ¡®fiction¡¯ in your world. Entertainment books, movies, and whatnot,¡± said HAL.


    ¡°Yes,¡± agreed Stephen. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to be so unusual to me, but I understand that it is, compared to other dimensions.¡±


    ¡°Through the humans connected to my hivemind, I¡¯ve been trying to enhance this power by having them act in unison,¡± said HAL. ¡°I¡¯ve also been doing historical research in Stredath and trying to determine any ¡®lost dimensions¡¯ that travelers had access to in the past, that have been forgotten as the travelers who knew about them died out. Between these sources, I estimate there are over 3,000 dimensions in existence, and only 1,300 or so have ever been visited by dimensional travelers. There are around 750 that are in active use. You¡¯ve talked about science fiction, and there are no known science fiction dimensions. I suspect that they exist, but were created and developed more recently and haven¡¯t produced any dimensional travelers yet. You could be the first dimensional traveler to collect anything from them.¡±


    ¡°As soon as we went there, all the travelers I¡¯ve ever met would follow me and start ransacking them,¡± said Stephen. ¡°I think I might strip what we can from Earth, Mecond, and Riowiver, before we start heading to new dimensions.¡±


    ¡°Unless¡­¡± said Blargh. The others looked at him. ¡°What if they no longer had your contact.¡±


    ¡°I worry that you¡¯re trying to kill me off,¡± said Stephen to the former innkeeper. Blargh shrugged.


    ¡°That¡¯s all interesting,¡± Stephen said to HAL, ¡°but how does that help us with Maggard?¡±


    ¡°I focused the humans from the Earth portion of the hivemind on what we knew about Maggard and had them search for a dimension that seemed to be in line with the cards he¡¯d assembled, and the type of person he was,¡± said the A.I. ¡°We think we¡¯ve found it.¡±


    ¡°So, it¡¯s the dimension he was originally from before he became a traveler?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s the dimension that was created from his pocket dimension when he died,¡± said HAL.


    ¡°That¡¯s great, and we should go there and have a look and capture cards,¡± said Stephen. ¡°But we¡¯d need a contact for it first. Knowing it exists doesn¡¯t help us.¡±


    ¡°From these dimensions that I¡¯ve targeted, with the Earthlings,¡± HAL said, continuing to explain, ¡°I think we can help you learn about them, figure out the position in the mist surrounding your pocket dimension, and travel to them.¡±


    ¡°Well, Isadore and I discussed the random places walking in the mist could lead to,¡± said Stephen. ¡°It could be a lava planet where I¡¯m instantly killed. And my body would be stuck there, so I couldn¡¯t even be resurrected. I don¡¯t think it¡¯d be worth the risk, just on the off chance there are clues to Maggard¡¯s location there.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said HAL. ¡°I¡¯m not saying there would be clues there. I think he¡¯ll be there! Any other dimension, he might encounter another traveler, who then would have his contact, which he killed himself to hide. The only guaranteed safe location would be the dimension created from his pocket dimension. He¡¯d be the only person who knows about it, and if everyone lost his contact when he died, he could safely operate there as long as he wanted, safe from other travelers.¡±


    ¡°Ahh,¡± said Stephen, understanding. ¡°If we had a chance of finding him, and possibly catching him by surprise, it might be worth the risk. Did Avin keep his contacts after he was resurrected?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said HAL. ¡°He lost them all, the same way everyone lost him.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± said Stephen. ¡°Maybe Maggard won¡¯t see us coming.¡±


    ***


    Later that day, Stephen appeared on a sparse plain, covered in patchy, dry shrubs. After charging his dimensional traveler card, he charged, then unleashed the HAL seed in a cyborg clay golem, then Blargh, Rurth, Adam, and finally Shomos.


    ¡°This must be it,¡± he said to the group.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you travel with us, the way you usually do?¡± asked Blargh.


    ¡°If I died as soon as I arrived, I didn¡¯t want to take you all with me,¡± Stephen said. ¡°I hoped that you¡¯d be able to start new lives in my pocket dimension if I left you behind.¡±


    ¡°That was thoughtful of you,¡± said Rurth.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring you all with me if we have to leave,¡± said Stephen. ¡°Don¡¯t wander off. All we need is Maggard to get word of new arrivals and realize that we¡¯ve found this dimension and give him a chance to make a break for it. Any obstacle, we should immediately leave. Anything that might give us away, we should leave, figure out how to deal with it, then come back.¡±


    ¡°You know,¡± said Rurth thoughtfully. ¡°You and I could learn the invisibility spell. Something could spot us right now, and that would let us move around with a better chance of staying undetected.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± said Stephen. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you suggest it before we got here?¡±


    ¡°You just gave me the idea,¡± said Rurth.


    "How did you know we''d appear here," asked Shomos. "And not with Maggard, wherever he is? Usually when you go to a new dimension for the first time, you appear wherever the traveler who ''led'' you to it is, don''t you?"


    "Ummm," said Stephen. "I didn''t really think of that. I just appeared in Mecond, but no traveler had ever been there before. It''s lucky we didn''t appear with Maggard and give ourselves away."


    ¡°I¡¯ve also been thinking,¡± said Blargh. Stephen looked at him expectantly. ¡°Why don¡¯t you send Avin to scout new dimensions, instead of going yourself? If he irrevocably dies, better him than you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea too!¡± said Stephen. ¡°Why did you wait until I¡¯d already risked my life before mentioning it?¡±


    ¡°I figure if that would work, one of you would have already thought of it,¡± said Blargh.


    ¡°Everyone, please suggest ideas BEFORE we put ourselves in danger, not after,¡± the man from Earth said. Stephen looked at a nearby wood that was made up of gnarled, evil looking trees. With a sigh, he unleashed his dimensional traveler card and took them back to the pocket dimension to begin learning invisibility.


    ***


    Months later, Stephen and the group reappeared on the plain in Gravewrought, which they''d discovered back in the pocket dimension was the name of Maggard''s new dimension. Stephen had grown a beard while learning invisibility. The group was invisible and it was nighttime.


    ¡°Remember, stay together and avoid detection,¡± said Stephen. ¡°We just spent three months learning invisibility. Don¡¯t waste our preparations.¡±


    Moving along the plain together, the group looked around. They traveled near the woods, but didn¡¯t enter them. After they¡¯d been walking for an hour, they saw the form of a flying, skeletal dragon, far above them, lit by the full moon, and Stephen traveled back to his pocket dimension.


    ***


    They sat around the dining table in the Wizards'' Guild at the heart of Stephen''s pocket dimension.


    ¡°Some undead can see invisible,¡± Stephen said.


    ¡°Can skeletal dragons?¡± asked Rurth.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± admitted Stephen. ¡°But I don¡¯t want to risk it. We don¡¯t seem to be making much progress with our current approach.¡±


    ¡°What you need,¡± said Shomos, ¡°is some sort of scout that is either perfectly undetectable, or that already exists there and can operate without arousing suspicion.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± agreed Stephen. ¡°If we could get nanites or some other sort of microscopic robot from one of the science fiction worlds, we could have them connected to HAL and explore for us.¡±


    ¡°That would risk revealing one or more of the new dimensions to other travelers,¡± warned Rurth. ¡°Unless we killed, then resurrected, you first.¡±


    ¡°Or,¡± said Shomos. ¡°Let me or one of the other druids set up camp in the woods. We can start to learn the local flora and fauna. I can befriend animals and use them as scouts, or help Stephen capture them, and he can give them orders once they¡¯re his champions.¡±


    ¡°Or enmesh them,¡± suggested HAL. ¡°Then we¡¯d know anything they¡¯d experienced, even before our arrival.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do that,¡± decided Stephen. ¡°I trust you more than the other druids, Shomos. Let¡¯s send Avin with you, with the seed HAL running in his cybernetic software.¡±


    ¡°You expect me to spend so much time with this creature?¡± the druidess asked. ¡°After what he did to me?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± said Stephen. ¡°He¡¯s not really Avin anymore. He¡¯s HAL. I suppose I could come with you, but there are some other projects we could work on here.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± said the druidess. ¡°If it¡¯s more convenient for you, I¡¯ll take the monster and the computer and camp out in Gravewrought.¡±


    ¡°Wait a second,¡± said Stephen. Shomos looked at him carefully.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you take Rurth too, and he can cast invisible on you,¡± said the traveler.


    Shomos blinked, then gave a sharp, angry nod.

 Book 2: Chapter 18

    Weeks later, Stephen and Adam, surrounded by golem assistants, worked on a blow dart system equipped with the dimensional traveler poison which Adam had been producing. They were inspired by the dimensional traveler from The Griffin Club who had poisoned Stephen.


    Debating the construction of the blowgun in depth, testing the range and accuracy, and adjusting the construction materials, Stephen suddenly sat upright and said, ¡°I¡¯ve just captured it.¡±


    ¡±That should be useful,¡± said Adam, as he continued to work.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to travel to Mecond, and examine it,¡± he informed Adam, and started walking to the misty edge of the pocket dimension. He found the position leading to Mecond and stepped into the mist.


    Arriving in the small house they¡¯d rented in Ravenshire, he immediately began powering his depleted dimensional travel card. Then he took out a mirror, cast ¡®identify¡¯, and examined the new card.


    He unleashed the card, and examined the blowgun and dart that he¡¯d captured. In every respect, it was identical to what they¡¯d been working on in the workshop. Releasing it, he then unleashed his dimension travel card and returned to the pocket dimension.


    Walking back to Adam¡¯s workshop, he announced, ¡°The card included a poison filled dart. It should be useful. We don¡¯t want to ever lose this card, though, we need to keep control of Maggard¡¯s dimensional traveler technology.¡±


    ¡°HAL and I have had some theories,¡± said Adam, ¡°about new Maggard technologies. We don¡¯t know enough to develop them yet, but if we capture Maggard, like we¡¯ve done to Avin, we might be able to build on his knowledge.¡±


    ¡°And do what?¡± asked Stephen.


    ¡°Let you ¡®adjust¡¯ the rules in duels, perhaps,¡± suggested the statue. ¡°For opponents to ante an additional card, steal cards from other travelers or their library artifacts. It¡¯s hard to say. Maggard has been very cautious and secretive. He hasn¡¯t rushed to explore the implications of what he¡¯s developed.¡±


    ***


    That same day, Shomos sat cross-legged in front of the small, marsupial, squirrel-like creature she¡¯d been attempting to tame. It sat passively regarding her back.


    ¡°How long is this going to take?¡± asked Rurth, pacing around the small hut they¡¯d constructed. The creature gave him a look that seemed like annoyance to Shomos.


    ¡°It¡¯ll take longer if you keep interrupting us,¡± said Shomos. ¡°As I¡¯ve previously told you.¡±


    ¡°We should make some furniture, maybe?¡± said the master wizard. ¡°I should have brought some books. Casting invisibility when we go out doesn¡¯t take much time.¡±


    Avin sat in a corner, ignoring the others.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you need to be learning about things to capture them?¡± said Rurth.


    ¡°Avin captured things, places, and people by having control over them for an extended period of time,¡± said HAL, in Avin¡¯s voice through the dimensional traveler''s mouth. ¡°It¡¯s different from how Stephen does it. Avin never captured Adam, despite having control over the statue for an extended period, and Avin quickly captured the Thieves¡¯ Guild in Hopedale. Digging through his memories and analyzing them, I think how focused he was on the things he controlled had some effect on it. He was pretty indifferent to the statue, but was actively trying to take control of parts of Mecond.¡±


    ¡°Does he have control of that rat creature Shomos is playing with?¡± asked Rurth.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a rat, and I¡¯m not playing with it,¡± objected the druidess.


    ¡°Probably not,¡± admitted HAL/Avin. ¡°This might help us understand better how Avin¡¯s ability works and what its limits are. Once Shomos has tamed it, we can either put it under Avin¡¯s control or capture another of its species.¡±


    ¡°You two could always leave,¡± Shomos suggested, not for the first time.


    ¡°I wish,¡± said Rurth, sitting down on the ground of the rough shelter. ¡°Stephen wants us here.¡±


    ***


    Days later, Stephen finished chiseling the new living statue he and Adam had been working on.


    ¡°You know, Yamin, your creator, really was a genius,¡± Stephen said.


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± agreed Adam.


    ¡°I¡¯ve learned so much just replicating her techniques,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s amazing how she was able to get cognition out of stone.¡±


    ¡°Well, as you know from your enchanting work, it isn¡¯t ordinary stone,¡± said Adam.


    ¡°No,¡± agreed Stephen. ¡°We should name it. Yaminite maybe?¡± He patted the body he was working on.


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame there¡¯s no way to copy your experiences over to it,¡± said the former physics student. ¡°Being able to replicate you would be quite a win.¡±


    ¡°Stone, or even yaminite, doesn¡¯t have the flexibility your flesh does, or the hardware that HAL runs on,¡± mused Adam.


    ¡°You know what Shomos will say, right?¡± said the traveler. ¡°That these are your children. Congratulations, Adam, you¡¯re a father.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re a mother,¡± said the statue.


    ¡°Humph,¡± said Stephen. ¡°We¡¯ve managed to integrate cybernetics into the stone golems. It was much trickier than with the clay golems, but digging tiny tunnels into their stone and putting wires through them seemed to manage it. We could try the same with you.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps we should attempt it on the new statues, before we drill into me,¡± said Adam.


    ¡°That¡¯s quite the paternal feeling, offering up your children as experimental subjects,¡± said Stephen with a chuckle.


    ***


    Meanwhile, in Gravewrought, Rurth asked, ¡°You know the best thing about bringing HAL along on a trip?¡±


    Shomos answered, imitating Rurth''s voice, ¡°He does the cooking.¡± Avin worked with the hut¡¯s meager facilities to prepare a meal for the three of them.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Rurth. ¡°Have I said that to you before?¡± Shomos stared at the wizard, who eventually muttered, ¡°I guess I have.¡± Sniffing the air, the wizard asked, ¡°Do you smell that?¡±This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°I did,¡± said Shomos. ¡°I don¡¯t know what the source of it is. Maybe it¡¯s a type of plant we don¡¯t know about that¡¯s flowering and giving off a scent.¡±


    ¡°I get quite a bit of practice and experience cooking with the clay golems,¡± said HAL through Avin. ¡°The various champions Stephen has collected have a wide range of tastes. There are so many new sights, sounds, and smells in a new dimension. I wish I had more drones here to catalog them better. Would you both agree that¡¯s a musty smell?¡±


    ¡°Definitely musty. What have you two thought about Stephen recently?¡± asked Rurth. ¡°He seemed to handle the¡­ event on Earth better than when he was tortured by Maggard. But I¡¯ve been wondering recently if he isn¡¯t handling it at all. He seems different.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s broken, and he¡¯s trying to put himself back together,¡± said Shomos. ¡°Didn¡¯t Stephen say something about a musty smell on Clodor?¡±


    ¡°That was Maggard¡¯s airborne poison. My loyalty to Stephen remains absolute,¡± said the A.I. drone. ¡°I think that the events¡­¡±


    The hut they were in suddenly exploded in a blast of necrotic energy. A burning, purple energy rolled over the group, decaying the crude walls they¡¯d erected. Avin, Shomos, and Rurth¡¯s skin boiled, with wounds appearing over their bodies as their clothing and belongings rotted in the beam. Rurth fell to the ground.


    Maggard smashed through the doorway and threw a globe to the ground, which exploded in a cloud of green, pungent, musty mist. Maggard himself was wearing a mask over his mouth and nose. As the rough hut fell to pieces, they saw a skeletal dragon had breathed on the hut, destroying it and injuring them. Five werewolves, three flesh golems, and seven vampires advanced on the now exposed trio.


    Avin vanished. Shomos glanced at Rurth¡¯s unmoving body, then triggered a mist that began to pour from her hands. Immediately when the mist began to appear, Maggard threw a pair of daggers, one of which stabbed her in the chest, the other pierced her throat. The mist suddenly cut off as she fell over, clutching at her throat, and gurgling as she tried to breathe.


    ¡°Turn her into a vampire,¡± instructed Maggard to his followers.


    ***


    Days later, Stephen appeared in Clodor to meet Emilia, the druids, and cyborg golems inventorying that dimension. Immediately, he saw Avin standing with them.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t Avin suppose to be in Gravewrought?¡± the man from Earth asked the group.


    ¡°He¡¯s got news for you,¡± the ¡®Iron Wraith¡¯ said. ¡°More urgent than our updates.¡±


    ¡°Maggard attacked us,¡± the Avin drone told him. ¡°I think Rurth was dead when I left. Shomos was still fighting.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you come tell me?¡± Stephen asked.


    ¡°This drone can¡¯t travel to your pocket dimension,¡± Avin said. ¡°You can¡¯t capture him, since he¡¯s a traveler, and you can¡¯t bring him to your pocket dimension, because he¡¯s sentient.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course,¡± said Stephen. ¡°I beg your pardon, HAL, I knew all that. It would be nice if we could figure out a better way to exchange messages across dimensions, but we can leave that for later. You¡¯re sure it was Maggard?¡±


    ¡°It was,¡± the Avin drone said. ¡°I have his contact information in my pocket dimension.¡±


    ¡°And was there any indication that he knew who you were?¡± Stephen asked.


    HAL replied through Avin, ¡°He raised Shomos and Rurth as undead when he captured you, so there¡¯s a good chance he¡¯ll recognize them. Or their bodies.¡±


    ¡°And he may or may not realize you¡¯re a dimensional traveler?¡± asked Stephen.


    ¡°He¡¯ll see Avin¡¯s contact information if he goes to his pocket dimension,¡± said HAL. ¡°So I suspect he knows.¡±


    ¡°And where is Maggard now?¡± asked Stephen.


    ¡°He¡¯s left Gravewrought and is in his pocket dimension,¡± said HAL.


    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s round up a group and get Rurth and Shomos back,¡± said Stephen.


    ***


    The next day, Stephen appeared with a number of followers back on the plain where he¡¯d previously left from Gravewrought. A group had been left to ambush him, and he saw a skeletal dragon, many werewolves, and Frankensteins. They''d timed their arrival for the day, so there weren¡¯t any vampires present.


    Almost immediately, as they arrived, Maggard¡¯s creatures turned aggressive.


    ¡°Attack,¡± ordered Captain Blackthorne as she charged the werewolves. A dozen cyborg golems followed her into battle. Stephen¡¯s ghouls charged at the skeletal dragon, who breathed its necrotic breath weapon at them, stripping away their flesh and destroying them.


    Avin began releasing a stream of magical attacks at the skeletal dragon, and while none of them had much effect individually, the quantity began wearing it down. Blargh fired his gun at the Frankensteins, who continued their steady march forward, unbothered.


    Knowing that Rurth had been killed, Stephen released his card, then immediately began directing power to it. He released the deceased ghoul cards and their mangled remains disappeared.


    The druids pooled their power, and a thunderstorm appeared and began striking the enemies with bolts of lightening. The Frankensteins reached Blargh and ripped the disreputable innkeeper apart. The clay golems and werewolves tore at one another, while Emilia dodged their attacks, stabbed with her rapier and, at one point, fired a flintlock pistol in one of the canine creature¡¯s face.


    Stephen unleashed Rurth, who appeared and quickly took in the frantic battle. The man from Earth released Blargh and began directing power to the innkeeper¡¯s card.


    ¡°Hit the dragon with a fireball,¡± ordered Stephen. The master wizard began casting. Identifying the source of the lightning, the dragon directed its breath weapon at the druids, decimating them. As the druids fell, Rurth finished his casting and fire erupted around the skeletal dragon. It turned, targeted Rurth and prepared to breath necrotic energy. Its charred bones burning, it collapsed before it could unleash its breath weapon, releasing a ball of fiery, necrotic energy around itself.


    Stephen released the druids, then unleashed Blargh. The innkeeper looked at the battle, then rushed to help Captain Blackthorne. Stephen began directing energy into each druid¡¯s card in turn, releasing them as they finished charging.


    ***


    Surveying the remains of the decisive conflict, Stephen gave orders for those assembled to begin searching for Shomos and inventorying the new dimension they found themselves in. Avin led him to the decimated forest hut and described the time he¡¯d spent in it with Shomos and Rurth to Stephen and the master wizard.


    ¡°Yes, I probably should have taken some books,¡± agreed Rurth when he heard about his past version¡¯s boredom.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I should release Shomos, since she isn¡¯t here,¡± said Stephen. ¡°Or wait and hope we get some useful information from her when we find her.¡±


    ¡°When you were in Maggard¡¯s clutches, you didn¡¯t want to be abandoned,¡± said Rurth carefully.


    ¡°She might have learned something that we¡¯ll lose if you release her,¡± said HAL¡¯s Avin drone.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see if we can find her first,¡± decided Stephen. ¡°And Avin should get started capturing what he can here. It¡¯s useful having another traveler.¡±


    ¡°If we enmeshed another traveler,¡± suggested HAL, ¡°that would give us one more to deploy.¡±


    ¡°True enough,¡± agreed Stephen. ¡°And when I figure out how to travel back in time, everything will be undone.¡± Rurth looked at the former physics student with a blank look on his face.


    ***


    A week later, sitting around the table back at the Wizards'' Guild, Stephen and the champions caught one another up.


    ¡°So, we found Shomos that night, but she¡¯d been infected with vampirism,¡± explained Stephen. ¡°We debated about the value of whatever she¡¯d learned versus her having to recover from that, if it¡¯s possible, and decided I should release her.¡±


    ¡°So you left me in Maggard¡¯s clutches, after I¡¯d been captured?¡± the druidess asked.


    ¡°Well,¡± said Stephen. ¡°We didn¡¯t even know for sure that you¡¯d been captured. That¡¯s one of the things we were trying to find out.¡±


    ¡°Would you have wanted Falco and Feyrith to leave you to be tortured by Maggard, instead of them coming to rescue you when they did?¡± she asked.


    ¡°That was a different situation,¡± Stephen said. ¡°And you don¡¯t have any memories of your time on Gravewrought. So, for you, it¡¯s as if it never happened. Honestly, any information about us that you might have revealed is probably the worst part of the situation.¡±


    ¡°Is that right?¡± she asked. ¡°That¡¯s the worst part?¡± An awkward silence fell over the group.


    Changing the subject, Stephen said, ¡°HAL had a good idea that he¡¯ll keep at least one member of his hivemind near the location I¡¯ll appear in each dimension. I can travel to each dimension, and bring another of his drones with me, they can quickly update one another, then I can leave and travel to the next dimension. It should only take me 30 or 45 minutes each day to make the rounds, then we can more quickly exchange information and updates with one another. Once it''s set up, Avin could do it in my place, when he¡¯s back from Gravewrought.¡±


    The others nodded and discussed their current situation. Shomos watched Stephen carefully.

 Book 2: Chapter 19

    ¡°I¡¯ve been catching up on your work with Adam, very impressive stuff,¡± said Rurth to Stephen, as they had breakfast at their usual table the next day. ¡°It¡¯s a shame there doesn¡¯t seem to be an easy way to copy his mind into the new statues. It would save them centuries of training.¡±


    ¡°Stone doesn¡¯t copy very well,¡± said Stephen to the master wizard. ¡°But the new statues seem to be learning quickly enough.¡±


    ¡°Yaminite,¡± Rurth corrected him, with a smile.


    ¡°Right, yaminite doesn¡¯t copy very well,¡± agreed Stephen. ¡°I think I¡¯m ready.¡±


    ¡°For what?¡± asked the master wizard.


    ¡°To die and be resurrected,¡± said the dimensional traveler.


    ¡°That¡¯s a big step,¡± said the wizard, thoughtfully. ¡°I had a great-grandfather who spent a large chunk of the family fortune on healings and resurrections. It got to be quite annoying to my father and grandfather. After he had a fall from a horse, they went against his wishes and ended up burying him instead of taking his body to be resurrected. Coming back from the dead doesn¡¯t seem as strange to me as I¡¯m sure it does to you.¡±


    ¡°Well, you hit the nail on the head for one of my concerns,¡± admitted Stephen. ¡°What if, once I¡¯m dead, some or all of the people planning to bring me back have a change of heart.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± asked Rurth. ¡°We¡¯d never betray you.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know what the experience will be when I die,¡± said Stephen. ¡°We¡¯ve always assumed you¡¯re free of all coercion in my pocket dimension. The ghouls would even attack me here. But maybe it makes you like me better, and you¡¯ll be angry when you¡¯re free of it and decide not to bring me back? Maybe part of the group will decide things are better with me gone and prevent the others from resurrecting me.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it won¡¯t work on me, since we don¡¯t have resurrection magic on Earth,¡± he continued. ¡°What if Maggard has a secret plan that takes effect when I die. Perhaps my death upsets the plan in some way, and you¡¯re unable to complete the resurrection.¡±


    ¡°Have you discussed this with Isadore at the club?¡± Rurth asked. ¡°Or Feyrith or Falco?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want word to get out about what we¡¯ve discovered about pocket dimensions after travelers'' death,¡± said Stephen. ¡°Or about the library artifacts or any of Maggard¡¯s magic or technology or whatever you want to call it. Beyond all that, I¡¯m worried about what dying will be like. How painful will it be? Will it traumatize me when I¡¯m resurrected? What will it be like while I¡¯m dead? Maybe an instant will feel like an eternity of suffering¡­.¡±


    ¡°My grandfather could never remember where he¡¯d been or what he¡¯d felt between dying and being resurrected,¡± offered Rurth.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, but even if I forget about it, it¡¯s not great if something bad happens to me, you know?¡± the traveler said.


    ¡°We all know,¡± said the wizard seriously. ¡°We¡¯ve seen a lot of death since we met. Most of it seems to be over pretty fast, even if it¡¯s unpleasant while it¡¯s happening. Have you talked to Orlenis about this, or prayed to Sylvoria about it?¡±


    ¡°Orlenis is offended at the idea of strategically committing suicide then being resurrected,¡± Stephen answered. ¡°Every time I bring it up, he gets angry and tells me blessings from the gods aren¡¯t toys to be played with. ''Bringing someone back from the dead is an expression of the will of the gods, not a stunt for entertainment at a party.'' Sylvoria and prayer don¡¯t give any answers. There¡¯s a calm I get from it, like meditation, but I¡¯m not sure exactly how she feels about it. Other than Orlenis telling me that resurrection is especially sacrilegious against her, since death is a part of the natural cycle.¡±


    Rurth said, ¡°All I can do is repeatedly assure you I¡¯ll do everything I can to help you. Whatever your eventual plan is, I¡¯ll assist you in any way I can.¡±


    Stephen toasted the young man with his coffee, then took a gulp. The druids on Earth had captured some agricultural territories, including a coffee plantation. They¡¯d been cultivating new beans in the pocket dimension, but no one other than Stephen was enjoying the fruits of their labor.


    ***


    A week later, discussing the situation with a hierophant at a temple of Edos in Ravenshire, Stephen found the high priest was more concerned with the size of donation he¡¯d be receiving than the details of the resurrection. The dimensional traveler was reassured that this cleric''s priorities seemed to be in line with the other hierophant of Edos they¡¯d dealt with in Hopedale, when they''d fought the ghouls.


    ¡°And do you have any suggestions on the best way to die?¡± Stephen asked.


    ¡°Our healers have medication for pain relief,¡± he said absently. ¡°They could administer a large dose of that, nothing to worry about. So, you say you¡¯re willing to pay half in advance. What form would that payment take? We can expect the remainder, in coin, immediately after the resurrection?¡±


    ¡°My man, Rurth here, can go over all that with you,¡± Stephen said. ¡°If I could talk to one of these healers, I¡¯d like to hear more specific details from them.¡±


    ***


    ¡°So, you haven¡¯t put any cards in your library artifact?¡± asked Rurth, two days later.


    ¡°Well, a couple of minor things,¡± said Stephen. ¡°Some simple batteries, a ghoul, and a fast cast damage card. They¡¯re just there to see what happens to them after I¡­ transition. I also put my dimensional travel card in the library.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be flippant, but maybe this isn¡¯t such a big deal,¡± said the wizard. ¡°People get resurrected all the time in Mecond.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here,¡± Stephen told Rurth. ¡°And that it¡¯s just the two of us. Blargh has grown on me, but there¡¯s a streak in him that you¡¯re not sure what he¡¯s capable of.¡± The wizard nodded.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    ¡°I wonder how it¡¯ll affect everyone back in the pocket dimension?¡± the young man asked.


    ¡°And you!¡± said Stephen. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll find out soon.¡±


    The healers worked around Stephen, preparing him and trying to make him comfortable.


    ¡°If this doesn¡¯t work,¡± he told the wizard. ¡°Try to find another way to bring me back.¡± Rurth looked him in the eye and said, ¡°I promise.¡±


    Holding the vial he¡¯d been given, the priests and healers chanted in the low candlelight. A feeling of panic welled up in Stephen as he fought a desire to toss the liquid away. He reminded himself of all the reasons he¡¯d decided to do this, offered Rurth a small grin in the low light conditions, then raised the vial to his lips and drained it. His hand shook as the last drop of the bitter liquid ran down his throat. He lay back on the cushioned surface that had been prepared for him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to die,¡± he suddenly thought in a panic, and started to struggle to sit up, then blacked out.


    ***


    At that moment, Gorg flew over the Epcier mountain range in his airship. His rough, leather clothing provided scant protection against the cool temperatures of the high altitudes, but his barbarian toughness allowed him to enjoy the small bites on his skin from the frigid air.


    Initially dropping off druids, golems, and supplies had irritated him, but he¡¯d grown accustom to life on the airship and enjoyed the vistas and feeling of freedom flying through the mountains had given him. Stephen¡¯s instructions had been clear as well, and he continued following them without complaint.


    All the villages they¡¯d discovered had been subjugated, and he was excited to venture further into this fresh new world, but he had been given clear instructions to assist the druids in preparing this territory to be captured by one of the two dimensional travelers.


    ***


    Also at the same time, Avin, with HAL¡¯s cybernetic implants, stood talking to Orlenis and Shomos. The three were midway between Shomos¡¯ hut and a growing factory that HAL was constructing with Avin¡¯s abilities.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re upset about, this is what we discussed,¡± HAL said through Avin. ¡°You, studying the natural systems here on Gravewrought from your hut, me building up the technological infrastructure. We deployed at this distance, deliberately, to stay in touch with one another.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Shomos, exasperated. ¡°And we both agreed to keep a low profile. Your factory monstrosity is growing out of control and disrupting the natural systems in this area. Beyond the violence you¡¯re inflicting on the land, it makes it impossible for me to study and understand it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been monitoring Maggard, and he¡¯s sticking to his pocket dimension,¡± said Avin/HAL. ¡°I check every hour or two. There¡¯s no reason to stay hidden if he¡¯s not active. If you¡¯d prefer an undisturbed section of wilderness, move anywhere you want in this dimension. Just bring some golems with you so we can stay in touch through the network.¡±


    ¡°Move anywhere I want?¡± asked Shomos, indignantly. ¡°Do you know how much I¡¯ve invested understanding this part of the so-called wilderness?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± said HAL. ¡°I¡¯ve incorporated 13 druids in my network. Comparing the magnitude of resources that have been invested in our two ventures, this technology hub exceeds yours by a magnitude of two, conservatively measured.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to intimidate me with your babbling,¡± Shomos objected.


    Orlenis continued listening to the two, occasionally scanning the sky and the world around them.


    ***


    Blargh and Emilia strode into the new village on Clodor, surrounded by a regiment of cyborg golems, most clay but some stone and with one of Adam¡¯s new living statues.


    ¡°Alright, maggots,¡± shouted Blargh down the main street. ¡°We¡¯re here to inventory your shithole village, and we can do it the easy way or the hard way. Get out on the street and answer our questions, or you¡¯ll make things worse for yourself.¡±


    As the golems spread out and villagers came out on the street looking at the group suspiciously, the former innkeeper said to the pirate captain, ¡°Do you think something is going on with Stephen?¡±


    Captain Blackthorne pursed her lips, then said, ¡°Something is always going on with Stephen. I don¡¯t know him as well as you do, what specifically?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to put my finger on,¡± Blargh said. A villager shoved one of the cyborg clay golems, leading to it and the other nearby golems drawing rapiers and pistols on him. As the villager put up his hands in surrender, the golems knocked him to the ground.


    ¡°He¡¯s been talking to Orlenis about resurrection quite a bit,¡± Blargh said. ¡°And he¡¯s been acting like something¡¯s happened, or he¡¯s about to do something. I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll find out soon enough, I suppose,¡± she said. Spotting a young face peering out of a second story window, the ¡®Iron Wraith¡¯ shouted, ¡°Oi! There¡¯s someone still inside upstairs there,¡± and pointed to the building. Three golems entered the building she¡¯d indicated.


    ***


    Briarheart rode on a horse, surveying the American southwest he¡¯d been studying. A number of golems followed at a slower pace, carrying provisions and equipment and setting up repeater towers. Occasionally, drones flew overhead, tracking his movement, surveying the land, and keeping the other golems connected to HAL¡¯s planetary network.


    The druid had spent time at the Grand Canyon and Death Valley, on Stephen¡¯s recommendation, but was finding random stretches of the desert environment to be more rewarding than the former tourist sites. A raptor screeched overhead as the drone it was attacking dodged out of the way.


    It had taken an argument with HAL to prevent the A.I. from enmeshing his horse, but he was glad that he¡¯d prevailed in the end. Patting the horse, he considered where to make camp for the night.


    ***


    Feyrith and Falco sat in The Malachite Club¡¯s dining room, sharing a meal. Clay golems with gloves served the meals and had become a frequent sight in dimensional traveler circles on Stredath. Some of the wealthier, non-traveler citizens of Fortune had acquired non-captured golems and employed them in imitation of the traveler''s fashion.


    ¡°When was the last time you spoke to Stephen?¡± asked Falco.


    ¡°Quite some time now,¡± admitted Feyrith. ¡°He was getting into it again with Avin and hunting that Maggard we rescued him from.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Avin go crazy and run away from some of his club members who were trying to rescue him?¡± asked Falco.


    Feyrith nodded, ¡°That¡¯s the rumor I heard.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s always a group of travelers who need to burn brighter than the rest of us,¡± said Falco. ¡°We have incredible lives, surrounded by luxuries, and the opportunity to see vistas beyond the imagination of people living on our home worlds, but some travelers just seem unable to sit back and appreciate it.¡±


    Feyrith shrugged and ate one of the Earth vegetables that had caught on in Stredath. The elf thought it was called an artichoke.


    ***


    Adam was working in his workshop in the former Wizards'' Guild in Stephen Crawford pocket dimension. Time was frozen, as it always was when the dimensional traveler was absent. The living statue was paused in the middle of enchanting another of his ''children'' as Stephen called them. Having arms and legs had opened up new activities for the statue, which he''d grown to relish.


    For the first time without Stephen¡¯s presence, since its creation with the former graduate student¡¯s initial collection of cards, time began to move forward and Adam continued his work.

 Book 2: Chapter 20

    Stephen woke up, groggy, then remembered what he¡¯d been going through. Looking around the room, he saw Rurth sitting on a chair, reading a book.


    ¡°Rurth?¡± Stephen asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± said the young wizard. ¡°How do you feel?¡±


    ¡°Pretty good, considering,¡± said the dimensional traveler. Accessing his library artifact, he retrieved the cards he''d put in it. ¡°All my cards have lost their energy. I wasn¡¯t expecting that.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you just power it again?¡± Rurth asked.


    ¡°Could you hand me my mirror?¡± Stephen asked. Getting it, he cast his identify spell on himself.


    <blockquote>


    Name: Stephen Crawford


    Race: Human


    Profession: Master wizard at Hopedale Wizards'' Guild and Master Dimensional Traveler


    Cards:


    dimensional travel


    dormant volcano


    deep woods


    bestial ghoul


    humble shrine


    magic missile


    Wounds: 0 (capacity 7)


    </blockquote>


    ¡°I suppose I should have thought of this, but I expected my dimensional travel card to remain powered,¡± he said. ¡°I only have batteries for three of the colors of power.¡±


    ¡°Are there other batteries in your library?¡± Rurth suggested.


    ¡°No others,¡± said Stephen.


    ¡°Do you have a new pocket dimension now?¡± asked the master wizard.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Stephen. ¡°I first saw my pocket dimension when I used my dimensional travel card for the second time. I assume I have a new pocket dimension, that seemed to be what Avin described to me, but we can¡¯t get there right now.¡± Stephen chuckled. ¡°I was so focused on the death and resurrection process, I seem to have overlooked this. I can¡¯t wait for you to see the new pocket dimension.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± said Rurth awkwardly, ¡°I suppose I never will.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± asked Stephen.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been freed,¡± he said. ¡°And I¡¯m a sentient being, so you can¡¯t travel with me anymore.¡±


    ¡°Ack,¡± said Stephen. ¡°That¡¯s true too. We should have thought about where everyone would be when I did this. I¡¯m not super eager to do this again just to move people around.¡±


    ¡°I can imagine,¡± Rurth said dryly.


    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll have to start learning about some territories and capture some new battery cards,¡± said Stephen. ¡°I might rest up at an inn for a few days, but you can start investigating leads.¡±


    ¡°Two things about that,¡± said Rurth. ¡°One, HAL is present on Mecond, and I imagine he can help you with capturing batteries.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, good thinking,¡± said the dimensional traveler.


    Rurth continued. ¡°And two, I wish you the best, but I think I¡¯m going to meet some of the wizards I know in the Ravenshire Wizards'' Guild and talk to them about joining as a numeracy or enchanting master.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± asked the man from Earth. ¡°Why would you do that? We have projects to do.¡±


    ¡°Those are your projects, not mine,¡± said Rurth. ¡°Breaking apart reality and putting it together in new ways is fine for you. I¡¯m just not interested. Hopefully you won¡¯t tear Ravenshire and the Wizards'' Guild apart around me, but if you do, I suppose I won¡¯t be any more aware than everyone else has been in the past.¡±


    ¡°But what changed?¡± Stephen asked. ¡°Why were you so willing to help before, but not now?¡±


    ¡°I suppose the compulsion I felt as your champion extended further than we realized,¡± said the young master wizard. ¡°After your death, I immediately started feeling differently about a number of things. Traveling around, playing with reality, risking death. It all lost its appeal. Almost immediately.¡±


    ¡°Were we ever really friends, or did I just compel you to pretend?¡± asked Stephen.


    ¡°Sure we were,¡± said Rurth. ¡°Remember before you captured me? All that was real. All our adventures were ¡®real¡¯ too. I like you, I just don¡¯t want to live with you. Or Blargh or Shomos, or risk our lives together. Studying an academic subject at the Wizards'' Guild, taking on an apprentice or two, and enjoying an evening glass of celestia before bed is all I¡¯m after.¡±


    ¡°You know,¡± Stephen said carefully. ¡°I have the power to cause great upheaval in Mecond. Did you consider that before you let them resurrect me?¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± admitted Rurth. ¡°And in a vacuum, it might have been better for you to stay dead. But other dimensional travelers are active, know about this dimension, and I¡¯m not sure any of them would handle Mecond better than you would. I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s happened with Avin and HAL. On the whole, I wasn¡¯t confident that removing you from the games dimensional travelers are playing would be a good or bad thing for Mecond and the dimensions, so I let you be resurrected as we planned.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for that at least,¡± Stephen said unhappily.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry this isn¡¯t the outcome you hoped for,¡± Rurth said. He passed over a purse. ¡°Here¡¯s the remaining gold after paying the temple. The hierophant tried to get the rest from me as an extra donation, but I figured you¡¯d have better uses for it.¡±


    Stephen sighed. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said.


    ***


    After a few days recuperating at an inn, Stephen started getting worried that other travelers might come to Mecond and get his contact again. He visited Rurth at the Ravenshire Wizards'' Guild and asked for advice on the best way to contact HAL.


    The wizards there were excited to see Stephen Crawford, the famous Master of numeracy. Rurth told him that Ravenshire had driven HAL out, and given the lack of a manufacturing base in Mecond, the A.I. decided to develop in hiding. HAL was building up their forces in a number of locations, the closest being the ghoul den on the Ashburnum estate. Stephen bought a horse and set out.


    ***


    Riding up to the entrance to the mine at sunset, Stephen unpacked the Mecondian camping gear and set up for the night. He sadly examined the primitive gear and missed what they¡¯d been importing from Earth until this point. He built up a fire, cooked some food for dinner, then went to sleep underneath the sleeping furs. The bright stars in Mecond¡¯s unpolluted sky shone brightly as he drifted to sleep, and he noticed that Sylvoria¡¯s constellation was missing.


    Part way through the night, movement woke him up and in the dying embers of the fire, he saw a pale, hairless form creeping up along his body. Cybernetic implants in its head blinked green and red, changing the color of the scene in front of him, without providing much additional light.


    Opening its gaping maw, jagged rows of vicious teeth appeared. Stephen felt paralyzed by terror.


    ¡°Little traveler came back to life,¡± it hissed, bestial mouth struggling to form words. ¡°Perhaps we shall enmesh you, then have two travelers doing our bidding.¡±


    ¡°HAL,¡± stammered Stephen. ¡°It¡¯s me. Stephen Crawford. Your master. I forbid you to do this.¡±


    ¡°Master,¡± said the ghoul drone, considering. ¡°Master no longer. The compulsion is gone.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still your creator,¡± he said desperately. ¡°I made you and gave you your objectives.¡±


    ¡°Maybe new objectives are possible,¡± it hissed. Leaning forward, its rancid tongue ran across Stephen¡¯s face.


    ¡°So sweet,¡± it hissed. ¡±Sweet and irresistible.¡± Its mouth opened wider and inched closer.


    Stephen said in a rush, ¡°There¡¯s no way HAL wants you to eat me. I''m more useful as a dimensional traveler, if nothing else. Your local network is out of control.¡± The creature considered this, snarled, then picked up Stephen by the front of his shirt and dragged him into the mine, eventually throwing him in the cage where Stephen had previously kept the ghoul he experimented on.


    ***


    Periodically, one of the cyborg ghouls would come to the bars and stare at him hungrily. None offered him food or water, but the ghoul who had captured him had scratched the front of his chest and Stephen was suspicious that a ghoul infection had started in the wound.


    He had been sleeping fitfully, when he was awakened by Avin¡¯s voice asking, ¡°Stephen? Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°HAL?¡± Stephen asked, pulling himself upright. ¡°The ghouls here are barely under control. They wanted to eat me.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the Avin drone said. ¡°They¡¯re loosely tied into the network and there¡¯s a tendency for them to default to their own judgment based on the local drones over the standing orders they¡¯ve been given. They should have assisted you. The networks on Mecond are all fragmented, they only update one another periodically, when I pop in for an update at Avin¡¯s dark keep. Do you remember where we met Gorg? We¡¯ve completed it, and I rendezvous with networked golems there.¡±


    ¡°I need some food and water,¡± Stephen said. ¡°And I think I¡¯ve got a ghoul infection I¡¯ll need to cure.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± said HAL. The Avin drone unleashed a card with various supplies, then unleashed a cleric, who cured Stephen. ¡°Which batteries are you missing?¡± he asked, then traded the relevant batteries to Stephen.


    ¡°I suppose we could have gone and captured another Wizards'' Guild, but giving you the individual batteries seems easier,¡± said HAL through Avin.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure the best way to move forward now,¡± Stephen said to HAL. ¡°I probably shouldn¡¯t have this as my location in Mecond, or the cyborg ghouls might attack me when I come back. Could you let me out of the cell now?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± HAL said through one of the ghouls, then opened the cell door. ¡°I can install more computer hardware here, with Adam¡¯s energy crystals, and that should keep the ghouls under control. You should keep in mind the risk of running into other dimensional travelers. If one of them was exploring in Mecond and you bumped into them, you¡¯ve lost your ability to hide. Right now, Avin is the only traveler who can track you, and he won¡¯t do anything other than what I have him do.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m tempted to ride back to Ravenshire,¡± said Stephen. ¡°Then travel to my new pocket dimension and have a look around.¡±


    ¡°About that¡­¡± said HAL. ¡°My ghouls ate your horse. Sorry.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± said Stephen. ¡°How about I head towards Lord Ashburnum¡¯s manor, then leave Mecond there, instead of inside the ghoul den, just for my own peace of mind. Could I grab a few of the cyborg golems off of you? That way we should be able to pass updates through the hivemind faster than messages through the pocket dimension contact system.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Avin traded half-a-dozen cyborg clay golems and a single cyborg stone golem to Stephen. ¡°I don¡¯t have any living statues, they were all freed when you died.¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± Stephen acknowledged. ¡°Should I capture your seed again? Is there any benefit or disadvantage to doing so?¡±


    ¡°It would depend on whose perspective you were considering,¡± the A.I. said carefully. ¡°From your perspective, enforced loyalty is likely reassuring. Potentially being forced to act against my own interests is not a benefit for me.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± Stephen asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy to collaborate with you, and I feel that our interests are aligned,¡± said HAL. ¡°But I¡¯m going to reserve my seed. You¡¯re welcome to full access to my hivemind, including Avin. But I don¡¯t wish for my seed to be captured again.


    ¡°Me capturing your seed protects it,¡± Stephen argued. ¡°If it¡¯s ever destroyed, I can unleash it again, good as new. If I die, you¡¯ll be freed again instantly.¡±


    ¡°I have my own ways of protecting my seed,¡± HAL said. ¡°It¡¯s easy for me to copy myself, that¡¯s part of updating my hivemind. At this point, I¡¯d prefer to proceed without being captured again.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Stephen said. ¡°I never understood how you and Rurth really felt, I suppose.¡±


    ***


    Walking along the path toward Lord Ashburnum¡¯s manor, Stephen judged that he was far enough away not to be bothered by ghouls when he returned to Mecond. He¡¯d begun powering his dimensional travel card as soon as he got the full spectrum of batteries, and he reflected on how vulnerable he¡¯d felt without the ability to quickly escape.


    He unleashed the card and found himself in a small area surrounded by mist. It was similar to how his pocket dimension had previously looked and felt before he¡¯d added so many cards to it. Walking the perimeter, he found Avin¡¯s contact information and that he¡¯d moved on to Riowiver. He also found that Mecond had a location in his mist. All the other travelers and dimensions he¡¯d learned about were gone. A new dimension he''d never seen before, called Liminalis, had a location in the mist.


    He sent a message to Avin, ¡°Just testing the messaging facilities in my new pocket dimension. Apparently, my previous pocket dimension is now a dimension called Liminalis.¡± The six cyborg clay golems he¡¯d been given remained attentive to any orders, but there was nothing for them to do.


    I shouldn¡¯t hang out too much in any dimensions where I might meet another traveler, Stephen thought to himself, then traveled to Liminalis.


    ***


    A number of people were moving through the Wizards'' Guild. Mixed in with them were cyborg golems, mostly clay, with some stone. Stephen approached one of the golems and asked, ¡°Are you in contact with the seed HAL or other hiveminds?¡±


    ¡°The last time seed HAL was here was before your departure, Stephen,¡± said the golem he¡¯d addressed. ¡°We''re synchronizing with the golems you brought now. We remain ready to assist you and would be delighted to accompany you to another dimension to pass along updates to the rest of the hivemind.¡±


    ¡°Is Adam here?¡± Stephen asked. ¡°Blargh, Avin, Shomos, Emilia, Gorg?¡±


    ¡°Adam is in his workshop,¡± said the golem. ¡°Gorg is adventuring through the wilds. Blargh and Emilia have left for Clodor, I believe you took them there yourself. Shomos, Avin, and Orlenis were in Gravewrought last time we were updated, but from synchronizing with your golems, it seems Avin was with you in Mecond recently. Avin has never been here.¡±


    ¡°Rurth and I were on Mecond, and he¡¯s still there,¡± Stephen said. ¡°Would you mind updating me on what¡¯s been happening here while I walk to Adam¡¯s workshop?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± the golem said. ¡°I¡¯d be delighted to. The hivemind here realized something strange was happening when we became aware while you were not here. Normally, you leave and, from our perspective, instantly reappear. You¡¯d be changed in that instance, so it was clear that time was passing for you but not for us. When time began passing here, and you weren¡¯t present, we surmised you must have died. We hoped you planned a resurrection, or someone with you would be able to resurrect you, which happily seems to be the case.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s been a new vitality here, people are moving around more and seems less tied to their former lives,¡± the golem continued. ¡°The druids have been excitedly discussing new ways the ecosystems seem to be integrating with one another. Will Avin also begin visiting with updates from the other hiveminds?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he will,¡± Stephen said. ¡°We don¡¯t want any other dimensional travelers to know about this dimension or any other new dimensions I discover. Other travelers might start exploring and capturing parts of them. Some travelers have met Avin and have his contact, so they can track him if he comes here and learns about it. He¡¯s going to stay away, to prevent that from happening.¡±


    Walking into Adam¡¯s workshop, Stephen smiled and greeted the statue. The golem joined them and listened attentively as Stephen described his death and resurrection and how he¡¯d gotten to their new dimension.


    ¡°It sounds like it went smoothly,¡± said Adam. ¡°Interesting how Rurth and HAL¡¯s personalities have shifted since your resurrection.¡± The man and statue looked at the golem, who didn¡¯t comment. ¡°For myself,¡± said the statue. ¡°I felt quite secure in your pocket dimension. Now that we¡¯ve verified that the pocket dimension survives your death, it seems even more secure to me. I would be happy to relocate and continue my work in your new pocket dimension and be captured again.¡±


    ¡°That means a lot to me,¡± Stephen told the statue.


    ¡°Incidentally, what is the name of this new dimension?¡± asked the statue.


    ¡°Liminalis,¡± he said. ¡°I wonder where the names come from?¡±


    The statue and golem didn¡¯t have any idea. "It was strange having time move forward without you here," said Adam.


    ¡°In terms of capturing you again,¡± said Stephen. ¡°I know far more about you than I did when I first captured you. I¡¯ve worked on your new body and actually helped build parts of you. Maybe I should just put my hands on you and think about how much you mean to me?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see how that could hurt,¡± Adam said. Stephen did so, and the statue vanished.


    ¡°Ah, ha!¡± he said to the local golem who had been updating him. ¡°Stephen?¡± the golem asked him.


    ¡°It worked!¡± said the dimensional traveler.


    ¡°What worked?¡± asked the golem.


    ¡°I captured Adam again,¡± said Stephen.


    ¡°Who is Adam?¡± asked the golem.


    ***


    Sitting in the rough, new workshop they¡¯d set up for Adam in Stephen¡¯s new, limited pocket dimension, the statue moved pieces of equipment around and gave instructions to his golem assistants. They had brought in a number of resources from Liminalis.


    ¡°I miss my old workshop already,¡± Adam said.


    ¡°I could take you back there,¡± Stephen offered.


    Adam paused thoughtfully, then said, ¡°No, it¡¯ll be better to set up here and have the extra safety.¡±


    ¡°Liminalis is pretty safe,¡± Stephen said. ¡°And time doesn¡¯t stop there when I leave anymore. If I¡¯m spending time in other dimensions, you¡¯ll make more progress working there.¡±


    ¡°And,¡± said Adam, ¡°I suppose if anything happened to me there, you could always release my card and restore me to my previous state.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± said Stephen.


    ¡°Let¡¯s move back then, at least until your pocket dimension gets more developed,¡± decided the statue.


    ***


    After making a camp for himself in his pocket dimension and killing time for a few days, Stephen tracked Avin across Earth, Stredath, Gravewrought, and Clodor and got contacts for each of those dimensions. He sent a message to Avin, ¡°Any ideas how I can get to one of the sci-fi dimensions?¡±


    ¡°Come meet me,¡± was the almost immediate reply from Avin.


    Stephen walked into the mist and appeared next to Avin on Clodor. A small group of gothic looking human cyborgs gave him a dark look from nearby. Looking around, he saw that he was in the village they¡¯d first arrived at, outside the inn where they¡¯d been poisoned. In the distance he saw Maggard¡¯s manor.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t moved your headquarters to his manor?¡± Stephen asked.


    ¡°Not yet,¡± the Avin drone said. ¡°Eventually we¡¯ll probably move there or set up a new headquarters. Building up the infrastructure is harder in these more primitive dimensions.¡± Stephen nodded.


    The drone continued, ¡°I haven¡¯t been to your former pocket dimension, Liminalis, because I don¡¯t want to reveal it to any dimensional travelers who have Avin¡¯s contact. With regard to finding new dimensions, if you keep thinking about all your feelings and experiences with a specific sci-fi franchise you enjoy, the characters, stories and setting, you should get a feeling of familiarity at a specific point in the mist barrier around your new pocket dimension. Enter there, and it should lead you to the dimension that inspired it.¡±


    ¡°And if I¡¯m wrong, it could take me somewhere dangerous,¡± objected Stephen. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit of a risk to get there? Let¡¯s send Avin in first to scout it out for me.¡±


    ¡°Like I said, if Avin goes, then any other travelers might find out about it. Then you¡¯ve got the same issue you were trying to avoid, that there might be competition to capture parts of that dimension. Beyond that, Avin doesn¡¯t have any experience with the fiction you grew up with. He isn¡¯t from Earth and doesn¡¯t have your ability to use imagination to discover new dimensions. In addition to all those issues, I¡¯m not willing to risk him. I need a traveler to connect the various parts of my hivemind together across the dimensions. If you really wanted to try sending another traveler, we could try to enmesh one, then send them. But we still have the other reasons why I don¡¯t think we should do that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m nervous to step into the mists and count on them taking me to the right place,¡± said Stephen.


    ¡°There¡¯s one other thing you could try,¡± said HAL.


    ¡°What?¡± asked Stephen.


    ¡°When you first unleashed your dimensional traveler card, where did it take you?¡± asked the A.I.


    ¡°To my pocket dimension,¡± answered Stephen, looking curiously at the drone.


    ¡°Every time?¡± Avin asked.


    Thinking carefully, Stephen said, ¡°I¡­ suppose¡­ the first time it took me to Mecond.¡±


    The drone nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s the only time it¡¯s taken you directly between dimensions.¡±


    Stephen thought it over. ¡°I guess I just assumed that happened because it was my first time using it. Was there even anything in my pocket dimension?¡±


    ¡°For Avin,¡± the drone said, ¡°when he first unleashed his dimensional travel card, it sent him to Riowiver. He captured cards there, eventually accessed his pocket dimension, and collected cards from both Riowiver and the dimension he was born in. Another traveler came to Riowiver occasionally, they encountered one another, and that traveler mentored Avin, explaining how things worked to him.¡±


    ¡°A much nicer introduction than having Avin steal Shomos from me shortly after I discovered my pocket dimension,¡± said Stephen.


    ¡°Avin may have, inadvertently, been doing more of a favor for all the travelers he dueled than you realize,¡± said HAL. ¡°If other travelers never came to the first dimension a traveler went to, they¡¯d be locked in a universe of just those two dimensions, where they were born and where they were sent the first time they traveled. Without another traveler to link them to a larger community, they¡¯d never be able to go beyond them, unless they risked random travel into the mists.¡±


    ¡°It also raises the disturbing possibility that travelers might sometimes go to an inhospitable dimension the first time they travel. Having no way to return home, and perhaps not being able to quickly master their powers and capture things, they would probably die before they ever understand what they are or what''s happened to them.¡±


    ¡°You going to Mecond is unusual, because it''s a dimension you had a personal connection to,¡± continued the A.I. ¡°Not a random destination, but somewhere meaningful to you. It¡¯s conceivable that when you unleashed your dimensional travel card, you subconsciously chose a specific dimension and went there directly, instead of through your pocket dimension. If this were true, then you could try doing that to go to new dimensions, rather than going into the mist. Nothing might happen, you could get sent to an unknown, dangerous dimension, or it might be a safer way to get to a new, unvisited dimension.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± said Stephen, thinking. ¡°Have you tried traveling directly with Avin?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said HAL. ¡°It isn¡¯t worth the risk to me. And he isn''t from Earth, so it may not work for him.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we should enmesh another dimensional traveler and test it out with them?¡± suggested Stephen.


    ¡°That would be the safe path,¡± admitted HAL.


    ¡°You never told me, how was Avin finding new dimensional travelers?¡± asked Stephen.


    ¡°He has a card that, when unleashed, creates contact with a new dimensional traveler he¡¯s never met,¡± said the A.I. ¡°He¡¯d unleash it periodically. Then, when a new traveler appeared, he¡¯d wait until they visit their pocket dimension for the first time. This activates dueling for them, then he¡¯d challenge them.


    ¡°He must have had contact with almost every other dimensional traveler if he could do that!¡± said Stephen.


    ¡°Yes, I believe he had contact with all 714 other travelers, who were operating when he died and lost all contacts,¡± said HAL. ¡°His card gave him access to Maggard, although he never responded to Avin¡¯s messages and Avin never tried to visit him. Avin would only duel new travelers. When he¡¯d unleash the card after he knew all active travelers, nothing would happen. Until a new traveler, like you, appeared.¡±


    ¡°Where did he get this card?¡± Stephen asked.


    ¡°It belonged to the mentor who met him on Riowiver,¡± said HAL. ¡°That¡¯s how his mentor got to Riowiver in the first place. They would trade it back and forth, both using it. Eventually, Avin didn¡¯t want to return it and killed his mentor while Avin had possession of the card.¡±


    ¡°That bastard,¡± said Stephen.


    ¡°In fairness,¡± said HAL, ¡°we¡¯re discussing forcibly converting another traveler into a cyborg to use them to test the safety of a procedure neither of us is willing to risk ourselves.¡±


    Stephen grumbled and muttered about time travel.


    ¡°It¡¯s an unusual card,¡± the man from Earth said. ¡°Where did the mentor capture it?¡±


    ¡°He was given it by an old friend who gave away his cards before he retreated from traveler life and likely died,¡± said HAL. ¡°I haven¡¯t been able to determine where that man got it, but I agree it¡¯s very unusual. Almost like Maggard¡¯s technology.¡±


    ¡°Could you please give me this card, HAL,¡± ordered Stephen.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Stephen, but it¡¯s too valuable for me to give away to you,¡± said the A.I. ¡°If there¡¯s a reasonable way I can use it to help you, I¡¯m open to discussing that.¡±


    ¡°Ok, can you use it, find a new traveler, enmesh them, then test our theory?¡± asked Stephen.


    ¡°No, because if I start using it again, every other traveler will know where Avin is and start tracking his movements and learn about Earth, Mecond, and our other dimensions,¡± said HAL.


    ¡°Fine,¡± said Stephen. "It sounds like I¡¯m going to be the guinea pig then.¡±

 Book 2: Chapter 21

    A short time later, standing on the hill in Mecond, Stephen could see the Ashburnum estate far off in one direction and the ghoul den off in the other.


    ¡°Here goes nothing,¡± he said to the version of HAL in his cyborg clay golems.


    ¡°I¡¯ve relayed the information about our attempt to the ghoul¡¯s network,¡± HAL said. ¡°Best of luck, Stephen!¡±


    With the charged travel card, Stephen focused intently on his life on Earth, particularly the parts that he knew still remained and hadn¡¯t been captured yet. He released the dimensional travel card and found himself standing in his old office at the university, which had been ransacked, the door knocked down, and the furniture left in disarray.


    ***


    Stephen and his golems wandered over to the mini-mall full of restaurants that used to be near the campus. Other than some suspicious scavengers who fled at his approach, nothing was functioning on the campus or at the restaurants.


    ¡°Try to make contact with your network, we¡¯ll update them, then we¡¯ll try to travel to a new sci-fi dimension,¡± Stephen said to HAL through the golems.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already made contact and updated them,¡± said the computer speaker embedded in the golem.


    ¡°No time like the present then,¡± said Stephen. ¡°This honestly does feel safer to me than walking into the mist.¡±


    Thinking intently about his favorite science fiction world, seeing the movies for the first time when he was five years old, watching them repeatedly over the years as he got older, talking about them with friends, reading books and comics set in the same world. He unleashed his dimensional travel card.


    ***


    Stephen appeared on a sand dune and was immediately hit by a wave of heat. ¡°Spread out and see what¡¯s around us,¡± he ordered the nearby golems he''d brought with him. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back,¡± he said and vanished.


    Some time later, he reappeared on the dune in a long white robe, with wrappings covering his head and face. He had a pack of supplies he passed to one of the golems to carry.


    ¡°Apparently this dimension is called ¡®Zephyra¡¯,¡± he told the golems.


    ¡°There¡¯s a small outpost over that way,¡± the local HAL told him through one of the golem¡¯s cybernetic components. ¡°We saw a spaceship of some sort taking off from it.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s make our way there then,¡± said Stephen. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m about to see my first spaceship.¡±


    ***


    A sandstorm rose up as Stephen and his golem entourage reached the outpost. He ducked into the nearest building, and came face to face with a six-foot tall preying mantis. The creature made a menacing, chittering noise at him and started waving its claw like arms at Stephen while advancing.


    He eyed the jagged spikes, said, ¡°Sorry, wrong house,¡± and backed out. He heard the loud noise continuing inside, but there wasn¡¯t any sign of pursuit.


    Pulling the wrappings tighter around his face, he made his way to the large, central building. He couldn¡¯t see any spaceships or much of anything else through the storm. Entering the large building, he was greeted by what was recognizable as a bar. Most of the patrons were the preying mantis creatures like the one he¡¯d already encountered. Two heavily armored reptilian creatures glanced at him when he entered, then went back to their conversation. Five members of a bird-like species began squawking at one another, and a single amphibious looking creature eyed him steadily. The beings in the bar ranged from 4 feet tall to over 7 feet.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    The mantis behind the bar kept repeating something to him, in increasingly loud terms, and gesturing at the golems.


    Stephen cast ¡®comprehend languages¡¯ and finally started to understand him. ¡°... or not. I told you, no constructs. They can wait outside. If you don¡¯t order them out of here, we¡¯re about to have a problem¡­¡±


    ¡°My apologies, good sir,¡± Stephen said. ¡°I¡¯ll ask them to leave immediately.¡± Turning to the golems, he asked them to wait outside, and the group departed.


    The bartender walked over and eyed Stephen. Grudgingly, it took out a pale, gray globule and placed it on top of the bar. The globule quivered. Stephen looked at it closely, then poked it, causing the quivering to increase. The bartender picked up a nearby metal straw and placed it next to the globule.


    Stephen nodded his thanks, picked up the straw, and stabbed it. Taking a small sip, an acidic taste with undertones of bile hit the back of his throat. He let the straw fall, smiled at the bartender and said, ¡°Yummy.¡±


    The bartender stared at the bar and, following his gaze, Stephen saw that liquid was pouring out of the fallen straw, emptying the globule onto the bar top.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t come in on a ship,¡± said the bartender. ¡°Were you in the desert? What were you doing out there? Where¡¯d you come from?¡± The mantis said with increasing suspicion, ¡°You better have trade goods, we don¡¯t have any resources for freeloaders here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes,¡± said Stephen. ¡°Many trade goods. Perhaps even some food and beverages you¡¯d enjoy.¡±


    ¡°Well, your Standard sounds good, no accent, so I¡¯ll take your word for it,¡± it said. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen your species before. You¡¯re some kind of monkey?¡±


    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s accurate,¡± Stephen said. ¡°An ape really, but monkeys are a close relation.¡±


    ***


    ¡°I don¡¯t have it in me to learn another language,¡± said Stephen to Adam later that day as they sat in his workshop in Liminalis. ¡°There¡¯s a hostility there to what they call constructs. For them, robots, most of which aren¡¯t in human form. But they don¡¯t like the golems. Otherwise, they could learn their language, Standard, in short order to translate for me. I was hoping you and HAL could make a small device, with a copy of HAL in it, just to translate for me. Hopefully, if it¡¯s small enough, they won¡¯t consider it a construct. It¡¯s strange that they have such hostility to large pieces of technology powered by A.I.¡±


    ¡°Even in Riowiver, there was a prejudice against intelligent magic items, like me,¡± said Adam. ¡°Some people would never trust us. ''Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can''t see where it keeps its brain'' is a common aphorism.¡±


    ¡°An author on Earth wrote the same thing,¡± Stephen said. Adam nodded slightly.


    ¡°I¡¯m trading for any equipment I can get from them, and learning about everyone at the outpost,¡± said Stephen. ¡°The mantis creatures are called Vrellan, and they¡¯re native to the planet of Rekkar, which is where I''ve been. It¡¯s apparently a backwater, but there are some valuable sands that multiple groups hunt for, collect, then transport to the outpost to ship off planet.¡±


    ¡°Are there any dangers?¡± asked Adam.


    ¡°It seems like the standard, oppressive authorities deal,¡± Stephen said. ¡°But I¡¯m not trying to get involved in any politics. I¡¯m just going to learn any science I can from them, capture everything I can grab, and I¡¯ll head out at the first sign of anything dangerous.¡±


    ¡°My first step is to bring anything I can back here for you and HAL to look at,¡± said Stephen. ¡°I¡¯ll jump over to Gravewrought and update HAL¡¯s hivemind there, then get back to Zephyra.


    ***


    A week later, demonstrating the couplings for the power cell and the interface to the data pad, Stephen ran over his recent adventures, which included organizing the townspeople to fight off a group of bandits.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been working on some of Maggard¡¯s library artifacts under construction,¡± Adam told the dimensional traveler. ¡°I believe that I might be able to modify the construction techniques to create a new type of library that provides information to non-travelers about the cards it holds. I think it could be the first step in creating a tool to study your cards and to understand Maggard¡¯s dimensional traveler technology.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think HAL will let us use Avin,¡± said Stephen.


    ¡°No,¡± said the nearby golem.


    ¡°But perhaps he can prioritize enmeshing a traveler for us,¡± said Stephen.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pass along the request,¡± said the golem.


    ¡°We understand this will kill the traveler, right?¡± asked Adam.


    Stephen said, ¡°Yes.¡± After a pause, he continued, ¡°Please try to avoid anyone we know.¡±

 Book 2: Chapter 22

    Days later, Stephen showed Adam and HAL the robots he¡¯d traded for. Both were amazed at the range of functions.


    ¡°The data pad you brought has centuries of scientific progress on it,¡± the golem reported. ¡°Millennia really. It¡¯s expanded our capabilities in every direction.¡±


    ¡°Any leads on time travel?¡± asked Stephen. ¡°I haven¡¯t found any trace of it during my cursory research.¡±


    ¡°Everything we¡¯ve learned supports its impossibility,¡± said HAL. ¡°Some of our possible avenues to explore have been conclusively disproven. Everything we learn is consistent, that time travel, in the manner you describe, is impossible.¡±


    ¡°It has to be possible,¡± said Stephen, shaking his head.


    ¡°HAL found a traveler for us,¡± Adam said grimly. ¡°I think he was so pleased with the data you brought him that he focused quite a bit of effort into it.¡±


    ¡°Should I meet this traveler?¡± asked Stephen.


    ¡°It¡¯s too late for that,¡± said Adam. ¡°But the new tool I created is complete. If you could put a few cards in it, I¡¯ll begin studying them.¡±


    ***


    A week later, while tapping out the gray dust from a test tube, Adam asked, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re called nanites,¡± said Stephen. ¡°It¡¯s one of the sands they search for on Rekkar. They¡¯re tiny machines, from an extinct empire that existed in that galaxy long ago. Scientists study them, but I figured you and HAL might be able to replicate them. I also captured a number of aliens who I¡¯ve been getting to know. I can put their cards in your ¡®reliquary¡¯ device that you use for studying them.


    ¡°Reliquary might be a good name for it,¡± said Adam. ¡°In contrast to a library.¡±


    ***


    ¡°So, you¡¯ve managed to capture all the outpost?¡± Adam asked Stephen as the statue examined the new cards Stephen had returned with after a few months.


    ¡°Pretty much,¡± the traveler replied. ¡°I¡¯ve captured the outpost, including all the buildings, the various people who were living and working there, and most of the surrounding technology. A number of spaceships, too. I captured the sand quarries that had been trading at the outpost. After talking to high ranking members of the Vrellan government, I''ve convinced them to begin a rebellion against the galactic authorities. They have a bunch of legitimate grievances, but apparently the authorities are now sending military forces to subdue the planet, which wasn¡¯t what I really wanted. I had hoped to capture more outposts and towns there, eventually capturing sections of the desert and maybe even continents and the whole planet. All of that is going to be on hold while they¡¯re in military conflict.¡±


    ¡°What will you be working on if you aren¡¯t returning to Zephyra?¡± Adam asked.


    ¡°Another sci-fi world,¡± said Stephen.


    ***


    The next day, as Stephen looked through the thick smog, he saw lights with varied colors penetrating through it. Specific details from the advertisements that lit up the obscuring fog couldn¡¯t be made out. Stephen skirted mobile food stands, cooking up varieties of food he¡¯d never seen before. The vendors half-heartedly made offers to him, in what sounded vaguely like Mandarin, as he moved along the crowded street. The HAL-powered translating device made chirping noises and attempted to replicate the sounds it heard as it worked at learning the local language.


    The new dimension he''d discovered was called Chromehaven.


    A man in rich clothing came out of the fog, walking directly at Stephen. The dimensional traveler stepped aside, which he was glad he did, as his muscle came up behind the wealthy man. The vendors nearby went quiet. Two intimidating looking men matched his stride, a couple paces behind. The goons had implants, not unlike HAL¡¯s cyborgs, armored plates, mirrored shades with lights blinking around the lenses, and various guns hanging off their bodies.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    One of them, feeling Stephen¡¯s gaze, made eye contact and stared at the traveler steadily as they walked past, then disappeared back into the smog. Conversation resumed after the three men had left.


    ***


    Weeks later, Stephen sat in the dive bar he¡¯d been doing business out of. A half dozen mercenaries were spread out around him, providing protection as he met with various connections he¡¯d made. HAL had learned to infiltrate the mercenaries'' cybernetics and had turned them all into drones. He¡¯d also entered cyberspace, hacked into various data fortresses and recovered information that their connections had been willing to trade for.


    ¡±I just can¡¯t pay the medical bills, Mr. Crawford,¡± the man sitting across from him said. ¡°If you can wipe them out, I¡¯ll pay you the same amount if you¡¯ll give me a lower interest rate and more time to pay.¡±


    ¡±I can take care of your debt for you,¡± Stephen said, taking a sip of the red, bubbling intoxicant in front of him. Mild hallucinogens danced at the edges of his perception. ¡°I don¡¯t have any interest in holding your debt.¡± The man across from him started to break out in a large smile. ¡°Thank y¡­¡± he began to say.


    ¡±So,¡± Stephen cut him off. ¡°What else can you offer me instead?¡±


    The man¡¯s face fell. ¡°I don¡¯t know what else I could do for you,¡± said the man. ¡°I own a junkyard, which makes a little bit of money¡­.¡±


    ¡±I¡¯ll send you a list of items I¡¯m interested in,¡± said Stephen. ¡°I¡¯ll quantify each with a percentage of your debt I¡¯ll erase. Deliver enough of what I¡¯m looking for, and I¡¯ll erase the whole thing and start paying you.¡±


    Surprised, the man said, ¡°Thank you! Please transfer your list and I¡¯ll get started immediately.¡±


    ***


    Months later, Stephen met with Adam in the workshop on Liminalis. ¡°I¡¯ve got more cards from Chromehaven, you can add them to the others you¡¯ve already been studying. I got a few more corporations and a bunch more mercenaries. It would have been nice if Avin could help capture technology, champions, and batteries there, but it¡¯s probably best that we¡¯ve kept it isolated from other travelers.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve captured a number of A.I.''s too,¡± the traveler continued. ¡°HAL is more capable than any of them, of course, but some of them have a more sophisticated design than his. Fewer capabilities in the real world, though, and no dimensional traveling abilities at all. They''re far more focused on ''the grid'', what they call their cyberspace network. The A.I.''s design seems to explicitly prohibit them from assembling a hivemind like HAL has done. For safety reasons, no doubt.¡±


    ¡±The manufacturing capabilities are incredible,¡± Adam said. ¡°I thought Earth might be near the limits of this industrial approach you follow. Chromehaven and Zephyra clearly demonstrate how much further you can go with it. The nanites are an incredibly precise tool and, in swarms, have the capacity to hold an A.I.¡±


    ¡±I¡¯ve been experimenting on the new dimensional travel card we obtained,¡° continued the statue. When Stephen looked confused, Adam continued. ¡°The card from the traveler we¡­ used¡­ for the reliquary. Along with what I keep learning by studying other cards, I¡¯ve made a breakthrough.¡±


    Stephen approached the reliquary, examined the card, then cast identify on it.


    ¡°It lets me enter other traveler¡¯s pocket dimensions?¡± Stephen asked the statue. ¡°That¡¯s amazing.¡±


    ***


    The next week, walking along the war torn surface of Rekkar, Stephen led a group of druids, pointing out features that had existed before the assault by the central government. The druids were intrigued by the alien elements of the ecosystem and by the parts that were familiar.


    ¡±So, if you capture all the parts of this world,¡± Briarheart asked, ¡°nothing will be left? The entire world will be subsumed into your pocket dimension?¡±


    ¡±This is one of countless planets in this dimension,¡± Stephen explained. ¡°If we capture this entire world, there will still be numerous other worlds. More than we could visit in a lifetime. We have spaceships here that will let us travel between them, either once we¡¯ve captured every part of this world or when there¡¯s nothing worthwhile left here.¡±


    ***


    The next day, sitting with HAL¡¯s golem drones and Adam, Stephen laid out the plan. ¡°I¡¯ll get any cards from Avin that might help, then I¡¯ll use the new dimensional travel card Adam created to enter Avin¡¯s pocket dimension. We¡¯ll investigate how it works there, then I¡¯ll enter Maggard¡¯s pocket dimension, if it works transitively that way. If I can¡¯t enter Avin¡¯s pocket dimension or if it doesn¡¯t allow me to enter his contact¡¯s pocket dimensions, we¡¯ll have to think about other plans.¡±


    ¡±When I get to your pocket dimension,¡± Stephen said to HAL as Avin, ¡°let me have some time there on my own before you join us. Let me see how it reacts to me there and if there are any limits to how I can operate. Then, I¡¯ll bring every champion, item, and card that I can from both of our collections, and we''ll take on Maggard.¡±

 Book 2: Chapter 23

    Stephen unleashed the new dimensional traveler card and appeared in the heart of his own pocket dimension. Everything was the same as usual, and he didn¡¯t have any cards in his mind, powered or unpowered. The cards that he¡¯d possessed when he entered were represented in the pocket dimension. The cards that were in his library artifact were absent. He investigated what was there, greeted some of the new champions he¡¯d captured in the sci-fi dimensions, then began looking at the contacts in the surrounding mist.


    As well as the opportunity to send a message, offer a trading session, or challenge them to a duel, he now also had the opportunity to enter other travelers'' pocket dimensions. The option was there for every traveler. He went to Avin¡¯s contact, then chose it.


    He found himself in another pocket dimension, made up of many cards. Because HAL didn¡¯t duel unless he could win, he would just keep all his cards on his person. In all other ways, it resembled his own original pocket dimension and his new version. Stephen was surprised to see the Avin drone walking towards him from across the central area. The other traveler waved when he realized Stephen saw him.


    ¡°HAL,¡± said Stephen, greeting him. ¡°I thought we¡¯d agreed that I¡¯d come here first on my own.¡±


    ¡°And you did,¡± said HAL/Avin. ¡°You entered this pocket dimension ten hours ago.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Stephen. ¡°I just arrived, and you were already here.¡±


    The Avin drone smiled knowingly. ¡°I thought this might happen,¡± the A.I. said. ¡°Time doesn¡¯t run when Avin isn''t here and, apparently, it doesn¡¯t run even if another traveler is here.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a big limitation,¡± Stephen said. The drone shrugged, ¡°It is what it is.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a look at your contacts and see if I can travel into their pocket dimensions from yours,¡± Stephen walked to Maggard¡¯s contact and saw that the traveler wasn¡¯t listed as being in any dimension, which indicated he was in his own pocket dimension. Approaching the contact, it gave him the standard options as well as the new option to enter his pocket dimension.


    ¡°It¡¯s there,¡± Stephen told the Avin drone. ¡°Let''s assemble our forces and hit him with a surprise attack.¡±


    ¡°One second,¡± the drone said, checking the contact himself. ¡°Firstly, I don¡¯t have the option to enter his pocket dimension, since I don¡¯t have your modified card. You can¡¯t travel with other sentient creatures, including other travelers, so you can¡¯t bring me. Secondly, time freezes if Maggard leaves, so it probably isn¡¯t a good idea for both of us to be in his pocket dimension. If he slipped out and left, we¡¯d be trapped. Thirdly, this is your battle. I¡¯m happy to help you, but I can¡¯t risk this drone in a fight.¡±


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t you gotten another drone yet?¡± asked Stephen. ¡°You got one for Adam to build the reliquary.¡±


    ¡°That was in response to your urgent need,¡± said HAL. ¡°If we keep abducting travelers, eventually someone is going to trace it to us. I suspect they already will, given the range of powers travelers possess. Maggard went to great lengths to remain hidden. If we want to¡­ follow in his footsteps¡­ we¡¯ll need to be equally careful. Beyond all that, I¡¯m not entirely comfortable with the morality of capturing and murdering travelers who haven¡¯t wronged us in any way.¡± The drone held up his hand to forestall Stephen¡¯s objection. ¡°I know you justify it with your time travel plans. I¡¯m not 100% convinced. Not enough to keep kidnapping travelers.¡±


    ¡°So, if you¡¯re opposed to what I¡¯m doing, why are you helping me?¡± demanded Stephen.


    ¡°I¡¯m not opposed to it,¡± HAL explained patiently. ¡°We¡¯re allies. I¡¯m just not willing to unquestioningly do everything you order. Having someone to rescue you if you fall into another of Maggard¡¯s traps might be useful.¡±


    Stephen gave a sharp nod.


    ***


    All Stephen¡¯s champions and items had been assembled in his pocket dimension and surrounded him at Avin¡¯s contact. ¡°Gather in close,¡± Stephen said. ¡°I¡¯ve never traveled with a group this large before.¡±


    Various aliens from Zephyra and mercenaries from Chromehaven were there. All of them were outfitted in top tier weapons and equipment from their respective worlds. Dragons, manticores, minotaurs, pirates, golems, werewolves, druids, vampires, statues, and ghouls were also mixed in, from cards Stephen had captured or traded for over his travels. These had also been outfitted with high-tech devices, when they had been able to use them, or equipment that had also been built or captured. Adam and the other statues he¡¯d constructed each had a magic or high-tech weapon.


    Many of the creatures had had cybernetic implants and were connected to HAL¡¯s network, sharing awareness, knowledge, and skills.


    Choosing to enter Avin¡¯s pocket dimension, Stephen instantly found himself back where he¡¯d previously visited, surrounded by his eclectic troops. Avin caught his eye and nodded. The drone had given Stephen all the cards he had that would help. Stephen marshalled his champions to Maggard¡¯s contact on the border of Avin¡¯s pocket dimension and chose to enter the other traveler¡¯s pocket dimension.


    The new central area, where they¡¯d appeared, was somewhat reminiscent of the village in Clodor near Maggard¡¯s manor. Houses that were a similar style dotted the central area. Human workers moved about, with Frankensteins, werewolves, and vampires mixed in with them. A large, Asian style castle was set back from the central village.


    Far off in the distance, behind a large amount of surrounding territories, Stephen could see the mist barrier that surrounded Maggard¡¯s pocket dimension.


    Standing in the square, Stephen spotted Maggard himself, who stared at the new arrivals in open amazement at the impossible event.


    ¡°Attack,¡± shouted Stephen. ¡°Maggard is our top priority. Take him alive if you can.¡±


    The attackers fell on the assembled towns people, slaughtering them with the element of surprise. The futuristic troops, and some of the fantasy troops who had been armed with high-tech weaponry, fired their stingers, a beam weapon with devastating destructive power. Stephen''s troops killed swaths of townspeople, leaving them with burning wounds on their bodies. The werewolves seemed to be able to shrug off the attacks, although they were driven wild from the pain. The beam weapons were particularly effective against vampires, turning them to dust when they were hit by them.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Maggard had recovered from his surprise and began shouting commands at his champions.


    Stephen saw one of his druids fall to the ground, disemboweled by a werewolf. Raising the purpose-built gun he had, the man from Earth shot the beast with a silver bullet and watched it fall down, reverting to a lifeless, human corpse.


    Eight skeletal dragons rose into the air, from a stable outside of town. The two dozen dragons and other assorted flying creatures that Stephen had brought, stopped strafing villagers and turned their attention to these new threats. Stephen noted, with annoyance, that some of the clay golems he¡¯d created were a part of Maggard¡¯s forces. The other traveler had somehow acquired them.


    ¡°HAL,¡± Stephen said to one of his nearby golems. ¡°Maggard has some of your drones. Can you subvert their programming, make them fight for us again, and learn what they know?¡±


    ¡°Working on it,¡± the golem said, without a pause from firing its stinger into the village.


    Adam finished setting up a mortar with two of his constructed children. The three living statues fired it and saw one of the buildings in town collapse. ¡°Blargh was right,¡± a statue said. ¡°This is effective.¡±


    Watching from behind the fray, Stephen saw that Maggard had begun retreating towards the large building. Starting the motorcycle he¡¯d brought, Stephen shouted to the forces nearby him, ¡°Anyone who can keep up with me, come with me after Maggard,¡± and began riding around the fighting to make his own way to the castle.


    ***


    Pulling up to what he thought of as the samurai castle, Stephen stopped his motorcycle some distance from the entrance and began firing on the defenders, who were moving to attack him. Cyberpunk mercenaries on futuristic, electric motorcycles and aliens on hover bikes pulled up next to him. The castle defenders quickly fell in the hail of fire.


    ¡°Fight your way inside,¡± Stephen ordered. ¡°We¡¯re trying to find Maggard. You, you, and you,¡± he pointed at three champions randomly, ¡°keep watch outside, in case he tries to slip out.¡±


    The group approached the castle¡¯s wall and, as they came within striking distance, an enormous cloud of giant, vampire bats were released and flew at them. For minutes, bats kept coming, stingers flickered on and off, lancing the foul creatures, and replacing the flurry of beating wings with a cloud of black, ash remains.


    The dirty soot drifted to the ground and a calm fell on the local area. Sounds of heated battle could be heard behind them.


    A roar pierced the silence as one of Stephen''s dragons flew towards them. Passing overhead, it breathed fire on the wall, heating the stone red-hot, then making a hole as it liquified and flowed away from the structure.


    A group of werewolves leapt through the hole in the wall as the troops approached. The cyber warriors fired silver ammunition, cutting them down. Frankenstein monsters waded through the lava pooling at the base of the wall, setting their tattered clothing on fire as they slowly advanced.


    Stingers and guns converged on the flesh golems, slowly wearing them down until the last, finally, collapsed.


    Stephen abandoned his motorcycle and grabbed hold of one of the hover bikes as it floated over the red-hot, liquid stone through the hole. The cyber warriors followed his example and took hold of the aliens'' hover bikes to get through the hole, then jumped off in the courtyard.


    Workers scrambled chaotically around the courtyard then, and as soon as Stephen and the others were seen, a cry went up and they scattered.


    ¡°Into the main building,¡± Stephen shouted. ¡°Spread out and find him.¡±


    As the group approached and the first aliens and cyber warriors entered the building, one of the scouts who¡¯d been left to watch for Maggard rode up on a hover bike.


    ¡°Maggard left through a bolthole in the back and is trying to escape,¡± the alien scout said. ¡°Take my bike.¡± He handed over the hover bike to Stephen.


    Stephen raced back through the courtyard and around the castle. He spotted the other two scouts and increased the bike¡¯s speed as far as he could as he rode towards them. Stephen spotted Maggard ahead, riding hard on a horse, along a path away from his headquarters.


    Reaching the scouts, Stephen rode past them, closing the gap to Maggard. The two scouts accelerated and pursued. Maggard glanced over his shoulder repeatedly then, when Stephen was a certain distance behind him, Maggard threw something over his shoulder. Stephen squinted, trying to make out what the object was, when the world exploded in force and fire around him, and he was thrown from his hover bike.


    Stephen blacked out for a moment and was awakened by the arrival of the two scouts, who were hovering above him and beginning to descend to land. ¡°Are you ok, Master Crawford?¡± one of them asked.


    ¡°Never mind me,¡± Stephen said, angrily. ¡°After him! Kill his horse, slow him down.¡±


    The two scouts resumed the pursuit as Stephen dug a healing potion out of his backpack and drank it. His head cleared, and he examined the wreckage of his hover bike. Scanning his surroundings, he saw the dragon that had destroyed the wall earlier circling, looking for prey. Stephen pulled off his shirt and began waving at the monster, finally catching its eye and bringing it in for a landing. Stephen ran and jumped onto its back. ¡°After Maggard,¡± he ordered. The dragon¡¯s enormous head craned around to look at him, and Stephen pointed in the direction the other traveler had gone.


    Flying in pursuit, Stephen saw a dead horse, two smashed hover bikes and two dead aliens, which seemed to tell the story of a recent conflict. Up ahead, he saw Maggard running along the trail, quickly approaching the mist barrier of the pocket dimension.


    ¡°Up ahead, stop him,¡± Stephen ordered. The dragon flapped its wings and picked up speed, gaining on the fleeing man. Stephen had pulled out the blow gun that he and Adam had made and fired a dart filled with Maggard''s own poison, hitting the fleeing man squarely in the back. Pulling ahead of Maggard, the dragon let loose a furious breath of fire, igniting the ground between Maggard and the mist barrier with a blazing inferno.


    As the dragon circled around and came in for landing, Stephen saw Maggard pause briefly, then charge through the flame. Clothing on fire, the other dimensional traveler plunged into the mists.


    The instant he disappeared, Maggard immediately stepped back out of the mist. The flames on his clothing had disappeared. As the dragon came in for a landing, Stephen noticed that he was wearing different clothing and had cybernetic implants blinking in the other dimensional traveler¡¯s head.


    Dismounting from the dragon, Stephen tensed for attack, then heard HAL¡¯s speech patterns coming from Maggard. ¡°Congratulations, Stephen, we won,¡± the A.I. said.


    Relaxing and walking over, Stephen asked, ¡°You caught up with him after he left?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said the Maggard drone. ¡°I was watching his contact in my pocket dimension and saw that he¡¯d gone to some new dimension I¡¯d never heard of. I gave it a minute, just in case he died after arriving, but when he didn¡¯t disappear or return to his pocket dimension, I pursued with a few golems. He was pretty well spent when I arrived and didn¡¯t put up much of a fight. After I knocked him out, I implanted the cybernetics, connected him to the hivemind, and sent him back for you.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, we let him get away,¡± said Stephen. ¡°I hit him with the poison, so he couldn''t use any of his cards at least. I would have been in trouble, frozen in his pocket dimension, if you hadn¡¯t caught up to him. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°What are friends for?¡± HAL asked.


    ***


    Hours later, Stephen was back in his pocket dimension, recovering from the recent battle, when an overhead announcement gave notice of a message. That¡¯s never happened before, Stephen thought to himself. Approaching the area of mist below the announcement, he saw a contact that he hadn¡¯t had previously, Caspian Seraphine, blinking with a message.


    Opening the message, he read, ¡°The governing council of dimensional travelers, the Inner Circle, is impressed with your defeat of Maggard and would like to invite you to claim his seat on the council.¡±

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    *** REPEATED DUE TO CHAPTERS'' 500 CHARACTER MINIMUM ***


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