All characters and events in this publication, other than those clearly in the public domain, are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, are purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. The moral Right of the author has been asserted.
Chapter 8 A lost son
Ruan stared out of the plane window, thinking about what fate had befallen his son. This was definitely something to do with Torandia. He now started regretting he had ever learned the truth about the two planes. If it was just his life that was affected, he was fine with it, but now he dragged his son in with him too. He had never imagined this would happen.
The plane hit some turbulence and Ruan scarcely noticed.
He would go to Kyle, he thought, the little geek will know what's going on in this situation.
Maybe they would even allow him to go to Torandia and have a look around, though he doubted it.
He had no idea what he was going to do.
Another problem was he had only met all of the knights once. Everybody was gathered the day of his inauguration they all seemed like nice ordinary people, yet scattered from over the world.
The one guy he couldn't forget was Billy Jones. He was a character. He was about a foot taller than Ruan and a gun specialist. The weapons the Knights Templar used are carried on from knight to knight. Yet when they chose him, probably for his intimidating looks, Ruan was sure they forgot that he would get a little dirk. Not quite this guy's forte, apparently it's not really accepted to use guns and such as they are not enchanted like the weapons the Knights use.
This guy is huge and tyrannical; a construction worker from Australia, and he really couldn't give a damn.
He had no idea how many of the Knights will be at head quarters in New York, they are from all over the globe, Japan, UK, south Africa, only a tiny amount of them were together at one place at a time.
Ruan felt the plane beginning to descend, he got his hand baggage together, he had packed very lightly, only the essentials. He was there to get information, not for a vacation.
Though he told the police department he had to take an emergency vacation.
Ruan got out of the plane and boarded the little bus which was to take him to arrivals.
JFK airport is a huge airport.
In arrivals Ruan saw Kyle immediately. He walked over to him; he was busy reading a newspaper very incognito.
"Morning, Fancy meeting you here." Kyle smiled putting down his newspaper.
"Morning Kyle thanks for meeting me."
"Yeah well, it's part of the package."
The two of them got to Kyle's car, and got in.
The drive to head HQ was a very quiet drive, Kyle didn't say anything. Ruan decided to keep his mouth shut as well. Head quarter was nothing but a house in Brooklyn they tried to keep everything as incognito as possible.
Ruan got out of the car, he had been there once for nearly a month, when the Knights took him in and trained him Ruan inherited a three headed mace as his weapon.
It took him some time to be able to use the weapon; it's not as easy as it looks. He wasn't good with it yet perse, but he was getting there.
That month Harold had to go and stay with his aunt.
The house looked exactly as it did a few months ago.
Ruan got a warm welcome from Natasha Silverstone who was inside the living room of the Head Quarters. She was casually watching TV when had walked in the house.
"Ruan! How nice of you to join us!" She is a lawyer from Switzerland, but was on a vacation and had decided to come to HQ for an update on things.
She is a stern looking woman, a typical lawyer crossed with librarian look. Small glasses, and tight pony tail that she always wore.
"Hi Natasha, I'm glad to see a familiar face for a change."
Natasha gave a light laugh.
Ruan set his bags down in one of the guest rooms he sat down on the bed and dropped his face in his hands and let out an audible groan.
"Care to tell us what happened?" John asked leaning against the door entrance.
"Oh, hi John. Didn't know you were here too. Who else?"
"Just me and Natasha at this moment, and Kyle of course. Kyle mentioned something about Billy flying over. But that's it. The rest of us have lives I suppose!"
Ruan snorted.
John was fourth ranked in the hierarchy of the knights. He is from the UK, Stoke-on-Trent.
He spoke with a thick English accent that Ruan found mildly entertaining.
"So care to tell us what happened, Natasha and me was sitting with Kyle at the round table when you called. We kind of heard how distraught you sounded over the phone."
"Then let's get to it." Ruan got up and walked to the lounge where Natasha was sitting.
Ruan, Natasha, John and Kyle Listened avidly to each detail Ruan told them.
The Dragons, the fact that the kids were unidentifiable, the names that he had, and alas what happened to his son.
The three people in front of Ruan were all very high ranked in the organization. If anybody would know what exactly is going on, it would be them.
"Interesting" Kyle said without blinking an eye. "It is indeed a very small world."
"It would seem that your son is one of the Toramdon eyes Ruan." Natasha said peeking over her glasses.
"That can't be right. Him? A Toramdon eye? I hardly think so. He just put on the ring and vanished. So, you are telling me, if I put on the ring that would make me an immediate eye?"
"No, that is not how it works. The rings call out to them. If you were to put on the ring nothing would happen. Remember their powers are already inside them the ring just unlocks it.
If Harold put on the ring and disappeared, the jets of the magic came into work there.
The Toramdon eyes are never allowed to be separated between worlds. If something like this were to happen the jets will transport the lesser number to the alternate world immediately.
Like what happened Harold. The other four were obviously in Torandia.
So he was teleported to Torandia the instant his fingers touched the ring."
Ruan looked extremely close to breaking down. Although his son was a trouble maker he is all that Ruan had left of his beloved ex wife, and he knew in his heart Harold was not a bad person. "Did it take him directly to the other eyes?"
"Most likely it did not. Jets are very powerful, by the likes of your story the other kids are not very fond of your son. Jets also work on feeling. It would have taken Harold to a place where growth could happen. But in all honesty, No Harold would not have been reunited with the other kids." Kyle answered.
"Oh. Do you think he is safe?" Ruan dared to ask.
Natasha was the one to answer this. "Torandia is a very dangerous place Ruan, always remember that, you have not been there. When a knight on either side has been a knight for exactly a year, you go to the other side for a week to enrich yourself. It's anything but a holiday. You meet the other knights. Do loads of walking, fight the strangest creatures. Ruan, you have only been a knight for a few months. You can ask any of the other knights except billy, he also hasn't yet reached a year, and you can especially ask Kyle whom has been there the most of all of us. Not to burst your bubble, Torandia is anything but safe." Natasha looked genuinely concerned.
Ruan looked distraught. "What now? I have to go there! Do you think they would let me go?| Kyle don't you have a say in this? Please guy! You have to help me! I can't let him get killed!"
Kyle looked calm and collected. He put his hands together and calmly stared in front of him.
This is the first time in history this has happened, a child of one of the knights is a Toramdon eye and he got separated from the rest.
At least some good news is, there are once again five Toramdon eyes, only the original ones were five. It is also a good sign that your son is a eye. It will be more leverage for us to get to them."
"My guess is Harold would have been taken to the Eddar woods. As that seems to be a type of a starting point for everybody in Torandia. When they come this side everybody seems to pitch up in Pretoria in South Africa. Call it the center of the Jets. A Point of focused energy." John said. If we can contact Rughnan we might get you taken directly to him in Kegh. I think the kids will head there first, Handar most likely got to them first, that elf is sharp, and he would take them there.
Because you haven't the proper training to really go to Torandia, we will need somebody to accompany you, I will not be able to. Natasha, you have off another month or so correct?" Kyle asked.
"Yes, I believe I do Kyle. She smiled. The firm only opens up in January again."
"I will talk to the Boss and tell him what I am planning, I'm going to call all the earth Knights to arms. We need to be together for when the shit hits the fan. Kyle stood up from the table and looked straight at Ruan, There is a reason I am second in command Ruan, if it wasn't that the US president is automatically in charge, I would have been. I know what I am doing. There will be no arguing. You shall go to Torandia, not only to find your son, but to have a look around, get used to the paranormal come back enlightened, you have exactly a week. If you are not back by then I will have to go and collect you myself. Natasha will be accompanying you to Torandia there will be no arguments, this isn't a game.
I am not to take chances with my people's lives.
Ruan looked from One person to the other, he was glad Kyle thought it good if he was to go to Torandia, Natasha will be coming with him, that wasn't too bad, but what's with the sudden seniority from him, he has always been chilled out.
Kyle walked out of the room at that and up the stairs. The round table was located in the underground chamber that the house was built on top of.
"Don't worry about that, John Said, he always gets like that when somebody from earth is going to Torandia. Kyle is only 22 now, but he has been part of the Knights Templar since he was twelve, or so the story goes.. His whole life has revolved around the Knights Templar since then.
He finished school with money he inherited from his fathers death, he was one of the few knights ever to have been promoted to a rank as high as he is now, usually one only moves up through a death in the chain somewhere or vote, this genius got promotion after promotion by democratic vote of each individual earth knight to where he is today.
He is the best leader; The President is busy with worries of his own though he does do his part. Kyle is a master with his sword and shield. You really do not want to get in his bad side. He is usually the one to accompany newbies to Torandia for their weeks stay. But it being the time it is, there is no time for him, the veil is about to crumble and we will have to protect earth until the eyes take over."
Ruan took in everything that John said, he had always wondered how Kyle was so young and at the top of the ranks.
"Why is everybody in the Knights young?" Ruan asked.
"When you reach service year of 15 years as a Knight Templar, you get the option to retire.
We trust that by then you will be trust worthy enough not to out the secret you also have a choice, Rughnan or the master magician can cast a spell on you to let you forget everything, like we do with the presidents every now and then.
"Why kill the other people when they find out then?" Ruan asked.
"Rughnan can't come fix our mistakes every hour or so for someone we accidentally told.
We twelve are currently the only twelve people on earth that know the truth, all the retirees opted to forget the truth. We have to stay disciplined not to tell anybody! A death is more intimidating than hypnosis. We cannot allow the secret to escape us twelve and the Toramdon Eyes. That is why there is a death penalty to anyone who knows the truth except us, it's so we guard the secret so much more carefully.
"That makes sense, how do you know if someone has spilled the beans?" Ruan asked out of curiosity.
"Remember when you had to touch a purple stone down at area 51?" Natasha answered.
"That is a truth stone engraved with magic that protects solely this secret, Aradia made it solely for this purpose. If you touch that and you tell anybody, Kyle will know immediately and he himself will kill you and everybody you told." Natasha didn't even bat an eyelid.
"Seems a bit harsh, but I understand. Why wasn't I told this initially, I was just told that tell anybody and you die, and the people you told will too?"
"That question always comes up. Its because if you knew the truth from the onset, we wouldn't really know if you are trustworthy or not. That was but a test. Not everybody we choose for a Knight passes you know... there have been some serious incidents we would rather omit to mention."
Ruan sat there and tried to absorb all the information.
"In all honesty the knights deemed you trustworthy the second you started your training with the flail. Legend has it only trustworthy people can wield a flail and not kill themselves the first try." John smiled at Ruan.
"Seems like a lot of people dying if you ask me. Is it all really worth it?" Ruan asked.
Ruan took a sip of coffee that was starting to get cold.
"It is, a voice came from behind. But imagine for one second if this came out publicly, the panic, the doomsday prophets, every dungeons and dragons fanatic will want to immigrate, if people were to know demons were real, no one will be able to sleep ever again the religious wars will spiral out of control. Countries will try and take over Torandia and fail horribly, no, our world is not ready for news like this." Kyle said standing in the door.
Ruan turned around. "You know there are still a lot of things I would like to know."
"We know, you will learn with time. But now, we eat."
"That sounds good. I know this little Italian place around the corner." Natasha answered.
Ruan slept in one of the suites in the underground chamber. Tomorrow he would be leaving for Torandia. Kyle was somewhere doing what the in-commands do to organize something like this. He would be leaving for Torandia tomorrow afternoon at exactly 5pm.
When Kyle left the room with the round table he had apparently contacted all of the knights, they would start to arrive tomorrow morning.
Billy would be first as he had left a bit before the call to arms, the president would be last at around four, as he was the closest. Kyle had been a bit worried, it was nearly 8 months since all of them were united, and even then The president was not there at Ruan's inauguration.
Ruan understood why, this is what Kyle lives for. He had no family except for the eleven other knights. He never really took Kyle for a deep guy. He looked like a typical geek.
Ruan kept thinking about tomorrow when he was to go to a different world. How will it be? What if this was all just a big joke that these people got his son involved in. Ruan knew there was no way that this could be a joke, he had seen the proof right before his eyes.
The dead body of a demon. He always thought them to be ethereal creatures in the mind.
The little devil on the shoulder type of thing. Now he knew better.
Somewhere caught in his thoughts sleep found Ruan.
Ruan saw in the mirror his stubble had begun to grow back, the one thing he had forgot to bring was a razor. He splashed his face with water and decided to join the land of the living.
Halfway down stairs Ruan could make out some voices.
"So he gets to go before his time, but not me? I want to have some target practice!"
Ruan snorted to himself, Billy Jones had arrived at HQ.
That accent was unmistakably his Aussie accent.
Ruan got to the Dining room.
"Hey mate! Heard you going for a little field trip?"
Ruan was barely awake.
"Coffee..."
"You look like a zombie!" Natasha laughed.
"Billy just got here 15 minutes ago and is already arguing with Kyle. He wants to know why you get to go to Torandia and why he must stay." John Answered looking up from his newspaper.
Ruan quickly filled Billy in on the long and short of the story.
"Oh mate, that sucks. I would love to blow some things up that side though."
"I'm sure you would." Natasha laughed with cereal in her mouth.
Ruan noticed that he was really comfortable with the people that were here, actually thinking back he was very comfortable with all the Knights.
They were like one messed up dysfunctional family, Kyle as daddy and Natasha being the first ever female, she was the mommy albeit stern looking and rarely smiling mommy.
Kyle just stared at Ruan through the conversation.
"Ruan, I need you to finish up and meet me downstairs in say fifteen minutes please." He said.
"Okay be right down just want to grab some food and coffee please."
The conversation went to hell from there. Everybody kept quiet, Natasha eating silently, John quietly reading his newspaper and Billy had finally sat down shining one of his many guns. Ruan didn't know what to say so he politely stared in front of him and finished his coffee.
Ruan walked down the stairs into what the knights referred to as the `round room' it was also located underground, it wasn't really a round room, all the documents, archives and technology the knights possessed was kept in that room.
Kyle was waiting by a desk when Ruan got to him. "Please sit down"
Ruan obeyed and saw that Kyle was really a good leader, very young, but good.
"We have some things to discuss. In truth we do not need the master magician Rughnan to travel between the worlds. We knights have our own ways perfected over millennia, for Ruan you are not a true Knight Templar yet. Yes you have gone through inauguration and you are believed to be trustworthy. Again I am going to ask you the questions I did months ago except this will be just you, me and this bracelet, do you swear to be honest and true, so help you god?"
"So help me God."
"I am going to ask you a few questions, this is here where most people fail to become a knight, fail here and I shall not kill you as you are of a trustworthy sort, but I will erase all of your memory for the last few months, you can see what the problem is in doing that.
Ruan didn't know what to say, his heart thudded out of his chest, if he was to lose his memories, and he wouldn't know where his son is, also everyone omitted the fact that Kyle could do magic.
"Now the questions begin. No questions are allowed, only answers."
Ruan nodded.
"What are your names?"
"Ruan Andrew Preeves"
"How do you deem yourself?"
"Worthy."
"What is the motto of a Knight in Templar."
"To protect and serve, teach and learn."
Up to here Ruan was familiar with the questions. He answered every question without fault.
"How will you wield your weapon?"
"With pride in the Human race"
"Should you die, how be it?"
"With dignity in knowing my life was for the greater good."
Ruan moved a bit closer and placed the bracelet on Ruan's arm.
"Last question. How do you enter this group named the Knights Templar?"
This question was new, and Ruan hesitated for a second, but immediately knew the answer.
"Free of harm and in perfect love and perfect trust."
Ruan felt a surge of energy flow through him; he knew it came from the bracelet, Ruan started to panic, his memory was busy being erased.
The tingling feeling subsided and Ruan focused on Kyle.
"Where am I?" Ruan asked.
Kyle smiled, right were you were a few minutes ago.
Congratulations Ruan. You passed the test.
Memories came flooding back into Ruan's head.
Ruan looked at his arm and saw the bracelet gone "What happened?"
The bracelet is a sort of a charm that gets absorbed into your skin. That one was specifically designed for you by me. I fashion every potential knight his own depending on his skills, chosen weapon etc. I also ask a different last question to everyone depending on his weak points, yours is you find it hard to trust people.
I dabble in magic, having been to Torandia more than a few times, Master magician Rughnan teaches me, although I am not even mediocre compared to him. He taught me the basics, so that he wouldn't have to jump between worlds to much. Each and every of the twenty four knights get a bracelet like this and go through what you just did o the day that they are to travel to the brother world. Everyone except Billy has their bracelet, if you answer the last question correctly the bracelet becomes naked to the eye, no one will be able to see, touch, or smell it. It will be the source of your strengths in times to come, your medium to communicate with other knights and so on.
If you yield your flail now, you will have improved hundred fold. Close your eyes and focus on Natasha, have the physical NEED to tell her something and send out your message with your mind."
Ruan did as he was told, he focused on Natasha and concentrated as hard as he could. "Hi"
"Hello!" He heard two voices in his mind.
Kyle laughed, not bad for a first try but any of the knights in a three mile radius accept Billy could hear that in their minds. You need to concentrate harder on the specific person you aimed that at. Practice makes perfect."
"Well done on succeeding your test." Ruan heard Natasha in his head.
"What is that? Can any of the Knights read my thoughts now?"
"No, your thoughts are sacred to yourself. You need to concentrate on sending a message. The original Mage eye invented this, it is so it doesn't matter where the knights are scattered, we can always have contact, should anything happen."
"Ever hear of cell phones?" Ruan couldn't resist the comment.
Kyle snorted, yeah, like I haven't heard that from every single one, you'll see, on the battle field you can hardly tell a Demon, Please wait! I need to make a call!"
Kyle seemed like his old cheerful self again, the geek that Ruan came to like, and not the intimidating guy he was but a few minutes ago.
Ruan and Kyle talked for the better part of the hour, about battles passed and such.
Ruan had never been to battle before, he could feel at the back of his mind, he could now better use his three headed flail, but he was scared shitless for his first battle, even though he is head of the police. The stories about the battles with demons and such stoked fear into Ruan's heart, yet he knew a battle was unavoidable for long. Billy has been a knight for a month longer than Ruan, the previous guy had retired and Billy took his place. Even he had fought a stray demi-Demon in Australia before in the third month of him being a knight. Ruan knew he is a coward at heart.
Ruan and Kyle emerged out of the round room, Ruan, and Natasha gave him a small applause when he walked into the dining room. Billy didn't even look up, he just polished his gun.
"Well done, though we knew you'd make it." Natasha said.
Ruan snorted, "Well yeah, I just want to get to Torandia you know."
"What exactly happened here? Did I miss something?" Billy asked looking up for the briefest moment.
"No Billy, you will get your turn." John said.
"You lot are so weird." Billy said going back to his gun.
Ruan, Kyle, Natasha, John and Billy talked until mid day, about things to come and memories passed.
"Yeah that one almost had me" John said.
Natasha laughed, "Almost? It did! It had you by your throat, against a tree!"
"John blushed, yeah if it hadn't been for Jankov, I would probably have been killed."
"What's with all the melodramatic stories? I've been standing in the door listening to you for ten minutes and I feel like bursting out in tears!"
Ruan looked around and saw a very handsome Japanese guy sanding in the doorway.
"Hi Mikaru! When did you get here?" John asked.
"Uhm, like I just said, ten minutes ago" Mikaru said scratching his head.
"Ruan! So nice of you to still be alive! Heard you going to Torandia this afternoon.
Congrats on passing the final."
Mikaru was an outspoken character from Japan, Ruan had noticed he is a total pervert, he blushes easily around women, one word to describe him, a total doofus. Ruan had heard in the grape vine of the knights that he is an excellent ninja though.
"Yeah, thanks Mikaru, good to see you again."
Mikaru threw his bags down in the living room, and walked over to Natasha.
"Sweet cheeks, how you doing on this fine day." Mikaru said touching her shoulder.
Natasha's hand moved at the speed of light, she grabbed his hand and crushed it, Mikaru wallowed with pain.
Natasha flung Mikaru to the other side of the room, with but one hand.
"Don't touch me again. But its nice to see you too." Natasha said still with her arm in mid air.
Mikaru lay on the floor laughing, "Still as feisty as ever I see!"
Natasha raised her eyebrows and turned back to the company at he table.
Ruan noticed John barely batted an eyelid, must be how it always is.
Ruan got up and headed to the shower. He had been busy all morning, it was almost one, and at five he would be leaving for another world.
Thank you for reading this chapter. I am at the ass end of my country on holiday, for the people in SA I stay in pretoria and im on holiday in cape town, so getting time to post the chapters have been challenging.
Im glad this is up now, you got a taste of the knights templar as well. The next chapter will be about Mordain and the eyes again so dont worry, the story is still about them.
please visit www.mordain88.wordpress.com to leave comments and such there, I really really get inspired by them...
Michael
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