Chapter XV
Daylight breaks over a forest. An observer can see a young man hanging from a
parachute, stuck up in a tree.
Jon wakes, and seeing the ground about twenty feet below him, panics. He struggles, and pulls
the chute release cord in that struggle. He plummets to the ground, and at the last moment, his
psionic aura springs to life to cushion his fall. He grunts as he hits the cushioning aura.
~'Okay, time to find out where I am.'~ He thinks, and activates the GPS gear strapped to his
arm. The small satellite springs from its place, and after several moments the screen reads:
'Insufficient satellite connections. Please move to an open area.'
~'Damn technology.'~ Jon thinks as he moves towards an open field. When he moves out to
the center of the field, the GPS chirps.
'Global position calibrated. Latitude position is ??? Longitude position is ??? Continent name
is orth America. Country name is United States of America. Region name (A) is ???
State name is New York. Region name (B) is Central. County name is Oneida. Town/Village
name s Osceola.'
~~'Osceola? Where in `Ades is that? I ain't staying in no backwater, middle of no-where
town!~~
Jon pulls his remote control/dimensional portal activator from his pack, and activates it. The
remote glows briefly, then nothing happens.
~~Dammit!! Freaking battery must be dead!~~ Jon screams.
He presses the activate button on the remote again, and as what little power is left in the
battery attempts to rip the dimensional fabric asunder, Jon's aura flares out in all directions. He
focuses his power through the remote, using it as a focus to open a portal. He concentrates. and a
small portal is ripped in the fabric of dimensional spacetime. A beach is on the other side, and
crabs scurry from it. He stands up, still focusing his power through the remote, and walks towards
the portal. Glancing once more at his surroundings, Jon steps through the portal, out onto the wet
sands of the beach.
He collapses onto the wet sand, totally spent from opening the portal. He surrounds
himself in a weak cocoon, keeping the sea-creatures away from him, but letting him sleep. He
sleeps right through high tide, and the only thing keeping his water-tight cocoon from floating out
to sea was a piece of seaweed that he landed on that got caught up in his cocoon.
Jon awakes, refreshed.
~'Now where am I?'~ He thinks as he surveys his surroundings.
He sees the strip of beach, beneath a cliffline. He brushes a bit of sand from his jacket as he
stands, and walks up the beach a bit. He sees no other signs of life beside a few crustaceans. He
comes to another cliff, and gazes upward. Guessing the cliff is about a couple hundred meters, he
envelopes himself in his psychedelic-colored aura. He rises upward and sets his foot on the grass
covered ground. He looks to his right and left, pondering if this realm is even inhabited.
~'Might as well go this way. Looks like a path.'~ Jon thinks as he starts down a path, obviously
traveled by few. He passes through a forest, sensing, but not seeing several individuals. He shrugs
it off, figuring they're just some locals. He comes out to an open area, and sees a large building,
much like the first inn he came to. There is a faded sign above the porch, and Jon can just make
out a few words.
~'Glen...something..Tavern. A tavern! Civilization!'~ Jon thinks. ~'But maybe I don't want
to go there yet. I should travel some other dimensions, learn a few trades. Maybe I can find a
town around `ere.'~
Jon turns, walking back up the path. He wanders up it, looking for a village, town, anything
where he could learn or buy some goods. He finally comes to a small fishing town. He can tell it
is a fishing town from the many docks set up down by the water. He psionically illusions himself,
making the townsfolk believe he is a simple traveler. He wanders the town's streets, making note
of the various shops, the tailor, the weaponer, the armorer, the fisherman's guild building, a small
pub, and a small inn. He walks back to the weaponer's shop, and walks over to the smith.
~~Excuse me, sir?~~
"Yes." The smith says, not looking up from the forging of a short sword.
~~Can I commission ye to forge me a dagger?~~
"Yes. There are examples on that wall. My assistance will inform ye of the prices and scribe
yer request. MALCOM!" The smith calls out the name of his assistant.
"Yes sir?" A young, skinny man says as he walks from the back of the building.
"Show this man the dagger selection." The smith says to his assistant.
"Yes sir. If ye'd come o'er here, I can show ye the selection.
Jon follows the assistant to the opposite wall, where a good dozen daggers are resting on
hooks. Jon looks over the assortment, noticing the excellent quality of the craftsmanship. Several
daggers are normal in blade type, varying in design on the blade. Others have elaborately etched
blades and handles. Jon activates his infrared shades, and examines a few of the blades. One
seems to glow with a bit of energy. Jon points to it.
~~`Ow much is that one?~~ He asks of the assistant.
"Um, that one isn't fer sale."
~~Yes it is.~~ Jon says, manipulating the young man's mind.
"Yes it is."
~~It costs seven hundred gold coins.~~
"And it only costs seven hundred gold coins."
~~You can give me the dagger, and `ere is the gold.~~
"Give me the gold, and you can take the dagger."
Jon gives the man a few gold coins, but in the eyes of the assistant, it is more than seven
hundred coins.
"Thank you sir." He says greatfully.
~~No problem. Go on, and get me a sheathe for my dagger.~~
"I'll get you a sheathe." The man says, and runs to the back, coming back with a supple
leather sheathe. "Here you go, sir."
Jon nods, strapping the sheathe to his belt, next to the laser-sighted beretta. He leaves the
weaponer, walking over to the pub.
He walks in, surveying the crowd. It is the usual assortment, a crowd of humans, elves,
dwarfs, and a few other types. The various species now doesn't affect Jon. He strides up to the
bar, his psionic 'facade' now one of a warrior.
~~Mug o` ale!~~ Jon says to the barkeep.
"Comin' up!" The barkeep answers, and fixes Jon's ale. Jon turns on his stool, surveying
the crowd. Several tables are occupied by various types. Thieves, warriors, healers, mages, and
other types mill about and sit at tables, conversing. Jon grabs his ale and walks over to a table
occupied by a single person, another human.
~~Greetings.~~ Jon starts. ~~Is this seat taken?~~
"No, go right ahead." The figure says, kicking the chair out.
Jon sits and nurses his ale, studying the person across from him. The figure is clothed in
somewhat well-kept clothes, and on closer examination, the figure is female. Jon reaches out with
his aura, studying the room on a closer level. He touches the woman next to him, and senses
resentment. He withdraws his aura from that person, reaching out towards a robed figure a few
seats over. He touches the robed one, and that person jerks up slightly. Jon quickly withdraws his
aura as the figure looks around. Jon gazes down at his drink, hoping no one noticed. He picks up
his drink, and as he stands, he clouds the tavern patrons minds from seeing him. He walks
towards the door, and no one looks up. He passes the robed ones table, and as he does, the robed
figure looks up, looking around.
~'Damn. `E must be able to see me.'~
~~Is someone there?~~ A voice speaks out.
Jon is so surprised that his figure flashes for a moment.
~~The is someone out there. I can feel it.~~ The voice says. ~~Who are you. Reveal
yerself to me.~~
Jon sighs inwardly, and lets his figure appear to the robed one. The robed one jerks with
surprise.
~~Who are you? Why do you come here? Are you a demon?~~ The one dressed in a robe
asks.
~~No, I am not a demon. I come `ere from a distant land. `Ow can you sense me?~~ Jon
answers.
~~T`is easy fer a mindseeker.~~ The robed one answers. ~~Even easier for Galen, master
mindseeker!~~
~~If I may ask, wot is a mindseeker? I am unfamiliar with some terms.~~ Jon replies.
~~A mindseek uses the powers if the psi to strive for good!~~ Galen answers, boastingly.
~~Ah, the psi-endowed.~~ Jon says.
~~Yes. Those who can touch and interact with the psionic realm. Use it for many
purposes, like yourself. For if you weren't endowed with the ability to touch that plane, you
wouldn't be able to be withdrawn from view to me, or even be having this conversation.
Mindseekers can only communicate to fellow psi.~~ Galen explains.
~~You see, that is where you and I differ. We may use the same plane to draw our
powers, but I can manipulate minds, change my appearance, move things, and even communicate
with those who would not be gifted with psi powers. Or else I would be a mute.~~ And with that,
Jon withdraws his illusion from Galen's mind.
Jon's upper lip is cracked, almost shattered. His neck and lower jaw is covered by a turtle-
neck sweater. The turtle-neck seems to glow ever-so-slightly. He has the magical broadsword
strapped to his pack, along with the bulging pack of armor. The guns are holstered to his belt,
along with the new dagger. That too glows slightly. Jon still wears the GPS gear strapped to his
arm, along with the bullet-proof vest under his leather jacket. Galen is taken aback.
~~How? What?~~ He stammers.
~~I come from another dimension. I can tear the dimensional barriers asunder to open
brief portals between dimensions. It is wot allows me to travel in many realms. These are devices
that came from many different realms.~~ Jon explains.
~~Oh, okay.~~ Galen sighs. ~~You can just think about it and a portal to another place
opens?~~
~~It isn't as easy as that. It takes much of my stamina to keep one open for a short amount
of time.~~ Jon replies.
With that, Jon turns and walks out of the pub.
~~Wait! You must teach me these abilities!~~ Galen calls out psionically.
Jon doesn't turn, but he is still heard.
~~I can't. While I was speaking with you, I probed your abilities, and you don't `ave the
power to even start to learn these powers.~~
Jon chuckles to him as he walks to the forest.
~'I may be the most powerful or at least one of the most powerful on this plane. I could
rule `ere!'~ Jon brightens at the possibilities. ~'But I am not out to rule. That is why mutants are
`ated on Earth. I wouldn't want to kill our reputation `ere, too.'~
Jon walks through the forest, definately sensing several sentient beings, but never seeing a
single one. He shrugs it off. As he enters the open Clearing with the tavern near the cliffs, Jon
gets an innate feeling, like when he first opened the portal on the ship. But this feeling is just on
the edge of his feeling, almost not there, but still there. It seems to be coming from the tavern on
the edge of the clearing. Jon lets his aura flow out, and can feel something strange. It isn't really
describeable , but it feels as if many barriers are being squeezed through a pinhole. Jon withdraws
his aura into himslef, and walks to the edge of the clearing. The feeling gets stronger as he passes
the tavern, but weakens as he moves away from it.
~'I wonder what the `ell this feeling is.'~ Jon says as he pulls the remote from his pack.
~'Damn, I fergot...No batteries. I `ope this portal opens to somewhere wit' electricity.'~
Jon replaces the remote in his pack and kneels down on the ground. He lets his aura flow
out towards the intangible dimensional barriers, preparing to tear them open. As he sits, he starts
to 'see' the multiple planes. They are like dozens apon dozens of individual sphere's, but all of
them are connected at this one spot.
~'Wow! That place is a nexus!'~ Jon thinks as he chooses a plane to travel to.
He 'spies' a plane, shaped like an elongated oval, with only a tip of its 'surface' touching the
'nexus'. Jon rips open a small portal to that realm, and opens his eye. He sees the portal open in
front of him, opening out onto a desert environment. Sand blows through the portal, and sand
dunes can be seen off in the distance. Jon stands, and strapping his gear tighter to himself, strides
through the portal to yet another unknown dimension.
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