Return to Abras

By Daniel D. Mickle

How do young witches and wizards find themselves on an alien planet?
RETURN TO ABRAS, Book 2 of the Abrasax Chronicles series is an uncommon blending of science fiction
and fantasy. Should you wear a pointy wizard's hat or strap on a blaster? Hold onto your magic wands and laser pistols;
—you are in for a rare treat. It may all sound too unbelievable, but the way the series is written, I think you will agree that it is presented in a logical and plausible manner. Check it out...!

Book 1 - Soul Keeper
Book 2 - Return to Abras
Book 3 - The Helium Bomb
Book 4 - Trouble in the Orion Spur
(Book 5 - Assassin: Knight Takes Queen -Still being written-)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Daniel D. Mickle
• Release date: Nov 13, 2013
• ISBN: 9781311347510

Daniel D. Mickle

Daniel D. Mickle has written technical articles in the sciences plus science fiction stories for over half a century, beginning in high school with his school newspaper, where he wrote stories for the enjoyment of the other students. His varied interests range from quantum physics theory, communications, electronics design, work with lasers and microwave radio (lifetime federal license), computers, astronomy, chemistry, and the internet to building robots, riding his Harley, martial arts (multiple black belts), marksmanship (expert), writing, oil painting, and photography (to mention a few) give him a perspective on life which may be seen in the varied aspects of his stories. A stickler for detail, he makes certain the science involved in his fiction is either the latest views in the scientific community, or are his own interpretations and projections of logical science discoveries coming in the future.

Book preview

RETURN TO ABRAS

BY DANIEL D. MICKLE

Copyright © 2008 by Daniel D. Mickle

First release for internet e-book publication Nov. 2013

Smashwords Edition

Cover artist: Daniel D. Mickle

Line Editor: Melissa Ringsted

The author asserts his moral rights under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act.

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photographic, electronic or mechanical methods without prior written permission of the author, except for brief quotations used in critical reviews and other non-commercial uses as permitted by copyright law.

This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places, and events are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank all those who helped me with their thoughts and ideas for this, and the other stories in this series, especially Ric and Ty Braden, who endured my going on and on about the stories and added their thoughts in certain areas. I would also like to thank another author, Lucian Barnes, for his insights into how to navigate the ins and outs of online publishing, since I only knew the ways of traditional publishing. Furthermore, this book would contain many more errors, especially in the punctuation department, were it not for the excellent editing skills of Melissa Ringsted. Finally, I wish to thank you, the reader, for buying my book. I hope you enjoy it and anxiously await the next books in the series.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter One – Alien Dreams

Chapter Two – An Arachnian’s True Colors

Chapter Three – Dyrstan’s Revenge

Chapter Four – Ishtaree’s Present

Chapter Five – Space Cadets

Chapter Six – The Statue

Chapter Seven – I Want to Go Home

Chapter Eight – Hail, Hail the Gang’s All Here

Chapter Nine – Volunteers, Anyone?

Chapter Ten – Negotiations

Chapter Eleven – The Robot Gambit

Chapter Twelve – The Shrine

Chapter Thirteen – Slaaashleeshh Attack

Chapter Fourteen – Prisoners on Mak’kla

Chapter Fifteen – Escape Attempt

Chapter Sixteen – Army of Humanity

Chapter One – Alien Dreams

Wake up, Kevin! Don’t you dare sleep; Patty’s dying. It’s draining the life out of her, his friend, Billy, gasped while shaking him. If she passes out, we all die.

Beyond the purple glow of the energy shield Patty held in place, Kevin Wells saw little except blackness in all directions. He and his three friends floated in interstellar space, far from any visible planets or other places of refuge. Kevin knew with fearful certainty that they were going to die. We’re running out of air and I can’t even stay awake, he thought as he closed his eyes, perhaps for the final time.

The dark void disappeared. His friends were gone as well, and he saw a planet that could have been Earth, yet somehow he knew it wasn’t. What he could see of the blue sky beyond the clear dome above looked unfamiliar. The stars appeared strange. No, not Earth. Large planets and moons hung frighteningly close, as he had never seen such things before. Am I dreaming? he wondered. If not, the alternative was too terrible to contemplate, because he could no longer sense his friends nearby. Am I dying or already dead?

I’m dreaming. Looking around, he spoke aloud with certainty, trying to take comfort in his own voice. This is definitely not Earth! Wherever he was now, the stars were not tiny dots of light, but bigger, as though they were all much closer—much larger than any stars he had seen before. Could that happen?

He remembered floating in space with his friends, about to die. This planet had to be a dream. Lack of oxygen must have affected his brain and put him into a final sleep from which he would never awaken.

Taking his eyes off the sky and glancing around the building, he noticed a large group of people nearby. Because they wore robes, Kevin thought they could have been from the magical community, however, there wasn’t a pointed wizard-hat amongst them. He was on an alien world, without knowing how he got there. I’m sure this is a dream, he thought, and yet, even in the dream-strangeness, Kevin felt he had seen this place before. Another dream perhaps?

The nearest one of the ominous figures spoke to him with a voice like a human girl. From the tone, he felt she was close to his age, but he could not see within the hood. He remembered having seen this hooded figure before—the same decorative filigree design—but she had not previously spoken to him. "Kataska rohanoren iô mejasemu nurehşa bawee."

What? What are you saying? Kevin urged the girl in the hood. I can’t understand you.

"Brahmana makane Abras azzabua. Iô lauo Abrasax." She reached out toward Kevin, and he saw pale, delicate human hands holding an amulet emerge from the robe. With both of her hands, she placed the supporting chain over Kevin’s head, lowering it until it rested on his chest, as did her light, delicate touch.

Kevin gasped, but this time it was not from lack of air. There was something pleasant and exciting about that gentle contact.

This place, this world, is called Abras and I am Abrasax, the girl said.

Hey, I understand you now, he stated, almost relieved when she lifted her hands away. Almost.

Ishtar smiles on you. Now that you have received this gift of speech, be happy at your good fortune.

My name is Kevin. What did you say your name was again? Abrasax?

The girl giggled. No. My name is Ishtaree. I am Abrasax. What are you?

She didn’t ask ‘who’. She asked ‘what’. With a sudden flash of understanding, Kevin knew what she meant. "Oh, this place is called Abras and you are Abras-ian, Abrasax. You are from Abras?"

Yes. What are you? She drew back her hood and he saw the alien looked like a human girl, but with brilliant golden hair. He had never seen golden hair before. Each strand sparkled like his mother’ and father’s matching wedding bands when sunlight caught them. Her radiant smile distracted him from everything else, until his gaze shifted to her eyes. The dazzling golden irises hypnotized him as he noticed how they matched her hair in peculiarity of color. They held tiny sparkles like the twinkling of distant stars, or like paint, sporting flecks of pure metallic gold poured in circles on the surface of two deep dark pools.

My name is Kevin. I am … He wanted to tell her he was from Earth, but somehow, he knew what he must say. I was born on Earth, but I am Abrasax, also. I am magical.

"The Abrasax draw on the universal force that you call magic. That force shows me visions, and I have seen you in my future through such a revelation. I must tell you something important. You must remember this word for it will help you when all looks bleak. In the face of ill fortune, say once, ‘Chahthrah.’ Once you have said it, the universe will cooperate with you in what you seek."

Was she teaching him a magical word of power? What would it do? She spoke so cryptically. "Chahthrah," he repeated.

We stand here at a crossroads, you and I. Through that same force, I sense that in the place and time you live, we—my people—will have gone on. Of those who remain of our people, their ways will be different. I see you playing an important role in that future. Even though a great gulf separates us, I see my own future, and you are in it. She smiled a glowing smile. I do not know how that is possible, for we are separated by over seventy thousand years. For it to happen, one of us must travel through time … you backward or me forward.

What she said was confusing. To meet us, you have already crossed the great void in spirit form. This is good, for I desperately need your help. You have made a giant leap in your abilities to control the quantum forces you know as magic, but I feel within you a struggle. You are of two minds trying to sort out who you really are. On one side, you are Nivek, descended of Enlil of Abras and controller of the force, while on the other side you are Kevin …

* * *

"Kevin … Ke-vin … Someone was yelling his name, but it wasn’t the alien girl. She had faded away. Kevin, come on. You have to get up now or we’ll miss breakfast!" The voice was Billy MacDuff, his roommate, and one of his closest friends. He woke up and realized he was in their room in Nashotah tower at the Greenbriar Academy of Magic.

Abras … Huh? Oh, I was dreaming … He looked down, but the amulet he expected to see there was gone. "Hold on—Chahthrah—Ishtaree from Abras—Kataska—Don’t say anything for a minute. I might forget the words. Wait, I’ll tell you in a minute." He quickly grabbed a pen and parchment to write down the strange words—everything he could remember from his dream. It seemed so real. Was it a prediction of terrible things to come? he wondered. Amy loves searching through the library for odd references. Maybe she or Patty can find these words somewhere.

* * *

Are we really going into space this year, Professor? asked one of the students in Professor Grymm’s morning Philosophy of Magic class. The Professor had hinted for two years that they would take some space jaunts beginning in their third year at Greenbriar. At age fourteen, this was Kevin’s third year, and like any teen, he was anxious to explore, but would his dream come true? Were they destined to die in space?

Yes. However, only those who can prove to me that they will not be a threat to themselves or others shall be going. The professor sneered at this thought. That may not be as easy as one might first think, he continued in his posh British accent reminiscent of an Eton graduate. We shall take a look at the International Space Station, and then we shall visit the moon’s surface. Marvelous.

Kevin Wells, the only student in the school who carried the so-called wizard’s mark in his two-tone hair, really wanted to ask him, "Since you have such a low opinion of everyone but yourself, don’t you feel that every student is a threat to himself or others?" He wanted to, but he didn’t say it.

The professor was still speaking. Let me make one thing profusely clear. If you are floating in space, there will be no Earth to stand upon and no earth in the form of food to eat. You could float away aimlessly, or you could starve. You will have only the air you take with you, so once that is gone, you asphyxiate.

Professor Grymm looked at the puzzled expression on the face of a huge boy named Oxford Ox Peccant. Asphyxiate means you die because you cannot breathe. Had your mother given you a practical demonstration in the meaning of asphyxiation while you were younger, she might have saved us all time and bother now. Quite inconsiderate of her, wouldn’t you say? A couple of the students giggled.

As with most of the students in the class, the professor was certain of cheating on the part of the House Arachnia students, but could not prove how they had done it. Ox should never have made it into second year, let alone third. The other questionable Arachnian was Ramses Ram Drafu, who had barely survived the previous year’s final exam.

They were willing to grant that Ram had not cheated, but in Ox’s case, cheating seemed the only possibility. Rumors passed from student to student that another Arachnian had somehow changed their looks—stuffing their clothes with pillows and their cheeks with the two halves of an apple—to pass for Ox and take the final exam in his place. That was surely only fiction.

Ox looked like he had only one long eyebrow as he thought over the professor’s words, still missing what had been implied. Professor Grymm continued, In space, there is no fire, which is to say no heat to keep you warm. In addition, should you need liquid replenishing, you will find there is likewise no water, other than that which we bring with us. Summarizing, when we go into space, we will have only those things we are carrying. You will learn to take earth, air, fire, and water with you on such an excursion.

Professor Grymm went on, To protect yourself and fellow students, each of you will try forming a magical shield—a bubble if you prefer—and hold it for long periods of time. Most will not be able to do so.

Kevin remembered his dream. They had been floating in space in a bubble of magical energy and running out of air. Was death coming when they tried to go to space?

For those who do not know, providing a shield is an ability of abjuration. A proper magical shield will keep you. and anyone inside it with you, safe from the stark environment of space. We shall prepare for this planned exploration in small, easy steps. Easy for me, that is, but unimaginably difficult for the rest of you. As many of you as possible must master holding the magical shields, with everyone who wishes to accompany us to space becoming accustomed to remaining within these shields for an extended period. This practice will make certain the shield-bearers, or abjurers, have the force of will to keep their shields around not only themselves, but their team members as well.

Kevin Wells, Billy MacDuff, and Amy Levine were all looking at each other, and at the fourth member of their close-knit group, Patty Varian, and grinning broadly. From their previous adventures together, they already knew that Patty could hold a shield around all four of them, against severe outside conditions, like repeated strikes from powerful lightning.

I will assign you to working groups. Everyone in your group will be a team. After that, as soon as you enter the classroom, you will initiate your protective bubbles with all members of your working groups inside. No wands, clothing, or body parts will stick outside your bubbles. You will maintain these shields for the duration of the class period and only release them when I say you may do so. For instance, should I ask any of you to move somewhere, everyone in that same bubble must move as a single unit in that direction. At no time will you permit any of your classmates to leave the protection of the shield. Do I make myself clear?

As usual, the entire class mouthed the words, Yes, Professor Grymm.

Levitation is a very hard skill to learn. Not all witches and wizards are able to bring enough energy to bear to combat gravity and the forces of the universe. Consequently, I will not expect this of you, at least not at this grade level. I will levitate your shields a few feet off the floor and hold them there. Whoever maintains a shield automatically remains in the center of his or her own bubble. Others within the same shield must figure out how to hang onto them to keep from falling out of the protective sphere. It will be a very trying experience for the persons maintaining the shields to be able to concentrate on doing so, while having from one to four other students hanging onto them, the professor explained.

Patty had an incredulous look on her face as she tried to comprehend this. No kids could fall through her shield even if they tried.

"You will all attempt to figure out how this may be accomplished and give your opinions, when we have reached that point in the practice. Once I have heard your opinions, then I will inform you as to the correct method. Here is a clue to ponder. You must not interrupt the abjurer, as they maintain the protective bubble around you. Should the bubble collapse while you are in space, you die. Instead, another member of your working group will cast a secondary spell. He paused and looked around at all of them. After you have figured out how to remain in your bubbles, when they are no longer on solid ground, then we will try going to greater heights. I will set you afloat above the school. After that, we will try holding class around one mile up, where the air is a little more rarefied and you are a bit further from the Earth. I shall provide a magical safety net for anyone who falls. However, be warned that doing so will disqualify you from accompanying the class on our space outings. Since that has a great deal to do with your grades, you will undoubtedly be amongst those who fail my class for the year. He glanced toward Ox, and away again, muttering, One can only hope."

He added, While the class will lose students who prove incapable of continuing on to the fourth year, I do not intend to lose any of you due to your having died during Philosophy of Magic class. He turned toward the blackboard, and pointing with his finger rather than with a wand, caused writing to appear on the board. He suddenly changed to a new subject when he said in a condescending tone, "I am going to help Professor Garrett with your Latin studies. I am sure he will appreciate it. These phrases in Latin all underline the meaning behind the first Law of Magic—the Law of Will. Possum quiaa volo in the first line means ‘I can because I wish’. The next line, Nil difficile volenti means ‘nothing is difficult to one who wills it’. The last one is also similar. Volenti omne possibile. You see volenti used again. Can someone tell me the meaning of this phrase?"

If you will it, everything is possible, spoke a soft voice from the back of the room. The professor looked sharply in that direction, about to chastise a student for speaking out without raising a hand, but found the answer had not come from a student.

I do not recognize you from the normal retinue of the castle. You are? Professor Grymm asked.

The voice came from a female ghost dressed in white, who appeared to be sitting at an empty desk in the back of the room. Mrs. Claudia Savage. I didn’t mean to interrupt your class, Professor. I was just passing through, reliving old times, and heard a question I felt I could answer. I’ve always so enjoyed Latin.

I see. The professor’s right eyebrow arched. So you were a prior student here, I presume?

Yes, I was here over a hundred and ten years ago. I was in House Salali, as are many of the students in this class. The ghost smiled and waved at some of the students.

As you undoubtedly remember, once you are assigned to a house, you are part of that house forever; therefore, I shall give House Salali one demerit point, because a member of that house spoke out in my class without permission. The ghost and the professor stared at each other for several seconds, during which the ghost floated forward until she was mere inches in front of him. He continued, If you are thinking that as a phantasm, you are beyond my control, remember that this is my class and you have housemates, who will pay the price of any impertinence on your part, Miss … er, Mrs. Savage.

"Don’t you forget that as a ghost, I can do things to get even that you could not possibly foresee nor circumvent, were I so inclined. She crossed her ghostly arms to show him her mind was set and he was not getting the better of her. If you will it, everything is possible."

Mrs. Savage, I will have you know that I am a Grand Master Sorcerer. I could banish you in a flash, if I so wished.

This ghost was not to be intimidated. "Although it was some time ago, I also passed my GME. Look up Claudia Victoria Friend, 1897 graduate. I believe you will find me listed as graduating with top honors and with a higher GME score than anyone else for one hundred eighty three years prior—or any year since. I also know some banishment spells that even work on Grand Master Sorcerers, but luckily for you, I am not normally the vindictive type. With a faint smile at him, she turned toward the students and said, I will see you all later." She floated through the wall to Grymm’s right and was gone. His eyes followed her, and for several seconds stared at that spot on the wall in silence.

On the far right-hand corner of his desk were several books. His gaze went to one of those, and then he looked up at the students as though unexpectedly remembering he had a class waiting. Class dismissed. the professor said curtly and shooed them all away with a couple of quick flips of his hand. You may all take an early lunch. Students promptly forgotten, Professor Grymm reached for one of his books.

At only twenty minutes into the class period, this was highly unusual. Kevin looked at Billy, who shrugged and jumped up. Let’s go, before Ol’ Grimy changes his mind, he whispered. Everyone else was trying to make a quick exit for the same reason. This was not like Grymm. If anything, he usually held them over an extra few minutes, thinking his time with them was more important than anything else they could possibly be doing.

Sometimes red-haired, freckle-faced Freddie Flynn would pretend to be Professor Grymm, making a meager attempt at a posh upper-class British accent with exaggerated pauses. Do you—think you can simply—die in my—class? Think again—young man! I have not yet—dismissed—you, so dying is quite—unacceptable. Once I have finished—my ten-thousand-word—dissertation—reflecting upon my own—greatness, then I—may dismiss you. Only then, may you step—outside my—classroom and do your—dying. This always brought giggles to everyone.

I’ll be right with you. I need to ask Professor Grymm something about the homework he mentioned earlier, Amy Levine, the girl with the jet-black hair, told the others as she turned back to the classroom.

I bet she screws things up for the rest of us. I just know we’re going to end up with extra homework. Why can’t she ever leave things alone? The weird part is that she loves school and studying so much, that she’d probably think she did us a favor, Billy MacDuff muttered, heading off quickly toward the Great Hall to get as far from the classroom as possible, and be the first in line for lunch. Let’s go. Quick.

Within the classroom, Amy saw the professor looking intently at a book. Is she in there? Amy asked.

Professor Grymm snapped the book that he was reading shut. You are still here, Miss Levine? To what do I owe this … delightful honor? For once, his voice did not sound like he found it anything but delightful.

"I recognized the book you were looking at, sir. I have a copy, myself. That’s Famous Witches and Wizards of the Current Era. Is she in there? I didn’t know her maiden name until today, so I never found her before, but that name does sound familiar."

Professor Grymm looked angry at first, but the look faded and his gaze went back to the book he had slid down to his lap. Yes. Yes, she is. He looked up at Amy. I know you will look it up later anyway, so I may as well tell you now. Her score was higher.

Amelexia Levine’s brow creased slightly. Higher? Higher than?

His voice rose slightly. Higher than mine. It’s what you wanted to know, isn’t it? Her score was a full percentage point above mine. Ninety-nine-point-seven percent on her GME. At ninety-eight-point-three, I was in the top two percent of everyone through all the centuries, who ever took the exams. She was in the top half of a percentile. He looked downcast. His superiority was the one thing he valued over all else, the lifeboat to which he clung. He had just met and argued with someone who had scored higher on the Grand Master Exam, the ruler by which he measured everyone. That she was a ghost mattered little.

One of his favorite sayings was that anyone who argues with their intellectual superiors is simply showing their foolishness. Now he was the one who had argued with his superior.

I wonder how she died, he said, not in a sneering, superior way, but almost like a small boy who had just been scolded.

I know about that, sir. She told us what happened. I can tell you that story if you would like to hear it, Amy offered.

Meanwhile the rest of the class had made their presence known in the Great Hall, filling plates with choice foods and tankards with cinnamon-spiced apple cider and exotic teas from all over the world. It was some time before Amy appeared. Professor Grymm entered as well, and seemed to have a smile on his normally sour face. He walked straight to the head table in his normal fashion, but Amy stopped by the Salali tables to tell them something that brought a cheer.

What was that all about? Kevin asked her as she came to the Nashotah table where he sat. There were ten long tables in the Great Hall for the five houses. As you entered, the two tables on the far right belonged to Nashotah House.

Oh, the professor restored that point he took off, and actually gave them an extra five points as an apology ‘for being too quick to misjudge’, as he put it. Don’t say anything to the professor about it, but the White Lady really made him feel humble. That’s why he let us out early. He was embarrassed.

Grimy? Embarrassed? Now that’s a first! Billy choked out between mouthfuls. He took up his drink and gave a toast. Here’s to embarrassing him every day.

You are such a sloppy eater! interrupted Patty, reaching over to brush crumbs from the front of Billy’s robe. He actually had his own robes now and no longer had to borrow one from Kevin as he had two years before on that first day of school.

Hey! Leave it alone. I was saving that! Billy growled. To make his point, he picked up a crumb from his lap and popped it into his mouth, while giving her a wide smile.

Patty simply rolled her eyes, sighed, and said nothing.

I’m going to put it on. I’m going to try it, Amy said in a burst of bravery. Maybe it’s not even magical.

"Now what are you going on