The Outer Dimension

By Arl P. Olean

In a fascinating place not all men are allowed in, Troy and his combined team of experienced and new, younger Nimrods will fulfill a mission to protect the inhabitants of Alphome from the atrocities and invasions of the insurgents. With the young Nimrods facing a dangerous battle in their first journey in the outer dimension, the mission wont be easy.

Their adventure will lead them to a bigger role, which is not only to protect Alphome but also to prevent the destruction of the entire human world by delivering King Gareths sword to Thorneum, a risky and deadly process that only a chosen Nimrod can do. But they have to find its location first before the Volgurds find it, as they are after the powerful crystal element in the sword.

Over the centuries, King Gareths sword has become stronger and more difficult to carry. It can only be carried by a prutus cruor or a pure Nimrod. However, Troys team must find a higher form of prutus cruor who is directly descended from the lineage of King Gareth, because through the return of the sword to this higher form of Nimrod, life and fertility in Thorneum will be restored.

How can they succeed if the only pure Nimrod they know does not accept the reality that he is the one? How can they succeed if there are contentions among his Nimrod team? How are the enemies discovering their plans? How can they fight their enemies when they are significantly outnumbered?

Can love, betrayal, and heroism coexist in the same objective?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jun 12, 2017
• ISBN: 9781543428490

Arl P. Olean

Arl P. Olean is a mom of five kids who all grew up with passion for fiction and fantasy books. She has a career in project management, but she has always dreamed of becoming a fantasy novel writer. While fulfilling her dream of becoming a writer, Arl attended the creative writing program at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. From that program, Arl had the privilege to meet seasoned writers, attend classes instructed by these writers, learn from their works and experiences, and pitch her work with authors of fiction and fantasy novels, which inspired her more to reach her dreams. Arl has a bachelor’s degree in commerce and master’s in business administration.

Book preview

Prologue

Where are we? What is happening? Sir Mergon asked, realizing that they were in an unfamiliar place. His hands were tightly clasping his shining metal sword, his mind focused on any sign of attack as he spoke to the knights. Like the other knights, he was covered in multilayers of armor, his head was covered with metal helmet, and his eyes and lower part of his face visible.

And where did our horses go? His face exhibited a puzzled look.

I don’t know. We are mysteriously transported in a strange place. It felt like there was a thick invisible wall that pulled us with strong pressure into a different location. Sir William gazed at everybody’s shocked look. His heart was beating fast and head spinning from their strange experience.

Panic took over. They overlooked the beauty of the autumn colors in the stunning view.

Could it be one of Wizard Reda’s tricks? Sir Levi commented, half question, half statement. His eyes swept through the thick woods, looking for some clues. It was noontime a minute ago, but look at the sky now. The sun seems to have started to set.

None of the twelve knights could explain the phenomenon that just happened. They were in search of their leader, King Gareth, who mysteriously disappeared from the kingdom of Mandshire.

The twelve knights formed a circle, their backs inside the circle to keep a 360-degree vision of the surroundings they were surveying.

Shuffles of footsteps shambling through the crispy autumn leaves on the ground alerted them. Quickly, they held their shining sharp metal swords in two-handed grip, ready for an attack, while their thoughts were still occupied by answerless questions. Dark clouds gradually covered the setting sun. Suddenly the sky became murky.

The sound was moving closer toward their direction. Bright lights suddenly blinded their view, almost burning their eyes. After a few minutes, the lights went out, leaving only two strong lights that flashed away from their faces, making it easier for them to see whom they were encountering. They were met by a group of seven men dressed in long-sleeved taupe collared shirts with badges on both the upper part of their left and right sleeves. The shoulders of their shirts were stiff and wide, sticking a few inches from the shoulder points. Their black pants were loose on the thighs. The lower part of the pants were inserted inside their pair of boots.

Who are you? one of the seven men asked. His name was Pellinair. His tone did not deliver any threat to them.

We are the knights of King Gareth. We are searching for him, and we ended up in this strange place, Sir Mergon replied.

You must be from Horden, the core world, Pellinair replied.

We are from Mandshire, and we don’t think that this is part of Mandshire, Sir Mergon said, his mind still grasping for a concrete explanation.

Pellinair half smiled and said, No, it is not. You crossed the portal from the core world to this dimension. You are now on the land of Alphome, the outer dimension of the world we both share with. We live in separate dimensions. By the way, I am Pellinair, and we are the seven governors of Senator Omeron, the ruler of Alphome.

The twelve knights looked at each other. Their faces looked more than fascinated. Their conversation made things feel more spellbinding. Not a single eye blinked for long seconds as they tried to pull their senses together to understand the phenomenon. They put their swords down as they assessed no threat from the strangers they were conversing with.

What do you mean this is an outer dimension? Sir Fergus asked. He swallowed nervously, wondering how they could go back to their own world.

Earth has an outer dimension with its own inhabitants. Horden, which is the core world, is the dimension where you came from. Alphome is in a different dimension. Inhabitants from both dimensions are not permitted to cross the portal to the other dimension except for the chosen ones. We knew about Horden, but none of its inhabitants have heard about us until now, Pellinair replied.

The twelve knights were still confused but thrilled as they exchanged glances and whispered comments.

But how did we get here? Sir Fergus asked.

Portals—they exist on mountains. They are invisible to the eyes. And as foretold by our ancestors that someday, chosen Horden knights will be allowed entry here, and here you are.

Mergon adjusted his sword’s holster and then extended his hand to a handshake. He felt a strong warm feeling of sincerity from the seven men.

My name is Mergon.

It is a pleasure to meet you, Mergon. My name is Pellinair.

They removed their head armors, then the rest of the twelve knights and Alphome governors introduced themselves to each other.

Pellinair continued, We will take you to the house of the senator so you can meet your missing king there. I know it is still confusing for all of you. The rest will be explained to you later.

The house of the senator was dome shaped with castle-like-designed balconies and windows. The door was high and heavy, and made of solid wood, too heavy that two persons were needed to open them. The floor was made of marble in checker design. Interior walls were painted moss green, and the furniture was made of solid wood, carved in fine workmanship.

Welcome to Alphome, Senator Omeron said after Pellinair introduced to him King Gareth’s knights. He was dressed up like his governors, except for the white sash that was hung on his shoulder across his body, and a moss green cape on his back. Gareth will be joining us for dinner in a few minutes. He is currently at the temple, conversing with Cassiel, our elder. Have a seat. Feel comfortable.

Senator Omeron continued, You must still be puzzled with the things that have been going on. But let me give you a background on King Gareth. Your king has no ordinary spirit. Gareth’s soul is a foreordained pure Nimrod knight, and before he was born, his noble and valiant spirit was chosen to be born to the righteous king and queen of Mandshire whose predecessors ruled the kingdom in all justice and fairness. The king and queen—Gareth’s parents—never had a child for many years before Gareth and Tristan were born. When they were in their middle age, they went to the holy temple of Mandshire, gave offerings, and prayed for a child. Together with the king and queen, the entire kingdom gave offerings so that the king and queen’s petition would be granted. One night, the king had a dream, and in his dream he was promised a son, a mighty ruler, a gift from the heavens, who was no ordinary soul because he would be a pure Nimrod to serve Alphome. The king saw this place in his dream. He was overwhelmed by the gift promised to him, and he pledged that he would let his son serve Alphome when the right time comes. He saw the spirit of his son in his dream. After months of prayers, Gareth, the pure Nimrod spirit, was born, and then the year that followed, Tristan was born.

He paused briefly then continued, The designated time came, and in the middle of the night, Gareth went to the mountains and found the portal to this dimension. He did not tell you. It was kept from you until now to preserve the family’s sacred agreement with the heavenly ruler undisclosed from the world.

Does that mean that we can’t have King Gareth back to the kingdom, now that he would be serving this dimension? Mergon asked. His brows narrowed, his heart drowning, not ready to hear the senator’s response.

King Gareth walked in and interrupted with his loud kingly voice, My heart soars with joy to see you all here.

Anxiety swept their puzzled faces when they noticed that their king was not wearing his royal robe. He wore a long-sleeved gray coverall worn with a navy blue hooded cloak, its hood hanging down to the middle of his back. The cloak’s length was almost down to his ankles. Despite the strangeness of his clothing, his royal image was still evident in his tall and well-built stature and kingly countenance.

Now that you’re back, let’s now go to the hall for our dinner, Senator Omeron said, happy to finally eat as he was already feeling hungry. He led the group as they walked into the dining hall. He sat at the head of the table while King Gareth sat at the other end.

While dining, conversation continued with King Gareth addressing Mergon’s question, I am not going back to Horden as the king of Mandshire. I will pass the throne to my brother, Tristan. I believe that the senator has told you about my role, my ordination before I was born on earth. My parents told me about this while growing up, and it was a sacred secret we kept for many years. Although my father is already gone, he keeps on reminding me of this promise in my dreams. I know it would be painful for my mother, the queen, to let me go, but she will also be proud and happy for me as I chose to accept my mission. I have served as a king at a very young age after my father died. I was only eighteen years old then. Fifteen years had passed since then. I love my people, I love my knights. You, Mergon, had witnessed me grow. You were fifteen years old when I was born. You started to train me in sword fighting when I was eight. Now, the right time has come for me to serve this dimension. This is the reason for my existence. I will abdicate the throne to fulfill my parents’ promise, to fulfill my mission—to serve Alphome. Tristan would be a great king. I will be present when I officially pass the throne to him so the people would know that this is my choice and Tristan got the throne in good faith. As I pass the throne and crown to Tristan, I will relate this story to the people of Mandshire, so that the whole world would know the existence of this outer dimension.

Sir Mergon was speechless. He could not believe what he was hearing. Comprehending the truth that King Gareth would be departing the kingdom was a hard thing to process in his heart and mind. He loved him like his own brother. He couldn’t imagine the kingdom without King Gareth. He served as a righteous king for fifteen years and fought in many wars to defend the kingdom. Mergon’s ancestors had served the kingdom as knights for many centuries, and their allegiance was always to the righteous king of Mandshire. But for him his allegiance had become more personal and meaningful because his loyalty was not only for the king of Mandshire, but for the specific king who had become his best-loved friend and brother.

If that is the case, I will stay with you here if you need my service. If you are indispensable in the kingdom of Mandshire, so am I, Mergon proposed confidently. We have over a dozen of great and noble knights serving the kingdom who could be as loyal.

The rest of the knights looked at each other as they listened to the unexpected announcement of Sir Mergon. He was their leader. They felt quite emotionally lost. Their hearts were thumping anxiously fast. They didn’t know how to react to the conversation. They also loved King Gareth. The camaraderie was strong. Their brotherhood was soul deep.

King Gareth continued, I am elated to hear that from you, Mergon. I always knew that you are a loyal friend. Yes, I do need your help, but you can’t stay here with me forever. You have to go back to Horden. But then, you were led here during your search for me not by accident. There is a purpose why you are here. Like me, you are here for a special mission. But unlike me, you will go back to Horden, to your families. I have chosen you as my twelve Nimrod knights not by accident. You have a role, a Nimrod role, which took effect after I moved on here in Alphome.

Mission? What do you mean, Your Majesty? Sir Fergus asked.

As you already knew, Alphome is the outer dimension of the core world. If Horden has different continents, Alphome has different territories. One of its territories, Urdah, is in danger as inhabitants from another territory have started to invade them. War never existed among territories until now as the minds of the inhabitants are starting to learn to hate and to take advantage of other people. These governors that you met are serving the senator, and they help him in governing Alphome. They are not experienced warriors like us. If you accept this mission, we will help them learn how to defend their land and their people. We will build their armies, and from there we will start training armies in their territories. We will be big brothers to them. We will train them in sword fighting, and we will lead them in fighting against the enemies of Urdah. If you accept this calling, I will endow you with the power and skills of Nimrods.

I am accepting the call, Your Majesty, Mergon replied without hesitation.

There was silence among the eleven knights before Sir Fergus started to speak. I will be at your service on this land, my king.

The rest of the knights straightened up, held their swords, and one by one accepted the mission.

King Gareth joyfully declared, We will be equals as warriors, protectors, and leaders. As I endow you with the powers and rights of Nimrods, your posterities receive the same privileges, the same power to become Nimrod knights of Alphome.

King Gareth pulled the sword off the holster that was tied around his waist.

We are using a different sword. This sword is crystal powered, a rare kind of crystal. Notice that the sword has no sharp edges. Only the tip is sharp. He toggled a lever in its handle and showed how the blade would work. It ejects in and out of its cylindrical handle. It transmits piezoelectric power. Its power is not only controlled by crystal magnetic current but also by the current we send from our emotions to the weapon. The skills we have in swords are helpful in the use of this crystal-powered sword. This will be the official Nimrod weapon.

Gareth swung his Nimrod sword that made it glow with blue and white lights. It was two feet and a half in length when ejected, one inch and a half in width, with a thickness of eighteenth of an inch.

1

Troy Tidswell was a senior engineer at Bricol Company, a prominent utility company in British Columbia, a job he really loved and was very proud of as he led a team of civil engineers in their department. He was known for being a good leader who would follow his plans seriously. He knew that as a hydroelectric and dam engineer, he played a key role in making sure that the dam facilities were well maintained and safe for the public. A rare job, as there were too less dam engineers in the country. But there was one thing that was very rare about him: it was his lineage—a lineage that started from the twelve knights and a king of the thirteenth century; a lineage that made him a Nimrod knight. There were quite a number of them in the world, most of them living on the western part. Their existence was known to the world. But the mystery and wonders of where they fought and vowed to serve and protect remained a mystery to many. Ordinary men from the core world called it the outer dimension. To the Nimrods and the inhabitants of the outer dimension, it was called Alphome.

Troy’s busy life in Horden started at the buzz of his alarm clock each morning, and being a single dad, his routine was quite different from most late thirties men like him. After a quick shower and shave on his face, he walked to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for him and his six-year-old daughter, Shantel, and to prepare some sandwich for Miles. Miles was his homeless friend who got out of drug rehabilitation ten years ago. They ran into each at the train station on most mornings. Some mornings, Miles would not be lucky to see Troy especially when Troy was on business trips. But when they got to see each other, Miles would have a free breakfast and a ten-minute chat with Troy.

His house was evident of not having a woman in the home—dishes from last night were piling up in the sink. He had a good reason. He got home late last night from his hockey game at Bricol’s hockey tournament. He also loved the gym. He promised himself to stay healthy because he wanted to live longer so that he would see Shantel grow up, go to university, and get a career. He wanted to be there on her wedding day.

The mail slot at his front door opened, and a newspaper was slipped in by the newspaper carrier, then it dropped on the floor. He stretched a bit before picking it up, and then he took it to his living room. Before he could put it down on his coffee table, he gathered all the cluttered newspapers and magazines and dumped them in his recycling bin, all never been opened and read. The end tables were also cluttered with loose papers and crayons. The only part of the house he made sure to be really clean was the bathroom; otherwise, Shantel would not use their bathroom and would insist on going to her grandparents, who were ten minutes away, to use their bathroom.

Contrary to his disorganized house, he lived an organized life. Everything was planned. Since high school, he planned to be an engineer, to live a simple but comfortable life, have a family of his own with his high-school sweetheart, Donna, build his own house, and have a big deck on his backyard where he, Donna, and their future children could hang out on warm summer days. He had them all planned in his mind. Every plan almost seemed to be coming along until Donna died during Shantel’s birth. His world shattered. When he married her, he knew she would be the only woman in his life. He treated her like a queen, and he was not sure if he could find another queen in his heart again. But like what his sister, Paige, told him, he must move on. That was what Donna would want him to do. And he believed that he was making a good progress. Two years after Donna’s death, he started seeing and dating some women, but so far, he never fell in love again. With his busy work on weekdays and family time with Shantel, sometimes he thought that he would never find time to fall in love again.

French toast was done. He loved to cook. Donna loved french toast, and he always made french toast for her on Saturday mornings. He kept that tradition—french toast on Saturday mornings—a practice he was determined not to change. There could be some french toast on weekday mornings if Shantel asked for it. He walked back into his room to change to his office clothes. Without debating on what to wear, he grabbed the long-sleeved shirt that his hands first caught and the black slacks that he just washed the other night. He had four pairs of slacks, but for most of the week, he wore jeans. Shantel’s closet had three times as many clothes. As he walked back to the dining, he slightly opened Shantel’s room and saw that she was still sleeping soundly. He felt bad waking her up so early in the morning, but she had to wake up early. She would be dropped off at her grandparents’ house before he went to work. On Wednesday nights, he took her to her piano lessons. On Saturday mornings, ballet lessons. Shantel loved piano and hated ballet, but she couldn’t say no to him. That was part of his and Donna’s plan as soon as they learned that their baby would be a girl. He promised to stick to it. As he stared at her like a sleeping baby, his heart thumped snappily for three beats. He remembered that he had to decide if he wanted to accept the mission in Alphome. He told himself a long time ago that he would wait for Shantel to grow up first to give more time for her to very well understand his heritage before he went again to any Alphome assignment. But deep in his heart, he knew that as a Nimrod, he had an obligation passed down to him by his ancestors. It was about six years ago when he left his pregnant wife, Donna, to fight in a southern village in Alphome. Shantel was born days before he came back from his mission. His wife succumbed to a painful and complicated labor. It was heartbreaking—pain and guilt engulfed him. She suffered severe depression a month before she gave birth. The loss left an indelible scar in his heart that made him hard to forgive himself and move on with his personal life.

While he was about to close the door, he heard Shantel sniff.

What’s wrong, honey? he asked.

I had a bad dream, Dad. Arden died, she replied while she wiped her eyes with the corner of her pillowcase.

That is not true, honey. He turned on the light then walked to her bed. He sat on her bedside and admired how organized Shantel was in her room, a trait she got from her mother. The bedroom was the only part of the house she kept nice and tidy.

He is fine, honey. Most of the time, dreams are untrue. He brushed her hair with his fingers.

Arden was his seventeen-year-old nephew, the son of his younger brother, Vincent. Shantel loved Arden so much, like a real brother. They got to hang out a lot at their grandparents’ place.

Shantel stopped sobbing. She sat up and hugged her dad.

He lightened up the tone of his voice in a louder pitch to totally wake her up.

Okay. I believe you already took a shower last night, didn’t you?

Yes, Dad.

How about if I braid your hair now?

No, Grandma is going to do it. The braid you did yesterday on my hair was not tight enough.

Hmmm, you are wrong. I can do better than Grandma, he said with a smiling wink.

Next time, Dad. Grandma says she is going to give me a new hair tie for my braid.

Okay, I’ll accept your excuse. Why don’t you change out of your pajamas now then let’s have breakfast, okay?

Okay, Shantel replied. Her voice was starting to sound away from her dragging sleepy head as she jumped off her bed. She already knew what to wear—her blue long-sleeved shirt with a picture of a Dalmatian dog and a pair of blue sweatpants with yellow stripes on the side. She already planned it last night. She loved to dress up, a trait definitely not from her father but from her aunt, Paige. She then dialed Arden’s phone number and checked on him. She was glad to hear his voice. Troy smiled and shook his head, impressed by Shantel’s concern for her cousin, a trait she got from her dad.

Troy walked to the dining room and tuned in to the news, a part of his ritual each morning. He loved the news except for business news. An alarming news reported by the morning newscaster shocked him. For the past three days, the news was highlighted by a series of abductions in Iraq. On Monday, Shane Douglas was abducted while walking back to his hotel room. Shane was a Canadian journalist who arrived in Iraq three weeks ago. On Tuesday, Matt Darson, an American soldier, was abducted while doing a routine inspection with two other soldiers who, luckily, were both left unharmed. Today, Wednesday, another abduction happened. This time, it was more shocking to realize that such things could happen to anyone even to a person he knew. William Tidswell, his cousin and best friend was the latest victim. He had been in Iraq for six months now as part of the army mentoring team. He had a wife and two children, six-year-old Krista and four-year-old Coby. William and Troy grew up in the same neighborhood together with Troy’s brother, Vincent, and sister, Paige, the youngest of the siblings. William and Vincent were born in the same year. Troy was two years older.

He went to his home office in the basement to go online on his computer to find more information on the abductions. The basement was his favorite part of the house. He worked there while Shantel would either play or watch TV. He loved how the orange-peach paint color on the wall brought warmth in the room. The walls were decorated with picture frames; most of them were Shantel’s, and there was one picture frame of Troy and Donna together. The warmth of the room was not of help at all to bring relief to his fear for William. His heart pounded fast while his muscles trembled as he tried to process the news in his head. He wanted answers to his questions—who were responsible, what the motives were, how much money was wanted by the abductors.

He typed Iraq abductions on the Internet search engine, then clicked on every news link. No one had claimed responsibility yet. No word of any action plan from the government. No additional information on the abduction except for an interesting thing that one news article mentioned: the three abducted men had one thing in common—they were all Nimrod knights.

2

The morning was cold and crispy. The weather lined the horizon with radiant sunshine and blue skies, highlighting the beautiful colors of fall morning. The pine trees were towering and as rich as they were all year round, while the highways were highlighted by the changing color of trees. The majestic view of the mountains in the north gave Troy a familiar, compelling feeling, a fascinating memory, a glimpse of mystery on the other side of the portal onto the outer dimension, which was not accessible to ordinary men, but accessible to a chosen few like him. He could feel the excitement of crossing from the core world to Alphome.

He had already dropped off Shantel at his parents’ place, then picked up his sister, Paige, who was living at his parents’ basement.