The Sassquatch's Lair

Chapter 3

Ludger stood there, mouth agape, looking at the scorched landscape surrounding him. It quickly dawned on him that he was no longer on earth. He recognized the countryside from the previous night’s dreams.

Over the horizon, in the east, two suns were rising. One was about normal sized and yellow, like it should. Down a way to its left was a small reddish one. It reminded Ludger of the hour hand on a clock. According to it, it was slightly past 09:00. The temperature was fairly cool.

Behind him was a large crater about a mile in diameter. It was filled with thick fog. In there, supposedly rested his house in an alternate reality. He was standing on the upturned rim of the crater. From this higher vantage point he could see, to the west, in the distance, an ominous looking chain of massive black mountains. To the north more mountains seemed to shift in a haze, as if a large body of water was present in its midst.

To the northeast stood tall snowy mountain peaks. Due south of him, on the horizon, he could discern hints of a dense forest on rolling hills. East of those hills he could occasionally catch the glimmer of the suns reflected on a large body of water.

Around the crater, stretching as far as the eye could see, was a desert. Escarpments of cracked blackened rocks protruded from its dark sandy surface. It was as if a mighty war had been waged and forces of cosmic proportions had devastated the area. It reminded Ludger of pictures he had seen of nuclear test sites, after an explosion.

For some reason he was strangely attracted to the area, in the southeast, where he had glimpsed the suns’ reflection in the water. Something was beckoning him.

Ludger decided that before exploring this new world, he should equip himself properly. As he was giving a last look at the panorama spread around him, he heard a sudden noise coming from above.

He looked up and saw four, greenish, winged, lizard-like flying creatures, circling high above him. They were making chuckling noises. One was looking straight at him.

Suddenly, that creature folded its wings and dove, mouth wide open, straight for Ludger. It let out and ear splitting unearthly scream.
Ludger had his eyes riveted to the toothed gap of the mouth. He finally realized that he had to do something to escape the creature’s attack. He shook up his stupor and dove back into the mist.

Instantly the screams of the creature were silenced, as Ludger rolled back in the sand.

“Glad to see you back.” Said the Guardian.

Startled, Ludger said. “Oh…, it’s you!!!”

“Who else did you think it could be?”

“Well…, a green, screaming, flying lizard.”

“Humph…, sorry to disappoint you. Are you well, Sir? You seem somewhat disturbed.”

Getting back to his feet Ludger replied.

“It’s ok. I have to get used to this new world. I’m going back home to equip myself properly to explore this fun place.”

“As you wish.” Responded the voice.

“Which way?”

“Any way you wish. Ahead as usual, Sir?”

Ludger walked out of the mist, back into his own reality. As soon as he appeared, Bacchus ran toward him shaking her stubby tail and yelping. She jumped and put her front paws on his shoulders. She licked him all over the face. He hugged her and said.

“Am I glad to see you. You won’t believe where I have been. You won’t believe, either, where we are going hunting. They have strange lizards that you are going to love.”

He realized that his sweat suit and his hands were covered in sand and dried blood. He continued.

“But first I’ve got to clean myself up and pack for the trip. Come….”

Ludger walked back to the house. He went in, with Bacchus following him. He went straight upstairs, to his suite, and quickly undressed. In the washroom, he put his head over the sink. He poured on his cuts and bumps some hydrogen peroxide that he had taken from the medicine cabinet. It immediately started foaming.

He took a quick shower, washing the blood caked in his hair. After he dried himself, he put on a rugged set of kaki battle fatigues and a sturdy pair of hiking boots. He packed a duffel bag with some spare clothes and took his hiking vest from the closet.

In the kitchen he put his bag on the counter. He packed a large, sturdy, cooler full of food for himself and the dog. He also filled two large collapsible jugs, full of water. He carried his supplies to the garage.

Ludger walked into his office. He finally notice that the generator was silent. Somehow, the Guardian was providing his house with water and electricity. He went to the workshop, by his office, and took a few leather-cased instruments from the bench.

In his other workshop, behind the garage, he opened his supply room. He rummaged around and chose some lightweight camping and survival equipment. He also took a large pair of rubber armoured binoculars. He laid everything out on a large table. He went to a thick steel door, set in the back wall. He punched in the security code on the keypad, in its frame.

Ludger unlocked the heavy door and slowly walked in his armoury. He let his eyes roam over the firearms lining the walls, while he was making his mind about what he needed.

A smile crept on his face. He was thinking that if he was here, his partner -Tony- who did not like guns, would have been glad that Ludger was a competitive shooter, a licensed gunsmith and an avid collector of firearms and military paraphernalia.

He went to one of the racks and chose a Heckler und Koch G3 rifle in 7.62 NATO calibre. It was equipped with a small, low power, telescopic sight with an illuminated reticle. He opened a wide drawer and took out an Ingram MAC 10 in 45 calibre, fitted with a Sionic sound suppressor. This compact submachine gun could come in handy.

Ludger put both guns on the storage unit in the middle of the room. He then opened its doors. He chose a UM-84 holster and buckled it around his waist, and tied it around his leg. He then clipped an inside-the-pants holster to his belt, in the small of his back. He walked back to the wall and took a Glock 21 in 45 ACP. This fairly compact, resin framed, high powered handgun with its 12 rounds capacity, would make a nice backup. He then looked for his favourite competition handgun. A compensated Combat Commander built on a Para-Ordnance 14 round frame. He found it on the cleaning table.

As he was carrying his small arsenal out of the room, he remembered the flying lizards. He grabbed his old Winchester 1200, 12 gauge shotgun. It was outfitted with a pistol grip stock and an eleven shells magazine extension. He put his guns with the rest of his supplies. He went back into the armoury.

Ludger selected, from a shelf, different metal ammunition boxes full of loaded magazines for his chosen firearms. He carried the heavy cans to the other room. He then loaded all of the guns. He put his comp gun, loaded in condition one, in his hip holster. The Glock was placed in the holster at the small of his back. He locked the door to the armoury and went into the garage to prepare his off-road truck.

It was another Suzuki Samurai. This one was a long body version outfitted for off-road work. It was equipped with special tires, electric winches back and front, search lights, and numerous other modifications. He first removed the soft top, folded it and stored it in a protective bag, that he stowed in the back.

Ludger made sure that the main and auxiliary gas tanks were full. He checked the other fluid levels and the air pressure in the tires. He then loaded his supplies in the back. He put the MAC 10 between the front seats. The G3 and the shotgun were held vertically, by a bracket, beside the driver’s seat, near the dashboard.

Finally, Ludger put on his hiking vest. He called.

“Come on, Bacchus. I’m ready to go.”

The tall, grey dog came running from the kitchen. She swiftly jumped in the back of the truck. Ludger made sure that the doors were closed properly. He climbed in the driver’s seat and keyed in the remote garage door opener. He started the engine and backed out. He fetched the other truck, that was parked in front of the house, and drove it into the garage. On his way out he keyed the security system, closed the garage door, and slowly walked to the idling truck.

He sat beside Bacchus, sighed and said.

“Here we go. Hang on.”

He started toward the mist.

As he approached the wall of fog, Bacchus started to yelp nervously. He looked at her and said.

“I know…, I feel exactly the same.”

When the truck touched the wall of fog, it started to shimmer. Ludger was back in the plain.

*

As soon a they exited the mist, Ludger stopped the vehicle. He stood on the front seat and had a good look all around. There was no signs of the flying lizards. He noticed that the suns were higher in the sky. The small red sun was now up and to the left of the larger yellow one. He mumbled to himself.

“I’ll be damned, a world where on does not need a clock during the day.”

He wondered if at night he would find a moon orbited by a smaller one to completed the celestial clock of the suns.

He grabbed one of the instruments that he had taken from his bench. He opened the leather case and took a reading. He let out a sigh of relief.

“Good, no radioactivity.”

Since he still felt drawn toward the southeast, he decided that it was as good an area to start exploring as any. He sat down and started driving.

*

After no more than 15 minutes, Bacchus started to growl and bark, in the back. Ludger turned and saw two of the flying lizards diving for him. He jumped on the brakes, stopping the truck. He grabbed the shotgun.

He had time to fire two shots. The first creature took a centre hit and plummeted to the ground, lifeless. The second one got winged. It fell in the back of the truck, knocking Ludger down.

His shotgun had become entangled with the lizard. He could not operate the pump. The creature suddenly lunged at him. Ludger grabbed the 45 at his hip, drew it out of the holster and thumbed the safety. Before he could bring the gun aligned with his intended target, he heard a powerful growl as Bacchus jumped on the back of the creature. Her powerful jaws were wide open. She sank her sharp teeth in the lizard’s neck.

The creature roared in agony and reared on its hind legs. Both the lizard and the dog rolled out of the back of the truck. Bacchus never let go of her grip of the creature’s neck. She struggled back to her feet. With one mighty jerk of her head, she snapped the hideous creature’s neck.

She let go of her spoil and sniffed at the dead creature. After a few snorts, she trotted toward Ludger as if pleased with herself.
Ludger was stunned. He was sitting with his handgun hanging limp in his right hand. He finally came back to reality. He slowly holstered his gun. He patted Bacchus on the head and said.

“Thanks pal. Without you I would be missing a good chunk of me shoulder.”

Ludger got out of the vehicle. He closely examined the grisly remains of his attackers. They looked like large, dog sized, greyish-green lizards, with thin membranous wings. At the front of the wings three long digits terminated by 6 inches claws hung limply. Their wide set small eyes were lidless and were black as coals. A wide mouth with an impressive armament of sharp looking triangular teeth finished that picture of an efficient killer.

Ludger wanted to examine the creatures in more details, later, at his own leisure. He threw the smelly carcasses on the metal rack, perched on the bonnet of the small truck. He grabbed a canteen of water and poured some on his hands to clean them. He then took a long swallow from it. He took a shallow bowl from his supplies and poured some water in it. He put the bowl on the ground for Bacchus. She happily lapped it up.

He reloaded his shotgun with fresh shells and put it back in its rack. He called his dog.

“Come on, drink up. We’re getting under way again.”

The dog effortlessly jumped in the back, holding her bowl in her jaws. Ludger put the truck in gear and eased forward into the unknown.

*

After many hours of driving through an unchanging, dreary desert plain, the landscape slowly changed. Wide based, rolling hillocks, just as scarred as the plain, were now appearing in front of the truck.

Ludger drove to the top of the highest of the rounded hills to take in the layout of the region. He parked the Samurai and decided to take a lunch break, first. He rummaged through the cooler. He put some ground meat on a plate for Bacchus. He made himself a sandwich with some assorted cold cuts. He poured himself some coffee from a tall thermal bottle and sat back trying to relax.

He wondered what was happening to him. Why was he lost in a strange world? Hopefully he would find some answers when he reached wherever he was being drawn to. Strangely he had adapted fairly well to the idea that he was on another world. He thought that subconsciously he had wished to escaped his daily drudgery, since the divorce, and this was the perfect opportunity. He laughed aloud and said to himself.

“An analyst would have a field day on me, now. I am glad that I don’t believe in all that B.S..”

He put away the food and gave some water to the dog. He climbed to the padded rollbar. He grabbed the binoculars and put them up to his eyes.

Through the magnifying instrument Ludger could see, on the horizon toward the southeast, the outline of a large city. A large fissure in the ground started a few miles northeast of were he stood. It widened and deepened toward the south with its end lost in some swampland that laid between him and the city. The fissure laid in his path to the city.

On the other side of the fissure, toward the east, was a muddy trickle of a river. On the far shore laid some dried farmland covered with a sprinkling of snow.

In the south, there was a large body of water. West of there, was the edge of a forest of gigantic trees. Ludger decided to drive north to bypass the fissure. He would then follow the river south toward the city.

*

As Ludger neared the edge of the fissure, the temperature sharply rose. He stopped by the outcrop of rocks where the crevice started. He got out of the truck. He looked at the mouth of an underground pit. A reddish glow was seen deep inside. Strange moaning sounds emanated from the pit. Ludger thought that the sounds were probably due to some sort of volcanic activity. Yellow sulphurous smoke confirmed that thought. Bacchus was nervous and pacing back and forth beside him.

They went back to the truck. Ludger drove to the bank of the river. At one point it must have been a mighty river at least half a mile wide. Now it was a weak muddy stream only a few yards wide. It lazily flowed south in the dried up river bed.

Ludger could feel some kind of strange power emanating from the river. He could not describe the sensation and soon forgot about it. It was probably only the anxiety of being in a strange land with no explanation for it, that was coming to the surface.

He followed the dry river bed toward the south. As he was travelling further away from the fissure, who was angling west, the temperature was dropping rapidly. After driving all afternoon over the bumpy ground, he decided to take a break, as he crested a small hill.

He put on a heavy woollen sweater, under his vest, to ward off the chill that was slowly creeping through his bones. The temperature was getting downright cold as the suns were nearing the horizon in the west.

Through his binoculars, Ludger observed, a few miles away, a gigantic rectangular block of blackened rock. It looked like a monolithic bunker, in a marshy area by the river, surrounded by burned down distorted trees. Ludger was fascinated by the structure. It was as if the strange force compelling him to travel south, was emanating from it.

Ludger quickly drove to the edge of the marshy area. He soon found a muddy path leading to the rock. He carefully proceeded forward, making sure he did not get bogged down in the quagmire. A large portal was cut into one of the narrow ends of the monumental rectangular rock. Ludger parked the Suzuki near it, on firmer, drier grounds. He turned toward Bacchus and said.

“You stay, while I go have a look over there.”

He grabbed the MAC 10 from the floor, between the seats, and exited the Samurai. He carefully walked to the monolith, making sure that nobody was around. He felt like he had found what he was looking for. But he was not sure of what to do with it. The suns were setting over the horizon in a symphony of colours.

Ludger relaxed slightly. He studied the towering doorway. It was simply carved out of the rock. A massive stone door blocked the opening. As he approached it, the door silently swung open on its hinges.

A tall, gaunt, elderly man, dressed like a butler, stood in the opening ramrod straight. He said in a mellow elegant voice.

“Good evening Mr. Morton, Sir. We were expecting you. Would you please come in.”

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

From 1990: One Way Ticket To Talenthar

The Sass

Chapter 2

Ludger finally got out of bed. He felt disoriented as if he was suffering from jet lag. He could feel a faint rumbling sensation in the floor. The electrical service was not back yet, thus the generator was still on. He undressed and walked into the shower stall, letting the cold water beat some sense back into him.

After dressing in a rumpled sweat suit, he went downstairs. From the living room he noticed, through the window, that dense fog was engulfing the house. He opened a sliding glass door and took in a deep breath of fresh, cool, morning air.

At the sound of the opening door, Bacchus came running in from the kitchen. She rushed outside to the deck where she started to run in circles, growling at the fog. Intrigued, Ludger followed his dog outside. The coldness of the deck’s planking against his bare feet startled him. Strangely enough there was no moisture in the air and on the deck, as was to be expected of a foggy morning.

The dog was barking at shapeless forms that were moving through the fog. You could barely discern shapes by looking straight at them, but could catch their movements out of the corner of your eyes. Ludger decided that it was probably a freak meteorological incident brought on by the updraughts from the cliff’s face. He had trouble getting Bacchus back into the house. When she finally relented, she paced the floor of the living-room restlessly.

He decided to check the morning new and turned on the radio. He only managed to get some loud static and howling noises. He turned on the TV and only snow and moving shadows appeared on the screen. He could not get a signal from any of the satellite channels.

Ludger went to his office and tried to get a data link on the computer, but the lines were down. He tried the phone. Both his lines were dead. He was getting more puzzled by the minute. He only got static from the short wave radio. He ran out through the front door, to his truck. On his way he caught his big toe on a sharp rock, plunging head first to the ground. He sat on the gravel driveway massaging his smarting toe. While he was sitting, he noticed that the fog was sharply defined, like a wall around the main compound of the property. It left the area between the building and the edge of the forest free of any vapours. He finally got up and limped to the Suzuki. He reached inside to take the radiotelephone handset. Static, again, was the result.

Possibly, Ludger thought, it was the northern lights from last night that were disturbing radio reception. It did not explain why the telephones were dead, but it was a start.

He went back inside to put on a pair of shoes. As he was tying his shoelaces his stomach started to grumble loudly. It was time for breakfast. He went to the kitchen and fed the dog first. He then fixed himself a hearty breakfast. As he was eating, he was thinking about the events of the previous few hours. He could not find a plausible explanation beside solar flares or the aurora. He decided to forget it for now and to plan his day. First and foremost he would finish his breakfast. Then he would go and walk the dog. After his return he would pack his off-road truck and go hunting, deep in the bush, for a few days. He would be ready to face the world again, monday morning, after a few days of relaxation.

Ludger got up from the table and put his empty plate in the sink. He went to the refrigerator and poured himself a tall glass of orange juice. He turned toward the living room and called loudly.

“Bacchus…. Its time for your walk.”

The dog slowly came trotting into the kitchen.

“What’s the matter.” Said Ludger. “You don’t look like you want to go out.”

He quickly drank his juice and left the house. As the dog was not following he said.

“Come on, lets get going.”

With hesitation and her head held low, Bacchus grudgingly walked out of the house. Ludger locked the door behind her and quickly followed the main path out of the compound. The dog was still sitting on the porch when he reached the fog. He turned around and sharply said.

“Bacchus, come over here and lets get this under way.”

When the dog reached him, she started to growl at the fog. Ludger said.

“There his nothing wrong, it’s only fog. See….”

As he said that, he walked into the thick mist. The first sensation was that of a sweet, slightly sickening smell. Suddenly a feeling of sheer terror came over him without any warning. He felt like he had a ball in his throat that was choking him.

There they were in front of him. a group of slimy green creatures that looked like large circular mouths full off teeth with spindly legs under them. He instantly recognized them. These creatures had haunted his nightmares when he was a kid. He started to run and they followed him. He ran as fast as he could. Every time that he stopped to catch his breath, they were upon him. His fear was palpable. He felt as if he was running in circles and could not escape the fog.

He noticed, in front of him, a circle of large rocks. He ran toward it, and collapsed totally exhausted amongst them. With his face against the cool rocks, he struggled to catch his breath. The coolness of the rock against his temple made him regain part of his composure. If he could only stop the pounding of his heart, who was trying to escape through his chest wall, Ludger would feel a little better.

He finally noticed that the noise from the pursuit had subsided. He wondered why the creatures that had haunted his childhood’s nightmares were trying to attack him. Maybe he was still in his own nightmare and had not awaken yet. He remembered the fears that had left him paralysed after he had nightmares, when he was a child.

Suddenly a small noise startled him and he ran for his life.

The gaping maws could run surprisingly fast on their spindly legs. They were catching up to him. He could feel their breath on his back. The stench was revolting. If this was a nightmare, it was in technicolour, senssurround, and smellorama.

Rounding up a boulder, Ludger came face to face with a large, ugly, bare-chested man wearing a leather apron. He was swinging an impressive looking battle axe at him.

He instinctively jumped sideways. He slipped. His head hit a protruding rock. Darkness engulfed him.

*

Ludger came back to consciousness a few minutes later. He was lying on the ground amidst the foggy rocks. His neck was stiff, his head was pounding. He had a nasty bump on the back of his skull. There was no trace of his attackers.

The first thought that came to his mind was; that dreams should not be painful. He palpated the back of his head and found a wet sticky lump. He looked at his fingers. they were covered with blood.
He wiped his hand on his sweat pants, while he slowly stood up. Ludger wondered where his attackers were and why he was still alive. Fear slowly crept back into him. With the fear came the creatures. He started running again.

Shortly after, he collapsed, exhausted. Ludger noticed that as the fear left him, because he was resigned to die, the noises of his pursuers became less. Maybe there was a connection there.

The pounding in his head was making his eyes water. he decided to stay where he was and accept his fate. Everything was still and quiet around him.

An eerie feeling of serenity came over Ludger. He suddenly got the urge to meditate. This was something that he had not done since his last session with Master Yakumi, earlier in the week.

He sat cross-legged on a flat rock. He slowly let the tension flow out of his body. As he started to relax, the pain in his head abated. He focused his mind on complete relaxation.

After un uncertain amount of time, Ludger felt at one with himself. At this moment, a consciousness that was not his, intruded into his mind.

It asked in a shy tone. “Humph…, I hope you did not scare yourself too much?”

Ludger responded aloud. “Who are you and where am I? And what is going on? And…”

“Hold it, hold it….” The disembodied voice in his head said. “One question at a time.”

After a short pause it continued, without letting Ludger object.

“First, I am the guardian.

Second, you are in the Mist of Dreams.

Third, I am not exactly sure what is going on, because I am new at this job and I have been sleeping for an eternity, or two.”

“Where are you?” Shouted Ludger.

“I am everywhere around you, and nowhere in particular.”

“You’re not very helpful.”

“I answer with as much clarity as I can. Its not easy being the Guardian.” Said the voice in a hurt tone.
Ludger annoyingly replied. “OK. OK. Lets start all over again. What are you?”

The voice answered in the same tone. “I’m the Guardian, of course.”

Ludger noticing that the conversation was quickly going nowhere, closed his eyes and sighed. His head was hurting from the obtuse dialogue. Also it was difficult to walk away from a conversation with a being that his everywhere.

After a few minutes of silence he murmured in a soft voice.

“Are you still there?”

The answer was quick to return. “Of course, I am always here.”

Ludger slowly stood up while massaging his stiff neck, cautiously avoiding the lump at the back of his head. He said matter-of-factly.

“Where is here?”

“Well…” The Guardian answered in a doctoral tone. “…Technically you are at the interdimensional boundary between the fragment of the dimensional reality that was removed from your former world and the reality of the new world you have been brought to.”

Flabbergasted, Ludger asked in an angry voice.

“Why have you brought me here?”

“Tsk…, tsk….” Replied the Guardian. “Don’t be bitchy with me. I had nothing to do about bringing you here. I am only a fragment of the interdimensional consciousness. I am here to prevent anybody but you, or the persons you wish, from crossing the boundary between the realities. Also I preserve and maintain the continuity of your reality, in the way that it was when it was imported.”

Ludger sat himself hard on a rock. With a shaky voice he said.

“What you are telling me, is that you are the doorman, janitor, and security guard, between a chunk of my world and another world.”

“Yea….”

“What is the other world and why have I been brought here?”

“I do not know.” Replied the Guardian. “You will have to find out for yourself.”

“Why did you attack me when I came in?”

“I was still organizing myself after awakening. What you experienced were part of my automatic defence mechanisms. If somebody not belonging to the boundary walks in, his worst fears become realities and will pursue him with no possible escape.”

To himself Ludger mumbled.

“That’s why the creatures from my childhood’s nightmares attacked me.”

The voice said in an apologetic tone.

“I’m sorry that you had to go through this. But, as you can see, it is very effective.”

“Yes, very.”

“Do you wish to go see this new world?” Asked the Guardian.

“Yes, please. I might as well see it since I will have to be here for a while.” Answered Ludger.

“You just have to walk straight ahead and… good luck.”

“Thanks…, I think.”

Ludger stood up and started walking. After a few steps the mist shimmered in front of him. As it dissolved, he was standing at the edge of an enormous meteor crater full of mist. He was in the middle of a large desert plain on which shone two suns, that were in the process of rising.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

From 1990: One Way Ticket To Talenthar

The Sass

Chapter 1

Ludger G. Morton, CEO of his own design and engineering firm, was lost in thoughts while driving back to his secluded retreat, north of the city. The day had been hectic, like most Fridays always were. It seemed that the business could never afford to let him go for the weekend, especially for a long one like this week.

He was a young man in his early thirties, broad shouldered, and of short stocky stature. He was in trim physical shape and his body was molded by countless hours training in the martial arts. He had a full head of short curly light brown hair, and a closed cropped beard that held a mixture of colors from blonde, to light reddish brown and a few hints of gray. His piercing eyes were ice blue that day, but depending on his moods they could change form that to gray or green. Hopefully they would reach the green of relaxation by the end of the long weekend.

He liked the feeling of the wind rustling past his head in his old, open, emerald green, Suzuki Samurai, as he bounced down the rough road at great speed, his powerful hands holding for dear life to the padded steering wheel. As usual he was driving way too fast, but this being his private road, with no traffic allowed, he was enjoying it to the fullest.

He shot a quick glance towards Bacchus, his giant schnauzer, who was struggling to stay seated beside him. He said loudly.

“Do you like this?”

He could almost see the grin in the dog’s face. Bringing his attention back to the road, he thought about the empty log house awaiting him, at the top of a cliff overlooking that rugged lakeshore. He had mixed feelings about it, since the messy divorce he went through the year before. Under one hand it was the place where he felt the most comfortable. It was fulfilling his need for solitude and isolation.
On the other hand, it reminded of some of the bad fights he had with his ex-wife during the last few months of their marriage. She liked to live in their penthouse in the city, he preferred the country retreat.

After a year of her trying to run every aspect of his life, he could not tolerate her refusal to let him go, even occasionally, to the retreat. He promptly moved out of the penthouse to his log home, which was outfitted with all the modern conveniences. What ensued was a bitter, one sided, fight for the settlement. He did not want to hurt her in any way. She wanted all he had and more. The memory was still painful, but when he was at home he always felt better.

As he neared his home, a feeling of serenity entered his soul. The last few bends of the road unraveled. He could finally see the large log structure standing on its rocky outcrop, with the expansive balcony hanging a few hundred feet over the blue waters. The lake was stretching to the horizon, with green hills all around. A few gray and green islands dotted its surface like mossy rocks fallen on a paved road. One side of the house and most of the outbuildings were under the canopy of towering pine trees, giving it a semi-permanent shade. The sun was still high on this beautiful, early fall, day. The air was fragrant and crisp.

A broad smile lighted Ludger’s face as he spoke aloud to himself.

“Home…, finally…”

Bacchus, at his side, was wagging his stubby tail and whelping with joy. He never liked the city and was happy to be home, too.

He let the vehicle roll to a stop and enjoyed the view from higher grounds. He then drove slowly and parked by the main entrance. Bacchus jumped over the side of the truck and ran happily under the tall canopy of trees, barking wildly, and rolling in the thick carpet of pine needles. Ludger got out in a more conventional fashion, and he took his briefcase and the bags of groceries he had bought on his way over. He slowly walked to the massive front door.

Looking back he bellowed.

“Bacchus…, come on in. We’ll go for a walk later, after I’ve changed.”

He opened the door and walked in. He put his load down on a narrow table by the wall and disarmed the security system by keying his entrance code.

Bacchus came trotting in, at his heals.

“Good dog….” He said.

He picked up the bags of groceries and dropped them on the kitchen’s counter. He then put his briefcase on his desk. He went up to his bedroom suite, walked straight into the dressing room, kicked off his shoes, put his tweed jacket on a hanger as he quickly undressed. He walked into the shower and turned on the cold water. He let the frigid blast stimulate his body. After a few minutes he walked out of the ceramic enclosure fully revitalized. He vigorously toweled himself dry.

He looked at the reflection of his muscular body in a full-length mirror. His wide shoulders and thick chest tapered to a flat stomach. He found, with disgust, the merest hint of flabbiness there. His massive leg showed no sign of weakness.

He would have to work harder around the house, this weekend, to compensate for a week without much physical exertion, except for his thrice-weekly workout with Master Yakumi, his martial arts teacher.
Ludger put on a thick pair of woolen socks, a spongy cotton, sweat suit and his favorite leather moccasins. He went back down to the kitchen and unpacked and put away the groceries. Not sure yet of what he would like for supper he rummaged through the large built in refrigerator. He finally settled for a good size piece of beef tenderloin, a fresh tomato salad and some homemade béarnaise sauce.

Bacchus sneaked in behind him, and jumped on his back playfully knocking him down and started to lick his face.

“OK…,OK….” He said. “It’s time for a long walk, but before we leave, I have to go to the wine cellar.”

He ran down into the finished basement and walked in the large, temperature controlled wine cellar. He chose a 1979 Saint-Julien from his favorite estate Chateau Gruaud-Larose, a velvety smooth, robust wine that suited his mood for the evening. After leaving the bottle in the kitchen he left the house for a long brisk walk.

*

After two hours of what now felt like forced march, Ludger had finally made peace with himself. His mind was at ease and he was totally in touch with the environment. It was a feeling that he only attained when he was at his retreat. He was aware of all that was around him, from the smallest blade of grass to the tallest tree. It felt as if energy was flowing between the earth and him.

He stopped in a shady area of the trail, where he could admire the scenery. He sat on a large rock to catch his breath. After a few moments of dazed contemplation, he noticed that he had worked out a ferocious appetite. He looked down to the spot where Bacchus was resting and said.

“Lets go have supper, I’m starving.”

The dog, showing great excitement, started running toward the house. Ludger happily followed and reached the door on Bacchus’s heels. He went in straight to the kitchen and prepared a big bowl of homemade lamb stew with rice for the dog and put a big bowl of fresh water on the floor next to the stew. He then went up to his dressing room and took another cold shower to wash of the sweat from the hard walk.

While he was under the cold stream, Ludger thought that he heard the telephone ring, but dismissed the idea. He quickly got dressed in a fresh sweat suit. He went back to the kitchen to get supper started. As he was at work preparing the tomato salad, he noticed that he had indeed received messages while he was away. The prompt light on the telephone answering machine was flashing urgently. Ludger grudgingly went to the infernal contraption to retrieve his messages.

He pressed the playback button and after a loud beep the deep voice of Tony Spisson, his partner in the design firm, came on.

“Ludger…, we need you immediately, at the office, to straighten the City Hall deal. There are problems with some of the suppliers. Call me as soon as you get in. Bye….”

After a short pause and another beep, his ex-wife Maggy started lecturing.

“Ludger…, the ceiling of the penthouse is cracked. Since your name is still on the lease papers, I think that you should pay for the repairs! My lawyer will be calling you next week.”

In just a short minute Ludger’s hopes for a nice relaxing weekend had just been shattered. In a daze he went to the counter, where the bottle of wine had been sitting. He opened it. Before pouring himself a glass he decided to let it breathe instead as he felt he needed something stronger. He went to the wet bar in the living room and poured himself a shot of Laphroig single malt in a heavy bottomed glass and quickly drank it. The powerful taste of the peaty draught sent shivers down his spine, but it brought him back to reality. He put a few ice cubes from the ice machine in his glass and splashed himself a healthier dose of his favorite poison.

“How dare they try to ruin my peace and quiet at home.” He said aloud, under the quizzical stare of Bacchus. “I’ll show them…. I’m going to a place where no one will ever find me for a few days. I will totally ignore those messages.”

Looking down at Bacchus, he continued.

“Tomorrow morning we’re going hunting.”

Ludger was fuming. He could not believe the nerve of these people. They knew better than to bother him at home. He was pacing back and forth in the kitchen and suddenly decided to sit down and have another sip before supper.

He took his glass to the living room, then sat down in his favorite leather easy chair. He had a sip from his second glassful and turned on the giant projection TV. The latest James Bond movie was scheduled to start in a few minutes, on one of the pay-TV channels that his satellite dish was programmed to receive. Dazzling promos of future attractions were being showed. Ludger lowered the sound volume.

He twirled his glass between his fingers listening to the tinkling of the ice cubes, and he concentrated on the patterns that the pungent deep amber liquid was creating. He absent-mindedly took in the bouquet and finally had another sip. The familiar sound of the movie theme filled the background. He had finally decided which hunting spot he would drive to in the morning. The world was old enough to go on without him for a few days, without collapsing.

As the theatrical story evolved before his eyes he finally paid more attention to it. He started to relax a little. As he finished sipping his glass of frog, Ludger went to the kitchen. He finished preparing his meal. He brought his supper to the living room, on a rolling table, poured himself some Gruaud-Larose in a tall crystal glass, and started eating with enthusiasm.

After the last morsel of food was devoured, he reclined in his comfortable easy chair to enjoy the remainder of the movie. Later in the evening, as he noticed that his bottle was empty, Ludger was drowsy and could no concentrate on the picture. He was feeling the effects of the alcohol. He finally fell asleep in his comfortable chair.

*

Consciousness came back to Ludger’s foggy mind around 2 am. He could only see electronic snow on his giant TV screen. He turned off the set. Bacchus was pacing restlessly the living room, as if something dreadful was about to happen.

As Ludger was trying to calm the dog, the lights went off suddenly. In the dark he fumbled toward his desk and found it with his left knee. Cursing, he took a large electric torch from a drawer, then went to the electrical panel. He found out that it was a power failure, not an overload as he had first thought. After a few minutes, automatically his powerful diesel generator rumbled to life and the lights came back on.

He climbed the stairs to his bedroom, his left knee still smarting from the impact with the desk. He rolled into bed without first undressing. He fell asleep almost immediately.

Ludger had not been sleeping for more than an hour, when some tremors, affecting the entire house, awoke him with a start. It felt like an underground rumbling similar to blasting in a mine. He got up, his head throbbing, his knee sore. He looked outside to find out the cause of the commotion. He was surprised to see the sky lit by some beautiful aurora borealis. The northern lights were dancing in the air making never-ending patterns. He was too tired to admire the spectacle. Promptly returning to his bed, he fell back in a restless sleep.

*

Ludger was a disembodied entity floating in the mist over his home. He could feel the sweet nectar of the mist in his mouth. He was suddenly travelling at a terrifying speed through darkness, as a gigantic blue ball was receding from him, quickly disappearing. Like expensive special effects in a sci-fi movie he was now flying at warp speed through a starscape. Another giant globe was now on a collision course with him. Before he had time to think about the imminent impact, he was again floating over his home. Blackness slowly engulfed him…

He was now floating over a parched desert landscape. Two suns were baking blackened rocks and sand mercifully. He could not feel their heat. On the horizon he could see a dark ominous mountain range, but his view was partially hidden by a localized accumulation of fog. His vision started to blur as he felt a certain lapse of consciousness. He was now over a lush cultivated field by a majestic river. Some farmers were picking their crops and loading wagons, which were pulled by large muscular oxen. In the distance stood a large city of low wooden buildings, surrounded by a large wall of sturdy tree trunks. A procession of oxen powered wagons were entering the city through a large gate, complete with massive wooden doors. Some were going to an open-air market that was stretching as far as he could see. Others went to tall circular buildings that looked like grain silos.

Ludger tried to talk to some of the farmers, but they did not seem to notice his presence. The scenery again started to shift before him. He was now over a large trade city by the sea with a busy port full of large square-rigged sailboats. Before Ludger realized it, he was again in another location. This time it was a large city, sprawling on both sides of the mouth of a river. It was surrounding a large egg-shaped island whose broader end was facing the open sea. At the center of this island stood a magnificent stone palace with graciously slim towers right out of fairy tales.

Surrounding the elegant palace were elaborate gardens that were themselves surrounded by a massive wall and a wide moat. Another thick wall was around the perimeter of the island, which was linked to the mainland by seven stone bridges. From there the city had grown in concentric rings around the island on both sides of the river.

The scene slowly started to dissolve and again darkness was upon him…

Ludger was now a passive witness to events unraveling in front of his eyes at an accelerated pace.

Everything had an unfocussed look about them.

First, a tall dark haired man in a jet-black cloak was standing in the middle of a battlefield littered with bodies. At his feet lay unconscious a gray haired robust man in a intricately ornate suit of armor. In his hands he held a large convoluted key and a small intricately carve golden wand with a large stone at its tip. The tall man took an abandoned sword from the field. Holding it point down with both hands, he plunged it in the chest of the old man. To his dismay, as the old man expired, the golden wand’s contours shimmered and suddenly disappeared. With a murderous look in his eyes he pried the large key from the hand of the dead man and walked away.

A powerful young man, with tousled red hair sits with a group of men. They are discussing the chances of resisting another attack from the northwest. Back to the tall man lecturing in an alien tongue to hordes of strange creatures, in a valley between dark mountains.

He was now over the farmland that he had seen earlier. It was devastated by severe drought. The river itself had narrowed to a creek. At the city with the palace, the gardens are now parched and unkempt. In a garrison-city the soldiers are weak and tired after a long battle. In the trade city, a fat man dressed in painfully colorful robes, was talking to envoys from a distant land. Around the city the citizen are growing restless in these times of famine.

In a distant land a distinguished older gentleman is pondering the possibility of attacking the Kingdom to protect his own empire from eventual attacks.

All of these scenes were making Ludger’s mind hurt in an attempt to understand their vague meanings. As they sped up he could not discern their contents any more. His numb brain registered only vague concepts. Suddenly the images froze and he was looking into the violet eyes of a sensuous young woman, who was brushing her long dark red hair in front of a mirror. He tried to talk to her, but she was not aware of his presence. Again blackness engulfed him…

Ludger was in front of the tall, dark haired man, who was pointing a thin sword at his head. This time it felt as it was real as he could smell some exotic perfume emanating from the man. With a voice that sent chills through Ludger’s bones, the man said.

“You do not belong here, and I will make sure that you will not meddle with my affairs.”

With that said, the man thrust the sword at Ludger’s head. When the gleaming tip was about to pierce him, he woke up, startled, in his own bed, his body covered in cold sweat. A hint of exotic perfume clung to his clothes.

Ludger put his head back on his pillow. He felt somewhat hungover. He promised himself, as one usually do, to never drink again, for fear of having to relive such vivid nightmares. When his heartbeat slowed down to a reasonable rate, he wondered if his dreams had any hidden meanings. He finally decided that the psychological implications were too dreadful to even consider. He turned to his left side in his favorite sleeping position and promptly went back to a deep slumber.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

From 1990: One Way Ticket To Talenthar

The Sass

Prologue

It was a dark, cluttered, rectangular room, carved out of solid rock, in a keep that was itself carved out of a gigantic monolith, all blackened and cracked as if it had been exposed to tremendous heat and energy. In the middle of this room stood a gray flecked pedestal, hewn from a colossal block of granite. A large hemispherical bowl of black enameled metal, engraved with golden cabalistic signs, sat in a hollow on its polished top. An aura of intense energy surrounded this bowl, and in it a deep blue, shimmering and smoking substance, looking like shiny molten metal, cast eerie lights on to the faces of the small group of people assembled around its perimeter.

The bulkiest member of the assembled group, an imposing figure towering over the others, garbed in his Wizard’s dark midnight blue silk robes embroidered in gold threads with similar symbols to the ones on the black bowl. His white beard and hair were standing on end as if they were charged with static electricity. He spoke in a deep melodious voice, “Eyegar, bring me the rosin, this incantation well needs clearing.”

“Yes, Master Andrack,” responded the tall, gaunt, elderly man, dressed in a gray morning suit, his short gray hair slicked impeccably on his head. He looked more like a well-groomed butler than a Wizard’s assistant. He soundlessly left the group, marching solemnly toward a massive table of dark wood so shiny that the room reflected on it’s polished surface. It was standing against the stone wall of the room and looked like it had grown out of the floor, which it probably did. Even though the table’s legs were squared off tree trunks, they seemed barely strong enough to support the accumulated weight of the phials, beakers and leather bound tomes that lay in a total disarray on its top.

As if the clutter of the table made some sense to him, Eyegar chose, without hesitation, a small clay pot filled with an orange powder. He put it on a silver tray, and brought it back to Master Andrack. The old wizard curtly acknowledged his assistant and took the pot from the tray. He then turned his gaze to the other five.

His eyes first settled on the dark, chiseled features of Chargoff, the General of the Kingdom’s armies. A grisly veteran of the Magic War, he stood ramrod straight in his lightweight, black chainmail. His strong chiseled features, were in contrast to a thick crop of black hair cut in a brush cut that covered his head like a helmet. His piercing gray eyes were holding Andrack’s gaze without flinching. He was a long time friend and ally of Andrack. A look of deep concern was etched on his face.

Next to Chargoff was an eager, powerfully built young man, Prince Arexis. He was dressed in deep emerald green court doublets, in which he seem to be uncomfortable, as if he was more accustomed to be in less formal clothing. A thick mane of curly red hair covered his head and a cropped beard adorned his face. He was the only son of the late, King Bluthor, Andrack’s best friend that had been lost in the Magic War. He was the unseasoned heir to the throne. He looked deeply worried and his eyes were darting from the incantation well to Andrack’s face as if hoping for a quick solution to his worries.

At the thought of his old friend, a smile quickly passed on Andrack’s wrinkled face. How Arexis reminded him of a young Bluthor, the same eagerness, the same open face and bright eyes, the same red tousled hair. Not so his sister, Princess Nathalia, who even barely out of her teens, was regally poised in her long black silk dress molded to her athletic body. Her head was crowned in dark, shoulder length, straight red hair. Where her brother was outgoing and eager, she was reserved and poised. Used to get her own way, she had been the terror of the castle’s staff when growing up. She still had problems getting along with anybody but her best friend and Lady in waiting, Maria.

To her right was a strange looking creature dressed in dark green velvet shorts complete with bright red suspenders. It had long thin hairy limbs with long claws on his naked toes and fingers, a short snout with a grin full of sharp teeth, wide set intelligent eyes and large pointy ears. This picturesque character was Dregnar, an intellectual troll, a rare species of trolls with lightning quick intellect. He had been in the service of the royal family for as long as anyone could remember.

Looking straight back at Andrack was a stout, middle-aged man with graying straight shoulder length hair. Garbed in long dark cleric’s robes with little adornments, he had been a torn in his side since they had met. Balnor, the court patriarch, did not trust magic. He was always quick to point it out. Andrack held out his stare for a moment, then cleared his throat. He said, “I will now show you the chosen one.”

His practiced fingers looked like butterflies when they traced arcane symbols in the air over the shimmering surface of the incantation well. After a timeless period of mesmerizing flight, they took a pinch of the orange powder from the little clay pot, and sprinkled it onto the cloudy surface of the liquid. With a hissing sound, and short green flames, the liquid stopped shimmering and cleared itself into a dark, highly polished metallic surface. Pictures started flickering on it. At first stars moving by at a tremendous speed, then a blue ball on a black velvet background, then white puffy high clouds through which the perspective dove on its way to the ground, finally, a dark unpaved road through a coniferous forest. In the distance a red box-shaped contraption on wheels was following the road. The red thing had a toothless grin and fiery eyes spitting blinding light. It was bouncing down the rough road at a terrifying pace. On its back sat a powerfully built man in his early thirties. A short beard and curly brown hair framed his face. Next to him was a large salt and pepper dog, powerful muscles rippling under its coat as it fought to keep its balance.

Balnor said with a sneer, “So, this is your hero. He does not look like much to me.”

Master Andrack replied, “My magic revealed that this is the only person left in the universe that can help us.”

Dregnar’s squeaky voice interrupted, “He his riding that strange beast, isn’t he? Only a hero could be riding something so fierce. Look at it bounce and growl!”

Andrack looked at Balnor, and said, “He is our only hope. My magic is depleted and I cannot fight Magdar in the upcoming conflict.”

“You could not fight Magdar, either, last time.” Interrupted Balnor.

“I was the only member of the Order of Wizards who survived the War.”

Before the argument could degenerate further, Arexis cut in sharply, “Stop bickering. It is important to know if it is worth depleting Andrack’s magic to bring an unknown warrior to our realm.”

Nathalia added, “We are not even sure that he will help us.”

In a quiet, controlled voiced, Chargoff said, “If we do not bring the chosen one, Magdar will surely be freed and chaos is assured. You, Nathalia, he has chosen as his bride. The rivers of Gods and Power have dried up, and there is a major drought and famine. The Kingdom cannot raise an army big enough to combat Magdar’s hordes. Your brother, Arexis, is not King yet and cannot command the other states. Andrack’s magic can only do one last thing, and it is to bring the chosen stranger. Do we have any other choice?”
After a long moment of silence, Arexis looked into everyone’s eyes. He finally stopped at Andrack’s trying to find an answer to the dilemma in the large Wizard’s gaze.

With a sigh he said, “You are right, I do not think that we have any alternative. Let us bring the chosen one.”

Andrack replied solemnly, “So be it.”

He then started chanting a long incantation in a deep droning voice, as his eyes rolled back and his fingers resumed their aerial dance. A green glowing cloud started to collect at the surface of the liquid in the bowl, its Inner Light became brighter to the point that it was painful to look at. As they stood back in awe, a powerful beam of white light shot out of the iridescent cloud, through the solid stone of the roof, toward the starry sky.

From one of the faint stars lighting the night’s sky, a bright beam of blue light emerged from it. Like a giant bolt of lightning it struck the middle of the burned desert, between the Gates of Doom and Andrack’s keep. A terrifying tremor shook the Kingdom. A gigantic crater, covered in mist, was left by the impact.

Andrack raised his eyes, deep exhaustion and strain showing in them, and he looked at the others. He said in a tired voice, “The deed is done.”

As soon as these words escaped his mouth, his huge form gently collapsed to the ground to the consternation of the others.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

From 1990: One Way Ticket To Talenthar

The Sass

April 25, 2009

When I became conscious, there was absolute nothingness. There was no light, no sound, no substance, nothing. The universe was not empty. Emptiness would infer the absence of something. There was absolutely nothing.

Slowly, after a timeless interval, I became aware of my essence, of my consciousness. It dawned on me that there must be a reason for my presence. I pondered the concept for a while. I finally realized that I had to find out about my environment. I grasped about the concept of seeing where I was, but I could not see. Something whispered in my mind; that to see, I needed some light. The concept seemed interesting. I thought about it for a while; and then, there was light.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

From 1980: Nothing

The Sass

August 17, 2006

Bill regained consciousness a few hours later. He was hanging sideways from his broken harness. Around him he heard soft moans of pain emanating from the lips of his crewmates. He struggled helplessly to extirpate himself from the remains of his harness.

Suddenly, a massive arm draped in coarse fibrous cloth easily pulled him up to his feet. He turned toward his benefactor. Bill choked in his own fears. He was looking directly into an alien face. The creature was bipedal and stood taller than himself. It was of more massive proportions. Its physiognomy was definitively of saurian origin.

Bill could not believe what he had done to his world. It dawned on him that all that he had known and loved, including Sheila, were now gone.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

From 1990: A Time Conundrum

The Sass