Child of Time

Child of Time

By Spencer Johnson

Published by Spencer Johnson at
Smashwords

Copyright 2013 Spencer Johnson

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This is a work of fiction. As such, any
resemblance to persons, living or dead, locations, or organizations
is purely coincidental and unintentional.

Other titles by the same author

Fate’s Web Prequel to
Child of Time

• Prologue
  
• Chapter one: The Beginning of Dreams
  
• Chapter two: Acceptance
  
• Chapter Three: Awakening
  
• Chapter Four: The High Council
  
• Chapter Five: Learning
  
• Chapter Six: Anomaly
  
• Chapter Seven: Journey
  
• Chapter Eight: War
  
• Chapter Nine: Thoros
  
• Chapter Ten: Allies
  
• Chapter Eleven: Replica
  
• Chapter Twelve: Doubts
  
• Chapter Thirteen: Second Chances
  
• Chapter Fourteen: Kayloo Prime
  
• Chapter Fifteen: Revolution
  
• Chapter Sixteen: Proof
  
• Chapter Seventeen: Armada
  
• Chapter Eighteen: Subterfuge
  
• Chapter Nineteen: Shadows
  
• Chapter Twenty: Light
  
• Chapter Twenty-one: Destiny
  
• Chapter Twenty-two: The Well Laid Plans
  
• Chapter Twenty-three: Convergence
  
• Chapter Twenty-Four: Revenge's End
  
• Chapter Twenty-Five: The Ending of Dreams
  

Prologue

On the joined twin worlds of Samtan and Thane life
was simple but not so easy as to let one become soft. There are two
worlds in orbit of each other each with two suns in each planet’s
orbit. Some said that the solar system could not exist and that it
had been built by some ancient life form. Others said that the
first ascended ones had built the system as a refuge for any
oppressed life form that would live in peace. Not enough was known
of the ascended one's powers to confirm or deny the latter belief
but what is known is that the ascended ones were the first ones
here perhaps even as old as the planets were. The scientists on
Samtan were not even sure who or what the ascended ones were only
that they were immortals that could move through space and time.
Something like how you or I might move through water or air. They
did not exist in corporeal form but could shift their energy into a
shape that looked human.

The world of Thane was identical to the world of
Samtan accept that on Samtan the people embraced technology and
exploration. They live in balance on Samtan with cities and forests
blended into one where the buildings are no more buildings than
they are living trees. On Thane the people embraced the old ways,
the ways of the old world, the ways of earth. The small towns and
farming communities dotted the landscape. There was no exploitation
of the planets for resources as the scientists and ascendants had
founds ways of developing energy from geothermal as well as cold
fusion generators. With near infinite power potential from matter
mined from the nebula, quantum manipulation of energy to matter
meant near infinite resources.

Some of the elders spoke of the old world and of the
people there that made war on one another for nothing or something
no more than a piece of ground or pieces of metal that though
pretty was too soft for any practical use. A world that for its
shortcomings was home to their mother people and as such was not to
be condemned by the actions of a few. Not much is known of the old
world because it had been several hundred years since the last
people had been brought over the portal by the ascended ones.

It was told around the hearths at night stories of
the other races that lived on the joined worlds. That some of the
fishermen had seen and even talked to a race of water elves that
inhabited the oceans of Thane. Peoples that lived in in underwater
cities. It was also known that on Samtan the deep parts of the
earth were peopled with thorans, reptilian life forms that on
occasion would come to the surface to trade. There were a few
draconic shifters that lived near the equators in the hotter
climates. They took the form of flying reptiles and soared in the
sky. People often said that they were descendants of the first
ascendant. That the shifters had chosen corporeal existences over
energy. Together the four races lived in balance, no one feeling
the need to rule over the other. If any difficulties needed settled
the matter could be brought before an ascended who with permission
would read the thoughts and memories of those present and in
extreme cases observe the probable futures to find a settlement
that was in the favor of all. The few that had committed crimes
worthy of the highest penalty had their memories stripped from them
and they were sent out to live and die in the universe. All in all
the estimated inhabitants of both planets were below two hundred
thousand.

The suns were the most spectacular feature of this
strange solar system. Though they shone with the brightness and
energy of a star, they seemed to have no gravitational mass. How
this was possible no one knew. There were four in all, two for each
planet. Their orbit was low enough and the girth of the planet
large enough that they only illuminated a quarter of a planet at a
time allowing for even day and night cycles. You only saw the same
sun every other day. Perhaps the most unexplained feature of the
suns was the organic energy produced by them.

This organic energy seemed to be the same kind that
the ascendants existed as and seemed to increase regeneration both
on the cellular as well as on the genetic level. A person’s immune
system was boosted by a great factor so no one ever got sick.
Injuries healed within the hour if small and other more severe
injuries took as long as a few days to heal. Death was a thing that
was momentary if a life mage, healer or ascendant was near. Even
then only if one was killed outright in a terrible accident. Aging
stopped at anywhere from twenty-five to thirty years of age.

The people were of a different mindset than of the
old world as I have already mentioned. Where one had no foreseeable
death there is no hurry. As such the desire to propagate the
species was not a pressing matter. Physically they had begun to
manifest certain skills or gifts as they were called. Some were
benders who could bend the elements around them to their will.
Others were healers, some were telepaths, some could glimpse the
future, and still others could move things with the power of
thought. Of those that did not manifest special skills so to say
still were masters of their trade having spent many years learning
perfection as apprentices. It was here that Kiyan lived

Chapter one: The Beginning of Dreams

The night was warm but not too warm to sleep. The
song of the crickets filled the air and a few bullfrogs would join
the chorus with a bass tone adding to the faint melody of the
waterfall near the village. Sleeping wasn't Kiyan's problem, it was
the things he saw when he was asleep. For a few months now most
nights were filled with dreams of things that made little or no
sense. Things that more often than not caused him to awake
terrified and soaked in a cold sweat.

Kiyan rolled in his bed as he felt the alien world of
his dream. He stood on a flat black stone as creatures or machines
flew past. Shadows moved as if in a hurry to be some place but he
couldn't make out any features, only shadows with substance.
Squarish stone and metal mountains towered on each side. Looking up
at the sky one could not even see anything other than a dim glow as
the mountains were full of light. Kiyan had witnessed this dream
before, despite that the place was familiar as if he had been
there. He knew what would happen next. Looking at the sky and
waiting, he finally saw it. Glowing dots appeared and grew in size.
None of the shadows seemed to notice or even care. The dots grew
larger than a series of smaller dots appeared, Kiyan watched as one
of these dots flew toward him. He knew what it was without knowing
why. He knew that fire would come next and he would stand in a
burning desert in a moment, nothing left of the city that towered
around him. He felt the terror of the shadows as they realized the
lights and their meaning. Kiyan closed his eyes hoping to block out
the emotions he felt surging around him. He hated this dream
because he always felt drained and exhausted afterwords. As the
feelings of terror and despair filled him suddenly he felt a hand
on his shoulder. This night would be better.

“
It's OK now.”
He felt the voice more than
heard it. He felt the love and compassion but also a touch of pain
he couldn't put his finger on. On opening his eyes he saw the same
face as he had on the last three nights. The face framed by dark
hair unlike any face he had seen in waking. The face seemed to glow
from within and the eyes glowed with a sharp but warm blue hue.
Somehow he knew her, knew her name was Kendra but it seemed a
distant dim memory.

“
I thought you would be safe here but it's coming
no matter what I do.”
A sad smile only seemed to make the dream
more real.

“
Sleep now. Tomorrow is a big day for
you.”

How could she know Kiyan wondered but then again it
was a dream, perhaps she was part of his own mind. Coherent
thoughts began to fade. “
I hope she isn't part of me, Kendra was
the most beautiful thing I've seen.”
Sleep overcame him.

Waking with a start Kiyan remembered the dream with
surprising clarity. He reviewed it in his mind until he remembered
her final words. Jumping out of bed he felt the soft grass beneath
his feet and remembered the hard black stone of the dream. Trying
to separate dream from reality after dreams like that was sometimes
difficult. He had to remember that buildings here were made from
living plants not stone and metal. He shuddered thinking how hard
life would be living in a rock but then again it was only a dream.
A whiff of breakfast cooking was enough to make him forget about
the dream world and clear the final remaining cobwebs out of his
brain.

Sliding downstairs he heard mother saying something
about there being time for a quick morning swim before breakfast.
“Awesome.” He shouted remembering too late not to shout in the
house. A quick swat from mom and a chuckle from dad as he flew out
the door was all there was time for. On his way to the lake he
joined up with Fred and Jeremy and his kayloo.

The kayloo is a telepathic creature that would bond
with a young person and would watch over them and help them through
their life like a part of the family. Kiyan opened his mind to Ray
and let him feel the dream hoping for an explanation of some sort.
Ray was very intelligent in spite of his appearance as a mix
between an elephant like horse or that was what it looked like from
the picture book that one of the village elders had given Kiyan.
That was not his only form. He sometimes was a winged pegasis or a
water mammal like the dolphins from the book.

This morning Ray was his normal self and grabbed
Kiyan by the waist and set him on his back. Jeremy and Fred took
off running suspecting what was next but were both too slow. For
something taller than a grown man Ray could move faster and soon
had caught both the younger boys, one in each trunk and had soon
reached the lake where they were unceremoniously thrown in one by
one. Best part of the morning Kiyan thought as he sailed through
the air landing with a splash. So far Ray had found the best way to
start a bath. The water was not cold but without persuasion the
boys would slowly inch their way into the water. The admonition to
wash behind the ears was felt by Kiyan even as Ray started
scrubbing his sloppy blond hair. Knowing that struggling was
useless Kiyan made use of the opportunity to splash Fred who dove
under the water a moment later to avoid the torrent of water Ray
was spraying with his other trunk.

After the cleaning was over the three boys would
begin diving and having contests to see who could hold their breath
the longest. Pretending to be a water elf was the most fun part of
the bath. This morning a fit of giggles made Kiyan lose when he
remembered the time when Ray had summoned the local healer and
plucked him out of the water when he had broken the record a couple
months ago. He felt Ray lifting him when laughter made swimming
hard. The feeling of worry from Ray did not help matters any.