The Journey of the Nightisans

The Journey of the

Nightisans

Rebecca Linam

iUniverse, Inc.

New York Bloomington

The Journey of the Nightisans

Copyright © 2009 by Rebecca Linam.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

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ISBN: 978-1-4401-4071-6 (pbk)

ISBN: 978-1-4401-4073-0 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4401-4072-3 (ebk)

Printed in the United States of America

iUniverse rev. date: 5/28/2009

Dedicated to Cherokee High School.

Pronunciation Guide

Many of the character names in this story are of Irish-Gaelic origin and therefore difficult to pronounce based on spelling. The suggestions below are meant to help the reader, but, as with any language, regional pronunciation can vary.

Lucasse. Pronounced Lucas.

Suilmada. Pronounced Sool-mada. (Suil means eye in Irish.)

Dleinad. Pronounced D-lane-add.

Saori. Pronounced Sah-or-ee or Say-or-ee.

Ciaran. Pronounced Keer-ron.

Mairi. Pronounced Mary.

Sita. Pronounced Sheeta.

"When the ruler from afar

Connects with the fool,

The calamity from the skies

Will cause the destruction of all life."

Contents

Chapter 1: Suilmada’s Television Eyes

Chapter 2: Lacking in the Magic Department

Chapter 3: Defective Mages at Bargain Prices

Chapter 4: The Suspicious Man

Chapter 5: Lucasse Curses the Whole World

Chapter 6: Save the World for Real

Chapter 7: The Curse Gets Worse

Chapter 8: Visions of Silverware

Chapter 9: Mages Who Can’t Use Magic

Chapter 10: Blood from a Turnip

Chapter 11: A Rescue and a Near Death Experience

Chapter 12: The Isle Innatry

Chapter 13: Beware the Lady Claire!

Chapter 14: Adventures in Ellmarnia

Chapter 15: Elvis the Singing Sword

Chapter 16: The Bad Luck Curse

Chapter 17: Holy Nails at Discount Prices

Chapter 18: When the Fat Lady Screams

Chapter 19: The Most Beautiful Girl in the World

Chapter 20: The Pirates of Sh’sha

Chapter 21: Deaf as a Doorknob

Chapter 22: The Maddest Scientist in the World

Chapter 23: Human Sacrifice

Chapter 24: Minus Three Plus One

Chapter 25: Secrets Aired

Chapter 26: Moving On

Chapter 27: The Know-It-All

Chapter 28: The Underlying Threat

Chapter 29: The New King of Tarnica

Chapter 30: Ultimatum

Chapter 31: Back to the Isle Innatry

Chapter 32: Interdimensional Travel

Chapter 33: The Gravity Inducer

Chapter 34: The Guardian Sword

Chapter 35: Life Goes On

Five Years Later…

Chapter 1: Suilmada’s Television Eyes

My sister is weird, Lucasse Koltz frequently told newcomers to his village. It’s a known fact that most brothers find their younger sisters weird at one point or another.

Then again, Lucasse’s little sister really was weird.

For starters, she had blue hair—light blue like the sky. Nobody in Lucasse’s family had blue hair. Heck, nobody in the world had blue hair, that he knew of. Lucasse himself sported a head full of perfectly normal dark hair always cut in the most recent style in order to impress any members of the opposite sex who might happen to be nearby. Then again, hair could only do so much to counteract the side-effects of an embarrassing blue-haired little sister.

Aside from the blue hair, Lucasse’s sister dressed a tad on the peculiar side, always wearing a tan pair of Lucasse’s old trousers with an oversized lavender shirt from their mother’s old belongings. She had made herself a hat out of a long strip of lavender cloth that she had wound around like a turban until it dwarfed her head like a beehive. At the other end, she wore a pair of wooden sandals, which, incidentally, had gone out of style three and a half centuries ago. Lucasse wouldn’t have been caught dead wearing anything from last season, let alone three centuries ago, but Suilmada seemed to make breaking fashion taboos her calling card.

That was her name: Suilmada. Lucasse figured his parents had made it up in one of their attempts to be creative. His father was the village mad scientist and had always worked on some crazy theory involving black holes. He had disappeared three years ago while trying to create his own personal black hole. Lucasse’s mother, who had only lived one year after Suilmada’s birth, was an artist. Her final art project had been to paint the whole house blue.

Blue?! Lucasse had exclaimed upon seeing his newly-painted house. But the neighbors already think we’re crazy because of Dad and his black holes! All the other houses on the block were normal shades of brown.

But that’s art! his mother had answered quite innocently.

That was right before Suilmada had been born. Lucasse had been away for the whole summer visiting his great-uncle Hezekiah and had come home to discover that he now had a little sister with blue hair. His parents had grinned a mile wide when they let him see her.

But all the other kids’ little sisters have brown or blond hair! Lucasse had pouted. He hadn’t even known that his mother was pregnant; that in itself was a shock, but the blue hair topped it off. Why do I have to be branded as the kid with the weird blue-haired little sister?!

Lucasse’s parents seemed to think she was the greatest thing since cream cheese and weren’t about to get rid of her. To make things worse, she had also been born deaf—deaf as a doorknob.

However, the most peculiar thing about Suilmada concerned her eyes. Lucasse figured that since she was deaf, her eyes had been given something extra-special to make up for it. He had first noticed it when she was nine, just a few days after their father had disappeared while trying to create a black hole. Instead of mourning the loss, Lucasse actually felt relieved that his kooky mad scientist father was now out of the picture. The only drawback was that it left him the sole provider for his blue-haired sister at the young age of sixteen.

The incident had happened right in the center of town next to the large marble fountain. Lucasse had taken to spending most of his free time there because its central location gave the girls a wonderful opportunity to get a glimpse of his dashingly handsome looks. Sooner or later they would have to pass by to fetch water, and then he could try out his latest heart-stopping line on them. Unfortunately, Suilmada, who loved to copy Lucasse’s every movement, was also standing by the fountain in a perfect imitation of his stance—one hand on her hip, chest stuck out, stomach sucked in, and a toothy grin—looking quite ridiculous in Lucasse’s humble opinion.

Just then Jessica Hartlet, the mayor’s daughter, approached the fountain with her water bucket in hand, so Lucasse readied his smoothest line yet.

Morning, Jessica! How’d you like to go out with the best-looking guy in the world? He flashed her his most attractive grin.

Shut up, Lucasse. For the thousandth time, I refuse to go out with anyone who thinks he’s better-looking than I am. Then Jessica dipped her bucket into the fountain and was gone before Lucasse had a chance to blink.

Lucasse turned to Suilmada with a scowl. Look what you’ve done now! he fumed in his frustration. She probably thinks I’m weird because you won’t stop imitating me!

Then he did a double take. Suilmada usually liked to move her mouth in imitation of Lucasse yelling at her, but this time she stood frozen like a statue. To make the situation even more strange, Lucasse noticed a flicker in her normally light blue eyes.

Um, Suilmada, are you okay? Lucasse began, looking around to see if anyone else in town happened to be standing nearby. Fortunately, no one was in sight to witness her latest oddity.

Suilmada’s eyes had now faded to brown.

Lucasse tapped her on the head. Um, Suilmada, you’re being weird again.

A picture began to form on the surface of her eyes. It kind of reminded Lucasse of that invention called television in one of those other-worldly dimensions that only magicians knew how to reach. Since television didn’t exist in this dimension, Lucasse had never actually seen one, but this was how it had been described to him…except that televisions weren’t supposed to connect through people’s younger sisters.

Gradually the picture came into focus to show a room shelved full of deadly chemicals. A table sat in the middle of the room, and at the table sat none other than Lucasse’s nerdy next-door neighbor Clementine performing another one of her science experiments.

Clementine Heartmaker was the same age as Lucasse, yet that was about the only similarity between the two. She had an IQ of 182 and always claimed she was going to be a mad scientist like Lucasse’s father when she grew up. She even kind of looked like a mad scientist with her messily braided chestnut brown hair, which she only got inspired to fix when it began falling into her science experiments.

Her current experiment dealt with a cockroach in a mayonnaise jar. Lucasse watched as she suddenly turned away from the experiment to reach for a jar labeled hydrochloric acid. As she turned, her long braid knocked over one of the candles that lit up the basement science lab. Lucasse could have sworn he saw the cockroach’s eyes bug out as the candle toppled right into its mayonnaise jar.

Immediately the whole basement went up in flames, and Clementine ran for the stairs as fast as she could. As soon as Clementine was out of view, Suilmada’s eyes cleared back to their normal light blue shade.

Before Lucasse could say anything, he suddenly noticed the flames coming from the house next to his own—Clementine’s house. He dashed toward it with Suilmada following close behind. Other neighbors were also gathering around to see the biggest fire in the history of Littletown.

Clementine, dressed in a dingy lab coat and safety goggles, stood outside her house coughing as she watched it blaze away. Her father came running down the street from the local weapons store waving his hands at her.

My house! he wailed, clutching at his bald head. Clementine! Didn’t I forbid you to do any more experiments in the house?! His face was tomato red as he shook his fist at her.

It was an accident! she said between coughs. I was only trying to shrink a cockroach! She held up a sooty book in her right hand. At least I was able to save my calculus book. Calculus was the latest invention of the century and Clementine its biggest fan.

Clementine’s father looked like he wanted to strangle her. Instead, he reached for her beloved calculus book with vengeance in his eyes.

Even though Lucasse wasn’t particularly fond of Clementine, he took a chance and spoke up; maybe that vision in Suilmada’s eyes had somehow been connected with what had just happened.

It really was an accident, Mr. Heartmaker. She knocked over a candle. Suilmada and I both saw it. At least, he assumed Suilmada had seen it.

Clementine looked over at him in surprise.

Is that so? Mr. Heartmaker replied against the blaze of his house. That still doesn’t change the fact that my house is ruined! Two bulging blood vessels popped out on his forehead.

Just then, something in the burning house exploded. Fireworks of various color began zooming out in every direction. One firework shot up Mr. Heartmaker’s pants leg and sent him scurrying down Main Street.

I was saving those for my gunpowder experiment, Clementine sighed, then jerked toward Lucasse suddenly. Hey, how did you know I knocked over the candle? My basement doesn’t have any windows.

Lucasse explained proudly what he had seen in Suilmada’s television eyes.

Clementine was so awed by the whole story that she completely forgot about her burning house and instead asked Lucasse if she could study Suilmada.

No, he answered bluntly. She had already spent way too much time at his house lately under the guise of getting science help from his father—well, before he had disappeared, that is. If Lucasse let Clementine study Suilmada, it would be just like having his father at home again, and then he would never get a date.

That marked the beginning of Suilmada’s new ability. Every week or two, she would show some new vision happening elsewhere in the world, such as the rock slide that had flattened the town of Pizza or the assassination of King Fernando. Each time, the news of what Lucasse had seen eventually reached town confirming the truth about her visions, which further confirmed exactly how weird his blue-haired little sister really was. Lucasse even tried to get rich quick by charging admission to Suilmada’s visions.

The only problem was that no one else in town believed him except for Clementine. Years of Lucasse’s mad scientist father had driven the villagers to dismiss anything coming from the Koltz household as a hoax. Regardless, Clementine routinely annoyed Lucasse over the next three years with her incessant begging to let her study his blue-haired sister.

Things probably would have continued like that if only Lucasse hadn’t interpreted Suilmada’s latest vision as an omen of the world’s destruction. Much like her first vision, Lucasse and Suilmada were standing by the marble fountain in the center of the city when it happened. So far, only two girls had come to fetch water this morning. In between girls, Lucasse had been perfecting his stance and working on an especially handsome gleam in his right eye. As usual, Suilmada stood by him looking especially ridiculous with her imitations.

Just then Jessica Hartlet passed by.

Morning, Jessica! Lucasse quipped. Beautiful day, but not as beautiful as you!

Get a life, Lucasse.

Lucasse turned to Suilmada to take his frustration out on her, but stopped when he noticed that she had gone as rigid as a statue. Instead, he parked himself right in front of her. Maybe this time he would get to see a revolution in a faraway land.

This was no revolution, but it was most definitely a faraway land. The picture in Suilmada’s eyes flickered a couple of times until it cleared to show a landscape on the horizon featuring a field of blue grass swaying in the breeze next to a stream with purple water.

Probably in another dimension, Lucasse said and figured Clementine would have given up a whole day’s worth of calculus just to see this backwards world.

Gradually the picture zoomed in on a tall black-caped figure standing in the field of blue grass.

Turn it around, Suilmada! Lucasse yelled impatiently. Show me his face!

Almost as if he had heard, the black-caped man turned with an ominous narrowing of his eyes. Raising his hands to the sky, he began chanting some sort of spell, as if trying to summon something. Lucasse had seen a traveling magician last week summon a rainstorm kind of like this. Unfortunately, Suilmada could only broadcast picture, not sound, so Lucasse would have to be patient as to what the summon spell would bring.

All of a sudden, the whole world seemed to explode! Lucasse felt himself being thrown backwards and only realized what had happened after he landed on his rear end and ripped holes in both elbows of his brand new shirt. Suilmada landed next to him, clearly out of her trance, and looked just as surprised. Lucasse glanced back at the fountain in a daze.

There in the middle of town, where the elaborate marble fountain of Littletown had once stood, now gaped a smoking hole. The villagers were now pouring from their houses to see what had happened. Lucasse pushed his way though the crowd and was just about to ask what had happened when Clementine saved him the trouble.

Wow! A meteorite! Knowing Clementine, she would probably spend the rest of the summer analyzing every detail about it. Lucasse noticed a few of the other girls snickering in her direction, so he inconspicuously edged away from her lest he be contaminated by association.

A thin trail of smoke floated up from the meteorite crater.

The mayor fanned the air. What is this? he demanded. Clementine, I want answers!

It’s a meteorite! Clementine was only too happy to explain. Judging from the size of the crater, I’d say it hit at a speed of approximately—

Never mind the particulars, Clementine! the mayor said impatiently, waving his hands around. "Why did it fall? Why in my fountain?!"

Suddenly Lucasse wondered why he hadn’t thought of it earlier. "I know what caused it!"

Heads turned toward him in unison, even those of the girls who usually ignored him.

You do? the mayor said, raising an eyebrow. "What do you know about science? You flunked chemistry."

Yeah, well, I still know what caused it, Lucasse countered confidently, folding his arms over his chest. And it has nothing to do with chemistry. It was obvious that the man in Suilmada’s vision must have summoned the meteorite; why else would it have landed at that exact time?

Clementine’s eyes lit up. Was it Suilmada again?

You mean your sister had another one of her so-called visions? the mayor asked Lucasse with a skeptical roll of his eyes.

As a matter of fact, she did, Lucasse answered proudly. "Right before the meteorite fell, she showed why it fell. A man from another dimension summoned it—just like that magician you hired last week to summon a rainstorm for the crops."

That doesn’t prove a thing! Jessica Hartlet insisted. How do we know what she showed unless we see it ourselves? Make Suilmada show it again, and we’ll believe you!

Lucasse felt the red flood through his face.

The mayor stuck a piece of chewing gum in his mouth. Lucasse, I’d rather put my money on Clementine’s long-winded explanations. After all, how sane can the son of a mad scientist be?

A roar of laughter went up from the crowd.

Lucasse narrowed his eyes. There was no turning back now; he was bound and determined to make them believe him, and he wasn’t about to let the opportunity go to waste.

Oh yeah?! he sputtered, and then another thought shot through his already frustrated mind, something from history class. Well—well, remember that ancient prophecy that says a calamity from the sky will signify the end of our world when an evil ruler takes over? I’ll bet a hundred gold pieces that the calamity from the sky is this very meteor!

The prophecy Lucasse was referring to did in fact mention a ruler from afar and something about a calamity from the sky introducing the destruction of all life. There had been one copy of it on display at the Shrine of Unsuccessful Dictators, which had burned down four or five centuries ago, so all that remained had been passed down by word of mouth.

And the ruler from afar is the same man Suilmada showed me! Lucasse continued hotly. He lives in another dimension with blue grass and purple water, and I even saw him summoning the meteorite right before it fell!

The mayor stuck another piece of chewing gum in his mouth. Blue grass and purple water, huh? And the end of the world is upon us, he said calmly. Uh-huh.

Yeah, everybody knows those ancient prophecies are a bunch of baloney, Jessica said with a snicker. They never come true. You’re just trying to get attention, Lucasse.

Lucasse was speechless. By now, the crowd began abandoning him to return to their daily lives in the fields that surrounded Littletown. Only Clementine, Suilmada, and the mayor remained.

The mayor turned to head back to his office. Lucasse, you’ve definitely taken after your father. You’re just as crazy as he was! The world is in no danger.

Lucasse stomped his foot, causing a cloud of dust to fly up from the dirt pathway. I’ll show you! he yelled after the crowd. I’ll show you all! By now he was mad enough to try anything that would finally get the townspeople, especially the girls, to notice him. I’ll-I’ll get rid of that dictator myself, and then you’ll have to respect me!

If he, Lucasse Koltz, set out to save the world from its impending doom, the ladies would definitely find him irresistible. After all, the heroes in the legends never had trouble getting girls to notice them. Besides, saving the world, couldn’t really be all that hard, what with the hundreds of legends out there about guys who had already saved it before.

There was only one small problem. Lucasse didn’t have the slightest clue how to begin saving the world. Much as he hated to drag her along with him, it looked like he would have to settle for Clementine’s brain power.

Lucasse? Clementine began. What all did Suilmada show—

The destruction of our world, Clementine! he shouted robustly before she even had a chance to finish. He explained again the connection between the calamity from the sky and the ancient prophecy. And as a law-abiding citizen, it’s my duty to save the world and make it safe for future generations.

Clementine had already pulled a magnifying glass out of her pocket and begun examining Suilmada’s eyes. Suilmada, obviously loving the attention, grinned and fluttered her eyelashes at Clementine.

Lucasse’s good disposition vanished just as quickly as it had been mustered up. Hey, knock it off, you two! We haven’t got time for that! We need to be saving the world!

Hmm? Clementine looked up at him with the magnifying glass still in front of her face.

He did his best to ignore it. Suilmada and I need to leave soon to start our journey.

Clementine looked crushed. Suilmada’s leaving?

Of course, we’ll need you to come along too, Clementine, he continued, not mentioning that he only needed her brain power.

The town genius lowered her magnifying glass. Me? Um…will you let me study Suilmada if I come?

Yeah, whatever. If that was what it took to convince her, then so be it.

Lucasse could actually see the scientific excitement sparkling in her eyes; Clementine definitely had the makings of a mad scientist.

He turned to go home. We’ll meet here again in an hour. Go pack your things, he called back to her, then smiled to himself. Yep, everyone’s going to be sorry they didn’t believe me after I save the world and come back a hero!

Chapter 2: Lacking in the Magic Department

His name was Dleinad, which meant black in North Ambrian, and that was his profession—black mage.

His job was to command the elements of nature to his fingertips. Fire, ice, lightning…he could summon them all. People with this profession were mighty, respected, and feared. They made good money and even got a Christmas bonus.

Dleinad worked under the Federal Bureau of International Mages, otherwise known as the FBI Mages. Its headquarters was run by a guy named Hoover in Magictown, which was the mecca of magic users in the country of North Ambria.

* * *

It was beginning to look like Lucasse was going to have to save the whole world all by himself.

You mean I need a weapon? Clementine said blankly, her knapsack full of books. She, Lucasse, and Suilmada had just left town on their quest to save the world.

What?! Lucasse exclaimed. Of course you do! There are wild animals out there! Don’t you know that?! For someone with an IQ of 182, sometimes Clementine could be as dense as a pile of bricks.

Suilmada was just as bad. The moment she had seen Lucasse spend his life’s savings on a brand new iron sword down at the local weapons store, she had run home and latched onto an old badminton racket. Lucasse had managed to pack the necessities for himself and his sister, but he hadn’t been able to get her to trade her badminton racket for a more practical weapon.

We’ll just have to buy both of you some weapons in the next town, Lucasse grumbled. Say, which town is next on the map anyway?

Magictown, Clementine answered as she opened her calculus book and began reading. We should probably hire some magic users there. It might make saving the world easier.

Lucasse hadn’t thought of that. Uh, yeah, funny you should mention that, Clementine. I was just about to suggest it myself.

Aside from the usual cornfields that dotted the landscape around Littletown, the countryside of North Ambria mostly consisted of forests with trees so tall that the sunlight rarely hit the ground. Lucasse felt better with each shadowy step away from home. According to the map, Magictown was only about five miles to the east. Despite being so close, he had never actually been there before, but he had definitely heard the rumors of its powerful magicians.

Once the trio had reached the outskirts of Magictown, Lucasse sent Clementine and Suilmada to go buy themselves some suitable weapons. And I’ll head off to the FBI Mages to hire some magic users.

The Federal Bureau of International Mages wasn’t exactly easy to find. Lucasse had seen plenty of mages, but their home base was nowhere to be found, almost as if someone had intentionally tried to hide it from him. Each person he asked gave him different directions. Finally, in desperation, Lucasse turned to the local tourist agency, which just happened to be next door to the FBI Mages.

The FBI Mages was a ratty building no larger than Lucasse’s own house. The paint was peeling, and more than a few shingles had fallen from the roof. Even the sign on the door was made of cardboard and read, The Federal Bureau of International Mages in scrawling black handwriting, almost as if a child had written it.

Lucasse briefly wondered if someone had put the sign there as a joke until an explosive ball of fire from the chimney confirmed that this definitely was the FBI Mages. He knocked hesitantly.

An old man with unkempt hair flung the door open immediately, barely missing Lucasse’s head. Who are you, and whaddya want?!

Lucasse jumped back. I’ve come to hire some mages, sir.

The old man wiped his forehead. Whew! Good, good! Come on in! He held the door open. Sorry about that welcome. We’ve had a bunch of pesky girl scouts selling cookies lately. They just can’t take no for an answer.

Lucasse followed him through the upstairs part of the building, which consisted of a meager library, and then down into the basement. So far, not a mage was in sight.

"Now, you wanted