Origins (Book 4 of Alfireán age)

Stone Hand

Olivia's smiling face hovered in Alf's mind, and he grinned as he snuggled deeper into his pillow. But as he fell into a deep sleep, her image faded.

Suddenly, the image of his forefather flared in his mind, and the scene from the Zikarôn came to life. As Alf stared at the moving picture, Mr. Brockovich's face blurred, and the background came into sharp focus. White walls, vats, and chemical beakers surrounded him, and the smell of disinfectant permeated the air. The area appeared to be some type of old-world medical room. No, this is a laboratory, Alf thought to himself, not knowing how he knew that.

As he turned to get a better look of the room, a low, masculine voice said off to his right."This cloning capsule will make a perfect replica of you in only a year or two of incubation."

Alf reached out his hand, and his forefather handed him a glass tablet displaying a circular vat filled with wires and a yellow viscous liquid.

"Good. We will need over a hundred," Alf answered in a strange, nasally tone, and with those words, the world faded.

As the dream ended, Alf woke with a start and sat bolt upright in his bed. He hadn't downloaded that particular memory, but somehow, he had seen it. Alf sat there with his hand over his chest as his heart pounded, and one question permeated his mind: Where was that laboratory?

As if to answer his question, a vision of a blue, tropical ocean flashed in his mind, and as he stared at the rolling water, the image of a large rocky hand emerging from the ocean filled his eyes. Slowly, the view pulled back as it raced over a distant beach. Then the vision sped up, and he found himself flying over towns, lands, and cities alike. Finally, the familiar capital city of Merinia appeared, and the image zoomed through the heart of the city.

Green, blue, and streaks of bright colors blurred to his left and right. Then, with a sudden swerve, the image flew into the feline-like palace on the hill through a balcony, dashed down a colorful spread of halls, and abruptly ended in his room.

Goosebumps formed on Alf's arms, and he looked up at the ceiling as a realization dawned on him. He had just experienced a vision from God, and clearly, he wanted Alf to go there.

Alf stared at the flames painted on the walls. He didn't know what he would find at that laboratory, and part of him wanted to stay in his comfortable blankets and go back to sleep. But he wasn't about to ignore God's call. "Thank you, Jesus," he whispered and hastily scooted off the bed.

Grabbing another set of Derrick's clothes, he quickly dressed and headed out the door.

Closing his eyes and recalling the path he'd seen in the vision, he made his way through the winding halls of King Delavarian's castle and found the door leading out onto the balcony. Turning the handle and stepping out into the night air, he stopped in his tracks as he realized someone was standing by the railing.

The light of the moon glowed on the woman's long silver hair, and she sighed heavily as she turned to see him.

"You're going?" she asked as if her heart were heavy.

Alf frowned at Silver, wondering how she knew. " I am," he answered.

"I see," she whispered. Turning, she stared up at the stars, then glanced back at him, her violet eyes filled with turmoil. "Promise me you won't let what you find change you."

"Change me?" Alf asked, his frown deepening. Silver and her sisters had always been strange, and every time he thought he'd finally figured them out, they turned out to be even more mysterious than he'd thought.

"Yes, some things are best left in the past," the mysterious woman replied while the wind tugged at her amethyst robes. "Though, if God is leading you, it is not my right to stop you. Just promise me you won't let it destroy you."