Alterverse Read online

  Alterverse

  The Age of Magic, Book One

  Alterverse

  The Age of Magic, Book One

  by Keith B. Darrell

  Alterverse

  The Age of Magic, Book One

  By Keith B. Darrell

  Amber Book Company LLC

  www.AmberBookCompany.com

  U.S.A.

  Address inquiries regarding foreign rights, translation rights, audio rights, film rights, television rights, or merchandising licensing to: [email protected].

  Copyright © 2018 Keith B. Darrell. No portion of this e-book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, by any process or technique — except for a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a magazine, newspaper, or on the World Wide Web — without the express written consent of the publisher. All rights reserved. All lefts too.

  If you'd like to share this e-book with someone, please buy an additional copy for that person. If you’re reading this e-book and did not pay for it, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's hard work.

  All persons, places, and organizations in this e-book — except those clearly in the public domain — are fictitious, and any resemblance that may seem to exist to actual persons, vampires, lycanthropes, places, or organizations living, dead, undead, or defunct is purely coincidental. Especially Donald Trump and his minions: any resemblance to chaos-embracing, misogynistic, racist, soulless creatures ensconced within the halls of the White House and Congress is entirely coincidental. Really. Any assertions to the contrary are fake news. Alterverse is an alternate reality with its own alternate facts.

  Print Edition ISBN 978-1-935971-40-5

  E-Book Edition • October 2019

  The paperback edition of this book is printed on acid-free paper. Your fingers are safe. E-book edition emits deadly radiation; you're screwed.

  For Amber, who was there from the beginning and who will remain in spirit.

  A highly-skilled proofreader meticulously perused this manuscript for errors; but that was in an alternate universe. In this reality, we paid the coffee boy to proofread it. He said “It looks reel gud too me.” Oh well.

  Special thanks to my characters, without whom I could not have written this book — for a writer is only as good as his characters; to my readers, who inspire me and help me pay the light bill; and to all the Halos & Horns fans.

  Legal Disclaimers: No vampires were harmed in the production of this book. Actually, a few were killed off but it didn’t hurt — they’re all make-believe. (Besides, it’s an alternate reality — we’ll probably put everything we break back together again).

  The Age of Magic: Alterverse is also available electronically as a Kindle e-book and in paperback. We’re greedy that way.

  Table of Contents

  Preface

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Epilogue

  Preface

  Alterverse… It has a nice ring to it. I’ve wanted to write an alternate reality tale set in the Halos & Horns multiverse ever since the conclusion of the second book in the series, And A Child Shall Lead Them. It’s a good thing I waited. The book you hold in your hands is a much richer story as a result of that forbearance.

  Much of my fiction writing is undoubtedly influenced by my childhood pastimes, of which my two favorites were undeniably comic books and the Gothic soap opera Dark Shadows. When Dark Shadows wasn’t focusing on the supernatural it occasionally crossed over into science fiction and was, to my knowledge, the first television show to ever present the concept of parallel universes (called “parallel time” in the series). The idea is there are certain pivotal moments in history, or even in our own lives, in which the entire future would be changed if a single event were to be altered. What would the world have been like if the North had lost the American Civil War, or if the Nazis had won World War II, or if instead of being assassinated on the campaign trail Robert F. Kennedy had been elected president of the United States? What if on the day your best friend died in a boating accident you had instead persuaded him to drive to the mountains with you? In each case, altering a single incident would change everything that followed and theoretically spawn a brand new universe identical up until that point but now going off in an entirely different direction.

  This was heady stuff for a seven-year-old watching TV and reading comic books. Comic books, like television shows, were written in their own self-contained universe, each with its own set of fictional facts that were canonical. Superman was rocketed to Earth from the exploding planet Krypton where he landed in Smallville, USA and despite two love interests competing for his attention (Lois Lane and Lana Lang) he remained a bachelor. But Superman’s writers (and readers) wanted to explore stories that took place outside of the accepted canon. What if Krypton had never exploded and Superman had been raised there? What if his rocket had landed in Russia? What if he had married Lois or Lana? Since these stories took place out of the accepted continuity DC referred to them as “imaginary stories.” Its competitor Marvel Comics later launched a title called “What If…?” offering its own imaginary stories outside of its continuity.

  I concluded And A Child Shall Lead Them with an enormous battle between the forces of Order and Chaos (the latter represented by the Lovecraftian Dark Gods) and – Spoiler Alert – the good guys won, as they usually do. Then the thought occurred to me: what if they hadn’t? The result would be a dystopian multiverse ruled by the Dark Gods. I sensed an imaginary story in the making. Of course it would have to be non-canonical, wholly outside of the Halos & Horns continuity, but what a great story that would be. It would have to be set in the future long after this dark world had come to pass. That’s when I realized this would be a version of Halos & Horns: The Next Generation. Then the tagline came to me: “In a world without hope, in a land of darkness and despair, where chaos has replaced order, one boy leads a ragtag band of rebels against omnipotent forces.”

  But who was the boy? It would have to be an older version of little Alaric facing what had apparently gone wrong in this new reality where he had failed to prevent the Dark Gods’ victory. But since this was outside of continuity I put the idea aside and wrote the next five books in the saga. I decided to save Alterverse until the end of the series and then we had our own pivotal event occur in our reality: Donald Trump was elected president of the United States and suddenly the concept of a dystopian, authoritative alternate reality took on new importance and relevance.

  But bringing Alterverse out earlier meant having to incorporate it into the existing continuity. Following the lead of Dark Shadows. I would have an existing character bring the reader into the parallel universe; except in this case the new universe would not be a parallel one but the replacement of our existing universe. Enter Asabi, a black gender-switching interdimensional traveler (based on the emere legends of the Yoruba people of Africa) who now finds himself permanently stuck in female form and tasked with the unenviable job of saving all of reality.

  By establishing Alterverse as part of the Halos & Horns canon I was able to tie together many threads woven into the series. Destiny first appeared (unnamed) in the chapter entitled “Judgment Day” in the fourth book in the Halos & Horns saga, The Witches’ Cauldron. That chapter also sugges
ted the links between Nyx and the Fates, and between the Dark Gods and the vampires, and hinted at the origin of the Zodiac medallions (eventually revealed in Book 7, Nosferatu, Inc.). So a lot of questions raised throughout the series finally get answered in this not-so-imaginary alternate universe tale. British writer Alan Moore wrote the quintessential Superman imaginary story (“Whatever Happened to the Man of Steel?”) concluding the tale by assuring the readers that this was merely an imaginary story, but then adding four earth-shattering words: “but aren’t they all?” Those four words broke down the fourth wall, imparting the epiphany that it was a meaningless distinction because all fiction is make-believe.

  So what if Kennedy had been raised by her father Detective Mordecai and never become a hooker? What if Sharon Mordecai had become a teenage runaway not because she discovered she was adopted but out of jealousy of her father’s affection showered on her older sister? What if Detective Mordecai had only been crippled by the fatal bullet that struck him? What if Remick had never been born? What if Callaghan had died and Maudie had lived? What if Artemus the boy vampire had turned his childhood friend Natasa into one of the undead? What if the changeling Síofra hadn’t mellowed into the sympathetic character we all know and love? What if vampire Pandora and werewolf Cody Fenris had broken up soon after the twins were born? What if Luna, best friend of Cody’s sister Lupe, had not been killed but instead ended up marrying Cody? These and other intriguing possibilities are explored in Alterverse.

  Re-creating the multiverse is a great responsibility but it can also be fun. I got to bring back some of the more obscure characters in the series and recast some former villains such as Grand Duke of Hell Eligos, Nitrate (an emotive from the Dreamscape), and the Kunoichi as heroes. Readers of the series will have fun spotting “Easter eggs” from the first seven books, while hopefully new readers will enjoy Alterverse as a stand-alone story.

  Prologue

  I'm tumbling through the void like flotsam in a dark, turbulent sea. Nothing is familiar. I have no sense of direction. I only know the fate of the multiverse and every living creature within it depends on my success.

  How long have I been here? Time here has no meaning – and yet every meaning. I know where I must end up, and I know where I was. It’s the in-between part that’s messing with my head. It seems as if moments ago I was with my friends and family. I was the happiest I’d ever been. But then, seconds later, I died.

  And then things got worse.

  I’ve traveled through other realms and dimensions many times. I’ve been to the seven heavens and the nine levels of Hell; the somnolent realm of the Dreamscape inhabited by dreamers and their dreams; the Otherworld, home of the magical Fae; the eerie emptiness of Limbo, the waiting room between Heaven and Hell; and I’ve even glimpsed the Dark Dimension, realm of the ancient Dark Gods. But this dimension I’m passing through is unlike any other.

  I miss them: the little girl I’d adopted as if she were my own child, and the hellion I came to love. They’re gone now; wiped from existence, along with everything else. I must do this for them, to restore reality.

  But this is not my story; it’s his. Or rather, it will become his eventually. But right now, on the other side of this void, it’s their story.

  Chapter One

  The chorus of young voices rose to a crescendo, filling the schoolroom. “I pledge allegiance to the Dark Gods, and to the Dark Dimension, indivisible, with chaos and darkness for all. Dark Gods, hallowed be your names. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on Earth as it is in all the realms. Give us this day our daily bread, and spare us to serve you another day. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from hope.”

  The two dozen children, all of varying ages, sat silently at their desks, their hands placed together with their fingers interlocking. Professor Eligos pointed his jewel-encrusted scepter at the wall calendar beside the blackboard. “I’m certain I don’t need to remind you your assignments are due today.”

  Asabi furtively peered inside through the classroom window. Asabi knew if this was where the journey had led, then someone in the room must be of great importance to the mission. Surprisingly, none of the pupils appeared to find anything out of the ordinary about their teacher’s attire. Asabi shrugged off the coruscating gold scepter with its sparkling rubies and emeralds because, while extravagant and opulent, it did make an effective pointer. But it was harder to ignore the glinting silver chain mail worn by the instructor or the long slender lance resting behind him in the corner of the room. Asabi had no doubt the teacher was a knight, just as the lack of any reaction from the students made it apparent they were unfazed by his unusual attire.

  “You’ll each have one minute to read the brief essay you’ve written on the particular Dark God you’ve chosen to honor.” Professor Eligos’ eyes scanned the room, falling upon the 13-year-old Irish changeling in the back of the classroom. “Let’s begin with you, Síofra.”

  The redheaded girl frowned. “Let’s nae and say we did.”

  Professor Eligos sighed. “You’ve failed to do your assignment again, haven’t you?”

  Síofra grimaced. “Why ask that which ya already ken?” The teacher’s unwavering glance wore her down. She offered a half-hearted excuse. “The nuppeppos ate my homework.”

  “I very much doubt that.” The teacher gave her a condescending look. “I’m quite certain I would have heard reports of a gelatinous blob from Japan stalking the streets of Las Vegas.”

  Snickering erupted from the 14-year-old fraternal twins seated in front of her. “Síofra never does her homework,” Ursula Fenris said. “She thinks she’s too smart to study.”

  “Or too dumb.” Quinn Fenris chuckled.

  “Shut yar gob,” Síofra replied. The truculent changeling glared at Quinn. “I should nae even be here. Yar all naething but a bunch of children. I’m a Fae spirit far older than any of ya.”

  “That may be,” Professor Eligos said, “however, since your changeling spirit is currently housed in a teenaged body, you’re required to be in school like all the other teenagers.”

  The changeling pouted. “Tis nae fair. Kaya and I will spend our whole lives in school because we’ll ne’er age after eating the flesh of a nuppeppos.”

  The 10-year-old Japanese girl beside her whispered to her querulous friend, “You’re the one always saying life is unfair. Besides, I like school. All our friends are here.”

  Síofra rolled her eyes.

  Professor Eligos turned to Kaya. “I’m glad to see someone enjoys my class. Did you do your homework?”

  Kaya nodded enthusiastically.

  “And which Dark God have you chosen to write about for your essay?”

  “I chose Nyx because she’s the goddess of the night and she’s so pretty.” Kaya read from her notebook: “Nyx is a shadowy figure worshipped by, and in command of, the two-dimensional Shadow People. Of course, I know her true form, like all the Dark Gods’, is too hideous for human eyes to bear but she makes herself look incredibly beautiful for our sakes. She’s also the mother of us all.”

  “And why do you say that?” Professor Eligos asked.

  “Because at the beginning of creation there was nothing except Chaos. But Nyx was born of Chaos and she joined with Erebus, the darkness, to give birth to all the other Dark Gods.”

  “Very good,” Professor Eligos said. He turned to Quinn. “And what about you, Mr. Fenris?”

  The boy smiled. “I like the Wards the best. Julian always dresses sharply whenever I see him on TV; and Angelique has that sexy, wavy red hair and she’s usually wearing a leather catsuit, which makes her so hot.”

  Professor Eligos inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. “I suppose I should have expected such a hormonal-laced response from an adolescent boy.” He glanced at Ursula. “Perhaps your sister can articulate a more nuanced response in her essay.”

  “My essay is on Oizys, the goddess of misery,” Ursula said, “because I think we should have more female gods. She pers
onifies worry, distress, and anxiety, so I always leave an offering for her before exams.”

  “An understandable precaution, Miss Fenris, although I fear your brother might not be able to control himself if the pantheon of Dark Gods were expanded to include more ‘hot’ females.” The teacher’s perceant wit elicited laughter from the students. Professor Eligos approached an older boy. “And what of you, Alaric? Do you share the Fenris siblings’ penchant for female divinity?”

  The steely eyed youth replied without hesitation. “Nemesis, the goddess of retribution.”

  Professor Eligos gulped uncomfortably. “Yes, well, I think we should move on to mathematics—”

  “But wait,” Alaric said, noticing the rupture in his teacher’s customarily unflappable mien. “You haven’t heard me read my essay yet. I could have chosen Eris, the god of strife; or Moros, the god of doom who drives men toward their inevitable destruction; or Apate, the god of deceit; or Thanatos, the god of death; or even Momus, the god of blame. But instead, I chose Nemesis. Aren’t you curious why?”

  Professor Eligos regained his composure. “As you are no doubt aware, I am never curious. Curiosity is not possible for one who has the power to discover hidden secrets and foretell the future. I simply believe the classroom is not the appropriate venue to air one’s personal issues. A word to the wise, young man: discretion.”

  Alaric frowned.

  “You’re fortunate to enjoy a rather exceptional protected status but you should take care not to test its boundaries. You take after your father: headstrong and impetuous. Yet even your mother’s influence couldn’t prevent Lucifer’s banishment. I’m merely admonishing you to tread carefully. The walls have ears and you never know who might be listening.” Professor Eligos glanced at the window, catching a glimpse of Asabi and ensuring their eyes met.