Atlas Cloud And The Amulet of Thieves (5 page)

“Because she’s cute.” He said, nudging me with his elbow.

“Look, we’re here to see Farro, keep your focus.” I said, shooting him a dark look to show that I was serious. Eli sighed and stepped slightly away from me. I leant over to him. “I think her names Roko.” I said, winking at him. He smiled and immediately stood up straight. The show ended and the curtains closed, the heavy, red velvet washing the act away as if it was a footprint in the sand and consumed by the sea’s waves. I froze and realised that I couldn’t postpone my task anymore. Behind the private door ahead of me, I could find the answers I’m looking for. Or a hell of a lot more questions.

7 –MIRRORS-

As everyone got up to leave, Eli and I moved towards the door marked ‘Private’. We desperately hoped the crowds of people leaving the theatre shaded us from the view of the security. It was a lacklustre security force, two or three guys wearing a name badge and holding a small torch. We slipped through the door unnoticed; finding ourselves in a brightly lit hallway that was painted pale blue. It was as if we were transported to an eerie abandoned hospital. We crept along the corridor, finding three doors on the left wall. I figured that they wouldn’t have their names plastered on the dressing room door, seeing as they were only here on an annual basis.

“Which shall we go through?” I asked, to Eli pointing at the doors.

“I don’t know.” Eli said, not helping at all.

“Well I don’t want to open the wrong one; the person might kick us out of the theatre.” The doors had nothing remarkable on them, only these tacky gold stars stuck to the front of them. I stopped examining the doors, hearing footsteps coming from around the corner. They were getting louder and louder.

“Someone’s coming.” I said in a hushed voice.

“Screw it.” Eli barrelled up to the middle door and turned the handle. Swiftly he barged into the dressing room, the door slamming behind him. I heard a muddled thrashing about. Worried about Eli and the mysterious footsteps from around the corner, I grabbed the handle and pushed my way in.

I was greeted with the sight of Eli pinned up against the wall by Roko, one hand around his throat and another holding onto a sheathed knife she had on her belt.

“Roko, be nice.” I looked around to see Farro sitting on a chair besides a full sized mirror. It looked odd in the room it was so large compared to the room’s small size.

“Let him go.” I growled specifically at Farro, as if ordering him to control his pet.

“Roko, they’re welcome here, let him go.” Farro said whilst puffing on a wooden pipe. Roko reluctantly bowed her head and stepped back from Eli, unpinning him from the wall. He fiddled with his jumper and in an instant joined me at my side. “Sit down; we have much to talk about.” Farro said, pointing his pipe at the two chairs in front of us. The room was lit with candles which made the room flicker. I looked back to see the light switch missing from the wall, just an open socket revealing the innards of the wall. The room was painted red, the candle light on the crimson walls giving the entire room a very warm and safe atmosphere. Trying to throw me off the scent I wondered? It reminded me of the night’s dad and I would sit and watch telly with the fireplace lit with bright orange flames invading the room. Without warning the smell of burning coal and smoke filled my nostrils. I’m sat with my dad, except he’s not actually there. His body is bloody and broken.

I shook my head, erasing the image of the accident before it took control over me, like a cancer slowly but inevitably destroying my mind.

“I knew you would come see me eventually, Atlas.” Farro said.

“I’m here because of my father.” I said, raising my voice slightly.

“I know, Pierce will be deeply missed.” Farro said pursing his lips. He looked genuine.

“You don’t get to speak about him.” I cried gritting my teeth. Farro put down his pipe and sighed.

“I knew Pierce for a very long time, Atlas.” He said, the words reluctantly coming from his mouth. I paused and looked at him intently, desperately trying to read something into his moulded face.

“How long have you two been doing this magic duo then?” I asked. Farro looked confused, no doubt, wondering how I knew about the whole secret life thing.

“We weren’t a magic duo. He was a dear friend of mine.” He said, raising a wry smile.

“Why did you come to my house, the night he died?” I asked him, the question taking him off guard.

“I was trying to warn him.” He said, getting frustrated at the accusation woven into the question.

“Warn him from what? You and Mister Cloud toured crappy theatres and did parlour tricks, what was there to run from?” Eli said.

“No.” Farro asserted. 

“He was a businessman; he worked with paper for Christ sake.”

“No he wasn’t.” Farro said, again his voice bouncing off the walls.

“Then what was he?” I questioned, the desire for an answer obvious in my voice. Farro was about to shout the answer back at me but he refrained, holding his tongue, sinking back into his chair.

“He was a magician, like me.” He said. “There are some people in this world and the next who can use magic. And I mean real magic.” Eli and I looked at each other, bewildered by this now crazy old man sat in front of us. “What you see out there isn’t a cheap trick, its real.” He said. As much as I would love this to be true, as much as my heart desires it, I know it can’t be and it makes me feel a little sick inside. “The reason you’re here Atlas.” He said focusing his attention on me. “Is because I need you to come with me, I need your help.” Farro said, standing up and grabbing my shoulder.

“Help with…”

“Listen.” Farro said, interrupting me. “There is a world out there full of magic and phenomenon. A place of people, different and foreign but very much the same.” Farro was now looking directly into my eyes, he had green eyes, and they were ancient. They looked as if they had seen a lifetime, full of misery but laughter and joy. “And this world needs our help. There is a man, full of anger and rage. He wishes to destroy this world and if he ever gets across, he will.” Farro said, turning away from me. His eyes watered over, the emotion spilling out from his soul.

“What are you talking about?” Eli said looking suspiciously at Farro.

“This world is being threatened and I need your help.” He said. I paused, trying to conjure some time to absorb the news.

“What can I do? I’m only a boy.” I said, thinking of how ridiculous the whole scenario sounded.

“You’re not believing this guy are ya? It’s nonsense. Magic isn’t real. Other world? The man is clearly mad, how can we trust him?” Eli exclaimed. I stood there silent, too confused to answer anyone. Eli was staring at me. I thought if anyone would be intoxicated by the idea of real magic it would be him. He was sweating and agitated. He was clearly scared and didn’t know how to react.

“Show me this other world and then I will consider helping you.” I said. Farro and Roko looked at each other.

“I can’t show you.” Farro said moving the chairs to the sides of the room. “But I can take you there.”

“No way.” Eli stood up, clenching his fists. “As much as I want to go on a magical adventure with you all, I am not moving another inch until you prove it.” Eli proclaimed. I wanted to tell him to calm down, but I wanted proof also. Farro submitted to the request.

“Ok.” He held up his staff. The eyes on the skull glowed purple. He raised the staff and his other hands slowly. I didn’t notice anything straight away, and then it hit me. A surge of energy emitting from his staff branching out hitting the walls either side of us. They exploded into shards of splinter, revealing only blackness. The room began to shake and it felt like a hurricane was swirling around the room. It was hard to stand still. I grabbed anything I could to keep steady.

“Stop it!” I shouted, the fear getting the best of me. “Stop it please.” I said. The walls were transformed back to normal and the shaking and winds stopped almost instantaneously. I turned to look at Eli. His eyes were wide; he couldn’t believe what was happening. Farro tapped the floor with his staff

“Suffice.” He said.

              “What else can you do?” Eli said, brushing off his jumper, his personality changing from the protective bodyguard to a puppy with a bone.

“Anything. My imagination is my limit, some spells are harder than others but the premise is the same.” Farro replied. Roko stepped forward and held out her hand. A flower started to grow from her palm. But it wasn’t bloody or gory, it was beautiful. It was a crimson rose. It twisted and rose higher into the air, before it burst into a little firework display. Eli and I looked at each other and smiled. I’m sure we both were thinking the same thing. Imagination is the limit.

“Will you join us now that you know the truth, I will warn you, it will be dangerous.” Farro said walking over to the mirror.

“Yes, but how do we get to this new world, is there a secret tunnel in this dressing room.” I said chuckling to myself.

“No, Atlas we are going to travel through this mirror. More accurately, an Elder mirror.” Farro said, pointing at the full length glass I noticed earlier.

“An Elder mirror?” Eli questioned him. “What’s that?”

“An Elder mirror is a portal to the other dimension. There are not many left in the world now. I found this one seventy years ago.” Seventy years? He must be at least a hundred and twenty years old, maybe older. He doesn’t look it, but his eyes betrayed him, you could tell he’s lived a long time. Farro stood in front of the mirror and began to mutter under his breath. The mirror started to wobble, not the frame, just the glass. It shimmered like water. The mirror looked like a puddle of mercury. “Roko take Eli with you.” Farro said stepping aside from the mirror. Roko grabbed Eli’s hand.

“Is it safe?” Eli cried out, as he was being pulled towards the mirror.

“You’ll be fine.” Roko said jumping through the liquid. I expected them to crash into the wall on the other side. I bolted around the side of the mirror. Nothing. They had disappeared, the mirror engulfing them. Farro turned to me.

“You ready?” He whispered. “Now it’s your turn.”

“Will I find the answers I’m looking for?” I said.

“I can’t say for sure, as you are the only one who knows the questions.” One step away from another world, well here it goes. Geronimo.

8 –HUNTER-

The mirror was cold to the touch, my hand melting into it, swallowed up by the pool of silver. Everything flashed white and I was on the other side. I tripped on a piece of wood as I stepped out of the mirror. This place was a dump. It looked like a cellar. There were no windows to let in any light; dust blanketed almost everything in the room. This place must have been abandoned for a very long time, as there were thick cob webs and pieces of broken wreckage strewn over the floor. It looked like it could collapse at any minute. Farro stepped through soon after and used his staff as a light by making it glow.

“This is the new world?” I said, shrugging my shoulders.

“No, this is just where I’ve kept the mirror, there are not many left and they need to be kept safe.” Farro replied, walking ahead up the stairs towards the rest of the house.

“So where are we then?” I asked hoping to shed some light on the situation. Eli and Roko were nowhere in sight, they must have gone ahead. It was bleak and toxic, I didn’t blame them.

“We Atlas, are in an abandoned house in a small town called Brachinridge.” We walked up the stairs, making the wood under the floor creak, almost crumbling at our touch. We find Eli and Roko leaning up against the wall waiting for us. Most of the upper floor was a wreck as well. It looked both abandoned and as if a bomb had exploded; the only thing missing was the clean-up crew.

“Are we staying here tonight then, because I’m not so keen about the decor?” Eli said, kicking a plank of wood around.

“No. We can’t be seen inside here at all, it would draw too much attention to this house.” Farro said moving towards the front door.

“We can’t have people snooping around and finding the mirror.” Roko said.

“Won’t people see us walking out the front door?” I said.

“Yes, but I’ve cast a perception enchantment around the house, they will see us but will take no notice of us.”

“Cool.” Eli added.

“And anyway it’s late. There won’t be anyone wandering the streets at this hour.” Roko said. We stepped out into the unforgiving night air. It smelt the same as home, filling my lungs with the cool, foreign breeze. Outside the house was a cobbled road with stone walls at the sides. It reminded me of the history films of medieval times. The path at each twenty foot stopping point had a small lantern lighting the way. They looked like fireflies hovering in the night, our guardians for our journey.

“Where are we staying then?” I asked, worried that we would be sleeping outside on the grass.

“There’s an inn not far from here, we will stay the night and then we must get an early start in the morning. We have a two day trek ahead of us.” Farro told us using his lit staff to aid the fireflies.