Ring Rebellion: Book 1

The Windswept Plains

Chapter 2

Eric Richards entered his apartment with a broad smile. At 23 years of age with his red hair and vivid green eyes he had more than his fair share of female admirers; from both students and faculty. He shut the door behind him and locked it tight. He walked across the room and closed the shutters on his windows casting the room in a gloomy darkness. Sitting behind the desk in the corner he turned on the reading lamp and pulled a book from his bag.

“At last I found another one.” He exclaimed with barely contained excitement. He placed the book carefully on the table; the book was well worn and obviously old. He gingerly opened the book; its pages crackling as the moved for the first time in perhaps centuries. “Hmm by the layout it looks like an instruction manual, but what language, it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before. It’s not Germanic or any of the ancient languages I’m familiar with. I can’t make any sense of it.” He was interrupted by a knocking on the door. He quickly closed the book and stowed it in a drawer on his desk. He stood and walked over to the door, opening it only a crack he looked at his visitors. “Can I help you guys?” Eric asked nervously.

“I am sorry in advance for this.” Eric suddenly felt a sharp pain in his head as he fell backwards onto the floor. “Ezekiel can you lay him down on the couch.”

“Did you have to knock him out Isaiah?” Zeke whined as he moved Eric to the couch.

“I did not here any suggestions from you.” Isaiah replied while closing the door and locking it again. “We cannot explain it in public.” He sat down in another chair suddenly looking very tired.

“You okay Isaiah?” Zeke asked concerned. “I’m surprised you this tired from sneaking into the city; it should be nothing to you.”

“Touching someone’s mind and convincing them you are not really there is simple; an entire city is another matter.” He said as he yawned slightly. “Especially since I was hiding both of us.”

“Well we could have just stormed the place. The two of us are more than capable of taking out some soldiers.”

“You really need to learn to open your senses some more; you never felt the Presence of the other Ring bearer?”

“Great a Templar’s here.”

“Yes and I would rather avoid confrontation; the Presence was not abnormally strong; but if we are discovered he will contact Riker; and I am in no mood to deal with a Cardinal.” On the couch Eric began to groan.

“Wha…” he sat up holding his head.

“Welcome back to the land of the living.” Zeke said in a sarcastic manner. Eric looked over with a start.

“Who are you? What do you want? If it’s money it’s in the bedroom.”

“We are not here for your valuables Eric Richards.” Isaiah said with a slight smirk.

“How do you know my name? Are you some kind of stalker, I’ll call the police on you.”

“Really now, calling the military police when you currently have in your possession a book that is declared heresy by Cardinal Riker; for a teacher you are not very smart.” Eric just looks at Isaiah incredulously.

“Who are you?”

“My name is Isaiah and my partner over here is Ezekiel.”

“Just call me Zeke though.” He interjected.

“Isaiah the bearer of the Ring of the Mind, a Sacred Ring Bearer.” Eric began trembling. “I’m talking to a piece of history. A relic of the era before Mikial.”

“How do you know all this?” Isaiah asked genuinely confused. “And what makes you so sure of this, all information of the time before Mikial is lost.”

“You just confirmed it, as far as anybody knows there is no time before Mikial he has always been and always will be.” He stood up off the couch and ran back to his desk and pulled out three books that well worn and old. “Three years ago this book was mailed to my door, and a year after that this one showed up in the library seemingly out of nowhere, and just today this was in a shipment at my bookstore; they all appear the same age however this last one is in a different language.” Isaiah stared at the books on the table and grabbed one of the books and opened it gingerly.

“This is…Joseph’s journal.” He said his voice breaking slightly. “He wrote down everything that happened during the course of the war.”

“Joseph, you never mentioned him before.” Interjected Zeke.

“I do not talk about the dead lightly; but he was student of mine the former bearer of the Ring of Tongues. He documented the wars in every possible language and I am assuming the second book is his catalog of the Rings.” He asked Eric

“Yes.” Replied Eric.

“Then I guess it is only appropriate that this Ring would choose you.” Isaiah pulled a plain silver ring out of his pocket; it glowed with a powerful blue aura. He walked over to Eric the ring glowing brighter the closer it got to him.

“Is that a Sacred Ring?”

“Yes the Ring of Tongues, with it you will be able to read, write, speak and understand any language. But I warn the life of Ring Bearer is not an easy one; once you put this on time will stop for you; and death will only come to you from a mortal blow to your heart or head. You will be bound by the fates of this world are willing to join this war and stop Mikial, Teacher, the Cardinals and the Templar; and hopefully to one day purify the Rings and end this once and for all.” He held the ring out. “What do you choose?”