Prologue - Belsambar's return

Geran was visiting his relatives in the Vale of Aldur. It was nothing special, really; he did that every summer. His mother and little sister stayed at Aunt Pol's cottage while Geran visited Belgarath and Poledra in a stump-like tower, or possibly the sorcerer twins, Beltira and Belkira, who also shared a tower. One of the very best things about these yearly visits was the food. Both the twins and Aunt Pol were excellent at cooking. Geran thought that them being sorcerers had something to do with it, if only by providing them with long enough lifespan learn how to cook properly.

The Vale was dominated by a huge tree, which was one of a kind so far as Geran knew. The tree that had never born fruits of any kind - or so Belgarath had told him. Then again, the Tree was way older than Belgarath, so it might have, while Belgarath wasn't around to notice. Geran wished Aldur would be around so he could ask, but He and other gods had left for other Worlds. Oddly enough, they had visited when Aunt Pol's twins were born. Geran figured that they might all come back one day. Geran liked to sit and lean his back against the Tree's bark. Sometimes Geran called it the Tree of Time, for it gave each and everyone the lesson of time. That time was not made of hours or minutes, but that time existed. That time was but one quality, but one dimension, eternal the way length and width were eternal.

Dals spoke of Ages, which Geran thought was quite good for recording history. At least it wasn't as boring and confusing as the Tolnedran way where each Dynasty begun numbering from I so there was about three or so Ran Honeth Is and so the whole matter was way too confusing to be practical. That was one reason why Geran would prefer an Alorn teacher - they counted years from a single event, not name it after which Dynasty happened to be ruling in Tolnedra. Tolnedran count of history was more concerned of emphasising how very much better Tolnedrans were than other nations, and how much better the current imperial family was than any other family. At this point, the current Emperor was adopted Borune. The previous emperor had been his mother's father, so Geran was a Borune himself trough his mother's side. But all that praise and ranting was, if anything, just boring.

Still, Geran was a Rivan, and was expected to be a Rivan Crownprince, Alorn Prince. Geran knew that it wouldn't do to number Brands. It would make them individuals, and the whole point of naming the warder as Brand was to eliminate individual glory to the office. Brand was Brand and that was that. It had been an endless argument between him and his teacher. That argument was the only interesting part of the lessons, the rest was so boring he had trouble to stay awake. Showing stubbornness, which among Rivans could only be seen as a virtue, Geran refused to number Brands. He also refused to express time with Tolnedran concepts, and used the most interesting Calendar there was, the Calendar of Ages by Dals, though he had to admit that it was partly to annoy his teacher. It begun earlier than any other, it was peculiar, it noted Events rather than years, so Geran was happy to account that one.

The First Age of Man. The time when gods had chosen their people, except for Aldur. Dals, the non-chosen, were parted in their search for god, some became Ulgos, some ended when Dals discovered what their task was. Near this time, if not exactly the same time, was when Torak stole Aldur's Orb and Cracked the World with it. Alorn's count their years from THAT event, calling it Erastide. First Alorn king and all development of Aloria begun during that War, and Geran figured it was, thus, historically, a good time to begin the calendar of Alorns. Still, as much as the Crack of the World counted for Aloria, Awakening of the Orb was what Geran reckoned that at least the Rivans should call the beginning of their Calendar. It was practically SAME time, but by spiritual nature, Orb's awakening was more suited to Rivans.

Then again, they could begin it from when Riva took the Orb-which signified another change of the Ages, beginning the Third Age. For practical reasons, however, the Awakening was better, or rather, do as Dals and name these as changes of Ages. For religious reasons, Geran favoured Dalish Calendar, although trying to find Events with the Orb in it. The Orb's arrival, It's awakening, It's bounding with Riva Irongrip, It's restoring of Durnik, the time it was Crimson, the time it met it's kin, Sardion. All Rivans were in favour of this, and supported him. It was that Tolnedran who, despite of all reason, insisted that Tolnedran Calendar was way better. Geran, however, saw no advantage. His own Rivan version of Dalish Calendar was fit for their duty of serving the Orb, and having a Calendar to remind them of it, would be nice. For practical reasons - if one wanted to count years and set meetings and that sort, Alorn calendar was the best, simply counting years from a single event that had influenced entire World. Tolnedrans, who begun their counting again with every new ruler, just didn't have a proper Calendar, and no amount of insisting could change that.

Lack of that Tolnedran was not the only reason Geran liked to be in the Vale of Aldur. It was the comforting peace within the Vale, the fact that Geran had never had a nightmare about his horrible abductor, Zandramas, in there. It was as a place to rest, if any place was. A place where he was allowed to go out and be himself. Only thing missing were his Rivan friends. Geran had tried to ask his father if he could take them with him, but he'd always been refused.

It was a rather awkward situation, really. It had to do with the parents. The matter was that a Rivan would find it hard, if not impossible, to refuse the king's request. It should have made it easy in Geran's opinion, but for some reason that easy was exactly why his father would not do it. Not unless there was a good reason, and so far, Geran hadn't found anything his father would have considered as a good reason. Geran had trouble understanding his father's reasoning, and his Tolnedran tutor wasn't at all helpful. His thoughts about missing them were interrupted when a shadow came over him.

He looked up to see who had blocked the sun. He blinked. He did not recognise this man, though there was some similarity to his Grandfather, Belgarath. Slowly and reluctantly, Geran stood up. "Hello" he said. "I don't believe we have met. I'm Geran".

"We haven't" replied the man. "I have been away for quite some time. Could you tell me what year it is, Geran?"

"I think it's fifth year of the Sixth Age" Geran said.

"And would you also tell me what Event signified the change from Fifth age to Sixth?" the man inquired.

"The Choice between Dark and Light" Geran told him, "or when the Stones of Power met each other. Take your pick".

"Thank you, young Geran" the fellow said happily, putting away some odd bottle he had taken a drink from.

"Er.. if you don't mind, you look a bit like my Grandfather, Belgarath the Sorcerer. Might I know just who you are?" Geran asked.

"My my" the man mused, "has old Belgarath actually managed to get descendants?"

"Yes." Geran said. "He and Poledra had two daughters. Beldaran married Riva Iron-grip who brought the Orb back from Torak, and I descend from that line. We just omit the greats for the sake of convenience. His other daughter, Polgara, lives with Durnik and has twins".

"I see." the man said. "He's told you stories, I guess. Now, why don't you join me".

The fellow went to Belgarath's tower. "Belgarath! Come down to see me!" he yelled. Geran watched as Belgarath and Poledra came down.

Belgarath stared at the man. "Belsambar! I can't believe. I thought you had left the World!"

"I did, Belgarath" Belsambar grinned, "I did leave this World, but I did not die".

Belgarath blinked. "Why didn't you say anything?" he demanded. "Because, my dear Belgarath, there was a risk of my death. Still, I needed to go. This world was sort of boring me. Nothing left for me to study, really. So I decided to go and study another World".
"Another World??!!" Belgarath repeated in disbelief.

"The journey was exhausting and it took me a long time to dare travel back, brother" Belsambar went on, "I have a wife and all, you know. Now I have this little potion I can use to get my strength back in no time, so I can pay a visit".

"Um. Belsambar?" Geran asked. "I was wondering if you could teach me a little bit? Tell me of this another World of yours?"

"Yes." Belsambar said. "I see my tower was ruined! My beautiful tower!"

"Build a new one" Belgarath suggested, "but do tell me more of that other world".

"Well, they did make at least one great invention" Belsambar said.

"What was?"

"A word" Belsambar smirked.

"A word?" Belgarath prompted.

"Yes. The word Muggle" Belsambar explained. "Means people who have only… um… technology to use, and no Will and Word, or wizardry or any sort of magic whatsoever. Many of the Muggles in that world are pretty much like Tolnedrans, though some dream of being able to do magic - as if it would ever solve any problems."

Geran listened keenly to Belsambar musing about another world. And as he met others, talked about past events and all that. Then, however, he begun to discuss with Geran's father of a possibility to organise a more or less regular transport, of bringing more people in and all that. "Your responsibilities don't end with this world, Belgarion" Belsambar said. "I think you'll be needing this method of transport. King's Cross is already a big station, and it will be more or less easy to organize transport from there, to any other worlds".

So the train-station had been built. The only train-station there was in Geran's home- World, to say the least. It was located right below the Citadel, and Belgarion had been very careful upon where it'd be put. He didn't want any nastiness from another world enter his home just like that, but he had to agree he'd like to meet those people. So it was in a special place. The train would travel at times of Belgarion's control. And, to Geran's delight, he had got himself another teacher, a teacher, who was a Rivan. Geran's lessons turned pretty interesting after that. He had two teachers with every lesson, teachers who didn't agree much on anything, considering how very different Tolnedrans and Rivans were.