Day 164 (142nd):
We were up and on the move by sunrise. Marble, as we called him, carried all eight of us to make the trip easier on our "tiny feet". I could feel the others as we got closer. Sarah and Lisa reported on the illness they were sensing. I had to nearly shut down to not be overwhelmed by them all. Anger, hate, all manner of hurtful emotions raged in the large cavern that housed their village. We wondered if we could heal so many and clear such a large area. Marble's sadness was so deep, I feared he would crumble. Scanning the village, I found a point of utter darkness. Asking Marble, he said it was not there when he got stuck on the surface. No one he had spoken to knew where it came from. Most said it just "appeared". We all came to the conclusion that it was the source. If it was gone, the natural behavior of the people would possibly return. Mattis cloaked us as Marble sat us down.
We got to the darkness which was a large orb of black stone nearly the size of Rono's inn. Anna told us it was sent to this place to do just what it had done. Tharinzar's master had actually pulled this from this own body to corrupt these beings into allies at best, no threat at worst. We began the spell to vanquish demons. The orb shrank as we chanted. Even concentrating, I could feel the emotions changing from the edges inward. Smaller and smaller the orb shrank. When it was two-thirds its original size, other large voices joined in our chant. I chanced a glance around us. Marble and other stone people encircled us and had taken up the chant. The orb shrank faster, the emotions changed faster, and the pain got smaller. Around halfway, another group encircled us. Those from the village edge had regained their natures and were helping us. The orb shrank even faster. From the size of a large house, it had shrunk to the size of a cow. I felt the exiles returning and racing to join us. Their energy caused the orb to nearly implode. Finally, the last fragment was gone. Stone people of all types cheered. They found family and lost friends. Such love and warmth filled this cavern that we were all moved to tears. Above us, the stringy brown moss that hung from the ceiling became green and thick. The shriveled mushrooms all around fattened up and stood tall. More cheers echoed as they noticed this new event. Anna explained that the moss and mushrooms were their primary food source. The evil had effected the environment as well as the people. Now both could flourish. Apologies rang through the village as food and other materials were redistributed. Plans were made to search for the other tribes to check on their health. Marble took us back to the cottage. He was so happy, he nearly flew through the tunnels. I could feel it as we got out from underneath Baaloc Prime. Also, I could feel the good of the stone people seeping up into the rock around them. We wondered what effect that would have above ground.
We reached the cottage to hear Kendar calling for us. Marble lifted us up to the door in the floor. Kendar was aghast. We explained where we had been and what we had been doing. He relaxed a bit. He told us the plan was working. None of our friends admitted they knew us or had ever seen us. The Baalocs could not find any evidence we had ever been inside the city. Our stuff at Rono's had been brought to the cottage. Kendar also came back to ask if we would approve of a plan our friends had thought about. Since Nigel thought we were Mara's handmaidens, would he meet with us to discuss Mara's accommodations at the palace? We liked it. We drafted the request to sound as spoiled as possible. Alice was a great help on that, having known very spoiled nobility and how they sounded. We asked to meet him at the spot designated for Mara's examination. Mattis said he would be the messenger. He left by the outer door and magically produced a horse and headed for the gate. Kendar stayed and ate with us.
About an hour later, Sadal hit the tunnel door just before Mattis came through the outer door. Both were breathless. Sadal began as Mattis rested.
"I don't know what you girls are doing, but it is astounding. The city feels different. People who hated each other are talking politely, rivals are working together, and people are actually happy. What did you do?"
We explained what happened below ground and how it changed them and their environment. We had wondered and now we knew the above ground effect. Then, Mattis told his tale.
"I galloped to the gates and said I had an important letter from Princess Mara to Lord Cornwall. I was escorted to Cornwall and presented it to him. After reading it, he ordered Nigel to meet with you at the outpost outside the gates. Nigel did not seem too pleased, but agreed to do it. I was told to return to you and get you there as soon as possible. I have a carriage I can summon. Appropriate garments would be a nice touch."
We agreed. We told Sadal and Kendar that they should return to the city. We guessed we had a while before we had to leave since the wedding procession was two days away, at least one by a fast horse. They would not expect us until sometime tomorrow. Mattis used his wizard glass to contact the wedding party and tell them what we were doing. They seemed to approve. They asked if we were pleased with the job they were doing. We confirmed they were doing exactly what we had hoped. To get the timing right, a rider would head out in a few hours at the pace of a carriage. We directed him to the underground cottage. While we waited, we decided on our look. We wouldn't have working frocks since we were supposedly traveling with a full escort. Envy's skills as a master seamstress came in very handy. By sunset, we had our dresses decided upon and would magic them on as we exited the carriage. Kendar returned to the inn and Mattis stayed with us. We decided to have him with us as a kind of chaperon. As both Nigel and Cornwall had seen him and didn't notice him as a master wizard, we felt that they would probably not notice tomorrow either.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Day 163 (141st)
Day 163 (141st):
Loud banging on our door woke us. Sadal burst into the room and said we needed to go now. Grabbing what little we had with us, we raced downstairs. We did not pause in the common room but headed down another set of stairs to the basement and on to a tunnel. Once that door had closed, blocking anyone from seeing the tunnel, Sadal stopped to explain.
"All chaos has broken loose. Every female in the city is being rounded up in order to find you girls, some as young as eight. Fortunately, our network of tunnels is unknown to the Baalocs. You will be safe here," he said with a sigh of relief.
We casually walked along the lit tunnels as he explained further. They had been watching all night.
"First thing they noticed was the pink door. That sent them searching. The clean moat, the healthy trees and grass, and the purified fountains drew them around to the mural. That sent them to get Cornwall. He was furious. Looking over the mural pulled his eyes to the spires. That sent him over the edge. He ordered every female above six years of age to the jail to cull you girls out. Even his own concubines, servants, and slaves were checked. He thinks you were actually in the palace in order to do all of that. He went berserk when he found out half of his treasury was reduced to dust. His wizards reported two-thirds of their amulets and talismans were destroyed. Since dawn, every Baaloc has been grabbing every female they can find. This inn had been closed for repairs, so they had not checked it. We, however, did not wish to chance it so Kendar told me to wake you and get you to the tunnels. We are headed towards a hidden cottage under a hill. We can close it off should the tunnels be discovered. There are plenty of supplies so you can be there a while."
We quietly listened to his tale, absorbing the information. We felt bad for all of those girls. I stopped everyone.
"We need to let them know they do not have us. We have to save those women."
"How?" Sadal asked, "Give up? Surrender?"
"No. We have done it before. When we get to the cottage, we will send an illusion message to tell him we are not in his possession. Hopefully, he will release the other women."
Everyone agreed. We hurried to the underground cottage. We had some of the powder left. Dawn and Bo were still with us. Sadal did not know what to do. We told him to go back as we could handle this alone. Hesitantly, he left us. We began preparing for the sending. We decided to use Vanity's image to project instead of mine or my sisters. We began the sending. Through Vanity's mirrors, I saw into the palace. I saw Cornwall, Nigel, and many Baaloc soldiers pushing women around and yelling orders. The women and girls were all frightened and huddled together like cattle. When an opening appeared before Cornwall, I projected the image to that spot.
"Greetings, Cornwall. Looking for someone?" I asked sarcastically.
All eyes focused upon Vanity's image; a tall, slim, beautiful Faerie with amethyst eyes in a sleek flowing gown. Cornwall and Nigel became furious.
"Where are you? Which one of these is you and your whoring sisters?" Cornwall demanded.
"None of us are in your possession. We are free."
"Impossible!" Nigel shrieked, "We have every woman in the city."
"There is your answer. We are not in the city. You have all made fools of yourselves. You went fishing in the wrong waters."
Both began fuming. Titters erupted among the women and girls. Cornwall ordered them all to be sent out of the palace. He ordered the palace to be purged of all females. No female slave, servant, or concubine was to remain in the palace by sunset. When the room was cleared of everyone else, Cornwall and Nigel faced the image again.
"We will find you and make you pay for the evil you have done upon this great city," Cornwall said through clenched teeth.
"We repaired this eye-sore of a city. When you are defeated, the rest will be repaired as well," I told him, almost angry myself.
"'Eye-sore'? Baaloc Prime is the most beautiful city in all the world. Raval Palace, Cassabla Palace, and Thantos Castle are eye-sores. Hideous things only demon-spawned bastards could dream up. Baaloc Prime is perfection."
I laughed, "You are so deluded. They have your thinking so twisted, you can't see reality anymore, if you ever saw it in the first place."
"I can see your reality. You are not human."
"True, I am not. Nigel knows my race and he fears to tell you."
Nigel sputtered.
"I do not fear you, bitch. I can name you race, stupid fe... stupid faer..." he stuttered.
"The word you are looking for is Faerie, deamae nohem."
Nigel choked. Cornwall stepped forward.
"Foul creature. I care not what vile race you are. Your tricks are for naught. Everything you have defiled will be corrected and, with Princess Mara as my wife, I will have surpassed Maalicus in power and achievement."
"So you will not mourn when Nigel kills her less than a month after your wedding? How heartless."
"We decided to let her live long enough to bear an heir," Nigel stated as he took a step forward.
"What! No one told me about killing her. When was this the plan? You told me she and I would rule forever, just like Maalicus before he threw off his immortality to save us," Cornwall confronted Nigel.
"Well, well, isn't that interesting? The masters forgot to tell the puppet their new plans. Or did you feed him that lie so he would join you willingly? Did they also tell you the 'holy words' are permanent?"
"Of course they are permanent!" Nigel shouted at both of us.
Cornwall looked at him confused. I could almost read his thoughts. Why was Nigel so adamant about the marks? Why were plans being made without him? He was the lord of the Baalocs, ordained by the one true god. This "servant" was acting like he was the leader and Cornwall was the servant.
"Nigel, she was addressing me. Remember your place."
Nigel's eyes flared red. At the last moment, he held back his response.
Somewhat sarcastically, he said, "Yes, my lord."
Cornwall turned back to the image. "My holy words are more permanent than the mountains. Tharinzar has assured me neither you nor anyone else can remove them, " he said proudly.
"Then this won't do anything," I said, then began the spell to remove the marks.
Nigel's eyes went wide. Cornwall tried not to move until the sensation became too uncomfortable to ignore. He nearly tore his pant leg off and felt his thigh. Three marks were gone and a fourth was fading.
"ENOUGH!" yelled Nigel as he lunged for the image and passed through it.
Cornwall twisted to protect what marks he could reach. I stopped the spell.
"That should prove some of his lies. I will leave now. I hope Tharinzar can replace what you think you have lost."
The image vanished. When I could focus again, I saw my sisters struggling not to laugh. We all finally burst. It was hilarious. Both Nigel and Cornwall thought they were both in charge. We agreed there was going to be arguments in the palace.
We put it out of our minds and looked around this underground cottage. Except for no windows and a door leading down a tunnel, it was very similar to our house in Thantos. We did notice the sky light that illuminated the interior. From the length of that small tunnel, we saw we were not very far from the surface. A little more searching revealed another exit to the surface and another door in the floor that went down further. The sound of water came from this way. We noticed no water inside the cottage, so Callie and Lisa found a bucket and went down to get water. They had been gone only a moment when they mentally called for the rest of us. We found them standing by an underground river staring at their feet. We looked at what they were seeing. Huge barefoot footprints ran beside the water. Alice and Anna told us our marble friend had been here a few times. Anna said there was some left behind emotions of anger and pain. I opened completely, but could not find him. Alice said he had searched for someone, but had not found them. We gathered the water as we wondered about it. Back in the cottage, we had just sorted out sleeping arrangements when a knock sounded on the tunnel door. I confirmed it was Kendar. He was relieved to see all of us safe. Larz inspected all of us as well. We found some chairs and sat down to listen to Kendar tell us what was going on.
"You bought us some time. Due to your 'attacks', Cornwall has sent a message to 'Mara' to stay out of Baaloc Prime until your threat is neutralized. We are guessing they do not want to wait long. The surrounding area is being searched since you are not in the city. A reward of ten thousand gold has been offered for you seven to be brought to Cornwall, alive preferably, but dead is fine."
We remembered Tharinzar talking about his master's vision of our deaths. Internally, all fourteen of us began working on a plan. We told Kendar to tell our friends to deny us. Kendar was taken aback at first, then his military mind kicked in and he smiled.
"I forget the ancient experience your girls can access. You are well advised. Our friends will understand your reasoning. Do you need anything?"
We thought as we looked around the cottage. Just then, a silver circle appeared in the floor. Mattis rose from within.
"King Droland felt you needed my help. Also, a strange message was left at Raval. It was a length of iron twisted into a friendship knot. Can you shed some light on that?"
We told him of our marble friend. Mattis nodded and said that was probably the source. We brought him up to date on our efforts here. He, too, liked the idea of our friends denying us to protect them. Kendar left to rejoin our friends as Mattis helped us plan our coupe de grace. He called all manner of materials to produce a grand effect. We decided to lay low for a couple of days to make them think we were gone. Secretly, we would work at night to strengthen the underlying structure of Baaloc Prime. Kendar returned several times before sunset. He brought us a map of the tunnels. We found the one leading to where the eggs were kept. They also showed the river below us and a place called "The Giants' Chamber" but did not explain its meaning. Lights like Raval's bloomed in the walls when the sun went down. We had a simple meal as we talked. We were getting ready for bed when an odd rumble came from below. We wondered about it until I felt someone familiar. Opening the lower door, we saw our marble friend walking below us.
"Friend, we are above you. Can you spare a moment?" I called mentally.
He stopped and looked up. We waved at him. He sat with a heavy thud and sighed. I could feel his sadness.
"What is it, friend? What saddens you so greatly?"
"Heir of the Faerie, my people are not well. All but a few are behaving strangely. We are a communal group but they are being selfish, hoarding things we don't value, and not sharing food sources. Those not that way are exiled and forced to the outer tunnels. My own family rejects me."
Alice relayed his memories to us as he spoke. We asked where his people lived. Our hearts sank when he said almost directly under Baaloc Prime. We told him of the corruption twenty years of demon rule had wrought above ground and just below in the water and soil. His anger rose as we spoke. Both he and Mattis concluded that the corruption had penetrated to them as well. We asked him to stay below us until morning, as we were all tired. At that time, we would go with him to see if we could help his people. He thanked us and found a place to rest. We kept the door open and went to bed.
Loud banging on our door woke us. Sadal burst into the room and said we needed to go now. Grabbing what little we had with us, we raced downstairs. We did not pause in the common room but headed down another set of stairs to the basement and on to a tunnel. Once that door had closed, blocking anyone from seeing the tunnel, Sadal stopped to explain.
"All chaos has broken loose. Every female in the city is being rounded up in order to find you girls, some as young as eight. Fortunately, our network of tunnels is unknown to the Baalocs. You will be safe here," he said with a sigh of relief.
We casually walked along the lit tunnels as he explained further. They had been watching all night.
"First thing they noticed was the pink door. That sent them searching. The clean moat, the healthy trees and grass, and the purified fountains drew them around to the mural. That sent them to get Cornwall. He was furious. Looking over the mural pulled his eyes to the spires. That sent him over the edge. He ordered every female above six years of age to the jail to cull you girls out. Even his own concubines, servants, and slaves were checked. He thinks you were actually in the palace in order to do all of that. He went berserk when he found out half of his treasury was reduced to dust. His wizards reported two-thirds of their amulets and talismans were destroyed. Since dawn, every Baaloc has been grabbing every female they can find. This inn had been closed for repairs, so they had not checked it. We, however, did not wish to chance it so Kendar told me to wake you and get you to the tunnels. We are headed towards a hidden cottage under a hill. We can close it off should the tunnels be discovered. There are plenty of supplies so you can be there a while."
We quietly listened to his tale, absorbing the information. We felt bad for all of those girls. I stopped everyone.
"We need to let them know they do not have us. We have to save those women."
"How?" Sadal asked, "Give up? Surrender?"
"No. We have done it before. When we get to the cottage, we will send an illusion message to tell him we are not in his possession. Hopefully, he will release the other women."
Everyone agreed. We hurried to the underground cottage. We had some of the powder left. Dawn and Bo were still with us. Sadal did not know what to do. We told him to go back as we could handle this alone. Hesitantly, he left us. We began preparing for the sending. We decided to use Vanity's image to project instead of mine or my sisters. We began the sending. Through Vanity's mirrors, I saw into the palace. I saw Cornwall, Nigel, and many Baaloc soldiers pushing women around and yelling orders. The women and girls were all frightened and huddled together like cattle. When an opening appeared before Cornwall, I projected the image to that spot.
"Greetings, Cornwall. Looking for someone?" I asked sarcastically.
All eyes focused upon Vanity's image; a tall, slim, beautiful Faerie with amethyst eyes in a sleek flowing gown. Cornwall and Nigel became furious.
"Where are you? Which one of these is you and your whoring sisters?" Cornwall demanded.
"None of us are in your possession. We are free."
"Impossible!" Nigel shrieked, "We have every woman in the city."
"There is your answer. We are not in the city. You have all made fools of yourselves. You went fishing in the wrong waters."
Both began fuming. Titters erupted among the women and girls. Cornwall ordered them all to be sent out of the palace. He ordered the palace to be purged of all females. No female slave, servant, or concubine was to remain in the palace by sunset. When the room was cleared of everyone else, Cornwall and Nigel faced the image again.
"We will find you and make you pay for the evil you have done upon this great city," Cornwall said through clenched teeth.
"We repaired this eye-sore of a city. When you are defeated, the rest will be repaired as well," I told him, almost angry myself.
"'Eye-sore'? Baaloc Prime is the most beautiful city in all the world. Raval Palace, Cassabla Palace, and Thantos Castle are eye-sores. Hideous things only demon-spawned bastards could dream up. Baaloc Prime is perfection."
I laughed, "You are so deluded. They have your thinking so twisted, you can't see reality anymore, if you ever saw it in the first place."
"I can see your reality. You are not human."
"True, I am not. Nigel knows my race and he fears to tell you."
Nigel sputtered.
"I do not fear you, bitch. I can name you race, stupid fe... stupid faer..." he stuttered.
"The word you are looking for is Faerie, deamae nohem."
Nigel choked. Cornwall stepped forward.
"Foul creature. I care not what vile race you are. Your tricks are for naught. Everything you have defiled will be corrected and, with Princess Mara as my wife, I will have surpassed Maalicus in power and achievement."
"So you will not mourn when Nigel kills her less than a month after your wedding? How heartless."
"We decided to let her live long enough to bear an heir," Nigel stated as he took a step forward.
"What! No one told me about killing her. When was this the plan? You told me she and I would rule forever, just like Maalicus before he threw off his immortality to save us," Cornwall confronted Nigel.
"Well, well, isn't that interesting? The masters forgot to tell the puppet their new plans. Or did you feed him that lie so he would join you willingly? Did they also tell you the 'holy words' are permanent?"
"Of course they are permanent!" Nigel shouted at both of us.
Cornwall looked at him confused. I could almost read his thoughts. Why was Nigel so adamant about the marks? Why were plans being made without him? He was the lord of the Baalocs, ordained by the one true god. This "servant" was acting like he was the leader and Cornwall was the servant.
"Nigel, she was addressing me. Remember your place."
Nigel's eyes flared red. At the last moment, he held back his response.
Somewhat sarcastically, he said, "Yes, my lord."
Cornwall turned back to the image. "My holy words are more permanent than the mountains. Tharinzar has assured me neither you nor anyone else can remove them, " he said proudly.
"Then this won't do anything," I said, then began the spell to remove the marks.
Nigel's eyes went wide. Cornwall tried not to move until the sensation became too uncomfortable to ignore. He nearly tore his pant leg off and felt his thigh. Three marks were gone and a fourth was fading.
"ENOUGH!" yelled Nigel as he lunged for the image and passed through it.
Cornwall twisted to protect what marks he could reach. I stopped the spell.
"That should prove some of his lies. I will leave now. I hope Tharinzar can replace what you think you have lost."
The image vanished. When I could focus again, I saw my sisters struggling not to laugh. We all finally burst. It was hilarious. Both Nigel and Cornwall thought they were both in charge. We agreed there was going to be arguments in the palace.
We put it out of our minds and looked around this underground cottage. Except for no windows and a door leading down a tunnel, it was very similar to our house in Thantos. We did notice the sky light that illuminated the interior. From the length of that small tunnel, we saw we were not very far from the surface. A little more searching revealed another exit to the surface and another door in the floor that went down further. The sound of water came from this way. We noticed no water inside the cottage, so Callie and Lisa found a bucket and went down to get water. They had been gone only a moment when they mentally called for the rest of us. We found them standing by an underground river staring at their feet. We looked at what they were seeing. Huge barefoot footprints ran beside the water. Alice and Anna told us our marble friend had been here a few times. Anna said there was some left behind emotions of anger and pain. I opened completely, but could not find him. Alice said he had searched for someone, but had not found them. We gathered the water as we wondered about it. Back in the cottage, we had just sorted out sleeping arrangements when a knock sounded on the tunnel door. I confirmed it was Kendar. He was relieved to see all of us safe. Larz inspected all of us as well. We found some chairs and sat down to listen to Kendar tell us what was going on.
"You bought us some time. Due to your 'attacks', Cornwall has sent a message to 'Mara' to stay out of Baaloc Prime until your threat is neutralized. We are guessing they do not want to wait long. The surrounding area is being searched since you are not in the city. A reward of ten thousand gold has been offered for you seven to be brought to Cornwall, alive preferably, but dead is fine."
We remembered Tharinzar talking about his master's vision of our deaths. Internally, all fourteen of us began working on a plan. We told Kendar to tell our friends to deny us. Kendar was taken aback at first, then his military mind kicked in and he smiled.
"I forget the ancient experience your girls can access. You are well advised. Our friends will understand your reasoning. Do you need anything?"
We thought as we looked around the cottage. Just then, a silver circle appeared in the floor. Mattis rose from within.
"King Droland felt you needed my help. Also, a strange message was left at Raval. It was a length of iron twisted into a friendship knot. Can you shed some light on that?"
We told him of our marble friend. Mattis nodded and said that was probably the source. We brought him up to date on our efforts here. He, too, liked the idea of our friends denying us to protect them. Kendar left to rejoin our friends as Mattis helped us plan our coupe de grace. He called all manner of materials to produce a grand effect. We decided to lay low for a couple of days to make them think we were gone. Secretly, we would work at night to strengthen the underlying structure of Baaloc Prime. Kendar returned several times before sunset. He brought us a map of the tunnels. We found the one leading to where the eggs were kept. They also showed the river below us and a place called "The Giants' Chamber" but did not explain its meaning. Lights like Raval's bloomed in the walls when the sun went down. We had a simple meal as we talked. We were getting ready for bed when an odd rumble came from below. We wondered about it until I felt someone familiar. Opening the lower door, we saw our marble friend walking below us.
"Friend, we are above you. Can you spare a moment?" I called mentally.
He stopped and looked up. We waved at him. He sat with a heavy thud and sighed. I could feel his sadness.
"What is it, friend? What saddens you so greatly?"
"Heir of the Faerie, my people are not well. All but a few are behaving strangely. We are a communal group but they are being selfish, hoarding things we don't value, and not sharing food sources. Those not that way are exiled and forced to the outer tunnels. My own family rejects me."
Alice relayed his memories to us as he spoke. We asked where his people lived. Our hearts sank when he said almost directly under Baaloc Prime. We told him of the corruption twenty years of demon rule had wrought above ground and just below in the water and soil. His anger rose as we spoke. Both he and Mattis concluded that the corruption had penetrated to them as well. We asked him to stay below us until morning, as we were all tired. At that time, we would go with him to see if we could help his people. He thanked us and found a place to rest. We kept the door open and went to bed.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Days 161-162 (139th-140th)
Day 161 (139th):
Once again, the Baalocs did not sound their wake-up call. We woke to the smell of breakfast. Kendar was in a much better mood. Sadal and the others had spent the night again and were downstairs when we arrived. They, apparently, had been up very early as some were talking about the deal they had already made for the dragon egg shells. One was complaining that some of his had been seized by a soldier as "contraband" and how much profit he lost. I searched quickly and found the energy of the shells and the man with them.
"Worry not, friend," I told him, " no one knows about it. Go to the alley behind 'Sons of Glory'. He is there as well as your eggshells."
Everyone looked at me oddly.
"He will fight me if I ask for them back," the merchant whined.
"No, he won't. He is dead."
Silence. Then, like a shot, Sadal, the merchant, and Rono ran out the door. The rest of us continued breakfast and placed it all on the table. Apparently, "Sons of Glory" was not far away as they returned quickly. The merchant was happier and was holding a pouch.
"Poor fellow," Sadal began, "he must have tried to sell them. I guess his customer didn't believe him and knifed him over it. As 'honest citizens', we reported the body after we recovered the shells."
I was amazed at their callousness before I remembered what city I was in and who had been in charge. We sat and ate. They told us how wizards had nearly come to blows over the smallest fragment.
After breakfast, we began looking over the requests. About half were for healing. The rest were roughly divided between remaking homes and destroying rivals merchandise. We ignored the last ones. We pondered how to get the ones needing healing all in one place. The houses were also spread apart. We decided we would just have to do it in groups like before. Hopefully, we would catch the ones requesting help. Rono had the latest map of Baaloc Prime. We plotted areas we had already affected, then where the requests were. Fortunately, many lived near each other and could be taken care of almost all at once. While we were discussing this, another of the merchant, also this group's cleric, interrupted us.
"I have been wondering. When Selvis is re-established, what will be the state religion? Will there be such? Will the princess destroy everything and rebuild from the ground up? There are many questions I would like..."
"Peace," I said in a voice mine but not mine as a strange calm came over me, "your fears are understandable and justified. I see no state impose faith. All will be treated equally whether followed by thousands or ten. Your beliefs will not be squashed or forced into hiding. I see a faith council sitting with the judges and government council encircling the Queen and her King. Rest assured, Selvis will be a center of religious freedom and expression."
When I finished speaking, the calm left along with my strength. I nearly fell into a chair. My sisters rushed to my side while everyone else just stared.
Before any could ask, Sarah began explaining, "Kayla is Faerie-blooded, so is Vanity. In the flesh, Vanity was a seer. Kayla is becoming one. When her eyes go white like they just did, her visions have a hold on her. Believe every word she said, it will be so."
The men huddled together. My sisters fed me their love and reassurance. The men broke apart and the cleric spoke again.
"What of the demon's vision? The grand wedding Tharinzar's master saw?"
I took at deep breath, "I have not seen anything about that, yet. When I find out.... the wedding is true, but it is not Cornwall nor any Baaloc she weds. The marriage will bind royal blood to royal blood. Snow will fall as they kiss."
I blacked out.
Callie again. We thought it was best to write what happened after this. Kayla stopped speaking, eyes totally white, and stood up. A wind lifted her off the floor and held her in mid-air. She spread her arms and, behind her, a mist formed. In the mist, we saw the images of what she had told us. The three councils in a half-circle around Mara and a man. Baaloc Prime rebuilt with new churches and temples and special places all around. Trinkets of all types sold openly. Then, the wedding. It was magnificent. Mara's dress was spectacular! The man beside her was richly dressed with a dark brown beard and some kind of hat/crown thing. As they kissed, a light snow fell upon the assembly. Rono said Baaloc Prime hasn't seen snow since Maalicus took over. Rain usually comes in floods and terrible storms. As the image faded, we saw Dawn, in the image, circling the pair and showering gold sparks on them. The mist left, the wind stopped, and Kayla slowly returned to the floor and sank to lay on the floor. She was unconscious. Kendar scooped her up and nearly ran her to our room. We girls followed. Kendar did not say a word, but the look he shot us told us to stay with her. Except for coming down for lunch, none of us left her side. Rono and the others left to do their daily business. Kendar paced in and out of the room, back and forth down the hall, nearly wearing out a rut throughout the inn. Rono set up dinner so we could get some and return to the room. I'm not sure Kendar ate. Sarah and I pushed our beds next to Kayla's on both sides. by the time we fell asleep, there had been no change."
Day 162 (140th):
I awoke feeling a little dizzy. It was dark. Callie and Sarah were beside me, their beds pushed against mine. As I laid there, trying to let the dizzy feeling pass and remember how I got to our room, my stomach growled. I couldn't remember any meal but breakfast. Crawling to the foot of the bed, I slowly crept out of the room and down to the kitchen. A pot on the stove was still warm and smelled wonderful. I just grabbed a spoon and ate at the stove right out of the pot. I heard footsteps thunder down the stairs. Kendar burst into the kitchen.
"Thank the gods! I looked in on you and your bed was empty. After your display yesterday morning, I was afraid you might vanish altogether."
"Display? Kendar, I cannot help the visions. If what I said upset anyone, I will apologize."
"It is not what you said," Kendar laughed, "It is what you showed to them that overwhelmed us all."
I looked at him, completely confused. He laughed again and told me what happened. I had to fish the spoon out of the pot. More footsteps rumbled down the stairs. My sisters nearly bowled over Kendar as they ran into the kitchen. Excited squeals, sobs, and talking engulfed me as the six of them raced over and hugged me. We all went back into the common room. Rono scurried in with a club. Seeing it was just us, he put it away. The nine of us sat at the big table and recounted my display. They found it hard to believe that I remembered nothing after I had spoken. Vanity and Sloth floated down to us. Using the mirror, they explained the mist was an old Faerie form of vision questing. The wind, however, was unique and neither had heard of or seen it before. We all returned to our rooms. I can't speak for the rest, but I dozed lightly until dawn. I watched the sun rise over Baaloc Prime. My earlier visions were intense, but this was something different. My only hope was this would not happen at a dangerous time.
A few hours later, Rono opened the door to allow his friends to enter. Talk stopped when they saw me. A flurry of emotions ran across their faces. The cleric was ashen. He found it difficult to look me in the eye. We all sat down and Kendar rolled out the map and began planning targets. Talk slowly returned as this tangible subject become the focus. They also informed us the wedding procession was four days away. We seven decided an "attack" on the palace would be appropriate. We chose the right hand spire to remake, an area just brushing the palace to heal and purify, and Maalicus' death on the north wall. Gretta would focus inside the palace for any fakes and phonies to demolish. Others that the men trusted would be brought to boost us even more.
We added some of the dust from the dragon eggshell to a powder we made to enhance our magic. Dawn poked at our powder, chirped, and shook, adding a shower of gold sparks. They landed mostly in our bowl and we swept up the rest. Bo circled our bowl of powder as we were mixing. On a cut in the table, he hooked a scale and pulled out of his skin. Lisa picked it up. In a few minutes, it was dry and crumbled easily into our bowl. Larz nudged us and lifted his paw. One claw had broken and was barely hanging on. We snipped it free and mixed in his contribution. We wondered how these additions would affect our actions tonight. Sloth commented that, he felt, it would greatly increase our energy and to look forward to something amazing. Over the course of the day, our merchants brought in their friends to get our approval. They were good judges of character. Many of them left laughing at how wrong the "accurate and validated" portraits were from how we actually looked. A Baaloc soldier proved this to all. He barged in pass Kendar and a few others and headed straight to the notice. He looked it over very closely for the slightest indication of any tampering. Satisfied, he turned and looked right at us. For a full ten count, he stared at us. Rono went over and asked him if all was well. The soldier took a moment to realize what Rono had said. When it hit him, he shook and, embarrassed, replied that it was and bit us all a good day. We waited a twenty count after he left before breaking out laughing. This encouraged some of the new comers to suggest other people who could help. Realizing we had too many already to fit on Rono's roof, another innkeeper offered his place which was much larger and closer to the palace. Before the curfew, we made our ways by different routes and in small groups to this other inn. It was far larger than Rono's, nearly twice its size. We went straight to the roof and plotted our assembly. We decided the newer people would be on the outside. Kendar, Rono, and the ones from before would be inside of them. Those of us not directing would be inside of those and the one directing in the center. We had enough powder to make a ring between each group and one around the center. We all had a grand dinner as we waited for sunset.
Once it was fully dark, we made our way to the roof. We positioned everyone and laid down the circles. Larz joined Kendar and Bo and Dawn joined us. We were fortunate that a full moon was rising as we began. Gretta went first this time. She found the palace easily and the fake stuff just as easy. While we could not hear them break, we could feel a lot of them through Gretta. Once she was done, Sarah took her place in the center. We had aimed for an area about eight to ten blocks. With all the energy, Sarah ended up healing a circular area nearly thirty blocks radius from where we stood. The palace was swept through in a half-circle around the front entrance nearly one hundred feed inward. Callie took her turn and focused on the right hand spire. It reformed quickly, almost as if it were molten. She reshaped it down to its base. Feeling the energy, she proceeded to reform the other one. When she had finished, both spires from base to tip were clean, smooth, and perfectly straight and symmetrical. Just as a kicker, she recolored the door bright pink. Alice, Anna, and I went next. Focusing on the north wall, we produced the mural of Maalicus' true death. We did not position ourselves in the mural so anyone could recognize us. The same with Kendar. We made Tharinzar and the giant demon look as if they were fading instead of vanishing in a cloud of smoke. Everything else was completely accurate. We turned it over to Lisa. She purified several fountains, a park area, and many private gardens. She, even, purified the attempt at a moat that encircled the palace. When she was done, requests to obliterate Cornwall's statue were spoken. All seven of us focused along with our companions. The statue was reduced to dust. We also destroyed Maalicus' fallen statue. Kendar, Rono, and Sadal volunteered to clean up. We thanked them and headed down to the room the innkeeper had assigned to us. We did not bother to undress and fell asleep nearly as soon as we laid down.
Once again, the Baalocs did not sound their wake-up call. We woke to the smell of breakfast. Kendar was in a much better mood. Sadal and the others had spent the night again and were downstairs when we arrived. They, apparently, had been up very early as some were talking about the deal they had already made for the dragon egg shells. One was complaining that some of his had been seized by a soldier as "contraband" and how much profit he lost. I searched quickly and found the energy of the shells and the man with them.
"Worry not, friend," I told him, " no one knows about it. Go to the alley behind 'Sons of Glory'. He is there as well as your eggshells."
Everyone looked at me oddly.
"He will fight me if I ask for them back," the merchant whined.
"No, he won't. He is dead."
Silence. Then, like a shot, Sadal, the merchant, and Rono ran out the door. The rest of us continued breakfast and placed it all on the table. Apparently, "Sons of Glory" was not far away as they returned quickly. The merchant was happier and was holding a pouch.
"Poor fellow," Sadal began, "he must have tried to sell them. I guess his customer didn't believe him and knifed him over it. As 'honest citizens', we reported the body after we recovered the shells."
I was amazed at their callousness before I remembered what city I was in and who had been in charge. We sat and ate. They told us how wizards had nearly come to blows over the smallest fragment.
After breakfast, we began looking over the requests. About half were for healing. The rest were roughly divided between remaking homes and destroying rivals merchandise. We ignored the last ones. We pondered how to get the ones needing healing all in one place. The houses were also spread apart. We decided we would just have to do it in groups like before. Hopefully, we would catch the ones requesting help. Rono had the latest map of Baaloc Prime. We plotted areas we had already affected, then where the requests were. Fortunately, many lived near each other and could be taken care of almost all at once. While we were discussing this, another of the merchant, also this group's cleric, interrupted us.
"I have been wondering. When Selvis is re-established, what will be the state religion? Will there be such? Will the princess destroy everything and rebuild from the ground up? There are many questions I would like..."
"Peace," I said in a voice mine but not mine as a strange calm came over me, "your fears are understandable and justified. I see no state impose faith. All will be treated equally whether followed by thousands or ten. Your beliefs will not be squashed or forced into hiding. I see a faith council sitting with the judges and government council encircling the Queen and her King. Rest assured, Selvis will be a center of religious freedom and expression."
When I finished speaking, the calm left along with my strength. I nearly fell into a chair. My sisters rushed to my side while everyone else just stared.
Before any could ask, Sarah began explaining, "Kayla is Faerie-blooded, so is Vanity. In the flesh, Vanity was a seer. Kayla is becoming one. When her eyes go white like they just did, her visions have a hold on her. Believe every word she said, it will be so."
The men huddled together. My sisters fed me their love and reassurance. The men broke apart and the cleric spoke again.
"What of the demon's vision? The grand wedding Tharinzar's master saw?"
I took at deep breath, "I have not seen anything about that, yet. When I find out.... the wedding is true, but it is not Cornwall nor any Baaloc she weds. The marriage will bind royal blood to royal blood. Snow will fall as they kiss."
I blacked out.
Callie again. We thought it was best to write what happened after this. Kayla stopped speaking, eyes totally white, and stood up. A wind lifted her off the floor and held her in mid-air. She spread her arms and, behind her, a mist formed. In the mist, we saw the images of what she had told us. The three councils in a half-circle around Mara and a man. Baaloc Prime rebuilt with new churches and temples and special places all around. Trinkets of all types sold openly. Then, the wedding. It was magnificent. Mara's dress was spectacular! The man beside her was richly dressed with a dark brown beard and some kind of hat/crown thing. As they kissed, a light snow fell upon the assembly. Rono said Baaloc Prime hasn't seen snow since Maalicus took over. Rain usually comes in floods and terrible storms. As the image faded, we saw Dawn, in the image, circling the pair and showering gold sparks on them. The mist left, the wind stopped, and Kayla slowly returned to the floor and sank to lay on the floor. She was unconscious. Kendar scooped her up and nearly ran her to our room. We girls followed. Kendar did not say a word, but the look he shot us told us to stay with her. Except for coming down for lunch, none of us left her side. Rono and the others left to do their daily business. Kendar paced in and out of the room, back and forth down the hall, nearly wearing out a rut throughout the inn. Rono set up dinner so we could get some and return to the room. I'm not sure Kendar ate. Sarah and I pushed our beds next to Kayla's on both sides. by the time we fell asleep, there had been no change."
Day 162 (140th):
I awoke feeling a little dizzy. It was dark. Callie and Sarah were beside me, their beds pushed against mine. As I laid there, trying to let the dizzy feeling pass and remember how I got to our room, my stomach growled. I couldn't remember any meal but breakfast. Crawling to the foot of the bed, I slowly crept out of the room and down to the kitchen. A pot on the stove was still warm and smelled wonderful. I just grabbed a spoon and ate at the stove right out of the pot. I heard footsteps thunder down the stairs. Kendar burst into the kitchen.
"Thank the gods! I looked in on you and your bed was empty. After your display yesterday morning, I was afraid you might vanish altogether."
"Display? Kendar, I cannot help the visions. If what I said upset anyone, I will apologize."
"It is not what you said," Kendar laughed, "It is what you showed to them that overwhelmed us all."
I looked at him, completely confused. He laughed again and told me what happened. I had to fish the spoon out of the pot. More footsteps rumbled down the stairs. My sisters nearly bowled over Kendar as they ran into the kitchen. Excited squeals, sobs, and talking engulfed me as the six of them raced over and hugged me. We all went back into the common room. Rono scurried in with a club. Seeing it was just us, he put it away. The nine of us sat at the big table and recounted my display. They found it hard to believe that I remembered nothing after I had spoken. Vanity and Sloth floated down to us. Using the mirror, they explained the mist was an old Faerie form of vision questing. The wind, however, was unique and neither had heard of or seen it before. We all returned to our rooms. I can't speak for the rest, but I dozed lightly until dawn. I watched the sun rise over Baaloc Prime. My earlier visions were intense, but this was something different. My only hope was this would not happen at a dangerous time.
A few hours later, Rono opened the door to allow his friends to enter. Talk stopped when they saw me. A flurry of emotions ran across their faces. The cleric was ashen. He found it difficult to look me in the eye. We all sat down and Kendar rolled out the map and began planning targets. Talk slowly returned as this tangible subject become the focus. They also informed us the wedding procession was four days away. We seven decided an "attack" on the palace would be appropriate. We chose the right hand spire to remake, an area just brushing the palace to heal and purify, and Maalicus' death on the north wall. Gretta would focus inside the palace for any fakes and phonies to demolish. Others that the men trusted would be brought to boost us even more.
We added some of the dust from the dragon eggshell to a powder we made to enhance our magic. Dawn poked at our powder, chirped, and shook, adding a shower of gold sparks. They landed mostly in our bowl and we swept up the rest. Bo circled our bowl of powder as we were mixing. On a cut in the table, he hooked a scale and pulled out of his skin. Lisa picked it up. In a few minutes, it was dry and crumbled easily into our bowl. Larz nudged us and lifted his paw. One claw had broken and was barely hanging on. We snipped it free and mixed in his contribution. We wondered how these additions would affect our actions tonight. Sloth commented that, he felt, it would greatly increase our energy and to look forward to something amazing. Over the course of the day, our merchants brought in their friends to get our approval. They were good judges of character. Many of them left laughing at how wrong the "accurate and validated" portraits were from how we actually looked. A Baaloc soldier proved this to all. He barged in pass Kendar and a few others and headed straight to the notice. He looked it over very closely for the slightest indication of any tampering. Satisfied, he turned and looked right at us. For a full ten count, he stared at us. Rono went over and asked him if all was well. The soldier took a moment to realize what Rono had said. When it hit him, he shook and, embarrassed, replied that it was and bit us all a good day. We waited a twenty count after he left before breaking out laughing. This encouraged some of the new comers to suggest other people who could help. Realizing we had too many already to fit on Rono's roof, another innkeeper offered his place which was much larger and closer to the palace. Before the curfew, we made our ways by different routes and in small groups to this other inn. It was far larger than Rono's, nearly twice its size. We went straight to the roof and plotted our assembly. We decided the newer people would be on the outside. Kendar, Rono, and the ones from before would be inside of them. Those of us not directing would be inside of those and the one directing in the center. We had enough powder to make a ring between each group and one around the center. We all had a grand dinner as we waited for sunset.
Once it was fully dark, we made our way to the roof. We positioned everyone and laid down the circles. Larz joined Kendar and Bo and Dawn joined us. We were fortunate that a full moon was rising as we began. Gretta went first this time. She found the palace easily and the fake stuff just as easy. While we could not hear them break, we could feel a lot of them through Gretta. Once she was done, Sarah took her place in the center. We had aimed for an area about eight to ten blocks. With all the energy, Sarah ended up healing a circular area nearly thirty blocks radius from where we stood. The palace was swept through in a half-circle around the front entrance nearly one hundred feed inward. Callie took her turn and focused on the right hand spire. It reformed quickly, almost as if it were molten. She reshaped it down to its base. Feeling the energy, she proceeded to reform the other one. When she had finished, both spires from base to tip were clean, smooth, and perfectly straight and symmetrical. Just as a kicker, she recolored the door bright pink. Alice, Anna, and I went next. Focusing on the north wall, we produced the mural of Maalicus' true death. We did not position ourselves in the mural so anyone could recognize us. The same with Kendar. We made Tharinzar and the giant demon look as if they were fading instead of vanishing in a cloud of smoke. Everything else was completely accurate. We turned it over to Lisa. She purified several fountains, a park area, and many private gardens. She, even, purified the attempt at a moat that encircled the palace. When she was done, requests to obliterate Cornwall's statue were spoken. All seven of us focused along with our companions. The statue was reduced to dust. We also destroyed Maalicus' fallen statue. Kendar, Rono, and Sadal volunteered to clean up. We thanked them and headed down to the room the innkeeper had assigned to us. We did not bother to undress and fell asleep nearly as soon as we laid down.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Days 159-160 (137th-138th)
Day 159 (137th):
Once again, we were awaken by the banging that was the Baaloc "bells". We met Kendar and Rono downstairs. Kendar, again, looked frazzled by the rude awakening. Our friends returned by the time breakfast was ready. They told us what others had experienced yesterday. A few witnessed Baaloc soldiers attempting to "correct" our "vandalism" on the wall and fountains. The spire was slated to be torn down and replaced. Only the work on the spire was seeing progress as they were chopping at the unaffected part of it. Not a scratch appeared on the wall or fountains. Dirt, manure, and other debris dumped into both fountains quickly washed away and left pure water behind. War machines rumbled down the streets. Two catapults went to work on the wall and one on each fountain. None affected any of them save for some marks on the unchanged parts of the wall. The soldiers gave up after a couple of hours. We had watched most of this along with many citizens of Baaloc Prime. None of them suspected we were the cause of this event. The soldiers were heard commenting on the arrival of the princess. Reports from their stops sounded exactly as we had hoped: The demure princess was a frail thing prone to emotional breakdowns. Her honor guard was a lazy group who couldn't defend themselves, let alone anyone else. The head of the procession, Lehand, was more nursemaid then soldier. We were encouraged by these reports. Plus, we found out exactly when they would be arriving. We now knew we had one week to end Cornwall's, Tharinzar's, and the giant demon's hold on this kingdom. We returned to the inn and begun a great plan. Tonight, Rono and his friends would join us on the roof. They were all merchants so it was not uncommon for them not to return home some nights. With their aid, we could change more of the city overnight. By dawn, the city would really have something to talk about. They began getting ready and telling others they would not be home tonight. By evening, we were set. We had also decided what Alice, Anna, and I could do to stir the pot. We three would make murals appear on the walls, telling the real history of Maalicus, Tharinzar, and Cornwall. We would start with Maalicus receiving the "holy words" from Tharinzar in his true form. On it would be the precise spell in the demon language exactly as it appeared on his back. If we were not exhausted by then, we would make the scene of the battle, showing the Baaloc's running in fear, Maalicus losing his marks, and the two demons abandoning him to us. We would keep our faces hidden as well as Kendar's. After sunset, we made our way to the roof. Rono, Kendar, and the rest encircled us. Six of us formed another circle with the swords between us. Callie went first. She expanded the repaired section of the wall another seventy feet. Two buildings, small ones, were completely redone. Gretta took her place and destroyed phony items in three nine block areas many blocks away from each other. Sarah healed two four block areas, including animals and plants. Lisa purified a nearby granary, another fountain, and a livestock sale barn. Next, Alice, Anna, and I began our mural on the side of a government building. We actually changed the color of the stone to create the picture. When it was finished, we decided to hold off on the other for now. Our friends suggested all seven of us gather our strength and move Maalicus' new martyr statue just a bit as a lark. I guess we pushed too hard. It fell over. The crash echoed through the empty streets. A weird siren sounded and Baaloc soldiers ran through the streets, ordering anyone poking their heads out to get back inside. We disassembled our meeting and removed all signs of its existence. Rono headed down and opened the door just as a soldier ran by.
"Inside, citizen, now!" he ordered, a bit out of breath.
Rono jumped back and slammed the door. After about half an hour, the sirens stopped. We sat and waited. Not long after, horse hooves pounded up to the door. A heavy fist shook the inn's door. All of us but Rono ran to the kitchen. After we were hidden, Rono opened the door.
The Baaloc spoke as he stormed inside, "As an establishment open to the public, you are hereby ordered to prominently display this notice. Any removal of it will be considered an act of treason. A soldier will be by to check that it is here and intact. Any alteration of this document is also an act of treason."
"Here, sir, by my list of rules. Everyone who enters must read these, so they would see it as well," Rono volunteered.
"Very good, citizen, that will do well," he said as he strode up to the spot and pounded the nail with his gauntlet fist. He unfurled the notice and stormed out without another word. Once we heard the horse leave, we all returned to the common room. Rono was reading the notice and his lips were tightly pressed together, yet I felt no anger from him. Also, he seemed to be holding his breath. Just before we gathered around him, he burst out laughing. We saw the source of his mirth. Seven strange-looking females were drawn around a notice calling for any information on "the Seven Demon Sisters of the Abyss-forged Swords". We were charged with "crimes of the greatest evil ever witnessed in this or any land". Below was listed an absurd set of "crimes" we had committed, including "destruction of holy sites", "vandalism of civic and military structures", plus a host of other strange claims. We all laughed. In addition, the pictures were "accurate and validated portraits" of us. They were so far from portraying us, it was absurd. No one would ever associate us with those on the notice. We all decided it was time to call it a day. We laughed about the notice as we got into bed.
Day 160 (138th):
There were no "bells" today. Rono and Sadal, the tall dark fellow, were the ones who woke us. They informed us that our new alterations were causing quite a stir. Also, the notice had already caused several unattractive women to be detained on the suspicion that they were us. Some merchant acquaintances of Rono's came over as we made our way downstairs. They moaned and whined at the loss of their merchandise. Some who had been in the area that was healed told of the ailments they no longer had. Not a single one of them made any comment, verbal or mental, about us or our swords. Several warned us about "strange times" in Baaloc Prime and suggested we leave in order to be safe. Just in the immediate area around Rono's inn, five merchants and nine families were packing up to leave Baaloc Prime until "the city returns to normal". We secretly wondered was "normal" was in Baaloc Prime. Our mural was quite the sensation. When people realized the stone had actually change color to make the image, even more people arrived to look at it. Scholars and artists copied it down. The text was reproduced hundreds of times during the day.
With Sadal, we went to see the statue we accidentally knocked over. It was a massive thing that, when standing, was a good six stories tall. This, too, was built "Baaloc style" as the stone of his head was a different color than his body and legs. His arms were some kind of plaster over a wood and wire cage. Soldiers and slaves were picking up the pieces and trying to reassemble it. As there was a lot of stone dust, their efforts were in vain.
Sadal served as our guide through the city. We had gotten our shielding a little stronger so we were not overwhelmed by the energy of Baaloc Prime. We saw many places being cleaned, painted, and decorated for the wedding. In front of the palace, a large stage was being assembled so the wedding would be visible to as many people as possible. I've seen children build firmer structures. Wizards and clerics were already being used to hold up the weak construction. We spent the whole day getting acquainted with Baaloc Prime. Passing the palace, we saw Cornwall on the balcony, looking over the city. Someone joined him. We hid when we saw it was Tharinzar. We did not need him to see us and ruin everything. From behind a building, we extended ourselves to sense the two of them. Cornwall was concerned that we were going to ruin the wedding and their plans. Tharinzar consoled him and let him know that nothing would stop the wedding. His master had foreseen a glorious wedding before this castle and those visions were never wrong. He also said his master foresaw our deaths in a blaze created by our own allies. Sadal nearly marched into the palace to beat the both of them. We reminded him that this was a demon retelling the vision of another demon. That cooled his temper. Tharinzar continued to lay lie after lie at Cornwall's fragile ego to shore him up just like the wizards were doing to the stage. We left when we could stand no more of it. We returned to the inn by sunset. The three purified fountains were an attraction to the honest people of Baaloc Prime. Those that received slight burns due to their evil avoided them since trying to convince the rest was a futile attempt. Since it was usually soldiers and minor clerics who were injured, they were chastised for the weakness of their faith. Higher clerics rarely left their cloisters, so no one got the chance to see their reactions. The purified granary and animal barn were also receiving a lot of attention. The grain was being sold for ten gold coins a bushel. The animals were being bought for three times their normal value. Drinks made with the purified water were being consumed as fast as they were made. Those who were healed showed off regrown limbs, restored sight and hearing, and other rejuvenated parts and abilities. At dinner, Rono informed us that a secret message was going around to be passed to the real Seven Sisters.
"Many people would like you girls to know that they do not believe a word on that notice. Also, the ones 'arrested' on suspicion actually volunteered in order to keep the soldiers too busy to really hunt for you. Plus, a number of requests have been gathered should you wish to do any more 'damage'."
These had been given to Rono since he was known for getting items and information others could not. He handed them to us. Most wanted their homes or businesses rebuilt. A handful asked to be healed. A group of wizards wanted more of the demon language to study.
As we were reading these, a knock came not from the front door, but from the entrance to the tunnel. Rono ran over and opened it. A boy limped in, carrying an obviously heavy sack.
"Pardon my intrusion, but I knew nowhere else to go. I have escaped from slavery in the palace. This stone called to me. When the statue fell, I gathered the courage to take it. Another slave had told me of these tunnels. I have been walking all day or many days, I cannot tell. The stone pulled me here."
We had him sit down and eat. Sarah looked him over and treated his lame leg. No sooner had it healed than his sack began moving. We opened it and saw a dragon egg wobble out of it. The boy dived for it.
"It called me! I have to...I need..it...it..." he trailed off as he cradled the egg in his lap while sitting on the floor. I sat beside him and explained.
"This is not a stone. It is an egg, a dragon egg, and your egg. You two are a set. This dragon has been waiting on you, but you had to be completely healthy before it could hatch. Sit here and hold it. Watch."
The egg rocked even more. Cracks appeared and pieces popped off. A soft squeak issued from inside. Larz, Dawn, and Bo gathered around the three of us to watch a little closer. The rest just stood and stared. A red foot kicked out another big piece. A hard rock spilled the red dragon into the boy's lap. With intense green eyes, he stared up at the boy who held him. The bond was made.
"I hear him in my head. He says his name is Fire-at-Night. He is very hungry."
This snapped Rono out of his fascination. He ran to the back and returned with the fat he had carved off the meat. He handed the bowl to the boy. Fire lunged greedily for it. I showed Tommy, the boy, how to feed Fire so he would not choke and how much to give him. Dawn was whistling and flying around. Bo returned to Lisa. Larz lay beside boy and dragon as just watched. The rest sat back down.
After a few silent moments, Sadal asked, "Where did he get a dragon's egg?"
My sisters and Kendar began explaining. I sat with Tommy to explain the new path his life was taking. Callie came over and told us Leo knew about the hatching and could meet us on the roof in a few moments. Fire had eaten his fill and fallen asleep in Tommy's lap. I helped Tommy stand and explained what we were doing. He was a little frightened, but trusted me to guide him. I gave him my sling for the dragon to ride in and we all headed to the roof. Baaloc Prime did not have the street lights like Raval. Leo settled on the flat roof and regarded the new rider and dragon.
"Sisters, you continue to amaze me. Kayla, I will need your harness as I have none."
I pressed my hand to Leo's forehead and we all watched the riding harness form around Leo. Once completed, we helped Tommy and Fire up and assured him it was safe. We told him to find Tess and Falcon, as they were our friends. Tommy waved good-bye, then hung on as Leo took off. We all went back inside. It was very quiet. Rono and his friends were silent as their brains processed what had just happened. We and Kendar cleared the table and picked up the pieces of the egg shell. They snapped out of their reflection when they realized how rare dragon egg shells were and the magical uses for them. We set it all on the table and let them negotiate among themselves who would get which pieces. Breaking the bigger pieces was difficult, but possible. Kendar and the seven of us went to bed before they had finished hammering out the details.
Once again, we were awaken by the banging that was the Baaloc "bells". We met Kendar and Rono downstairs. Kendar, again, looked frazzled by the rude awakening. Our friends returned by the time breakfast was ready. They told us what others had experienced yesterday. A few witnessed Baaloc soldiers attempting to "correct" our "vandalism" on the wall and fountains. The spire was slated to be torn down and replaced. Only the work on the spire was seeing progress as they were chopping at the unaffected part of it. Not a scratch appeared on the wall or fountains. Dirt, manure, and other debris dumped into both fountains quickly washed away and left pure water behind. War machines rumbled down the streets. Two catapults went to work on the wall and one on each fountain. None affected any of them save for some marks on the unchanged parts of the wall. The soldiers gave up after a couple of hours. We had watched most of this along with many citizens of Baaloc Prime. None of them suspected we were the cause of this event. The soldiers were heard commenting on the arrival of the princess. Reports from their stops sounded exactly as we had hoped: The demure princess was a frail thing prone to emotional breakdowns. Her honor guard was a lazy group who couldn't defend themselves, let alone anyone else. The head of the procession, Lehand, was more nursemaid then soldier. We were encouraged by these reports. Plus, we found out exactly when they would be arriving. We now knew we had one week to end Cornwall's, Tharinzar's, and the giant demon's hold on this kingdom. We returned to the inn and begun a great plan. Tonight, Rono and his friends would join us on the roof. They were all merchants so it was not uncommon for them not to return home some nights. With their aid, we could change more of the city overnight. By dawn, the city would really have something to talk about. They began getting ready and telling others they would not be home tonight. By evening, we were set. We had also decided what Alice, Anna, and I could do to stir the pot. We three would make murals appear on the walls, telling the real history of Maalicus, Tharinzar, and Cornwall. We would start with Maalicus receiving the "holy words" from Tharinzar in his true form. On it would be the precise spell in the demon language exactly as it appeared on his back. If we were not exhausted by then, we would make the scene of the battle, showing the Baaloc's running in fear, Maalicus losing his marks, and the two demons abandoning him to us. We would keep our faces hidden as well as Kendar's. After sunset, we made our way to the roof. Rono, Kendar, and the rest encircled us. Six of us formed another circle with the swords between us. Callie went first. She expanded the repaired section of the wall another seventy feet. Two buildings, small ones, were completely redone. Gretta took her place and destroyed phony items in three nine block areas many blocks away from each other. Sarah healed two four block areas, including animals and plants. Lisa purified a nearby granary, another fountain, and a livestock sale barn. Next, Alice, Anna, and I began our mural on the side of a government building. We actually changed the color of the stone to create the picture. When it was finished, we decided to hold off on the other for now. Our friends suggested all seven of us gather our strength and move Maalicus' new martyr statue just a bit as a lark. I guess we pushed too hard. It fell over. The crash echoed through the empty streets. A weird siren sounded and Baaloc soldiers ran through the streets, ordering anyone poking their heads out to get back inside. We disassembled our meeting and removed all signs of its existence. Rono headed down and opened the door just as a soldier ran by.
"Inside, citizen, now!" he ordered, a bit out of breath.
Rono jumped back and slammed the door. After about half an hour, the sirens stopped. We sat and waited. Not long after, horse hooves pounded up to the door. A heavy fist shook the inn's door. All of us but Rono ran to the kitchen. After we were hidden, Rono opened the door.
The Baaloc spoke as he stormed inside, "As an establishment open to the public, you are hereby ordered to prominently display this notice. Any removal of it will be considered an act of treason. A soldier will be by to check that it is here and intact. Any alteration of this document is also an act of treason."
"Here, sir, by my list of rules. Everyone who enters must read these, so they would see it as well," Rono volunteered.
"Very good, citizen, that will do well," he said as he strode up to the spot and pounded the nail with his gauntlet fist. He unfurled the notice and stormed out without another word. Once we heard the horse leave, we all returned to the common room. Rono was reading the notice and his lips were tightly pressed together, yet I felt no anger from him. Also, he seemed to be holding his breath. Just before we gathered around him, he burst out laughing. We saw the source of his mirth. Seven strange-looking females were drawn around a notice calling for any information on "the Seven Demon Sisters of the Abyss-forged Swords". We were charged with "crimes of the greatest evil ever witnessed in this or any land". Below was listed an absurd set of "crimes" we had committed, including "destruction of holy sites", "vandalism of civic and military structures", plus a host of other strange claims. We all laughed. In addition, the pictures were "accurate and validated portraits" of us. They were so far from portraying us, it was absurd. No one would ever associate us with those on the notice. We all decided it was time to call it a day. We laughed about the notice as we got into bed.
Day 160 (138th):
There were no "bells" today. Rono and Sadal, the tall dark fellow, were the ones who woke us. They informed us that our new alterations were causing quite a stir. Also, the notice had already caused several unattractive women to be detained on the suspicion that they were us. Some merchant acquaintances of Rono's came over as we made our way downstairs. They moaned and whined at the loss of their merchandise. Some who had been in the area that was healed told of the ailments they no longer had. Not a single one of them made any comment, verbal or mental, about us or our swords. Several warned us about "strange times" in Baaloc Prime and suggested we leave in order to be safe. Just in the immediate area around Rono's inn, five merchants and nine families were packing up to leave Baaloc Prime until "the city returns to normal". We secretly wondered was "normal" was in Baaloc Prime. Our mural was quite the sensation. When people realized the stone had actually change color to make the image, even more people arrived to look at it. Scholars and artists copied it down. The text was reproduced hundreds of times during the day.
With Sadal, we went to see the statue we accidentally knocked over. It was a massive thing that, when standing, was a good six stories tall. This, too, was built "Baaloc style" as the stone of his head was a different color than his body and legs. His arms were some kind of plaster over a wood and wire cage. Soldiers and slaves were picking up the pieces and trying to reassemble it. As there was a lot of stone dust, their efforts were in vain.
Sadal served as our guide through the city. We had gotten our shielding a little stronger so we were not overwhelmed by the energy of Baaloc Prime. We saw many places being cleaned, painted, and decorated for the wedding. In front of the palace, a large stage was being assembled so the wedding would be visible to as many people as possible. I've seen children build firmer structures. Wizards and clerics were already being used to hold up the weak construction. We spent the whole day getting acquainted with Baaloc Prime. Passing the palace, we saw Cornwall on the balcony, looking over the city. Someone joined him. We hid when we saw it was Tharinzar. We did not need him to see us and ruin everything. From behind a building, we extended ourselves to sense the two of them. Cornwall was concerned that we were going to ruin the wedding and their plans. Tharinzar consoled him and let him know that nothing would stop the wedding. His master had foreseen a glorious wedding before this castle and those visions were never wrong. He also said his master foresaw our deaths in a blaze created by our own allies. Sadal nearly marched into the palace to beat the both of them. We reminded him that this was a demon retelling the vision of another demon. That cooled his temper. Tharinzar continued to lay lie after lie at Cornwall's fragile ego to shore him up just like the wizards were doing to the stage. We left when we could stand no more of it. We returned to the inn by sunset. The three purified fountains were an attraction to the honest people of Baaloc Prime. Those that received slight burns due to their evil avoided them since trying to convince the rest was a futile attempt. Since it was usually soldiers and minor clerics who were injured, they were chastised for the weakness of their faith. Higher clerics rarely left their cloisters, so no one got the chance to see their reactions. The purified granary and animal barn were also receiving a lot of attention. The grain was being sold for ten gold coins a bushel. The animals were being bought for three times their normal value. Drinks made with the purified water were being consumed as fast as they were made. Those who were healed showed off regrown limbs, restored sight and hearing, and other rejuvenated parts and abilities. At dinner, Rono informed us that a secret message was going around to be passed to the real Seven Sisters.
"Many people would like you girls to know that they do not believe a word on that notice. Also, the ones 'arrested' on suspicion actually volunteered in order to keep the soldiers too busy to really hunt for you. Plus, a number of requests have been gathered should you wish to do any more 'damage'."
These had been given to Rono since he was known for getting items and information others could not. He handed them to us. Most wanted their homes or businesses rebuilt. A handful asked to be healed. A group of wizards wanted more of the demon language to study.
As we were reading these, a knock came not from the front door, but from the entrance to the tunnel. Rono ran over and opened it. A boy limped in, carrying an obviously heavy sack.
"Pardon my intrusion, but I knew nowhere else to go. I have escaped from slavery in the palace. This stone called to me. When the statue fell, I gathered the courage to take it. Another slave had told me of these tunnels. I have been walking all day or many days, I cannot tell. The stone pulled me here."
We had him sit down and eat. Sarah looked him over and treated his lame leg. No sooner had it healed than his sack began moving. We opened it and saw a dragon egg wobble out of it. The boy dived for it.
"It called me! I have to...I need..it...it..." he trailed off as he cradled the egg in his lap while sitting on the floor. I sat beside him and explained.
"This is not a stone. It is an egg, a dragon egg, and your egg. You two are a set. This dragon has been waiting on you, but you had to be completely healthy before it could hatch. Sit here and hold it. Watch."
The egg rocked even more. Cracks appeared and pieces popped off. A soft squeak issued from inside. Larz, Dawn, and Bo gathered around the three of us to watch a little closer. The rest just stood and stared. A red foot kicked out another big piece. A hard rock spilled the red dragon into the boy's lap. With intense green eyes, he stared up at the boy who held him. The bond was made.
"I hear him in my head. He says his name is Fire-at-Night. He is very hungry."
This snapped Rono out of his fascination. He ran to the back and returned with the fat he had carved off the meat. He handed the bowl to the boy. Fire lunged greedily for it. I showed Tommy, the boy, how to feed Fire so he would not choke and how much to give him. Dawn was whistling and flying around. Bo returned to Lisa. Larz lay beside boy and dragon as just watched. The rest sat back down.
After a few silent moments, Sadal asked, "Where did he get a dragon's egg?"
My sisters and Kendar began explaining. I sat with Tommy to explain the new path his life was taking. Callie came over and told us Leo knew about the hatching and could meet us on the roof in a few moments. Fire had eaten his fill and fallen asleep in Tommy's lap. I helped Tommy stand and explained what we were doing. He was a little frightened, but trusted me to guide him. I gave him my sling for the dragon to ride in and we all headed to the roof. Baaloc Prime did not have the street lights like Raval. Leo settled on the flat roof and regarded the new rider and dragon.
"Sisters, you continue to amaze me. Kayla, I will need your harness as I have none."
I pressed my hand to Leo's forehead and we all watched the riding harness form around Leo. Once completed, we helped Tommy and Fire up and assured him it was safe. We told him to find Tess and Falcon, as they were our friends. Tommy waved good-bye, then hung on as Leo took off. We all went back inside. It was very quiet. Rono and his friends were silent as their brains processed what had just happened. We and Kendar cleared the table and picked up the pieces of the egg shell. They snapped out of their reflection when they realized how rare dragon egg shells were and the magical uses for them. We set it all on the table and let them negotiate among themselves who would get which pieces. Breaking the bigger pieces was difficult, but possible. Kendar and the seven of us went to bed before they had finished hammering out the details.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)