Day 252 (230th)

Day 252 (230th):
The knock at the door roused us swiftly. Sarah opened the door to Janesh, Narisha, and Liam. We informed them it would be but a moment to get ready. With Anna's efficiency, our gear was handy and our clothes ready for us. I wore a cloak just to keep my sisters focused on the task at hand. We were met in the stables by a dozen royal guards. The separate King's Guard and Queen's Guard were slowly merging into one unit. There was still some tension between them, but it was fading. We all mounted up and headed into the pre-dawn snow. Bo and Set took off before and above us. Dawn made small scouting flights, reporting back what lay ahead.
A bit after sunrise, we saw Bo and Set dive very fast, to the point we were afraid they were injured. Seeing through Set's eyes, I understood their dives. Below them, they had found a group of rabbits and a man trying, in vain, to get them back into the cage that lay open. His cart, filled with similar cages but full of rabbits, was missing a wheel and sat at an angle. The others were uneasy about stopping to help, but we assured them little time would be lost. By the time we reached them, Set and Bo had the rabbits corralled between them, leaving the cage as the only "safe" place for them to go. The man was fearful of these two creatures and did not know how to proceed. We seven got out of the saddle and got his rabbits back in the cage. All accounted for, we turned our attention to the cart. The wheel, according to Callie, had simple slid off, nothing was broken. The wheel, itself, lay intact next to the cart. Our guards and others didn't know how we were going to lift a full cart high enough to get the wheel back on. We seven smiled. We all bent and touched to snow. We asked the snow to lift the cart. A wave formed and picked up the cart high enough that the wheel was easily replaced. The metal band that kept the wheel on was missing. We dug in our packs and found some utensils. Set heated them until they were soft. We shaped them around the axle where they made a make-shift band. Callie reported that it would hold for the short trip to Crialas Pagoue. The man was delighted. He had no money, even though we refused any payment, but two of his rabbits had died when the cage fell and wanted us to have them. Set chomped on one while Bo and Dawn divided the other between them. We made sure he was on his way before getting back to our trip. The rest of our party was glad it had not taken too long to aid the rabbit man.
Half-way between dawn and mid-day, we entered the outer area of Givia. Only outpost-like buildings marked the upper area. Dozens of cave entrances dotted the landscape. Gardon stood near the opening of one particularly large entrance. Lisa pulled out the scroll and cast the spell. Through her, we could understand them, just as Tymara had done for the Brimgrove elves.
"Greetings, everyone. You made good time, we are pleased. Stabling for your horses is this way."
He led us to a part of the entrance that looked like it saw little use. Anna relayed that the Givagar have no mounts of their own and, since the corruption reached them, have had no regular visitors or tradesmen. Now that Dawn was bigger, she could no longer ride Alice's shoulder. Set, however, was large enough to give her someplace to stand. Bo rode in his usual spot, slung around Lisa's neck and shoulders.
Gardon and Lisa took the lead as we all headed deeper into the cave. Our elf companions were growing tense as we got further from the surface. We arrived at a set of doors with two Givagars posted in front of them. This was the first part of the ritual. Lisa stepped ahead of us, bowed slightly, then addressed the guards.
"Givagar warriors, we seek entrance to the heart of Givia, to converse with the Kaiser Daerao (KAY-zer djar-JA) on important matters."
The two guards looked at each other. In unison, they replied, "Do you seek to harm the Kaiser Daerao?"
"No, good warriors, we seek peace," she replied.
The Givagar made twin bows and opened the massive doors. The rainbow that poured out was beautiful and nearly overwhelming. The physical gems and marvels were sights to behold, but the flood of emotions and power made all of us nearly collapse. Will alone kept us on our feet as we followed Gardon and Lisa through this magnificent tunnel and into Givia's heart.
The cavern was massive. In the center, a pillar rose, like a giant cave formation. A companion pillar descended from the roof, giving the cavern a wheel-like appearance. Below us, a city shown. It alone nearly dwarfed Crialas Pagoue and we knew this was only a portion of Givia. Down huge steps, we entered the city. Following the instructions precisely, we kept our eyes and heads forward, no looking around. It was considered rude and undisciplined. With our perceptions, however, we could have told them things about their city that they did not know.
The bottom pillar in the center of the massive cavern had doors and windows carved into it. At the main doors, two more Givagar stood, blocking the entrance. Once again, Lisa stepped forward.
"Givagar warriors, we seek entrance to the soul of Givia to converse with the Ras'eileir Kaiseraa (RAS-el-er kay-SER-ya) on important matters."
These guards, like the first, asked if we sought harm. Again, Lisa told them no. They bowed and opened the doors. We walked into a space so white, it was nearly blinding. A few hundred paces from the doors was a single black door. No one stood guard. Save for us, the area was empty. We marched to that door. Lisa knocked a very controlled three times. After the echo died, a panel slid on the door to reveal a Givagar face. Lisa bowed.
"Givagar Proctector, we see the Oior Eidolon (OIY-or e-DOE-lawn) of Givia to make peace."
The Givagar did not speak nor move. He stared at Lisa and us for, what felt like, forever. The panel snapped shut. Just when we though we had fouled up, the black door opened.
"They await you in the Ancestors' Hall. Leave your guards at the outer doors. They will be taken there to wait for you."
We told the guards to go with the Givagar back to the outer doors. They wanted to protest, but went anyway. We stood at the black door until the guards left. We were allowed, single file, through the door. The Protector examined each of us as we passed him. He had Set open his mouth before he was allowed inside. The door closed with a loud thud.
I don't know if the white room made it hard to see, but this place was dark. I sensed two people enter from another way. A male and female took a position in the center of the room. Even in the darkness, we homed in on their position. We let the elves know which way to look. When the couple was in place, lights burst to fully illuminate the room. Although, outwardly, they showed no emotion, I felt their pleasure in seeing us facing the right way. The male spoke first.
"I am the Kaiser Daerao, the heart of Givia. This is the Ras'eileir Kaiseraa, the soul of Givia. Together, we are the Oior Eidolon, the spirit of Givia. Who speaks for this group?"
Lisa bowed nearly in half, "I speak for us. I am Lisa of Talst, descendant of the elf Tree Singer, and guardian of the Power Sword Gluttony."
"Rise, Guardian, and well met. You have passed."
We wanted to jump and cheer, but kept our composure.
The female spoke, "Let us retire to a comfortable place so we may talk at our leisure."
They led the way out the entrance they had used and took up to a parlor of sorts. Backless padded benches of various sizes were stacked against one wall. As they went to their usual seats, we each found a bench suitable for us. We gathered around them. Informal introductions were made and they told us to call him Handan and her Celna. Set got my attention and asked about the mouth inspection.
"Why did your Protector look inside Set's mouth? He would like to know," I asked.
They chuckled before answering, "I suppose I would want that answer, too, if my mouth had been checked. We were doing several things: checking age, breath weapon, damage capability by the teeth, and memorizing the tooth placement. This was in case you failed and tried to send him with another party."
Set accepted the answer with smoke puffs conveying his lack of agitation. Once that was solved, we set about the business of the gateway. The Givagars had the writings of both the stone race and the gargoyles from their times as monitors of the gate. Neither race had taken part in the original construction. They had both arrived in the area later, after Crialas had become a town.
"To build it, you will need living stones," Handan informed us, "These are similar to stone seeds, but they will not produce sentient stone people. Mostly, they are parts that have broken off, but retain the life force inside them. We keep some of various types, usually to heal their wounds if too large a chunk has been removed from them. Our ancestors, and the ones who live around here, are much smaller than the 'normal' stone races. The tallest in barely fifteen feet in height. So, anything too big can be a serious wound."
We arranged for them to send a cleric with "a load" of living stones to Crialas Pagoue in a few days. After they arrived, we would gather everyone together to build the gate. Our elves were glad a definite date had been set for the rebuild. We chatted a little more and had a snack, then decided we had to head back.
Having passed their test, we were able to look at their city as we left. We found our guards at the outer doors, very agitated and anxious. The Givagar at these doors handed us a key, saying that presenting it meant no repeat of the ritual. Lisa strung it on the necklace holding her ancestor's crest. We retrieved our horses, who had been well fed, and proceeded back to Crialas Pagoue.
It was well past mid-day and we knew we would be entering the city in darkness. Bo and Set, once again, made most of the trip on the wing. Dawn took up her scouting to insure a safe trip. We informed the guards of our activities they had missed. Some were still suspicious of the Givagar, but did not voice them.
We were within sight of Crialas Pagoue as the sun was setting. An odd noise to the side of the road took our focus off of the city. A female halfling lay in the snow, barely visible behind a small mound. We went to her and saw she was injured. Sarah ran to her side to assess her injuries. The elves looked between her, the city, and the setting sun. A few spoke of delays and annoying sidetracks. Fortunately, she was not severely wounded. A small bit of magic had her healthy and whole in minutes. As Sarah was one of the lightest, the halfling rode with her into Crialas Pagaoue. The guards watched her intently as she told of being kicked to the side of the road by "heartless elves" racing back to the city. Their horses had pushed her over and one's tail sent her flying into the snow bank. We dropped her off at a nice inn and proceeded to the castle.
Inside the stables, the Royal Guards quickly unsaddled their horses and parted company with us. Janesh, Narisha, and Liam walked with us to the royal apartments. The Crowns and Orania greeted us warmly. Dinner was waiting on us and was served as soon as we sat down.
We told them our encounter with the Givagar and the boon we expected from them. Neither had thought of the actual building materials for the gate. They were also glad a date was now, somewhat, set for its construction. A bit of calculation meant the new gate would be built before the first day of the new year.
Orania had news as well. While showing her successor around the Chalice room, this young elf cut her hand. As they were leaving to tend it, the girl bumped the old Chalice. Grabbing it so it would not fall, she pressed her bleeding hand to it. As with our swords and the Elvador Crown, the girl and Song Weaver connected. She, Loris, can now hear Song Weaver and share his knowledge with the rest of Crialas. I said not a word, but Orania looked at me and told us Fate had opened his previously closed and quiet world. I just smiled. Sarvicnal called a messenger to go to both the Clerics' Guild and the Builders' Guild to begin construction of a temple for Fate as soon as possible.
"Fate has given us much and needs a place to be honored," Sarvicnal explained, "I do not want such a Glory insulted."
I almost told him that Fate required no temples nor special places, but kept it to myself. The messenger bowed and raced out. Another was summoned to tell the Founders' families to make their choices as to their representative. This one also bowed and raced out.
We talked a bit more about Givia and the Givagar before we parted and went to our room. Bo, having flown so much today, lay like a discarded scarf across Lisa's bed. Dawn and Set were also exhausted and barely moved when we shifted them to get into our beds. It took magic to get Set's large bulk to move enough for me to have room to sleep. At the rate he was growing, it wouldn't be too long before he would need a bed of his own.

Day 251 (229th)

Day 251 (229th):
I awoke to see Lisa already up and going through the ritual. Her focus left no room for nerves nor fear. Intense and precise, she spoke every word and made every gesture almost effortlessly. When she did stumble, she chastised herself harshly, took some deep breaths, and started again. She stopped after one run to look at me watching her.
"Kayla, why do you think we need the Givagar? I understand Scotvla, Galvadore, the World Builder, and Aloriana. But the Treants, Aper See, Rollis, the Givagar, and the Founders' decendants? Why? What can they do? Or us, for that matter?"
"From what I understand from reading over the ritual, the portal is neither divine nor material. That means neither gods nor mortals, alone, can contain or manipulate it. It is a wild thing. We are not taming it, but keeping it safe from us and us safe from it. I have likened it to a river. Damming it, putting water wheels in it, nor carving irrigation ditches in its sides does anything to change the river's nature. These things do, however, allow it to be used with some degree of safety. That is what we are doing, making the portal navigable plus stopping it from flooding Crialas any more. If only the gods and immortal powers make the gate, mortals cannot use nor control it. Likewise, if only mortals and mortal powers make it, the gods' presences could destroy or damage it. The gate, like our barriers at Raval, is stronger with variety."
Lisa, along with my other now awake sisters, nodded with understanding. Claps at the door made us spin around to see Janesh, the Crowns, Elder Liam, and Narisha applauding.
"Well said, Kayla," King Sarvicnal praised, "Your explanation is clear and easily understood. We can use you lesson for others to understand its importance and to not let this happen ever again."
We understood the need for a clear reason to maintain the gate and keep the portal contained. They explained their arrival in our room.
"Apparently, the Givagar have been told to expect us. We received a message before dawn that a 'liaison' will arrive to get us 'properly prepared'. Either they do not know we have instructions or they want to avoid the possibility of error."
Lisa was mildly annoyed. She had hoped to do this, successfully, on her own. The message did not specify when the liaison would arrived, just for us "not to proceed until his arrival".
We all went back to the Royal apartments for breakfast. While Set was not going through a growth spurt, his steady increase was making his little chair even littler. Today, he could barely fit on it and use his table. The chair creaked under his weight. We got another chair, a wide seat that could be used by two elves comfortably, called a 'courting couch', was positioned beside my chair at the round table. We set it sideways so Set's tail was above the cold stone floor. The arm of the chair was low enough to slide under the table and Set was able to join us at the table. Resting on his back legs and tail, he was just tall enough to eat comfortably. Someone found a wide shallow bowl that he could drink from without tipping it or splashing anything. Someone also revealed a perch a former king had for a pet bird. It was placed by Alice so Dawn also had a place at the table. Bo looped over the back of Lisa's chair. With his wings folded, he did not take up much more room than before. Janesh, Narisha, and Liam joined us this morning. Conversation was light. We spoke of family, our home villages, and small things. We, even, got some of the servants talking with us. All of this camaraderie made the room almost a bubble of peace in the chaos the portal created.
We were walking, all of us, around the castle, letting everyone know that the Crowns did not hole themselves in their apartments anymore when a messenger arrived to tell us the liaison was here. We went to the Throne Room, where he and the rest of the Palace met us. From both their postures and glows, we could tell the Palace was intimidated by the newcomer. He, however, was commanding in his composure. Even from the back, he stood at easy attention with such a presence that he almost commanded the room. The horns sounding made him turn to face the Crowns. In his face, one could see all of his heritage. The horns, barely visible from behind, told his gargoyle line quickly. The stern expression on his face and the carved quality of his exposed chest told of his stone heritage. The rest of his physical bearing was legendary elf. The kind of elf seen on statues and paintings of "perfect" elves was how he looked.
The Crowns took their places on their thrones, Liam his spot among the Palace, and the rest of us off to the side of the thrones.
The liaison bowed stiffly to the Crowns, "Drak da kann sakfa. Muk tay dur va nak," he began as he addressed the Crowns.
Everyone looked at each other. Lisa began to unroll the scroll to do the translation spell, but the Crowns stopped her.
"Sir, we do not understand your words. Do you understand us?" King Sarvicnal asked, enunciating every word clearly.
The liaison looked puzzled. Obviously, he did not understand the King. The feeling of frustration became thick in the room. Still, the Crowns would not let Lisa do the spell. Dawn made a sad note. Set nuzzled my leg to quietly get my attention.
"I understood some of his words. There are dragon words in there. Maybe dragon magic can help."
He bumped my riding set, making the chain jingle. I stepped up to the liaison. Without speaking, I showed him my riding set. He nodded, understanding my position. Keeping the rings on, I removed the bracelet and fixed it around his large thumb. A small jolt of energy arced between us. As I looked into his eyes, words, images, feelings, and sensations raced through me. He, too, seemed to receive something. Another jolt ended the sharing. He took a step back. Everyone was watching us closely.
"You have a unique way of teaching language," the liaison Gardon told me just before I removed the bracelet.
"Nik ma, sakfa. Brimagor dosh tik," I told him as I put my bracelet back on.
I went off to a corner, utterly alone. Even though Vanity was on my hip, I could not sense anything from her. Set came over and whined. I could not hear him. I found a place to sit and nearly collapsed into it. Set settled on the floor next to me. I heard the liaison speak, but could not understand a word. The Crowns, my sisters, and the Palace members spoke, but it was all gibberish to me. Set continued to comfort me with his physical presence, knowing any spoken words went unheard.
I do not know how long they talked or what they said. A cough got my attention. The liaison stood above me. His large hand enveloped my hand and riding set.
"All is well, I give you back your words," he told me.
"Thank you. I do not like being so alone."
"Your Sister, Lisa, is a good choice to do the ritual. Her spell will do what Brimagor's gift did, but without the loss. I explained what happened, so your sisters are less worried than they could have been had I not explained. I am sure they want to reconnect with you as soon as possible. I look forward to your visit at Givia."
Releasing me, voices flooded into my mind; Set, Vanity, my sisters, the other swords, and the elves. Their worry vanished when they felt me. My sisters ran to me, nearly crushing me between them. I had to stop them from replaying the entire conversation for me. I told them I would get it from them later.
Liam approached and parted my sisters, "Kayla, that was an amazing sacrifice on your part. I do not know anyone else who would give us so much just so two races could understand each other. The Crowns had wanted, had hoped, to find a way to communicate with them without using the spell as some spells vanish as soon as they are used and cannot be cast again. We thought we would have to resort to hand gestures. You have the gratitude of the Crowns and Palace."
I nodded. We followed him back into the main area of the Throne Room. A thunder of applause followed us to the throne. The Crowns were also clapping. I felt like running away, hiding from all these people. I am certain my face was bright red. King Sarvicnal motioned for silence. He and the Queen smiled at me.
"Kayla, you have done the impossible. We would not have a fraction of the knowledge we gained just now without you. There is one question: What made you think to do that?"
"Honestly, it was Set. He heard dragon words in Gardon's opening words. He suggested that dragon magic might help. Since Brimagor himself forged this set, I trusted that it had the power to help us. I wasn't sure what would happen, but I had faith. The result was a complete surprise."
"Wait," came a voice from the Palace, "you didn't plan that? You just paired up with a complete stranger not knowing the outcome? What if he killed you? What if he kept it, leaving you separated? Why take the risk?"
"Life is a risk," I said, addressing the whole assembly, "We know not day-to-day, moment-to-moment, what will happen to us. We have only a promise of our next moment, not a guarantee."
Everyone was still. I thought I had insulted them. I felt a hand upon my shoulder. King Sarvicnal stepped to my side. Queen Elenvarna moved to my other side.
"Such trust, faith, and heart. We hope to restore that to the Kingdom of Crialas," Sarvicnal told them.
Another thunderous applause. The Crowns, Liam, and we seven left amid that noise.
As we went back to the royal apartments, my sisters told me about the void they felt when Gardon got my language and mental speech. I shared the emptiness I felt. The Crowns and Liam stopped when they heard sniffling. Seeing us in tears, they became concerned. It was difficult to explain, but they seemed to get the idea. Once that was done, we all began to wonder what Gardon was going to tell his people about his visit. I was asked if I remembered any of the language. I tried, but it was like grasping water. I could almost get a word, but then it would slip away.
Walking through the castle, we could see how the others were adjusting to seeing the Crowns strolling around without guards around or between them. Some were visibly angry. Others hid as soon as they saw them. The Crowns stopped a few of them to ask why they reacted the way they did. A few of the angry ones spouted stuff about protocol, station, and other nonsense. They were given the option of leaving their service. Some actually left what they were doing and walked out. The fearful ones had another tale. They told about older servants telling them that the Crowns had become beasts in that other place. The Beast Spirit was still within the Crowns and, if the staff were caught without guards around the Crowns, the Beast would eat the staff alive. Only when the Crowns were guarded or in their chambers was the staff safe from their appetites. When the Crowns started roaming with only girls or Palace members, they were certain the Beast was loose... and hungry. That was how they explained the disappearance of so many Palace members. No one had told them about Galvadore. They actually believed the aftermath of the slayzoule attack was the Crowns "feeding". The Crowns charged Liam with the task of straightening out all these wild tales and make sure everyone knew the truth. If, after they learned the truth, they were still fearful, they, too, were allowed to leave their service. Liam bowed and set about this task. The rest of us went to the royal apartments. I could see the Queen was a mix of emotions while the King was just angry, but both were silent. The servants in their apartments asked us about their silence. We told them what the other servants had said. Some left as soon as we finished. The Crowns watched them leave and looked at us, confused.
"They are not leaving for good," one of the older ones stated, "They've gone to give Elder Liam a hand in setting the story straight, even if it means busting some skulls."
The Crowns paled at the thought of their household fighting each other over rumor and tall tales. They were assured that no lasting harm would be done, but that they would definitely "get the message".
As we had lunch, the other servants returned. They were very pleased with themselves.
"Your Majesties," one reported, "those wild tales are ended. Everyone, down to the youngest maids and hands, are fully aware of the truth and will come to us if they hear any more crazy stories."
As no one was bleeding, wounded, or harmed in any way, we surmised that they did not have to resort to violence. Alice and Anna reported only one valet was slapped, but no other blows were exchanged. The Crowns were relieved that peace was taking the place of chaos among their people. The servants said that the real story would be carried out to the city and kingdom. While not as quick as the cloister's ritual, all of these bits that were being set straight was slowly controlling the chaos in the castle and city.
It was decided to head for Givia before dawn so as to have all day to conduct business with the Givagar.
The rest of the day and part of the night was taken up with preparations and rehearsal.