We awoke on our own. That was odd. The sun was barely above the horizon, but the town was strangely still. Anna cast about, but could not find the cause. Alice also came up empty. None of us felt anything wrong, just empty. We walked through the still building. It appeared deserted. Not a soul was around until we reached the stables. The men out there seemed shocked by our arrival.
"Ladies?" an elderly one asked, "What are you doing up and about? Soumoratane won't be over for another hour. You should be abed."
"Soumoratane? What is that?" Anna asked.
"What is...? Oh, I guess no one told you. I guess you could call it morning prayers. Just before dawn, the naghle population of town goes to the temples, churches, and what all to listen to the clerics tell them what they expect of them today and how well or poorly they did yesterday. It can take hours."
"Why are you not there?" Sarah asked gently.
The men exchanged looks. The elder rolled up his left sleeve to reveal and O with an X on top of it. The others revealed identical marks.
"We are Oddlings. We are not permitted to socialize with the naghle part of the city. That is why we have the hardest, dirtiest, and least desirable tasks in the city. It keeps us invisible."
"Why?" Lisa asked, "Are you criminals?"
They all laughed.
The elder continued, "We are below criminals. We are heretics. We refused to follow the teachings and instructions of the naghle clerics and continued the ways we learned from our parents, which they say is not 'correct', " they all rolled their eyes at that word, "All we have to do to be among them is to renounce everything we were taught and believe and do what they tell us. I, personally, would rather be executed."
The others echoed his statements.
We were very confused. This seemed like an open and tolerant people. Now, we find out they punish their own just because of a variation in belief and teachings. We decided to stay with these men to learn more of this division. We were told of the hundreds that received this discrimination and the hundreds more who secretly adhere to their old ways while appearing to have accepted the teachings. Being able to voice their hurt, anger, and sadness to people who could sympathize and not blame them seemed to lighten the burden these men carried. We found out that most had grown up in small villages and outlying lands where they still sang to the sun, danced beneath the moon, and gave gifts to the gods whenever a child was born. Here, in "civilized society", such activities made them outcasts. Some villages, we were told, are not allowed to trade with Gowgornok for this very reason. The road was even removed so to visually disconnect the two places.
I don't know how long we sat in that chilly stable, drinking a warm tea, and listening to their tales. Suddenly, the men got up and disappeared into the shadows of the stable. A staff woman of middle years appeared in the doorway.
"Sisters? What are you doing out here? We thought you would still be asleep. The council is waiting to take you to see the Miner's Rod."
We left the cups and followed her, secretly leaving blessings for the men who had been such gracious hosts.
We followed her to the council chambers. The staff woman whispered to them, telling them where she had found us. The council looked at us and dismissed her. While they did not openly mention it, the event lay just below the surface, along with a list of other peculiar things we had done. Quietly, we all ate with them. Their silence was louder than any accusation they could voice.
Once we were finished, the council guided us to the place where the Rod was housed. Barred doors and windows made the small structure look more like a prison than the home of their most treasured item. Guards were at every entrance and patrolled inside and out. Also, the guards had badgers on leashes, almost like guard dogs. Set attracted these animals' attentions and nearly every patrol man had to hold his back to keep it from charging at us. We were checked, rechecked, and checked again for any hidden weapons, sacks, or items that might be used against the Rod.
Finally, we reached the center of this building and looked upon the Miner's Rod. We all had to stifle laughter. It looked ridiculous! A bone covered in metal plates and jewels, lying on a large overstuffed cushion surrounded by four heavily armored guards. Invisible to many, I could see a web of magic surrounding the cushioned pedestal.
One of the guards approached us, "State your business, " he ordered.
"The council brings the Seven Sisters of the Swords to view the Master Miner's Rod," a councilor told him.
The guard nodded and waved at the other three, who reached down next to them and touched a panel. Most of the web disappeared. The guard before us walked us to the pedestal. He touched a panel and the last bit of magic vanished. With it gone, we were able to receive impressions from the item. Anna confirmed most of the story Cara told us about.The bone was a dwarf's leg bone. The hide on the handle was not animal. In spite of the hairiness, the hide was the dwarf's own skin, most likely from the same leg as the bone. Gretta confirmed the value and purity of the metals and stones encasing the bone. The gnomes around us grew wider bands of pride as we revealed these things.
Lisa seemed to be feeling something. The council noticed her strained expression.
"Sister? What is it? You look as if you are in pain," one asked, very concerned.
"It is a good thing this was not reattached to the Master Miner. Whatever bit it off had poison in its mouth. The healer must have been very good to save his life if the poison is still detectable after all this time."
Two of the guards looked at the large end of the bone and gasped.
"She speaks true! There is something foul on the head of the bone," one shouted.
The council murmured and ran around to look for themselves. We joined them and saw the inky substance nearly covering the top of the bone. It reminded me of puddles of soul poison.
The one who had not spoken reached out to touch it. We tried to stop him, but his finger lightly touched it. It leaped off the bone, pulling cleanly from it, and covered the gnome's hand. He jumped and swung, trying to get it off. It grew, still covering his hand, to crawl up his arm, under his armor, to his face. His screams were stopped when it entered his mouth and nose. The council and guards prevented us from aiding the guard. Suddenly, he went stiff and fell over. We gathered around, but were still kept back. The substance left his hand and arm and completely entered the guard's body.
"How is it no one has touched it before now?" Lisa barked.
"We have only used it a few times. Even then, it was handled with gloves, gauntlets, and in near darkness. It has lain here for over three generations. We have had no reason to closely examine it and no way to know anything dangerous lay upon it," a councilor countered.
The soldier lay very still, but was still breathing. Sarah began weeping. We gathered around her to comfort her as she explained.
"It is taking him over, pushing the guard out of his body,"
The guard stood quickly and faced us, "Nomkak du rask may su," he spoke as stiffly as he stood.
We all looked at each other, very confused. None of us understood a word. This did not matter to him. Stiffly, he began walking towards the Rod. The three remaining guards and some from outside surrounded him. Try as they may, he walked on, as if nothing lay between him and his goal. The council looked at us in panic.
"Set, grab him," I called out.
With a bark, Set seized the gnome. With all that weight, the possessed guard could not move forward even though he continued to walk. Shackles were nearly thrown upon him. Still, he continued moving. We seven formed a wall between him and the Rod.
"You shall not pass," we told him as one.
"Dag ka shone tay nak alawn," he replied, still attempting to walk in shackles against Set's weight.
"He is not stopping. I can hold him a long time. My tail weighs more than he does," Set informed me.
"Good," I said aloud, "Hold him. This will probably cause him to twitch a bit."
We started the soul poison spell. The guard stopped walking. He tried to lunge at us, but Set held him fast. He opened his mouth and the inky substance flowed out to pool upon the floor. The guard collapsed onto Set, who pulled him off to the side. The substance rose and formed a roughly gnome-sized figure. The guards and council backed away, nearly to the wall.
"Do not bar me, Sisters," the form rippled as the words sounded in the room, "I am taking the Rod. These chotas are not worthy to keep it."
"Are you the creature that bit off the Miner's leg?" Lisa asked sharply.
"What is left. This portion of myself landed upon this leg as I was being slaughtered by his servants. I have waited until a living being touched me to return. The Miner pushed me deep inside. It has taken a long time to return to the surface."
"Do you power the Rod?" Sarah asked.
"No, its power made freeing myself more difficult. Now, I am taking the Rod to not only return to full power, but have my revenge upon these chotas and the wagnas that slew me."
"No, you will not!" we told him in unison.
We began the hybrid demon spell. The creature roared loud enough to bring the guards and patrols from outside this chamber and building. They collided when they stopped in the doorway and saw the scene before them. We were not disrupted and continued the spell. The creature shrunk but continued to roar. A few of the gnome clerics regained a bit of their courage and helped us make it disappear completely. With it gone, everyone was able to breathe easier. The guard, Set informed us, was still alive but "asleep". Men were ordered to take him to the healers. The three other guards returned to their positions around the Rod. The council huddled together and spoke low.
With the creature gone, we all felt an increase in power from the Rod.
"Wow, the Rod feels much stronger now. That thing was blocking a lot of power," Callie commented mentally.
"Something has changed," I told them as I looked at the Rod, "The aura around it shows divine magic. I think the Master Miner may have been a god after all."
"Do you think we can touch it? To tell exactly what it is and what he was?" Sarah asked.
"Surely we have proven ourselves enough to allow it," Lisa commented, casting a glance at the council.
"We should still ask," Anna added.
We walked over to the council, who actually recoiled from us.
"May we touch the Rod? The creature leaving has caused a change in the feelings we receive from it and we need to touch it to understand all of it," Anna explained.
The council stared blankly. We attempted to tell them what had changed, but we were stopped.
"Sisters, we are humbled by the power you have displayed. Our illusions to hide our dwellings pales to what we have seen. If touching it reveals something we need to know, so be it," one told us softly.
The guards stepped back to give us room. The Rod was nearly humming with power. Divine magic spiraled around it, mixed with god sparks, dwarf magic, and cleric yellow. I was leery to touch it, but my sisters and our companions encouraged me. I took a few breaths to calm myself, then grasped the Rod. It vibrated and pulsed.
Clearly, in my head, I heard, "Not dwarf. Only dwarf."
With it in my hand, I turned to Callie. As I handed it to her, I smiled, "It says only a dwarf."
Her eyes went wide and she looked between it and I very quickly and repeatedly. I took a step forward. She looked fit to flee. I took her hand and placed the Rod across her palm.
As soon as I released her and it, Callie stiffened and seemed to hold her breath. The council had cautiously approached to witness what was happening. Callie took a deep breath and looked at the council. She spoke in a deep male voice that was not Wrath.
"Gnomes! My history is wrongly recorded. Hear my words and write them true."
The council scrambled to find something to record his words. Also, chairs were found for everyone. Callie sat as if on a throne, in a very masculine way. The council sat on the edges of their chairs, eager to hear every word.
"My name is Jordsonn Gudfarspokelse. My father was one of the High Fathers referred to as grandfather spirits. He gave me my powers over dirt, stone, and metal. My mother was a Hengi Jomfru, one who tended the sacred fires. She gave me the powers of the earth elementals and walking through stone and on molten earth. I did not gain any of these until after being thoroughly trained and they passed to the Other World, when I was well past one hundred years of age. It took another decade to get the master miners to let me carve even one tunnel. Only by proving that my finding metals and gems was not luck or a fluke did they believe in my powers and allow me to use them on a regular basis.
"With each strike and vein, my 'rank' increased and my status grew. By my two hundredth year, I was among the master miners with apprentices and journeymen at my side almost constantly. My village grew into a city and my lord became a king.
"The day I lost my leg, my crew and I were investigating old tunnels that had been abandoned as 'cursed' or 'haunted'. We had been deep in these tunnels for a couple of days when one of my crew vanished. We found a creature unknown to us eating my apprentice. We attacked it with all of our might, but barely caused any damage to it. Hearing me be referred to as master, it decided my death would let it be left in peace. It ignored my crew and focused all of its attention on me. We fought long and hard. I had it pinned under me, determined to kill it. It rolled and grabbed my leg. It teeth and claws painfully ripped my flesh and muscle. With a crack that echoed in those tunnels, it broke my leg and snapped it off at the hip. In my pain, I called to my parents. I looked for my crew, but none were to be seen. Two bright lights entered that area. They assaulted the creature and caused it to be torn to shreds. I drifted in and out of consciousness, but the lights stayed. My crew returned with a squad of fighters. I, my leg, and the remains of my apprentice were carried back to the city. A healer saw my condition and began caring for all of my wounds. I was asked if I wanted my leg reattached, a new leg, or no leg. My old leg was ragged and had bits of the creature all over it. I would not be able to mine with only one leg, so I opted to have a new leg. Magics, potions, and a lot of pain later, I had a new working leg.
"During my recovery, I decided on turning my old leg into magical items. I had no spouse nor children, so my bloodline and powers would end with my death. My crew stripped all the hide off to leave only bone. The bits of the creature stubbornly clung to the bones. A cleric and I managed to get all of the bits on the thigh bone and stuffed them deep inside the bone. Blessings and magic transferred my powers to these items. The Foot was for stone and lava walking. The two lower bones were tied together to make a Wand to call earth elementals and powers. This Rod, we labored on the most and took the longest. By my three hundredth, all were made, empowered, and my crew trained in their use. I died at three hundred forty-six years of age. My parents, who were the lights that killed the creature, took me to the Other World to be a High Father and watch over my city."
The gnomes wrote every word as it was spoken. When Callie/Jordsonn finished speaking, one of them asked, "Why did you never have children?"
Jordsonn laughed, "Even after all the power and riches I gained for my city, I was still considered a freak and no woman would have me."
This was also written down. They also wrote his instructions on using the Rod, which, from their reactions, differed greatly from what they knew before. Finally, they were warned that, without the creature damping its power, the Rod could now lead magic users to Gowgornok. This worried us all.
Jordsonn left Callie, who was weak, but could still walk herself back to our suite. Food was brought to us and we remained in there the rest of the day. Callie was very quiet and slept fitfully. To truly sleep that night, she and I shared a bed with Dawn on the headboard, Bo on the foot board, and Set's tail draped over both of us. She muttered in her sleep and woke a few times. The night seemed endless.
"It is taking him over, pushing the guard out of his body,"
The guard stood quickly and faced us, "Nomkak du rask may su," he spoke as stiffly as he stood.
We all looked at each other, very confused. None of us understood a word. This did not matter to him. Stiffly, he began walking towards the Rod. The three remaining guards and some from outside surrounded him. Try as they may, he walked on, as if nothing lay between him and his goal. The council looked at us in panic.
"Set, grab him," I called out.
With a bark, Set seized the gnome. With all that weight, the possessed guard could not move forward even though he continued to walk. Shackles were nearly thrown upon him. Still, he continued moving. We seven formed a wall between him and the Rod.
"You shall not pass," we told him as one.
"Dag ka shone tay nak alawn," he replied, still attempting to walk in shackles against Set's weight.
"He is not stopping. I can hold him a long time. My tail weighs more than he does," Set informed me.
"Good," I said aloud, "Hold him. This will probably cause him to twitch a bit."
We started the soul poison spell. The guard stopped walking. He tried to lunge at us, but Set held him fast. He opened his mouth and the inky substance flowed out to pool upon the floor. The guard collapsed onto Set, who pulled him off to the side. The substance rose and formed a roughly gnome-sized figure. The guards and council backed away, nearly to the wall.
"Do not bar me, Sisters," the form rippled as the words sounded in the room, "I am taking the Rod. These chotas are not worthy to keep it."
"Are you the creature that bit off the Miner's leg?" Lisa asked sharply.
"What is left. This portion of myself landed upon this leg as I was being slaughtered by his servants. I have waited until a living being touched me to return. The Miner pushed me deep inside. It has taken a long time to return to the surface."
"Do you power the Rod?" Sarah asked.
"No, its power made freeing myself more difficult. Now, I am taking the Rod to not only return to full power, but have my revenge upon these chotas and the wagnas that slew me."
"No, you will not!" we told him in unison.
We began the hybrid demon spell. The creature roared loud enough to bring the guards and patrols from outside this chamber and building. They collided when they stopped in the doorway and saw the scene before them. We were not disrupted and continued the spell. The creature shrunk but continued to roar. A few of the gnome clerics regained a bit of their courage and helped us make it disappear completely. With it gone, everyone was able to breathe easier. The guard, Set informed us, was still alive but "asleep". Men were ordered to take him to the healers. The three other guards returned to their positions around the Rod. The council huddled together and spoke low.
With the creature gone, we all felt an increase in power from the Rod.
"Wow, the Rod feels much stronger now. That thing was blocking a lot of power," Callie commented mentally.
"Something has changed," I told them as I looked at the Rod, "The aura around it shows divine magic. I think the Master Miner may have been a god after all."
"Do you think we can touch it? To tell exactly what it is and what he was?" Sarah asked.
"Surely we have proven ourselves enough to allow it," Lisa commented, casting a glance at the council.
"We should still ask," Anna added.
We walked over to the council, who actually recoiled from us.
"May we touch the Rod? The creature leaving has caused a change in the feelings we receive from it and we need to touch it to understand all of it," Anna explained.
The council stared blankly. We attempted to tell them what had changed, but we were stopped.
"Sisters, we are humbled by the power you have displayed. Our illusions to hide our dwellings pales to what we have seen. If touching it reveals something we need to know, so be it," one told us softly.
The guards stepped back to give us room. The Rod was nearly humming with power. Divine magic spiraled around it, mixed with god sparks, dwarf magic, and cleric yellow. I was leery to touch it, but my sisters and our companions encouraged me. I took a few breaths to calm myself, then grasped the Rod. It vibrated and pulsed.
Clearly, in my head, I heard, "Not dwarf. Only dwarf."
With it in my hand, I turned to Callie. As I handed it to her, I smiled, "It says only a dwarf."
Her eyes went wide and she looked between it and I very quickly and repeatedly. I took a step forward. She looked fit to flee. I took her hand and placed the Rod across her palm.
As soon as I released her and it, Callie stiffened and seemed to hold her breath. The council had cautiously approached to witness what was happening. Callie took a deep breath and looked at the council. She spoke in a deep male voice that was not Wrath.
"Gnomes! My history is wrongly recorded. Hear my words and write them true."
The council scrambled to find something to record his words. Also, chairs were found for everyone. Callie sat as if on a throne, in a very masculine way. The council sat on the edges of their chairs, eager to hear every word.
"My name is Jordsonn Gudfarspokelse. My father was one of the High Fathers referred to as grandfather spirits. He gave me my powers over dirt, stone, and metal. My mother was a Hengi Jomfru, one who tended the sacred fires. She gave me the powers of the earth elementals and walking through stone and on molten earth. I did not gain any of these until after being thoroughly trained and they passed to the Other World, when I was well past one hundred years of age. It took another decade to get the master miners to let me carve even one tunnel. Only by proving that my finding metals and gems was not luck or a fluke did they believe in my powers and allow me to use them on a regular basis.
"With each strike and vein, my 'rank' increased and my status grew. By my two hundredth year, I was among the master miners with apprentices and journeymen at my side almost constantly. My village grew into a city and my lord became a king.
"The day I lost my leg, my crew and I were investigating old tunnels that had been abandoned as 'cursed' or 'haunted'. We had been deep in these tunnels for a couple of days when one of my crew vanished. We found a creature unknown to us eating my apprentice. We attacked it with all of our might, but barely caused any damage to it. Hearing me be referred to as master, it decided my death would let it be left in peace. It ignored my crew and focused all of its attention on me. We fought long and hard. I had it pinned under me, determined to kill it. It rolled and grabbed my leg. It teeth and claws painfully ripped my flesh and muscle. With a crack that echoed in those tunnels, it broke my leg and snapped it off at the hip. In my pain, I called to my parents. I looked for my crew, but none were to be seen. Two bright lights entered that area. They assaulted the creature and caused it to be torn to shreds. I drifted in and out of consciousness, but the lights stayed. My crew returned with a squad of fighters. I, my leg, and the remains of my apprentice were carried back to the city. A healer saw my condition and began caring for all of my wounds. I was asked if I wanted my leg reattached, a new leg, or no leg. My old leg was ragged and had bits of the creature all over it. I would not be able to mine with only one leg, so I opted to have a new leg. Magics, potions, and a lot of pain later, I had a new working leg.
"During my recovery, I decided on turning my old leg into magical items. I had no spouse nor children, so my bloodline and powers would end with my death. My crew stripped all the hide off to leave only bone. The bits of the creature stubbornly clung to the bones. A cleric and I managed to get all of the bits on the thigh bone and stuffed them deep inside the bone. Blessings and magic transferred my powers to these items. The Foot was for stone and lava walking. The two lower bones were tied together to make a Wand to call earth elementals and powers. This Rod, we labored on the most and took the longest. By my three hundredth, all were made, empowered, and my crew trained in their use. I died at three hundred forty-six years of age. My parents, who were the lights that killed the creature, took me to the Other World to be a High Father and watch over my city."
The gnomes wrote every word as it was spoken. When Callie/Jordsonn finished speaking, one of them asked, "Why did you never have children?"
Jordsonn laughed, "Even after all the power and riches I gained for my city, I was still considered a freak and no woman would have me."
This was also written down. They also wrote his instructions on using the Rod, which, from their reactions, differed greatly from what they knew before. Finally, they were warned that, without the creature damping its power, the Rod could now lead magic users to Gowgornok. This worried us all.
Jordsonn left Callie, who was weak, but could still walk herself back to our suite. Food was brought to us and we remained in there the rest of the day. Callie was very quiet and slept fitfully. To truly sleep that night, she and I shared a bed with Dawn on the headboard, Bo on the foot board, and Set's tail draped over both of us. She muttered in her sleep and woke a few times. The night seemed endless.
No comments:
Post a Comment