S01E13 - Return to Cerise

*****

Colin woke me before dawn and we gathered at the henge when the eastern sky was filled with the deep blues that promised dawn. I was still sleep-drunk and grumpy when we arrived, having spent some time packing before I went to bed.

An elf was waiting for us, slender as a reed, and dressed in a fashion similar to what Ryllae wore: soft leather boots that sagged around his ankles and tight green trousers of thick cloth. A shirt with a dappled pattern peeked from under a dark green mid-thigh tunic that was richly embroidered with autumn leaves. A hooded cloak of grey squirrel draped across his shoulders and called attention to his pale, ageless face framed by reddish-blond hair pulled back in a short pony-tail.

He held a trenchent similar to my own in leather gloved hands.

“You are the one Ryllae calls hero?” He asked me.

“Is the truth not evident?” I yawned, lifting my trenchent in response. “Man erin …I think.”

“Eithel govannen,” He responded, bowing deeply. “Im n- Morthil, cín sirith las bo i duin a lumb -o i i Loia bo i alefin waui.”

“Sorry, sorry,” I apologised. “I only speak a tiny bit. Elfish magic was part of my studies, so I remember a few phrases. Um, you’re Morthil, and something about a leaf and shade on the Alefin way, I think?”

Morthil favoured me with a smile. “That is a true translation, yes. It would be more accurate to say that I will be your guide and protector.” He said.

“If you could teach me how to use this, I would be in your debt,” I said, indicating my trenchent.

“It will be so.” He said, bowing again.

Simon drew his breath in with a hiss. “You just offered an unbound debt to an Elf.”

“Is that a bad thing?” I said, peering at him in the pre-dawn gloom. My memories of debts with the Fae folk involved a formal bargaining, not a casual remark.

“Maybe not for you…” He said, sounding uncertain.

“Do I have time to send a message to my daughter?” I asked, looking at the brightening skies.

“A candle mark remains.” Mothil said.

“So about 15 minutes.” I muttered to myself. “Plenty of time.”

The brass key to my chest hung on a leather thong around my neck and I pulled it out and summoned my “secret chest”.

“Manifest before me: Etherial Chest”

A cloud of white smoke burst from the ground, quickly vanishing to reveal the chest Brice and Colin had brought to me at the citadel yesterday. Suddenly, every eye was on me. Conscious of the attention, I unlocked the chest and pulled out ink, paper, a quill and some string, then jotted a quick note to Tracy to let her know I was on my way back. Replacing the items, I banished the chest and it vanished in another cloud of smoke.

Invoking Hercinia long-form using my amulet and the power of a fifth-rank circle, I commanded it to deliver my message.

“You stole everything out of the room at the embassy, didn’t you?” Colin accused.

“Only the useful stuff,” I admitted. “Everyone needs extra towels.”

“And a pillow, blanket, bucket of coal, fire poker, hand mirror…”

“All very useful,” I nodded, pulling out my pipe and filling it with tobacco.

“I would like that spell very much,” Simon said.

“It’s a fifth-rank spell tied to a sixth-rank circle. You have to overpower it so it doesn’t eat the chest and everything inside. If Indred doesn’t know it, I’ll make sure to include it in my spell book. You can summon it three times per day, so it’s quite useful for a travelling mage,” I said.

Simon looked like a kid who was just told he had to wait an entire year for his next birthday party.

“Something I’ve been meaning to ask,” I said, pointing at the long dagger at Simon’s waist. “You’re an absolute beast with a staff, but carry a dagger. Why?”

“Because I am an apprentice,” he answered. “In another year I will be allowed to visit Keliana on my own and test for journeyman rank. If I should pass, I’ll be granted a third rank amulet and allowed to create a staff imbued with the spells that Magus Indred has taught me. Four years after that, I may apply for the rank of magus and be granted a growlery of my own.”

His words confirmed what I already suspected, that magic use was regulated by controlling access to the nexus under Kaliana. It didn’t stop the creation of enchanted items, but a rebellious mage could find themselves nearly powerless if they failed to follow the rules of the septumhate.

“It is time,” Morthil announced. “Please gather in the henge. Magus, please remember magic is not advised on the Alefin Way.”

We gathered in the middle of the structure and Morthil began to awaken it, touching each fossilised monolith, causing them to emit a soft golden radiance. Brice and Colin tightened the straps on their shields and loosened their swords in their sheaths. I tried to look useful.

*****

The howling started the moment we crossed the threshold and stepped on the faded brick road. Savage and beastial, it surrounded us on all sides.

“Gathi,” Morthil spat. “They will stay clear of the Way, but they will follow us the entire time.”

“What are they?” Simon asked, trying to spot the source of the howling through the ever-present fog.

“Wolf-kin” Morthil answered. “Long fangs, nasty claws. Stay on the path.”

Conversation was subdued as we followed the dull red bricks into the mist. The forest was close to the road this trip, gnarled trees wreathed with thick tendrils of fog stretched towards the road, their limbs bent at painful angles as if shoved aside. In the concealing mist, we could hear the muffled sounds of things scrabbling out of sight, pacing us.

The occasional howl that came from the forest sounded like it was right next to me, following me as I walked. “Is there any way we can pick up the pace?” I asked, unnerved by the lurking Gathi.

“It won’t do any good.” Morthil said. “The path will last until sunset, when Cerisian henge appears. Walking or running will not change the time it appears, only put some modest distance between us and the vanishing path behind us.”

I grumbled at that thought. I had the stamina of an olympic marathon runner and it was useless here.

Hours passed as we kept up a steady march and the howling became more frequent, erupting from the fog next to me and making me jump each time.

My nerves were raw and on edge when the forest exploded in howls all around me. “C’mon you bastards!” I yelled, brandishing my trenchent at the dense woods. “Come get you some!”

Brice and Colin half drew their blades, startled by my sudden outburst.

“Do not provoke them,” Morthil snapped, his ageless features filled with anger. “The path is a simple ward, it will not stop a determined attack.”

Filled with frustration and embarrassment, I held his gaze for a moment and then looked down at the worn cinnamon bricks under my feet. “Let’s just go.” I said quietly, gripping my trenchent and moving forward.

It was late afternoon when the ever-present fog began to change, receding in some areas and gathering into thick roiling walls in others. The ground had turned into hard ochre soil and the forest thinned, the deciduous trees and undergrowth slowly giving way to patches of barren ground. The air had become markedly cooler, a reflection of Avelan, which was in an autumn temperate zone and not close to the equator like Kaliana. The howling had ceased since my outburst and even though I could hear an occasional scrabbling through the blanket of fog, my mood had improved some.

We emerged from a dense bank of fog and into a barren area where the land on the northern side of the path sloped downwards. At the bottom of the slope a small pond held a shimmering black liquid, fed from the north by a sliver of a stream. Something was crouched beside it, lapping at the oily substance, causing rainbow ripples to spread across the pond.

It looked at us as we moved to the west, then stood, loping up the slope towards us.

“Keep moving.” Morthil said, never slowing his pace. “Ignore it.”

I gripped the warm Loia wood under my fingers and stared at the horror scrambling towards us. It resembled a hairless, emaciated gorilla with patches of dark scales splashed across corpse grey skin. Short bowed legs and long arms ending in powerful talons propelled it up the slope faster than I would have thought possible. Large eyes set under thick bony ridges fixed on me with a glittering madness.

It stopped about four metres from the path, grunting and slathering as it pushed against the mystic force that held it back. It swiped ineffectually at the prey it could see but not reach, smiling with a horror show of blunt bovine teeth.

“What is that?” I whispered, adrenaline flooding my body as I crab walked, not daring to look away.

“Corruption,” Morthil answered. “And some beast that has drank from it.

It followed us for long minutes, swaying and staggering like a drunk, until it fell over and began mewling piteously, draging itself away from the path.

The fog rose around us once more, swallowing the beast.

The misty sky was the colour of blood when the henge appeared before us. Mothil activated it, and we walked through.

*****

“Daddy!” Tracy yelled, jumping into my arms as I emerged from the Ways and into the crisp air of Cerise.

“Hey punkin,” I said, hugging her tightly. An invisible weight I didn’t know I was carrying slid from my shoulders and melted away. Tracy was safe and everything was alright with the world now. “Miss me?”

She nodded her head into my chest, then pushed me away. “Not your message-bird though! It woke me up before dawn!”

“Sorry.” I said, not really sorry. It’s always nice to have a loved one meet you at the airport.

Ryllae stood some distance away, watching us. I waved and she gave a slight bow in return, then went to speak with Morthil.

“Where are the other girls?” I asked, looking around for her friends.

“Dinah and Paige are in the baths after training and Yvonne is with Mirna in the temple, undergoing the ritual to become a Priestess.” She said.

That was interesting news, I thought. Yvonne was always a bit new-age hippy-dippy, but I never suspected that with an actual goddess around she would go full-on convert.

“And who,” I said, pointing with my trenchent, “is the boy?”

“That’s Corporal Finn Shaw. He’s nice,” she said. “You be nice too.”

I shook hands with him, increasing the pressure as I said in a soft voice, “Is that a really large bow strapped to your back, or are you just happy to see me?”

“It’s Tracy’s bow,” He said in a tight voice. “She doesn’t go anywhere without it. She even sleeps with it.”

“And just how do you know that, Corporal Shaw?” I said, lips pulling into a thin smile.

“Because she told me, sir.”

My arm exploded in pain. Howling in surprise, I turned to face my attacker.

“I said ‘Be Nice’ Daddy.” Tracy growled at me.

I rubbed my arm furiously trying to get the sting out of it. “Jesus, Tracy, learn to pull your punches.” I said, laughing at her. “You hit like a sharp, bony, brick wall.”

She pulled back a fist, threatening me again.

“Okay, punkin,” I said, tossing up my hands in surrender. “Nice. Have you eaten anything yet? I’m starved.”

Ryllae and Morthil approached. “Magus Samuel,” Morthil said, catching my attention. “I have given your debt to my elder. She will see to your training.”

“We will discuss matters in the morning,” Ryllae said. “I will expect you at the entrance to the Elfen forest an hour after dawn.”

“I’ll be there,” I replied, then turning to Brice and Colin I added, “You can get me there, right?”

They nodded in agreement. Ryllae gave me a small bow and headed to the door set in the small hillock with Morthil. I was curious to know what was in that particular hobbit-hole, figuring that it was a way-station of some sort for the Alefin guides.

*****

Simon departed to Magus Indred’s tower after I reassured him I would acquire some blank books and start recording the spells I knew in them. I was beginning to get the impression that the mage class was tight-fisted with their knowledge and I had offered the boy a dragon’s hoard of knowledge.

Brice and Colin saw us back to our rooms at the palace and left to report to their superiors. I was hopeful that they would be assigned to me, I had grown accustomed to their mannerisms over the last few days.

Tracy and I met with Paige and Dinah for dinner on a private patio near our suites. A half dozen guards followed us and stationed themselves unobtrusively around the area as servants dressed in the azure and argent livery of Cerise wheeled in a selection of dishes and set them on the table. It was a cool evening, not quite cold enough for a sweater and made more enjoyable by the enchantments that kept away the insects.

“So fill me in,” I said, dipping a hunk of bread into a thick stew filled with chunks of vegetables and venison. “What’s been happening while I’ve been gone?”

“We’re really strong now!” Dinah said excitedly.

“And fast!” Paige added, taking a bite from some sort of meat pastry. “I can run as fast as a car and jump over a house!”

“Unless it has a straw roof,” Tracy giggled. “Then you go right through it.”

“You can jump over a house?” I asked, incredulous.

“Not really,” Dinah admitted. “We can jump about three metres straight up, but with a little parkour we can manage higher obstacles.”

“Some of the other powers are starting to manifest too,” Tracy said, sketching a summoning glyph in the air. “Manifest before me: Aralian Tiger!”

The air next to her shimmered and an enormous tiger appeared. Dark blue stripes ran through its tawny coat and sabre-tooth like fangs jutted from its mouth. It stared at me with a fierce intensity, purring like an oncoming freight train.

I dipped another hunk of bread in my stew and tossed it to the summoned beast, who snapped it out of the air and licked its chops.

“Bow, and beast summoning,” I said. ‘You’ve got a Ranger-type class?”

“Ranger, Hunter, something like that,” she said, voice full of pride. “I can conjure a crow, a horse, a wolf, and Mr. Toofy. I can also summon or repel other animals using a totem, if they’re in the area.”

Mr. Toofy yawned, revealing a maw wide enough to comfortably swallow a basketball. Tracy gave the beast a hug and then sat back at the table.

“That’s pretty impressive,” I admitted, absolutely certain I didn’t want to be on the receiving end of Mr. Toofy. “What about you girls?”

“Runic Warrior,” Dinah said, peeling a hardboiled egg and slicing it into her soup. “I’m having visions of runes and their powers. I’ve already tattooed a few on me, but I need to find ingredients for the really good ones.”

She held up her right arm, exposing a tattoo on skin still red from recent inking. “This one boosts my strength. I can shatter a boulder once I activate it,” She grinned.

“Niiice,” I said, drawing it out in appreciation. “What are the limitations?”

“Once per rest period,” Dinah said. “I have to sleep for them to recharge.”

“And you, Paige?” I asked, tossing another tidbit to Mr. Toofy.

“Shield Knight, I think,” Paige said, uncertainty in her voice. “I have a knack for bashing things and protecting everyone.”

“Sounds like a Shield Knight or a Champion,” I admitted. “The biggest difference between the two is that the Shield Knight can plant a shield and create an impenetrable barrier while the Champion has access to Shouts.”

“I’m a Champion!” Paige yelled, suddenly filled with excitement. “I know how to Shout! It’s all inside my head now!”

I laughed as she jumped up and did a happy dance, then ran around the table to give me a quick hug.

“This is awesome,” she gushed. “I know how to stun, enrage, and incite fear. I can’t wait to use them on the guys tomorrow!”

“You better get some better armour,” I warned. “Enrage will get you mobbed to death.”

Paige nodded thoughtfully as she sat back down. “I can sense what I need.” She said. “I hope they have full plate in my size.”

“I’m sure they can find or modify something,” I said. “Making a proper suit of armour can take months.”

Her face clouded at that, the vision in her head opposed by the reality of the situation.

“What about Yvonne?” I asked Tracy. “You mentioned that she is training to become a Priestess?”

Tracy nodded, feeding Mr. Toofy a final tidbit before he vanished in a puff of blue motes. “He only lasts a few minutes,” she said with a pout. “Yvonne went to the temple the day before yesterday. When she prayed, she heard the voice of Lady Avelan and went to speak with lady Mirna, then decided to become a Priestess.”

“So she heard the Goddess speak?” I asked.

Tracy nodded. “It was all she could talk about until we found lady Mirna,” she said. “That, and her brother.”

Everyone shifted uncomfortably at the table, aware of her brother and his addiction.

“Maybe she’ll find some sort of peace from a real goddess,” I said. “It’s been hard watching her twin spiral out of control after his summoning.”

“Maybe,” Tracy said, worried for her friend.

Before the conversation soured, I began telling the girls about the Alefin ways and my trip to Kaliana, demonstrating a few spells and explaining how magic worked in this realm. Everyone was in good spirits when we parted for the night.

*****

Author’s Note: Holidays and such will cause delays in progress. I have medical stuff coming up and will keep you appraised.

I appreciate your patience and should be back to our regularly scheduled episodes soon.

Completion date: 30NOV2019

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