Posted by AlOmega on July 08, 2004 at 11:47:02:
The knowledge that I’ll live thousands of years daunts me. To know I will see those I love age and die may be more than I can endure. However, I have been assured by those few who know and are like me that I will overcome these feelings – much like I will overcome many others. “Time is the great Healer”, someone once said. Mystique and Sam have said also that it is not the length of time one lives but only the first hundred years. They must think I’m a child with childlike thoughts. But, although I am much younger than they, I AM an adult. Why won’t they see this? Or should I ask the question, why can’t I? There are questions that have no answers except to live the life one is given. However as one who knows has said -the Lady of the Sea also called Circe, “Answers may be a long time coming, youngling. That is a scary thought.”
As the Professor was moved inside his tent, he began to moan.
“Get that blue folder out of my bag, Sam,” Mystique requested without a backward glance. She knelt beside the Professor and laid her hand on his brow. Looking behind her, she shouted, “Everyone, OUT! No one but Sam should be here.”
Sam returned just as everyone – grumbling at the domineering manner Mystique had taken upon herself – had left. They mulled around the tent entrance before Marty suggested that since it would soon be dusk, they should get a fire going. He didn’t know who the cook was going to be this night (each person shared that duty) but at least some broth should be prepared for the Professor at least.
Inside, Mystique removed a green and yellow cloth from the folder and, after spilling some water over it, applied it to Lamons’s brow. Lamons was sleeping but restive until Tooth came inside, laid down and rested his great head on his paws. No longer did laughter glint in his eyes.
“What happened, Mystique?” asked Sam.
“Should be asking Tooth that question. He’s the one who tapped on Mr. Lamons’s skull. I’ve only found out that Lamons shouldn’t be in the general area of that cavern, let alone near the entrance to that tumbled down tunnel. And that’s what it is, according to the pictographs. Somehow, the good professor was being manipulated by some being at the far end of that subterranean passageway. Tooth reached out and did what he calls “a Gentle Tap” though what that means, I don’t know. I’m just glad it’s blocked up.”
Just before she removed the cloth from the Professor’s forehead, Mystique sprinkled some thyme and incense on it. Turning the cloth over, she kneaded the powders into his scalp. Within seconds, Lamons settled into a deep sleep.
“He’ll rest now and be good as new tomorrow. The thyme should keep his mind free of whatever’s behind that barrier so we can go now. Besides I want another look at those pictographs before the sun sets.”
“Why? What did you see?”
“Something having to do with Celtic lore and something else. It’s around the pictographs actually. Have you ever heard of Elfin Script? That lettering was placed there either by elves or one of the local spirits hereabouts. We need to see these alone. Naomi’s gotta come with us. And – here’s this for a surprise – I saw Tooth’s name among the pictographs. This is getting to be fun.”
“Fun? You’ve got a strange idea of ‘fun’, Mystique. If what you say is true, we could get ourselves killed – or at least these archeologists – or even worse.”
“Nope. Aint gonna do that either. Think we’re the answer – or onto it anyhow. However we’ll need that sand painting fast. My suggestion would be to create one using the Sky Gods as a model. I shall provide the Earth Mother. Naomi will provide the link to the gods of water. Let’s go.”
After assurances that the Professor would be alright in the morning, the rest ate supper and turned in for the night expecting a long day ahead. The trio set up tents and acted as if they also were going to sleep. However as the faint snores hit the tops of the tents, the three witches returned to the mysteriously blocked passage.
Again Mystique used her brush on the pictographs. This time they glowed even stronger.
“Naomi, look at these,” Mystique said as she outlined one of the pictographs with her finger. “These are moon symbols - that is, they’ve been created using enhanced electrum so that under the influence of the moon, they become faintly visible. The electrum must be added to an oil - generally sesame oil - achieve the consistence that we have here. The oil has long dried out of course; however, the action of painting and drying of the oil melded the electrum into the stone. I think my own teacher told someone about this process several decades ago - some English professor who was researching ancient knowledge existing prior to the emergence of England as a country.”
“Moon letters? I‘ve heard of them somewhere,” said Sam as he gathered his sands. “Some book mentioned them. Fantasy book if I recall written back in the nineteen-forties.”
“Probably,” Mystique said as she removed two candles of red, two of blue, two of white, and two of green from her bag. She also removed two tiny plastic bags and four pieces of chalk - brown, yellow, black, and white. “But then she was raised to take the place of her own mother’s position as a teacher of Celtic lore. You would probably call her a druid.”
Mystique proceeded to drew an octagon six feet to a side using each color on the parallel sides. The sides pointing north and south were blue while the sides pointing east and west were red. The diagonal sides pointing northeast and southwest were brown while the remaining sides were black. The white candles were placed at the point where black touched blue, the reds were on the points where brown touched red, the green were where the red touched black, and the blues were placed at the juncture of the brown and red lines. The three took up positions within the octagon - Mystique facing south, Naomi facing west, and Sam facing east. Sam was just about sit when Tooth surprised Mystique by sitting facing the north. As they all sat, the candles flickered into life. Again Sam started by singing and laying the borders with the open side to the east. However just before he let the sands slip from his fingers. He paused. Using her right forefinger, Mystique drew four runes each of which glowed in the four candle colors before vanishing in the air. As they became visible, she sifting the contents of the two bags onto the area to be painted with her left.
None of them noticed the pictographs glow brightly although Mystique expected that to happen. As Sam sang and the sands trickled from his fingers, Naomi for some reason drew four more symbols in the air. These were Navajo symbols for air, rain, earth, fire. However, these symbols glowed with the colors of the octagonal sides. As Sam sang and continued creating the painting, Tooth crooned a soft sigh and created what the three could only think of as dog-song. Yet it was unlike anything they had ever heard before.
Sam was about to add yellow ochre to the picture when the color vanished as if it hadn’t existed. All looked at the sands so far filtered onto the cavern floor. The sands had formed into a storm pattern with lightning. Then it changed as if alive to another a single female Yei, Several Yeis joined and whirled into a dance. This modified itself into Mother Earth and Father Sky and then into the Tree of Life. The sands shifted one final time and settled into an old pattern Sam knew very well - that of Coyote stealing fire. It was one of his earliest works back when he had learned to sing and sift the sands from the Wise One.
He knew now that the Wise One was also akin to witches. However while he was gathering more sand-making materials, he had died in a massive rockslide. As he and Mystique knew, all witches are subject to death. Their only protection came from their knowledge of nature and the spirit world.
As the sands settled into this final portrait, the candles died, Tooth sniffed once at the painting and cried plaintively. The three stood as the sands and octagonal lines vanished. Mystique gathered her candles for use at another time.
“So, Sam, what do you think?”
“It went well. The sands have never shifted that many times, however, I believe we’ve got Coyote’s ear. He’ll aid us if he can. The Yeis indicate that there are at least two other entities as well that are part of this.”
“Things come in threes, Sam.”
“We also have the support of the elements as well. Did you see anything, Naomi?”
“Only that something is imprisoned on the other side. Whatever it is, it must be evil.”
“Sometimes what is evil doesn’t wish to be. This being, for that it is, is assuredly female - or thinks of itself as female at any rate. I gleaned that at least from the sands. I agree though that it longs for home and wants to return. Something it fears is preventing that. Additionally, we need those two missing artifacts. They aren’t here and that bothers me. We’ll need to ask the others about that, I’m sure. I can created the reliquary easily enough. We can use any box as a base really - even cardboard. However, I think we may need some adamant mixed with sands and water. I need about a quart of water for this and at least three of your sands, Sam - lapis, yellow, and diamond dust should do. I’ll need to prepare the water, however. I’ve got to powder some of my chalks and will need your help, Naomi. With that, I think….” Mystique’s words were interrupted by a low growl from Tooth.
“What is it?’
Tooth growled once again and walked toward the entrance. He growled once again but it was louder. No, not exactly louder. The growl came from beyond Tooth who once more looked at Mystique. She nodded on seeing him shift first one ear and then the other.
“Darn! I was afraid of this. Forgot to check or I would have prepared the potion before hand and given it to him tonight.”
Mystique walked to where Tooth was waiting. She looked back at the two and gestured them to come to her.
“Naomi, you have to see this. I don’t think you believed me earlier but this will be proof. Sam’s seen this only a couple of times I think,” she said as a sad smile lit her eyes. “Of course it’s been a while since we traded secrets, hasn’t it, Sam.”
“Is it what I think it is?” asked Sam.
“You betcha,” Mystique said flippantly. “And everything you’ve ever heard about them isn’t all true, Naomi,” she added. “Silver isn’t any good either. I found that out. Tooth may offer some protection, however, Tooth can’t be harmed like we can.”
“What do you mean?” Naomi asked as another growl - almost a roar - echoed in the cavern.
“Well to be honest, I’ll only say - ’Heerrrressss, Marty.’”
And blocking their passage to freedom erupted a bear-like creature covered in fur. However, this time it wasn’t a bear. This time it was a werewolf.
The hope is that this will result in the ending of that road we chose to walk, the peaceful and secure rewards for a life of trials. Yet it never comes to that for peace is not a place, whether lined by hedges or high walls. The greatest ruler with the largest army in the most invulnerable fortress is not necessarily a person at peace - far from it. For with the irony of it all is that the acquisition of material wealth and power can work against any hope of true serenity. But beyond any physical securities lies yet another form of unrest - one that neither ruler or pauper can escape. Even the greatest - king, president, superstar, or poorest of people - will be full of the unspeakable anger we all sometimes feel - anger and helplessness. It is the quiet source of irrational outbursts against friends and family, the perpetrator of temper. True freedom from it cannot be found in any place outside one’s own mind and soul.
However, I eventually found my place and a sort of peace. I found this place within me, not about me. It happened when I studied in New Orleans and found my place as a witch and protector. Only then did I learn to defeat the unspeakable anger within. Only there did I learn true peace and serenity.
Now I take that calm with me, whether my friends accompany me or not. Mine is a kingdom of the heart and soul, defended by the security of honest love and friendship and the warmth of memories. I only hope and pray that others in this world will eventually walk out of their own darkness and come to this same emotional place.
Knowing that until the banshee was banished, she was doomed to remain, Veilrozz created her own realm of power. That meant securing the minds and souls of those living here. And since they were mere humans, she remained. Would that she had listened to her own inner senses. The local gods and a few of the nasty spirits that lived in the lands beyond had banded together and created a device that both froze her in place and precluded her ever leaving this thrice-damed cavern. She was once again left alone without slave or home. Only her silent Tapestry remained. As long as she lived, they would live and suffer. For those souls, there was no peace.
However, in the struggle for dominance between the illithid and gods, the lands above had undergone many changes. No longer did the rains come as they had for centuries earlier.
Recently, things had changed for Veilrozz. For some reason, the barrier that had enslaved her, no longer existed as a whole. Thus for the first time, she knew freedom albeit her freedom was limited to the series of rooms she still called her own. And a short time ago she had managed to ensnare her first victim in many a century. That lasted only a short time, however, as another power had snatched him from her.
Once again she walked along the passageway that was blocked. Again she managed to work a stone free. But she was still weak from her long self-imposed sleep. If she did not secure nourishment soon, she might weaken so much that she could never escape. As she moved the heavy stone out of the passage, she sensed that something was happening just outside the blockage. Once again she tried to force her will upon those without. Whether because she was too weak or they too powerful, she was unable to do either. However she knew these to be the ones that had searched for her once before. And she felt that ’something’ she had felt then - the something that had banished her thoughts back to her abhorrent excuse for a home. Then she sensed another - a creature of the wild, one of the werefolk. Such as they could not harm her; however, neither could she bind it whether human or were. She would have to wait.
“Okay, Sam. Know any tricks to keep him at bay?” Mystique said fumbling in her purse for something - anything - to fight with.
“Not a chance, Mystique. Shape-changers never harm the People. However, I’ve not encountered anything like this either.”
“In other words, you don’t have any protection. Darn!! I wish Morgan was here. She’s encounter much more than I have. I remember something she said however I don’t have all the spells for it.”
“You stopped him before. Why can’t you do it now?”
The werewolf again moved toward the trio who crowded against the rocks filling the passageway to whatever.
“Because he was human then. That was a controlling rune, Naomi.” Mystique snarled gathering some powders together. She cast the powders toward the werewolf while at the same time throwing a match. The powders flared up before the werewolf temporarily blinding him. As she was thinking of something else to try, the trio heard a crackling as if a large fire had been kindled.
All three looked beyond from where the werewolf was to a billowing cloud which seemed to smell sulfurous. As the cloud grew bigger, a thunderous roar filled the chamber. The trio tried to close off the sound but stopped as what appeared to be a living ursus spelaeus stepped out of the cloud. It was big, even for a cave bear standing twelve feet (nearly 3.5 meters) tall. Sam had seen large brown bears and even grizzlies. However this bear was even bigger weighing in at around a ton (1,000 kilograms). The werewolf turned and stepped back from this horrific beast.
Was this another were beast? Mystique thought. But, no, this couldn’t be.
The cave bear would have approached the werewolf slowly but the werewolf charged. However, this time it was the bear that gathered the werewolf into his arms and began to crush him. There was a crack of thunder as another mist began to form. This time, nothing came from the mist. It was the mist itself that congealed into something else - or rather something else.
“Please, Spirit of Fire and Earth, release my servant from death.”
As the great bear released the werewolf, the werewolf began to return to his human form of Marty.
“Thank you,” said the giant who was nearly seven feet tall and wore garments of fur and feathers. On his face were strange markings of blue and silver. As they watched, the giant bear grew smaller and smaller until he returned to the shape he generally preferred (at least for now) - that of the German Shepherd, Tooth. This time he nuzzled against the big man’s hand before trotting back to Mystique.
“You have secured a worth companion,” said the man turning to Mystique.
Two more columns of mist began to form into two other men though not as tall as the first one. Then as they watched, the taller became smaller until all three were about six feet with clothing much like those worn by Sam and Marty.
Tooth approached the other two sniffing. Mystique could see that they were becoming irritated at this attention. But then what was she to do other than call him back.
Tooth came back and looked at Mystique. Twitching one ear and then the other, he seemed to smile. Mystique began to see the joke as Tooth talked to her.
“So this is them, is it?”
“Perhaps I should introduce myself,” the now-normal man said.
“You must be Coyote,” said Sam letting his astonishment slip from his mind.
“Yes. And you have also come at last. We have much to do and little time to do it. Therefore we must have more time.”
And so began their strangest journey.
Only Coyote had seen the creation of the eight devices by First Man and First woman. They had been drawn from the roots of the mountains. None of them knew , however, where the adamant necessary for the creation of the reliquary.
“Possibly they used this,” said Mystique reaching once more into her purse. She removed the six items she already possessed and deposited them next to the ones placed by the godlings. However when she removed the silvery broach, Coyote leaned forward.
“This is not for you, Coyote. I known you’ve hungered for an eldritch device. However, if you are as willing as you have said to protect this world from what is on the other side, you must not touch this - at least until I ask.”
Mystique suddenly sat down and drew a large “X” on the rock floor using a blue-green chalk-like substance. As the “X” began to glow, she added what looked like birthday candles of red at the ends of each line. Where the lines of the “X” met, she placed the broach. It also started to glowed. She removed a stick of charcoal and flaked off pieces over each candle with her thumb. As she flaked off a piece onto the eldritch broach, the broach emitted tiny sparks and the broach vanished to be replaced by a powdery substance. She scooped the powder into a small, round bronze container with a gold lid. As she closed the container, the broach reappeared. Mystique gathered the broach into her purse along with the extinguished candles.
Mystique looked up at Coyote as she rose and smiled broadly.
“Tricky, you are, Witch. Yes, I know what you are. That ’purse’ isn’t what I think it is, is it,” Coyote said placing his hands akimbo.
Mystique laughed. “Correct, YOU are, Coyote - or should I call you Loki. You’re enough like him to be a twin.”
He’s a cousin only. Nothing more.”
And he also desired eldritch things and got himself into trouble as I recall. No, Coyote, you are much better off without that broach. It could be the death of even such a one as you.”
Mystique turned to Sam and said, “We need the sands now, Sam. And Naomi, we need some water…”
“In my canteen.”
“Then we need to put the water into these eight containers,” and kneeling once more, Mystique produced the required containers. Each was a different color with one of the eight elemental symbols within the inside bottom of each.
Naomi added water to the containers. As Naomi added water, Mystique added a powder which changed the color of the water to match the color of the element corresponding to it. Mystique stirred them by taking each container and swirling it. While she swirled each, she muttered a word and moved her finger through the air creating a rune over each. When she placed the last container down, the runes dropped into each. As that happened, Sam released different sands in to each while singing a single word. The eight swirled once more and then settled. Mystique brought out a small rectangular cardboard box and placed the dark powder from the bronze container over the bottom. Then she added each of the colored waters. As the last one was added, there arose a purple mist from the cardboard box. When the mist had settled, there was what appeared to be a solid rectangular box. Mystique placed each of the eight artifacts on top of the rectangular box.
“We need you’re powers, Coyote - yours and the others.”
As the three sat down beside one another, they held hands. Coyote and the others joined them in hand holding. As this happened, Tooth moved to the far part of the cavern. As they all joined hands, the artifacts sank into the box as if they had never been. The six stood as one. Mystique picked up the box and placed it within a niche to the left of the entrance to the obstructive passage. As she did this, the pictographs glowed with a golden light.
“Okay. It’s done, boys,” Mystique grimly. “Now it’s time for you to do your thing.”
“What do you mean, Witch?”
“I’m not stupid, Coyote. You called us but you and Gray Man and this other…”
“Gransh,” said the third. “Granish Ironhelm. I was once a member of dwarf kind. When I came here, I found I had a limited amount of power so I stayed.”
“And the Barrier doesn’t’ harm you?”
“No. It was designed for to keep others of my former world from this place. The local gods accepted me because I was weak. And they liked my creations of stone and gems - especially those of topaz.”
Mystique was amazed. She had never heard of such a thing as this - that a person from another world would be permitted to live among the local gods and godlings.
“Why didn’t you just go with them?”
“I was afraid. However, I am not afraid any more.”
“That’s good. I ask you once again, Coyote, Gray Man, and Gransh. Please do what you gotta do.”
The godlings looked at one another and without a nod, the passage leading from the cavern was cleared.
“Uh,” Mystique said after a pause. “Does anyone know what we’re going to find beyond this tunnel?” When no one responded she added, “Okay, then. Let’s get on with it, shall we.” And with Tooth at her side, she led the way into the tunnel. Their surprise at the end of the tunnel was total for none - not even the godlings - had ever seen such a creature.
“I am Veilrozz. Welcome to my world.”
“Not ‘your world‘, I think,” said Mystique, the first to recover.
“True, Witch, true. I would rip your minds to shreds if it wasn’t for that, that thing with you.”
Tooth gave a laughing bark.
“Yes, you, creature from the Realm of Evil.”
“You’re mistaken. He’s not ’evil’. Tooth is from the demon world.”
“He’s from something worse for my kind, Witch. His mind fills mine with thoughts I hate - evil thoughts of love and friendship. Oh, I know what you want. You want me off your world as well, you insignificant godlings scared of your own passing. You should have left with the others. Even you, dwarfling. You shouldn‘t be her either.”
“Neither should you, illithid. Oh, I know YOUR kind as well. I don’t know Tooth’s but his must be better than those of your cities hiding within the Underdark. Mystique, Sam, Coyote, Naomi - this is an illithid - a creature that is sometimes called a Mind Flayer.”
“I am NOT an “IT”, I am Veilrozz.”
“A female name for a creature that believes itself to be the supreme being within and without its world, doesn’t make it female. No, I know you whether or not you’ve taken on the guise of a female. Your kind is sexless. You search for knowledge of magic and must have arrived through the same gate that I came through. Why haven’t you returned? You would if you could. So there must be a reason.”
“That’s true,” Sam added. “You’re trapped here.”
“Yes,” continued Mystique. “You cannot return and you cannot go forth. And if you venture much further, you’ll be frozen in time.” She glanced at Coyote. “And right now you’re frozen within this second or whatever timeframe Coyote’s made for us.”
“Yes, yes, yes. You are all correct, curse you. There’s another link further away that seems to contain something that blocks by egress.”
“Tooth, check it out.”
Within a few moments Tooth returned. Turning his head once again, he whined twice.
“Again.”
And once again Tooth barked.
“Damed. I”ve only encountered one once and that was over in Germany. We’ll have to check this out but I think we’ve come across the reason she can’t return through the gate. Care to come with us, Veilrozz?”
And the party again continued their travels only this time following Tooth. Then he halted as a faint screech ripped the air. This was soon followed by a cry of anguish.
“What I thought you said, Tooth.” To the others, Mystique said, “Tooth’s uncovered a banshee. That’s what has been guarding this gate. A banshee. And it’s from that other world.”
AlOmega