Fleeting Nights
With a snarl Kairn accepted the offer,"Only for a while."
"We are headed to a nearby valley, that is three days on foot from here, there is the inn of that friend of ours of whom I alraedy told you, he has a forge and blacksmith tools too, but is not capable to use them", explained Valdyr, "till now we provided to it ourselves but we lack the knowledge of a true blacksmith, this is why I am asking for your skills", seeing tha Kairn was still tense he added, "after that you will be free to continue your journey alone or with us."
After a moment of staring at the man in the eyes Kairn imperceptibly relaxed, "For now I will be your companion."
"Thank you", said Valdyr,"Ulfir, guide us out of here, trying to catch that goat by now will be useless."
After giving Kairn a last gaze full of hostility the Vanir turned his back and began to lead the way out of the canyon, silently all the others followed him with Kairn last, everyone maintaining a prudent distance from anyone else.
Mordek was nervous, all his attempts at solving the puzzle of the King's dream had been unsuccessful till that moment and Venarius was growing impatient, never before something had been hidden from his gaze, what wonder was that eluded all his efforts?
For this he decided to engage in one of the most powerful rituals he knew, and that was the right night for it.
He controlled for the last time that the door conducing to his quarters was closed firmly, then, preceded by Shamir, his young apprentice, he passed through a drapery in the wall that lead through a series of corridors to a square room, only lit by the light of the moon passing through a narrow opening in the wall.
Surrounded by candelabra a deep engraving was barely visible on the floor, it represented a circle divided in four quadrants, in each a bowl to sign the cardinal points.
At the center was a smaller circle with a vase standing inside of it.
Mordek instructed his apprentice once more, "When I will be at the center of the circle you will light the nine candelabra around it, starting from south and proceeding towards west, is this clear?"
"Yes master", answered the apprentice.
"If there are any problems you must blow nine times in the whistle I have given you," at this point he raised his index finger, "and no matter what, never enter the circle until the ritual is completed, understood?"
The apprentice nodded with a scared look in his eyes, his master was used to punish even the slightest trespassing in terrible ways.
Said that the mage stepped into the center of the circle etched on the floor.
At this point the apprentice began to light the candelabra as by his master's orders.
After the ninth and last was lighten the mage took a pouch by the bag on his belt and started to pour a fine grey powder along the circle's circumference with the same motion used by the apprentice.
Done that he took a handful of black earth from the bag and put it in the southern quadrant's bowl
"Could ALKHEM guide my steps in my wanderings."
At this point, he proceeded to the west putting an handful of red ocher in the western quadrant's bowl.
"May the gates of MAHLEK concede a safe passage and return."
Now he was in the northern quadrant and put in the bowl there fine white marble powder.
"That KEHMAL could carry me far and at home."
In the eastern quadrant he filled the bowl with grounded emerald powder.
"Could HELKAM make me see far and conceal my sight to my enemies."
Completed this he crossed his legs seating in front of the vase at the center.
Carefully he took a vial of black liquid from a necklace he was wearing under his robes and poured some drops into the vase, almost immediately a crimson fog began to spring from it clouding the inside of the circle in a blood red mist.
The apprentice could hear then his master intoning a chant, "ALKHEM, MAHLEK, KEHMAL, HELKAM, ALKHEM, MAHLEK, KEHMAL", until it wasn't possible to discern the words anymore, "ALKHEMMAHLEKKEHMALHELKAMALKHEMMAHLEKKEHMALHELKAMALKHEMMAHLEKKEHMALHELKAM".
Mordek was floating above the clouds, looking up at the firmament, his beacon, the nine sisters was burning bright, then he turned his gaze towards the Earth below, from the south a black sinuous spiral elevated towards the sky, proceeding north in long dark spires stretching over Aquilonia, the mage, immersed himself in that foul stream, he was used at that extra-corporeal voyages, and the things he could encounter.
As he thought the serpent in the king's dream couldn't have any other origin that Stygia, still something was off, he delved deeper into the spires, trying to unravel their origin and purpose, but was as being caught in a whirlwind, despite his efforts he couldn't seem to advance in any direction, when reaching south a powerful invisible hand continuously thrown him back making him wander prey of the tides of that ominous smoke, despite his proficiency in the dark arts he began to fear that he would have been ended smothered, any attempt to escape from east or west was futile, the spires were growing in strength and thickness, desperately he looked north. there his attention was caught by an hair thin thread of smoke that seemed untouched by the motions of the spires, riding those malevolent waves he reached for that fickly filament, he began to follow its path, thus escaping the vicious grip of the spires.
Yes, the eagle in the dream should have symbolized the north, bit by bit all the elements were coming together, Mordek summoned powerful ethereal winds to carry him north, towards the end of that volatile thread.
Faster and faster he flied, covering miles in the blink of an eye, it wasn't longer that he was hovering over the icy lands of the north to his amazement, the thread now was more firm and easy to see pointing decisively in a downward direction, the mage eagerly continued to follow it, feeling that finally his quest was ending.
Here, he could finally see the end of the thread nesting inside a human figure moving on the ground, "A young barbarian", thought with incredulity the mage, but not only that, what his eyes saw lurking in the most intimate recesses of that savage soul filled him with delight, what a discovery, to find the key of such power in that unlikely place.
His glee was short lived tho, suddenly he was precipitating on the ground, as struck by a powerful force, despite being in his incorporeal form he couldn't help to feel frightened by the thought of the imminent impact, but what happened next filled him with terror, a chasm opened under him swallowing the mage whole.
Unexpectedly he hit a hard surface, as that was his full body, astonished Mordek looked around, and saw countless skeletons staring at him with their empty orbits, as a necromacer he was used to toy with the dead, not fear them, with apprehension he looked above, it was like being inside a giant tomb, only a little opening was visible, through which the nine sisters' brilliant light could be seen, reassured he stood up, but his confidence was shattered once again when the skeletons ranks opened up to make way to a tall figure in a black armor holding a battle axe, the infernal fires burning in his eye sockets were enough to make Mordek run for his life, all the incantations and secret pacts with the dark forces forgotten and useless.
The mage blindly ran until he realized that he was climbing on a slope conducting at the opening above, new hope filled his heart as the nine lights became brighter and brighter while he was approaching the exit, forgetful of what was chasing him, despite hearing the steps closer and closer, only that beacon of eight lights mattered, wait, for a moment Mordek thought that his eyes were tricking him, but now the lights were seven, no, six, with horror he realized what was happening.
Shamir was full of dread and awe as usual at seeing the display oh his master's powers, powers that he ardently desired for himself, that was why he obliged to all the abject requests and desires of the mage, to be a servant, for a day being master, such is the way of the world he thought.
But even so many times he was about to leave Mordek' service, and that night was almost one of them, for long minutes he saw fantastic figures appearing in the thick red fog still lingering inside the circle, and even if he had already witnessed more fantastic and terrifying things never he had been afraid as in that night, and he couldn't understand why.
While the apprentice was prey of his fears and doubts the lights of the first candelabra went off, as snuffed out by the hand of a ghost.
The apprentice looked paralyzed at the diminishing number of lights, eight, seven, six, five, was then that he finally regained his spirit and began to blow with all his might in the bone whistle engraved with mysterious signs that Mordek entrusted him with.
Kairn and his new found companions found a cave where to take shelter for the night, two days had passed from their first encounter, the march had been mostly silent broken occasionally by the crass jokes of the fat Unnarr.
Kairn in exchange for their supplies had already made some minor fixes, tightening a lose hilt, clipping a broken mail ring or sharpening a knife.
The warmth of the fire lightening the rock walls seemed to invite confidence but still there was a tense atmosphere between the warriors and the young stranger in their midst, "I am tired of eating pemmican", said one of the Aesir in a bout of impatience.
"Bear a bit longer", told him Ramiras, "shouldn't be much that we will be there", he looked interrogatively at Ulfir, the Vanir was slowly chewing on a piece of dried meat, "Probably we will be there by the night of the second day with this rhythm of march", he answered without looking at anyone in particular.
"Never too soon", exclaimed Thurig that was on the entrance, gazing nervously in the night, "Come here and drink some beer instead of acting as a frightened child", roared Unnarr, that was following his own advice at the moment.
That exhortation fell on deaf ears as the Vanir became mortally pale, "Egads, Valdyr", he called with a faint voice, the others were to ask what was happening when an inhumane howl was heard, all of them cautiously approached the entrance to see its source.
A faint blue light could be seen in the distance, outlining the shape of a monstrous female figure that resembled more a beast than a woman, a cortege of foul demonic silhouettes, barely resembling known animals, was following her.
With an ample gesture of the arm Valdyr made the others step back, slowly he extracted a bone knife from his belt and carved a rune on the entrance wall of the cave, then silently he retreated towards the back, seeing that the Brythunian was ready to throw earth over the fire he put his hand over his shoulder, shacking his head he stopped him, then calmly seated by the side of the fire facing the entrance, holding the bone knife with both his hands, all the others followed his example, nervously looking around.
They didn't know how much time had passed until the unnatural tension that filled the air dissipated, with a seemingly effortless movement Valdyr raised up and stepped out of the cave, cautiously followed by the others, after giving a circular look at the surroundings he exclaimed, "It has passed."
"Do you still think that are old women stories?" lashed Thurig at Unnarr, liberating all the tension accumulated until that moment.
"Easy thurig", said the other Vanir which name was Arglar, "we are almost out of their territory, by tomorrow morning we wouldn't have to worry about them anymore."
"Still, they have never come this far", intervened Ulfir, "what could be the reason, maybe you know why Cimmerian", he said addressing Kairn, the implication was obvious, even the others began to look in his direction with an interrogative look on their faces.
"I don't know what you are talking about Vanir", was the angry response, the situation became tense once again, calmly Valdyr talked to both Kairn and Ulfir, "There is no need for this hostility, Kairn, is possible that those beasts have something to do with you?".
A flickering argentine image appeared from the memory recesses of the young Cimmerian to vanish almost immediately, "I have nothing to do with them", was his firm response, in that moment he could only recall confuse images of a battle, the clang of the blades, the flowing of the blood, and something else, he couldn't focus, like the sensation of a sharp pain, as if a burning needle was piercing his brain.
Valdyr continued to look at him with his colorless eyes without showing any emotion in his expression, after a moment he turned his back and began to going back to the cave, "I believe him, let's try to sleep for the rest of the night, they will not disturb us anymore."
One by one they all returned to the cave, some still hesitating, Kairn could feel their perplexity, and expecially Ulfir's hostility.
In an uneasy silence they laid in their improvised beds, Kairn wrapped in his bear fur was lying against the rock wall, his eyes fiery burning, but despite the tension animating him he fell in a deep slumber something that had never happened before in his long nights outside his village.
And then he dreamed, and remembered, it was the winter solstice of his ninth birthday, his father had wake him up in the heart of the night, "Put your clothes on", said Dhurgal with an imperious tone, the young Kairn obediently quickly dressed himself without question, with a nod of the head his father invited him to follow him.
They walked outside, passing through the woods, with only the full moon to illuminate their way, then Dhurgal knelt on the ground, passing his hands around as searching for something under the dirt, he seemed to have found it when with a visible effort he lift a stone lid covered by soil, rotten wood and dead leaves, after having being opened the stone lid remained in place as father and son descended a flight of rock steps.
Now the circular mound inside of which they were was lit by torches secured on the walls, kairrn could notice that at the center stood something similar to a forge, "Kairn" called his father reclaiming his attention, with a severe expression he looked his son straight in the eyes, "tonight I will pass you the secrets of steel, as my father did with me, and his father did with him, secrets that you should only reveal to your own son one day, but don't be mistaken, to learn these secrets will be a life long achievement, however, tonight you have to take an important decision of your own accord, listen carefully."
The young kid nodded, intimidated by his father severity, "as blacksmiths we have the privilege to know the hidden meaning of the runes, something that is only prerogative of shamans, even if our knowledge is incomparably inferior to theirs,, still, such knowledge come as at a cost, tis is not a burden that should be took lightly, the full comprehension of some of the runes I will teach you requires to be bind by them, this is like a flailing morning star, which crushing force comes from the chain to which is attached to."
Kairn was listening to his father enraptured, that was continuing, "if you will not choose this path I will not blame you, there is a lesser teaching where you will come to know the runes in their superficial meaning, still something far superior to your peers, even so this will require that you submit to some obligation, this is like an adorned blade which etching can widen the cuts and draw blood from an enemy but weakens the blade at the same time."
Dhurgal observed his son as he was listening, not letting any of the strong emotions inside of him to show, "finally, you can choose the bare steel, which strength depends only on your will and courage, this means that the secret of the runes will be forever a mystery to you."
The nine years old Kairn stared at his father with all the seriousness of which only little kids are capable while thinking what to choose.
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A)Flailing Morning star.
B)Adorned Blade.
C)Bare Steel.