I awoke to the sound of seagulls and ocean waves. I stood and stretched, then walked out onto the pier, taking in the view of the ocean. There was a peace here that I’d only known a handful of times in my life. I sat and rested against a pylon, legs dangling over the edge of the pier, sighing contentedly.
“You can’t stay here, you know. You’re still mortal.”
“I know. This is a peace I never thought I’d find again, is all.” I looked up and to my left to see Freyr standing beside me, gazing out to the sea.
The breeze caught his hair, making it ripple, looking like grain in the wind. He had a soft smile on his face, and I thought he probably enjoyed watching the waves as much as I did.
“Come. Odin and The Great Mother wish to speak with you.” He extended his hand to help me up, and I took it gratefully.
We began the trip back to the Great Hall, leaving the peace of the waves behind. I didn’t know how often I’d return here, so I tried to commit it all to memory. The pier, the scattered farms, the people flitting about going through their chores. All of it was beautiful in its way.
Off in the distance, I thought I could make out the shape of a great tree. I stopped, staring intently.
“Is that what I think it is?”
Freyr stopped, looking at the tree with me. “Yep. It seems Yggdrasil has decided that this will be a home for us. Magnificent, is it not? We are an unimaginable distance from it, yet it still looks that big.” He gently ushered me into the hall.
We walked to the dining area, and I saw only Odin, seated upon what I assumed to be Hliðskjálf, flanked by Geri and Freki, his ravens seated upon his shoulders. He was truly an imposing person. Beside him, resting in a chair of her own was The Great Mother.
I waved, not knowing what else to do. “You wished to speak with me, Allfather, Great Mother?”
Odin sat there, his singular eye glazed over, staring into the middle distance. I could only guess that he was speaking with his ravens. His wolves looked from him to myself, then lay down. I figured it might be a minute, so I sat on the floor, and played around with my magic some. I summoned a sphere, and practiced expanding and retracting it, shaping it into different forms. I added different colors and then wove it into a net, with hair-thin strands.
The Great Mother seemed content to wait for him to return to, well, whatever reality this was. She watched me intently as I wove my little orb into more and more complex shapes.
I sat there, coaxing my magic into different forms for over an hour, until I heard a polite cough from the chair.
“Ahem. Apologies. There was much Huginn and Muninn had to say regarding Chaia. What were you doing there? I’ve never seen the like.” He leaned forward, curiosity burning in his eye.
I stood and called up the orb again. “Elizabet taught me how to externalize my magic force into an orb. I can’t think of any use for it, as it has no power, no strength, and no “feel” at all. The only thing I’ve used it for is to create a bond with the Uror, Walter. Apparently, he had to “taste” my magic to determine whether or not to come with us.” I began manipulating it again. “It’s actually rather taxing to manipulate. It resists all attempts at change.”
He sat back, stroking his beard in thought. “I wouldn’t say that it has no use. In fact, I can think of several uses for it as is. You’ll discover them soon enough. You must, actually. Your future, and that of Chaia, depends on it. I can say no more. Anyway, to the reason I called for you.” He bore a hole in me with that one bright, intense eye. “Champion,” He intoned, “The time will soon come for you to journey to the capital of the Kingdom of Tutland. Once the winter is over, you must go. Learn all you can from the Haarthuu. They have much to teach you.” He took a deep breath, and some of the fire left his eye. “This is all the assistance I can give you, Ivor.”
“Thank you, sir. I will do as you say. After all, the best way to rid oneself of a snake is to remove the head. I just hope this one doesn’t turn out to be a hydra.” I sighed. “Great Mother? How may I help you?”
She smiled that sweet, motherly smile of hers, nodded toward Odin and spoke softly “Odin has it correct, child. Wintering with the Haarthuu will be your safest option. Your journey to the capital will coincide with both of our desires. His for an established foothold, and mine for my childrens’ freedoms. I would suggest that you also enter the Academy there. It happens to be one of the best on the continent. You will find yourself challenged there in a way you haven’t been before.” She sighed softly, adding “It pains me to have to say this, but a reminder to you: Not all of my children -of any species- are as good as the Haarthuu. Most of the Humans you have met are simply doing as they’ve been told for their entire lives. Not all of them are like the Guildmaster. Most are like your Elizabet. With a little exposure and kindness, they will swiftly see that yours is the worthy route. I’m sure you know the unfortunate reality of the ruling classes, however.” A sad smile creased her face. It must be difficult for a mother to see her Children behaving in this manner.
I nodded at her words. “I agree. I think entering the Academy will be a big help for me. As will eating better, more filling food. I know all too well what slavery does to both parties. They are still fighting the effects back on Earth.” I sighed softly. I looked to both deities. “Is there anything else I should know?”
The Great Mother shook her head. “No, child. This is all I can say. Anything else will have to come from your head and your heart.”
I glanced at Odin, “Allfather?”
The bearded warrior shook his head. “No. I have nothing else for you. Freyr might. Go swiftly, Champion.”
I nodded and left the hall, finding Freyr leaning against a pillar outside, idly chewing on a stalk of wheat. He took the grain from his mouth. “I sure hope the old bastard had some useful advice for you, Son. He’s been sitting there for days. Hasn’t even touched his mead.”
I stood beside him, watching some clouds drifting through the sky. “He did. I have an idea of where to go from here, now. Just have to wait till springtime.”
“Springtime. My time. Speaking of, you’ve spent the last few hours embodying Me and My energy. Good on you. It helps me when you do.” He shot me a knowing glance and nudged me with his elbow. “As for what you can do for me, you’re already doing it. Just be sure that you act in accordance with the greatest good. There is much work to be done in order to build us a foundation here. Check your Bag. You may have a gift from one or more of us in there.”
“My Bag? Why not just give it to me as you’ve done before?” I cocked my head to the side.
“Because this way, nobody knows who gave it.” He winked conspiratorially, “Okay. Time to go. Enjoy your woman. She’s quite the catch, Son.” He chuckled and pushed me off the porch of the Hall, and I fell through the ground.
I jerked awake, finding myself once more in Elizabet’s arms. She was stroking my head as I lay there, her thick nipple in my mouth. I looked up at her to find a content smile on her face.
“Good morning, love. I hope you slept well.” I scooted up and kissed her soft lips.
She responded by rolling over on top of me, kissing me passionately. “I did.” She slid me into her, gasping as she did so. “And now I’m going to wear us both out again, my love.”
We made love for quite some time, stopping only when we were both thoroughly exhausted. We napped for an hour or two, tangled in each other’s body. When we awoke again, hunger gnawed at our bellies, and we decided on a quick rinse, and then to head out to the feast.
Once cleaned, we made our way to the feast, finding the food to be just as good as before. We filled our bellies, then found the Elder as he was speaking to young Thaddeus.
“No, the Haarthuu are but one clan of the Lizardfolk. There are countless others. Some up in the far north, others in the deserts to the west; we are spread all over Chaia. Some have said that these caverns are all connected, but none know for certain. Except, perhaps, for the Deep Ones.” The Elder was animatedly explaining to Thaddeus the status of the Haarthuu within the Lizardfolk community.
We sat nearby, listening in. This was proving to be rather interesting, and Thaddeus seemed to be able to ask just the right questions to keep the Elder going with his explanations.
“So, if Ah understand right, the Haarthuu are a minor tribe? Mostly crafters and artisans?” Thaddeus was scribbling in a small notebook. I didn’t know the boy could read, much less write.
“Quite so, my boy! We are the best crafters and artisans among the Lizardfolk! The only ones that are better are the Deep Ones themselves. They taught us, after all.”
I paused with a mug of beer halfway to my mouth. Did I hear that correctly? The Dwarves taught the Lizardfolk how to carve stone, shape glass, and smith tools?
“Really? That’s amazing. How long ago did they teach you?” Thaddeus’ eyes had gotten as big as saucers with this revelation, and he was writing furiously.
“Oh, goodness. It must have been two or three millennia ago. We stumbled upon them during an excavation deeper into the caverns. They took us into their enclaves, and showed us the secrets of crafting. Before that, we were barely able to shape tools or make spears. Certainly we didn’t have much in the way of clothing. They taught us, and we left after our payment was made. That area of the caverns was closed off permanently by a cave-in. Not even I know where it was.” He took a drink of some water.
“Elder?” He turned his head towards me, “If that’s true, how did the Humans subjugate you? Certainly the Haarthuu could have fought them off?”
“An excellent question, Ivor. The answer is simple. We aren’t fighters. The vast majority of the Lizardfolk slaves are Haarthuu. Warriors like Talah-ahte are rare. They are the rarest of the rare, in his case. A Copper-Eyed Lizardfolk born of the Haarthuu? Absolutely unheard of. Had he been properly trained, you would have lost. No offense to you, of course. But you hamstrung yourself by choosing to not use magic, and you were absolutely unprepared for what he could do. We all were, in the end, but you were from the very beginning. Maybe we should have you trained in our ways?” He arched an eye at me.
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I thought for a moment. “You know, I think that’s a fairly good idea, Elder. Winter is setting in soon, and I do not wish to travel to the capital of Tutland in the winter. Perhaps we might stay? I’m certain we could help out around the city in some way. I’ll not be a freeloader.”
“Ivor? What are you talking about?” Elizabet placed her hand on my arm.
“I’ll explain when we get back to our room, my love. Trust me.” I smiled broadly, and she nodded.
The Elder clapped his hands joyfully. “Oh, of course, Ivor! Of course you may stay with us. You are a Friend to the Haarthuu. This means you are welcome here any time for as long as you wish. You and whomever you bring with you. In fact, your room shall be designated as yours and only yours. We shall make it known on the morrow. Incidentally, the feast will conclude the day after.”
I thanked him for the information, and left him to chat with Thaddeus.
“So. What haven’t you told me, Ivor?” Elizabet crossed her arms beneath her breasts, and glared at me.
“As I said, I will explain when we get back to our room. Trust me, there is nothing bad happening. In fact, there is likely to be a lot more of last night and this morning in our immediate future.” I smiled, hoping to relieve some of her irritation.
She huffed and relented somewhat. “As long as you don’t expect that to be a constant thing. I guess I can wait until we get back. I’m still upset that you didn’t talk this over with me, first.”
I nodded my head. “A shortcoming of mine, I’ll admit. I’m not used to having others to consider when I make decisions. Something I would do well to improve.” I smiled and took her hand, kissing it softly.
A pink flush crept up her neck and she squirmed a little in her seat. “Yes. Well.” She cleared her throat, “See that you do. I don’t like being left out of the loop.”
I inclined my head to her, “As you wish, My Lady.”
She giggled like a schoolgirl who just got noticed by her crush.
We sat there, listening to the Elder answering questions from Thaddeus for a while longer until three voices got our attention.
“Mr. Ivor! Mr. Ivor! There you are!” Three little children rushed up to us, and I leaned over to pick them all up in a hug.
“Hello, children! What have you three been up to? Has Ahte-naah been a little dragon again?” I tickled the ribs of the middle child, who giggled and tried to squirm free.
“No, he has not, Ivor.” Came the chuckling reply from their mother, who was following behind them.
“Talah-ma’at! Wonderful to see you. What are the four of you up to today?” I smiled at the woman, who seemed a little hesitant and slightly flushed.
“ Um, yes. Ah, well. I would like for us to speak alone. In private. All six of us, if we could?” Her hesitation was somewhat concerning.
I looked at Elizabet, who nodded. “Absolutely. Lead the way, please.” I stood with the children clinging to me, and settled Ahte-ukum on my shoulders. He gripped my head tightly, giggling madly, his little feet swinging on either side of my neck. The other two brothers clung to my back, peering around my arms as I walked.
“Well, this must be an interesting sight. I’m a four-headed monster now.” I said, prompting a sputtering laugh from Elizabet.
“You’re certainly something, Love. Let’s get going.” She took my hand in hers, and we followed Talah-ma’at through the caverns to what I presumed to be her home.
The cavern walls were no less intricate back here. It seemed the Haarthuu had a penchant for decorating everything they could get their hands on. Beautiful curved designs spiraled across every wall and door, and I saw several frescoes depicting battles and important events the Haarthuu must have gone through over the centuries. As we walked, I saw rougher carvings on the wall, many were obviously fresh.
As we got to Talah-ma’at’s home, I saw in the distance, on the wall outside her door, what appeared to be a new series of carvings depicting my fight with Talah-ahte. Talah-ma’at went inside. As I got closer to investigate, the three boys jumped off my body, moving to stand in front of the carving.
“No looking until we are finished, Mr. Ivor.” said Ahte-tan.
“Yeah. It wouldn’t be right. Let us finish it first, okay?” Ahte-naah looked apologetic.
“I promise you’ll like it, Mr. Ivor. Let us finish, okay?” Ahte-ukum looked up at me with those big eyes of his and I smiled.
“No problem, boys. I trust you in this. Let’s go inside, and see what your mother wants, yeah?” I nodded, and motioned for everyone to head in.
As we entered their home, I was struck with how small it was. This was certainly too small for a family of four, let alone when Talah-ahte was alive. It seemed no bigger than the room Elizabet and I shared. There was what appeared to be a communal sleeping pit filled with what looked like pillows, obviously designed to help maintain warmth, but little else in the way of amenities. Not much difference in our two rooms.
“I’d offer a place to sit, but as you can see, there isn’t anything here.” She looked embarrassed.
“No worries, Talah-ma’at. There is no offense. Truthfully, our room doesn’t look much different. We have a bed instead of a sleeping pit, and a writing table. That’s it. Would you like for me to make a light for you? It won’t tax me, or anything. The only downside is the fact that you can never turn it off. You’d need to cover it, but that’s it.” I smiled reassuringly at the small woman.
“A light? You can create light?” Talah-ma’at looked shocked at the concept.
“I can. With your permission, I’ll make a fixture here on your wall that will hold the source, and mirror it throughout your home. I can make one for your washroom as well, if you’d like.” I smiled and walked over to what I figured would be the best wall for a lamp.
“Yes. I would like to see what you can do. Goodness knows the lights we use aren’t terribly bright.”
I nodded, and knelt next to the wall, whispering “Shape Earth” and dug out a shallow recess in the wall. I set the excess to the side, and set about smoothing and polishing the recess to a mirror shine. I crafted a holder in the recess, angled to direct the light towards the reflector. I
made a rounded stone of the excess, and then a cover for the stone and holder. Once I was satisfied, I cupped the stone, concentrating on a light bulb, and whispered “Smooth glow.” and settled it into the sconce. Immediately, the room was bathed in a soft light. I crafted another recess in the wall for the holder and deposited it there, and stood, facing the smaller woman.
“And there we are. A new light for you.” I smiled softly.
She gazed at me in open-mouthed wonder. “I had no idea something like that was even possible. If only we could use magic.” She shook her head. “The best we can do is convince the stone to fracture a certain way. This is incredible.”
Ahte-tan came in, seeing the way his home was lit up. “Wooooow…. It’s almost like daytime.” His brothers followed suit, making similar remarks.
“I’ve seen him make red light, too. I would wager that you can make the stone glow with any color.” Elizabet said proudly.
I had an idea. “I wonder…” I reached over next to the cubbies, and Shaped another small stone and covered holder from the wall. Covering the lamplight, I cupped it in my hands, held an image in my head, and whispered “Glow.”
When I opened my hands, the room exploded into color. The walls, it seemed, were filled with streaks of various crystals, each fluorescing a different color. Talah-ma’at and the children gasped in surprise and wonder, each focusing on a different area of the wall. Until, that is, they looked at each other.
It appeared the Lizardfolk also fluoresced under blacklight. There were swirls and patterns in their scales I had never noticed before. They were each inspecting the patterns their scales made until I uncovered the lamp.
They all looked at me in wonder. “What magic did you make for us to shine like that, Ivor? That’s got to be the most beautiful I’ve ever seen any of us.” Talah-ma’at said in wonder.
“No magic. I simply made what we refer to as a ‘black light’ on Earth. It emits a certain wavelength of light that causes certain material to glow. Apparently, like some types of reptiles on Earth, Lizardfolk fluoresce in certain patterns. It seems those patterns are unique to the individual. The light may help you stay healthy, too. Do your people suffer from sickness in the winters and recover in the springs?” I slipped the stone into my pocket.
She nodded. “All but the warriors and hunters. We have always assumed it was from the cold and lack of food.”
“I think I know how to help the Haarthuu through that, then.” I smiled. “Now. What was it you wished to discuss?” I sat against the wall, Elizabet sitting beside me, and the children crawled into my lap.
“I do not know how to say this other than to say it. With Talah-ahte gone, I have need of a mate. Or at least someone to help me with my children.” She trailed off, and looked down at the floor, her hands behind her back, scratching idly at the stone with a toe claw.
I looked at Elizabet, fairly sure I knew where this was going. She looked at me sadly. “Talah-ma’at, I don’t want to interrupt, but are you asking if you can stay with us? Or is there something deeper that you’re wanting?”
She looked up, sadness evident on her face. “I…I don’t know, Ivor. All I know is that the children adore you, and that I trust you with them.”
Elizabet interjected, “Talah-ma’at, what you’re asking isn’t a small matter. Would we like to care for the boys? Absolutely. We both love and care for them. It’s honestly hard not to.” She smiled and stroked Ahte-naah’s head. “However, when you add yourself into that, I don’t know how to feel.” A worried frown crept onto her face, “I only just found a man that I can trust to not harm me, that I can trust to love me, that I can feel safe around. And you ask if I will share him?”
Talah-ma’at slashed her hand down. “No. I’m not asking you to share him. He cares for my boys in the way any Haarthuu would want to see their children cared for. I just want them to have the best possible home. That’s all. And the best I can see is the two of you. And me, if you’ll have me. I selfishly want a good life, too.”
“Talah-ma’at, come here, please.” Elizabet opened her arms, motioning for the reptilian woman to come over.
She hesitantly walked over to Elizabet, who quickly wrapped her up in a hug, sparking an “Eeep!” from the smaller Haarthuu.
Talah-ma’at struggled for a moment, then relaxed into Elizabet’s embrace. “Oh, this is warm.” She snuggled in between the vast mountains of flesh. “And so luxuriously soft.” A soft rumble came from the small woman.
“And that’s where I sleep, Talah-ma’at. She won’t have it any other way.” I chuckled softly.
“Yep. I want him close to my heart day and night, so this is where I keep him. And as for you wanting a good life? That isn’t selfish. That’s just the nature of living.” She looked at me. “Ivor, I’m not opposed to this, but I have concerns.”
I nodded, “Go on, Elizabet. What’s on your mind?”
“Well, what are we going to do when we eventually leave? If you’re talking about wintering here, will it be safe for them to come with us? And what happens if, well, feelings develop? What will that do to us? I just got you. I don’t want to lose you.” Her voice hitched slightly.
I lay a hand on her arm, and Talah-ma’at shifted to look in her eyes. “Sweetheart, I cannot speak much for the future. That is the realm of The Norns, not of Humans. What I can say is that I love you. I am fully In love with you. Not just sex, but you, Elizabet.”
“Listen to him, Elizabet. There is truth in his words. I can smell it. I cannot hope that he will love me the way he does you. Nor do I see that as necessary, or even advantageous. I just want a good life for me and my sons-” She looked down to see her three children asleep in my arms. “-sleepy brats though they are.” There was genuine warmth in her voice when she said that. “And I think the two of you are the people that can give it. I won’t be a drain. I can hunt, fish and forage just as well as any of the other warriors.” She lay her head under Elizabet’s chin. “I will work hard for my place beneath you. Not as a servant, but as family.”
“Well. Elizabet, I think that may well alleviate any concerns. It does for me. What do you think?”
She responded by snuggling the small woman close, gently stroking her head. “I’d say our little family of two just increased three-fold, Ivor.”