Ch: 144 I’m Still Standing

He looked very sheepish, for a featureless shade of slithering darkness, wrapped in tendrils of shifting, reaching shadow stuff.

I was dreaming when I wrote this,

Forgive me if it goes astray…

“Nae, ye kinnae deceive me boy, tis thee in there. His highness Prince, hae a cuter bottom than thee.” She snapped, just a little angry and amused at the same time.

He slumped in disappointment and oozed up to his body, still playing mindlessly on his haunted teleblaster.

It only took a moment to slither over his own body and dribble out from his feet. A very long and creepy moment that Shai enjoyed, not even a little.

“I started out dreaming of kicking those slavers out of their graves… next thing I knew I was bullying a ghost…”

He shrugged his shoulders, enjoying the feeling of having bones again.

“She’s still awful, being dead doesn’t change that.”

“I dinnae fancy this at all, ye must nae shed yer body such… We must speak with Thirp an Ducky of this.” She grumbled, while groping and shaking him to make sure he wouldn’t fall out or something.

“I Think I just gotta not overdo the cultivation, when I run dry things get… weird. We’ll ask the deific duo tonight.” He sank low into a fainting couch, reclining as he very gradually collapsed.

“I’m just gunna be right here for a while love…”

#

When he woke, the sun was streaming down, birdsong filled the sky and he was in the private bath with Tallum and Becky, neither of whom seemed pleased with him.

“What’s with the stinkeye?” His voice croaked and cracked a little.

“Gee, I dunno, wandering off without your pants in the night, you left your legs behind too… what’s not to like?” Becky grumbled, glaring even harder now.

“Keep your ghost inside bro, I’m not ready to see you leave yet, Shai is scared witless, if you couldn’t tell.” She snapped.

“You never showed up last night…” She whispered finally. “Everything looked normal… you just weren’t there, like at all. Your house felt vacant, dead. It really spooked Amy and Wilf… Rio knew you were ok, somehow. Ducky nearly shit his robes, that’s a real trick for a god… no butthole.”

That irreverent grin peeked out for a moment, giving the poor boy hope… which was promptly dashed when Shai trooped in with Tawny, Liam and the kids.

Soon the whole troop was in the pool, glaring at him.

“Ok, I get it, that was a shitshow… cut me some slack, I’m making this up as I go along, I’ll try to keep inside my body as much as possible.”

Amy barreled into him and climbed his shoulder like a monkey, clinging to his ears. “You gotta stay… it’s spooky when you’re gone.”

He settled into the pool, nearly submerging, so Wilford and Rio could climb aboard. “I’m not going anywhere love. I’m staying with you guys all the way.” He sighed happily, floating around on his back, with his kids clinging to his hands, all bobbing together.

He wiggled his available fingers when Becky and Shai gave in and joined the human flotsam.

“Ahhhh, just as it should be.” He sighed, drifting off to sleep again.

#

“You are simply insufferable… last time was bad enough, ducking out of your body, like you mortals do your clothing… dreadful!” He scolded Gary so furiously, he nearly dislodged a sacred curl.

“This time you left some halfwit keyboard monkey driving your shameful meat vessel around… You knew I wanted to take it for a spin!” He barked in a not very divine way.

“Pianoman NotGary can barely manage until he sits behind those keys…” He grumbled.

“Put a pig in a silk dress for all I care…” Marduk’s sullen complaints faded away as he stomped off in a huff.

“He knows you had little control over what happened, he was still very frightened for you.” Thirp whispered, taking his hand comfortingly.

“He was very concerned, as was I.”

“I love you too Thirp, now help me keep Shai from nailing my shadow to my feet. She’s a skilled farrier.” He sighed as he collapsed into the sofa by the fire.

“With the right enchantments, a set of silver staples could…” He picked up on her subtle arachnid laughter, much later than he should have.

“You suck,Thirp… what do you think about this mask project? I’m bad at crafting restraints… I usually work the other side of the business.”

“By all means, I will help, but this is a work of human craft… You should play to your strengths. Rather than binding or constricting, instead use empathy… with brute force.” She sang softly, thrilled to participate in the first capture of a Hollow One.

“It has all the functions of a complete soul, save that it was never born of flesh… I think you have all the tools you need for that task now.”

Marduk came back in, much calmer and sat down beside Gary on the sofa, leaning on him much how Wilford liked to.

“I understand, buddy… It’s scary to me too. But we’re in this together. Whatever happens to me, I feel good knowing you two are with Shai and the kids.”

“Yes, Gary. We will be with your children always, whatever befalls you.” He said softly and sadly.

#

“He has fallen back into natural sleep, journeyman Shai… He will be well.” She soothed the fretful smith. “This is an effect of the damage to his soul and the disconnect between his mind and soul, combined with his odd state of being and unusual gifts.”

“I hae faith in thee Thirp, fain… I would hae… faith in thee. Lady Thirp.” Shai said very formally.

“Journeyman Shai… are you asking for… a Contract with myself?” Thirp asked, squeaking with excitement at the end.

“I sense that you are not yet ready to Contract, but I would be so pleased to join you! Poor lord Marduk has been simply wracked, trying to come up with a gift for you. together we might…”

She trailed off, humming and singing short snippets of songs from Gary’s memories.

Shai watched the happy arachnid scuttle off to tell Marduk, playing joyous music on her silk harp.

“Be honest with yourself… it’s the naughty underwear cult…” Morrigan whispered softly, from the branches nearby.

“I like you woman… you have bloodlust, you have killed…” She hopped to and fro on her branch, honing her beak on its bark from time to time.

“Yet you do not loathe yourself for it as the boy does… That sours him for me slightly, I know he plans to sever our Contract at some point, as I also would.” She cackled, cawing with mirth and annoyance.

“We fit… poorly, he is a shiny object, but one I cannot fly away with.”

“Ye would sign wi me? So that ye hae a talon in me boy an he sends thee away?” She asked skeptically. “I would nae do such. Though, on yer own merits, mayhap.”

“Regardless, the boy is mortal, he will cross my realm. As will you someday, my sweet.” She cawed happily.

“My passion for warriors, especially young men, is well known. As you suspect, that is only a tiny speck of my breadth and scope.”

She hopped down, assuming her youthful, buxom form. “I am death… and I am Life, both comings and goings… and all the cumings that cum in betweeen…” Her girlish giggle became a dry, gusty, cackle as crone took control.

“We do so love sister maiden, in all her passions and youth. Now we can speak clearly. The boy is the first we have Contracted in a score of centuries or more, one loses count.” She paced in a small circle, peering at Shai from all around.

“We are out of practice, let us wander this new, old realm of ours and see what can be seen, first. When you are ready, so too, will we be here.” She fluttered away quickly, vanishing into the night, beyond the walls.

“I’ll need a fair bargain indeed tae hitch meself tae those three birds.” She muttered crossly, wishing she had Gary’s trick of slipping into normal dreams.

“Do not sell Morrigan short, she is formidable and potent.” A warm, brassy voice sounded from the far orchard, where Brigid kept her forge. Terribly close, despite the distance, Shai almost fancied she felt the breath of a forge on her ear.

“Morrigan’s second passion is a mother’s deepest love… she sees your resolve. You have a hint of what the boy could become, if unfettered… the horror and grief he might visit on this realm.” She whispered in the sound of slowly sighing flames.

“Morrie sees your resolve, should he become a threat to your children… whatever the cost to you. Hence her interest.” She sighed in tones of furnace fire and bellows.

“Your crafts are my delight, the boy is a maker of trinkets and oddities, You are a true crafter and a keeper of hearth and home…” Slowly the presence withdrew, easing back with a final whisper.

“No pressure, girl. I am not going anywhere. Craft may have lost his sense but he is not the only deity of forges and the workings of man’s clever hands.”

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“These deities be ‘thirsty’ as the boy says.” She complained to Marduk, once she got inside. “Send me tae sleep wi me boy, please. I see the wee ones hae already drifted off.” Shai pillowed her head on the tiny deity's lap as he stroked her hair.

“I will, sweet Shai, just know, we see the burden you and he bear for us. It is not unremarked.”

With that, he tapped a single, perfectly manicured fingertip to her brow, vanishing her into normal dreams.

#

Gary was still there when she woke, twitching and thrashing, lost in whatever could pass for a nightmare in his tortured mind.

“Wake boy, awaken!” She began to panic just a little, before his red rheumy eyes peeled open.

“Ghhhahhh, I feel gross. Sorry love, lemme get my crap together.” He rolled out of bed… and thumped to the floor bonelessly.

“Ok… this is fine, I can manage this…” With an effort of will, he began whistling, using his gift to rope himself in and get his booty in motion.

“Oh ho! Ye hae learnt tae spin a bit of mine in there as well, that be splendid, boy of mine!” She sang, as he whistled ‘Mas Que Nada’ and shimmied himself down stairs to the bath.

When it was time to undress, he shifted into ‘Girl From Ipanema’ for a sassy strip tease. Shai cheered and shook a pouch of iron bits at him as he sank in the water with a sigh.

“Just let it pass on by, your grace. By the time I explained the phenomenon, he will have done three other mad things.” Liam said softly.

“More importantly, you have seen his strange corpse bottle and heard our report… something dark brews in the swamps between Rummell and Shiraz. Once our team has recovered and is ready, we would like another crack at that, your grace.”

“Take some time, a week or two. I will offer Julius some assistance, perhaps Malus and his team are ready to get to work.” The burly duke grinned and puffed a huge cloud of smoke from his nose.

“I’m spoiled for choice, the Sparrowhawks are in the area as well. Even the Stonesmiths have made themselves available…”

Plumeria slipped into a seat at the table, holding a tiny cup of hooch that smelled purely evil. “Things unseen in ages uncounted are moving. The spirits awaken, those who know are called to action. Those who do not know, but are sensitive will be summoned to the disturbance.”

She sipped her sharp smelling poison with an ecstatic smile. “Prepare to be very busy, duke of men.”

“How long till the boy is ready to pull another badger out of his bag? I have grown accustomed to having a mad wizard on retainer.” Leo waggled his ‘stache at Wilford, who was trying to pay attention to Tito Puente’s percussion lesson.

“For the next few days, he will rest, lie in the sun and make the occasional bit of mischief. I will tell you when he is fit for duty. The rest of us are ready to deploy at need.” She huffed at her distracted papa. “Let the children concentrate on their lessons… or you could go join them, music is very enriching to the soul.” Tawny smiled widely as Liam handed her his old uke.

“I find that music teaches us to be better people… because you have to listen, really listen to your fellow players.”

“Celeste, your daughter is lecturing me again… do something about that would you?” He grumbled with a smile.

A tall, lean shadow loomed in the doorway, beaming an enormous smile. A vigorous old man in his early seventies stood in the doorway, his arm flung casually around the shoulders of a slender, smiling woman in her early eighties.

“Tawny is making so much sense, Leo. I tried to get you to learn the shepherd’s pipe when you were just a sprat… but it was all spears and swords for you.”

“Otho? Naomi? Is that you?” Leo asked, while Celeste goggled and sputtered.

“Silly whelp, you have eyes in your head, use them first, before you flap that noisy hole under that abysmal mustache.” Naiomi groused happily. “We’ve come for a soak and to check on the boy, Tawny sent a message about some event last night.”

She took a good long stretch and grinned at the baffled nobles. “Cultivation has many benefits, they certainly balance out the difficulties and challenges of the art.”

The two oldsters caught him still floating around in the bath, nearly asleep, but lucid. He was softly conversing with Axio and a large water skimming insect, who vanished into the waterfall, before they could get a good look at them.

“That’s Mishra, dryad of the willows, she’s shy.” He mumbled as they slipped into the water. “I’ll introduce you later… hey, looking good. You two are doing great!”

“Ahh yes, what you mortals call gold rank, very fine!” Axio cheered. “Few can achieve this feat in a mortal lifespan, even when greatly extended. Congratulations to both of you.”

“This is even more extraordinary than I was led to believe…” Naiomi muttered softly. “As he settles into his first true rank, this pool becomes even less sensible.”

Celeste finally burst out. “Leopold, we are going to break through into bronze rank before winter… together. We start today, husband… before your son makes me waddle about like a buffalo.”

She glared fondly at him, as he preened and stretched languidly.

“We will petition the Sweet tooth guild for an honorary membership for your grace. Leopold is already a member.” Otho remarked enigmatically from behind his pipe, while pushing Gary around in the pool with an amused smile.

“Oh, this is fun! You were quite correct, Shai!”

Naiomi joined in the fun, passing the limp, unresisting form around in their circle. After a few rounds, Naiomi gave his leg and arm a twist, flipping him face down for another few circuits of the pool.

“Very convenient… He has so much utility, too bad he’s a mess.” The elder healer remarked as they lounged on the curb a little while later.

“Whatever is wrong with him is occult to me, some spiritual or esoteric malfunction… Or perhaps it is a gift manifesting in a strange way, under stress… perhaps both, or neither.”

“He’s also kinda awake…” He mumbled sleepily. Slowly, he drifted to the edge and crawled out, sprawling on the lawn face down in the morning sun. “Roll me into the shade if I start to burn…”

“Ugh… that’s weird.” Becky mumbled, when his shadow slowly oozed out from his body, forming a dark stain on the grass all around him.

“Thirp does say, tis because he hae no affinity fer Light, Healer, Fire nor Order. Tis unusual in a human…” Shai said softly. “Yet he does seek to bask in the sun, tis summat frae his old life, methinks.”

“Sunbathing is a potent tool for spiritual recovery, it cleanses the aura and Ka, the spiritual essence of one’s shadow.” Otho murmured happily, joining his young protege on the lawn.

“Manipulating shadows is not uncommon, through gifts or spells, though what you described is a very odd manifestation of a subtle art.”

Naiomi snorted unhappily. “It’s more likely, he is not manipulating shadows, but haunting them… the boy is half a spook. The other half is too alive to be anything but a living boy.” She took Otho’s proffered pipe and settled on the lawn as well.

“That’s what fooled me!” Otho chirped, entirely too pleased with himself.

“Gods and spirits! Looking back, it’s like I had a wet towel wrapped around my head for the last seventy years… the mental clarity is worth the effort on its own.” He rolled over and basked in the sun’s glorious rays.

“Now I can clearly see what is lurking in him, it’s both terrifying and fascinating.”

“What does that mean? Don’t get mealymouthed old man.” Becky demanded, glaring at the aged pair in challenge.

“He means, Girl… that if a patient presents with an affliction, say a tumor in their body that is killing them, we usually excise that tumor, that the person might have a chance to live…” She lectured, while stretching out to sun her flanks.

“In this case, the tumor would most likely walk out of the surgery as a terrible and woeful nightmare of death and destruction, while the man would surely die.”

“Very good! A splendid explanation.” Otho cheered happily. “So, in this case, we must figure out how to manage his affliction, until he can either fully enter the world, or…” He shot a glance at the little ones, coloring under Becky and Dannyl’s guidance. “Well, you know.”

“Old man, I hae spoken firmly wi me boy and wi some few deities on this matter… dinnae butt in where gods fear tae tread.” Shai muttered dangerously.

“Tis mine he be, till the end, any wahe would usurp that wll nae hae a good day… mark me well.”

Three ravens burst from the nearby fruit trees, cackling wildly in the springtime sky, they flew in a vast spiral into the sky, as she spoke.

“Aye Morrigan, Aye…” She whispered very softly, too quietly for any but gold ranked ears to detect.

#

By third bell he was up and moving, though his shadow was ragged and a little limp. “Today was supposed to be all shop time… I have so many projects simmering.” He complained over lunch.

“Nope, you can play with your toys in the basement tomorrow. Shai’s orders.” Becky barked with a grin. Amy folded her arms and leaned back against her hip, while the boys lounged nearby…

“A unified front is it? What, are you brats posing for an album cover? When does your mixtape drop?” He sassed them, smiling in his crazy, crooked way.

“Ok, That’s regular Gary; you can go downstairs… but I tell you when to stop. Nothing creepy! Come on kids, music lessons down in the shop.”

Becky led the troop down and got them started, working on breath control fundamentals with Cab, Plumeria and Solange. The dryads were struggling there and needed some living examples. Learning how to breathe from a ghost poses special difficulties.

Soon the steady tapping of Gary’s tiny wooden mallet took over, as his gifts wound around and entangled his companions, slowly dragging them into his crafts.

They spent a blissful hour and a half, just lost in music, magic and the scent of sawdust. They played, swayed and watched him wield his strange tools and arts in utter contentment.

Both dryads had the basics down and were working on articulation and fingering when the music slowly wound down.

“Calling it already?” Becky asked with a smile. “I’m finally getting the hang of your enchantments… it’s weirdly satisfying.” She sang, shoehorning her words into ‘Shine On Harvest Moon’, so violently that all the players stopped to glare at her.

“Freestyle lessons for Becky, with Cab, starting tomorrow.” Gary announced in the uncomfortable silence that fell over the room. “... yes, you too kids… buncha brats.”

Gary held up his latest creation for the group to admire. He’d crafted a small round shield, with a stout bronze boss and rim. Laminated ironwood plywood was tough stuff ordinarily, fittings of sturdy, enchanted bronze made a solid shield even more durable.

Webbing straps of spidersilk and bullhide finished the structure of the piece, shining redly under the light from the windows.

It presented a very plain and utilitarian face to the foe, while the inside was a riot of delicately inlaid decorations in wood, bone, shell, stone and metal. Geometric patterns adorned the center of the shield, filling the space with lively chaos.

Around the rim, lifelike beasts cavorted through a delicate and naturalistic forest, replete with mushrooms, ferns, wildflowers and wild assortment of carefully rendered trees.

Rock Of Aegis, shield, enchanted, spiritual etheric. Rank:Iron plus. Quality, rare. Elemental affinities: Earth, Air, Light.

Hostile energies which impact face of shield can be rendered temporarily inert, stored for future use. Hostile attacks and or effects deflected or impacted on face of shield may be absorbed and retained for weilder’s use. Scales against: Rank, Might, Will, Resilience, Agility, Animus.

Energetic effects: kinetic, elemental magical or spiritual, may be stored until those energies are released at wielder’s discretion, storage costs will gradually consume energies stored in shield.

Caution: effects discharged through boss of shield may be: unstable, dangerous, unclean, destructive, violent, concussive, percussive, obstructive, corrosive, toxic, intoxicating.

“There ya go Ivy, I have a few ideas for a mace, if Tallum will help. That’s a project for another day, I think. Let’s take a stroll in the back lot and try it out.”

He passed the small mage the object and drifted up the stairs with a spring in his step.

“I’ve got some ideas for your sword, Becks… should be fun, we’ll put Ducky and Thirp’s training to the test. I can’t wait to see what they've taught you!”

Becky slipped past him on the stair, blocking the door just as he reached it.

“Wait… I thought they taught you too… to do all this crazy enchantment stuff. They were kinda evasive about it.” She crossed her arms and blocked the portal more thoroughly.

“Nope, they taught me the principles and underlying ideas, but I made the murdershovel my recorder, Shais’ bells and a bunch of stuff just by instinct.” He grinned happily.

“Playing by ear if you will… Ducky and Thirp just taught me how to read the music and some neat tricks.”

“Gods, you are so weird…” She sighed in utter exhaustion. “You are absolutely not going to ‘try it out’, just so you know. Any sparring or experimenting that happens, you are an observer.”

“Yeah, we need to test the thing, so Tallum will be the one to whale on Ives.” He prattled happily as they strolled out onto the back garden lawn.

“Really give it to her big guy, we wanna test it out properly.” He tossed the big man the sledgehammer that Bronwynn enjoyed so much.

“This hammer… it isn’t anything… unnatural, is it?” Tallum asked, looking nervous. “You know how you get.”

“Nope, it’s ready to enchant, but still mostly just metal and wood. Swing for the fences bro.” He cheered, setting out chairs for the spectators that were beginning to gather.

“Give me a few minutes, I guess we’re putting on a show.”

The peaceful expanse of lightly shaded lawn beside the river had been unoccupied… Just a bit of steep, slick riverbank, lined with low lying blackberry bushes and a spread of flat turf.

It was rapidly becoming a scene of its own. The little ones had been gamboling and romping together on the springy grass under Otho’s watchful eyes. Soon, all the bathers, the noble and notable visitors and a few locals were hanging out waiting to see what was going on.

“Well… if it’s gonna be a show.” Gary grinned around his pipestem and began to stretch out his fingers.

“Really? Shai said nothing strenuous…” Becky began, when he started pulling instruments out of his backside.

“Just watch, Becks… and maybe play along, if the mood strikes you.” He turned to Herlick, who was lounging around with Bannock, as usual. “Hey, go pop open the front hatch on seahorse, wouldya? I want a little more bass in this mix.”

He grinned at the pair, who shrugged and bounced down the pier and onto the little boat. When they returned, Starman was already scratching and muting a rhythm guitar line. A pair of violins and a viola from the shop wall started wailing a complex melody, sweetly in harmony together.

Three shadow robed figures lurked together with their instruments in the shade of a tree, while the mad boy kept setting more of his toys out. A double bass, Tallum’s resonator bass guitar, two of his strange resonator guitars, a few flutes and a ton of drums, shakers and a guiro or two started making a mellow noise.

“Lets just warm up for a few minutes gang…” He said to his small group of shadow musicians and strange characters.

“Chuck is getting himself together, I don’t have a french horn so he has to make one out of his own shade.”

As he spoke, a sweet, melancholy sound rang from his shadow and the smiling man in a wide brimmed hat climbing out of the deeper darkness beneath Gary. He stood fully formed, blowing a strange curly horn composed of dull gray shadow substance.

“All right gang, for a limited engagement, straight from the depths of the past… Chuck Mangione and our all star house band! Take it away Chuck!”

None of the Adventurers, nobles or townsfolk had ever heard ‘Feels So Good’ before…

The crew and passengers of the two yachts cruising up river had even less preparation for what they were about to sail into.

#