Wrong. Honestly, what even is this gibberish? Once I exited the ruins and found myself an inn for the day, I delved into the book to see what there was to learn. Long story short, it was stuffed from front to back with terms I didn’t understand, rituals I couldn’t comprehend, and apparently a large need for alchemical reagents that I had no idea how to source. There was a whole page dedicated solely to the innerworkings of the human body, detailing parts of myself that I didn’t even know I had.
There were a few interesting pages though, particularly one that detailed exactly what my new companion, Lilith, was. Apparently, she was something called a Gurt Hound, a type of dog spirit given physical form. It said that they were good trackers, able to find those who are lost even on the blackest of nights to provide guidance and protection. While that information was all well and good to have, the methods that were explained for how to conjure up one were complicated, needing many different things to be in place in order to succeed.
Gods damn it all, why can’t it just be easy?
I’m not going to curse the book
My palm collided with my face with astounding force. It’s an expression!
My frustrations were boiling over now. I needed a break from this before my brain decided to explode. Perhaps I could go out and try to find some of the materials mentioned in the book, that way I could at least be doing something that might help me understand this while working off my annoyance.
I took the book with me when I went out, not wanting to leave it unattended for even a second considering how valuable it was. It was still surprising that the condition of the book was as good as it was, and I could only assume that it had some sort of magical effect on it that helped preserve it. Still, I did cover it up to shield it just a little more from the elements while it was in my pack.
The plan for now was to take a walk, go outside, clear my head and visit the local market for any sign of the strange materials I needed. The fresh air was invigorating for my exhausted mind. As I walked along the street, I listened to the dull murmur of conversation from the crowds around me, allowing the indistinct sound to empty out my thoughts. I liked listening to the sounds of a populated place, people living, laughing, enjoying life. It helped to remind me that the world was still here, that my life could still be normal from time to time.
Of course, there weren’t many humans around here, this was primarily a dwarven city after all, so it wasn’t likely that I would be able to just jump into a conversation. That didn’t matter though, I was out here to look for supplies, not flap my gums at people. I focused myself on the task before me and made a straight shot to the marketplace.
What was once a dull roar of conversation became an excited clamor designed to grab your attention. Merchants called out to passersby in loud voices, an attempt to drown out their competitors no doubt. A lot of the goods offered were of no interest to me right now, what with them being general supplies such as food, clothing, and jewelry. I was on the hunt for more exotic things.
My trip here did meet with some success. I was able to find a hunter who had bones from animals that he was willing to sell. When I asked around about some other materials, particularly something called sulfur, I was directed to check with someone who sold incense.
Unfortunately, it turned out that any sulfur they did have was going to be sold to the local religious centers, and new orders would need a month to get in. That wasn’t to mention the cost of it as well, because apparently small amounts weren’t worth the transportation effort, so everything would have to be bought in bulk. I thanked them for the information at least, but I was still no closer to getting what I needed.
I had exhausted all my regular options, the normal paths that I might take. With nothing else to do, I decided to seek out the darker corners of the city. It was a known constant, no matter how wealthy a town is, no matter how many resources they have flowing through, there will always be poor people and black markets.
The poorer parts of the city were near the walls, away from the main street. The condition of the buildings wasn’t bad, but there was less effort put into them and some did show signs of dilapidation. When I glanced around at the people who were dressed more ruggedly than those in the more affluent areas, it was obvious that there were plenty of unsavory individuals here. I found myself resting a hand on my pack in a subtle defensive gesture.
It was a little past midday at this point, yet the shadows in the alleyways felt darker here. I wasn’t even sure exactly what I was looking for. Maybe I had assumed that the nature of these objects would make anyone who sold them stand out, but everything looked more or less the same.
I didn’t feel like wandering about all day, so I stopped a human lady who was passing by on the street to ask directions. She froze up a little when I stepped up to her, eyes flittering down to the sword on my hip with a nervous gaze. Not wanting her to fall into a panic, I kept the conversation polite and quick.
“Sorry to bother you miss, I was just hoping you might give me some directions. Do you know of anyone around here who might sell items of a more bizarre nature?”
She relaxed a little, but still had an edge to her stance. “There’s a woman who sells that sort of stuff to the superstitious and foolish.” With a directive finger, she pointed towards a street leading off to the right. “If you take that road and then the next left, you should see a sign in front of her shop.”
I dipped my head a little to her. “Thank you miss, have a nice day.” With my new directions, I made my way towards the street she mentioned.
It wasn’t hard to find the shop, the sign out front was the only one on this street. This seemed more like a residential area than a business one, so I assumed that the woman I was looking for worked out of her home. Just walking into someone's house felt a little weird, but it was also a shop, so I figured it was okay.
When I opened the door, I was greeted by a stench that left a burning sensation in my nose. The air was heavy with the smell of chemicals, reagents, and other unidentified scents. The light was dim, illuminating shelves that contained jars of various preserved animal parts and powdered substances. There was a circular table in the middle of the room that was vacant, and a desk towards the back that held a couple more jars of miscellaneous things. No one was currently in this room, but the back room which was separated by a sheet hanging in front of the doorway was probably where the lady of the house was.
“Hello?” I called out to anyone who might hear.
Almost immediately I heard some movement from beyond the veil of the doorway. It sounded like a lot of jangling metal bits were clinking together. My curiosity of what was making that sound was answered when the sheet was pushed aside.
From the room emerged the owner of this establishment. The lady was wearing a very colorful robe of reds and purples. Attached at various places were metal coin-like objects that jangled together with every movement. It all looked rather frivolous and needlessly eccentric. I suppose when you run a business like this you need something that catches the eye.
When I imagined her features, I thought of an older woman, wrinkled and hunched. What came out of the room was a middle-aged woman, not at all unpleasant to the eye. She had long lustrous brown hair that flowed gently down her back. Her skin was lightly tanned and smooth everywhere except around her eyes, where a few aged wrinkles were starting to form.
She moved gracefully, though it seemed put on, like she was playing a part in a performance. Her flowing movements came to a halt as she stood before me with a simulated air of presence that I found more amusing than anything. When she spoke, her words came out with a little more air than I thought was needed.
“Greetings sir, and welcome to my establishment. By choosing to cross the threshold of my abode you have entered a world of mysticism and fantastic discoveries. Potions, medicines and magic, all thought lost to time but rediscovered and kept alive by my family are yours for the taking.”
I could have done without the sales pitch. It was a little over the top in my opinion. I cleared my throat to shake off the slight bit of stupefaction that had fallen over me. “Yes, I was hoping that you might have some of the more... bizarre materials that I am looking for.”
She dipped her head while spreading her arms, the resulting movements making her metal bits rattle again. “Then you have come to the right place. I have many curious and rare things for sale, surely there will be something here you are looking for, and maybe a few things that you weren’t.”
I was quickly directed over to a shelf for her to show off her stock. Despite me having a list that I would have preferred to shop from, she hardly let me get a word in as she thrust one item after another into my face. Very few of the offered items held any interest for me, and it was an unfortunate effect that every time she did bring up something I wanted it only increased her zeal to sell me something else.
After what felt like far too long, she ran out of things that I wanted to buy, didn’t stop her from trying though as she put another small bottle before me. “How about something to improve the health of your skin? It makes a wonderful gift for that special lady in your life, or perhaps even your mother if you need a gift.”
The mention of mom soured my already withering mood further. “My mother passed some time ago. I have everything I need, good day.” I immediately turned to leave, but she wasn’t done with me just yet as she talked to me while I attempted to escape.
“Oh, I am so terribly sorry for your loss. I must have touched on a sore subject, and I apologize for that. Perhaps I can make it up to you? Would you like to speak with her again?”
That stopped me dead in my tracks. I turned back towards her with a skeptical look. “What did you say?”
I couldn’t help but notice the small grin on her face as she must have thought she reeled me back in for another sale. She did have my attention again, but for a completely different reason than what she assumed. There were a few pages in the spell book that detailed methods of speaking to the dead, but I assumed that such knowledge was completely lost everywhere else. Of course, this could just be a lie designed to suck all the money out of me, but the chance that it wasn’t was too great to just ignore.
She continued her sales pitch. “You heard correct sir. There are methods to reach beyond the veil of death. They have been passed down in my family for generations, and it is not something that I offer lightly.”
I seriously doubted that as it seemed like something she offered to anyone who she found out lost someone. Again, I thought that this might just be a scam, but I had to at least see for myself. “Alright, I’ll bite, what does this entail?”
With a gesture she directed me to the central table. “Please wait here for a moment, I'll return with the necessary ingredients for the ritual.”
The fact that she was going to get ingredients added to the credibility of her claims, at least a little. She could still return with a bunch of nonsense after all. I was both pleasantly surprised and disappointed when she returned with alchemical reagents that were required, but also not enough of them or some that weren’t needed. I knew the requirements for this ritual very well because out of all the spells in the book, I wanted to try this one first.
To start, she placed a shallow bowl filled with what was unmistakably sulfur powder in the middle of the table. Next came the small bones of animals arranged in such a way that they surrounded the bowl. Then the last correct step she took was to place a preserved hawk’s eye on top of the pile of sulfur.
After those three steps the things she added were not part of the requirements for the ritual as far as it said in the book. She added a raven feather, a silver coin, and an onyx stone. There were also a few things still missing, so even if she was able to talk to someone like this, it would probably be just a random person who would most likely be more confused than anything else.
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
While I was wondering if she had some level of understanding or if this was all just a lucky guess, she completed setting up and attempted to start the ritual. “Now, to set fire to the materials and reach beyond the boundaries of life, we will call to the spirits of the-”
“Wait, you’re doing it wrong.” The words kind of just jumped out of me before I even realized I said them.
She looked halfway between surprised and offended by my interruption. “I beg your pardon?”
“Uhm, sorry, it’s just... well, you do have some things right, but you don’t need this, or this, or even that.” I tossed out the three objects she added from the pile. She crossed her arms and gave me a rather glowering look. Maybe she thought I was mocking her.
I tried not to pay her any mind, focusing instead on the mostly complete ritual in front of me. Pulling out the book from my bag, I thumbed through it until I landed on the page about speaking with the dead. It didn’t escape my notice how she leaned forward to get a closer look at the contents of the page as well.
Reading over the instructions one more time, I asked her for a few things. “Do you have a string and something to draw with?”
She seemed to be contemplating whether or not to comply with my request. I couldn’t blame her really. I just walked in here, hijacked her ritual, and basically told her that she had been doing it wrong the whole time. Her eyes flickered between my face and the book in my hands a few times. I guess curiosity won out over any feelings insult, because she walked into the back room for a moment only to return with a length of string and a charcoal stick.
The two objects were handed over and I immediately put them to use by drawing a circle. The string was used to keep it as close to symmetrical as possible by acting as an anchor point. Once the circle was completed, I started to draw the runes depicted in the book around its edge as accurately as possible. By the end of it, I had something set up that looked very magical indeed.
There was only one thing that was missing from the ingredients. The book said that in order to call someone specific, you needed a piece of someone related to them. It could be blood, hair, or even flesh if you were out of other options. Hair was the most common thing to offer, so I plucked a few strands off my head to place upon the pile.
Reviewing everything, it all looked solid and ready to work with. “Alright, now we can light it.”
The look on her face said that she was convinced that this wouldn’t do anything. With a roll of her eyes, she lit a short stick with a candle. “I’m charging you for these materials.” All her salesmanship was gone now, replaced by a cold demeanor. I suppose she did indeed feel insulted by me doing this, and I hoped that it would work because I would feel foolish if it didn’t.
She touched the burning end of the stick to the pile of sulfur until it caught. The blue flame that emerged from the material slowly spread and encompassed everything. Once the whole bowl had been engulfed in flame, we finally saw something magical take effect.
The runes I had drawn around the table started to glow a pale blue, illuminating a lot of the room. Both of us took a step back when this happened before the next thing grabbed our attention. The hawk’s eye that was previously sitting on top of the pile began to float upwards, still wreathed in blue flame. It scanned across the room before focusing on me. The pupil dilated with such an intensity that it made me squirm a little.
Suddenly the eye was consumed by the fire completely, being reduced to ash in a mere instant. The flame remained though, floating in the air without a source before it started to grow. The flickering fire began to take form, slowly becoming more recognizable as a human silhouette.
I could only stare in stunned silence at it until inexplicably I heard a voice echoing out from seemingly nowhere. “Samuel...”
It saying my name made me blink as I started to process it. Something deep within me stirred, and I realized then that I recognized the voice. “M-mom?”
“Samuel...”
“I’m here mom, I'm here!” I could feel some tears start to form in my eyes. “I... I never thought I would hear your voice again. I miss you, I-”
“Samuel... love... Samuel...”
Suddenly my stomach dropped as something felt wrong. “Mom? Are you okay?”
“Love... Samuel...”
Something was off. “Mom! What’s wrong?!” I couldn’t get anything else out of her, she just kept repeating those two words over and over again. Panic was starting to set in, and with no other options, I turned to my pocket god for answers.
What’s wrong with her?!
Before they even started talking, I could feel a gloom radiating from them. Do you recall how I mentioned that the methods used by the worshippers of the other gods to excise the dead were traumatic? I couldn’t bring myself to answer, feeling overwhelmed by the storm of emotions that rose up within me at that moment.
My god continued. This is one of the effects that can occur. While you were living your life, I was dealing with this. Many of those who were forcefully removed from this world have suffered some sort of ill effect. Some lose themselves completely, others become unresponsive, and then there are those like your mother who retain at least a little awareness, but none of the faculties to act in a meaningful way.
There was a feeling, like a tense coil winding itself tighter in my chest. My dad?
A brief pause existed before an answer came. He is unresponsive. I’m doing my best to heal them as much as possible, but the myriad of souls that have been damaged over the years is vast and repairing them all is a task I do not know if I am capable of doing anymore.
I was breathing heavily as one emotion after the other ran wild inside me. Grief, pain, and sadness threatened to overwhelm me. But then, all at once, those emotions were swept aside and replaced with a singular overwhelming feeling. Rage.
My jaw tightened, my lips curled back into a feral sneer that revealed my gnashed teeth, and I could feel the veins in my neck bulge. It was him. That asshole on the horse, he did this to them! My anger burned white hot; tears of unfathomable hatred burned a path down my face. HE DID THIS!
I could feel my pocket god was regarding me with concern, but I ignored them. I’m going to find that bastard and rip him limb from limb! Then I'll bring him back so I can FUCKING DO IT AGAIN! He will spend the rest of eternity in perpetual agony, I’ll make him suffer through a thousand deaths!
Now my god interjected himself. You go too far. Kill him if you must but you will not misuse my power in such a way.
I, don’t, care! Curse me, damn me, do whatever you want but he will suffer for this. I will-
Suddenly it felt like my whole being was seized in an icy grip that cut deep into my soul. The voice from my god echoed in my head with commanding force. You will cease this line of thought immediately and control yourself! I will not tolerate disobedience in this matter!
My rage was suddenly overshadowed by the literal fear of God that was put into me. It was elucidating, but also terrifying as it froze my heart and made my legs feel weak. Then, the sensation was gone, and I was able to breathe again.
Have you calmed?
I panted on the spot, still feeling the slight embers of anger smoldering within me. Yes. I answered begrudgingly.
Good. Steady yourself and bring a close to the ritual.
I wiped my eyes and took a deep breath, bringing my attention back to the flickering silhouette of my mother who repeated herself once more. “Samuel... love...”
Forcing a weak and trembling smile onto my face, I gave my farewell. “I love you, too, mom. Get some rest now, I'll see you again, someday.” With those final words I used a finger to disrupt the circle I had created. The light and the flames both disappeared when I did this, leaving behind only smoke and a charred bowl.
Suddenly I felt extremely exhausted. My emotions were thrown around from one peak to the next in the span of but a few moments, and it induced a weary feeling in me. I rested against the table, using it to support most of my weight as I tried to process everything. Unfortunately, I was interrupted by the lady of the house who I remembered was witness to all of that.
She walked up right into my line of sight, a very focused and confrontational look on her face. “How did you do that?”
I blinked a few times, trying to comprehend the question. “I’m sorry, what?”
“How, did, you, do that? That ritual never did anything close to that before, and then you come in, change it, and now it seems to be more effective than it ever was.” Her gaze fell on my spell book. “Where did you get that book.” She then made to grab it, and in a reaction, I snatched it away, shooting her a withering look.
“Do, not, touch.”
She looked annoyed but didn’t push the matter. “Fine, but you’re not leaving until you explain yourself.”
I sighed. What am I supposed to do in this situation?
That was more of a rhetorical question, but my pocket god answered it regardless. Talk to her, find out why she wants to know. She might just make for a good candidate.
I remembered then that we were supposed to be reviving a religion. Giving her another once over, I started up a conversation. “First, tell me why you want to know? Why does it matter to you?”
She folded her arms and shook her head. “If we’re going to be getting into that, then we might as well do it over some tea. Follow me.” Leading the way, she popped into the back room with me on her heels.
This room was much more personal than the other one. It contained a bed, a desk, a small table, and a tiny stove. On the desk was a collection of books and papers haphazardly strewn about, many of them containing depictions of plants and animals. The table was covered with a lot of alchemical tools for preparing various substances. She quickly prepared a kettle and lit the fire in the stove to put some tea on before sitting down at the table, gesturing for me to do the same.
I had to maneuver a few things, but I did have enough room to converse with her. Once we were both situated, she started answering my question. “The short answer to your question is that I wasn’t lying when I said that my family collected knowledge of these things. For generations my ancestors were nomads, traveling the world in search of lost artifacts and knowledge. After a while, though, there were no more places left to see, no old tomes to read, no ancient ruins that hadn’t already been plundered. So, they settled down, applied what they knew to make a living, even if it wasn’t much of one. We ceased being explorers and instead became alchemists, witches, or con artists to those who were less generous with their names.”
She fixed me with a stare and leaned forward. “Then you show up, with a strange book and a more complete knowledge of things that were supposedly lost for centuries. How did you find that book, who are you?”
As I contemplated answering, my pocket god jumped into my thoughts again. Tell her about you and me. I guess she had convinced them that she was a proper candidate.
“Well, my name is Samuel, might I have yours?”
“Malery.”
“Right. Well, Malery, would you believe me if I said I have the... unique, situation of being host to a forgotten god?”
Her eyes widened before narrowing again. “I would be skeptical, but willing to hear your explanation.”
With a bracing breath, I began to recount my tale for the first time to another living person. She listened quietly, making a variety of faces in response to certain things I said. I admit that from an outside perspective, I probably looked just short of insane. Once I had finished recounting, she just stared for a long moment.
After an uncomfortable amount of time had passed, she finally said something. “And how do I know that anything that you just said is the truth? Can you prove it?”
I sighed, rubbing the back of my head as I thought about how to do that. But once more, I received the answer. Take her hand, I will show her.
You can just do that?
She might not be able to hear me right now, but she can still feel me through you. Take her hand.
With no better option, I went along with it. “Can I see your hand for a moment.”
“Why?”
“Well, apparently my god would like to say hello, in their own strange way.”
She looked part way between concerned and intrigued. After a moment of consideration, she offered her hand to me, which I took. Nothing happened at first, but then she suddenly went ridged. Her eyes were wide, her body trembling, and her breath came in short bursts. I couldn’t feel anything, but apparently, she was having a rapturous moment.
I remained connected to her for a very awkward few minutes before she seemed to come back to herself and jerked her hand away from me. She slowly got control over herself once again, bringing her breathing back to normal though she still possessed a bit of a tremor.
“That... that was a god?”
“Yes, as far as I can confirm, they are.”
“I’ve never felt anything like that. It was like I was an ant standing before a mountain. And this god gave you that knowledge?”
“They did. Apparently, they were once the god of all humans, and they are looking to become that once again.”
“A god... our god.” It was a lot to process, and I let her do so in her own time before she returned to the conversation. “Could they give me knowledge as well?”
I had to ask about that. Can you?
If she offers her prayers to me, I can answer her, but she must swear an oath of service.
“They can, but it would require you to agree to an oath.”
She paused, but her answer came quicker than I expected. “If I can learn what has been forgotten, then I will agree to this oath.”
“Oh, really? I won’t lie to you; it will probably be dangerous. We’re not exactly an accepted group.”
She scoffed a little. “Look where I'm living, look at what my life is, selling salves and potions to people who would sooner call me a scammer than admit I did anything good. I just touched a god! A god who is willing to give me their knowledge. A little danger is nothing compared to what they offer.”
Well, that was surprisingly easy. What needs to happen now?
She must kneel before you, then you repeat these lines...
After memorizing the words, I told her about the process and got everyone situated properly. This was a little weird, but I did my best to act as professionally as possible. I began to recite the lines. “Do you vow to serve the will of the lord of twilight, to shepherd the dead and provide them with comfort and finality during their transition to the afterlife?”
“I will.”
“Do you vow to protect the sanctity of life and death, to not abuse the knowledge for selfish and harmful gain?”
“I will.”
“Then offer your prayers to your lord and receive their blessings.” She dipped her head low, starting her prayers. I allowed myself a small smile, thinking I did a good job for my first time initiating someone into a religion.
A gasp drew my attention back to her as she now looked at me with a shocked expression. “I can hear them!”
I suppose with there only being the two of us right now that a more personal touch could be applied. “Well, as one of the first... acolytes I suppose would be a good title, you will probably get more attention from them. Try not to take it too personally if we expand our numbers and they can’t interact with you as much.”
“Of course! I'm just... I'm in awe really.”
“Right, I can understand that. Let’s get you up to speed on the situation so we can prepare for the future.” Just like that, I had recruited the first member to our revived religion. Despite this just being a small step, it was an important one, nonetheless. It would be slow going, but perhaps as our number grew the future would become less uncertain. Whatever the case, I now had someone to help me, and was grateful for that in the extreme. I wasn’t alone anymore.