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> For there are more…
>
> The God of the Heavens
>
> The Mother of Magic
>
> The God of the Depths,
>
> and the Others.
>
> -
>
> Roads
>
> (By Soteras or of Soteras)
>
> Volume IV
>
> Gods Chapter,
>
> -Prologue-
>
> (The bottom of the page was missing in all subsequent editions)
>
> -circa 68 NC
>
>
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Aelrindel, of Edlenn
‘Nesande's Moon Daughter’*
‘Hallowed Splendor’*
Not a question of if...
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> *The first being Edlenn’s well-documented moniker and the second derived from the power word attachment Ael (Divine, Sacred) in her name.
-
-
> The deep sea splashed on the gleaming basalt boulders, dark green and blue turning to thick white froth. It went over the tall reefs’ cracked peaks that were a natural breakwater and poured before the pebbly beach. An elongated and looping around the shores zone, a shallow pond-like area one could walk with ease to reach onto dry land. Which she did following the shorter path, extended right hand’s fingers touching the calm and very warm water’s surface.
>
> The air smelling of menthol, peppermint flowers and eucalyptus trees. Pink and red corrals visible at the distance resembling a red belt. The blooming foliage beyond the white-grey pebbles of the beach, with its bright colors allowed the sun’s rays through like Naossis sheer knitted girdle.
>
> “Mum?” The little Gish asked standing up. “Are the twins alright?”
>
> Mmm.
>
> The voice echoing inside the artificial dome, disturbing the dream-world’s walls. A house of remembrance and past qualms, she thought hugging the little creature motherly. You’re a strange Gish eh? Playing at another.
>
> The irony escaping her.
>
> They are alright, the trees whispered responding to the Sibyl’s silent query.
>
> “They are alright,” Aelrindel said soothingly and kissed the top of the shivering Gish’s head. “What do you have there, dear?”
>
> Jinx tipped her head back to look at her unsure. “A crescent-shaped pearl I found on the beach,” she replied and showed her shyly. “It sings.”
>
> “Give it to me,” Aelrindel ordered and the smaller female obeyed. “Have you found anything else?”
>
> “Earlier. Do you want me to show you?” Jinx replied with an eager smile.
>
> “That’s fine,” Aelrindel said, the drumming in her head turned to a dull background noise coming from outside the dream-world. “You can keep those,” she added and closed her eyes to find the exit, leaving the dome’s occupant alone.
>
> She took the memory with her.
>
> Dark and red painted corridors.
>
> Humming shades and whispering memories.
>
>
>
> ‘Sometimes life offers you one of two,’ a fit Issir woman counseled. ‘A friend or a lover. Sometimes nothing at all. If it is company you crave the most, then learn to take what’s offered and don’t hazard for more.’
>
>
>
> ‘Put some faith in me,’ a handsome Lorian wearing a fancy belt assured her. ‘You’re quite safe now lass, but you need to let go of the latrine.’
>
>
>
> What manner of nonsensical… Ael thought but paused to hear more.
>
> A scrawny teenager with a maimed ear standing at the bow of a large fishing boat furrowing his smart brows uncertain for a brief moment. Then turning his head asked in a scoundrel’s voice, wild curls blowing at the wind.
>
> ‘How far are these Sinking Isles?’ The hint of a smirk forming on that wicked mouth and a pretty Zilan purred in the Gish’s ear.
>
> ‘Sleep safe now drool. You’re home.’
> It’ll do, the witch decided and walked outside.
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The noise turning to voices of alarm and panic. Light hurting her eyes as Aelrindel took a moment to regain control of her own body. Many a young witches have made fools of themselves losing control of their bodily functions when performing outside their vessel.
Where is that Gish?
Ah.
She took quite the tumble damn it.
“Galloping fucking Goblins!” A brass adventurer cursed running outside the half-collapsed building.
“I swallowed puke!” That was Melon coming about with a panicked yelp.
“She’s fine,” Aelrindel reassured them carrying the unresponsive Jinx in her arms with ease before remembering that a human wouldn’t be that strong and pretended she could barely hold on to the Gish’s limp body.
“It’s alright good lass,” a handsome adventurer assured the suddenly struggling with the load witch stepping in front of her. Wow, we have lots of unknown male visitors too! “I’ll take over from here.”
“Please do. She’s rather heavy,” Aelrindel told him with a warm smile letting go of the Gish. The man was quick to grab her afore she could hit the ground again. “I think she hurt her head? But it’s just a scratch.”
“I’ll look at it,” the man said stiffly and knelt beside Jinx. “These things can be dangerous.”
No, she’s fine.
But go ahead.
“Was that a plaguing earthquake?” Caruso asked Lithoniela and the Princess shook her head.
“Nah, darn wall came down,” the older adventurer declared. “Same thing happened to Grin back in eighty one at Hunter’s Cot. Fucking old wall just crumbled and killed his horse. Got to check them things out thoroughly lads. Well, she alright?”
“I’m fine,” Aelrindel assured him with a smile and the man frowned.
“Ye are fer sure,” he told her with a small appreciative nod. “But I was talking about Jinx lassie.”
Which was almost insulting considering she had stepped on a sharp pebble to prevent a tragedy. With the injured leg no less!
“Let me have a look at her,” Melon barked and sauntered near the unresponsive Gish, the veteran adventurer doing a double take and reaching for his sword.
“What is this bullshit? Who said that?”
The cat paused mid-step to glare at him. “Are ye blind?”
“Allgods damn it! Heard it again. Sam, did I got hit by a rock?” The man cursed grabbing at his head to check for injuries.
“You didn’t Marlo,” handsome Sam replied and stared at the cat unsure.
“Was it a brick?” Marlo checked again just to be sure.
“It’s just a talking cat,” Aelrindel explained indifferently and walked to a stunned Toutatis to help him out. The boy was sitting on his bottom holding a ridiculous top hat in his arms and a half-eaten banana.
Hmm.
“Eh… what now?” Marlo blinked unsure whether he heard her right.
“A very rare talking cat from the… North of Eplas,” Lithoniela intervened making it up as she went along. “Last of its kind.”
“Hold on there, round tits,” Melon warned her a bit annoyed. “Some of us haven’t given up hope yet!”
“There’s no such thing as a talking cat!” Marlo boomed and Melon farted his way afore looking between Jinx’s legs. “Fuck is it doing?”
Melon had managed to sneak under the Gish’s short tunic.
“Eh,” Sam murmured standing back. “I don’t know.”
“That’s a ripe pussy,” Melon declared inhaling deeply, dilapidated tail lashing right and left furiously. “Ah, the scent is divine. She’s in heat! I knew something was up. Here, have a sniff,” he offered to the grossed out Sam raising a whiskered muzzle.
“Good grief, that’s enough!” Marlo grunted and moved to extricate the wayward cat.
“Don’t touch the fur!” Melon roared with a mighty voice and jumped away from the man’s hands. The black cat landed on four legs and then nervously leaped back and forth a couple of times glaring at the big adventurer. “Want to take another bite at this, huh? I’m gonna rip your nuts out goatfucker!”
“Why, you piece of charred hide. What did ye call…?” An offended Marlo growled and unsheathed his sword with Sam rushing to get between the two of them.
It is like being back in the circus! She thought with a grin.
“Hide behind yer friend that’s right. Fucking ugly sack of shit! Chicken!” Melon taunted and Lith had to walk there to pick him up. The cat making loud chicken sounds. “Ko-ki-oh. Ko-koh!”
“Let me kill the cat,” Marlo reasoned with Sam. “We’ll pick another from the street for crying out loud! Who’s gonna know?”
“You need to calm down,” Sam warned him while Lithoniela petted the cat in her arms.
“Where did you find the hat?” Aelrindel asked the coming about boy and Toutatis wore it on his head giving her the half-eaten banana. The witch peeled it off carefully and then wolfed it down whilst everyone was busy looking at Melon and the adventurers quarrelling. “It looks silly.”
“I found it,” Tout replied and frowned.
“Let me see the eye,” Aelrindel told him.
“It’s fine.”
“You should let the sun see it more. It’ll heal faster,” she reminded the pouting boy taking the silly hat off of his head and flinging it away. “I’ll work on it some more.”
“I will,” Tout replied hoarsely and she brushed his wiry hair back with her fingers to check for herself under the leather patch.
“Hmm,” she murmured. “It is a little better. Some vision will return hopefully.”
A shuddering Toutatis hugged her waist tightly at that.
“There, there now.” Ael murmured softly feeling the boy’s anguish washing over her. “My little hero of Rida.”
“What… just happened?” He asked in a muffled voice sounding scared.
“Not all can be said in front of strangers,” she reminded him and he sighed slowly coming about. “But we fear nothing in our little Coven, hmm?”
Toutatis nodded eagerly.
“With that out of the way, where is he?” The witch asked her tone changing.
“Went to check the gates and the street for any onlookers,” Tout replied and let her go reluctantly. “It was very loud.”
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
It could have been worse.
“Did he look mad?”
Tout snorted and then crumbled that disfigured face even more. “Just sulking, but no more than usual.”
Good.
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Aelrindel looked to find a place to sit down but couldn’t and fearing to enter the weakened building she went near the pile of debris. She cleared a couple of flat rocks and then looked around for someone to lift them which turned out to be the Princess herself.
Lith made a stone stall of sorts using the flatter rocks and Ael plopped her bottom down with a weary sigh. Walking back on foot from the docks had killed her legs.
“I built that for me.” Lithoniela hissed and the witch frowned afore assuming a tired expression with flashes of pain for better effect.
How rude!
“I stepped on a pebble. Huge lumpy thing?” She explained and Lith pursed her lips not believing a word. This distrust must stop, Ael thought peeved. We deserve the proper respect for our efforts! “With my hurt leg. See behind the heel? A piece of skin just came out, yay big!”
“Lather some healing potion on it.”
“I had gathered fresh buds to make an ointment, since what we have is too old,” Ael explained and let out a deep sigh. “But had to use everything up in my panic.”
She glanced around at that but everyone was busy and Melon’s voice brought her attention back to the scowling Princess.
“Let me get in that shirt ‘perky tits’,” the cat protested and Lith loosened two buttons to allow him to hide in her bosom. “Need to calm down a bit. I’m too aroused, so I might rub one out in the quick. Ye feel a paw touch a nipple don’t go wild on me right?” Melon’s muffled voice was heard and then the cat’s head popped out at the opening, the rest of his body parked between Lith’s covered breasts.
Melon looked at Aelrindel intently.
“Don’t even think about it. You stink,” the witch replied to his voiceless query and Melon rolled his eyes indifferently.
“I wasn’t until you started talking dirty,” Melon gave her a cat grin.
Lith cupped his mouth with a palm she had to pull away when the cat started licking it with manic determination purring loudly.
“Did Larn lose his mind?” The Princess asked after watching Melon’s ministrations for a while.
“He felt danger and reacted. She was on to us,” Aelrindel replied lowering her voice.
“By trying to kill her?” Lith hissed her eyes flashing yellow.
“I prevented that,” she reminded her. “Can you be a bit more appreciative and discreet?”
“Bringing down the house was subtle in yer book?”
“I had to improvise on the fly,” the witch retorted. “Didn’t see you reacting at all, but you sure have picked up Caruso’s jargon!”
The Princess blinked at the jab.
“I missed the whole thing,” Lith hissed next and took a step forward all fired up. “With you puffing that chest out and only heard the screaming, sorry… chanting.”
“It serves a purpose,” Ael replied through her teeth. “Because it is a much sought after commodity silly girl. Ah, fine stop it. I know Larn better so I’ll give you that.”
“Pfft. I could turn heads as easy. You’re showing skin like a Gish and it ain’t a compliment,” Lithoniela clapped back. Eh… hmm, Ael thought and glanced at the slowly coming about Jinx’s spread legs. That’s preposterous, if I ever do that folks will riot! In public that is. “Will he try again?” Lith asked a little frustrated to get the troubled witch’s attention back to their conversation.
“Try what? It’s his character,” Ael snapped angry to be interrupted whilst thinking on personal matters. “He did it to protect us!”
Lithoniela crumpled her pretty face and then stroked softly in thoughtful silence the dosing off Melon’s head between the ears.
“What did you do?” She asked at the end of it and Aelrindel got up with a groan.
“I don’t like your tone,” the witch told her. “I took her memories. She’ll be fine.”
“Wait… will she remember anything?” Lith asked her sounding concerned.
Oh, Goddess please. What is this persistent questioning?
“Some memories. I misspoke given my injuries. She won’t remember the later stuff,” the comely sorceress explained with a puff of frustration.
“The later stuff,” Lith repeated narrowing her eyes. “Like an hour?”
Aelrindel gave her a warning glare.
“It’s a legitimate query Moira,” Lith taunted.
“Thereabouts. It is never precise, but I’m not an animal. I was careful,” she explained wearily. Arachne or the Aken were brutal at that and could strip a mind clean.
She grimaced at that.
“We were supposed to see if we could return to Wetull,” Lithoniela started guessing her thoughts which pissed her off to no end. Living near a talented Zilan had its drawbacks as they could read you eventually like an open book.
Illusions applied or not.
“I can handle Sulynor.”
“I was talking of what Jinx said.”
“Fine. What did she say?” The witch yielded.
“Glenavon will allow us back into Goras. He pardoned the exiles.”
Reeves.
“All of them?” Aelrindel asked and crossed both arms over her aroused chest.
It’s the abstinence. She might have to take Rhys up on that offer but then Ralnor would be really pissed off. Nah, the assassins were off the table. Too many blades rattling about her soft bits. Selussa? Same thing and that’s a bitter flower to chew on.
“Jinx said as much.” Lith had replied.
Hmm.
“How could the silly Gish know?”
“That’s Glenavon’s best friend probably,” Lithoniela explained. “She knows him for years.”
“I thought that was you,” Ael noted sourly. “Didn’t know he was keen on Gish flesh.”
What is this fresh nonsense!
“I was with him for very little. What? Seriously?” Lith groaned seeing her furious expression. “I thought you were more open-minded than that.”
Hah… I’m twice, ten times more open-minded than you! She thought. “I’m just surprised. Not judging. She’s a pretty thing I suppose if one is into that sort of things.”
“He’s not. Neither is she a sex pet. That was before my mother’s time! Glenavon is a widower with a child. Jinx told me so herself. So you can relax… what is it now?”
Ael licked her dry lips slowly, trying to think things through civilly and not make a scene.
“I’m processing the information.”
“You’re scowling. A lot.” Lith noticed. “It makes your ears show.”
Shit.
“No one here scowls more than you dear!” The witch retorted defensively.
“Hey, keep them moist pussy noises down,” a snoring half-asleep half-dreaming Melon warned with his eyes closed.
“Shut up Melon,” Lith hissed blushing fiercely, which was cute on her.
“It can’t be,” the witch said returning to their topic sort of. “I’ve seen the Monarch.”
“In dreams? Why would you divinate...?”
“The point is,” Ael groused cutting her off midsentence. “That I would have caught it and I didn’t.”
“Did you think to ask?”
I was busy doing other things dear.
“I would have seen a child,” the witch hissed pressed into a corner. “How can one hide? How could it know?”
“You are never wrong?”
“Obviously I am in this,” Aelrindel puffed out in frustration. “Do you trust that Gish?”
“She wouldn’t lie about that, I think.” Lith made a grimace. “The cat farted.”
Aelrindel turned to stare at Jinx looking about confused with the men eager to help her on her feet.
Ah, this is very annoying.
“You said we need to get to Nesande’s Garden. The brood mother told you they migrated to Lebesos centuries before the ‘Fall’.” The princess added. Toutatis had returned near them in the meantime and brought Aelrindel a pair of old shoes to wear.
“Which doesn’t make sense. The Arachne don’t like changing homes.”
“What if they got spooked? Or ordered?”
“No one would have given such an order,” Ael countered. “And spooked… by whom? They don’t exactly live peacefully with other creatures or allow visitors in their midst willy-nilly. Assuming one would be insane enough to attempt it.”
“You did.”
That was untainted skill dear.
The deeply moved witch almost broke down to tears at what she had easily –for the most part- accomplished.
It was just too much.
Unparalleled divinity reduced to living like a vagrant.
But she opted for a more modest reply.
“I did it in the middle of a street and running out of options. I wouldn’t enter their caves Princess to scare them half a continent away.”
“You think answers reside inside a tomb?” Lithoniela asked.
“I need to get my hands on the staff if we’re to face Aken again,” the witch explained wiping a wayward tear away. “That means unfortunately I have to enter the tomb which is not exactly pleasant for me. Strange things linger where witches rest. Plus there’s Qerrali to worry about assuming she’s still there. She could be insane after so many centuries locked up.”
Lithoniela pursed her mouth sensing the sorceress anguish but erring on the reason.
“I understand it’s difficult for you to visit your mother’s grave.” That too, Aelrindel thought, although she had seen her mother very recently. “We could ask Glenavon. He’s sensitive on these matters being an orphan himself.”
“Yeah, I don’t know about that,” Aelrindel decided and stooped to wear her shoes.
“Why not?” Lith griped.
“He might be curious or not helpful. I obviously don’t know which future I see as you pointed out. He could outright bar us from entering or worse. Who else is in his court, do we even know that much?”
“What does it matter?” Lith griped. “I have my mother’s place in the Council of Twenty. He’ll push out an Elderborn?”
Yeah he would and your mother had her own enemies you need to worry about.
“The Reeves you remember was not a Monarch. Or a father. It changes a man. So he might react differently and our presence could tip the balance of power in the Council,” Aelrindel breathed out slowly. “You know that or should have known it. I want to see Wetull as well. Smell the garden and walk where my mother walked again. Let’s ask Larn first. See what he thinks.”
“Why would we need his permission?” Lithoniela pouted. “Larn has no say in these matters!”
I want to hear his opinion.
“If you are wrong about Glenavon,” Aelrindel said keeping her voice even. “Then going to Goras might be deadly for both of us.”
“Because of Nym? You’ll fear my mother’s surveyor? Oops, Larn’s boogieman.”
That’s a big reason sure.
And Nym was banned from the Council for a reason.
But…
“Because of the Monarch Lith,” Aelrindel reminded her. “And his onyx Wyvern. What else princess? You glossed over a lot of things in your haste. A dead wife, a Gish friend and how many others hover around the throne?”
The Princess stood back as realization sunk in.
“The Monarch’s people,” Lith murmured now troubled.
Mmm.
Which we know nothing about.
“Ralnor is reasonable and flexible in these matters,” the witch assured her. “He’ll come up with something solid.”
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“Out of the blasted question!” A standing behind a ruined wall manically gnarling Ralnor snapped the moment she mentioned the matter to him. Eh. Lith was talking with a rattled Jinx, but the Gish was fine otherwise and didn’t remember anything. “Have you two lost your mind? Is it contagious? It must be, with such stupidity spreading about!”
Selussa smirked looking at Aelrindel so the witch ordered a river hornet to land on her nose. It sent the assassin screaming out of the yard.
“The Gish…”
“The Gish was with Reeves. Which means she’ll tell him I’m back and then we’ll have to fight royal fools on top of more of Nym’s deranged killers!” Ralnor snapped angry. Then knowing this tone wouldn't work on her, he tried more reasonably. “Listen, I have it all organized Doll. We’ll take a ship to Jelin and lay low whilst I find out more with Rhys’ and the Guild’s help.”
“The Monarch would be more useful silly,” Ael griped.
“What about Nym?”
“You assume she’s on good terms with him?”
“How should I know? What if she is?”
“Why would Reeves trust a member of the Circle or her?”
“Doll, you’re asking questions I can’t answer,” Ralnor replied stiffly. “If your spells fail you’ll be a target in Goras. A Wyvern can do that just for fun. Or your well-documented inability to lay low.”
“I can be Moira,” Ael protested. “A lowly former slave girl working for a living.”
The veteran assassin stared at her numbly.
“In the palace,” Ael added. “As an advisor or a valued member of the household.”
Ralnor scratched his left earlobe in silence, lips pressed into a thin line.
“You’ll be recognized the moment you open your mouth,” he finally said soberly. “I could hide perhaps but even that is not guaranteed with Dar Fenog and Dar Draug still around. Especially the latter. That beast can sniff out anyone Doll.”
Aelrindel sighed. “So what are you proposing? Because the Princess thinks she can use the throne to go after the Aken.”
Ralnor stood back and rubbed his gaunt pale face for a thoughtful moment. “If Reeves is Hardir O’ Fardor… forget about that. The moment that scoundrel assumed the throne was the moment he set his mind to maintain a firm grip on it. Why risk attacking the Aken? Sure, he could use the Wyvern but is that enough? A war of this scale… might flush out more than he can handle. We had Wyverns before, has he ever faced a construct? They could be anywhere and anyone.”
“Can we take them out at the source?”
Ralnor looked at her. “I’m not keen on crossing the ocean Doll. There is a reason no one has done it afore. What then?”
That’s not true. Kallister did and Sintoriela allegedly.
Speaking of grandmother…
“Sintoriela told my mother they have a Council that wasn’t keen on the war. I wouldn’t be as well if I had to keep my eyes peeled on the Endless Desert. The Lords of the Alafern never sleep the old books say or the ‘Others’ living in the Old Realms.” Ael said. “This could be a smaller faction operating on Eplas that’s causing us problems.”
Ralnor wasn’t keen on millennia old history tales. “Bah, just stay on the bloody present. They have servants on Jelin as well and I’m still missing a blasted ship full of corpses! Four hundred and sixty ripe cadavers are chilling a number, Oras curse them. There are problems enough to waste valuable time delving in ancient apocrypha.”
“An Aken can’t hide on Jelin or operate as easy as they do in the Peninsula. Jelin is notoriously bigoted and even here it’s this Khan that gave them leeway.”
“I don’t believe the Aken give a damn about any lord’s wishes. I wouldn’t too if I had the prospect to just replace them with a compliant servant.” Ralnor grunted. “You can’t risk going to Goras and you know it.”
“She needs help. It was never a question of if but of when,” Aelrindel said calmly and Ralnor frowned his shaven brows looking at her hand touching his. “I need to balance the scales. We have to.”
This talk was over.
The assassin grimaced and turned his gaze at the Princess. The Gish accepting that ridiculous hat from Toutatis and the adventurers. Clenching his jaw so hard deep lines formed down his bony cheeks Ralnor stared next at the sorceress’ determined face.
“I don’t trust these fools to keep you safe on the road Doll,” he admitted wearily, some of his younger self bubbling up to the surface and cracking the hardened exterior. That part reminded her of young Tout a lot.
What are you doing lurking in the shades boy? Edlenn had asked interrupting their lessons. Come forth into the light. Take a seat next to her. Open your ears and keep your eyes on me.
Ael chuckled throatily and reached higher to touch his warm cheek, felt the temperature rise under her fingers. “I’ll be the one protecting them silly,” she reassured the stray Edlenn had picked up from the street. “Just keep out of sight and send Rhys with Selussa to straighten out the Guild’s affairs.”
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read it at Royalroad : https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/46739/touch-o-luck-the-old-realms
& https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/47919/lure-o-war-the-old-realms
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