First light saw us climb, slightly dishevelled, from Amanda’s waggon.
“Well that was educational,” my wife said. “I didn’t think that was possible, but I guess in a world of magic anything is. It certainly offers us some variety.”
I was barely listening.
I’d finally seen the ring under my glove. It was a signet ring bearing the symbol of a white hand, in silver, on a background made of black enamel. Curiously the same symbol was on the inside of Amanda’s waggon roof. The black field being defined by what was best called a horned shield.
I know what you’re thinking and no. I was engaged in the moment and now that the moment was over I was thinking about heraldry and rings. I tend to think in direct terms. The shortest line between two points, and all that. Although not as much as some people I could mention. This wasn’t to say I’m uncreative, just direct.
So as I took in the early morning air and watched the sun crest the treetops, I thought about Merle Sagado. Obviously his, I mean their, plan had been to meet up with Dwongruinelyn and the caravan. Then what? Merle was not a travelling type. Dressed too finely. And there wasn’t a change of clothes for them here, so either the plan was to travel in the same clothes or there was somewhere within a day’s travel that acted as a base of operations for Merle. Possibly more than one. And what sort of monster does not consider the mother of their child as an ally? Someone who doesn’t consider that child an heir? Merle was an earl; the rhyme brought a smile to my lips; of a place called Manchwark. A place name that sounded like an obscene act; Merle the earl was found having a quick Manchwark behind the stables.
I smirked at the thought. But my mind was wandering.
Presuming that the hypothetical base was along the road I had a fifty percent chance to guess the direction. I’d personally favour heading in the direction that I’d been riding in when I woke up. But I wouldn’t put it past Merle to lead their enemies towards their ‘allies’ and away from their home. What I really needed was a local guide.
This brought me to my ‘horse’. Although under the brightening sky it was looking more like a goat than a horse, although it remained a horse-sized beast of burden. Cloven hooves, rectangular pupils, and little tufted beards rounded out the similarity. They were [Sancer]. What?
{[[Personal] Lore] passed (automatic). [Sancer] are the primary beast of burden among the [Tares]. The [Common [Sancer]] like [Midnight] here, has two horns while larger [Sancer], such as the [Zight] breed, have four. Rarest is the [Inkinna] which has only one horn and possesses a powerful [Seagel], that some believe is tied to the welfare of the kingdom. The smallest [Sancer] are kept for their wool and meat.}
Unicorns. They’re freaking unicorns. With two horns. Bicorns. I petted Midnight and, finding some feed in its saddle bags, I made sure it had some breakfast.
Then it was my turn. Someone had found something like rolled oats and, mixing it with water and salt, had produced some really passable porridge. A dash of something like honey for those with a sweet tooth, some dried [Aversonines] fruit of an unknown origin and some likewise equally mysterious chopped [Joock] nuts and I had a meal worthy of the term breakfast. The fruit tasted a bit like peach, but with the texture of really nice dried apple slices. You know, the ones that are still a little squishy. The nuts had a weird floral aftertaste, which was doubly weird as the main flavour was like spiced and cured meat. Specifically fried chicken.
I took the opportunity to lay out my plan to try and lead us to some sort of civilisation, with some pretty decent odds.
The star that lit our new world crested the tree line and illuminated our campsite. A moment I’d been dreading as I feared that I, as a creature of the night, might suffer some terrible fate in the light of day. Yet busy with making plans, breaking my fast and helping pack away the camp, it had snuck up on me.
That was when it happened.
A beam of light, a literal god ray, struck the still smouldering forge. Flames roared up as if fuelled by the light alone. And with those flames came the Presence.
“BE NOT AFRAID!”
The words boomed from the Presence at the forge. With it came a pressure. A weight that seemed to press down on us. A terrible, fearsome, burden.
{[[Divine] Aura] encountered; [[Save] Versus [Fear]] failed}
Around me people were falling to their knees in fear and awe of the Presence at the forge. I felt my knees weaken.
{Utilise [Born of Darkness] abilities? Y/N}
I don’t know what benefit it would be. But sure. The shadowy walls rose around me. But only knee high as I stood in the shadow cast by a fallen log that had been used as seating only a few minutes before. It wasn’t enough.
{[[Divine] Aura] encountered; [[Darkness boosted] [Save] Versus [Fear]] failed}
{Activate [[Personal] Aura]s? Y/N}
I didn’t really understand the implications of my affirmative answer.
{Cascade activating [[Personal] Aura}s until [Fear] effect is resisted or all [[Personal] Aura]s are ineffective.}
{Activating [[Personal] [Darkness] Aura]; [[Personal] [Darkness] Aura] has locally stripped [[Divine] Aura] of [Light] aspected [Ib]}
{[[Divine] Aura encountered; [[Darkness boosted] [[Save] Versus [Fear]] failed.}
I was crouched at this point. One hand, clenched into a fist, upon the ground as I strained against the weight and fear. My own shadow suddenly spread from me like ink on water, plunging the campsite back into night. The walls of darkness went with it as it washed out the light from the Presence for more than a dozen metres in every direction. But where the Presence itself was, the darkness itself was lessened; the walls fading to nothingness. But so too was the pressure and fear. Everywhere my shadow fell so too was the weight we all felt reduced. But it was still not enough.
{Activating [[Personal] [Commanding] Aura]; [[Personal] [Commanding] Aura] has locally stripped [[Divine] Aura] of [Authority] aspected [Ib]. All who witness you and are not under the influence of [[Divine] Aura] must [[Save]] or accept your natural [Authority]}
{[[Divine] Aura] encountered; [[Darkness boosted] [[Save] Versus [Fear]] failed}
My knees gave out and I fell to them. Around me everyone writhed in awful orgiastic terror. Well not everyone. Heather and Amanda both stood facing the Presence. Standing just on the far side of the line where my auras met that of the divine entity.
I could also see the Presence. Through layers of my darkness and authority I could make out its form stripped of its brilliance. It looked like a sun dog. Great rings of rainbow light. Only in motion. Turning and spinning. Burning even through my shadow. Other arcs of prismatic light formed countless lenticular shapes, like vast eyes. Sightless things, yet still I could feel their gaze upon me. Judging me.
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
{Activating [[Personal] [Ferity] Aura]...
What? No. Ferity had the same root word as ferociousness. I didn’t want to unleash that upon anyone. I looked around at the people who had fallen to the aura of the Presence. I wondered how much worse I was making it in my foolish desire to fight against fear. To duel with the divine.
{...Cancel [[Personal] [Ferity] Aura] activation? Y/N}
Yes.
{Cancel cascade activation of [[Personal] Aura]s? Y/N}
YES.
I visualised the auras of darkness and authority withdrawing to me, to form a zone encompassing me and only me.
{[[Personal] Aura [Control] check passed. [[Personal] [Commanding] Aura] is line of sight and cannot be withdrawn only deactivated. Deactivate [[Personal] [Commanding] Aura]? Y/N}
Yes.
The burden of fear returned slightly, my head bowing beneath the additional weight. I don’t know why, but I only knew that I must not fear.
“Fear is the mind-killer.”
The lines of the Litany Against Fear from Frank Herbert’s Dune came to me then, having been drummed into me by a therapist many years ago, as a way to deal with anxiety and panic attacks.
“Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.”
“I will face my fear,” I said aloud, and rose my head through force of will to stare at the Presence, anger broiling in my chest. “I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past, I will turn my inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”
{Spell discovered; [Litany Against Fear [Cantrip]] unlocked. 100 experience points rewarded.}
> Litany Against Fear [Cantrip]
> Spell Magnitude: 1
> Area of Effect: Personal/Aura.
> Range: Self or Aura
> Duration: Single Encounter
> Effect: Doubles subject’s Willpower for the purposes of resisting [Fear].
{[Born of Darkness] is a suitable [Source] for this spell and will use [Darkness] aspect [Daq] as fuel. Please define Auric display for the purposes of this spell}
{(Auric display is a tertiary effect of a spell that defines the appearance of the spell. Anyone who learns this version of the spell will have a similar )}
A series of images filled my awareness for a brief moment; Zaphod Beeblebrox’s peril sensitive sunglasses. Peter Capaldi’s Doctor hiding his blindness behind a pair of sonic sunglasses. A pair of classic Ray-bans I found on the garden wall as a teen, that fitted me perfectly. Unable to locate the owners I had kept them and wore them until my face got too big for them.
I envisioned my aura condensing down to a pair of dark glasses and resting on my face.
{Auric display defined}
{[[Divine] Aura] encountered; [[Litany Against Fear] boosted [Save] Versus [Fear]] succeeded.}
{Achievement unlocked: [Be Not Afraid]; you have resisted the [Fear] effect of a [[Divine] Aura]. Reputation with [[Divinities]] improved by one rank.}
I stood and extended my aura outward, carrying with it the power of the Litany. Each person it touched received their own pair of shades. Not all were able to resist, but even those that could not found the severity of their fear greatly reduced.
“BE NOT AFRAID,” the Presence repeated, “FOR I AM A MESSENGER OF THE PATRON OF THE ROMBE-IN-EXILE; TOLYIN, GODDESS OF THE FORGE, OF TRAVEL, AND OF PITY. FOR WHOM I SPEAK. I COME BEARING SAD TIDINGS. FOR DURING THE NIGHT A GREAT DISASTER OVERCAME THIS CONTINENT OF LUSFELL. THE SOULS OF ITS INHABITANTS WERE DESTROYED AND YOU WERE ALL BROUGHT HERE TO REPLACE THEM AND INHABIT THEIR BODIES. I CANNOT EXPRESS THE GRIEF THAT OVERWHELMS ME, DESPITE MY PURPOSE BEING TO EXPRESS MYSELF. AND THAT GRIEF IS DOUBLED BECAUSE YOU YOURSELVES HAVE BEEN WRONGED. DUPLICATES OF YOUR TRUE SELVES. YOU HAVE BEEN BROUGHT HERE TO FILL THE BODIES OF STRANGERS, AND FULFILL THEIR LIVES INSTEAD OF CONTINUING YOUR OWN. UNJUSTLY ROBBED OF YOUR DESTINED LIVES WHILE YOUR ORIGINAL SELVES CONTINUE ON UNHARMED AND OBLIVIOUS TO YOUR FATE. I GREET YOU AS TRADITION REQUIRES; TO WARN YOU TO NOT FEAR ME WHILE MY VERY EXISTENCE BESIDES YOU DRIVES YOU TO FEAR. I TELL YOU TO NOT BE AFRAID WHILE YOU EXIST IN A STATE WHERE FEAR IS THE ONLY NATURAL AND SANE RESPONSE. I AM SORRY THAT ALL THAT CAN BE OFFERED ARE WORDS. IF YOUR BODY HAS IB WITH TOLYIN AND YOUR WISH IS TO BE RELEASED FROM IT THEN IT WILL BE SO.”
“What is Ib?” asked Amanda, although she stood before the Presence, her voice wavered and almost broke. “It is not a concept that we have upon our native world.”
“IB IS THE BOND BETWEEN DEITY AND WORSHIPPER. IT IS DUTY AND RESPONSIBILITY. IT IS NURTURING AND LOVING; LIKE THE BOND BETWEEN A PARENT AND CHILD. IT IS A CHANNEL THROUGH WHICH THE POWER OF FAITH FLOWS IN BOTH DIRECTIONS. IT IS THE MEANS THROUGH WHICH TOLYIN FELT THE DEATH OF ALL HER FAITHFUL AND THE IMMEDIATE ARRIVAL OF ALL YOU CHARLATANS TO REPLACE THEM.”
“Tolyin has my sympathy.” Amanda said, “But we too are mourning.”
“THIS IS UNDERSTOOD. I MOURN FOR ALL THOSE WHO I HAVE LOST. YOU MOURN FOR THE LIVES THAT HAVE BEEN TAKEN FROM YOU.”
“We are very alike, Tolyin. If it is okay I would like to carry on the Ib of Dwongruinelyn Drakeshield with you.”
“I too,” Heather spoke up. “I’d like to continue the Ib of Nimynhilda Drakeshield with you, blessed Tolyin.”
“DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE RESPONSIBILITIES AND REWARDS OF CARRYING AN IB?”
“No.” Amanda said. “But we are willing to learn.”
“SO BE IT.”
And then the Presence was gone.
“Well that happened.” I said.
“What?” Amanda rounded on me, “Was that?”
“What was what?”
“All that shadow casting and ‘oh look at me giving it the big I am’? That. The whole Litany against fear thing. And where did you get a pair of sunglasses from?”
“I got scared. Just like everyone else. Just turns out that when this body, when I, gets scared I have defences.”
“And the sun glasses?”
“That’s how I share my defences. I can do magic too.”
“I’m totally not afraid of the fucking polis right now.” Lauchlan added from offside, pointing to the shadow black glasses perched on his nose.”
“Hey!” Greg and Murdo interjected together.
I recalled my aura and dismissed it and several dozen pairs of glasses evaporated like shadows at dawn. Which it was.
“So what now?” I’m not sure who it was who asked. It might even have been me.
“We can’t just camp here indefinitely. We need to get to whatever passes for civilisation in these parts.” I definitely said that.
“How would we know where to go?”
“Anyone know how to navigate?”
“Do we have a map?” Others in the camp found their voices.
“I did some orienteering at scouts,” Heather offered. “Before, well, you know.” She pointed to the rising sun. “That’s East. North is going to be that way,” She turned roughly ninety degrees counter-clockwise. “Every other direction is going to be able to be figured out from there.”
“Won’t the sun go to the south during the day?”
“Or north, depending on the hemisphere we’re in,” Heather confirmed. “But all that will do is tell us which hemisphere we’re in.”
“But what if, hear me out here, the planet is upside-down and the sun actually has risen in the west?” That wasn’t me. I’d never say anything so stupid in my entire life. Unless it was funny.
“Are? You? Daft?”
After that we’d broken camp, reattached the Olk, huge Irish Elk sized oxen-like beasts, basically Aurochs but bigger, to the waggons and set off back down the path to the road. It did feel weird to leave the only place we’d called home in this new, to us, world. But I was sure a better home lay ahead of us. At the end of the track I slumped forward and whispered in Midnight’s ear.
“Take me home Midnight”. The Sancer flicked its ears, snorted once and turned in the direction we’d been riding the night before. North west by Heather’s reckoning.