The Way Beckons

Three months now we are locked behind the Candlenox Door. I have started to hate that name now, Candlenox Door. I fear that my feelings towards Candlenox itself, normally such a festive time, will forever be marred because of it.

“Candlenox, (murmuring), Candlenox, (louder), you’re no door! Pah!”

“What’s that Victor? Couldn’t hear you in the corner over there. What is that you’re doing with those pieces of wood?”

“Ah, take no bother of my words, friend Elias. As for this wood, once upon a time I worked a forge if you can believe. I thought perhaps another distraction might be worthwhile if I whittled out a practice weapon or two. Might we spar when I finish?”

Elias’ eyes light up, “Indeed Victor, my arm grows weaker by the day and my mind is no good for another craft. Simon speaks to me of magics and family lore and I simply haven’t the head for it. (whispering)Truly I don’t know what he’s said at all, but your words are clear. Call me when you are ready.”

Left alone to my little corner again, I patiently shape the pieces of wood I salvaged from a few wrecked barrels.

“Ah, Dame, I miss you more than even I had thought. Where are you now? Flying freely, I hope. If only we could all join you.”

The day draws on, or what passes for a day in this dark hole.

“Victor, won’t you join us for the evening meal?”

I put down my blade and my newly fashioned practice weapon, ”Coming along quite nicely, but yes Elissa, I am hungry once again, thank you.”

A few minutes later as I walk into what was once the mess hall for cursed Drow scum, a delightful smell wafts under my nostrils.

“What new delight is this? I have smelled worse in greater kitchens than this?”

Around the table sit the Harmonants. Simon pipes up, “You can thank me for such great deeds once again for it was I who found the cache of spices overlooked these months by some others, I won’t name whom, whose hands are not accustomed to such delicate work.” (a smirk towards Josiah)

“Yes, yes little brother, we’re all so grateful and far more humbled than such as you”, Josiah laughs, “Victor, Elias says you are crafting practice swords, is that one of them there?”

“Yes actually Josiah, have a look, I would wonder what a prince might think.” I toss him the wooden weapon, still proud of my waning skill, “Once upon a time I worked a forge in the service of no greater than yourselves. My father was often employed by the Hathainian royal military for his great skill at the forge. Such was my teacher.”

“And it shows, my friend, quite the piece you’ve made, almost a shame to ruin it with practice blows.”

“Let me see it Josiah.” Elias stands and swings competently over the heads of his seated brothers, “Yes, Victor, well done. Are there more?”

“Patience Elias, we have more than enough time I reckon. More will be made, for now that is all I have to show.”

“Patience, ha, you’re looking at the wrong face for that virtue. Hey! Ow!”

With a skillful tap Elias smacks, Simon’s cheek with the hard enough wood, “I guess you’re right, little brother. I lost my patience again, ha ha ha.”

Elissa walks over with the hardy smelling stew we were waiting for, “Enough, boys, Oberon and I are to blame for wearing all of your patience thin with the tease of such smells. Eat now, it’s very good, sometimes I surprise even myself.”

After we all had eaten our fill and talked as much as we would, I sat back with a smile. We hadn’t anything half so satisfying in all these months, “Excellent you two, reminds me of my sister’s cooking back in Hathaine, she had a wonderful skill in the kitchen. What I wouldn’t give for a mug of ale now. I can almost see the inn now and with such fine companions as you all.”

“Hear, hear, I could do with the same. Oberon might not approve, but my throat has been too dry as well. Don’t look at me like that Oberon,” Lukas licks his lips with the memory in spite of his twin.

“Well, despite your drunken losses, it is good to see everyone in such spirits. It’s almost as if Elos’ sun shone on us even in this gloom. Victor, if I may, you haven’t smiled this much in a month. I remember well your loss, but I wouldn’t have it overcome you.”

“Thank you Oberon. I appreciate that. In fact, I do feel much renewed today. In fact I think it is time. Tomorrow, I will once again beseech Narduna for her wisdom in finding a new companion. I have thought long on the words in the tattered book I chanced upon from the Drow grave and it seems to be prodding me forward, reminding that there is more than entrapment and artifacts to be found here. If all of you would be so kind as to leave me undisturbed for twenty-four hours tomorrow I will pray again in the dragon’s lair for it is there I left Dame and it is there that calls me again.”

Elissa puts a caring hand on Victor’s shoulder, “Of course we will.”

“I know what this means to you my friend”, Oberon makes the motions of Elos’ blessings upon me.

“Let me know if you need any help Victor, I also feel more ready to do something though I know not what animal you may find within these walls.”

“Thank you Lukas, it may come to pass that I do need your aid. So it begins, tomorrow another friend shall we all have.”
_____________________________________________________________

It will be a long day. I walk to the dragon’s lair once more. Its stink has lessened in three months time though there is still an odor about the room. If it weren’t for the subtle beautiful drip of the water far below I would think I would almost be too distracted. I find a suitable space to sit upon and fold my cloak to make a seat of it, twenty-four hours of prayer is good for the soul yet hard on the bottom.

I take a moment to breathe as I ease down upon my cloak and let the ritual sink in again. It is remarkable that once learned you cannot erase it. Such is the power of Narduna. As I begin to recall, I stumble a moment, a choke, a tear. Dame, you always be my friend. I stroke her feather, all that I have of her, and remember my teacher’s guidance.

“A companion from the goddess is a great gift, never to be taken lightly nor to be given back on a whim. Do not test her, she will not forsake you in your need.”
She will understand that what I did was right. She must, those pages, and my dream, she has spoken to me already. The time is right.

Hours pass, the odor fades. All sounds but my own slowly disappear. The torch has long gone out though it seems as if I can see in the dark. See something in the darkness. It is different yet so much like the last time. I will not cry. Her guidance comes to the strong of heart.

More hours pass and now there is only silence and darkness. I have invoked her wisdom and now I wait.

What, what is that? I turn. Something has touched my shoulder. They wouldn’t disturb me.

“Who’s there? Come on now, no games. I asked you all nicely to…….”, wait, I am not in the cave. There is a soft green underneath me, grass. It is her. She has come.

I sit in silence again, fool that I am. There is a smell of soil in the air. There it is again her familiar laughter, like a running stream. A wind touches me again as my heart slowly fills with her.

He is here. Her boon is here in this very room, somewhere unseen, undiscovered. I know it. Thank you goddess. Thank you once again.

She is gone now. The ritual is ended. So tired now, so tired…sleep.


(calling)“Victor, Victor, are you here?”

“What, what, who is that?”

“It’s Lukas, Victor. Sorry to bother you, but many more hours than twenty-four have passed and I feared some unexpected creature might have disturbed you before me.”

“No, no, my friend, but I am glad you have come. Do you have a rope?”

“A strange question, but yes, in fact I have brought my pack. Since we were worried I thought it better to be prepared. Why a rope?”

“It is here Lukas, somewhere in this room, I feel it even more now.”

“What, what is here Victor?”

“My companion, Lukas, he is here though I do not know exactly what he is or where. Where have I not looked in this room? I have spent countless hours whiling away the time in here.”

“Well, I may not understand all of this, and I would think you a bit off if Oberon hadn’t spoken to me of your talk. I trust you Victor. I have some sense of the spiritual, of the goddess. Oberon may be more severe, but I feel it now, there is a touch upon you now. Let me help you Victor. Where shall we look? Why do you ask for a rope?”

“Yes, yes, a rope, that’s it. Over the side there, Lukas, can we fasten a rope so I can climb over the cliff’s edge above the water?”

“Let me see, yes I think it can be done. I’m not sure of the depth all the way around though. We pulled that treasure before from the shallow side where the dragon had easy access to his plunder. The distance between cliff edge and water grows as we come around this farther side. Where will you descend?”

“Here, here Lukas, at the longest fall.”

“I may trust you Victor, but this has become dangerous. What if you fall? Ah yes, I have it. Oberon thought to loan me the feather fall ring should we have need. He feared you could’ve fallen over yourself. Wear this Victor and I will be more at ease to help you.”

“Brilliant Lukas, your brother’s forethought will aid us now. Did you not hear her call yourself Lukas? You have arrived at the right time with everything we need. Your knowledge is more than you admit, I think. Let us secure the rope.”

After tying one end of the rope to a rocky arm nearby as well as around Lukas’ waist, I started to climb over the side, the feeling growing stronger on me. After a minute or so down, I stopped.

“I see it Lukas, there is an opening, big enough for a man or something larger. That is where I must go though I cannot quite reach it. Can you lower the rope anymore?”

“No Victor, all of the slack is let out. I know you must feel as if possessed to go forward, but perhaps you should wait. We do not know what could live in there.”

“I have it Lukas. I can swing near to the mouth and drop with the ring to land me safely. I will return shortly.”

“Victor, no. Wait! There is no more rope, how will you return?”

No answer as Lukas feels the weight drop from the end of the rope and hears the scuffle of feet far below and then nothing.

“Victor! Damn. Breathe Lukas. This is how it works. You don’t need to understand crazy Victor moods, just be patient. How can I lengthen this rope?”

After tying and retying the rope many times, Lukas finally admits that there is no way to get another foot out of it.

“That’s it, I’m going down, it’s been more than half an hour and if I go down we can help each other back to the rope end some how. Here goes.”

Lukas slowly starts over the cliff edge and slowly works his way down the side.

“This is madness, what am I doing? Wait, what is that sound, like the grunt of something large. Hekar’s bonds! I mean, Elos save us, what is that? This thing ate Victor and now for dessert, back up, up. Light of Elos, light of Elos, it’s getting closer. Oh dear god, there is it’s head. Oh, Victor, I’m sorry.”

“Whatever are you sorry for, Lukas?”

“What, Victor, is that you?”

“Of course, what did you think? This big softy doesn’t like the taste of people. If you were Drow on the other hand, ha. I already have something in common with him. Wait right there and watch this.”

As Lukas stared on in amazement, the large bulk of a lizard deftly twisted around and began to climb straight up the cliff side with Victor clinging to it’s scaly back. Lukas quickly clambered back up the rope himself as the great beast came up right behind. It seemed for a second as if Victor and this new “friend” glowed together, just a second, and then his senses returned.

“Victor, you must be crazy. What is this, this…lizard..thing?”

“I am fairly certain it is called a crag drake though I confess that I have less knowledge of beasts that dwell under the earth.”

“Won’t it harm you or rather harm me. It doesn’t look so gentle.”

“No, no, he’s all excited to get to know you all already. It seems he’s been about as bored as we have and the food’s been none too great either. Drow don’t really taste very good. I’m going to start training him right away.”

“Does he have a name, what should I call him?”

“Oh yes, he told me, but I suppose a better translation would be something like, Akreth. Call him Akreth.”

Lukas put out a hand to his odd scaly head, “Nice to meet you Akreth.”



-- by Jon