Zion: Light of the New Moon, Shrad Milestone 1a
Zion - Light of the New Moon Milestone One
Shrad Against the Odds, Part 1
The decision to take cover underground was unanimous for the party, meaning that those capable of moving on their own have the best chance for survival and, with a little bit of heroism and a lot of luck, the party might manage to save a few others as well. Beyond that, it's a matter of waiting for the Chimeras to finish their work on the unprotected caravan and then leave... hopefully.
Very few people outside of the Temple knew of my abilities. To be honest, very few people outside of the Temple know about me period. I spent decades living in Shrad, always in the shadow of Majh Blackpaw. Now and again, someone in the temple would have use for me; I was brought out, paraded before Majh's allies as a bonus benefit for her allegiance, and then stowed safely away once I had served my purpose. I was never treated well by any of them... they did not need to be concerned with my opinions so long as they kept Majh happy. That was never a concern of mine; nobody knew me well enough to understand me... or my craft.
For some reason it is very difficult for most people to comprehend all of the aspects of Fayte magic and how it can be woven so seamlessly into Divination. One would assume, because Diviners know how to look beyond the normal scope of mortal senses, that they would be able to understand it but I have found out the hard way that they are just as blind to Prognostication as any non-magus. If there is one thing that life has taught me it is that those who are most educated on a topic are the least likely to accept the knowledge that there may be more for them to learn.
My abilities with Fayte and Divination have kept me as an outsider to the general populace... to essentially anyone and everyone in Shrad. Majh has always been the face of our household; she could fit seamlessly into any political circle... any social gathering... any conversation. I suppose that has always been the hallmark of our family; mother was quite the show-off and father was much more cerebral... in fact mother was the one to chase HIM. Although females chasing after males is quite strange for dogs, or lions, or humans, or what-have-you, that is truly not the norm for our kind. Perhaps that is just one of many reasons why we don't usually get along so well within cities.
"Hyenas are more common in Waysides... not so much in cities." that was one of the first things Majh was told when she applied for a job at the temple... I would assume the porter was not aware that she was not accustomed to taking 'no' for an answer. The lector that came to rescue the poor porter admired her tenacity and, after he convinced her to release the porter, they sat down and had a talk. The lector was pleased with her will to serve and provided her the first job offer she received in Shrad: she was given leave to clean the temple grounds.
The acolyte that then came to save the lector from her wrath was impressed with what he saw... impressed enough to provide her an entry level position within the temple guards. She released the lector and accepted the position, on the condition that she would be permitted to challenge for higher rank at her own pace. That same day, after soundly defeating the captain of the guard, Majh took his rank as her own. Everyone knew from the start that Majh was unwilling to be a faceless member of the proletariat.
Because of her concern for my welfare, Majh wanted me away from the public as much as possible; she was able to accept the scorn and apathy of the masses, but she did not want me exposed to it. I did not have to worry about income; her wages were more than sufficient to provide a lifestyle 90% of Shrad would kill a dozen men for if it meant enjoying even a week of it (in fact, according to more than one guard, her wages were as high as a temple assassin's). I was kept sequestered away, practicing my craft in private, improving and adding to my knowledge of the ebb and flow of magic- the ebb and flow of Fayte itself. During the countless decades we spent in Shrad, I became quite adept at it... this was the reason I had to run back to the caravan after the Chimera attack.
Diviners can speak all they like about what they see and what they hear... but this is not the way of combining it with Fayte; predictions of the future can often change the future just by being spoken. I knew what would become of the caravan well before it happened. I knew of the Chimera attack... I knew of Ralisiev... I knew that people would die. Before whispering even a word of the future, I always seek out the alternate possibilities to see if I should say anything. At times, speaking up changes the future for the better but, at other times, such as with the caravan's untimely encounter with the dragon, saying anything to anyone would spell utter disaster.
As with any sense I get of the future, my actions mean little... I have never been in the spotlight... I am an instrument of Fayte, not its controller. It was imperative that I not be there when the Chimeras attacked; Majh, on the other hand, had a part to play... she has always had a part to play. Once she was aware of the plan she spared no time putting it into action. There was no good way for the encounter with Ralisiev to end... not for the caravan... but we did the best we could. One benefit of the limits of my power being not widely publicized was that no one could accuse me of not doing all I could to save everyone. I had done what I could, of course, but I learned a long time ago that anyone with power will always be accused of holding back if they fail to achieve total success.
These thoughts and more flowed through my mind as I emerged from the woods. The Chimeras were so very numerous, clamoring around on the ground, roaring, hissing, bleating... it was complete chaos. A minute passed, maybe two as I examined the scene. I had seen Telkur Byne's men attempt to protect him; each was a powerful sorceror in his own right, but their training had always been as Foci for the false Armenius Tenge... in the end, they managed to save him by sacrificing their own lives.
His body was not where it had been when I made my exit, but with a simple injection of Divination I was able to see the heroic stand of Shadow Darkfang, and the wolf's rescue of the unconscious bear. Once I let the spell fade from my senses I was even able to pick out the Chimera that had tried to intercept Shadow; it was the one that lacked a third head. Most of the other survivors were underground in the same small web of tunnels that Shadow had used. With all of the Chimeras still pounding the ground with their hooves and talons, there was a real danger of those tunnels collapsing. I knew I couldn't let that happen.
Very few people understand the methodology behind Fayte magic. Fayte is about Destiny and many of the uneducated also equate it to Luck but, in truth, I would say Fayte is more about Chance. Luck is a layman's way of describing the possibility of an event happening or not happening... but I consider Luck to be a rude term for it... Luck holds a kind of superstitiouss air about it. No... Fyte is Chance. I knew there was a chance that the tunnels could collapse but, at the same time, I also knew there was a chance that they would not.
Whether the tunnels did or did not in fact crumble was not a matter of luck-- it was simply the most obvious outcome: the chance with the greatest probability of happening would, in fact happen. I have rarely bothered attempting to explain the elements of chance to anyone not familiar with Fayte Magic... but, in its simplest of forms, it can be explained thusly: All things CAN happen. As time goes by and the moment where things DO happen approaches, every single possible outcome begins to vie for realization.
In the case of that tunnel, the three most likely possibilities were that it would collapse and people would die; it would collapse and people would not die; and that it would not collapse. If we gave each of these possibilities an even likelihood of happening when the stage is first set, they would each have a 1 in 3 chance of happening. As the time for determining the outcome draws closer, different variables and different events can change how likely any of these options is to be the one that reality chooses. That eventuality happens when one of those options reaches 100%. But I digress.
I would have liked to have done more for the survivors in the tunnels but, unfortunately, I had my own problems to contend with... namely, the two Chimeras that decided I was prey. Between the two of us, Majh has always been stronger. Between the two of us, Majh has always been faster. Between the two of us, Majh has always been more charismatic, more outspoken, and more courageous. Between the two of us, Majh was more feared. It is a funny thing though, because I have often heard the adage that people fear what they do not know; far more people knew Majh than knew me... far more people feared Majh than feared me. Between the two of us, I would say Majh is more worthy of fear... but, looking back, I think those Chimera would not have agreed.
One thing that can be accepted as a universal truth is that dragons, whether true, draconid, or blooded are able to sense the use of magic. As hunks of meat rained down all around me, the eighteen sets of eyes of six very unhappy Chimera turned from the carriages they were destroying and focused on me. In any normal situation I would never want to have to face six enraged Chimeras, but that was no ordinary situation; having seen all the outcomes of the confrontation my action plan was ready-- I had cast my spells an hour before the caravan had even stopped.
The six Chimeras gathered together, stalking toward me shoulder-to-shoulder. It was a learned hunting technique... Chimeras did not usually work as a pack to take down prey. Regardless, their tactic was just fine for me. I took three steps to the left, holding my ground as they approached. I watched patiently as they passed over the burned out husks of Telkur's twelve bodyguards, then quickly looked away. I already knew one of them would step on a fractured focus crystal; I certainly did not need to be blinded by watching it.
Turning about, I ran as fast as I could for my the old wagon wreckage. Still half-blind, four of the six Chimeras chased after me; the other two wouldn't be getting up. Their four legs beating out a cadence on the ground was of some concern, especially since we were getting closer to the tunnels. The ground was too soft for me to be completely comfortable with the plan, but I had done what I could for the people hiding beneath the earth. I had to believe that everything would turn out as planned.
Loric and his men had been searching a half-buried wagon; it did not take me long to find, and I saw that they had left the door to it open... exactly as I had expected. I dove through the opening and into the interior of the vehicle, pausing only long enough to locate the small hole I knew would be in the ceiling. I picked up a cudgel one of the guards left inside and, two blows later, the hole was large enough for me to climb out... just in time as well since the lead chimera following after me managed to cram two of its heads into the wagon I had just escaped.
Emerging from the carriage, I avoided the snapping dragon head from the Chimera. I bled off some of the likelihood of the tunnel collapsing on the survivors by shifting the possibility to the tunnels directly beneath the sunken carriage; it fell the rest of the way into the ground, carrying the chimera with it. The beast's hind-right leg was all that remained sticking out of the ground. It kicked several times, its hoof cleaving at the air... but it didn't take long before it stopped moving. I did not have time to stop; I had completed the first part of my plan, but that still left three very unhappy Chimeras coming after me.
Without pause I ran to the place where Majh made her stand against the Chimeras. The beasts followed me on the ground, not having yet taken to wing; Chimeras have always been lazy creatures. I jumped over the uneven ground where Majh had split it with her axe. I ducked as one Chimera, much closer than the others, attempted to bite at me; I didn't need to look back to see it since I already knew it was coming. Going into a roll, I jumped past an attempt for it to claw at me, and I arrested my forward movement by kicking back against the edge of a fissure with both my feet.
The Chimera ran straight past me, falling all over itself in an attempt to turn around. In its eagerness, the creature clawed at the ground, spinning sideways before pitching over into one of the two foot wide holes. The hole was certainly not large enough for it to fall through, but Chimeras are clumsy creatures and it had no luck extricating itself. I still had no time to rest; the remaining two were not about to give up.
I crossed past the place Majh took her original post, the ground shattering beneath my sandals as I ran through the glass created by the powerful blast of the Chimeras' breath. i could tell the Chimeras were growing more frustrated with each passing second; this was a good thing. I raced over to the spot where Nori and Shadow had originally been keeping watch, running into the V of the two fallen wagons until they were at my back. The one drawback about protecting your rear from attack by using an immovable object was that you had no way of escaping. I about-faced to look at the two Chimeras that had had been following me just in time to see them both release a blast of flaming breath.
I closed my eyes, letting their scorching breath wash over me. For those who had never experienced the burning fire of a Chimera, they would be surprised to discover how aromatic it can be. Unlike the normal meat-eating carnivores, any dragonid capable of breathing flame has a fresh breath, hinting at brimstone and cinnamon. It hadn't been the first time I was exposed to such an attack and, just like all the other times, I was left unharmed... but the two wagons behind me were both burned through.
The Chimeras, justifiably confused, growled and roared and hissed and bleated... and came racing in for the kill. The largest problem in their plan was the fact that the wagons were suddenly much more precariously perched thanks to the fire damage. I had to take several quick steps before diving out of the way, but there was no way the charging Chimeras were able to avoid being crushed by the two large wagons. A normal sized Chimera would normally have nothing to worry about from a normal sized wooden carriage... but both of the remaining Chimeras were relatively young... and each of the covered wagons crushing them in unions were half metal... probably arms wagons filled with blunt weapons, old armor, and tons of spare metal.
By that time, those members of the caravan hiding away in the tunnels had heard the commotion, and those better suited to combat emerged, weapons at the ready. Several of the more wounded survivors were making their way from the wreckage on the road into the woods, and a very few guards and soldiers were reforming ranks to attempt to fight off the remaining Chimeras that hadn't given up their attack on the caravan. I closed my eyes, unable to warn them about that mistake. A few seconds later, the alchemical wagon went up in a powerful explosion as an errant blast of flame put an end to the guards and the Chimeras both.
I was not looking forward to what would happen next. The Chimeras' movements all along the ground... the struggling from those survivors emerging from the tunnels... the explosion of the alchemy wagon... I saw the numbers in my head, and I couldn't keep the scales tipped forever; the tunnel finally reached its certainty and followed through with the only foreseeable outcome: at 100%, it collapsed.
The survivors closest to the opening stumbled away, coughing and choking at the blast of dust sent up into the air like a cloud. I could hear the shouts of the concerned and the screams of the injured; I didn't need to hear them to know that there were still others trapped inside. What I DID know was that I did what I could with what I had. It didn't feel like enough, but it was something. Regardless, I did not have the time to dwell on it.
"You're Tollie, aren't you?" an armored otter asked, brushing the dirt from his arm guard. I recognized him immediately.
"Yes." I answered, holding out a paw, "Guardsman Sten?"
"You look alot like your sister..." the otter smirked, "just a bit more feminine." the smile faded just as quickly as it appeared Sten glanced off in the direction Ralisiev had gone, "Damn it all..." he slammed a gauntleted fist against a small nearby boulder.
"She did what she had to do." I announced.
A faint smile came to the otter's face, "Well... it looks like you're just as much of a hard assed emotionless bitch as she was." Not sure what to make of the comment, I paused, and he slapped me firmly on the back, "If you're gonna be hanging around me you better get used to my humor, boy."
"Laughing later..." announced Shadow Darkfang, passing by the otter with a sword in paw, "There's still another Chimera out there." and he motioned toward the one that was just finally freeing itself from the fissure.
"I already took care of that one, sir." I offered. Normally I would not speak up, but we had more to worry about than a dead Chimera.
"It's still alive... that means it's still a problem." the wolf objected.
"I don't mean to argue, sir, but--" I tried, but he spoke over me.
"Then don't argue." and he stalked toward the dazed creature.
"Those were some amazing moves." Nori Bahn offered moving to join me by Guardsman Sten, "You would give me a run for my money." the ferret offered a paw, "Nori Bahn."
"I know." I answered, and accepted it, giving it a fair shake.
"Majh's brother's the High Priest's chief Diviner." Guardsman Sten explained, "He probably had the whole fight planned out.
"Including Lord Kriabnish's dagger." I acknowledged.
"What about my dagger?" the arctic fox spoke up.
"The one that fell out of the Chimera you killed with it, and into the fissure." I explained.
"What dagg--" Loric and Sten's eyes met at the same time, and they both looked over to Shadow, who stood next to the Chimera, which had collapsed before he could get to it, "Oh..." the fox acknowledged, "THAT Dagger."
The group murmured appreciatively for a moment, then came the question I knew would come. Gaerid of the Fang, holding the limp form of Tolen Lerum looked at me from behind Lord Kriabnish, "If you're that great a Diviner, then why didn't you warn anyone?"
It was a question that had no right answer... no suitable excuse that anyone would ever be willing to accept without first understanding Prognostication but, as I have already spent ample time explaining, that was one topic of discussion that few people could really comprehend. Thankfully, I was not required to give an answer.
"Divination doesn't work that way." Tolen murmured, groaning as he turned in Gaerid's arms, "He did what he could."
Everyone's eyes went from him to me so I said all I was able to say: I repeated Tolen, "I did what I could."
"Thank you... for your help." the slight arctic fox offered. I am not often thanked, and I was too surprised to respond.
"Now that we have all the huggy-lovey stuff done," Loric was the first to speak up, "We need to get everything back together and find out just how bad the damage was."
"It's bad." Shadow announced, returning from the slain Chimera, "I don't know if anything's left."
"Two wagons." I answered, feeling my ears blush, "One traveling, one hauling... it has supplies."
"Any other survivors?" Nori asked me.
"Everyone you see here... maybe a few more.. if we hurry." I answered.
"Hurry?" Sten asked, "Hurry to do what?"
"There are two more Chimeras on their way." I explained, "If we do not kill them quickly then--"
"Don't bother finishing that sentence." Shadow stated, readying his sword, "We'll just kill them quickly."
"You're not that much of a warrior, are you, Tollie?" Guardsman Sten asked, holding a short sword out to me.
"I know that the pointy side goes into your enemy." I answered, holding the weapon in both paws. The otter laughed at that until I pointed out, "That is essentially much all I know."
Sten frowned, "Just stay here and keep an eye on Tolen... we'll handle it." and, with that, the guardsman ran after the rest of them leaving me alone with the healer. He was looking at me.
"Hello." I offered simply.
"Are... you looking at me?" he asked. I watched his ears pull back in fear.
"Does it bother you if I do?" I countered.
"Looking... no." he acknowledged, "but... LOOKING..." the fox elaborated and I realized the difference immediately, "Were you LOOKING?"
"A little..." I answered honestly.
"I wish you wouldn't." he added, pausing to cough, little spots of blood appearing on his lips.
I gingerly wiped the blood away from his lips, "I just want to know that you are not going to die."
"I won't..." he answered, "my wounds aren't that bad."
I shrugged helplessly, "I don't mean from your current wounds... in less than thirty seconds we are going to be attackd by a wyvern." The way his eyes widened in fear and surprise hurt me, but there was nothing I could do about that.
"Why didn't you say something earlier?" he rasped.
I lowered my head; I never could figure out how to answer those kinds of questions. I didn't have to worry about it for long... without any warriors around to protect us we were both worried about more pressing matters.
* * * * *
It's been two weeks, but here it is: the first part of Shrad's Milestone!
Remember: readers have until midnight on September 30th to place their vote(s) to save their favorite character(s). Go here for details:
http://www.sofurry.com/page/288668/
Since so much survival in the Wild Lands is about perception, I suppose I will mention here that the narrator of this post, Tollie, Majh's little brother is an optional character that may be added to the Shradian Caravan! What will it take? Every Contributing Reader in this chapter will have to vote:
1) Spend 1 Luck and add Tollie to the party! 2) Earn +1 Luck and get Tollie out of this darn story! 3) Remove Tollie from the story; we'd rather save instead!
Here's the clencher: votes must be unanimous. Talk amongst yourselves if you wish-- you may not change your vote after voting.
That's all there is to it! Now sit tight; the Milestone concludes next week!