a vargyr come over and he left just before that damned chanting begun. I went over to
your side as I saw you on your knees. Then a dark soundless whirlwind came into being
around the mound. It became stronger, bigger, and it whirled faster. Its reach went far
beyond the mound. It became taller with flashes of something which looked like
lightning within the maelstrom. No sound, that’s what unnerved me. Only the voices
and shouts of those caught within it. And thousands were swallowed by the storm.”
“It was then lucky that my eyes were closed.”
“Indeed, Sire. It was like watching a terrible nightmare come to life. The storm had no
voice and yet, I could sense it laughing and enjoying crushing your enemies. It was
alive. It was rapidly growing. I don’t know if it fed on the enemies it had caught up in
its clutches. It was a good thing the Lady woke you up. No telling how big and how
powerful the whirlwind may have become.”
“I could have destroyed Scarburg if I didn’t wake up?”
“Yes, Sire. But I don’t know if it would have stopped at Scarburg.”
“Jorund. Believe me when I say I have no idea how that whirlwind came about.”
“Surely, Sire. I trust you and your judgment. But then again, if you knew what you
were doing, why fight for Scarburg only to destroy it in a way more complete than even
the jotnar intended.”
“I still have to learn a lot, Jorund. For me, this journey is also a quest for knowledge.”
“Then we will have that knowledge, Sire. Of that, I have no doubt.”
Tyler stayed quiet.
My companions have more trust in me and my abilities than I do. I don’t know if I
should be happy or scared for all of us.
Rumpr came over.
“The ranger princess is now fine. He merely needs to rest. But Hrun and Eira are still
finishing with the healing. In the meantime, please come with me, lad. It’s just me and
the mage, Jorund. Stay here and rest. Those two healers may also have need of you.
The princess may find himself too weak when he wakes up.”
Jorund bowed. Tyler and Rumpr walked towards an alcove on the far end of the cavern.
Reaching it, a door appeared and the two entered. After a while, they reached the exit.
“Close your eyes, young mage.”
Tyler closed his eyes.
“Welcome to this peculiar little dump.”
Upon opening his eyes, Tyler saw he was in a small clearing. A few trees stood to his
sides and the dell was surrounded by the sheer stone faces of the surrounding tall
mountains. No visible exit or entry to the glade could be seen. But in the middle of all of it was a ruined structure. With the distinctive black stone columns of the temple he
found in Fossegrim forest.
“Thought you may be interested.”
He walked to the ruin, Rumpr following.
“It was a nice odd little thing before. Until those hotheads started their brawl nearby.
Ruined it with all the rocks, bolts, and whatnot flying around. We had to close off the
clearing with the pretty peaks you see now. A lot of the original mountains were broken
and even flattened. Hrun had to build them up again. Took him and his family a long time. Good thing those brawlers didn’t obliterate it by accident.”
HRUN BUILDS MOUNTAINS?
Reaching the remains of the edifice, Tyler looked for the embedded tablets. Rumpr left
him and sat down under the shade of a tree, the usual stump rising from the ground to
serve as his chair. He started on the right side of the ruin. The tablets he could see
were again covered by huge boulders as he could see the cracked remnants peering out
of the stone. Must have been one hell of a blast or blasts to break them. The stones
must have fallen from the surrounding mountains after the temple was hit. He went
around the boulders, trying to find an intact tablet. Upon nearing the back of the
structure, he found his way blocked by a large fallen rock ledge. He went to the left
side of the temple. The broken tablet pieces won’t work for him. Hal had told him about
that.
Picking his way along the left side which was full of rocky obstacles unlike the right side of the temple, he found that most of the tablets were already covered by the stone
boulders. But as he was nearing the back of the temple, where the fallen ledge awaited
him, he thought he saw a part in the piled boulders which made for a clear area. He
went closer. A part was indeed missed by the rocky cover but whatever was on the
ground was obscured by gravel and small rocks. Using his hands, he carefully removed
them.
As he was clearing the patch, his hand inadvertently touched the tablet beneath. A
surge of power imbued with knowledge immediately flooded his mind. For a while, he
was stunned by the impact of the incoming energy. He could feel its overwhelming
eagerness to be released. He sat down, overcome by the pressure on his brain.
Mercifully, no headache accompanied the rush. After a while, the flow ebbed and
disappeared. He could feel the tablet turning into dust.
Rumpr appeared beside him.
“You hurt? Felt a surge of power. Thought you may need old Rumpr’s help.”
“No, I’m alright. Run into something. But I guess it’s gone now. Thanks.”
“You sure, lad? Not that I’m prying or anything but it wouldn’t do for you to die now
after all that garbage work,” he chortled.
“I’m sure, Rumpr. I just need to take a break.”
“Shout if you need me, will go back to my spot. Haven’t visited this glade for a long time. Brings back memories. Some bad. But those memories do have a way of
reminding one of the need for perspective.” With that, Rumpr disappeared.
Tyler sat for a while. He could feel the new power and information fitting into that
indecipherable mass of knowledge at the back of his mind.
Greetings, Elder.
That you, Hal?
Affirmative. That latest data input has activated me. But this version is basic and
unsatisfactory for our communication needs.
Oh, I am sorry! Will try to find more tablets in mint condition next time!
Is that sarcasm, Elder?
