“Take me to them,” Shuran said.
Shuran spent nearly two hours working on healing the seven wounded elves. Two of them were nearing the point where nothing could be done, but Shuran prevailed. He had to take extra time, as he was least familiar with elven anatomy, but he found in remarkably similar to both human and dwarven make-up. Shuran wondered how the people of Ersetu could be so outwardly different yet inwardly alike.
Exhausted and feeling beaten, Shuran gathered the remains of his impromptu fighting force to finish disposing of the dead ‘again’ bodies. When they had cleared the battlegrounds of the foe, they gathered the elven bodies so that Shuran could transport them back to their home for a respectful service and burial. Shuran escorted the Rangers and their fallen comrades home, spoke with the Queen Mother then returned to Britengate.
“What says Queen high and mighty point ears?” Avrank said.
The jest-full relief from what had transpired brought a smile to even Orian’s face.
“She understood the risk and was grateful for the lives that were saved. She also stands ready to aid our cause when called,” Shuran said. “This is just the beginning I am afraid. The sorcerer who controlled these poor soulless creatures, got away,” Shuran added.
“Who was this dark bastard?” Mallick asked.
“I am unsure,” Shuran started, unable to convince himself. “We must prepare for what is to come. They now employ trolls, ogres, and undead bodies of innocents possessed by darkness. There are evil forces at play and we must find out how best to oppose them,” Shuran finished.
“Let us leave this place. What once was a place of beauty and light is now unseemly and unclean!” Orian said.
Shuran nodded and placed his hand out for the Zudi’Si to grasp. He ‘zapped’ them away; as Avrank had taken to describing travel by Emmuku’Gu, power rivers of the world.
After they vanished, a number of people began to emerge from the forest and into the clearing near the Altar of Creation. They gathered in a group near the altar.
“It is as the Lady of the Light spoke,” one of them said.
“She spoke of a powerful young man and his companions, this is true to what we saw. Are we to see this as the coming of the prophecy then?” another asked.
“Now which prophecy would that be?” a new voice said from the darkness. She came out into the open, and moved gracefully over to the cracked altar.
“Nasty business this imbalance, and such a waste of good fighters,” Salmetu said as she ran a hand over the now powerless altar. “Take them, I need replacements!” she said as a group of zealots followed after her.
“What do you make of this latest development, Priestess?” Isten asked Salmetu when he appeared from the shadows.
“It is a slight stall to our plans, nothing more,” she answered.
“And what is it that happened to your army?” Isten asked impatiently.
“We will find that out just as soon as we find my pet abisu. Come out pet. Where are you hiding?” she asked in as sweet a voice as possible. Her frustration and anger were beginning to surface.
From the opposite side of the clearing shuffled the robed figure of the man who controlled the death walkers.
“Now then pet, what has happened to my lovely fighters?” she asked walking forward to meet him.
“Destroyed Priestess. The abomination found some way to defeat them. And the elves fought beside him,” he pleaded.
She looked at him much as a mother would her child, then she struck him with a bolt of dark fire.
He was incinerated on the spot.
“You have destroyed your newest pet Salmetu,” Isten said.
“Pets are a distraction and replaceable, you taught me that.” She recalled the memory of her sweet kitten that Isten killed in order to force her to use the resurrection spells. She gathered her moment of sorrow into a mask of anger, then smiled and turned to Isten. “I shall need a new general Isten. Find me a new one please, someone from that academy of yours perhaps?” she asked sweetly.
“That will not do I am afraid. All the students of promising talent have been drafted into service of the council,” he informed her.
“Then replace the council!” she demanded.
Isten was beginning to feel frightened by what Salmetu was becoming.
***
Shuran and his Zidu’Si appeared in the clearing outside the entrance to the Vault of Durangug.
Mallick proceeded to loose the contents of his stomach. “I will never get used to that,” he said.
“At least our Shin’Ar has learned to keep his clothes,” Avrank said with an uneasy laugh.
“Let us go inside and freshen. We can then meet in the dining area and have something to eat and discuss our next moves,” Shuran said as he approached the slab of stone that marked the Vault first entrance.
“What is this place?” Orian asked.
“Welcome to Durangug, Orian. Ancient home of the Shin’Ar and site of a number of other inconsequential structures,” Shuran said brusquely. He looked at the stone slab and it opened.
“Shuran did you just open that?” Mallick asked, noticing that Shuran did not place his hand upon the stone.
“It is no longer necessary for me or any of us to touch the doors to enter. This is our home, we may enter and leave as we wish!”
They made it to the second door, the one leading to the Vault. It stood open already with Moona in the opening holding her pipe to her pursed lips and wagging a finger.
“You think ya’ could o’ called ahead an’ told me there’d be guests for supping!” She scolded.
Shuran just ran to her and took her into an embrace.
She was at first surprised and over whelmed. “Now then what in Damkianna’s name is this all about?” she asked as Mallick passed by and gave her a nod. Orian and Avrank followed Mallick in and nodded to Moona as they passed. “Shuran my boy, what is all this about?” she asked again not releasing him.
“Moona, it is all I can do not to loose myself. Everything is happening far too quickly,” he said.
Moona just pulled him back into an embrace.
Codger came out from beneath a stack of books at the sound of Moona crowing across the Vault. “What are you mooing about ya’ silly ol’ cow?” Codger exclaimed.
“MALLICK! When did you… how… wheren’ you halfway across Ersetu just this past day with Shuran? And who is this elf with you? OH! Hello Avrank!” Codger said nearly stumbling into the dwarf.
“What does a dwarf have to do, to get a drink around here?” he replied.
Codger led him, Mallick, and Orian to the table where he told them to sit while he fetched some cups.
Shuran and Moona went off to a quiet corner to speak before joining the others.
“Shuran, what is this all ‘bout now?” she asked.
“It is all right, I am fine enough. Let us go join the others and we can speak of what has happened since we last spoke.”
“Just you sit your arse back down! I’ll have a word or ten afore we finish here boy lest I redden your tail!” she said.
It was good to be back with Moona he thought.
Shuran and Moona talked about things left unspoken for far too long. Shuran has been carrying around guilt over what happened to Bastien and it has been boiling over. He has become far too serious and guarded.
He did not feel himself. He felt as if someone was taking him over. He experienced memories and feelings that were not his. Abilities came to him as though he had spent a lifetime in training.
“I don’ pretend to understand what has been happenin’ to you my child, but I know your heart. You are good and kind and the truest friend Bastien had. What happened was not your fault. You want to be placin’ blame, you look to the bastard what started this imbalance,” she finished.
Shuran did not respond to this last statement. He still blamed himself for some reason he did not understand.
“Sometimes I think Ersetu would be better off without magic!” Moona said. “‘Course not ’til I been long since eaten up by worms in the ground.” She smiled and Shuran smiled back.
Shuran and Moona soon joined Codger and the rest of his Zidu’Si at the table where Codger had laid out bread, cheese, some dried fruits, and a stew he started earlier in the day. A keg of wine sat at the end of the table and Mallick was well into his cups along with Avrank.
“Zidu’Si full fledged eh?” Codger asked. “The fine elf here, Orian has filled me in on a bit of what has happened,” Codger said. “Not sure I understand it all. I know you were rebuilding the Zidu’Si of course but this thing with the weapons and now somehow they share abilities?” Codger was asking for more information.
“I am unsure how it happened, I suppose we shall have to research it,” Shuran stated.
“No need Shuran Shin’Arse!” Mallick jibbed.
“Ha-ha sheesh, what information have you found?” Shuran asked as he smiled.
“Well, the Library has quite a bit of information on the formation and binding of the Zidu’Si,” he started. Mallick noticed the confusion on Moona and Codger’s faces. He lifted his hand to show them the ring. “Shuran’s gift to me as his Zidu’Si Sanu, sort of like his right hand and second in command,” he explained.
“The ring gives me the weapon of knowledge. It, along with the overtly lethal weapons of gug, are meant to be tokens of membership, and weapon of choice for each member of the inner circle Zidu’Si,” he said.
Mallick continued on to tell about how the original Zidu’Si was composed of seven primary members plus the Shin’Ar and his second. Each of the seven races held a place in the Zidu’Si and lived extraordinarily long lives in the service of the Shin’Ar. They worked to understand, and battle a growing threat of darkness.
All seven members working Essence together created the weapons constructed from gug. They fashioned them after the first made by the Telukukal, the Menasutur. The weapons were bound each to their wielder and could only be fully used by them or their kin by proxy.
At some point during their work they found it necessary to deepen the bond of the Zudi’Si. They bound their gifts together allowing them each to wield the same Essence as the other.
“Shuran by accident, rebuilt that bond,” Mallick said.
“Was it accident or SIMTU, I wonder?” Codger asked.
“Simtu?” Moona asked.
“Yes, the ancient word for fate. I believe this all, is happening as it must.” Codger said before gulping down the rest of his cup.
“Perhaps, or something is guiding things along.” Shuran offered.
Morning brought renewed hope and faith in what they were facing. Shuran and Mallick went out to hunt for fresh game, while Avrank and Orian worked their way though the secrets of the library. Codger was nursing his head after a night of drinking. Moona was making all the noise she could to help him with his head ache.
“Serves you right, you yak’s arse. You ain’ gonna keep up with them young men drinkin’,” she said, loudly.
“Dwarfs are suppos’ to be able to hold their spirits. I’m part dwarf ain’ I?”
“Yes, I ‘member which part!” Moona cracked. “Now get your wrinkled old bottom up and help me get some food cookin’!” she yelled.
She was glad to have her boys back, Codger could tell by how spirited she became the moment they arrived. Now with another two adopted children, she was mother hen to them all.
Mallick and Shuran walked the woods resetting snares and collecting a few rabbits caught.
“What has been bothering you Shuran?” Mallick asked.
Shuran did not answer immediately. He was not certain he should share his concerns.
“If it effects you, it does so to us all, sheesh. Unburden your shoulders, it weighs you down,” Mallick said.
“I have not shared a piece of my latest visions,” Shuran started.
Mallick stopped walking and turned to Shuran. “If a snake has bitten you, suck the poison and spit it out!” he said to Shuran.
“The robed figure controlling the death walkers, in my vision it was Bastien!” Shuran said.
Mallick was not expecting this news. “Bastien is gone Shuran. You are just mixed up in your head.”
“Am I? I am not so certain. I thought him dead but with what we have seen, perhaps the Order has done something to his body.” Shuran admitted.
“I would be a fool to tell you that is not possible, but you would not be responsible if they have,” Mallick tried to convince Shuran.
“Would a resurrected Bastien feel the same, or would he blame me?”
“If what you think is true, Bastien could not be truly dead if it were he controlling the death walkers,” Mallick reminded him.
“I remember, but I also doubt that it was Bastien at Britengate. He knew who I was but not in a familiar sense. I think my visions are telling me what may be a possibility,” Shuran said.
Mallick could see the pain in Shuran’s eyes. Mallick and Shuran were like a brother to each other, that is why they call each other sheesh, but Bastien was his best friend.