Chapter 24
A brief note.
I would like to thank my brother for letting me put this out on his computer! You, my readers should thank him too, as it took a while convincing him I was not going to hurt his computer!
Volentrin
Sometimes it just doesn't pay to get out of bed. I thought again, briefly, of the meeting with my wife Mariel in the library. It had not gone all that well. I got up, and as usual a servant appeared, and asked my wishes.
I growled 'coffee', and waited for it to be made. Mariel had elected to sleep elsewhere. Despite her youth, she had that manipulative act down pat! Are all woman born with it? I shook my head, and lit a cigarette.
Denying me sex because she was angry wasn't really that big a hardship for me. That type of behavior was annoying, at most. While I had gotten used to sleeping with Mariel, I had sleep alone for more years than she had yet lived.
My servant came in and announced that the coffee was ready. I stabbed out my smoke, and went into my office where I kept the makings for coffee. I poured myself a large mug full. It was that type of morning.
It should be easy to know what to do and how to react, but it wasn't. The Gods said one thing, the demons another, and now the Ancients said yet something else. Vostich was firmly in the God's camp, and I was a in agreement with them, myself.
My short visit with the demons had not filled me with the fear, worry, and loathing I had expected. Then being captured by the Ancients and released the next day, did not sit at all with what I had been told to expect. I had thought I would soon be dead, when I had been captured.
I needed a break. I needed an unbiased point of view. I was surrounded with biased people. Even Mirwanna was being cautious about committing Landkur. I gulped down my coffee, and poured another. Absently, I lit another cigarette.
The list of disinterested third parties was very short. I was sipping my third cup when it hit me! Svedra! That spider demi-god from elsewhere! He had no interest in this at all! That was it! I would go see Svedra, and see what he thought of this situation.
Perfect! I hummed to myself as I got ready for the trip to Svedra's world. It would be best to get there through the gate at Vostich's castle. While I had been to his world once before, I didn't want to chance a 'blind jump', so to speak.
An hour later saw me entering the room in Vostich's castle that held the world gates to different realities and worlds. I had to admit it, Svedra was a strange being. He was a huge spider; and yet he was of the divine, in his world.
I entered the gate, and found myself in the receiving area of Svedra's palace. I looked around. There was no one here! I thought back to when I first arrived, trying to remember the way to the room Svedra was in.
I felt a great weight land on me, and I fell to the floor! I was wearing my cloak, which is probably all that saved my life. A spider similar to Svedra, but much smaller, had attacked me.
The spider was using it's mandibles, to try to cut my head off! Damn, it was a good thing I had my cloak on! It was spelled against sharp objects, which included claws, teeth, mandibles, etc.
I formed a battering ram spell and cast it at the spider. It was lifted and thrown, or should I say, smashed back from me. It flew across the room. I got back to my feet, and erected a shield. Ok, I was safe now.
"What do you want? Why do you attack me?" I asked it, confused.
"Hooo, Man. You would come to take our high one from us, again! We will not allow this!" the spider hissed at me.
"I am not sure where you get your information, but I just came to talk with Svedra. I am not taking him anywhere!" I exclaimed to it.
"Falsehoods! Last time you came, Svedra left us. Again you come, so he will leave again. We do not wish this," it said, then it attacked again.
It slammed into my shield, and fell, stunned. Hell, I was stunned at its speed! I had only just registered its movement when it had been halted by my shield. I tried to reason with it, but it kept trying to get through my shield.
I sent out a mental yell for Svedra, hoping he would hear me. I tried to be gentle with this spider, but it was difficult. It kept bashing at my shield, trying to get at me. I was wondering what to do with it. I really didn't want to hurt it. I was contemplating another spell, when a shadow fell over the both of us.
The small spider that was attacking me (Well, small compared to Svedra. It was close to my height, and had to weigh a lot more than I do.), stopped. It took on a listening attitude. Svedra had come in response to my yell.
I heard clicks and hisses. The two were communicating in their own language. I relaxed a bit, but was still wary. Finally the 'little' spider dipped itself at Svedra, turned, and left.
"What was that all about?" I asked Svedra?
"When I leave this world, there is a faction that is lost, without me. They panic. They decided to take preemptive action, in the event you were coming to take me away again.
"I am pleased you did not damage it too severely. It is very young, foolish, and easily manipulated by its elders. That is what happened. Another told it to attack you, and in its youth and folly, it did. I will deal with this faction firmly," Svedra told me.
I nodded and dropped my shield.
"It's very good to see you again, Svedra," I said and belatedly remembered to bow to him.
Svedra chittered his laugh. He told me to follow, and we moved through the temple/palace. We finally entered his 'lair', so to speak.
"So what brings you here this time?" Svedra asked me.
So I told him all the latest about the gate to my world that the demons had opened. I said that the gate was a feint that was actually a bid for our attention, for help against another enemy entirely. When I mentioned the Ancients, Svedra became very animated!
"So, they raise their heads again! Not good," Svedra said abruptly.
"I take it you know of these Ancients?" I asked him curiously.
"They are in our racial memory. They used us as soldiers in their conquests of other worlds. We do not wish to have anything more to do with them," Svedra hissed angrily.
Racial memory? His people had a racial memory? Wow, that was something. The implications were many.
"Well, I came for advice. Vostich, Fithian, and the Gods are firmly in the 'close that gate to the Ancients world' mode. Mirwanna is hesitant about getting Landkur itself involved, at all.
"I am more worried that the demons might reach an accommodation with the Ancients. The Ancients tell a convincing tale of wanting to rejoin this universes community, as active members.
"Like you, the Gods are not thrilled. They remember when a couple of their members had been captured, and were being drained of power. The Gods are unforgiving. They do worry about the demons, the same as I do. So I am going back to the land of demons as ambassador, to keep an eye on things.
"My main problem is that Mariel, my wife, wants to go with me. She is pregnant. I don't wish to have her, or the baby, in their grasp or power. She is a powerful magic user, but I don't think it is safe for her to journey with me in the demons lands," I finished a bit grimly.
"Yes. I see your dilemma. Hmm, I know someone who might be of help to you. Are you up to a trip to a very strange reality?" Svedra asked me.
I looked at him and said, "This isn't considered strange? I am talking to a giant spider in a strange land!"
I grinned, and He laughed his chittering laugh, again.
Shortly, we were on the move. We took passage after passage, deeper into the building. I was hopelessly lost. Soon we came to a room with a large arch that looked to be made of marble. It was inscribed with runes. I let my magical sight see it, and it blazed with a very strange pattern.
"First we must bring a bubble of air with us, and create a shield. The atmosphere is not good for beings such as us," Svedra said to me.
I nodded. Who was I to argue with this being who knew better than I what was needed? I watched as he created an air bubble that would move with us, and also acted as a shield.
We entered the gate, and I found myself in a strange world, indeed! We weren't under water, exactly. But the atmosphere was a soupy, dirty-looking mix of, I am not sure what! I was just glad I didn't have to try to breathe it!
THINGS floated and flew in this tempest that was an atmosphere. I could hear a howling, as if wind was blowing faster than I had ever seen or heard it blow, before. I felt Svedra send out a thought. It was almost past my range to 'hear.'
Shortly something huge was moving in the murk before us. It stopped outside the edge of our bubble, and I drew back, instinctively.
"Peace, Paul. He will not harm us" Svedra said, and I detected amusement coming from him.
Again, I felt the exchange of thoughts between these two beings. It was still outside my abilities to understand. Finally there was a pause, and I felt the being in front of me turn its attention to me.
I shuddered to feel this alien... thing... enter into my mind! It was as if all the slimy things I had ever seen or feared were in my head! I tried to tough it out, but I was trembling in fear and disgust, by the time it removed that thought tendril from my mind.
(Be at peace. I have that which can safely protect your loved one. Hold out your hand, ) it said to me.
Uncertainly I did as instructed. Shortly, a small cube appeared in my hand. It was strangely heavy, yet was weightless at the same time! I had a hard time looking directly at it. I looked back up at this strange being. It could feel my question.
(You hold a 'pocket universe' in your hand. I have adjusted it to react only to you. You may do the same for your loved one, if you desire. Now please go, you are upsetting my people, ) It said.
I was upsetting Its people? How the hell did It think I felt!? I sent a thank you thought, and gazed with wonder at the cube. Svedra gently nudged me, and we returned to our gate.
When we entered Svedra's world, he dropped the protection. I caught a whiff of something that caused me to gag. I guess we brought back a bit of that strange atmosphere with us.
"You have been gifted with something that is very rare, indeed. Look into it closely," Svedra said to me.
I did as instructed, and shortly, found myself inside a... place. It was neither warm nor cold. I thought about it, and ideas or instructions came to me. I listened to this place instructing me in its uses and possibilities.
I did as the instructions said. Soon I had furniture, and a room that was comfortably appointed. Fresh air seemed to come from a window, but when I looked out that same window, all I saw was a gray featureless fog.
I was wondering how to get out, and found myself out, just that quickly! The cube was again in my hand. What a strange and wonderful thing! I gazed at it in wonder.
"We were lucky. If we had approached It at another time, It might have refused to help. It liked you, though," Svedra said.
"What would have happened if we approached It at the wrong time?" I asked him curiously.
"We would have had to fight our way back to the gate. While It is a very powerful being, It is a slave to Its own instincts. During certain times, It eats and eats, and that includes visitors through the gate," Svedra said with an amused tone.
Great! Another danger that I was not informed about, until it was over. It would have been too late to do anything about it, anyway. I would have to have a long talk with Svedra about this, sometime.
For some reason, those around me kept exposing me to dangers without letting me know the consequences, or even that any danger existed.
Edited by TeNderLoin