The Search For Kathea, A Leap Into The Restless Journey

 The Search For Kathea, A Leap Into The Restless Journey

     She remains for several days, gradually recovering from what occurred during the night, now being called, the 'Night of the Dark Hunt'. When she can finally stand on her own, the Great Sage asks her if she remembers what happened that night.

     "Yes, I do. As to what happened to me, that is a bit of a different story. I know what and who I spoke to, but there was something different about him from the others I have known. My power did not react well to him, something was not compatible and my reaction was a strong part of this. Also, the things he said, caught me by surprise. It was so not expected from what I had previously learned. I guess all that has been previously written of him will have to be changed.

I need to get out into the sunlight, feel life again, then find out why I reacted this way and what I can do about it."

     "I can agree with you on that, you are sounding more like the Goddess I started this journey with, and this is good. I will help all I can to find out why he had such an effect on you, and if there is some way to shield you from it. I know of some hermits who live along our route, that may be able to provide answers."

     The three of them come down the steps into the common room of the Inn. Silas comes forth quickly to see if they need anything.

     "Is there anything I can get for you?"

     "Something strong in a tankard would be good. But first, tell me, were there any other lives claimed other than Rastis?"

     "No, the entire town listened to me when I told them of your warning. They did as you said, and all came through it alive and well. You are being hailed as a hero, some even compare you to Randolf Carter, when he passed through, many years ago."

     On hearing mention of Randolf Carter, her head snapped to look at Silas, and a tear rolled down her cheek. Silas saw it and asked what it meant.

     "On one of my earlier adventures, I was near Inquanok. I encountered a group of ghouls led by the 'Pickman' who knew Randolf Carter and thought of him as a friend. Some of his numbers were being captured by moon beasts and sent to the moon in slavery. I managed to free them from their cages and led them in revolt against their slavers. While there I found a prehistoric monastery and met the 'King in Yellow' there."

     Silas makes a gesture to ward off evil.

     "I agree with you on that. But to continue, we spoke of what I was there to do and he offered to open a door to send me back to the Waking World. I declined and went on my way, but not before taking a particular skull that had markings painted on it. It was the skull of Randolf Carter."

     "By all the old gods! What did you do with it?"

     "I took it to Ilek Vad and gave it to King Kuranes. I knew he and Carter were good friends and I could think of no other that should have possession of it."

     "That was well done indeed. Well and rightly done."

     "I think that since then, the King and I have become close friends out of mutual respect for Randolf Carter. He had a companion for a while did he not?"

     "Yes, he did. I have not seen or heard from him in some time."

     "Then I will keep my eyes and ears open for mention of him. Maybe I can one day tell him what happened to his friend, and how his skull is no longer in the 'King in Yellow's' hands. I just need to continue my journey soon, it will be difficult to leave the town and its people."

     "And they will be sorrowful to see you go. Much as they understand your need to do this when you are done come back through here and rest before you go back to the Waking World."

     "If I can, I surely will."

     They leave the next morning, early to avoid tearful goodbyes. Traveling to Celephais to catch a boat to take them along the river. As they sail upriver, they pass many small towns and villages, the further they go, they begin to see ruins of very old buildings being reclaimed by the wilderness surrounding them. In the midst of these are a few large, very attractive cities, attractive until you get close to them anyway. The closer they got, the more the pall of rot, decadence, disease, and all other manners of wrongness is seen, felt, heard, and sensed about these places.

     The Captain knows of this and wisely keeps to the opposite side of the river, as he remarks, "some boats have disappeared on this river. And the likely answer is that they, for whatever reason, strayed too close to the other side. I know the names and stories of these places, if you want to know them, ask someone else. I will not be one to repeat what I heard."

     The terrain changes the further they go, leaving grassland and forests, to become rainforest and jungle. There Iriisii sensed cities and temples deep in the jungles, empty of life, but guarded against the jungle retaking them as it has everything else in its domain. She feels the magic barriers and they are familiar to her. Like calls to like, and the magic of the Gods of Eld, laid out here uncounted years ago calls to her. Telling her one day what is here will be needed once again, and she must be ready when that need arises.

     Other places they pass, most of the dark or unpleasant reputations. She catches a lone scent in the air from a pillar of rock, far out on the water as the river empties into the sea. The top of the rock hidden within mists of clouds, she then knows where she is, for she has visited that rock before, just not from the bottom, but the top. The island the rock is on is Oriab, the site of the thrice ruined city of Sarkomand. A place she would much rather not get any closer to than where she was now.

     Onward they go up the coast, to where another river empties itself into the sea, and they turn and enter therein. The land is sparse, a few settlements scattered here or there dot the landscape. The air grows chill, and the stars at night, clearer. The Captain remarks that well to the west is a desert, at the far side was the doomed city of Sarnath. A thriving, populated city that in the space of a single night was left desolate and empty of life. The only visitors it gets now are those passing onward to Mnar, a land of carved pillars and monuments of stone. Mnar, one of the first lands populated by men, is now long forgotten and lost in the Waking World.

     East is where you wish to go, east to Celephais, and then further if you have the guts to make that journey. To the mountain known as Ngranek, where it is said the faces of the Old Gods are carved into the mountainside. And powerful storms are said to rage across the mountaintop from time to time, drawing attention to the speech of those Old Gods as they argue amongst themselves.

     But Iriisii knows she must turn north at Celephais. To go to the 'Cold Waste' that forms the southern border of Borea, where it is said Ithaqua plays among the cold winds that blow unceasingly.

     Celephais is on the surface bright, joyous, happy, but she senses an undercurrent that is dark, that all is not well here. She knows much as she would wish to dive into the problems and clear them up for the people, she must continue onward and leave this to others.

She does however send a messenger to King Kuranes to alert him to the trouble she feels going on. Maybe he can send some people to ferret out what is happening before it reaches a critical point.

     They hire a yak caravan to take them north, as close to her destination as she can get, and then leave the caravan. To help them out, she purchases a load of goods that were waiting to be shipped north and had been waiting for some time as no merchant wanted to make the trip. It is on the way about a week out that she sees why no one wanted to make the journey.

     A former caravan, burnt out, bodies rotting alongside the road. She stops to assess this and determines that there were survivors, but they were herded up and taken off somewhere else. She feels they were taken northeast. She asks the caravan workers she hired if they know what lies in that direction. To a man they make a gesture to ward off evil and go silent. At this, she makes a difficult decision and instructs the Great Sage and Norok to keep the caravan moving and she would catch up to them on the road.

     They are also aware of what she is going to do but also know her mind is resolute in this, so they gather things up and get the caravan moving, leaving her behind. Once they are out of sight, she morphs into her dragon form and takes to the skies, hoping it is not too late for the survivors.

     She has been flying for hours following a trail only her dragon senses could discern, evidence of other massacres can be seen, but there is nothing that can be done there. She sees even more ruins, incredibly ancient, and a few still active with dark traces. She is well acquainted with the dark, but these places, these traces, leave a foul taste in her mouth. Finally, she sees a rather large campfire in the distance, she lands, then returns to human form. Anticipating trouble she dons the armor she made for herself at the Forge of Stars and adds the Kuurii Helm.

     Shrouding herself in shadow, plentiful with the setting sun, she starts out racing to find the campfire and see what she faces. Once there she slips into a ravine where she can see the area from where it opens to the lit-up camp. She sees five captives still alive, the remains of three others where they had been slaughtered. Only bones remaining scattered around the campfire. A few set up as a night watch, she sees a motley bunch of differing beings. 

     Once she thinks she has the lay of the land and feels it is time to take action, the sound of tinkling bells can be heard coming from the east. She sits up, now alert, and waits to see who the new arrival is and what they may have to do with this situation. She watches as a rolling cart fitted with a cage on the back and bells attached to the sides rolls into the camp, drawn by a scrawny yak, that looks like it is on its last legs. 

     The driver is dressed in a deep hooded robe, completely concealing his face, long wide sleeves dropping over his hands, and long enough to bare touch the ground, yet his feet are in boots. The overall effect is to enable him to walk among men and others when if not concealed would not be able or allowed to do so. She listens intently to any noise or speech he makes to determine what and maybe who he is.

     There is some kind of deal going on, with the prisoners being the subject of purchase. The driver goes over to examine the prisoners. As he closes in on one, the prisoner next to him lashes out with his tied hands and manages to give Iriisii a flash of the driver's face. The driver lashes out in return striking the prisoner to the ground and she gets clear sight of his hand. The driver is some kind of Saurian, but not one she is familiar with.

     As she ponders whether to involve herself or not, she senses something about the prisoner who was knocked to the ground. His lower lip was split by the blow and the scent of his blood reaches her. Then she realizes he is 'Aasimar' like her, she does not recognize the Pantheon of Gods who touched his people, but that does not matter, he is kin and she cannot allow him to be sold to the Saurian for whatever purpose.

     She dons the Kuurii skull helm and becomes one with the shadows. Travels with them to a point close to the captors, prepares her katana, and rises, dropping the shadows from her as her blade reaches out separating a head from its neck. She swings once more taking down two more in the blink of an eye. She goes into a roll, cutting the legs out from under three more as she slices from behind. Parrying a clumsy war axe swung at her, she removes the wielder's hands and the axe falls to the ground. 

     The Aasimar picks it up in his tied hands and brings it down on the head of the last slaver as he turns to try and escape. Iriisii turns to the Saurian, "you are not going anywhere, I have questions for you, if you answer, I will allow you to go your way."

     The Saurian responds with a sibilant hiss, her memories tell her how to morph her vocal cords to reproduce the sounds and give her the phonetics to speak the language.

     "As I said, answer my questions and you may go free."

     "How do you speak my language, no other not of my race has been able to do so?"

     "That is not at issue here, what is at issue is what was the fate intended for these men?"

     "I was to pick them up and take them to my homeland. My master is building a new temple and the men are needed to bless the corner posts."

     "How would this be done? So not dodge the question, I will know and it will not go well for you."

     "A great hole is dug into the ground for the cornerstone column to drop into. One of the men would be chained down at the bottom. When the priests have performed the correct ritual, the four columns would be dropped one after the other into the holes. If the priests say all is good, construction to complete the temple can begin. If not it must all be torn down and a different place chosen, then the ritual must be performed again."

     "What will you do now that you must return without these men?"

     "It was the hired men who lost the captives, not I. They were already gone, and the hired men killed when I got here. I did not hire them, I was only to pick them up."

     "The one who hired them, would he then be required to take the place of these men?"

     "He and his family would, yes. It would be the only way to expiate his mistake and avoid having his family cursed and exiled for eternity."

     "Go then, and I would not come back here again. If your master returns to collect more from here, I will level the city until there is not one stone atop another. And then I will burn everything in Dragonfire. Impress upon him it would be best to listen to my words and believe I can do this."

     "As you will it, so it will be."

     "Go."

     The Saurian turns about and hurries to get on the way back.

     Iriisii turns to the men, "you are free now, may I assist you in getting to wherever you wish to go?"

     Two of them name their home cities, and Iriisii opens portals for them to go home. Once they are gone, she turns to the remaining three. "What do you three wish to do now?"

     "We have no home to return to, if you can use our help, we would be prepared to declare ourselves to be your men."

     "Before you do this, know that where I go will be dangerous, but I will outfit you to be able to take on almost anything you will face. If you cannot deal with an enemy then that will be on me to take care of. I will require that you follow my orders without question. I do not treat my people frivolously, I respect them and ask that they in turn respect me. I will not ask you to do anything that I am not ready to do myself.

     If this sounds like joining a military unit, you are right. I command a very large one in the Waking World and intend to create one here in the Dreamlands. Gods know it looks like it needs one. Its main purpose will be to put a stop to activities like the one that almost happened here. I abhor slavery and will do almost anything to put a stop to it. The Saurian, I released to carry a message back to his master, and the others of his race, not to come back and try to capture more. If they do I will level and burn their cities to the ground until they learn not to cross me.

     Now if you have questions or reservations, now is the time to say so", she turns to the 'Aasimar' and points to him with her finger, "you, I need to have a further word with. No, I do not have a problem with your splitting his skull. It is something else entirely, you will understand once we have spoken. Follow me."

     She walks off toward the edge of the firelight, certain that the Aasimar male is following her. When she finds a spot that is quiet, she motions for him to sit, and takes a seat on a rock.

     "I know no other way but to ask, what do you know of the 'Aasimar'?"

     "I remember my mother telling me stories of them as a child until our rulers forbade any mention of them. She, however, continued until they threatened her with life in a dungeon and to enslave me as a child. She chose to protect us and kept her silence."

     "Ah, a 'Protector' then, her love for you was great indeed to submit to such an edict against her inner nature."

     "How do you know of this, you have never met any of my people before!"

     "Because I am Aasimar as well, but I know the full story, how we came to be what we are, what the cost is to be Aasimar, and why we are both loved and reviled by those who know us."

     "I am sorry I lashed out, it has been a sore point in my life for a very long time."

     "You have done nothing wrong, I understand where few will. Perhaps it would be better to tell my story, then you will have a better base upon which to relate to."

      She goes on the describe what her life was like, learning she was Aasimar, what it meant, the training her Grandfather taught her, and the subsequent events when all went wrong. She described the good and the bad, the joys and the sorrows. Leaving nothing out, she felt he needed the unvarnished truth, to understand better the price his mother paid for their survival.

      She stopped her story before her ascension because that is something that would take far more time for him to understand. But she had to speak of their beginnings, how her people were caught between warring factions of gods, Kthanid and the Gods of Eld on one side, and his half-brother, Cthulhu and the Great Old Ones on the other. Of the energies, power, magics deployed, and the destruction, desolation, and poisoning of the land where they made their home.

     Of how the Gods of Eld won that battle, holding back her own involvement, not sure he could understand the metaphysics involved in how it came to be. She told of how the Great Old Ones were imprisoned in various places, of how the Gods of Eld could not destroy their mindless brothers and sisters, but rather chose to imprison them until they could be healed and restored.

     She then told of the different paths of the Aasimar, and the path she took, that of Scourge. Of how she had been first taught what that path meant, only later to find her teachers had been wrong.

     "How were they wrong?"

     "It is not between 'Light' and 'Dark' that the Scourge walks, but between 'Absolute Good' and 'Absolute Evil'. To be of the 'Dark' does not mean they cannot perform works of the "Light', or of 'Light' and do works of the 'Dark'. Only the Absolutes will not change of their own free will. And so I have made friends and allies of both 'Light' and 'Dark' on my journey to my 'Destiny'. Thus have I come to know that I serve 'Balance', helping to guide 'Creation' between 'Good' and 'Evil'.

     "What is your Destiny?"

     "Once I could have told you with certainty, now it seems to change as I progress toward it, and learn more of how Celestial Power works. That will have to be a question for another time. Of you, however, that which makes you 'God Touched' has awakened by being close to me. What that will ultimately mean for you, only time and your choices will tell."

     "What does that mean, I do not understand?"

     "As time goes on, you will understand, but for now, know that at a time in the future, you have a decision to make as your life's path reaches a crux. It boils down to whether you choose to remain mortal, or choose to ascend and take the 'Path of the Gods'."

     "That is the path you chose is it not, the 'Path of the Gods'?"

     "Your power of discernment is strong already, yes, I did."

     "Does that mean...?"

     "That I am a Goddess? Yes, it does. That opens much in the way of difficult topics of knowledge, eventually, you will have through experience and other means, a frame of reference by which to understand these topics of knowledge. My place in the hierarchy of the Celestial Powers is high and I have not yet reached my limits. There are plenty of dangerous tasks ahead of me, that have been given to me to do as I have progressed on my path.

     I do not have to do them alone, I have gathered friends and allies to help me, both mortals and Gods side with me. But I should mention this, I do not know which Pantheon of Gods are responsible for your ancestors becoming Aasimar. But if and when the choice comes to you, you choose among which Pantheons ask you to join with them."

     "Have you asked any..."

     "A few, yes. I am in no hurry to gather an immortal following. The number of mortals coming to my call is more than enough for me right now."

     "How many are there?"

     "More than I know of right now. I walk 'time' differently than most now. But I have had whole worlds declare for me, even entire Star Empires across hundreds of worlds. The time is coming that in order to right the balance of Creation, I must embark on the 'Jihad of Truth'. All in all of the Realms of Creation must choose who they follow, 'Absolute Good, Absolute Evil, or the Balance. Once the choice is made, the battle lines are drawn, and the Great War for Creation will begin. Only through the Balance winning will Creation survive and thrive, anything else will mean either quick destruction or a long slide into apathy and degradation."

     "What happens if you win?"

     "Ragnarok will come for me and take me upon his back to the 'Mother of the Cosmos'. There she will relinquish her 'Mantle' and pass it to me. Death will then escort her to the 'Final Gate' and through into the 'Great Beyond'. Whether I will ever follow her or when that I cannot say. There is still more for me to discover about my final fate."

     A deep, but familiar voice speaks from the darkness beyond the firelight, "and just what is your final fate, my love!"

     Iriisii bolts upright, turning to the voice, "Dettlaff?! Come here to me you fool!" As she runs to meet him on the edge of the firelight. He grabs her in his arms as she jumps to him and holding her in the air, kisses her to show her how much he has missed her. The Aasimar she was talking to, sees her reaction and turns his head to stare into the flames of the campfire.

     Once they come up for air, "I guess you really do love me."

     Iriisii punches him in the nearest open shoulder, "you better know that I love you! I know you too well, you just want to get me to bite you, but there are others here that do not know of our relationship and might misunderstand. By the way, just how did you get through the Gates of Dream, and does the Dreamland know you are here?"

     "Perhaps I can explain that a little better."

     "Illyria?!"

     Dettlaff wisely sets her on the ground as she and Illyria embrace. Illyria finds herself wrapped in a kiss every bit as passionate as the one Dettlaff received, while he looks on with an 'evil' grin on his face. Once Iriisii comes up for air a second time, she remembers where she is and directs them to the campfire. Once settled down, "I will introduce everyone in just a moment but first I need to know just how did you enter the Dreamlands?"

     Illyria replies, "We received a visit from 'She Who Watches All'. She told us of your encounter with the 'Crawling Chaos' and his master, the 'Blind Dreamer'. She said that now that he had declared himself openly seeking you, we could no longer allow you to go anywhere without one of us with you. She said you would understand the reasons why. But she did say to tell you this, you are right that he is not from this 'Reality'. He is also not from this Realities' antithesis, but rather from one that follows one of the 'gray' paths."

     "That explains much, the most important things still remain clouded, but I do understand more now. Go on."

     "Under no circumstances must he succeed in what he is trying to do to win you to him. Because he is from one of the 'Gray' paths, he can only manifest a small part of his abilities and power here. You have seen from what he has shown so far, and what is written about him. Imagine if he had his full power, augmented and channeled through you, what that would mean for this Reality."

     "No, that would be terror beyond imagining. The worst that I have seen here would be a child's daydream of happiness compared to what is in his mind. But, Dettlaff, love how did you get past the 'Dream Gates'?"

     "She Who Sees All said I had reached the needed power to enter, but that it would go easier if I had one of her tokens as you have, marking me to have her favor."

     "So she placed one of her leaves around your heart as she did for me?"

     "Just so."

     "Illyria, what about Rigmor, why did she stay behind?"

     "The children decided that. When she said she would come with me, they started crying loudly and would not stop until she relented and said she would stay with them."

     "Gods, I miss them so much."

     "They miss you as well, but even at their young age, they know how important it is that you do what you are called to do."

     "Well then, I need to do a few things quickly and then we can go on and meet with the caravan I hired."

      Iriisii stands and phases into her storage place, grabs what she needs to bring back, and phases everything back with her. She then calls the other two men she saved to her, passes them armor, which they put on. As it fits itself to them, she hands one a longsword, "I believe this is your favored weapon."

     "Yes it is, how did you know?"

     "Do not worry about that, once you learn as much as I have about weapons and armor, you can judge these things quickly."

     She hands the other a halberd. He takes it in his hands and swings it around to get the 'feel' for it. "Thank you, my Lady, this is perfectly balanced for me."

     She then tosses each a bag of gold, "this is your wages for the next three months, I will arrange for you to receive more after that. For now, just train with the guards at Ilek Vad, when I have more recruited, you can more to the Anchoring Tower outside the city. just look for the tower with what looks like a violet blossom at the top. The tower will allow you entrance but no other who is not known to me or one I have called." She then tosses another bag, this one is of gems. "Give this one to the City Gatekeeper, and tell him it is from Iriisii Dovahkiin, he is to find lodging for you and pay your expenses from what he can get from the gems until I make other arrangements." She then passes over a scroll, "Have him send this to the King, it describes what I want for the two of you and others that will be arriving from time to time." Then she opens a portal to Ilek Vad and directs them to go through. Once they go, she closes it and turns to the Aasimar.

     "I must ask you how are you called, I prefer not to have to refer to you as, 'Hey You!' every time I need something from you."

     He bows and says, "my mother named me, Athas."

     "Very well, Athas, this is Dettalff Van Der Eretain and this is Illyria. Both are wedded to me and I to them. If they ask you to do something it is the same as if I asked."

     Illyria's face takes an inquisitive turn for a second, then, "he is Aasimar?!"

     "Yes, he is. I know not the Pantheon nor the circumstances of his people being gifted but there will be time to find out." 

     She turns to Athas, "Illyria is Aasimar and is of the blood of my people as well. Dettlaff is my Vyrkolos, I do not know if you have ever heard that word or what it means to an Aasimar?"

     "No, I have not."

     "That will be one more thing to discuss when we have more time. For now, we have a caravan to catch up to. And I have a 'Blood Brother' to introduce you to."

     "A what?"

     "An Elder of Cats, of the Lineage of Ulthar. I performed the 'Ritual of Blood Binding' with him, his name is Norok. And he is traveling with me in his second form, that of a 'Greater Tiger'. He has already proven himself to be invaluable in tracking and combat. And is wise in the lands and ways of Dream. Because he is native to the Lands of Dream, he will not be able to follow us to the Waking World, and so will stay behind when we return. He has his own Destiny to find here that will aid us in ours. So let us be on our way."