Warlocks Index – Previous Chapter
After withdrawing from the dream scape, I considered the four captives before me. I would normally do what I could to ease their minds, but I knew any interference would only alert The Maker to my presence. They did offer another opportunity, and the new memories contained the instruction I needed. I would have to overcome my personal offence however. It went against all my actual teachings and experiences.
I moved, closer to Triss, deeper into the cave, taking a position facing the the pit beyond. She lay on her side, weeping softly, unaware of my presence. I loosened my cloak, placed left hand on her hear, my fingers spread out like a spider standing guard, and touched the Master Crystal with my right, then I started to swim.
That is how it felt at least. I was skimming the surface of her mind, looking for her first encounter with The Maker. When I found it, I dipped in further, slowly, trying everything I could not to cause too much to attract attention.
Triss, as I discovered, had been brought from another community, lured by The Maker in the same way as I had seen him do with Cassinda. Flattery, Flirtation, the Silver Tongue. That I already knew but the glitches in her memories, just like Cassinda, I did not know enough. I paused over one and shrunk myself down thus slowing the passing of the memory. I watched as The Maker’s face was momentarily about to reveal itself, and then change becoming the more chiselled and contoured face Triss had known him by, and not the same face seen by Cassinda, with neither face being the one I knew him by. Having seen his ability to manipulate dreams and memories, I supposed that he had assumed an appearance drawn from the desires of his victim, and momentarily wondered if he had done the same with me. It suggested a number of things which I mentally set aside for now.
It was what came next that I now sought. I grabbed the thread and let it lead me forward. The attention had excited Triss, made her feel special and seen. Most importantly, it made her fell happy, and she desired more. She had started secretly meeting with him, he would play his pipe, and adjust her memories in small, and cumulative ways. Soon, her own sense of well-being was entirely dependant on his presence, and she fled her home to join his band, devoted to his attentions.
Then her experiences became darker. He used his words and gifts to both lure and reject her, punishing her for perceived slights. Through her eyes, I watched him. I saw he revelled in adoration and submission both. When she waited on him, or when she begged for forgiveness. It was all the same to him.
He was a ravenous beast, always hungry, always feeding, and he would feast on the devoted weakness of others. He needed to be continuously fed because the hole that was within him was without end. I let go and drifted back to the surface.
*****
I undertook a similar search on two of the others, finding the same patterns. By this time, the sun was above the clearing, and the day was warming. Getting back out of the pit proved a small challenge, where waiting for the passing of the guard was a minor concern. Keeping my shroud of disinterest up while clambering up the pit wall took more effort than I would have preferred. I was short of breath and huffing loudly. Shrouding myself from two senses was not something I could focus on, so I instead moved with less care back to the tree line, aware that I may have left some evidence of my passing.
I took a wide loop back to where Graciul rested. He had moved himself into the undergrowth and I initially thought he had been captured until he made is presence known with a soft bird call. He had managed to remove the arrowhead, which he showed me with a simple here-it-is attitude, like it was nothing important. He had then replaced the wrapping after covering the wound with leaves from local scrub. He said they would absorb some of the moisture in the blood, helping it dry quicker and speed the healing.
While his strength was returning, he was still in some pain. Again, we debated his intentions to join me in some way. I eventually offered a compromise.
“If you can get yourself into a suitable vantage point, you can keep an eye out.”
He considered this then nodded. “Agreed.” Then he went to move.
I placed a hand on his good shoulder. “Not yet. I need to do something, and I need you to watch over me.” He settled back down and then I sat before him, closed my eyes and focussed, reaching out for the crystal.
I heard Graciul’s voice become distant.
“What are you….”
*****
I was again in the crystal room, and again the vision of my mother stood before me, and just as I was about to speak, she appeared to turn very slightly, and Master Grent stood before me. The man I wished to address.
“Master Juth. You are most welcome.” He was bigger than I had thought, then realised that I had only seen him from his memories. His robes were simple and in a style that was typical for his time. His voice deep and welcoming.
“Master Grent,” and I instinctually bowed. “I find myself with a dilemma and I am hoping to find a solution here.”
He held his arms out wide. “Tell me your struggles, and I am certain the two of us can formulate a resolution.”
So, I described everything I knew, what I needed to do, and the crystal opened its archives of memories to me. Together, we developed, tested, refined, and tested again until finally I had a technique I felt was going to be vital in what was to come.
*****
“…going to do?” Graciul asked me.
“It is done.” I said as I opened my eyes again.
“What? What is done?”
I just stood, removed my cloak, and started working at the stitching around the patch holding in the crystal. “The Maker, ” I stopped and looked at Graciul, “The stranger, has a particular weakness. I have a plan to take advantage of that.”
He seemed to understand and wincing once or twice, began to get himself ready. Once I had the crystal in my hand, Graciul stood, armed with his bow and a quiver full of both standard and rough arrows.
“Had some free time while you were gone.” He said bringing out one of the improvised branches and flipping it in his hand.
I shouldn’t have been surprised but I was continually impressed with his skills. I stood looking deep into the crystal, then slipped it into a pocket pouch at my side. We nodded to each other and headed of in different directions. Me back to the camp. He seeking out his vantage point. The cloak I left discarded on the ground. It would only weigh me down now.
*****
As I got closer, I was able to see a few guards off in the distance searching the tree line where I had previously slipped away, conveniently clearing the way in for me now. I created my shroud of disinterest once again, a process that was now almost effortless to do, and strode into the camp. The second tent was bigger and more elaborate than the one I had been held in. It had been decorated in grand imagery using bold colours of black, yellow, and blue. The entrance was sheltered under an awning with two standing guard.
As I approached, I reached out for the two guards sensing their thoughts and noting the thin thread leading away from them into the tent. I visualised a desire for sleep as a cloud that enveloped both of them, and they simultaneously slumped to the ground.
Standing on the threshold, I reached out once more. The void that was The Maker was right in front of me, with multiple threads all leading to it. Using my hands to help me visualise, I imagined two halves of a large glass sphere, then clapped them together, one below, one above, cutting all the threads the fed the void.
The gasp from inside, followed by the cry of rage, was my cue. I dropped the shroud, threw back the tent flap, took one step inside, and said;
“Hello, brother.”
Reflection of a Ham 
Leave a comment