ESTATIS HORUME
CHAPTER 1
Regina woke violently, again tormented by waking dreams, her bedclothes doused with sweat.
"Why do I panic" she swore, leaning forward to catch her breath. "I am not old, and yet I see things, I see visions I cannot control..."
"Mother is that you?" The voice came to her like music, wafting through the air into her soul, calming her.
"Ikuku did I wake you?" Regina replied lighting a candle, then heading in the direction of her son's voice.
"No, I was awake," his voice came from the library "I simply could not put away this Tome of the Forgotten Chasind"
Regina drew a sharp breath. The Forgotten Chasind was a collection of manuscripts transcribed directly from interactions in the Fade by Flemeth the legendary witch of the wilds.
"It reads like a map mother", Ikuku continued "Ancient demons, their names and how they may be subdued. The names of their masters...."
"Give me that" Regina cried "Such material is not meant for an untrained mind."
An interval passed.
"Hmmm" Ikuku chuckled. He closed the book with a flourish, and held it forward in her direction, a look of anticipation on his face.
"Leave me be" Regina protested, sensing that he would pull away if she tried to reach. "I do not possess the energy to pursue you right now..."
Regina's shadow loomed hideously in the flickering candlelight, her sweat soaked nightgown matted to the flesh around her neck and chest. Ikuku grew alarmed.
"You are truly not well mother" He rose to his feet, displacing a stack of books as he approached her:
'Resplendent Apostasy', 'Rites of Defilement' ...it suddenly struck Regina that these tomes all penned in Flemeth's scrawling hand had
never been read by anyone else but Flemeth.
The writing in the tomes were as strange as the method of producing them. She remembered how Flemeth would cut her index finger before entering the fade, she would sit with outstretched arm upon a blank vellum sheet and be gone for hours. Regina would hold the hag steady, pace her wrinkled hand, and replace sheet after sheet of vellum scrawled with bloody scratching.
"I go where none has been before girl," Flemeth would rasp afterwards, "Make sure I can read what I write"
She said she did it to remember while the experiences were most vivid, the fleeting secrets she had learned.
"How are you able to read....that..." Regina stared at her son, momentarily stupefied.
"You mean the patterns? I just...do." Ikuku replied
What do you mean patterns?
"Body patterns mother. You see, whenever an individual seeks to express a sentiment, its physical body responds. It could be small as in say an anxious twitch, or massive such as when swinging an axe. Regardless of which it is, it is always there."
Regina gasped audibly
"It takes a finely attuned individual to use them," Ikuku's eye gleamed with excitement "and obviously some blood."
Silence
"Don't stare like that mother, I was simply persistent. I just paid enough attention to the markings, and then...the understanding came.
A flood of memories surged through Regina, a mix of astonishment tinged with fear
"Ikuku, you do realize that you have managed to comprehend what no one else has?" Regina swallowed hard. "Do you know ...even the Imperial Archon of Minrathous cast those tomes aside as "the scribbling of a demented creature?"
She let him feel her forehead for a temperature. Her chest pulsing with emotions she never once thought possible. She wondered if the abomination that was Flemeth ever felt emotions beyond the disciplined vileness that made her so effective.
"I have some health poultices left" Ikuku said
Your poultices are too potent child, we cannot afford to lose the fortune the king's soldiers pay for them.
"I will fetch you a change of clothes then" Ikuku said hurrying outside
Regina returned to her room. A whiff of decay she could not place hung in air like an old fart. She sat on the bed tormented.
"Perhaps the plan did work. " she ruminated. "What does this mean? What should I say to him?...what if he thinks I betrayed him?"
She loved Ikuku more than anything else in the world. The coming of the child had transformed her in completely unexpected ways. Once she had considered love to be a terrible weakness, Now it was all that gave her strength.
Another whiff of rotting rags passed in the air this time stronger, persistent. Regina spun around sensing a presence. She leapt from the bed.
"Isi-kini-isi!" she thundered.
Regina was suddenly engulfed in a plume of white magical vapors, a whirling vortex that billowed outwards in a powerful wave. The effect sent furniture crashing to the floor and against the walls of her bedroom.
"Must you always react in the extreme?" A cackling arose from behind an armoire.
Flemeth!
"Yes, yes child, I have been watching and you have broken my concealment.
'Child?'...the voice seemed to come from a distance; it flashed across Regina's mind with an otherworldly ring,
"How long have you been hiding...there? Regina barked at the approaching figure
"What does it matter Morrigan? Is it strange that you have found your past hidden behind old furniture in your bedroom?" Flemeth gestured "I think not...ha ha ha"
At full height the large boned woman before her stood over six feet. Her towering poise and firm musculature suggested significant military training.
Why would Flemeth chose to inhabit a soldier instead of a mage? Regina pondered, maybe the demon had grown desperate? Perhaps the current host was temporary until a more suitable vessel could be found?... Either way, the very idea of a demon of such power on the prowl sent shivers down her spine.
Regina was overcome by a foreboding sense that this meeting was not going to end well.
ESTATIS HORUME
Débuté par
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, sept. 07 2010 12:10
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#2
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Posté 07 septembre 2010 - 12:11
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CHAPTER 2
Several miles removed from Flemeth and Regina, at the foothills of the Frostback mountains, another dangerous confrontation was developing.
"Even at this late hour they persist in quarrels..." Omata grimaced, a tremor running down his spine as he approached Agamus.
"You do not work the stone?" he pointed at an outcropping of Metamorphic rock which gleamed underneath the azure sky
Silence. His three apprentices appeared fidgety nervous.
"You disappoint me Agamus" Omata glowered "You, in whose hands I entrust the Forge. You allow these stupid fights?"
Agamus fell to his knees his voice rising to a tremolo "Osimiri and Mangala Master, again they argue about ancestral honor, those two are the bane of our Forge"
Omata stormed toward the others standing by the rock outcropping
"What does it matter if your great great grandfather was a Paragon..."
A gust of wind surging downward from the icy crags of the Frostback mountains swept over the clearing sending leaves and dust into the air. A previously hidden transport cart creaked.
"By the very stone!" Omata swore eyeing the bloody gash across Osimiri's face
Mangala was ready, he had been ready for this moment ever since he swore to teach Osimiri a lesson in respect. If incurring his master's fury was the price to pay, then so be it.
"You will not resolve your differences by violence in my forge Mangala, those were the rules!" Omata barked
"My lineage was disrespected, and not for the first time. In the Dwarva you know what this means...
"You earn respect through your craft and your contribution to the common good, not by violence. I cannot abide this" Omata raged
Mangala blinked rapidly, his eyes darting relentlessly from Omata to Agamus. On some level, Omata considered the depth of his conviction disarming, to see a man fasten his purpose in the world to an idea and defend it to the point of physical injury. On the other hand to witness the damage such conviction could create when misdirected.
Osimiri grabbed Omata's shoulder "Please, his wife was lost to the blight do not expel him...
Omata shook the hand off "I am touched indeed" he mocked in barely disguised disbelief.
"Let bygones be bygones. His children will starve" Osimiri stared downward refusing to meet Omata's glare, refusing those probing eyes access to the secrets that now loitered vividly in his mind.
"Why did you not fight back?" Omata asked
Osimiri froze. The question landed like a slap, a direct challenge to his manhood, it threw him off completely. Moments passed as a surge of images crowded his mind, each a variation of the same theme. The deceased woman in all her glory staring at him, the path of his fingers across her body, his manhood thrusting wildly between her legs... The accompanying pangs of gulit were overwhelming
Osimiri sauntered forward, the blood from his wound plastered across his cheek as he repeatedly attempted to wipe his eyes.
"Quick Agamus, or he'll lose his sight." Omata cried interrupting the silence "Grind two portions of Chasind Resolve and apply it to that wound!"
"And you Mangala! the consequences of your rashness are upon us now, you must redeem yourself..."
"What do you want?" Mangala asked
"From now on, you and you alone will nurse Osimiri back to his full strength and while he recovers you must perform all tasks normally assigned to him as well as yours."
Agamus and Osimiri stopped and turned to face the moment of truth unfolding between Omata and Mangala.
"He'd never do it" Osimiri muttered leaning on Agamus "His pride is too great"
"...Or you can choose the violence you respect so much and face me in combat." Omata's pierced the air "If you can prevail over me you will have no further obligations to redeem"
The second condition landed like a bombshell. The mere possibility of violence against the master caused Agamus to draw his sword.
"Stand aside" Omata raised his hand without diverting his gaze from Mangala.
"I am not afraid to challenge you master" Mangala's face hardened visibly "Grey Warden or not, you are still old"
Silence. From a distance the howl of a gathering wind arose between the rocks drawing closer and closer until it once again swept across the clearing filling the air with leaves and dust
Mangala charged
A metal gleam shot through the air advancing at great speed toward Omata. With a fluid movement the master grabbed the twin hammers strapped to his back and rolled forward into the attack.
Already in motion, Mangala could not react to the sudden movement of his target. The attack missed, and he lost the element of surprise.
"Holy Dwarven balls!" he cursed realizing his mistake. He spun back. attacked again. This time his sword landed on something very hard.
Agamus watched Omata's hammers ascend to meet Mangala's sword, there was a terrifying flash and the blade, suddenly caught between the hammers appeared to vane and then twist off. The blade took flight and the hammers rammed Mangala's midsection.
The blow knocked Mangala off his feet, he sailed backward crashing into the transport cart. Omata followed.
"Arise Mangala!" he bellowed at the dazed apprentice "spawn of the shapers of Orzammar, reclaim your pride!"
As if impelled by an invocation, Mangala rose to his feet his knees buckling, staggered forward and sat down again
It was over
Several miles removed from Flemeth and Regina, at the foothills of the Frostback mountains, another dangerous confrontation was developing.
"Even at this late hour they persist in quarrels..." Omata grimaced, a tremor running down his spine as he approached Agamus.
"You do not work the stone?" he pointed at an outcropping of Metamorphic rock which gleamed underneath the azure sky
Silence. His three apprentices appeared fidgety nervous.
"You disappoint me Agamus" Omata glowered "You, in whose hands I entrust the Forge. You allow these stupid fights?"
Agamus fell to his knees his voice rising to a tremolo "Osimiri and Mangala Master, again they argue about ancestral honor, those two are the bane of our Forge"
Omata stormed toward the others standing by the rock outcropping
"What does it matter if your great great grandfather was a Paragon..."
A gust of wind surging downward from the icy crags of the Frostback mountains swept over the clearing sending leaves and dust into the air. A previously hidden transport cart creaked.
"By the very stone!" Omata swore eyeing the bloody gash across Osimiri's face
Mangala was ready, he had been ready for this moment ever since he swore to teach Osimiri a lesson in respect. If incurring his master's fury was the price to pay, then so be it.
"You will not resolve your differences by violence in my forge Mangala, those were the rules!" Omata barked
"My lineage was disrespected, and not for the first time. In the Dwarva you know what this means...
"You earn respect through your craft and your contribution to the common good, not by violence. I cannot abide this" Omata raged
Mangala blinked rapidly, his eyes darting relentlessly from Omata to Agamus. On some level, Omata considered the depth of his conviction disarming, to see a man fasten his purpose in the world to an idea and defend it to the point of physical injury. On the other hand to witness the damage such conviction could create when misdirected.
Osimiri grabbed Omata's shoulder "Please, his wife was lost to the blight do not expel him...
Omata shook the hand off "I am touched indeed" he mocked in barely disguised disbelief.
"Let bygones be bygones. His children will starve" Osimiri stared downward refusing to meet Omata's glare, refusing those probing eyes access to the secrets that now loitered vividly in his mind.
"Why did you not fight back?" Omata asked
Osimiri froze. The question landed like a slap, a direct challenge to his manhood, it threw him off completely. Moments passed as a surge of images crowded his mind, each a variation of the same theme. The deceased woman in all her glory staring at him, the path of his fingers across her body, his manhood thrusting wildly between her legs... The accompanying pangs of gulit were overwhelming
Osimiri sauntered forward, the blood from his wound plastered across his cheek as he repeatedly attempted to wipe his eyes.
"Quick Agamus, or he'll lose his sight." Omata cried interrupting the silence "Grind two portions of Chasind Resolve and apply it to that wound!"
"And you Mangala! the consequences of your rashness are upon us now, you must redeem yourself..."
"What do you want?" Mangala asked
"From now on, you and you alone will nurse Osimiri back to his full strength and while he recovers you must perform all tasks normally assigned to him as well as yours."
Agamus and Osimiri stopped and turned to face the moment of truth unfolding between Omata and Mangala.
"He'd never do it" Osimiri muttered leaning on Agamus "His pride is too great"
"...Or you can choose the violence you respect so much and face me in combat." Omata's pierced the air "If you can prevail over me you will have no further obligations to redeem"
The second condition landed like a bombshell. The mere possibility of violence against the master caused Agamus to draw his sword.
"Stand aside" Omata raised his hand without diverting his gaze from Mangala.
"I am not afraid to challenge you master" Mangala's face hardened visibly "Grey Warden or not, you are still old"
Silence. From a distance the howl of a gathering wind arose between the rocks drawing closer and closer until it once again swept across the clearing filling the air with leaves and dust
Mangala charged
A metal gleam shot through the air advancing at great speed toward Omata. With a fluid movement the master grabbed the twin hammers strapped to his back and rolled forward into the attack.
Already in motion, Mangala could not react to the sudden movement of his target. The attack missed, and he lost the element of surprise.
"Holy Dwarven balls!" he cursed realizing his mistake. He spun back. attacked again. This time his sword landed on something very hard.
Agamus watched Omata's hammers ascend to meet Mangala's sword, there was a terrifying flash and the blade, suddenly caught between the hammers appeared to vane and then twist off. The blade took flight and the hammers rammed Mangala's midsection.
The blow knocked Mangala off his feet, he sailed backward crashing into the transport cart. Omata followed.
"Arise Mangala!" he bellowed at the dazed apprentice "spawn of the shapers of Orzammar, reclaim your pride!"
As if impelled by an invocation, Mangala rose to his feet his knees buckling, staggered forward and sat down again
It was over
#3
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Posté 07 septembre 2010 - 12:12
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CHAPTER 3
Some distance away from the house Ikuku stood still, clutching the bouquet of health poultices he had collected for Regina.
Against the faint glimmer of candlelight coming from the house, his silhouette stood like an apparition in the darkness before dawn
'...Jams chi-ooh-ooh-ooh. Chae na hae-ael...'
At first the chant was barely perceptible, like the echo of a gun fired from a distance, enough to make him turn and search for the source.
With each step however the music appeared to morph and shift until the atmosphere around him grew charged with strains of unstruck melody emanating from a fathomless ambience.
It was as if as if he had walked into an unseen orchestra.
For what seemed like an eternity the music permeated his being, rising from the background, then fading once more like a living heartbeat
Then it gathered strength, rising in intensity to a crescendo where the very fabric of reality appeared to warp then tear.
"This is not right..." Ikuku swore as the very air parted to reveal a vast landscape of iridescent beauty
#4
Posté 07 septembre 2010 - 03:02
TanithAeyrs
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I think I read some of this when you first posted (6-8 months ago?) and found it intriguing. The forums borked your formating a little but the story is still off to a great start. Glad to see you back.
#5
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Posté 10 septembre 2010 - 02:23
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@TanithAeyrs
Good to see you around as well...you are the best.
Good to see you around as well...you are the best.
