God-Kissed: Book 1 (The Apprentices)

by Clark Bolton

  The wound disappeared as did the damage to her clothing along with the blood. Lita then smiled at him before again showing her rage. Than in an instant she assumed the illusion of a great dire-wolf, an exact replica of the wolf they had killed alongside the two giants way off in the land of Irgalash.

  “Wait!” Castor silently mouthed but it was too late the wolf had already sprung toward the direction the arrow had come from. “Gods!” he cursed as he began gathering shadows around him. He had learned to do this before gaining the Ausic ring but with it he need not even cast a spell though that would have enhanced the effect. It took him a few moments and so when he got to his feet to run after the wolf he appeared to be nothing more than a dark hollow among the cane.

  Haspeth had seen the two illusionists duck down in the cane but could not see them now. As he turned his attention back to the area where the arrows had come he froze. For crawling through the cane were two figures and they were heading right for him They had black and grey stripes painted across their faces and bits of reed attached to their bodies at different points making them very difficult to see.

  The two figures crawled slowly with short bows ready toward Haspeth seemingly unaware of how close he was. When they got within about three paces they finally made out the silhouette of the mage through the illusion and then they made eye contact. It was the last thing on this earth they ever saw.

  Murac crawled for a while then lay still with his hands under his body and his head resting such that he could see a little to the rear. It was not long before he heard the faintest of rustles. In a flash he flipped over and sent an arrow through the elf that was not five paces behind him. The arrow passed clean through the elf’s body and into the arm of the single elf behind him.

  With a second burst of speed Murac let his bow drop and before the body of the first elf even hit the ground he had cleaved through the bow and neck of the second with his short sword. Then he got some revenge for private Slat by casting the severed head of the elf as far out into the cane as he could. He decapitated the other body and tied the head to his belt with the elves own hair, and then he went looking for more.

  Autbek paused at the edge of the stone court before him. It was as large as the henge had been but instead of many stone monoliths it contained only one and it was at the very center. The place was completely enclosed by reeds except for a single thick and twisted tree to his right. As he proceeded to the center stone he admired its smooth and gently curving angles.

  As the others approached in wonder at the place they too came to admire the stone and compared it to a sculpture of a woman, though it had no obvious arms or head. The floor of the court appeared to be of a single stone slab with only a few cracks and weathering showing at its edges. The tree cast a cool shadow over the sculpture and made for a most pleasant and inviting place to sit and marvel at the place.

  “Have you not heard of this place, Aldem?” Autbek asked as he looked back to see if all had been able to follow along the stepping stones. Un Papp was the last to arrive as he helped the older Eifled navigate the stepping stones, and before stepping off the last stone he bowed deeply and seemed to be muttering a prayer.

  “No! It is not known to us, and to no others I think.”

  At this point several of them noticed smoke rising up from the general direction they had come. They all agreed there looked to be too much of it to be caused by their simple campfire. This made them concerned about Castor and the others who had not followed, but since they heard nothing they briefly put it out of their minds.

  They did not get long to ponder the meaning of the place before a voice sang out to them. “Do sing for use again sweet girl, you have such a lovely voice.”

  It seemed to emanate from the central stone and they looked at each other for a moment in confusion before someone called out. “She is in the tree! Up there!” Looking up now the party could see a maiden wrapped in a simple length of fine cloth. She had flowers in her hair and a soft smile on her face as she asked again. “Oh, please do sing for us.”

  Autbek wondered then if she was an elf as her features seemed to fit the descriptions he had heard of them, her voice too seemed like no other that he had heard. “Hello, my lady, we would be pleased to have Resbeka sing for you again. But may I ask your name and what this place is that we have found.”

  The lady laughed and then descended from the tree with the help of some outstretched arms of others that the party could not see as they were behind the trunk of the tree. The lady walked out then onto the court followed by three other maidens, dressed as she was.

  “We have opened the way for you to this place … and this place is the shrine of our mother. We are the daughters of Yessonaneigh and we have heard your name among the reeds, Autbek.”

  Autbek was taken back a little by their beauty and their behavior. Finally he managed a bow and so asked Resbeka to sing again. “Please, Resbeka, I think if you would sing again we would please our hosts.”

  Very nervous now, Resbeka took the time to clear her throat and to concentrate before starting to sing. Her voice trembled a little at first but when the ladies started to dance she gained confidence and soon found her voice.

  If it was possible for the place to seem more sacred than it already appeared then Resbeka’s voice brought the ambiance of the shrine to perfection. Some of the party even danced a little with the ladies as they whirled about, particularly Appaloupe who seemed not at all concerned about such things. Autbek could not bring himself to do so for still in the back of his mind he wondered truly what it was that they had stumbled upon.

  When the singing ended the lady turned to the tree. “Do come out now elder ones, for surely you can see they mean no harm to you or to us!” With that said several figures hesitantly walked out from behind the tree but did not step far from it.

  Autbek waited a moment for them to speak but when they did not he felt the need to introduce himself further. “I am, Autbek, and these are some of my apprentices and friends.” He thought these were truly elves now as they looked even more the part than the four ladies did.

  “Greetings, I am called Tesloa,” said one of the male elves, who seemed to be the leader of the group.

  The party found the elf cold and distant, not at all welcoming like the four daughters. “Are you elven?” Autbek asked, trying to move the conversation along in a friendly fashion.

  The daughters giggled at the question. “They are, Autbek, as are those peering from the reeds behind you, though they are not kin of each other.”

  The party looked about and realized that indeed there were more of them peeking out between the reeds with a hateful feel to them. “I don’t understand, are we not welcome here?”

  Tesla spoke again. “You most certainly are not welcome by the Desoa, as for me and my companions we reserve judgment though it is unlikely ever to matter as those about you will likely not let you leave this place.”

  “Check your hearts, elder ones, for we have invited them here and will see them leave unharmed.” The first maiden called out. “The daughters of Yessonaneigh will not yield to your wild brethren or to you, Tesloa.”

  The elf bowed humbly to the daughters and was about to say more when all were disturbed by the approach of Murac who walked out of the reeds splattered with blood and gore. With a growl Murac pulled the ghoulish elven head from his belt and threw into the reeds at the elves he could see hiding there.

  Tesloa became furious at this. “You must not foul this sacred place with blood, human!”

  Murac looked at the elf with contempt as he spat a reply. “I did not bring the blood, elf! That would be them there, but I’ll gladly get more of it!”

  Autbek had the sinking feeling things were going to turn from bad to worse, and when Haspeth came next out of the reeds followed closely by Castor he felt both relief and apprehension. Haspeth spoke up before perhaps he should have. “Have you seen a wolf, O’t?” Realizing now that the place was filled with stranger
s and some of them were elves he stopped talking suddenly.

  “What?” Autbek asked of them.

  “It’s ok, O’t. Lita is just a little bit upset … I don’t think we need to worry too much.” Castor answered.

  “How …” Autbek said then paused as he looked at first Tesloa and then Murac. “... is she ok … I don’t think she is … how can she be!” Thoughts of spell casting during a quick retreat began to run through his mind.

  Castor walked slowly up to him and whispered as everybody else looked on. “She is not likely to get hurt seriously; anyway she will come back to me when she calms down.”

  Autbek shook his head in disbelief, the words Castor was speaking made absolutely no sense in the context of some rather murderous looking elves lurking in the reeds having clearly just done battle with Murac. “What!”

  “Just let it go, O’t!” Castor hissed at him.

  He did try to let it go as he appealed to the daughters. “I don’t know what has happened but can we not discuss it before something worse occurs?”

  A few accusations passed back and forth between Murac and Tesloa until one of the Desoa elves set foot on the floor of the court whereby Un Papp struck a lightning fast blow to the elf’s head with his staff, sending the elf spinning into the reeds with a crash. The daughters took control of things at that point.

  “The Desoa shall not remain near while our guests are present, nor shall they harass or follow them when they leave. Go now!” The rustle of reeds followed as the Desoa melted away into the fens without even a hint of defiance at the maiden’s command.

  Tensions lessened and finally the daughters got the two parties to sit and listen to each other. As they sat Onaleen tended to Murac’s leg by casting a simple healing spell on it. It was a spell that she had perfected the use of during their recent travels and it seemed to do much to ease Murac’s anger.

  Both sides it turned out had need of the other. Tesloa’s group had traveled far from the north in hopes of aiding some folk they referred to as the Oblibmih. They had stopped at the shrine simply because it was close, though they suspected that perhaps the daughters had beckoned them, and that the Desoa might also be of help.

  Appaloupe, who was sitting near Autbek, could see that the mage did not understand who the Oblibmih were. “Little folk, O’t … Halflings … small, come up to about here.” He indicated his nose. “Have big hairy feet, but otherwise look a lot like you humans.”

  Castor added, “I’ve seen illustrations of them in a Grimoire we have in the library.”

  This jogged Autbek’s memory as he now recalled seeing the same illustrations. “I don’t understand yet, Tesloa, why they need your aid?”

  The elf had calmed himself considerably after sensing Autbek’s genuine desire to resolve things peacefully. “They were captured by humans, like yourself, who landed their ships far to the north in the lands you think to be empty of peoples. We believe they have taken them south and may be hiding within these fens.”

  Pemmesa spoke up suddenly for the first time. “Not like us, Tesloa! Were they not wider of face and wearing great long hats that none of us have here?”

  Autbek, Castor, Murac and the others soon exchanged glances with concern as they realized what very well must have happened. Autbek pressed for a better description of the men but Tesloa could not provide it for apparently no elf had seen them. It had been days after the raid that the elves had been appealed to for aid by the remaining Halflings.

  “I can’t give you more information for we do not have it. I can take you to Peersday perhaps; he has accompanied us alone of the Oblibmih.”

  Autbek was floored by the revelations as they went far beyond what he had hoped to learn this day, even after stumbling upon the shrine. “Yes, if he is not far we would very much love to speak with this Peersday. Now we wish you to understand that we are in no way allied with these raiders, as in fact I don’t believe you are allied with the Desoa. And in fact we have been searching for more than a year to learn more of these strange men.”

  “Indeed, Autbek, we are not allied with the Desoa. Though in fact they call themselves elves they are not so to us.” Tesloa motioned to the few other elves that had accompanied him. “They are found at shrines like this where they seek to cleanse themselves of unwanted blood through service as guardians.”

  Murac had calmed down enough to forgive the elf as he too now believed what was being said. “They got much unwanted blood cleansed today! Why they are tolerated at such places as this makes no sense to me.”

  Autbek cut in before Murac managed to insult someone. “What blood do they seek to cleanse, Tesloa?”

  “Human blood.”

  “I don’t follow you. It would seem they seek more of that from us.”

  “They are of mixed blood.”

  “Ah, I think I see.”

  Appaloupe spoke up again in hopes of clearing things up. “Half-elves, O’t. They come from men who have lain with elven maidens, or is it women who have lain with elven lords.” He scratched his head. “Not sure there!”

  “Thank you, Appaloupe, think I understand now.”

  Tesloa smiled at the gnome, which was the first time the elf had exhibited real humor. “The Desoa are confused into thinking that service here or in similar places will push their spirits toward that of my kin and away from humankind. Though they live for many times your years they all eventually wither and die, which true elves do not.”

  Onaleen thought that sad and said so to Tesloa. “Do they never learn then that this kind of savagery will never work for them?”

  “No my lady, centuries must go by before one of them passes and we think then the others fail to make the connection or simply think the dead unworthy.”

  “A tragedy!” Eifled remarked. “I have known villages and some small communities of half-elves and never have I heard from them beliefs that these here seem to have.”

  They talked with the elves until night fell, when they were then treated to sweet nectar by the daughters. After some more singing and some story telling the elves agreed to follow the party back to their camp and that in the morning they would lead them across the river, near where it emerged from the gorge. There they would meet up with more kinfolk who could introduce them to Peersday.

  When it came time to part with the daughters they all stood about, saddened that they would be leaving the presence of these almost mystical maidens. The daughters themselves only smiled and said farewell one at a time to each person. When they came to Murac they said curious things that left many scratching their heads.

  “We see you have been kissed, Murac, do tell us if it was our mother … and if it was then may we kiss you in her stead?”

  Murac shook his head and smiled, saying only, “I shall not seek another kiss like it for one is enough I think for any man.”

  Autbek wanted to ask questions of both Murac and the daughters but it seemed an inappropriate time as now the others were pushing to leave. As he let each member of the party proceed down the path ahead of him he found that Lita had rejoined them though he had not noticed when. She looked her usual self, and acted and appeared as if nothing special had happened and neither she nor the daughters seemed to take notice of the other.

  At their camp they found the remains of private Slat and so in the morning they buried him alongside the henge. The other guard had escaped to Quene’s hut where they found him being nursed by the man. Though very surprised to see them, Quene had welcomed them and explained his sorrow at what had happened concerning his kinfolk, for as it turned out he was half-elven himself as they had suspected He had even served among the Desoa but had long ago abandon their ways.

  Autbek took the soldiers death the hardest and kept trying to come up with an answer to why he had let it happen until Murac reminded him of the ways of the warrior. “You can’t protect them, O’t, not like a mother hen. They will die at times and though they do not seek such an end we soldiers learn to accept it, at least tho
se of us who have seen many such as he pass from the world.”

  “Never gets easier, does it?” He asked as he stared into the campfire, unable to sleep.

  “Actually in a strange way it does. I have long since lost count but I never forget those who called me friend, and I always try to learn from each and every death. Even those of my enemies, for many of those were no more evil than I.”

  He sat quietly for a while then asked, “Are the Desoa evil you think Murac?”

  Murac squinted his eyes a little in the firelight. “Yes, O’t, the Desoa are evil and their presence taints that shrine out there. I thought it best not to tell the daughters this, though perhaps someday I will.”

  Autbek stared at the man then gave up trying to make sense of things and so let Onaleen take him to lay beside her where she sang softly to him until he fell asleep shortly before the dawn.

  The next day they skirted the edge of the fens with the elves leading the way until they reached the point where the Keless River emerged from its gorge and began to form the fens. Here the elves had positioned simple reed boats that they used to ferry the party across the river, though it took two round trips to get all across. The horses were left unattended for they planned to return that same day.

  Besides Tesloa there were four other elves, one of which was female. Her name was Besswonie and she seemed the most aloof of the elves and participated little in conversation. Tesloa consulted her most often and it came to appear to Autbek that she was accompanying the other elves who apparently often traveled together as a group.

  On the far bank Tesloa stopped to inform them that they were near their campsite. “We will meet our brethren shortly and with them will be Peersday. Though it is unlikely, the Desoa may be present so we must take care not to let them become aware of you.”