To Find a God

by Mary Hamilton

  “So, what do we do?” Marzi posed the question to Arien, the healer in the group.

  “I have some salve for the wound in my pack. We can feed her some mountain pine bark tea to help the fever.”

  The lord consort motioned them to the other side of the cabin, away from Elle. As they gathered, he sat, his gaze cast downward. “The bite is lethal. The treatments that Arien offers will ease her discomfort, but I know of nothing to counteract the venom.”

  Marzi felt as though she’d been punched in the stomach. “No. She’s not going to die. Elle is too strong for that.” She turned to Arien. “Just do the salve and the tea. She’ll be fine.” Tears flooded the Azyrean’s eyes.

  Saryn joined the group in time to catch the exchange between Rintaur and Marzi. “We will do what we can.” The group sat, each staring at the others, in silence.

  Finally, Arien rose and went to her pack. “I’ll get started. Could someone please add another log to the fire? We will also add blankets to warm her. That will help comfort her until we can bring the fever down.”

  Marzi shuffled over to her pad. “Here, use mine.” She draped her blanket over Elle and pulled it up to the elf’s neck, tucking it under on the sides. “You’re going to be fine. Just stay warm and take it easy.”

  Elle, by this time, was in and out of consciousness. At one point, though, she opened her eyes and looked at Marzi as though she wanted to say something before rolling her head to the side.

  Saryn stood, arms folded, as though trying to organize his own thoughts. “Arien, if you could continue the treatments, please. The rest of you, try to get some sleep. There’s not much else we can do right now. In the morning, if necessary, we’ll go out and gather more pine bark for tea.”

  As if in defiance of his words, Ran and Rys sat down beside Elle, each speaking to her in soft tones. Marzi felt helpless. “I’m going outside for a few minutes. I need some air.” Her stomach was in full revolt.

  She plopped down on the small stoop of the cabin. The snow had ceased, and she could see hundreds of thousands of stars twinkling in the cold, black sky. Her head rested on her knees as she searched for something to do, something that would make everything okay. And one of the worst parts was that she and Elle had never really made up after the shoe incident. More to the point, Marzi realized that she had never apologized to the elf. But there was one thing she could do.

  Valyn, I need your help.

  “Yes?”

  Oh, you are here.

  “I told you, I am always here.”

  You have to save Ellemareth. She was bitten by a spider of some type. Rintaur says she’s going to die. So. you have to save her.

  “He spoke true. She was bitten by a Green Ice Spider. And, yes, the venom is lethal.”

  Yeah, I got that. But you need to fix it.

  “That is not the way it works.”

  I can’t do anything, but you can cure her.

  “Yes, but I do not work that way.”

  Marzi exploded, screaming in her mind, I don’t care how you work. You’re Valyn. You made that stupid spider and gave it that poison. And it’s going to kill my friend if you don’t do something.

  “So, she is your friend now? You did not think that highly of her when she took your shoes.”

  This isn’t about me. It’s about her. And she’s dying. Look, if it makes you feel any better, take me. Let me die instead of her.

  Valyn laughed. “I am sorry, little one, I do not engage in these kinds of negotiations. All living things die when their time comes.”

  But it’s not her time.

  “I see. And how would you know that?”

  Marzi could see this was going nowhere. Please. Help her. I’ll do anything, just don’t let her die.

  “And another thing, Marzi, I did not make that spider, nor did I give it poison. It was born just as you were. And it has poison because that is how it survives. That and its ability to hide are its only defenses.”

  But Elle wasn’t trying to hurt it. Why should she have been bitten?

  “And how would the spider know that Elle was not its enemy? After all, elves are much larger. And to be truthful, if any one of you had seen the spider and knew what it was, there is the very real possibility that you would have killed it. Does it deserve to live any less than you?”

  Marzi’s frustration increased. She had no answers to any of these stupid questions and her friend—yes, her friend—was inside possibly taking her final breath. I don’t know about any of that. I am just asking—no, begging, for your help. Please don’t let Elle die.

  Valyn fell silent for a moment before responding. “It is cold out here, Marzi. Go back inside. Go to Elle and care for her.”

  Chapter 45: Tovi

  The piece of metal glistened in the light of mid-morning. “What is it?” Tovi held the object out in front of him, turning it first one way and then the other. “It looks like it’s broken, whatever it is.” Part of it was a concave plate of some sort, obviously broken off from something larger. It had a small piece extending off it, like a handle or stand. But that part, too, had been broken off from another piece.

  The two rock dogs stood back and stared at the thing, both uttering low, guttural growls. Klick, perched atop Tovi’s shoulder, chattered loudly and urgently.

  The Azyrean continued to inspect the object. “The animals don’t like it.”

  Kharla and Klunk both stared at the object, eyes wide. Finally, Klunk uttered an uncertain response. “I don’t know. But, yes, I can see that it looks broken.” He reached out and touched the thing, rubbing his finger over it. “We have metal, but nothing like this. Ours is rough iron, used to make mining tools. This is really shiny.”

  The dogs circled around behind Tovi and crouched, not quite lying down but not standing. They both appeared ready to pounce.

  Kharla reached out and grasped the object, gently tugging. Tovi released it to her.

  She shook her head and she turned it around in her hands, gazing almost in wonder. Holding it up higher, as if it would somehow give her a better view, she squinted. “How would you work this material, this metal? It seems hard. Iron or rock would not cut or shape it.”

  “In my world, I think they heat it and it gets really soft. We studied it in one of our classes, but I don’t remember much. I just know that metalsmiths—yeah, that’s what they’re called, metalsmiths—they make some really awsie things.”

  Klunk returned to his seat. “It is interesting. We should leave soon to arrive at the mine with plenty of light left. We will look and then return here for the night.”

  At that moment, darkness overtook the oasis as though some great force had blanketed them preventing any light from entering. Tovi’s heart pounded. “What’s that?” His gaze cast about wildly. The sky had darkened with a great shadow, but he could not see anything that would have caused it. The sun had disappeared but there appeared to be no clouds, at least none that he could see in the darkness overhead.

  As quickly as it had come, the veil lifted, and sunlight once again filtered in through the fronds. “I don’t know, but it seems the same as the last few times, only darker and lasting longer.” Klunk paced around the perimeter of the small oasis. “It felt cold, wrong.”

  Kharla, for her part, had taken the club from its sling and held it at the ready, peering around the area.

  A thought occurred to Tovi. “I wonder if that has something to do with what I saw down in the water.” In the excitement of the metal object, he’d almost forgotten the other. “Down there, I saw something. It looked kind of like a cave or tunnel under the water. It was dark, and I couldn’t see in it. And I was short of breath, so I had to come up. But maybe that has something to do with this.” He gestured up toward the sky, which, seconds before, had been black.

  “What does the sky have to do with the water?” Kharla’s tone carried a distinct challenge.

  Tovi shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s just that both of them got dark.” The answ
er sounded stupid even as he uttered it. But still he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something about this oasis that was different. “Klunk, have you ever been here before?”

  “No. I have not come this close to the mine.” He continued to stare up at the sky as he answered.

  “Maybe I should swim back down and look at that cave.”

  That got Klunk’s attention. “No!” He strode over and faced Tovi. “No. There are things in the world of which we know little. I think it best not to disturb them.”

  Reflecting briefly, the Azyrean tended to agree. “What was it then?”

  “We should go, quickly. And when we are at the mine, we can ask if there is an oasis nearby other than this one where we can spend the night.”

  “I think we should look in the water, as Tovi suggested. It might have something to do with the human invasion.” Kharla stood, arms crossed, glaring at Tovi and Klunk.

  Klunk stood silently for a moment, gazing at her. His look was not one of anger or even frustration but rather of curiosity. He tilted his head slightly and scratched an ear. “Why would you think that a darkness in the sky and a cave in the water have anything to do with humans?”

  “I don’t know. I’m just saying we should look. After all, we are already here.”

  “Going down in the water again could be dangerous for Tovi.”

  “Then I will go down.” She started to remove her leather jerkin, as Tovi had done before he jumped into the water. She hesitated as she watched the other two. “Would you mind turning around and not watching me?”

  “I understand your modesty, but I am worried that if I turn away, I cannot watch out for you.”

  “Why would you want to watch out for me? After all, you hardly know me and it’s not like we agree on much.”

  Klunk moved closer to her. “I would because you are my friend. Friends don’t have to agree on everything. Anyway, we do agree on some things.”

  Kharla smirked. “I’m going down there. I’ll be fine. Just look away, please.”

  Tovi watched his friend for a reaction. He had never seen Klunk appear so conflicted.

  “Oh, never mind.” Kharla barked in exasperation. She turned away from the two and shed her leather coat and boots, and jumped into the water, quickly disappearing from view.

  Tovi stared, wide-eyed. “Are you just going to let her go?”

  Klunk looked down at the pool as though stunned.

  Before either of them could speak again, Kharla’s head broke the surface and she covered her chest with her arms as she left the pool. “He’s right. It’s a cave.” She positioned herself facing away from the two and put her jerkin on. “We should explore it.”

  Chapter 46: Tovi

  “What do you think, River? Should we go down there?” Tovi sat beside the rock dog running his fingers through the fur on its back.

  “Why are you asking the stupid dog? Do you really expect it to answer you?” Kharla stood beside the pool, hands on her hips.

  Tovi leapt up to confront her. The fact that he came only to her waist didn’t quell his rage at her reference. “He’s not stupid. He’s fought beside us two times now. If he hadn’t been there, we’d be dead.”

  “That doesn’t make him smart. It just means he’s fearless, which is more than I can say for the two of you.”

  Klunk, who had been standing as he watched the debate, slunk down, his back against a date palm tree. “I recall you saying that you would try not to insult us. Have you changed your mind?”

  Kharla’s face darkened as she glared at him for a moment and then lowered her gaze. “I offer apology. I only meant….” Her voice trailed off.

  The pause in the argument left a vacuum filled by the sounds of insects buzzing and a slight wind coursing through the palm fronds. Tovi resumed his seat beside River and Klik jumped onto his shoulder.

  “There are things we must consider. We don’t know how large this cave, or whatever, is. It might take us only a few minutes or we could explore for days and not see it all. What about the animals? Would they dive down as well and know to follow us in? Our clothing and any food inside our packs would get wet. All I am saying is that we should talk about these things before just jumping in. After all, the cave is not going anywhere. It will still be there after our discussion.”

  Tovi considered Klunk’s words. He couldn’t help thinking how much his friend had changed. When they met, the ogre seemed like a regular boy, although much bigger. Now, his words seemed weighty, important, and serious. Have I changed that much?

  ◆◆◆

  In the end, Kharla prevailed. The group entered the cave through the pool.

  “It’s dark in here. I can’t see anything.” Tovi waved his hands in front of him, feeling for walls.

  “Wait. Your seeing will adjust. There is light coming in from the pool.” Kharla’s voice seemed calm, even comfortable.

  Gradually, the blackness gained a texture that faded to a dark grayish red. Barely visible ripples of light danced on the sides of the cave near them. The walls extended back, disappearing in the darkness after only a few meters. “There is more.” Klunk moved hesitatingly toward the back of the cave.

  Tovi watched his friend feeling his way along the wall. All of a sudden, a purple light flashed into being. A crystal mounted on the end of a large stick of wood protruded from the wall where Klunk stood.

  “All I did was touch the crystal and it turned on.” He walked a little farther in, his hands on the wall ahead of him. And another crystal flared into life.

  Kharla made her way along the wall on the other side of the cave, lighting crystals as she went. Within a couple of minutes, the cavern, which seemed ten meters deep, was completely alit. “See, it’s not so bad with the light.”

  Tovi slowly walked the circumference of the cave. The craggy rock sides were wet and the floor slippery with moisture. “Hey, look. There’s a tunnel going farther in. I wonder if there are crystal lights in there.” He took a hesitating step and then backed out. Exploring above ground was one thing. But down here, everything was much scarier.

  “We must stay together down here.” Klunk returned to the cave entrance by the pool. “As far as we know, the only way out is into this pool and down, coming up on the other side. Whatever else we do, we need to always know the way back here.”

  The two soggy dogs lay beside the pool, their reddish eyes glowing in the eerie light. Klick, who had survived the brief immersion in water unscathed, munched on a few topar nuts Tovi had given him as an apology. The two ogres went through the contents of their packs while Tovi inspected the environs. “Here’s another piece of metal. Look.” He held up an object similar to what he had found in the pool outside. It too had jagged edges, as if broken from a larger piece.

  “I wonder if these two fit together.” He retrieved the other piece from his pack and began positioning the two on the floor, trying to make the edges fit. “There. Yes. It goes like this.”

  Klunk stood and strode over to him. “What is it?”

  “I don’t know. But it fits.” Tovi was proud of his accomplishment.

  The ogre picked up the two pieces, holding them roughly in place next to each other as he examined them. “It almost looks like a large plate with a stand or leg or something.” The metal glistened as the light from the crystals reflected off its surface.

  Kharla, who by this time, had moved closer to the two, reached out and touched the metal. “Maybe there’s more around here, or back in the tunnel.”

  Klunk led the way. Moving his hands along the wall as he had done in the main cavern, he lit the crystals as he went. After what seemed like twenty or so meters, the small corridor opened into another space. As they went around illuminating crystals, it was apparent that this cavern was much larger than they first thought.

  “Here’s another piece.” Kharla reached down and picked up another metal object.

  She handed it to Klunk, who placed all three pieces on the floor, moving them
around. “This one doesn’t fit with any of the edges. But it is the same type.” He reached up and scratched the side of his head and he squinted down at the objects in front of him. “If it all comes from the same thing, then it must be really big.” He glanced around the large cavern. “There are other pieces, I am sure.”

  A deep voice emerged from the shadows, along with a new source of light, a pale red with a yellowish/golden aura. “Yes, my good friends. There are many more pieces.”

  Chapter 47: Jarek

  For Jarek, sleep came easier than expected. When it was his turn to lie down, he shut his eyes and the next thing he knew, a voice was talking to him—one sounding suspiciously like the one that had suggested coffee the night of the assassin attempt at the camp. “So, my friend, we have the opportunity to speak again.”

  I’m dreaming.

  “Does it feel like a dream?” The voice had a certain sarcastic lilt to it.

  To be honest, yes.

  “Then you may consider it a dream. But whether it is or not, it is time for you to understand a few things.”

  What a pleasant change.

  “And it’s good to see you haven’t lost your sense of humor. You’re going to need it in the days to come.”

  Right. Yeah, well, I doubt that I have many days left.

  “Perhaps. But in the interest of preparing for contingencies, I have a few things to tell you. You’ll excuse me if I don’t allow much time for your sarcastic responses. First, you are here by design. It may seem to you a stroke of bad luck, but you cannot find what you seek without first passing through this experience.”

  Easy for you to say. You’re not the one stuck behind these bars. Or are you?

  “Well, if you’re dreaming... or simply talking to yourself, then I guess I’m here with you. But, on the off chance that I really am something different and I am truly talking to you, then you are right. I’m not stuck behind bars. The second thing you must understand is that you need to stop arguing with me. It’s not doing you any good and it’s starting to irritate me.”