I was dumbfounded.
I looked around, more confusion clouded my overworked brain, making my nearly cracked skull throb even more. The dome was gone, but so was the HiSkale.
What?
I looked to the solider who had helped me.
“Again, I ask, what happened?”
I had to shade my eyes from the late day sun, as he spoke. He scratched his head and glanced around. I waited for him to give his answer, though every second was excruciating. A few more glances around and he finally explained what he knew.
“We aren't really sure.”
That seemed odd and unlikely as formidable as they were. I questioned.
“What do you mean? I know you could see us. We could see you from where we stood.”
“True.” he said, “but...we watched as you and your friends approached the city. We moved forward a bit preparing for battle in case you were not friendly. We watched you stop...we waited a few moments...We thought maybe you were going to bypass the city altogether. Then...”
“Then what?” I asked when his pause took more time than I thought was necessary.
“Well...you disappeared...”
“Wait? What? Let me stop you right there. We disappeared?”
“Well...yes. You were there and... then you vanished. Just gone.”
This was way beyond weird, but I didn't have any other explanation now.
“Okay...fine...we vanished. What happened next?”
He continued.
“At first, we were confused a bit. We thought maybe it was an illusionist weaving power. So, we advanced and readied our weapons, in case the disappearing party was just a ploy, and the enemy were to pop up right in front of us. A few seconds letter there was an explosion and you and your party were visible shrapnel, being tossed about. My general selected a small detachment to check it out and here we are.”
“What about the HiSkale?”
“What HiSkale?”
Now I was the one scratching my head. How could the army not see them? There were fifty of them?
This was a puzzle I would need to work out later.
“Where are the others?” I asked.
Before he could answer, the rest of my party as he called them, walked up.
I glanced at all of them. They looked a bit battered and bruised, but for the most part, alright. I didn't get a chance to speak before my sister was on her knees, in tears, babbling almost incoherently.
“I am so sorry...I didn't know...I was just trying...”
I worked out what she was trying to say. I needed an explanation, but by the undertones of her words, I didn't want to have that conversation here. Out in the open. I placed my hand on her shoulder to silence her.
“We will talk about all of this later. We need to get out of here." I looked the solider, “Can you escort us into town. I want the healer to check them out before we head on our way.”
He nodded, “That was the plan anyway, so, yes.”
He had a nice warm smile for such stoic creature. I never knew soldiers of the holy city even knew how to pull it off. This man was certainly pulling it off.
With a flick of his wrist, we were surrounded by guards and escorted into the holy city.
The Holy City
Our party was ushered into a small drab building. The two windows, on each side of the only door, showed the light slowly fading from the sky. Each one of us was placed on a small bed as healers and assistants bustled about, murmuring about war, strangers and dark magic.
A young man dressed in light brown robes, just barely old enough to be declared a man, approached me with a vial of some smokey vapor rising from it. The aroma coming from it put had my stomach in knots and my hands batting it away.
“I don't care what that is, get it away from me.” I demanded.
He looked disheartened. One of the older healers, a hunched over gray headed woman, with a warm smile shuffled over to his defense.
“It's a salve to heal your wounds, dear.”
I smiled back. “Thank you. I am just sore, I have no wounds.”
She shooed the boy away and turned back to me. “I understand, child, at least let me look you over to satisfy my healer heart.”
I sighed but conceded. “Alright, but I assure you, I am alright.”
I sat there quietly while she poked and prodded, checking me over. I glaceed at the others, and they were all being checked the same way. I laughed a bit, at seeing my sister behaving the same way as I was. She was trying to refuse the liquid smoke too.
The old woman had made it to my back and when she moved my hair, she gasped slightly. I knew what she saw, I didn't however expect her to know what it meant.
She had found my tattoo.
The winged double triangle with a sword through it. The symbol that marked me as a Valkyrie.
A shot her a side glanced look, she smiled and patted my shoulder, and finished checking me over. Before she was done, she leaned in and whispered in my ear.
“Maester Mylow will want to see you straight away. I can make sure your friends are cared for. I believe you can find him at the Tower of Wings and Steel.”
I figured as much. I knew I wouldn't be able to leave without seeing him...or checking in at the tower. It's not mandatory, but aggressively suggested.
I nodded, “Thank you. I'll make my way over there.”
I quickly slipped out while the others were being tended to.
LIVING HEART
The town was bustling as I made my way through the the throngs of people. Each going a separate way, to attend different things. It looked to be a normal afternoon in the Holy City. I maneuvered through the busy street passed the homes, the shops, and small traders until I reached the center of the town.
This part was known as the Heart of the city. It was a mystery to most, but to those of us who worked for Odin, knew it was the life beat that kept the rest of it running. Here, the Great Library, the Citadel, the Tower of Wings and Steel, and the Scribe's Tower were the foundational pieces that formed this city long ago.
Out from there, you had the the Ring of Priests, which was a small grouping of shabby housing the priest and their apprentices lived and worked. Outside of that, were the traders, the shops, and housing that held the common folks and their families. It all worked together, both feeding and receiving from the heart.
The center pumped life while everyone worked like a pulse, helping to move the incoming and outgoing of the every day, unknowingly. The Holy City was a life force like any other, except that in here, everything was monitored by the Watchers.
They were akin to spies. They watched for potential threats within the city walls. They observed anyone new to town. They kept tabs on the food supplies, vendor trades and routes, and they did it all from the top of The Tower of Wings and Steel. The highest point, which can't be seen from the ground, is an open-air room, where they patrol, and they watch.
That was my first position and starting point that led me where I am today. The only person to ever move from watcher to Valkyrie. I worked hard, I trained hard, I made sacrifices, and I gave my all to protect the life of each living thing. It was the reason Odin chose me.
It is who I am. That will not change.
I waved, and nodded to those I knew, and didn't know but recognized their position, as I made my way passed. It seemed everyone knew me. It was almost unsettling. I quickened my pace since all these eyes were making my skin crawl. But of course, I knew they were sending messages to the Maester that I was on my way.
Some through little birds, some through people, and yes, even some through telepathy. Just as he knew I had reached town, he would know before I arrived at the doorstep, that I would be there.
On this day, I was glad. If he knew I was coming, perhaps, he would also have the answers I needed.
Let's hope.
Tower of Wings and Steel
The Tower of Wings and Steel was a sight to behold. Somehow the master crafters took a po
lished opal stone and expanded it into this large glorious building. It was white as fresh snow, yet there wasn't that blinding glare from the sun. The tower, and sun seemed to only fuse together, and make the enclosure even brighter.
Tall oval windows spiraled up the structure, until they were lost in the sky. The top towers could only be seen from miles away. The closer you got to the Holy City, the more they merged and hid within the clouds.
A dirt path accompanied by a row, to each side, of the Dhuv Flower, trailed your way from the center hub of town right up to the curved wooden door. I placed my hand on the Dhuv Flower carving, marking the holy place. It was a pure white flower, singed around the edges in a soft blue, that looked like a bird in flight.
To many, this was the flower of hope and peace. Most of the residence within the Holy City plant at least one row of these under there front windows as a reminder that there is always a hope for peace.
I smiled as I remembered my own house, and my little row of these. They helped to remind me, that peace is what resulted from good cultivation of people. Just as these flowers will never bloom on their own, other than in the wild, you must cultivate and work it to obtain such a beauty growing beneath your window.
Peace was like that.
It will never just arrive at your door. You must work for it. You must do what it takes to nurture it, groom it and feed it, so that it will thrive and spread its beauty far and wide for all to experience.
Sadly, there will always be those who are intent on stealing and destroying such things. Which is why I am finding myself walking through the door, seeking a man I hope will have some answers on how to quash this taint of life on such a wondrous realm.
Entering the tower was just as mesmerizing at looking at it from afar. My shoulders stiff and heavy a moment ago, now were light and unencumbered. That was the real magic here. It didn't matter how distraught, stressed or down you were, once you walked through that door, it all vanished. The world outside could be cruel and inweilding, cold even. Yet, in here, it's Spring in your lungs and Summer in the hugs. Just stepping in, you felt embraced by warmth, it was so welcoming.
I stood with my eyes closed, enjoying the sensation of it. That light of love from Odin, peace that always came to me, when I prayed for him outside these walls. Inside, this tower, it is always here, beckoning you forward, whispering words of of hope and calming the spirit. I hated that I had to move and proceed with the business at hand.
I opened my eyes, and the physical beauty took my breath away. I had forgotten what the interior looked like. At first, your eye is brought to a long wooden table, centered, a few feet from the door. It held an open book, ink, quill and a half-burned candle that slightly illuminated the pages of the dusty old book.
I did as I knew I needed to and dipped the quill in the ink, prepared to scrawl my troubles across the blank pages. It took a few lines, I was brief, and with setting the quill in its rightful place, the words sank into the page. I knew the Maester would be joining me soon.
As I waited, the room seemed to lighten a bit, giving an invitation to really inspect the surroundings. It was as I remembered. Short, but wide shelves of books arched there way around the curves of the room. Heroes of old in statues and paintings scattered about the wooden shelves, littered between candles and old artifacts. Paintings of Valhalla and the great feast set nestled along the center wall, taking up most of the space. If you did not notice anything else after signing the book, you couldn't miss that picture.
It hung, illuminated by a spiritual light that drew the eye and held it there. People found themselves leaving this tower, remembering only that painting. It paled in comparison of the real thing, but human eyes can't behold such things. The eyes would surely catch fire from the brightness and true, pure power the heavens held within them.
I scanned the spines of books, in hopes of finding some written text to help with this issue. I was doubtful I would find anything, given the HiSkale were a new breed. They were not what Lalynn had described from the war years ago, as her folklore foretold. Those were men who wore the skins of snakes upon their own in order to ensnare and entrap those they wanted to dominate. Though that is where this began, and I was hoping to find something on that matter that may lead me in the correct direction. However, none of the titles looked to be of any help to me currently.
It wasn't long before my search was interrupted by the clanking of chains and soft footfalls. I turned and new Maester Mylow stood right behind me.
"Vhadrah, my child. It is nice to see you well.”
He offered with a genuine smile.
I smiled back, “Thank you, Maester Mylow.”
I didn't have time for the pleasantries, I had a mission to complete, so I cut right to it.
“I wish I came on better terms, Maester, but sadly-”
He cut me off with a wave of his hand.
“I know why you are here...”
He brandished a few books from the folds of his robes and handed them to me.
“...I know of your trouble Vhadrah. It was whispered to me that you were looking for answers among the books here, so I took the liberty to gather the ones that would offer the most assistance."
I followed him to a study off to the side when he motioned me to. He sat the books on the table and contiued.
“Please, tell me of what you have found and what the biggest delimma you are facing. “
I shot him a confused look. I was sure he already knew. He answered my unspoken question.
“I do know of what you have seen and endured and... faced. However, I want to hear it from you. I have it from others, therefore, I only know of what they can conceieve to understand. You, however, are the one facing these things. I need to know of your perspective, your expeirence and your extent of understanding, if I am to assist you properly.”
I nodded. It made sense. Or he was just allowing me the time to talk through to myself. Either way, I hoped I gained answers.
“Maester, the HiSkale, they are...evolving.”
“Elaborate on that.”
“They learn! Before, the HiSkale I came across, were nothing but mindless drones focused on one purpose. Seek. Kill. Destroy. They were easier to fight. They maneuvered well enough in a battle, but in the end were an easy kill if you targeted their weak spots. These...the ones I encountered today, on my way here...They knew.
They comprehended and weighed their options. They can also communicate with each other now. Not just the Head drone sending a signal to all the workers so to speak, but real communicaton. One to anther, amongst the horde. This war has now changed, and not in our favor, I'm afraid.”
I waited as he sat there taking in all that I had said. If you looked hard enough, you could almost see the thoughts tumbling around in his brain, froming a rational thought process to form an answer. Yet, when he spoke, it did not offer what I had hoped.
“This is troubling. The tactics will need to change, for sure, Vhadrah...”
I sat slightly dismayed as I watched him rummage through the dusty books in search of something. What he revealed, I already knew.
This what not what I came for.
Words I already knew. I was hunting for new solutions. The war had changed and I knew how we fought would need to change as well. I had hoped, Maester Mylow would have some knowledge on what tactical direction I need to persue, or at the very least, a starting point for some answers.
At long last, his gaze swam from the pages to me.
“You already know what it is you need to do, Vharah, but if you need me to say out loud for you, I will.”
I looked at him a moment before softly answering, “I have some ideas of what is to come, Maester, but I do not know the answers. That is why I came to you.”
He shook his head, “No. You came to me because I summoned you.”
I nodded, “Yes, once I was here, I was already heading this way, to seek you out, before you summoned me.”
He shook his head, “Ag
ian, Child, no. I summoned you. That is why you had to notion to come to the Holy City. I needed you to come here, seeking answers. I asked Odin to lead your soul to me.”
“I am here, Maester. If you have answers for me, please, I am listening.”
His reply was not what I had been expecting.
“It is not you who needs to seek the answers. It is another. Just as you have your quest you must walk, so does the one who accompanies you. She seeks them too, and she must find them.”
In my heart, I knew it was true, but I did not like it.
“She is...untrained...She will need help if we are to succeed in this. I must go.”
In my rush to leave, I hadn't noticed the Maester had held my arm to prevent me form leaving. I glanced at his meaty hand upon my wrist, then to his bright eyes that seemed to hold all the knowledge of all the realms, trapped in orbs of swirling blues and greys.
“Your quest, in this moment, is to be still. You led her safely here, and you will lead her safely to other places. Whilst you are in the Holy City, you are to be still. You can discuss her findings and aid her in coming to the answers, but you yourself can not look for them.
She is currently soaring at this task, by the way. Odin chose you because you are a quick thinkiner and even faster striker. But you lack discipline in the art of waiting. That is not a weakness, my child, but a virtue that will be tested many times before your time with her is done.”
I sat for a few moments letting his words sink in. I did hate to wait on others, because they would pause or overthink. I always relied on myslef to know when to strike and move. It was excrutiating to endure at times. No one seemed to move on things as quickly as I did. Others seem to dwell in their findings. I think it through, quickly and come up with a solution. I do not hesitate to act and act fast.
It was in that moment, I realized why Odin has tasked with such things. Lalynn was not the only one who would be getting teachings from Odin.
Vhadrah- Evolution of HiSkale Page 7
