Heima: Challenge to the Crown

by S. W. Gunn

  “Come father, I will show you.”

  His father looked hesitant, but slowly walked next to him.

  “Kneel down and place your hands on the ground father.”

  He followed Daell’s instructions. After he was kneeling down Daell lifted his hands from the earth and placed them on his father’s hands in the same manner as he did for Astir earlier. Once again he reached out to the earth and he could feel it rise through his father’s hands as he went. He glanced at his father and could see he was again speechless.

  Daell asked, “Do you feel it father?”

  His father nodded and stated, “Son you’ve changed.”

  “No father, I am you son. I have just grown.”

  Resolutely his father said, “No Jordling can do this son. No Jordling.”

  He lifted his hands from the ground.

  “I can father, I can do so much more.”

  Daell rose and stepped away from his kneeling father. He extended his arms away from himself with his palms facing outward. Daell called for to the earth to rise around him. Imagining his own home in his mind, the earth immediately answered his call by shaking beneath him. His father stood quickly and took several nervous steps backward. Finally the earth began to rise in columns and then continued until the columns rose to above Daell’s head. They began twisting and shaping themselves over his head. The earth moved and shifted more until finally it stopped. Daell glanced around himself to see that he was standing in an exact replica of the forge room of their home. He stepped out of the earthen building with his arms still extended and then he glanced backward. He saw that behind him stood an earthen replica of his home.

  “No son. No Jordling can do this,” His father said while shaking his head and after slight pause he stated, “Son you’ve changed.”

  “I am still your son father.”

  “Aye you are, what in Heima happened to you?”

  “Remember what I mentioned the fight with the Hyggja? It was then, under pressure that I finally could properly earthcraft. I used the sands of the Parrmarch as a weapon against my foes. Since that moment I have grown in abilities.”

  His father asked, “Such as?”

  Daell cautiously replied, “It speaks to me father.”

  “What does?”

  “The earth beneath us father. It speaks to me. It has told me much.”

  His father looked befuddled at first but then said firmly, “Son the earth cannot speak.”

  “It can and it has, to me.”

  Daell dropped his arms and willed the earthen building to go back to where it came. He could hear it crumble and absorb into the earth itself behind him. He smiled.

  His father looked very upset as he said, “No Jordling.”

  “I am Jordling, nothing more or nothing less.”

  “Perhaps son, but the gods themselves seem to have given you a gift in earthcraftin’ I ain’t seen before.”

  “I have heard that before.”

  Finally his father said, “Well son let’s get back to work. I’d hate to fall behind.”

  Daell chuckled and then followed his father back to the forge. They toiled at the forge until right around the mid-turn meal, the whole time his father did not say a word. Daell was certain that he was very confused and concerned at the same time. He was unsure himself, maybe his father was right? It was clear that his abilities had grown so much that he was outside the realm of any other Jordling but he had not felt different in his heart, he still loved to make things. He still loved hard work, he loved his family, and most importantly he loved Astir deeply. Even married to her, he still dreamt of her. The feel of her skin and her wonderful smile flickered through his mind.

  Once they finished his father announced, “Let’s go eat the mid-turn meal. With you here we’ve almost finished the turn’s work. It’d seem that your skills as a blacksmith have improved also.”

  Daell nodded. He was much more capable in calling the earth for the easy task of blacksmithing. They ate the mid-turn meal. Daell enjoyed the time as it allowed him to see his beautiful wife again before they headed back out to the forge. His father continued to walk through the forge and out of the house.

  “Father where are you going?”

  His father answered, “We should go gather supplies son, and also I need to see if any more work is needed.”

  Daell nodded and began to follow him out. Even during the meal his father was silent. It was obvious to Daell that he had caused his father concern with the earlier display. As they walked through the village several Jordlings greeted him. They walked to the marketplace and stopped at Orka Gaersson’s shop, he sold the supplies Daell’s father would need. As they stepped into the shop his father immediately began collecting several items. First was a bag of kol, then several bars of jarn, and lastly nine hyrr-stones. He brought the items to Orka and began digging for his coin purse.

  “Skeid you don’t need to pay.” Orka said.

  His father looked confused as he asked, “How else will I buy these things Orka?”

  “Your new daughter came in earlier and paid me a hefty sum to cover your supplies for the next three cycles.”

  “She did?” His father replied unhappily.

  “Aye she did, take your supplies and go.”

  Daell could see that his father was not happy, not happy at all. He was not a man to take donations, everything must be earned.

  Anger was clear in his voice as he asked, “Son do you know of this?”

  Daell shook his head because he did not know that she did it. He knew that she desperately wanted to help his family.

  Flustered his father said, “Well son it would seem I am trapped. I’d a feelin’ once you finished your story that some sort of gift or donation would be comin’ my way. I’d fully planned to decline, as any proper Jordling would.”

  “Of course father, I had told her you would take no donation. She just cares so much about my family that she must have felt she had to help someway. Please accept her gift father; it comes from her heart, which is all anyone could ask.”

  His father grunted and said, “Fine son, I’ll accept this gift under one condition.”

  “Which is what father?”

  He grinned evilly as he answered, “Ask your lass to stop bein’ so loud at night, I’m havin’ trouble sleeping through it all.”

  Daell laughed. His father wrapped one of his arms around Daell’s shoulders.

  “Come son, let’s check for work and then get these supplies to the forge.”

  Daell nodded and they headed out of the shop. They went to several of the merchants to see if any repairs or items were needed that his father could make. One of the fruit vendors, Fremja, asked for new nails to be made for her stand. His father promised to add them to the work for tomorrow. There was no other work so they headed back home.

  After they finished stocking the supplies, Daell’s father extinguished the flame for the turn. There was still some time before the evening meal so Daell decided to take the opportunity to bathe. Unlike the royal palace, which had proper bathrooms, his family just had a large handmade wooden tub that sat in a fenced area behind their home. Usually they would only bathe once every few turns. Unlike Araedi and the villages in the Parrmarch, Anddyri had one pleasure; it had working wells filled with water. This allowed for more frequent regular bathing compared to the villages in the Parrmarch. The work of a normal turn would not allow bathing every turn, so they tended to bathe every few turns. Daell loved the feel of the cool water as he slowly slipped into the bathing tub. After all, it was still close enough to the Parrmarch that Anddyri was quite hot. There was a knock on the gate of the fence that surrounded the bathing tub.

  “Yes?” Daell called out.

  The gate opened and Astir’s head poked in.

  She had an evil smile on her face as she asked, “Are you sneaking into a bathing tub without proper assistance?”

  “I humbly beg of forgiveness my Queen. I had forgotten my own inabilit
y to bathe without proper direction.”

  He saw her turn her head and glance behind herself. Daell suspected that she had snuck away from his family. She slipped through the gate and closed the door quietly.

  She announced, “I think it is my duty as Queen of Heima to ensure that the King is assisted.”

  In all of Daell’s life he had never recalled an instance where he was glad that he was so much smaller than the average Jordling, this was the first. The bathing tub had been designed to allow his father to fit into it normally, which meant that Daell was able to fit into the bathing tub with his petite wife. It was a tight fit, but Daell had no problems with that.

  While laughing, Astir said, “A bit snug.”

  Daell nodded.

  She reached out and softly stroked his cheek with her hand before saying, “Daell your family is wonderful.”

  He nodded and said to her, “They are. I think I might have scared my father earlier though.”

  She looked puzzled at his words so she inquired, “How so Daell?”

  “Well I showed him my earthcrafting.”

  “And?”

  “Well I have to admit I might have gone a bit overboard.”

  “How so Daell?” She asked.

  “Well I kind of made a life sized replica of our home with earth right out in front of the forge.”

  She said loudly, “You did what?”

  “Astir my abilities are growing; I can make the earth beneath us do anything I want.”

  She looked thoughtful before saying, “I noticed when you fought Anderskoti.”

  Daell did not think she understood so he told her, “I was not even trying hard when I fought him, I could have launched him into the air from a pillar of earth, or submerged him into the ground itself.”

  She appeared to be in awe.

  “You have that much power?” She asked.

  “It is not power love I just can call on the earth to bend to my will.”

  “Is that all you can do?”

  “No it is not all.”

  “What else can you do husband?”

  Daell was unsure if he should tell her. He had told his father and he could tell that his father did not believe him.

  In the end he decided to tell her anyways, “The earth itself speaks to me.”

  “What?” She asked looking quite confused.

  “I can hear it speak to me. If I concentrate it talks to me, it has told me many things.”

  Daell could tell that she believed his words much more than his father did.

  “What has it told you Daell?.

  He doubted she would believe him but he decided to try, “Well as you know, about three hundred fifty harvests ago, the people of Heima were at war.”

  She nodded.

  He continued, “Well it goes back much further than that. Heima itself has always been assumed to be the earth beneath us. It is not.”

  “It is not?”

  Daell calmly replied, “No. Heima is actually the earth, the water, the wind, and the fire elements all merged into one. She brought us life as we know it and gifted each of the races with one of her components.”

  Astir nodded. She had understood what he was saying.

  “You see, most of us are Heima’s children. She loves all of her children and it pained her to see us fighting.”

  She interrupted, “What do you mean by most of us are Heima’s children. Who amongst us is not of Heima?”

  Daell nodded. This was the part he was sure she might not believe or understand.

  “You are.” He told her.

  “What?” She said loudly, she looked very upset at his words.

  He reached out and stroked her hair and then her cheek before telling her, “My wife, you are a descendant of the original Queen of Heima.”

  “And?”

  He continued, “About those three hundred and fifty harvests ago, Heima became tired of her children fighting so she asked the gods to help stop the fighting.”

  “You are saying that the stories of my ancestor being from the gods are not a myth but are true?”

  She looked appalled at his words. This was the part he was certain she would be upset about.

  He decided to just tell her, “It is actually only somewhat true. You see the first Queen of Heima was actually Modira in mortal form.”

  “WHAT!” Astir yelled.

  She looked very upset now.

  Daell already told her so he decided to just continue what Heima had told him, “Yes my love, you are actually a descendant of a god. Did you not ever wonder why only the Princess who becomes the Queen appears as you do, and not the other siblings. It is because you are that incarnation continued.”

  She shook her head and stated, “That cannot be true.”

  Daell confidently said, “It is my love, Heima herself told me.”

  “How does Heima speak to you?”

  “Would you like me to show you?”

  “Yes I would.” She answered.

  Daell stood up and then said, “Come with me my love.”

  Astir rose from the bathing tub.

  With a keen look on her face she asked, “Husband perhaps before we go walking around, we should dress?”

  Daell grinned and then gave his best smile before saying, “I do not know my love; I have become somewhat partial to your naked form.”

  She laughed and then gave him a pinch.

  “Alright, alright, I was just playing Astir.”

  She chuckled at him. They dried themselves off and then got dressed.

  Chapter 19

  Astir was completely shocked by everything that Daell had just told her. He claimed that Heima itself could speak to him and that she was a descendant of a god. As they dressed she glanced to look at him. He always looked different to her, but as she focused she could see that even standing there putting on a tunic, he was doing something with earthcrafting. It was as if he was always earthcrafting. He smiled and extended his hand for her to follow. She held his hand and then followed him through the gate of the fenced area around the bathing tub.

  “I am not sure if I can have her speak to you as she does me, but we shall try.” He announced.

  He tossed his boots aside since he had not put them on while dressing and instructed her, “Take off your slippers.”

  She nodded and removed her slippers. He guided her to a kneeling positing, facing towards him. It reminded her of the end of the Kostir, except he was healthy.

  Then he told her, “Place your palms on the ground like I showed you in the garden.”

  As she followed his instruction he placed his hands on hers again, with his fingers interlaced between his fingers. They were so close together that their heads were virtually against each other as they knelt.

  “Now you need to relax completely and focus on the earth herself.”

  She closed her eyes and began to try and focus her limited earthcrafting abilities below herself. She felt the same pulsing sensation from the earth below being to throb through her hands as they passed into Daell.

  He whispered, “Draw her pulsing into you.”

  Astir was unsure she could do it, but she slowly felt the pulsing flow through him and into her. She suspected that he had sent it to her.

  A voice echoed into her mind, “Now listen for her.”

  She was confused. Where did that voice come from? She pulled her hands from the ground in shock, which broke the contact with the pulsing sensation.

  “Astir why did you raise your hands?”

  “I heard a voice in my head and it scared me.”

  “It was me.”

  “WHAT!” She yelled loudly.

  Daell placed his finger to his lips and said, “Shhh, no need to scare the others.”

  “What do you mean it was you?”

  “Did you feel a pulsing sensation move through your hands?”

  She nodded.

  He calmly said to her, “I can move my thoughts through it.”

 
She felt flabbergasted by his words.

  “Daell that is not possible.” She stuttered out.

  Daell nodded at her and replied, “It is possible, and I can do it. Shall we continue?”

  She was slightly uncomfortable, but still placed her hands on the ground again since in the end she trusted him completely.

  Daell placed his hands back and said, “Remember, just relax and focus on the earth.”

  She nodded before she closed her eyes and began to focus towards earthcrafting again. The same pulsing sensation returned.

  Daell said aloud, “Remember it is me. Just think whatever you want, but for me to hear you focus those thoughts directly. I cannot read your mind, but if you focus thoughts I can sense them.”

  The same voice again spoke to her, “It is me. Now focus towards me.”

  Astir was unsure what to do exactly but she just thought, “How.”

  “Like that.” The voice called back to her.

  She smiled because she must have succeeded.

  Daell spoke, “This is the hard part. I am not entirely sure how to call on Heima to speak, she just does. Just relax and keep focusing on the earth.”

  Astir nodded and took several deep breaths. She was in awe of him. Suddenly she suddenly felt a surge of the energy flowing through her hands to Daell.

  “It is her.” A voice called through her mind, the voice the same as before.

  She moved to lift her hands again, however Daell held her hands firm. She never had realized just how strong he was as he never used his strength against her any more than to pick her up while he was intimate with her.

  A different voice spoke, “Modira, I have gifted this man unto you. Use him as you will.”

  The surge of energy ended. Daell lifted both of their hands from the ground.

  He held her hands as he asked, “Did you hear her?”

  Astir was without words. The voice was Heima? How could the ground beneath them speak so clearly? She asked him this.

  He replied, “I had not known when I pursued you Astir, but I know it now. I am the only one it does this for. Did you hear her words?”

  She then asked, “The voice called me Modira. What does it mean?”