The Siege of the Questing Stone
The bright rays of the early morning sun began to peek throug Ravius' window, reminding him of the task he had sworn to perform today. It wasn't that he didn't want to do it, but simply a matter of uncertainty. He didn't know what to expect, and hated that feeling. It had been a year and a half since he had washed up on the island, where the Hunters of the Stag found him unconscious. His first memory on the island--indeed, his first memory because of his severe amnesia--had been in this very same chamber. His past was locked behind a giant door, one he couldn't open despite his efforts. Countless times he had tried to remember his past, and each time the door had slammed in his face. Whatever he had been, he was no more. There was only present and future for him now, and the Hunters had taken him in without hesitation, without fear, without hatred. He knew this was where he belonged, and he had tried to fit in ever since. He slowly sat up in bed nad absently rubbed at the tattoos on his left arm. Both his arms were several interlapping tatoos with strange images and unrecognizable languages on them. His left arm held a female vampire, wearing a torn dress, fading into dark images with strange writing. His right arm was the opposite, crowned by a phoenix. He was sure they meant something to someone, but every time he tried to think about it, the ever-present door shut him out. They hadn't give him any specfic time to be anywhere, but he wanted to get an early start. He stood up and ran his hand through his black shoulder-length hair. It was always messy, but the girls seemed to like it, so he never bothered with it. He had slept in black pants, but he quickly shrugged into a green, short-sleeved shirt and went through his humble assortment of weaponry. He grabbed his short bow and quiver of arrows and slung both over his back. He was to receive a special dagger today, reserved for the Rite he was about to perform. His weapon-of-choice went into his belt: a kama with a long chain attached to the pommel. It wasn't a 'native' weapon like the Hunter's long and short bows, but it had found a place among the assortment of immigrants here. Despite his favor, it would have to be his last-resort weapon. It was designed for combat, not hunting. It would be perfect against a goblin, or Horjin-forbid, a dragon or a chimaera, but otherwise it'd have to stay as a backup. With one last glance at his weapons, he gathered a greenish-black cloak, put on his boots, and drew on long gloves. He was ready. It was now or never. This would prove if he could truly become a Hunter of the Stag. Ravius took a deep breath, walked down the stairs, and stepped through a large doorway into the great hall, where he was greeted by cheers. He stood still, enjoying the applause for a moment, then walked up to the Triat. The First, a young and hale Hunter by the name of Rutaus, regarded him with a smile and gave him an arrow. Black-tipped and made of a wood Ravius couldn't identify, it felt lighter than it should, but also gave the impression that it would go through a brick wall should the need arise. Ravius turned to the second part of the Triat, the Aurajinrale. She smiled, her pretty features blemished only by her lack of pupils. Still, she had no trouble handing him a bone dagger carved with many runes and blessings. Ravius took the dagger and fitted it into the empty sheath at his belt. He paused, then turned to the third member of the Triat: the High Priest. Fax Celestis regarded him with a silent stare, then motioned for silence. "Some years ago, you became one of us in body. Today, you become one of us in spirit." The crowd's voice rose and fell again quickly when motioned for quiet. "You are to journey forth, like every Hunter has, into the wilds of this island. You are to live off the land, with no contact with the outside world, until you return to us with a sign that a spirit has chosen you. "Your name, Ravius, means 'guardian.' We gave you that name after you refused to let us anywhere near you or your few posessions when we first met. Of course, you were half-mad at the time..." A slight scattering of laughter. "...but you're better now. "I will give you one piece of advice, Ravius: stay true to your name. "Now go forth, as each of us have before you, as even mighty Sagittarius did, and make us proud. When you return, you shall truly be one of us!" At this, the crowd went absolutely crazy, though they managed to part enough to leave the way from the main hall to the front gate relatively clear. Smiling, Ravius turned and walked through the ranks of the Hunters, shaking hands, saying final goodbyes, and behind it all, trying to stop being nervous. He stopped at the front gate, and the cheering behind him died. In front of him lay the Auleauk Desert. Smiling to himself, he steeled himself and stepped forward. As he walked out the door, he swore he wouldn't look back. He wouldn't back until he found what he was looking for: a sign that a spirit had chosen to be his totem. He didn't know what that sign would be, how long it would take, bue he knoew this was his sole focus now. He would go out into the desert and hunt for food. He would explore. He would search his divided soul and try to find something inside worthy to be blessed. He hoped and prayed that a perfect soul was not needed. Ravius was so distracted with these thoughts that he didn't even notice someone approaching him until he felt the knife to his throat. "You're going out on the Initiation Rite, and you can't even stop a lowly initiate from killing you? You're going to come back in pieces, you know." He should have been suprised, but Taaxa was always doing things like this. 'Taax', in Horjinic, means 'death,' and the added 'a' made it female. She fit her name to the letter. She was always deathly pale and some even rumored that she was cursed to always cause death around her. Unlike most of the Hunters, though, Ravius didn't pay much attention to superstition and actually rather liked Taaxa. He was probably her only real friend, and Taaxa preferred it that way. He slipped out of her arms, saying, "Are you trying to jinx me, Death?" "Of course. You know I always cause trouble," she replied, sheathing her long knife. It looked like she was trying to say something, but was having trouble getting it out. An awkward silence vell over the two, and Ravius ran his hand through his hair again. "Well, if there's nothing else I need to get going. I--" She interrupted him, apparently blushing. "Come back alive, Ravius. This isn't me...I hate being stupid like this, but..." Now this suprised him. Such gentleness coming from a woman with her name was rare. He recovered from the shock fairly quickly and got in a word before she finished: "You don't have to say any more. I know." He smiled a small smile. "I don't want to ruin your good name." She laughed quietly, another unusual thing. She stared at him for a few moments, then reached into her cloak and pulled out a pendant. It was a shard of a black stone. "It's a Shardstone from my homeland. Legend has it that a great jewel once gave our ruler a terrific power, but one day he was betrayed and overthrown. The Stone was blackened and shattered, and the noble families loyal to the old king were secretly given shards of the Stone. I want you to have it now. So don't forget me." He accepted the pendant and put it on. "I'll be sure to give it back when I return." "Good." They turned their backs to each other and went their separate ways: Ravius into the Auleauk and Taaxa back into the Temple. Ravius had been here many time before, but never for more than a few days at a time, and never before alone. Initiates didn't do that, especially not with the double risk of both sandworms and landsharks. Perhaps he would be lucky enough to avoid them, but seemingly luck was never on his side. After another few minutes of walking, Ravius was truly inside the Auleauk. A stark wasteland stretched before him, and he wasn't sure how he would survive here. Truly the great geomancer Sagittarius had power beyond his own understanding. Of course, that wasn't hard with Ravius, since he had no aptituce for magic at all. He had heard, though, that even the best geomancers on the planet couldn't figure out how the environments were maintained. Creating it would have been easy, but to maintain such a place would need the power of a god. As he was about to cross what was commonly referred to as "the Edge," he stopped for a second to reflect. This was it. He would find a totem animal or he would die trying. As he took the first step, he was suprised to note that the crystal Taaxa had given him was glowing. Suddenly, in the bushes next to him he heard a rustle, and out popped a jackalope. So that was why she had given it to him: whenever a potential threat was nearby, it glowed to warn the wearer. Maybe that was how she always knew when an animal was nearby. He drew his bone dagger and drew up in a fighting stance. jackalopes were generally harmless, but he was still an apprentice, and plenty of initiates had met a rather embarrasing end by underestimating a threatened jackalope. As if on cue, the animal drew its head slightly downward, ready to rush. As Ravius was about to commit to a deadly thrust, a second rustle in the bushes alerted him to the presence of more jackalopes in the area. He realized he had stumbled into a jackalope nesting area, and this jackalope was doing no more than guarding his family. The entrance to the warren was probably hidden in the bushes. "My apolgies," he said. "I will bother you no further." It wasn't actually in any of the codes that you couldn't kill an animal if it was simply guarding its family, but it was definitely an unwritten rule. After all, karma was expected to be reciprocated in kind. He slowly backed away from the anima and sheathed his dagger. As if understanding his intentions, the animal lifted its head and quickly crawled back into the warren. 'That's one way to make a friend,' thought Ravius as he turned form the jackalope's nest, traveling rather quickly from patches of scrub brush to honest-to-Horjin-land-of-the-sandworms desert. There's something about being alone in the desert that makes you feel infintessimally small. Perhaps it's the fact that you can see the sky meet the horizon around you in all directions. Perhaps it's the gigantic dunes. Or perhaps it's when you step over a dune and witness a sandworm battling it out with a landshark. Ravius paused, watching the two monsters battle each other. It was amazing seeing their gigantic forms twisting across the desert, each trying to best the other. When they started coming towards him, however, he turned and ran the other way. Discretion, in some cases, is the better part of survival. Suddenly there was a loud explosion, and bits of both sandworm and landshark rained down around him. Ravius paused. What had done that? He went back to the crest of the dune and peeked over, exposing as little of himself as possible. Coming his way were eight Neligan mages, apparently extremely pissed off. Ravius swore to himself. Of all the times the followers of Nelig could have chosen to take a hike on this island, they chose to now. During his Initiation. Bastards. With aid, perhaps he could have fought them. They had raw magical power on their side, but the Hunters had the Earth-Mother's blessing. He didn't know what they were doing here, but he had to warn the others, even at the cost of defiling his Initiation. He ran back the way he came, silently wishing he were faster. The followers of Horjin and Nelig had never gotten along. Fights between the two went back as far as their parent gods, even before they ascended. No, if the Neligan were here, it was bad news. Ravius slowed down and stopped, thinking. Fax Celestis had reminded him to "be true to his name." And his name meant "Guardian of the God-Cat." Could it be that Fax Celestis or the Aurajinrale had forseen this? Would they still have sent him out if they had known about the Neligan? Ravius pondered this for a few moments more, then came to a decision: he would go back and do what he could to delay or obstruct the Neligan's warpath. Of course, with their magical powers, what good could he do? Well, he did have the training that all Hunters received. He knew how to make a variety of makeshift traps, and he had his bow. It might be a war of attrition, but it would have to do. Quickly he ran back around a few dunes, keeping within earshot of the Neligan. They were mumbling to themselves, but it didn't sound like any language that he had heard before. Off to one side was the jackalope's nest he had stumbled across earlier. 'Too bad that friend can't give me a hand now,' he thought. He pulled out a few arrows and pushed them, flights first, into the ground, so that just the tips of the heads were sticking out. Hopefully these would act somewhat like caltrops and slow them down enough for him to do some sniping. He paused for a moment, then thought about what else he could do. He smiled slowly, then formed his hands into a shallow bowl and blew into them in a specific manner. The end result was a call that sounded like a roc's war cry. An angry roc would be here in minutes. Ravius stood and searched the skies. Off in the distance, he could make out a black winged form. Definitely a roc. A tap on his shoulder made Ravius jump, then turn around very slowly. A Neligan mage, his wolf-fur clothes and shaggy beard going in every direction, stood in front of him, grinned, and proceeded to shoot a lightning bolt into Ravius' chest. He braced for the expected pain, not even daring to breathe. And waited. He looked down at his chest, than back at the warlock. What happened? Why wasn't there a blackened hole? Before he had time to react, the Neligan fired another bolt, this time without the smile. Nothing happened. No magic, no lightning, no anything. Ravius knew that he wouldn't get a second chance and quickly drew his kama. The Neligan wizard, frightened, began to run away, but the chain on Ravius' kama wrapped around his legs and the Neligan toppled forwards into the sand. Brandishing the blade on the kama, he flipped the Neligan over and got straight to business: "What are you doing here?" The Neligan laughed. “We’re here for the Questing Stone.” ‘The Questing Stone?’ thought Ravius. ‘Why would they want the Questing Stone?’ “You fools have no idea, do you? About the enormous magical potential the Stone has within it? Why do you think Sagittarius carved his ‘holy precepts’ in it?” He squirmed, trying to free his feet from the grip of Ravius’ kama. “There are seventy of us coming, and that’s just from the desert. We will take it, and kill you all.” Hearing Sagittarius’ name spoken in such a derogatory manner filled Ravius with a terrible rage. He roared and slashed downwards with his kama, cutting clean through the Neligan’s throat. There was a burbling sound, and then the Neligan died. Instantly, eight heads turned towards the sound and stormed over the dunes from all directions. Ravius stood over the dead Neligan at the center of the rough circle. ...and everything faded away... Ravius stood before a gigantic jackalope, easily seven feet tall without the antlers. It spoke, though its’ mouth did not move. “I am Jackalope-That-Fears-No Magic. You spared me, Ravius. Now I guard you. You are safe from the magics of all except the jackalopes. Slay these eight, true to your name, and you shall truly be one of the Hunters.” And with that, the apparition faded away. Ravius again stood among the Neligan, his pendant shining brightly. He smiled and dove forward, tackling the first Neligan. A kama’s point through the chest sent him down. Several spells of varying degrees of destructiveness struck both him and the Neligan immediately, finishing off the Neligan and sending several spells ricocheting in all directions. Two more Neligan fell, victim to their own spells. Ravius stood, and the Neligan stared in horror. He spun and threw his bone knife into the forehead of one, dropped, rolled, and wrapped the tail of his kama around the legs of another, pulling him into a third. Both died quickly at the hands of their allies’ spells. The two remaining Neligan raised their hands and began chanting in unison. Ravius faced them, twirling the kama in front of him like a fan. The chanting reached a climax, and a great gout of flame rushed over Ravius. The screams of the Neligan affirmed Ravius’ idea: his kama was protected as well, and served as a sort of extendable shield. All nine of the Neligan now lay about him, in various degrees of dead, and he retrieved and cleaned his weaponry. As he went to sheathe the bone knife, however, he found that a jackalope antler was already in the sheath. He left the bone knife at the entrance to the jackalope’s den, and ran back towards the Temple. Ravius returned to the Temple to find it beset from all sides. There were Neligan fighting Hunters everywhere, and a nearly continuous hail of arrows rained down from the Temple tower. Looking up to see who it was, Ravius was started to see the High Priest alone at the top of tower, shooting arrows at an alarming rate. Glancing to his left, Ravius saw the First fighting alongside the Aurajinrale, keeping the Neligan back from the front gate almost entirely by themselves. He ran to join them. Other Hunters provided him covering fire from atop the Temple ramparts, either with arrows or with magic. Surprisingly, very few Hunters actually on the field, and it became startlingly apparent why in the following moments: the Aurajinrale took an arrow to the throat, followed closely by spells of a Path that Ravius had never seen before, but presumed was the [[Path of the Stygian Nightmare]]. Ravius heard the First swear and swing his pear in a mighty arc, neatly decapitating two Neligan wolf-riders, while a third fell to a blurred figured that had jumped off the Temple rampart. He realized that the blur was Taaxa, her long daggers slashing in all directions. Then the Neligan noticed him. Arrows, sling-stones, and bolts of fire all shot his way, and Ravius felt time slow to a standstill. Reflexively, he reached down inside himself, grabbed hold of...of something, and twisted. ‘This must be what it feels like to cast magic,’ thought Ravius, as he watched his hand in front of him blur. He heard the voice of Jackalope-Who-Fears-No-Magic speaking. “Walk the Path of the Nimble Jackalope, Guardian of the God-Cat, and you shall survive this day.” Ravius felt another twist, and the world sped back to normal speed. Arrows and sling-stones pelted around and through him, but he was unharmed. Spells fizzled out short of their intended target. Several Neligan gasped. Another twist, and suddenly Taaxa was unblurred, and Ravius was running alongside her. The pair swept through the Neligan like the wind, and when they finished a dozen Neligan lay dead. Those who were still standing ran back to more fortified positions. And the first day of the siege ended.
“All told, we are effectively down to half-power. Nearly a hundred are injured, and just under fifty are dead, including the Aurajinrale, Horjin save her,” spoke the High Priest. “Thankfully, we have an estimation of them and their forces now, and we have the Temple. Both are distinct advantages.” He turned to Ravius. “I assume you have returned with good news?” Ravius nodded, and placed the jackalope’s antler on the table. A few chuckles, a couple gasps, and a few questioning murmurs tumbled from the crowded Hunters. A slow smile crept over the face of the High Priest. “I should have known, Ravius.” A yell came from outside, the First and his watch calling for help. “A new Aurajinrale shall surface soon!” called the High Priest to the Hunters as they swarmed out of the room. “Ravius! Taaxa! Stay here!” Once all the others had left, the High Priest approached the two. “I have a mission for you,” he said. “Take the Questing Stone and run. Hide it, somewhere where only you two will know where it is.” He reached in his pocket and pulled out a small stone. It glowed slightly blue. The High Priest handed it to Ravius. “This is it?” Ravius asked. “I thought...” “...the Questing Stone was the green rock in the center of the Temple? It is, in a sense. Everyone but the Pentat, and now you, believes that green stone to be the true Questing Stone. That grants it a modicum of magical power. But this is the real stone.” He paused. “Belief is a power thing. The Hunters believe the green rock is the Questing Stone, and that belief gains a semblance of reality. The Neligan believe they can take the Questing Stone from us, and they try because of that. You, Ravius, believed you couldn’t perform magic, and because of that you couldn’t. Now go! Take the Stone and run!” Ravius stood, dumbstruck at what the High Priest had said. Taaxa grabbed his wrist and ran out the door, dragging him behind. “Now let us hope there is something for you to come back to,” the High Priest said to himself, picking up his bow and stepping out the door. Outside, the battle raged, the night illuminated by momentary flashes of magic. The High Priest mumbled a few words and his arrow lit on fire. Shooting it into the air at an angle so steep it had no hopes of hitting anything, he cried, “Aurarengo!” Moments later, great bolts of fire rained down into the battlefield, causing troops of both sides to scatter. Only the First remained on the field, locked in combat with six Neligan. “To the walls!” he cried to the Hunters, and unquestioningly they ran for the Temple, firing arrows behind them as they went. The Neligan, driven back by the arrows and raining fire, returned to a relatively safe distance. And still the First and the six Neligan stood together, none willing to make the first move. In a blur of violence, tow of the Neligan leapt at the First, unnatural talons sprouting from their fingers. The First’s armor and spear glowed blue as he spun, his spear slicing through one but getting stuck in the second. Three arrows sailed at him and he dove, two of them missing him completely. The third he grabbed in an unreal blur of motion and threw back at its’ source. A scream indicated that the First had scored a hit. The fourth remaining Neligan spoke a few words and the ground opened around him. A gigantic landshark covered in sharp quills heaved itself out of the ground and eyed the First hungrily. Terrified, the First abandoned his spear and dove under the bullete, pulling out two long knives and slashing the creature’s unarmored stomach. The landshark howled in pain and rolled sideways, leaving the First totally uncovered. Four arrows shot at him, catching him twice in the chest, once in his right arm, and once in his left leg. Undaunted, the First stumbled to his feet, braced himself, and took four more arrows in the chest. He reeled, then threw both knives into one of the Neligan. He fell to his knees, and the bullete shot a large quill into his back. He screamed and pitched forwards, landing facedown on the Neligan he had left his spear in. The world seemed to pause. The First grabbed his pear, levered himself to his feet, ripped the spear out of the body, and threw it at the bullete. It hung in the air for a moment, then glowed orange and shot forward like a rocket, driving through the bullete’s eye and coming out its’ back. Another three arrows shot the First in his back, and he once again fell face first onto the ground. Showing incredible fortitude, the First reached to his right and seized the bow of a fallen Neligan. He rolled onto his back, grabbed a discarded arrow, and shot it straight up. There was a terrible pause and silence, until the Neligan and Hunters heard the thunder. Several bolts of lighting struck in quick succession, surrounding the prone First, incinerating the surviving Neligan and the dying bullete. More lightning struck, until the area around the First was one gigantic lightning bolt. And then there was again silence. A great roar rose in the throats of the Hunters, and hundreds of arrows rained out from the ramparts of the Temple. Archers blind with fury shot arrow after arrow, killing many Neligan before they were able to retreat out of range. And the first day of the siege truly ended.
During the fighting, Taaxa and Ravius managed to slip over the Temple wall and run for the reaches of the Hordius Ten jungle. Just as they were at the jungle’s edge, they saw the lighting behind them and felt a great sorrow in their hearts. “...no...” whispered Taaxa, “Not him. Not the First.” Ravius stood openmouthed while Taaxa stifled a sob. Shaking himself, Ravius grabbed Taaxa’s arm and started dragging her towards the jungle, but she resisted, reaching out towards where the lightning flashes had originated and crying in earnest. And the still-discomforting time lapse came over Ravius again. He heard several thwupping sounds and saw, in slow motion, several arrows sail across the moonlight. Still slowed, he pulled Taaxa’s arm and she stumbled towards him. Four arrows thunked into the ground around her, while a fifth went through the palm of her outstretched hand. Immediately she came to her senses, yelped in pain, and tore off towards the jungle just behind Ravius. She pulled the arrow through as she ran, tossing it off to one side and speeding forwards. More arrows slammed into the ground around them as the jungle rushed nearer. It appeared one of the Neligan wasn’t satisfied with simply arrows: a lightning bolt glanced off Ravius and struck a tree. “Dammit!” Taaxa swore. “Why can’t we get away?” Ravius tried to speed himself with Jackalope’s power, but the twist in his gut was stopped by something. He growled under his breath, spun around and drew his bow. Taaxa stopped. “Ravius! What’re you doing?” She wrapped a bandage around her hand as she spoke, covering herself from arrows with a fallen tree. “Being true to my name,” he replied, and let loose an arrow. There was a squishing noise, followed closely by a thud. Taaxa smiled, tying off her bandage, and said, “You know, sometimes you don’t make sense, Ravius, but it’s those times I admire you most.” Another squish, thunk, thud as Ravius let fly another arrow. “That’s all right,” he replied, readying another shot, “a lot of this doesn’t make sense to me.” Thunk. “Like what the High Priest said about faith.” Thunk. A scream. “I couldn’t use magic because I believed I couldn’t.” Thunk. A gurgling sound, followed by crashing brush. An arrow zinged over his shoulder. “Now that I’ve been chosen by Jackalope, I don’t think I can.” Twang. Another scream, and the sound of one man running away. “That is, except for what I can gather from walking the Nimble Jackalope’s Path.” Twang. The running man stopped. “And what about who I am? Where I’m from? How did I get here?” Taaxa shrugged. “Sometimes the gods call us to great things.” She paused. “Think they’re gone?” “Yeah, they are,” Ravius replied. “We should set up for the night. I’ll take first watch.” The night passed uneventfully, though Ravius’ dreams were filled with Jackalope-Who-Fears-No-Magic, teaching him about the [[Path of the Nimble Jackalope]], Horjinic magic, and the language of the jackalopes. When Ravius woke, he sat up to see Taaxa boiling some water and putting together a poultice. She spoke without turning. “I did a little scouting, looted the bodies of those Neligan, gave them a decent burial. Look what I found.” She indicated a pile of miscellaneous odds and ends. Curious, Ravius sifted through it. He found several short bows, a few quivers, three long knives, and a roll of parchment covered in unfamiliar runes. “What’s this?” he asked. Taaxa shrugged, wrapping the poultice around her hand. “No idea,” she replied, “but I thought the High Priest would find it interesting.” Ravius nodded. “Probably would. You got the Stone?” She patted her pocket, then pulled a blade out of the boiling water. “One of the Neligan carried this.” The dagger was ornately wrought, hooked on the end, and was engraved with several runes. Looking closer, Ravius realized those runes as the word for “Eversharp.” “Let me see that,” he said. Taaxa handed it to him on a piece of leather, saying, “Watch out, it’s hot. I sterilized it.” He looked at the detail of the blade, his gaze traveling down to the grip. He jumped as he realized that it was ivory carved to look like a tiger. A worn tiger, but a tiger nonetheless. “This is Horjinic! Why does a Neligan have it?” Taaxa stared at him. “That’s what I was wondering.” Ravius touched the blade gingerly, and found that it was already cool. “Wow, this thing’s obviously enchanted with something.” He looked at it once more, and said, “Mind if I hang on to it?” Taaxa shook her head. “You’re awfully quiet today, Taaxa. You alright?” She hung her head. “...not really,” she whispered. “The First was a good friend of mine.” Ravius sat down next to her, sheathing the knife, and put his arm around “I’m sorry,” he said as she nuzzled into his shoulder momentarily. The action seemed to reinvigorate her, as she stood up and said, “Come on, let’s find something to eat.”
Dawn broke over the Temple slowly, bathing the scorched and battered battlefield in liquid-golden light. But the morbid beauty didn’t stir the hearts of the Hunters. Instead, the Temple was near a state of panic that morning. The entire Pentat, except for the High Priest, had been slain in the previous day, and the Hunters were concerned about their surviving leadership. Despite their protests, the High Priest refused to leave his post at the top of the tower except to sleep and eat. Other Hunters patrolled the Temple ramparts watching for even the slightest indication that the Neligan were attacking again. And then it came. A cry from the rampart, followed in quick succession by a few more, warned of a coming attack. But Fax couldn’t see Neligan anywhere on the ground. Arrows began flying upwards as dark shadows swooped towards the Temple. Fax swore to himself for not thinking that the Neligan could use rocs to attack from the air. Some dove for the Hunters of the ramparts, but most were driven off by the hail of arrows swarming upwards. One roc succumbed to the arrows and fell, landing mere yards from the wall. Fax mumbled to himself, and drew three black arrows. Each had an eye etched into the head. He notched one and fired, piloting it with his mind’s eye to its’ mark. Another roc fell, the arrow protruding from its’ throat. A fury began to well within him, a fury only those who walked the Path of the Berserk Sandworm felt. He dropped his bow and drew his pair of blade talons. Without a second thought, he dove out of the tower, streaking towards a roc like a diving peregrine. He connected with the roc with a sickening crunch: the roc’s ribcage had shattered from the impact. Pushing off, he jumped for another, landing talons first in its’ neck. The roc cried a burbling scream and blood flowed out onto Fax, soaking him from head to foot. Fax jumped to the ground and tapped into the Bloodwrath in others who walked the Berserk Sandworm’s Path. Voices of those touched by the Bloodwrath screamed and joined Fax on the field, several of them by jumping over the wall. And then Fax felt the fury rise like never before. He threw his head back, and he roared, and he changed. His body elongated and his clothes and gear merged into his body. His skin grew tough and leathery, and his eyes sunk backwards. The roar became a scream, an animal primal scream, from before the age of man. And then, where Fax had stood moments before, lay a sandworm. An immense sandworm of raw, primal energy and berserk, red fury trembled and twitched. It screamed, and the ground itself trembled in fear. Rocs fell to its thrashing tail and fled from its gnashing teeth. Those the Bloodwrath had summoned chased some of the fleeing rocs, but few were brought down. When it was over, seven rocs lay broken and dying, just from the sandworm alone. And in the center of the carnage lay Fax, returned to his normal form, shivering with adrenaline and fear. One of the retreating berserkers picked him up and brought him inside the Temple walls. One Hunter slipped out and began harvesting roc’s feathers and blood, components for some spells.
The screams of the rocs were hidden by the jungle’s branches, but the earthquake was not. It wasn’t violent enough to throw Ravius and Taaxa to the ground, but it did frighten some animals. The pair chalked it up to magical activity. “So, now, Taaxa, we’re relatively safe. We’ve at least lost the Neligan in here. But we can’t stay here forever.” Taaxa nodded. “There’s only so much jungle to hide in. But I know somewhere where they’ll never find us.” Ravius looked at her questioningly, toying with the Eversharp. “Oh? Where?” “The Sagittandi Caves,” she replied, looking northwards at the mountains. “Taaxa, are you insane? We don’t know where the Cave’s entrance is, or where to go when we get in there, or what’s in there, or even if they exist!” “That’s what you think,” said Taaxa. “—and if the legends are right, it’s suicide, I te--...” he cut himself off. “What? You know where the Caves are?” She nodded. “I found them during my Initiation Rite, but Silent-Vampire-Bat told me to keep them hidden until there was a day I needed them.” “...Silent-Vampire-Bat is your totem?” “No, he’s just an informant I know among the spirits. Swiftly-Striking-Cheetah is my totem.” They began walking towards the mountains as they spoke. “Mine’s Jackalope-Who-Fears-No-Magic,” Ravius said. He chuckled. “Here’s hoping our totems get along.” She laughed, a melodious, full-throated laugh that came unexpected from her slight frame. But it was a laugh that fit. “You really don’t know much about spirits, do you?” Ravius had to admit that he didn’t. “Let’s put it this way: if our totems didn’t like each other, we wouldn’t be able to stand each other. “See, humans and other intelligent creatures—dolphins, some dragons, phoenixes and the like—don’t’ have a separate spirit.” Ravius blinked and stared at her with a lost look. “Oh, wow, no one has explained this to you, have they?” She chuckled. “Okay, here’s how it works. Everything has a spirit. Rocks, trees, animals—all of them. Even ideas. But that spirit usually resides with the being, not in it. When it’s inside the being, that being becomes intelligent. Animated. But then the physical being doesn’t have a spirit with it. “Our totems fill that void by giving up a part of themselves. By doing so, they become the embodiment of an aspect of their former selves, and also no longer have a physical half. “So they exchange a completeness of one kind for a completeness of another. They give up their natural selves, by their own choice, and lose their physical aspect, to gain a name and, with it, a higher echelon in spirit power. “Some continue upwards to become demigods, minor deities, and even gods. Horjin did this: when he became intelligent, his spirit-half joined with his being-half and brought him to a new existence. Soon after, an idea-spirit, Triumph, became his totem. And when Sagittarius named Horjin, he became a demigod because another idea-spirit, Faith, became his totem. And he became a complete god not soon after, when the idea-spirit Hunt became his third totem. All the totems merged together with Horjin at that point, and they became one being, both spirit and physical, and a god. “In a sense, each of us are on a path to godhood, but even our best, Sagittarius, only became a demigod. “When we take a spirit as our totem, or when a spirit chooses us, we gain traits and aspects of that spirit. They reflect themselves into our physical being. “Sometimes totems are temporary, choosing us for great feats or a few short days, but this is uncommon. Usually the bond between being and totem is permanent. “And number of totems doesn’t have anything to do with proximity to transcendence. Most commonly, we as Hunters have one totem. A few of us, like the High Priest, have two. But it’s not number, but intensity, that makes you closer to transcendence. Horjin had Triumph, Faith, and Hunt as his totems, three very powerful concepts, and they combined with him to make a god. But the intensity of the belief in Swiftly-Striking-Cheetah and Silent-Vampire-Bat is nowhere near enough for me to transcend. “In short, it’s belief that causes a spirit to first become a totem and then a god. It’s belief that calls the spirit into existence to begin with. “And not all totems are good, either. They have thoughts and ideas and moral, just as we do. In fact, without them, we don’t have thoughts or ideas or morals. Without them, we’re animals. “And then there are the ones we can’t understand: the Unspirited. They are capable of higher thought, of assuming the forms of animals, and of other things as well, without the assistance of a spirit. In fact, the spirits seem to shy away from them, and this makes some of our Paths of magic not work. “That’s how our magic works, too. We’re not so much casting magic as we are increasing the belief in a particular spirit and focusing that belief into a particular action. Offerings make the transaction easier, as does a transaction with a totem, which is why most Hunters follow Paths related to their totems. “And since spirits are incorporeal, they are—theoretically, of course—everywhere at once. But only the greatest spirits, the gods, can exert that kind of influence. So most spirits choose to exert a greater influence over a smaller area, or to become totems. "Sometimes a spirit, usually an idea-spirit, elevates simply from the belief in it. The spirits of greater concepts like Life, Love, Passion, and Song all gained transcendental status from our belief in them. From there, they took names and decided on appearances and became the totems of those who later became gods, like Viviantia, Mors, or Alejia. "Whether or not their wards knew then that they had a totem spirit isn't important. Most people pick up totems at some point in their lives, but don't ever know about it. Sure, they'll pick up traits and they'll find a certain affinity for things related to their totem, but they may never find out. "Hunters are unique in this regard. We, as a people, have made a pact with the spirits. Mainly, it means anyone marked as an initiate Hunter at birth will not receive a totem until they are initiated. It also says that anyone who is not born a Hunter but chooses to join us will lose any totems they have, and will get a new totem when they are initiated. It may be their old totem returned, but it's still a break between welcome and initiation. "That's mostly to figure out how one will react when unprotected. Not like we turn anyone away; people pretty much have to go through hell just to get to us, and they have to really want it to give up everything and come here to begin with. It's more to find out what they'd do if they were abandoned by their totem. "Sometimes our totems don't agree with our actions, and sometimes the link just fades. When that happens, a Hunter becomes totemless and must perform another initiation to find one. In the meantime, their totem effectively becomes the Earth-Mother herself, a combination that rarely works because of the inhuman methods and needs of the Earth-Mother. "We really don't know how it works when it comes to spirits living and dying. That was something the Aurajinrale was looking into before she died. Hopefully she took notes so that her successor can continue. "Our society is similar to the spirit world. Each Hunter is like a small aspect of Horjin, who, along with Nelig, Viviantia, Mors, and others, are aspects of the Earth-Mother, who is an aspect of the Universe, and so on and so forth. "So, really what it comes down to is that all spirits are really the same spirit, the Metaversal spirit, but just aspects and sub-aspects thereof. But we, as Hunters, follow Horjin and the Earth-Mother, because we believe that moving further upwards would cause problems on all sides. It is good for us to worship Horjin and the Earth-Mother because our concerns are the same. Above them, our concerns start to differ, and problems arise. "What's strange is that the Neligan are simply a diversionary sect from us. They follows Nelig, god of the beasts, and belive that our intelligence, gained from our unity with the spirits, is a blasphemy. They see their intelligence as a need to repent, and try to bring themselves closer to the animals. "In short, we're the same, but we have different motives. ANd they're pretty much evil. We've got a few former Neligan in our ranks, but they left before they got too deep, and were very lucky. Most who try to leave the Neligan die in the process. "From what we know, the Neligan praise magic very strongly, as well as refuse to use any man-made weapon beyond the short bow. Instead, Neligan learn a variety of magical tricks that enhance them physically. Growing claws or spines is popular. Less popular but more powerful is shapeshifting or elemental enhancements. "Thankfully, the Neligan aren't blessed by the Earth-Mother, and can't perform rites like the Rite of War. But Nelig does grant them other powers: they can all speak to wolves, as well as shift into a wolven-form. That's why we try to keep a close eye on the wolven populations on the island. "This is really only the second major conflict we've had with the Neligan. The first was when they first split away, led by the first tainted Hunter, Diva. Only four of them first left, but at that time that was almost a tenth of our poulation. This time, they want the Questing Stone, for--apparently--its' geomantic powers." "Wasn't Sagittarius a geomancer?" interrupted Ravius. Taaxa nodded. "He was. A powerful one, at that. He made his island, as well as summoned or created al lthe original inhabitants of the island. Once he finished that, however, he refused to practice any more traditional magic and kept with our Paths. "Speaking of Sagittarius' original creations, we're going to meed one in the caves. She calls herself Peletovitaraaua." "'Musician'?" "Yes. She's a very old phoenix, the first of Sagittarius' creations, and the only one of her kind. Don't worry, though. She's my friend."
The High priest awoke in the main temple chamber, wrapped in blankets, with a Huntress he knew as Risia sitting over him. She was an odd one, a tall woman standing just under six feet. Somehow, she managed to use a claymore double her height, and was a follower of both the Berserk Sandworm's and Healing Unicorn's Paths. She was the one who brought him inside, and now she was the one nursing him back awake. He sat up slowly, holding his head. He forced a smile. "I didn't know I could do that." She remained serious, bandaging his upper arm. "Neither did we. It scared the hell out of us, even through the Bloodwrath." She tied off the bandage and finally broke int oa smile. "Certainly did a number on you too. I've done the best I can putting you back together. You almost look good enough to pass for a husband now--" she stopped, her eyes growing wide, and she put her hand over her mouth. "I...I...I'm sorry." she said, fear visible in her eyes and in her trembling hands. He smiled. "It's alright," he said, kissing her hand. "I promise you when this is over, we'll see about trying out that dream of yours." He chuckled. "Now I know why you've always seemed nervous when you talk to me." He kissed her once more, this time on the lips, and heaved himself to his feet. "Now, let's see what we can do about those Neligan, eh?" She smiled and grabbed his arm. "Not yet. Let's see what we can do about those dirty clothes first."
Not too long after, Fax Celestis and Risia stood atop the Temple ramparts, surveying the battlefield. A lone Huntress gathered roc feathers and blood for use in magical spells, returning infrequently to deliver her collections. "What do you think I should do?" Fax asked Risia. "Wait out the siege," came her immediate reply. "There's no way we're giving up the Temple or the Questing Stone. We've worked too hard for all of this to just--" she stopped, watching the scene unfold on the battlefield below. A man snuck up on the young Huntress, no visible weapons but still exuding an air of malice. Risia gasped and Fax called out, "Look out!" The Huntress, startled by the call, jumped up and spun around, scrabbling for her knife. The man grinned, an eerie grin, full of hate and pain. Fax had seen that look before. He swore to himself, then gathered his senses and cried to the Temple below, "To arms! Ditantove! Ditantove!" Risia startled at his words, paused. "Unspirited? Here?" Fax grabbed her arm and pulled her down the stairs. "The Neligan must have something to do with it! Come on!" A small group of Hunters more capable in their physical prowess pushed out the gate and began running for the Huntress, Fax and Risia close behind. Magically-inclined Hunters had (correctly) chosen to stay out of this fight. The Ditantovek were ruthless, shapeshifting, killing machines, and were entirely immune to Horjinic magic due to their lack of connection to the spirit world. The Diantove growled and shifted: his arms grew into long blades; his spine became spiked and ridged; his jaw moved forwards; his neck elongated; and three extra legs sprang from his abdomen. He was more nightmare than being then. The young Huntress, panicking and inexperienced, mumbled and thrust her hands at the monster. Flames exploded from her fingertips, washing over hte beast, but he stood unharmed. The rescue team, finally within accurate arrow range, unleased a volley of arrows at the beast. Most bounced off harmlessly, but one or two found chinks in its armor. "Run!" called Fax to the young Huntress. And she turned and ran towards the rescuing Hunters. The beast charged after her, enraged by being denied his prey. The rescuers dropped their bows and pulled out a variety of melee weapons in varying degrees of sharp and pointy. The Huntress dove behind the line, while a bear of a man by the name of Veusditan brought a massive warhammer down on the beast's knee. It roared and collapsed, its knee shattered and useless. The beast roared again and heaved itself to its feet on its remaining four legs, thrashing out wildly with its arms. Veusditan and three others were thrown close to thirty feet, but they got to their feet and charged back in. Fax stood back with the Huntress and Risia, all three of them shooting arrow after arrow at the monster. Several Hunters went down under a great gout of fire that sprung from the beast's mouth. At that, Risia swore and dropped her bow. Fax looked at her questioningly, but he saw that the Sandworm had possessed her and stood back. She roared, a great roar that her frame shouldn't have been able to create, and unsheathed her claymore. Her eyes glowed a burning red and she dove forwards, sword held above her head. The monster saw her coming and breathed in her direction, but her sword drew the flames towards and into itself. Suprised, the beast made a horrible mistake: it paused. And during that half-second of hesitation, Risia's claymore chopped its head in half, then buried itself hilt-deep in the monster's chest. The pair collapsed in unison: one dead, the other passed out from exhaustion. Fax put his arm around the Huntress, then asked the uninjured to help her back to the Temple. Gently, he picked up Risia and carried her back himself, her claymore dragging on the ground behind him.
Ravius and Taaxa continued northward, and the jungle around them
gradually subsided to forest as they steadily gained altitude. "So where is the entrance to the caves anyway?" asked Ravius. "It's behind Veusfaax," she replied, "...which should be right behind this hill. Not that the hill would stop you seeing it anyway." The pair reached the crest of the hill as she finished, and the trees parted to reveal what most Hunters called the Spire. It is said that Sagittarius created the Spire during his last use of Khaz Modanian magic. The Spire was a crag nearly 29,000 feet tall. "Shit," said Ravius. "We're going up there?" "Yup." "No other way?" "Nope." "You sure?" "Yup." Let's go," he said, and began hiking towards the Spire.
"How are they controlling the Ditantove?" Fax Celestis asked himself as he laid Risia onto a bed. The young Huntress, who had followed him into the room, piped up at this: "We killed it though, didn't we?" "We got lucky," replied Veusditan. "That we did," said Fax. "Must've been a young one. The older ones are tougher and smarter." The Huntress piped up again: "They're intelligent?" Veusditan nodded. "But they have no spirits." He paused. "If they're intelligent, they may be voluntarily working with the Neligan." The three pondered the idea for a moment before Fax said, "That's frightening." The young Huntress replied, "Yes that is."
Ravius and Taaxa spent the night at the base of the Spire...or at least at the closest shelter they could find: a damp outcropping of rocks just under a uarter of a mile away. They had to eat smoked and salted foods in the morning because it was too damp to start a fire, even a magical one. "Wonderful," said Taaxa as they broke camp. "I'm cold and I'm wet. So was my breakfast. So is my bedding and my clothes and I haven't had a bath in three days and I'm hungry, thirsty, dirty, sore, and too tired to list everything else I am!" Ravius grunted a response: "Save your energy. We climb today." They climbed for nearly six hours straight up a damp, smooth crag without tools or a guide. Taaxa had done the climb once before, but her experience didn't help very much. The terrain had eroded and changed in the interposing years enough to make the climb essentially a different mountain. They found something of an overhang at that point and used it to inch their way behind the waterfall. Once they reached the center of the shelf, they sat and ate ad regained their strength. Two hours further up the mountain, the pair came to another shelf. They stopped and rested again, but for a shorter period. "Ready to go in?" asked Taaxa. It was the first she'd spoken since thye began their ascent. "Um, go in? Don't you mean up?" "No, in," she replied, pushing on the wall behind her. Except she wasn't pushing. Her hand had gone clear through the wall. "An illusion?" asked Ravius. "Would you expect any less from the oldest of Sagittarius' creations?" The pair walked through the wall into a gigantic cavern, riddled with rock formations and groups of crystals. In the middle of it all sat an old phoenix. "Peletovitaraaua?" asked Taaxa. "It's Taaxa. Remember me?" The great bird lifted her head. "How could I forget you, child? Welcome. And who is this fine young man you bring with you? Hmm? Your lover, perhaps? Hmm?" Ravius had never seen Taaxa blush before, but it spread across her cheeks quickly and fully, turning her pale form ever so momentarily into a vibrant vision. "N-no..." she stammered. "This is Ravius. The High Priest has sent us to protect the Questing Stone." "Ahh...you have it with you, then. I thought I sensed Sage's work. It has been so long since he left us, hmm." "Sage's?" Ravius whispered to Taaxa. "It's what she calls Sagittarius. They were great pals, you know." "Tell me, children, how goes guarding the stone? Hmm?" Somehow, Peletavitoraaua gave off the air of a kindly, spry old lady who loved digging into gossip. "Well, we're actually doing alright, aside from being chased by some Neligan. I'm more worried about the rest of us back at the Temple," said Ravius. "Oh? Why is that, my child? Hmm?" They're under siege by a group of Neligan. The First and the Aurajinrale are both dead, and that was when we left three days ago. Who knows what condition they're in now?" "Hmm...sounds like quite a quandry you've got there, children. What do you think we should do? Hmm?" "We came to you to hide," replied Taaxa. "And is that what you want to do? Hmm? Hide?" "Not really," said Ravius. "I want the Neligan to go away." "And how will hiding here get you closer to that goal? Hmm?" "It...it won't do much of anything." "So what should we do then, my child? Hmm?" "...go get allies and help?" "Now you're starting to sound like Sage, child! Now, let's see what we can do about your empty stomach and wet clothes, hmm?"
See also: Horjin, Cedrism, The Divine Census
