The Beast Within
Chapter Eleven- The Pilgrimage
It turned out Kaelyn the Dove had been searching for a way to get down to the lower level for days.
"There are more of these?" Kaji squeaked. It was leaning over the edge of the bridge, watching blood pouring out of the mouth of a large skull hanging on the pillar in awe: "More icky-yucky blood?"
"Perhaps." The half-celestial threw Kaji a half smile before turned her attention back towards Leela: "There are more than just bloods here. The Death God's Vault was built by the priests of Myrkul."
"The former Death God?" Safiya managed to clean off the last bit of blood smudges on her boots: "What a contradictory!"
"Indeed" Kaelyn nodded: "Even the roles of gods and their priests can change in times. Mulsantir was once god of the dead and then Kelemvor took up the role. But Myrkul's creations still remain."
"Why did the priest of Myrkul want to build it here?" Asked Leela.
"This place is chosen for its secrecy. Few can travel here as they would on the Realms, and even once here, fewer can survive its inhabitants." The wings on the half-celestial fluttered slightly: "Its purpose was a library and a prison, the priests of Myrkul used it to store valuable artifacts and relics. They also imprisoned enemies of the faith here, ones they needed to keep in shadow and silence."
"Dictator." The druid furrowed her eyebrows: "What did they do with them?"
"Humph, it varied." Kaelyn tilted her head slightly sideways: "For those who needed to be silenced forever or had simply passed on the City of Judgment, a crematorium was also said to lie within these walls. "
"A crematorium?" Gannayev's eyebrow shot up.
"Oh, yes. Myrkul had many enemies, both within his temples and without." The Dove sighed: "Many died in Myrkul's name with no one to hear their last words, with no one to help ease their sufferings."
"So what's in the lower level that you wanted to get there so bad?" Asked Leela.
"…It's…" The half-celestial seemed hesitate for a moment. Her pitch black eyes looked sideways, looked as if she was deciding something, before taking a deep breath and continued: "It's the next stage of my pilgrimage. It lies within the level beneath. For days I lingered here, studied absolutely anything and everything that I thought would help me opened the gate in any way…."
"A gate?" The air genasi looked around. Sure enough, within the nearby darkness, a gate, carved in runes and murals, stood among the dim lights and mist of shadows. She narrowed her eyes and carefully moved closer. The gate looked aged and wicked. Its surface was littered with all kinds of hand written runes, some in ash, others in shale. They were then slate and dyed tile black.
"No matter what I tried, the gate blocks my efforts," Kaelyn continued in a rather sad tone: "I can find no key, no means of opening it, I do not know what more to do."
"There must be some way to get in." Commented Leela half-heartedly. Her eyes still locked on the carving surface of the door, as her fingertips brushed through the rough stone surface: "In this level somewhere, perhaps? How much of this level have you explored?"
"Beyond this Great Hall?" The Dove rubbed her eyes with her knuckles: "Not far. Many of Myrkul's priests remain in the antechambers. I did not wish to reveal myself to them until I had finished my studies of the gate to the level below. Still," She sighed: "I suspect that's exactly where I will find what I am after."
The corner of Gannyev's mouths curved up slightly. A thread of amusement wound through his voice: "It always does that, does it? What you looking for usually is at where you search last."
"Indeed." Smiled Kaelyn weakly. She looked frailer by the minute.
"You look unwell." Safiya pointed out abruptly: "Like Leela, your strength seemed fading the longer you remain. And you've been her longer than we have…."
"I do not doubt your words, Red Wizard of Thay, this place has sapped my strength and still, my purpose is here. …I must find a way, a way to the lower vault." The Dove looked at the gate in desperation: "My pilgrimage need to be completed. I… But I… I don't know how…"
"Perhaps we could help you, Kaelyn." Leela slowly turned her head around and looked the half-celestial in the eyes: " Perhaps we can work together."
"Humph…" Kaelyn stared at the druid thoughtfully: "I would welcome such help. I have traveled alone far too long, too long from my brothers and sisters. Perhaps you were called here, just as I was. If so, perhaps the planes have need of us."
"Your brothers and sisters." The air genasi's eyebrow shot up: "Efrem and Susah?"
"How do you know their name?" The Dove was surprised.
"I've met them in Mulsantir."
"Arh…." The half-celestial frowned: "That's not good."
"What's not good?"
"….If you met them," Kaelyn absent-mindedly placed her fingers on her lips, voice were thickened with worry: "they must have left the House of Triad in search for me-I hope they will not be punished…"
"Punish?"
"Humph…yes." The Dove began pacing around the great hall: "the Managerie was forbidden to take up weapons again at my grandfather's command. His throne is high on the slopes of Celestia, and his sword carries much weight."
"Why were you punished?" Asked Leela.
Kaelyn did not reply. She continued to quarter the hall with arms folded. Seemed buried in deep thought, she only occasionally looked up and glanced at her surroundings. Finally, just when Fluffy started showing signs of impatience by clicking its pincers, the half-celestial stopped and looked at the druid again.
"I need to get back to them, to convince them to return to Mount Celestia." Her voice sounded determined.
"But your pilgrimage…"
"At this stage I have no clue how to get into the lower level." She caste anther glare at the gate: "It may be worth while for me to rest and reflect what I've found somewhere in the Mortal Plane. As you have pointed out earlier, my strength dwindles the longer I remain here. I shall return with you, to convince my siblings return to the slope of Celestia, before it's too late. After that, we will return and continue on."
Leela glared at Kaelyn for a while before nodded in agreement slowly: "…. Very well, let's go."
She turned around, and was about to head back to the entrance when something caught the corner of her eyes. Something was half-hidden in the shadows, not very far from the gate that leaded to the lower vault. Leela sprung her heels and turned back towards the darkness. She narrowed her eyes, trying to see what was ahead of her.
It was a mural.
Decorated with utmost details, the wall painting illustrated what seemed to be an epic battle in an unknown Plane. There were dragons, demons, devils, angels, humans and monsters fighting vigorously on both sides. Each wielded the weapons, eyes bulging, and teeth grinding. Leela could almost hear their roar thundering through the surface.
"That's the first Betrayer's Crusade." Kaelyn approached the druid.
"The first?"
"Yes." The Dove nodded: "It was launched by Myrkul's own High Priest, Akachi, during the former Death God's reign. See that one there? That's the demilich Rammaq." She pointed at the giant skull on one side of the mural: "And that one there? That's the blue dragon queen Ser'ryu. Oh, and there, down by the pillar, that's a solar from Celestia. His name is Zoab."
"Your people?" Leela arched her snowy eyebrow.
"Oh, yes." The half-celestial smiled: "He was caste out because of his siding against Myrkul."
"How did you know all that?" The air genasi side glared at Kaelyn.
"My grandfather told me." Replied the half-celestial simply: "He's also a solar."
"What happened to the Crusade?" Asked Leela.
"It…didn't end well."
"Oh?"
"I've read about this." Safiya chimed in. Her face somehow written with grief and tremendous sadness: " Myrkul greeted the crusaders with even greater army: all the heroes of the ancient dead, masses of the False, and many devils who had been summoned from the Hells. Akachi's army crumbled, generals fled, and he was defeated and dragged in chains to the Basilica and had judgment pronounced upon him."
"Yes, an epic tragedy." The Dove sighed: "But his action inspired the others. More Crusades followed after that."
The druid turned her attention back to the mural: "Which one is Akachi?"
"That shouldn't be hard to spot." Kaelyn grinned: "Legends has it that he was carry a silver sword. A sword was rumor to have been forged Zerthimon before the separation of two Gith races. It was given to him by Myrkul as a reward for his service. They called it- "
Leela's eyes fell upon the wall painting. Her lips immediately thinned. Somehow she knew it, before the Dove even mentioned the name.
In the center of the mural, a robed wizard was wielding a large glittering sword. The shimmering bright light shun through the entire battlefield. Devils and Demons fled before it, weapons crumbled upon its touch. Only Myrkul could stare at the artifact right with his eyes. The blade was forged in a very unique jagged-edge shape. Tir'su, the Gith written words, were seen carved at the base of its golden hilt. The air genasi took a deep breath. Her body went rigid. Her eyes widened. Her hand tightened into a fist. Her fingernails sank deep into her palm, causing her slightly bleed. Behind her, Ganneyev gushed, but choose not to mention anything. He quietly caste a wordless healing spells to mend the cuts.
The druid tilted her head slightly upward to look at the wall painting properly. She knew that sword. It was the silvery sword Leela would recognise even in dust. It was…
"-The Silver Sword of Gith." Said Kaelyn and the druid in unison.
The night wind gently brushed through the willow trees. Under the violet moon, the ghostly remains of the West Harbour bathed in the milky white light, silhouetted over her blue skin. The village was quiet. The fire had long distinguished. The last shrieks and cries of villagers lingered in the air.
Leela closed her eyes and took a deep breath, fighting the urge not to break into tears as they walked silently through the town square. The familiar hustling and bustling noise was long gone, faded only in her memory. Like Ember, West Harbour was torched and flattened to the ground, only because it was standing in the way.
Someone was gently touching her hand. She opened her eyes and realised it was Bishop, who seemed had been walking near her for some time, reached out his hand and clamped on hers without saying anything. His dark auburn eyes were thickened with worry and sympathy. The air genasi suddenly remembered he mentioned once his hometown was burnt to the ground as well. He was with her last time they were here, witnessed first hand the destruction of her native land, watching her collapsed at the front gate of the wooden hut she once shared with Daegun and gathered her into his arms to comfort her. . Hidden under her thick lashes and long braided hair, she gave the ranger a grateful smile. Bishop smiled back, his hand squeezed briefly before releasing it again.
At the front, Zhjaeve slowed down and came to a gradual halt. Her big, round, green-yellowish eyes blinked, and then again. Frowning, the Githzerai scanned around the area before kneeling down, carefully inspected the dampened grassland in front of her. A surge of energy rushed through her body, covering her with glowing lights. Her long, elegant fingers carefully touched the ground. Almost instantly, Leela saw a mist of fainted shadowy smoke evaporating from the darken spot not very far from the footpath they were standing on. That dark patch had been the talk between the townsfolk for years. There were all sorts of myth and legends attached to it. No one could truly recalled or explained why and how the spot was there in the first place. Leela had vivid memories of telling Bevil and Amie made-up stories about the patch in her childhood, causing both of them had nightmares for weeks.
"We are here." Said the planewalker calmly: "This is the place. I can feel it. The scar runs deep."
"About the bloody time." Nearby, Sand rolled his eyes.
Neeshka clicked her tongue: "So this is the place aye?"
"It is here that we must mend the blade anew and close the wound." Zhjaeve gave the tiefling a slight nod before turning her attention back to Leela: "Yet without your presence and focus, this is but a place. Is your will here?"
Leela turned her head around, giving the ruined West Harbour one last look before taking a deep breath: "…I'm ready."
"Very well." The Githzerai smiled behind her veil: "Come, Kalach-Cha, sit with me. Listen to my voice, grasp the hilt-and close your eyes."
The air genasi followed her instructions. She sat down on the very spot the sword was shattered all those years ago. Almost as soon as she closed her eyes, she sensed the dark energy crept up her body, licking her ears and whispered murmurs around her. Zhjaeve sat cross leg directly opposite to Leela. She closed her eyes and cleared her throat.
"Hear not just my words, Kalach-Cha." Said the planewalker calmly: "but the meaning behind them."
She began to chant and recite a series of unrecognizable syllables, presumably Deep Speech. Within minutes, her voice started separating, one continue sang in Deep Speech, the other rose behind it and whispered in Common: "Zerthimon's will, my will, your will. Let us all be as one."
"Eww, now this is getting creepy." Quipped Bishop, before Neeshka gave him an elbow to shut him up.
"In this place, broken, upon shadow, carved deep in earth" Zhjaeve continued: "What once was sundered, from two people born."
The air around them started to sir. The whispers around Leela became haste and agitated. She felt the broken shard within her chest vibrated vigorously. Somehow it did not caused any pain or discomfort. The shards placed on the ground between them also began to quiver, too.
"Make all that was shattered whole again, by the heart that guides the will." The twin voice continued to drift out of the Githzerai's lips.
Huge surge of lights gushed from the shards and circled around them. The druid sensed the ancient energy within them was temporally released from the broken sword. They danced and sang around them, chanting in Deep Speech. Suddenly, feeling like she was toppled over by an urn of warm water, every single parts of her was cloaked with the immense warmth.
"By the will that guides the hand."
The lights got brighter. Others who stood around Leela and Zhjaeve soon weren't even able to open their eyes properly. The shards, except the one within the druid, rose into the air and began to twirl. They soon merged with the silvery lights.
"And the hands…that guides the blade."
The light globe sprung and shun even brighter before being sapped into a jagged-edge glittering greatsword. Suddenly everything was quiet again. The shimmering sword hung in the air for a few seconds before dropping like a heavy stone. Leela reached out her hand and caught the blade half way. She stood up and steadied herself before narrowing her eyes and gazing the unique weapon in her hand. The fluid glow illuminated the violet moon. The ancient spirits continued their murmurs through the artifact, sending unknown energy towards her body. The corner of her lips curled up. For the first time in months, she couldn't help to smile and feel optimistic.
The Silver Sword of Gith was reforged.