Chapter 40
"What's taking him so long?" Milla wondered.
"Be patient my daughter, they'll be along soon, I can feel it," Danir said her voice echoing through the circular room.
Milla looked around and was taking note of every detail she could lest she needed to defend herself in this place. The room was a large round room with many portcullises and a mysterious black opening that Milla didn't dare go near. She had a funny feeling about it and if there was one thing she did trust herself about, it was the fact that her instincts were usually always right.
"What are you thinking about Milla?" Danir asked trivially.
"You know what I think, ancestor," Milla replied shortly as she neared another noise emit from one of the gateways.
"Relax Milla, I know when will be let out as it will be on my command," Danir said casually with a dismissive wave.
Milla whirled on this new revelation and started her predicable line of questioning.
"What do you mean when you say they and by my command?" Milla asked getting suspicious.
"I'll explain when Tal gets here; it'd be much easier if I explain once and thoroughly than in bits and pieces," Danir said moving to face the mysterious dark opening.
Danir's eyes glowed brightly like a Crones' and they seemed to penetrate the darkness as she seemed intent on what was happening. Milla peered into the gloom but saw nothing. Her only indications of the happenings inside the darkness was Danir's facial expressions and they worried Milla as she saw the flickering of emotions ripple across her ancestors face. Milla couldn't take the suspense anymore and had to ask what was happening.
"Ancestor what's going on? Is it bad or good for us?" Milla asked sword already half way out.
Danir's eyes dimmed and returned to their normal ethereal glow.
"It looks like we'll be having company soon," Danir said happily and moved off to the center of the room.
Milla was about to ask when she heard a noise and whirled to meet it with a sword in hand. Milla sheathed the sword immediately as she saw who it was. Tal came tumbling out of the darkness falling head over heels and his great ancestor came through as well although he walked through plainly.
"Tal!" Milla yelled in relief and rushed to help him up.
"Milla? Is that you? I can only see stars now," Tal said getting up slowly with Milla's help.
"What happened to you?" Milla asked concerned she had already summoned a blue glow of healing from her sunstone.
"It's okay I'm fine I just need to regain my sight just let me be for a few minutes,"
"Tal what happened?" Milla insisted getting more worried at Tal's slackness.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After freeing himself from the rubble, Tal and Ramellean his great ancestor moved off quickly in the only available exit. The fear of another so called attack from a statue would be most disconcerting to Tal right now as he had just managed to escape death once again. Soon they had made their way to a wall in the road and Ramellean, however casual about it, identified the wall to be a Veil of some sort.
"What should we do now?" Tal asked his guide.
"Go through it of course, what else?" he replied.
"I don't know how large this Veil is how long do I need to hold my breath?" Tal asked thinking practically.
"I don't know and neither will you until you try but I'm pretty sure that there's air in there,"
Tal shrugged and stopped thinking, he trusted Ramellean as he always seemed to be right. Tal took a last breath before plunging into the darkness before him. Tal was smothered in darkness and as usual the crushing feeling of the Veil pressed in on Tal. He had expected this feeling and was ready for it but what he wasn't ready for was the unexpected slide show of his past, present and future. The images rolled past him in a blur. In the Veil nothing could be seen, heard, smelt or tasted but Tal definitely broke that rule and as the images played on the 'walls' Tal realised how mundane and non existent rules were in his current place. Tal moved on through the Veil stepping forward diligently ignoring the images of his birth and his adventures in Aenir which took up most of the good parts of his life. Curiously Tal looked at one of the images and saw Milla pressing her blade to his throat in Aenir. Tal could feel the burn of her anger and the bitterness of her sorrow which took him by surprise. Tal stopped to watch history repeat itself. The quick thumb jabs had just put Tal to sleep. Milla ran off while Odris remained and spoke with Adras until finally she went after her new companion.
Tal looked away as the images went blurred again as if fast forwarding the more boring bits of his life. Then it stopped again but Tal pressed on knowing he'd feel old feelings that he had forgotten but then something made him turn his head once again and this time Tal stayed put long enough to feel dread and worry form in his stomach. The two feelings he hated the most next to fear.
A little girl played with a Chosen crystal ball. Tal watched the girl play and smiled as he felt a wave of happiness wash over him. The happy little girl looked much like a person he knew. The images blurred again but only for a moment as the next image flicked into life. The small girl was now running happily through a corridor, Violet halls by the look of it. She then stopped at what were now Tal's bedroom chambers. The girl burst into the chambers as if she were rightfully able to and moved off to find something or someone as Tal noticed that she was calling to someone.
That someone came. Tal stared fixedly at the person who stood in the doorway to his bathroom and realization floated into his mind more than surprise did. It was him but Tal was older and somehow happier. The girl smiled and as she did Tal was hit with more déjà vu, where had he seen that smile before? Just then a knock at the door and the girl spun and a broader smile came to her face. She ran to the door and jumped into the open and expectant arms of what Tal presumed was her mother. The image slowly crept up from the smiling girl to the face of the woman she was hugging and surprise now hit Tal as he realised it was Milla!
Tal stopped watching as weirdness crept over him and proceeded to walk again. Once again the images blurred and eventually faded for a few minutes leaving Tal to assume many things about what he saw. If his assumptions were correct then the girl was his daughter and her mother was Milla. Tal shuddered at how weird the idea was but then he started to consider the possibility and strangely enough he came to feel as if he somehow expected as much.
Just then the images reappeared and started to spin around him making him dizzy. Memories randomly stood out and played themselves as they separated themselves from the whirlwind of blurred images. Tal couldn't take it anymore as he felt that he was being choked by regrettable things he had done. When Tal tried to press forward he was hit by an image that physically hurt him as well as emotionally pounding his feelings. One memory that hurt him a lot was recent memory of being crushed by the news of Milla's leaving. Tal had tried to forget the hurt but it surfaced once more unconsciously. Tal was bashed again and again by similar memories which opened long buried hurts. Tal felt like he was being cut but not physically. The images provoked pain like a hot knife going through him. He couldn't take it as past ghosts came back to haunt him so he summoned up as much strength as he could and barged straight at the memory wall and with sheer will power tumbled through the hurricane.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tal's sight slowly returned along with his senses. Milla watched him and wondered why he was acting so strangely and was about to shake him out of what ever trance he was in when suddenly he stood up and embraced her tightly.
"Milla it's good to see you again. I have been on the most challenging trial ever, what about you?" Tal asked not noticing Milla's weird glances.
"It's also nice to see you Tal but I must ask is everything alright? I feel as though you are on the edge of breaking up?" Milla asked worriedly.
"You have no idea," Tal said and went into a garble of events that didn't make any sense until he summarized.
Basically I went through the most emotionally and mentally challenging tests I have ever gone through in my entire life! Oh and did you know that our ancestors actually went through the same thing.
Milla nodded and added her own summary.
"I know. I too have found many revelations that were disturbing at first but it did explain many things. I've been through many trails in my life but none such as shocking as the ones I faced," Milla said bringing Tal into a hug "Although they were worth going through if it meant being in your arms again,"
"I agree," Tal said lifting Milla's chin to place a soft yet relief filled kiss on her lips.
Milla surrendered to it and returned Tal's kiss with her own relief and as Tal's tongue breeched her lips Milla welcomed it willingly feeling the warmth it provided. They parted after a few moments as it dawned on them that there was still work to be done and they were wasting time.
Together they looked for their ancestors and found them in a similar stance as they were, together hand in hand.
"Are we free to go? We have passed all the Trials and we have urgent business to attend to," Tal asked being the Emperor he was.
"You have one more Trial to pass, and we must say it's not really a trial but more of a rite of passage," Danir said casually and smiled mischievously.
Before Tal and Milla could say or ask anything Danir vanished and appeared behind Tal and somehow conjured up shackles. Then she proceeded to chain him to where he stood.
"Wha...?" Tal began before he noticed Ramellean vanish as well and then appear behind Milla.
He then disappeared again whisking away Milla with him. Tal looked around for them and furiously asked what was going on.
"Danir what is going on? We have passed all your tests and we need to go back and sort out our own troubles. Let me loose!" Tal said demanding his freedom.
"All in good time Tal. Ramellean and I are going to give you a luxury we never had," Danir said in the tone she'd use to explain something difficult to a child.
"What? What exactly does that mean? Are you going to chain me up for all eternity?" Tal exaggerated.
His patience was thin and any moment he'd lose total control and call the beast.
"Tal calm down, I'll explain just listen to me. I never had the chance to have a true Icecarl wedding as it was frowned upon and I just want one of my daughters to have the privilege that I never had," Danir explained calming Tal a little.
"What exactly are you saying? Milla and I are going to get married? Icecarl fashion?" Tal said confused but no longer hostile.
"Yes," Danir said "You are taking this news rather well. I don't think the shackles are necessary now," she continued in a light and happy tone and waved her hand making the shackles disappear.
Tal rubbed his wrists and thought it was a little too much and decided to voice his feelings however unimportant they were now.
"You know you should have just told me, there was no need to chain me," Tal said although Danir wasn't listening instead she seemed to be listening somewhere else.
"Ramellean has just finished explaining what is happening to Milla and I think it's safe to let you see each other now," Danir said about to vanish but then stopped mid fade.
"Wait I almost forgot. Do you wish to fight with one of our weapons or do you want to use the sunstone?" Danir asked.
"What?" Tal asked confused.
"It's a simple do you want to use a sunstone or a sword or an axe or a bow you know Icecarl weapons?" Danir asked as if what she was saying was obvious.
"Um...my sunstone will do," Tal said uncertainly.
"Good," Danir said and smiled as she faded.
Danir materialised a moment later in the ceiling in a mirage like window with Ramellean and Milla at her side. Tal looked puzzled and wondered what they were doing in the ceiling when he noticed Milla pointing frantically at something. Tal followed her pointing and stared shocked at what faced him. A few stretches away a portcullis was open and the something was shuffling its way out from it. As it hit the light of the torches that surrounded the room Tal gasped as he recognised it to be the same thing Milla and he had fought long ago. It was the one eyed Merwin and it did not look happy. It shuffled forward further into the light and was almost upon Tal when it stopped. A bright collar flared into life and when it hit the center of the circular room it growled in frustration as it could go no further.
"Great...Typical Icecarl wedding...always fighting even on their wedding..." Tal muttered and readied his sunstone.
"What's taking him so long?" Milla wondered.
"Be patient my daughter, they'll be along soon, I can feel it," Danir said her voice echoing through the circular room.
Milla looked around and was taking note of every detail she could lest she needed to defend herself in this place. The room was a large round room with many portcullises and a mysterious black opening that Milla didn't dare go near. She had a funny feeling about it and if there was one thing she did trust herself about, it was the fact that her instincts were usually always right.
"What are you thinking about Milla?" Danir asked trivially.
"You know what I think, ancestor," Milla replied shortly as she neared another noise emit from one of the gateways.
"Relax Milla, I know when will be let out as it will be on my command," Danir said casually with a dismissive wave.
Milla whirled on this new revelation and started her predicable line of questioning.
"What do you mean when you say they and by my command?" Milla asked getting suspicious.
"I'll explain when Tal gets here; it'd be much easier if I explain once and thoroughly than in bits and pieces," Danir said moving to face the mysterious dark opening.
Danir's eyes glowed brightly like a Crones' and they seemed to penetrate the darkness as she seemed intent on what was happening. Milla peered into the gloom but saw nothing. Her only indications of the happenings inside the darkness was Danir's facial expressions and they worried Milla as she saw the flickering of emotions ripple across her ancestors face. Milla couldn't take the suspense anymore and had to ask what was happening.
"Ancestor what's going on? Is it bad or good for us?" Milla asked sword already half way out.
Danir's eyes dimmed and returned to their normal ethereal glow.
"It looks like we'll be having company soon," Danir said happily and moved off to the center of the room.
Milla was about to ask when she heard a noise and whirled to meet it with a sword in hand. Milla sheathed the sword immediately as she saw who it was. Tal came tumbling out of the darkness falling head over heels and his great ancestor came through as well although he walked through plainly.
"Tal!" Milla yelled in relief and rushed to help him up.
"Milla? Is that you? I can only see stars now," Tal said getting up slowly with Milla's help.
"What happened to you?" Milla asked concerned she had already summoned a blue glow of healing from her sunstone.
"It's okay I'm fine I just need to regain my sight just let me be for a few minutes,"
"Tal what happened?" Milla insisted getting more worried at Tal's slackness.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After freeing himself from the rubble, Tal and Ramellean his great ancestor moved off quickly in the only available exit. The fear of another so called attack from a statue would be most disconcerting to Tal right now as he had just managed to escape death once again. Soon they had made their way to a wall in the road and Ramellean, however casual about it, identified the wall to be a Veil of some sort.
"What should we do now?" Tal asked his guide.
"Go through it of course, what else?" he replied.
"I don't know how large this Veil is how long do I need to hold my breath?" Tal asked thinking practically.
"I don't know and neither will you until you try but I'm pretty sure that there's air in there,"
Tal shrugged and stopped thinking, he trusted Ramellean as he always seemed to be right. Tal took a last breath before plunging into the darkness before him. Tal was smothered in darkness and as usual the crushing feeling of the Veil pressed in on Tal. He had expected this feeling and was ready for it but what he wasn't ready for was the unexpected slide show of his past, present and future. The images rolled past him in a blur. In the Veil nothing could be seen, heard, smelt or tasted but Tal definitely broke that rule and as the images played on the 'walls' Tal realised how mundane and non existent rules were in his current place. Tal moved on through the Veil stepping forward diligently ignoring the images of his birth and his adventures in Aenir which took up most of the good parts of his life. Curiously Tal looked at one of the images and saw Milla pressing her blade to his throat in Aenir. Tal could feel the burn of her anger and the bitterness of her sorrow which took him by surprise. Tal stopped to watch history repeat itself. The quick thumb jabs had just put Tal to sleep. Milla ran off while Odris remained and spoke with Adras until finally she went after her new companion.
Tal looked away as the images went blurred again as if fast forwarding the more boring bits of his life. Then it stopped again but Tal pressed on knowing he'd feel old feelings that he had forgotten but then something made him turn his head once again and this time Tal stayed put long enough to feel dread and worry form in his stomach. The two feelings he hated the most next to fear.
A little girl played with a Chosen crystal ball. Tal watched the girl play and smiled as he felt a wave of happiness wash over him. The happy little girl looked much like a person he knew. The images blurred again but only for a moment as the next image flicked into life. The small girl was now running happily through a corridor, Violet halls by the look of it. She then stopped at what were now Tal's bedroom chambers. The girl burst into the chambers as if she were rightfully able to and moved off to find something or someone as Tal noticed that she was calling to someone.
That someone came. Tal stared fixedly at the person who stood in the doorway to his bathroom and realization floated into his mind more than surprise did. It was him but Tal was older and somehow happier. The girl smiled and as she did Tal was hit with more déjà vu, where had he seen that smile before? Just then a knock at the door and the girl spun and a broader smile came to her face. She ran to the door and jumped into the open and expectant arms of what Tal presumed was her mother. The image slowly crept up from the smiling girl to the face of the woman she was hugging and surprise now hit Tal as he realised it was Milla!
Tal stopped watching as weirdness crept over him and proceeded to walk again. Once again the images blurred and eventually faded for a few minutes leaving Tal to assume many things about what he saw. If his assumptions were correct then the girl was his daughter and her mother was Milla. Tal shuddered at how weird the idea was but then he started to consider the possibility and strangely enough he came to feel as if he somehow expected as much.
Just then the images reappeared and started to spin around him making him dizzy. Memories randomly stood out and played themselves as they separated themselves from the whirlwind of blurred images. Tal couldn't take it anymore as he felt that he was being choked by regrettable things he had done. When Tal tried to press forward he was hit by an image that physically hurt him as well as emotionally pounding his feelings. One memory that hurt him a lot was recent memory of being crushed by the news of Milla's leaving. Tal had tried to forget the hurt but it surfaced once more unconsciously. Tal was bashed again and again by similar memories which opened long buried hurts. Tal felt like he was being cut but not physically. The images provoked pain like a hot knife going through him. He couldn't take it as past ghosts came back to haunt him so he summoned up as much strength as he could and barged straight at the memory wall and with sheer will power tumbled through the hurricane.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tal's sight slowly returned along with his senses. Milla watched him and wondered why he was acting so strangely and was about to shake him out of what ever trance he was in when suddenly he stood up and embraced her tightly.
"Milla it's good to see you again. I have been on the most challenging trial ever, what about you?" Tal asked not noticing Milla's weird glances.
"It's also nice to see you Tal but I must ask is everything alright? I feel as though you are on the edge of breaking up?" Milla asked worriedly.
"You have no idea," Tal said and went into a garble of events that didn't make any sense until he summarized.
Basically I went through the most emotionally and mentally challenging tests I have ever gone through in my entire life! Oh and did you know that our ancestors actually went through the same thing.
Milla nodded and added her own summary.
"I know. I too have found many revelations that were disturbing at first but it did explain many things. I've been through many trails in my life but none such as shocking as the ones I faced," Milla said bringing Tal into a hug "Although they were worth going through if it meant being in your arms again,"
"I agree," Tal said lifting Milla's chin to place a soft yet relief filled kiss on her lips.
Milla surrendered to it and returned Tal's kiss with her own relief and as Tal's tongue breeched her lips Milla welcomed it willingly feeling the warmth it provided. They parted after a few moments as it dawned on them that there was still work to be done and they were wasting time.
Together they looked for their ancestors and found them in a similar stance as they were, together hand in hand.
"Are we free to go? We have passed all the Trials and we have urgent business to attend to," Tal asked being the Emperor he was.
"You have one more Trial to pass, and we must say it's not really a trial but more of a rite of passage," Danir said casually and smiled mischievously.
Before Tal and Milla could say or ask anything Danir vanished and appeared behind Tal and somehow conjured up shackles. Then she proceeded to chain him to where he stood.
"Wha...?" Tal began before he noticed Ramellean vanish as well and then appear behind Milla.
He then disappeared again whisking away Milla with him. Tal looked around for them and furiously asked what was going on.
"Danir what is going on? We have passed all your tests and we need to go back and sort out our own troubles. Let me loose!" Tal said demanding his freedom.
"All in good time Tal. Ramellean and I are going to give you a luxury we never had," Danir said in the tone she'd use to explain something difficult to a child.
"What? What exactly does that mean? Are you going to chain me up for all eternity?" Tal exaggerated.
His patience was thin and any moment he'd lose total control and call the beast.
"Tal calm down, I'll explain just listen to me. I never had the chance to have a true Icecarl wedding as it was frowned upon and I just want one of my daughters to have the privilege that I never had," Danir explained calming Tal a little.
"What exactly are you saying? Milla and I are going to get married? Icecarl fashion?" Tal said confused but no longer hostile.
"Yes," Danir said "You are taking this news rather well. I don't think the shackles are necessary now," she continued in a light and happy tone and waved her hand making the shackles disappear.
Tal rubbed his wrists and thought it was a little too much and decided to voice his feelings however unimportant they were now.
"You know you should have just told me, there was no need to chain me," Tal said although Danir wasn't listening instead she seemed to be listening somewhere else.
"Ramellean has just finished explaining what is happening to Milla and I think it's safe to let you see each other now," Danir said about to vanish but then stopped mid fade.
"Wait I almost forgot. Do you wish to fight with one of our weapons or do you want to use the sunstone?" Danir asked.
"What?" Tal asked confused.
"It's a simple do you want to use a sunstone or a sword or an axe or a bow you know Icecarl weapons?" Danir asked as if what she was saying was obvious.
"Um...my sunstone will do," Tal said uncertainly.
"Good," Danir said and smiled as she faded.
Danir materialised a moment later in the ceiling in a mirage like window with Ramellean and Milla at her side. Tal looked puzzled and wondered what they were doing in the ceiling when he noticed Milla pointing frantically at something. Tal followed her pointing and stared shocked at what faced him. A few stretches away a portcullis was open and the something was shuffling its way out from it. As it hit the light of the torches that surrounded the room Tal gasped as he recognised it to be the same thing Milla and he had fought long ago. It was the one eyed Merwin and it did not look happy. It shuffled forward further into the light and was almost upon Tal when it stopped. A bright collar flared into life and when it hit the center of the circular room it growled in frustration as it could go no further.
"Great...Typical Icecarl wedding...always fighting even on their wedding..." Tal muttered and readied his sunstone.