AUTHORS NOTES

Archer1eye: Something like a flashbang ;-) No devouring light, but an alternative that wizards had never had access to.
Can Shard get drunk? Short answer: No. She doesn't get tired or drunk or sick in the usual human sense. Her energy does not come from a human source. However, having said that, should she use too much energy too quickly then her reaction will be translated into human equivalents. Deities acting childish…. Perhaps a deity of innocence or children? You're making me think of… an Edding series now.
Now cliffhangers… no, no I can't. When I get around to combining, editing and adding it'll all be one bigger chapter, but for smaller quicker chapters I can't resist at all :)

Chapter 62

20th Day of Middle Spring 768 n.c

When my vision returned and despite the blue dots that still filled my view, I looked down at the staff and gasped in amazement.

The runes were pulsing with a dull blue glow that seemed to get dimmer with each pulse. I looked up at Malkarov and Shard, who were both rubbing their eyes.

"What did I do?" I asked.

Malkarov frowned at my staff, "you've powered it. That's exactly how an enchantment behaves when you first power it."

I looked between the two of them, shaking my head, "but I didn't."

"You must have," Malkarov said, "it's active."

"Where did indirithalianthikaris go?" Shard asked, pointing at the staff.

She was right. Where the alien rune sat previously, now rested a strange sigil; a filled circle inside another unfilled circle. While most of the runes pulsed in a regular pattern, this symbol pulsed in it's negative. When the scheme was lit, it was dark and vice versa.

"What is that?" Shard asked, holding out her hand, "may I?"

I held the staff out to her and she licked a finger before placing it directly onto the sigil. Her eyes rolled up, displaying only their whites, but she remained sitting. Her tongue poked out between her lips in the corner of her mouth. I couldn't help but smile at that. Malkarov was watching her intently, obviously trying to figure out what she was doing.

I saw her tongue retreat back into her mouth first, then she blinked and her eyes were looking straight into mine. She looked shocked.

"It's a Godsmark," she whispered.

"A Godsmark?" Malkarov asked, surprised.

"Every deity has its own Godsmark; it's own sigil, seal or symbol," Shard explained, "the Major Powers Godsmarks are all very very similar but all of the minor deities are individualistic to what they represent. If I draw a circle then it's a representation of Mithras. It's still just a circle, but a symbol for Mithras. But when Mithras draws it herself, then it's her Godsmark."

"So…" Malkarov began, "are you saying that a God has come down here and interfered? Leaving their Godsmark?"

Shard nodded, "that's exactly what I'm saying. A God has come here tonight and left their Godsmark as a link to power this rune scheme. This staff is now a direct link to a God."

Malkarov and I both looked at each other in shock but when I looked back at Shard, she just looked confused and… worried? She still looked afraid.

"What's wrong?" I asked her, reaching out to place my hand on her leg. She just looked at me in disbelief.

"Which God?" Malkarov asked.

Shard looked over at him and just blinked.

"Which God?" He asked again.

She just shook her head. With another blink she finally opened her mouth, "no God. This Godsmark doesn't exist, but at the same time it is a Godsmark. I don't understand. It's… It's too similar to Mithras and Tenebrae's Godsmarks, it can't be a coincidence."

"What are their Godsmarks?" I asked.

She nodded, "The Major Power's Godsmarks are all very very similar. Celestine's is an open circle with radiant lines at the top, bottom and sides with shorter lines between each of them. Luna's Godsmark is an open circle with the same lines pointing inwards, so that the circle is divided into eight parts; one for each phase. Mithras' Godsmark is an open circle by itself and Tenebrae's is a closed circle for darkness. The Minor Gods do not use circles as their Godsmarks in this way, nothing even close."

We sat in silence for a while, I rubbed Shard's leg to comfort her… or to comfort me, I suppose. The little bit of contact seemed to help me at least. I wondered what it all meant and I was at a loss. A God had interfered, but it was a God that didn't exist? Could Shard be wrong? Could it be Tenebrae interfering? Tenebrae and Mithras? What did it mean?

"Well then girls," Malkarov said, breaking the silence with a start, "we're obviously not going to uncover this secret tonight, best to get to bed and get some sleep. Maybe we can ask around with some experts, a priest perhaps?"

Shard actually shot him a withering look that he shrank back from, "not that you're not an expert," he backtracked, "but you know, someone else might have different avenues of investigation, perhaps?"

Shard looked at him shrewdly, before nodding and rising from the bed. She handed me my staff back, which I took carefully.

"No need to worry, love," she said, "it's not going to explode. Whoever interfered did you a favour. It's now powered much stronger than any mortal could make it."

We returned to our room and changed for bed (me physically and Shard magically), before we climbed under the clovers.

I kissed her gently, which she returned.

"Please," she whispered, "just hold me."

"Of course," I whispered in return. She smiled at me and rolled over so that I could wrap her up from behind.

"I'm…" she whispered, "I'm scared Sharein. I'm very scared."

I did all that I could then, I held her tighter until she fell asleep.

—-

21st Day of Middle Spring 768 n.c

—-

I didn't wake as early as I usually would, but I still woke before Shard. I lay there smiling at her as she slept peacefully, calmly. She didn't look scared or worried at all, but I knew that once she woke, that would change. I wanted to save her from that for as long as I could.

I saved her from that for barely long enough to finish that thought as a knock echoed throughout the room.

"Are you girls awake?" Malkarov called through the door, "time to get ready to go."

"Good morning," Shard said in her usually bright and cheerful self and I gave her a quick kiss.

"I didn't get much time," she said to me, "but Tenebrae doesn't know who left their mark either. She has no idea."

She sat up and freed my arm in the process, I got up and went to use the chamber pot.

"I'll head back to my altar for now love," Shard said.

"You could probably stay if you wanted, you could ride behind me on Aloise horse?" I offered.

"You need your time with your Master," she said with a smile, "and I have work to do. Call me tonight, or sooner if you need me?"

I nodded with a smile. We whispered, "I love you," to each other simultaneously before she disappeared.

I continued to get ready and once complete I left my room and checked Malkarov's. It was empty, so I headed downstairs to find him in the common room.

"Good morning!" He said, "did you both sleep well?"

"Once Shard fell asleep," I said, "she was very worried last night."

He nodded and gestured to the bartender, "Goodman Markko here has had his kitchen staff pack us some food for the road."

He hefted his pack, "are you ready to go?"

I gripped my staff, pack on my back and sword on my hip; nodding to him, I said, "ready."

Goodman Markko spoke up as we left the Inn, "Sir, miss?"

We both turned around to see what he wanted, "begging your pardon, but is the other little miss coming down to go with you?"

"She's already left," I told him with a smile as we walked out the door.

Our horses were already saddled and once we were mounted and on our way, Malkarov handed me a chunk of bread and a waterskin. We munched as we departed Traedalish.

We crossed over the River Iska just as we left sight of Traedalish, with our surroundings becoming more wooded once again.

"Iskashire," Malkarov informed me, saying it as all one word, "still in Iskar District. Up ahead, in a little bit, we will come across Iskashire Castle, the home of the Baron Iskar."

We talked about enchantments and potion brewing as we rode, with Malkarov quizzing me on ingredient properties and their interactions with each other.

As predicted, we did indeed come across Iskashire Castle before midday. It was an imposing castle, high walled and well defended. Towers with siege weapons were positioned at equal distances along it's walls.

"South-West of Iskar," Malkarov said as we rode closer, "is the Baronocracy of Oscura and beyond that is the Barrier Pass. The gap between the East and West Barrier Mountains through which the Orcs invade. As such, the Baron Iskar's over the years have constantly upgraded their castle's defences. It's not as impressive as the New Oscura Castle... or Castlemere, but it is very defensible."

We didn't stop, however, but instead continued along the road past the castle. The woods had changed to farmlands as we rode closer and I paid attention to the people working in the fields. I wondered if Father and my brother's were out in the fields at that moment, working hard just as those farmers were.

Malkarov passed me some dried sausage, cheese and bread once we had passed the castle and I ate as we rode. We stopped occasionally to stretch and toilet, but only long enough to do what was necessary.

Early in the afternoon, long after the farmlands had changed to woods and then the woods to rocky, grassy hills; we came across a small mining village. Seven or eight scattered houses made up the village, around a large mine entrance in the side of a hill. People were milling about the mine entrance, people were wailing with grief. Somewhere a baby cried, it's cry continued unheeded.

Malkarov gestured towards the mine entrance and we rode closer. Nobody was paying attention to us, everyone was focussed on the mine. It wasn't until we got very close that someone turned around in fright. Without saying anything to us he scurried through the crowd, pushing his way through. Every person he pushed turned to say something to him, but quieted when they saw us. The man in the dirty smock shook the shoulder of another man, slightly better dressed and gestured back to us. This man made his way through the crowd towards us.

"The Wizard Malkarov of Easthaven at your service," Malkarov introduced himself before the man could even open his mouth.

"Never before have I seen so welcome a sight good wizard!" The man declared loudly, "I am Gar, headman of the village of Isk."

"What worries the village of Isk?" Malkarov asked.

"Less than a candlemark ago, our miners broke through into a large chamber. We're a copper mine, you see, and they were following a seam. Before the dust had even cleared, something came out of the chamber and snatched the miners, dragging them deeper into the darkness," the headman explained, wringing his hands, "I was just about to send word to the Castle in the hopes that the Baron would send some soldiers. I know that we aren't Easthaven, but we would be forever in your debt if you could help us."

Malkarov smiled at the man, "Of course headman Gar, of course."

He gestured towards a wooden hitch near the mine entrance and we tied our horses up there. We left our packs and I left my staff, but Malkarov brought his. Some small things he did take out of his pack however, placing them into his belt pouches. He unstrapped the length of rope from my pack and slipped it over my head and shoulders to rest uncomfortably across my chest diagonally.

The headman offered us torches, but Malkarov just smiled and shook his head. He looked at me pointedly and I immediately cast dancing lights. The villages gasped and stepped back in shock. I sent my light forward into the mine and we made our way down into it's depths.