by G L Rathweg
“It’s like a gods damned anthill down there. Well, more like a school of fish or some combination of two of the fuckers.” Billy grunted.
“Yeah, but that’s one dangerous anthill of asshats. We may have broken the monster’s power in our lands but remember, The Fallen got away and those humans down there have guns and cannons. They may not be as good as ours, but they can still kill.” I said solemnly, my mind immediately going back to my late father-in-law and our other losses.
I promised myself back then that I’d never be so flippant about my people’s lives, the consequences were life or death, literally. I shook the morbid thoughts from my mind and chose to remember the good memories about the man who gave me permission to marry his daughter and had made me a part of his tribe and family. Like the rest of The People I had learned to accept death and move on. I grieved but I didn’t let it stop me from living and I didn’t let it control my actions. Life was a part of death and death was a part of life. Besides, since I knew that the gods were real and stuff, I figured there had to be an afterlife you know?
I was quiet for the rest of the trip back and just listened to the rest of the crew talk about what we had seen with one ear while I considered the best course of action moving forward. My mind drifted back to a few nights earlier and the last time I saw my beloved fiancé, along with our supporting cast of gods and goddesses. That brought a smile to my face and I couldn’t hide it.
“Rawr?” Freak growled, looking at me with a quizzical turn of his massive grey and white kitty tiger head.
“What are you looking at you overgrown housecat?” I asked, playfully patting my massive familiar and best friend on his gigantic head. “Mind your own business.”
He huffed once when I stopped scratching him and promptly fell back to sleep. I chuckled at him and then thought about the memory once again and my beautiful but far away soon to be wife. Besides, I had to figure out a way to tell everyone that I was leaving them for a while and they’d pretty much be on their own. How the fuck was I going to do that?
TRACK 2 –
MOON FLOWER
THREE DAYS PRIOR…
“Moon Flower you have done well.” The goddess said, smiling benignly at me.
“No shit Sherlock.” I replied, using one of my fiancé’s colloquialisms.
Although, what the term meant I wasn’t quite sure but figured it was something about a guy and not being able to poop. Either way I found it amusing, especially as Hasteoltoi raised an eyebrow and gave me a quizzical look in response. I giggled and just shook my head.
“Yes, another of your fiancé’s sayings I imagine. The people of his time had way too much time on their hands. As I was saying, great job but your task is only just beginning. The defeat of the monster army here and the one Law has defeated effectively ends the monster threat for the time being. All the territory you both have conquered so far is now pacified and is yours. I would still leave some warriors as guards for the straggler monsters but for the most part it is time to consolidate your base and move on to meet with Law to discuss your plans for the future.” She explained.
“What do you mean? Is Law coming here?” I asked, excitement filling me with thoughts of seeing my man, it had been so long since we’d been together. I missed the warmth of his touch, among other things.
“No, we are going to meet him.” She said simply, then turned and walked away.
I shared a look with my sisters and then we hurried after the goddesses. Brigitte and Shakaru had gone ahead and it was minute before we caught up with the goddesses’ long strides. While they weren’t quite giants, they were each a few feet taller than us and their steps were almost two to one to ours. The goddesses were quiet as we walked through our newly made fort and all the tribe’s men and women bowed in some fashion. Chieftess Shining Eagle and Dancing Lion joined us, and we followed in silence.
We reached the rock face of the mountain the Jicarilla builders had used as the rear of the fort. Brigitte and Hasteoltoi stood to the sides of the rock face while Shakaru stood in front of a darker patch and then they began gesturing and singing in an odd language. It was beautiful and I felt like could almost understand what they were saying, but it was just out of reach. Like a mirage on the horizon or a dream you wake suddenly from but can’t quite remember.
The ground began to shake, and the rock started to split and before I knew it there was a dark portal in the rocky mountain. The goddess shook me from my musing, and I shared a look with my friends and family. Then the three goddesses headed inside, and we shrugged at each other then followed along. The inside was black at first, but Brigitte snapped her fingers and lights appeared along the rocky roof illuminating the way. It was a perfectly polished stone stairwell that led down in a curving spiral for further than I could see. The magical lights just kept going down until I couldn’t tell where they began or ended.
This proved to be an optical illusion because soon we were at the bottom of the stairwell and in a large cavern that looked like a replica of the one in the Fortress of Earth.
“This looks just like the one at home.” Dancing Lion remarked, confirming my own opinion.
“Yes dear, but look around you, this place is very different.” Chieftess Shining Eagle added, taking her own advice and looking around in wonder.
I followed the Chieftess’s lead and began scanning the area as well and then the breath caught in my throat.
“Wow…” I said softly, staring in wonder at our surroundings.
The cave was a rainbow-colored metallic light show that grabbed your attention and blasted it around the amazing area. We had places like this in our other bases but this one took the cake. There were more precious metals and gems than I could even begin to count. Along with that was an underground stream that wound around the entire cavern. The flowing water glittered in the luminous magical lighting that the goddess had conjured.
“Moon Flower are you going to join us dear?” Shakaru asked, her tone changing the question to more of a command.
I coughed and reddened a bit and hurried over to the rest of the group, which was already gathered around the megalith in the center of the cavern. My friends and family, not to mention all three goddesses shared a laugh at my expense. Whatever, I was more curious as to why my sisters and the Jicarilla Chieftess and scion weren’t as awed as I had been. Then a message appeared in my periphery and I accessed it as I approached the megalith.
THE BLACK HILLS LAKOTA STONE TABLEAU OF FIRE
MAIN MENU
AREA MAP
WORLD MAP
FIRE MAGIC WELL
(ACCESS DENIED)
I closed the window and focused on what the goddesses were saying, especially since I couldn’t use the megalith.
“Everyone is to grab hands and close their eyes. Do not say anything. We are going to head to the Astral Plane, you can think of it as the realm of the gods and goddesses.” Brigitte explained.
We did as instructed grabbing hands and Dancing Lion and I shared an excited grin then turned back to Brigitte who was speaking in that singsong voice. I still couldn’t quite make out the words, but I was used to that and just enjoyed the sound of her voice which was beautiful to hear. It was like hearing the wind and rain, the leaves blowing in the trees, or the sound of water lapping against the shore turned into a heavenly voice. It was hypnotic to say the least.
Before I knew it, I was humming along under my breath as were the rest of us except the other two goddesses who had joined in singing with Brigitte. That was the last image I saw because I had closed my eyes at some point during the singing and the darkness in my eyes had turned to a myriad of colors that were also sound. I know it sounds weird but it’s the only way to explain it. Law used to joke about something called the Colors of the Wind and I always thought he was just teasing me, now I knew what he meant.
Suddenly, the pressure dropped rapidly then the temperature became freezing cold and then burning hot in almost instantaneous succession s
haking me from my internal focus. I slowly blinked my eyes open and looked around at my friends then stopped as my body and mind froze. The cavern we had just been in was gone and now we were somewhere else, somewhere beyond amazing. We were in the realm of the gods and goddesses.
“Welcome to the Astral Plane. Be careful not to touch anything and speak to no one without one of us giving you permission. Now follow close, don’t wander off.” Hasteoltoi instructed, then turned and strode off followed by the other goddesses.
My sisters, the Chieftess, Dancing Lion, and myself stood there gaping at the new world that we found ourselves in. The first thing I noticed was the air, the space around me was just different, it was vibrant in a way that I had only experienced in my dreams.
“This ain’t fucking Kansas.” Ice Blossom said.
“It’s we aren’t in Kansas anymore. Get your idioms right.” Night Star replied, causing the four of us to grin despite of the crazy situation.
“Hurry up and don’t fall behind. There are dangerous things here if you dillydally we will leave you behind.” Shakaru called over her shoulder.
I nodded in response and began walking after them along with everyone else then I noticed Night Star wasn’t with us. I turned my head and looked back for her but didn’t see her right away. The scenery was amazing. I took a second to enjoy the puffy pink clouds, bright blue grass, and shining purple sun. Which was weird because the world didn’t look purple, it was still the same but punched up and then I saw my sister. She was crouched down a dozen feet away and was cooing to some sort of ridiculously adorable animal.
It reminded me of a cross between a cat, dog, bear, deer, and a bird. The fur was like a deer, it stood on two legs which were about a foot-high ending in hairless bird feet. It had a body like a little bear cub and a head that was a combination cat face with dog ears. I was about to walk over and join her as she was about to pet the adorable beast on the head when a hand grabbed my shoulder. I turned seeing Hasteoltoi who shook her head in the negative and motioned for me to go join the rest of our group.
“Stop!” She commanded, walking over to my sister who was reaching out to the animal but stopped halfway there and looked back at the goddess.
“I’m sorry goddess, I was just going to pet the little darling.” My sister replied.
“Quiet, don’t move a muscle or you are dead.” Hasteoltoi said softly, stopping a few feet from the pair and raising her hands placatingly at the harmless looking animal.
“You can’t be serious…” Night Star began, but Hasteoltoi cut her off with a hiss and a glare.
Then my gaze turned to the little animal which was no longer a cute and cuddly little thing. Its head had grown, and its little mouth stretched open wider and taller than my sister and the goddess combined. Then it roared so loudly my hands flew to my ears of their own accord and I watched my eyes as wide as they possibly could go. The sound was so deafening and strong that I could see the air and saliva from the monster’s massive maw blow their hair back and splash them with spittle like a storm.
“Begone!” Hasteoltoi commanded.
She gestured again to emphasis her point and the monstrous mouth closed with an audible snap and shrank back down to its normal size. The monster now adorable gain then turned and bounded away. I watched it till it disappeared into an overly florescent glowing green shrubbery. Then turned back to Hasteoltoi and my sister who had fallen to the ground on her but with a thump and a silent grunt. The goddess turned to look at her and harrumphed.
“You will not be warned again.” Hasteoltoi said, then motioned Night Star to get up and follow and the pair rejoined us in the group.
“Dumb ass.” Ice Blossom whispered.
The rest of us suppressed a chuckle and hurried off after the goddesses.
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