by Travis Pond
Luram smiled, “Well, they are...sort of.”
The servants handed out the bags and left the room. When Tureis opened his bag his jaw dropped, “What is this?”
Eammon spoke up, “That is a new lining I sewed into each of the bags.”
“It feels different. There’s an energy to it,” said Ailish.
Luram interrupted before Eammon could start and said, “That’s the brilliance of it. Sepi had an idea to line the bags with pure silver, but we couldn’t figure out how to do it. Eammon was able to take the pure silver and make it into thread. He then wove the thread into a new lining and sewed it into each of your bags.”
“Silver to line the bags? That seems different,” said Seth.
“Pure silver is the best conductor of the Matya,” Luram continued. “The Oracle has great power with the Matya. She has transferred some of her Matya and made these bags into objects of power. These bags have a sole purpose, to hold whatever is placed in them. You can store as many things in them as you need and they will never fill. Also each bag is linked to your Matya, so even if someone else finds the bag they won’t be able to open it. Only your touch will open the bag.”
Tureis bowed slightly to Luram and said, “Please tell Sepi thank you from all of us. She has done us a great honor giving us these bags. They will be a great help on the journey.” Tureis turned and bowed slightly to Eammon and said, “Eammon, thank you. Your skills truly are amazing!”
“There is one other thing,” Luram interrupted. “These bags only work with your Matya. It is your Matya that opens the bag and gives you access to the contents.” He turned to Braon and bowed and said, “Braon, because you do not have an activated Matya, these bags will not work for you. For that I am very sorry.”
Braon sat back in his chair and folded his arms, his mouth forming a straight line and his eyes hardening in their gaze. He slightly waved a hand as if to dismiss the comment and said quietly, “That’s ok.”
Everyone except Braon returned to the sitting room following the meal, still marveling at the great gift they had received from the Oracle. Ailish looked at Eammon and asked, “Will it really hold as much as I can put into it?”
Eammon started to laugh, “Oh yes it will. After Sepi transferred the Matya, I had to learn how they worked. Inside my bag are more tools than I had in all of the blacksmith shop in Kurith.” Eammon held up his bag and it appeared empty like the rest of them.
He opened his bag and reached inside, closed his eyes and waited a moment. When he removed his hand he was holding a large bellows. He put the bellows back into the bag and closed it. “It’s really easy to operate. You simply open the bag and place your hand inside focusing on what you want. Then you open your hand and wait. Within a moment, whatever it is you want will suddenly be in your hand. It’s that simple.”
“We can carry everything we need in one bag, and it won’t be heavy?” asked Seth. “This is wonderful. How did you make the thread out of silver?”
Eammon chuckled, “That wasn’t easy. Maybe someday I’ll show you how I did it.”
After getting comfortable with the operation of their bags, they each departed into the sleeping quarters to pack and get some rest. This would likely be the last night to sleep in a comfortable bed for a while.
Chapter 21
- Gifts -
The sunrise over the mountains to the east was as beautiful a sunrise as Tureis could remember. He had awaken early, before the rest of the group, to spend some time by himself to think and enjoy the quiet beauty of the morning. Nearly a week ago, he’d found this place by accident as he explored the area around Saxon. A half mile past the main part of town, the trees cleared to reveal a majestic snow covered mountain peak. Admiring the beauty of the snow covered peak, Tureis sat atop a small hill on the edge of a cliff overlooking a large field of purple and yellow that extended all the way to the base of the tall mountain. The sunrise in the mountains around Saxon was a beauty unparallelled anywhere he had ever been and something he wanted to always remember.
Entering Saxon, Tureis saw that the horses were already saddled and ready for the upcoming journey. After a grand breakfast, Tureis finished packing his bag with the last of the things he had been given by Luram. Luram had been very generous, providing the group with large amounts of food and other supplies for the journey ahead. As he stood to leave, Luram entered the room and bowed. “Tureis,” he said. “The Oracle would like to meet one last time with you, Seth and Ailish.”
This caught Tureis off guard as he thought Sepi had already said her goodbyes the night before. “Where shall we meet her?” he asked.
“She will meet you in the room at the base of the tower,” replied Luram. Then he turned and left the room.
Tureis went outside and found Seth and Ailish tending to their horses. Together the three of them approached the Oracles tower for a final meeting. The door at the base of the tower was open, and as they entered they noticed a door adjacent to the spiral staircase sitting open with light spilling out. Together they approached the door and entered.
This room was smaller than the round room at the top of the tower, but it had just as much light coming in through several large windows along the back side of the tower. The furnishings were similar to the large upper room, the colors a light peach and blue. As they entered the room, Sepi sat on one of the peach colored couches in the center of the room.
Upon seeing them enter, Sepi stood, inviting them to join her. They walked across the room and she motioned for them to sit in the chairs across from her. As they sat, it was obvious Sepi had something on the couch next to her covered by a white blanket. Instinctively their eyes focused on the blanket wondering what it could be hiding. Sensing their curiosity, Sepi placed her hand on the blanket and smiled. “Thank you for coming to meet me one last time,” she said.
Tureis raised his eyes from the blanket and looked at Sepi. “It is our pleasure,” he said. “What can we do for you?”
Sepi smiled and took in a breath. “Actually, it’s what I can do for you,” she said. She’d already done so much for them. She had helped them train and gave them guidance with their Matya, not to mention the amazing bags she had given them.
“I have a gift for two of you before you depart,” said Sepi. “Tureis has already been given some objects of power that can assist on your journey, the sphere and the book.” Both of them nodded their understanding as Tureis had already shared with them the knowledge of the book and the sphere.
“However,” Sepi continued. “The two of you, I feel, also need something to help you as well.” She reached under the blanket and removed a leather quiver that held a single crossbow bolt.
She removed the solitary bolt from the quiver and held it out to Ailish. Ailish looked at the bolt with awe. The bolt was unlike any she’d ever seen. The shaft was a glossy black metal. One end of the bolt had metal fletch and the other end displayed a very shiny, round pointed tip. As Ailish reached out and took the bolt, she could feel an energy in the shaft that appeared to be stronger in the tip. She was also surprised at how light it felt. She turned the bolt over in her hands examining it closely, amazed at the quality of craftsmanship.
As Ailish examined the bolt, Sepi explained, “This bolt, as you can feel, is an object of power. The tip is made of pure silver and holds a powerful Matya.” Ailish looked up, speechless; she just continued turning the bolt over and over in her hand.
“This bolt is a one of a kind,” said Sepi. “It has been given a specific purpose. This bolt can never be lost, as it will always return to you, so long as you never lose the quiver.”
“What do you mean when you say it will always return?” asked Ailish.
“This bolt is designed to return to this quiver each and every time you shoot it,” said Sepi. “After it hits its target, the bolt will immediately return
to the quiver, ready to be shot again. The bolt should never become damaged and will always remain sharp.” Sepi paused for a moment to let the information sink in. “One thing it won’t do is guide itself. You will use your own Matya for that, and the bolt will respond to you better than any other bolt ever has.”
Feeling excitement rising within her, Ailish asked, “So what you’re saying is that if I use my Matya to guide the shot, I won’t miss?”
“You shouldn’t miss is a better way to say it,” corrected Sepi. “If you become distracted and lose your focus you may miss. But the bolt will return regardless of where you shoot or what you hit.”
Understanding crossed her face and she smiled as she placed the bolt back into its quiver. “Thank you,” said Ailish as she bowed her head.
Next, Sepi turned her attention to Seth and smiled. Her voice was calm and direct as she said, “Seth, your fighting skills are becoming advanced quickly and I feel you ability to strategize will exceed your fathers. To help you along this journey and beyond, I want you to have this.”
Sepi removed the blanket to reveal a sword inside a dark tanned smooth leather scabbard. The outside was adorned with ornate designs along its length. The belt attached to the scabbard was also made of fine leather, tanned a dark brown, matching the scabbard, and adorned with a pure silver buckle.
Sepi held the sword and scabbard flat in both hands and presented it to Seth. Seth accepted the sword, admiring the decorated scabbard and the silver buckle. He then removed the sword from the scabbard and felt a great power. The hilt was made of high quality steel inlaid with gold throughout the grip and cross guard and the pommel was made of pure silver. The blade was razor sharp and made of the highest quality steel.
Seth stood holding the sword in both hands. “I can feel the power it contains,” he said.
Sepi stood and moved next to Seth. “This is an old sword, made a long time ago,” she said. “The history of the sword is rather unclear, but the legend says, it was made by a person very powerful in the Matya, possibly one of the ancient Kings. Unfortunately, no one is sure.”
Seth continued holding it, staring ahead, his eyes focusing on a blank wall. “When I hold it… I don’t know… it’s different,” he said and continued to stare straight ahead.
“That’s the power of the sword,” said Sepi. “When you wield it in battle, it allows you to see what’s about to happen. The sword acts to slow down the battle in your mind allowing you to sense what is about to happen and react in advance.”
“That must be what I am feeling,” said Seth, still holding the sword and staring at the wall. “I will need to practice to understand how this works. The sensation is amazing.”
Finally after another minute he lowered the sword and placed it back in its scabbard. “There is another thing,” Sepi continued. “The sword will work with your Matya, enhancing your abilities to fight. The sword will guide you. You need to learn to trust your Matya as it interacts with the sword and follow its lead. If you can become one with the sword, trusting it and your Matya, you will be a very hard opponent to beat.”
“We don’t know who made it, but I can still trust it?” asked Seth.
“Trust me when I tell you that you can indeed trust the sword,” answered Sepi. “If you search, over time you may be able to learn more about the history, confirming its legend. The one thing I do know and can tell you is the sword has a legendary name. Whether it is the actual name or not I do not know. But as long as I have known about this sword I have known it to be called Faithkeeper.”
“Faithkeeper,” repeated Seth with reverence. Even as he said it, he felt the power inside respond to the name as he held it in his hands.
“Use it well,” said Sepi. “It will help you prepare to one day take your father’s sword. His sword is the most powerful sword in existence, as far as I know. A person can’t just hold his sword, even if he is King. He must have very powerful Matya combined with a desire to use it for only good to truly wield the sword.”
Seth became silent as he knew all to well that his father’s sword was not a sword that anyone could just touch. He had no desire to touch that sword again any time soon, but if Sepi said that someday it would be his, he needed to prepare and he trusted that Faithkeeper would help him.
“It is time for you to be off,” said Sepi. “One word of caution. Be careful who you decide to share the knowledge about your objects of power. They are not tied directly to you and can be stolen and used by anyone. Keep them safe and guard them well, and they will not let you down.”
The three of them bowed, thanking Sepi again for her help and generosity before turning to leave. Seth placed the sword in his bag for now, as he likely wouldn’t need it until leaving Saxon. Ailish placed her quiver on her back with the bolt in its place. Together, they walked back to their horses and prepared to leave.
When they returned to the horses, they found Eammon attempting to push Luram away. “Thank you Luram. You have been too generous,” said Eammon as he pushed Luram away attempting to stop Luram from giving him a package.
“It’s the least I can do to show you my appreciation,” replied Luram, trying again to give Eammon the package.
Reluctantly, Eammon took the package and held up his hand to stop Luram, “If I accept this will you stop giving me things?” asked Eammon.
“Agreed. Thank you again. You’ve been a tremendous help,” said Luram as he stepped away to check on the horses.
Seth leaned over to Eammon and asked in a hushed tone, “What did you do for him?”
Eammon laughed and said, “Oh nothing all that great. I just showed Luram how to spin thread out of pure silver and then I built him a loom to weave the silver thread.”
“Wow. That’s impressive!” said Seth.
Smiling, Eammon said, “He wants to make himself a bag to help him with his responsibilities. He’s pretty excited. Keeps trying to give me gifts. He already gave me lots of tools for blacksmithing and woodworking as well as other odds and ends. I think that’s plenty.”
When it looked as though everyone was ready to go, Tureis turned to Luram and bowed. He said, “Thank you for all your hospitality. And thank you for all the food and supplies you’ve given us for our journey.”
Luram bowed back and said, “You are welcome here anytime. Good luck on your journey and I wish you good fortune and safety in your travels.”
They mounted their horses and rode out of Saxon. As they left the town they turned north. Luram had told them the path to Zummot led north across the Geen Valley and through Susdiac Mountain. They followed the path across the Geen Valley, traveling through fields of wildflowers.
As the flowers ended they arrived at the entrance to a canyon at the base of Susdiac Mountain. “It’s late in the day,” said Seth. “What if we camp here for the night and travel through the mountain tomorrow?”
“Luram said the path through Susdiac Mountain takes a full day on horseback,” added Ailish. “If we start early in the morning we can be in Zummot by sundown tomorrow.”
“I agree,” said Tureis. “Let’s set up camp for the night. We’ll leave early in the morning.” After a delicious meal made by Eammon, they settled in for the night.
In the morning, after breakfast, they struck camp and prepared to depart. Today they would travel through Susdiac Mountain on a path that wound its way through and around the mountain. The other end of the trail would bring them to the edges of the Kingdom of Zummot. From there they planned to travel to the city of Purromp.
The Kingdom of Zummot sits in a large valley high in the Cossack Mountains; higher even than the Kingdom of Thaven. On top of the largest hill at the north end of the valley, nestled up against the sheer rock face of the mountain, sits the castle of King Hamish, known as Droskyn Fortress.
The remaining cities of Zummot are to the south
and down from Droskyn Fortress. The entire kingdom was built on a hill, with all the cities spread out below the fortress. This established a tactical advantage as all the people in the kingdom lived directly below the fortress, making all would be attackers pass through the other villages and cities on their way to the fortress. In addition, all attackers would be running up hill.
Their current destination is the town of Purromp, a border town with the Kingdom of Galaera. Purromp sits at the edge of the Gauldon Forest and is inhabited mostly by mercenaries, ruffians and criminals. There are no laws enforced in Purromp and if there are any disagreements, they are settled by those involved in the disagreement. The general rule in Purromp is to take care of yourself and try not to upset anyone or risk losing your head.
They packed up their gear and supplies, mounted their horses and began on the path through Susdiac Mountain. The trail wound up and down through thick forests and beautiful large valleys. Towards the end of the path they came to a very narrow canyon with steep sides. Here they stopped for a meal before continuing through the canyon. As they sat on rocks at the edge of the valley eating their meal, Ailish said, “This has to be some of the most beautiful country I’ve ever seen.”
“I would agree. The canyon ahead doesn’t look as nice though,” said Eammon as he gestured to a narrow canyon straight ahead.
“According to Luram, when we enter the canyon we’re out of the Oracles domain,” said Tureis. “This canyon leads to Zummot and will come out slightly to the west of Purromp.”
“Past this point, we could meet any sort of unsavory characters,” said Braon. “We will need to be ready for anything. I suggest we prepare ourselves with weapons just to be safe.”
Ailish opened her bag and removed a beautiful new crossbow she had obtained from Luram. The stock was made from black walnut and had a long leather sling attached. The bow was made of steel. She patted her side, under her cloak, feeling the single bolt in its quiver. She placed the attached sling around her neck and adjusted the crossbow to be out of sight.