The Third Sign

by Scott D. Muller

  Tax shifted his position on the pillow, feeling mildly embarrassed that he had taken advantage of her hospitality. His parents had raised him better than that.

  “Now then, bein’ as you’re rested, why don’t you tell me about this third sign ye told the lads about.”

  Tax’s eyes got wide. “Not really all that much to tell. There are no children in the Keep anymore, as you know. Next day, I hear about a baby that came through the gate, un-summoned, and ye know what that’ll be meaning! Next day, I got to see the lad and he weren’t no baby, not even close. I’d say he was five or six. He called Ja’tar his uncle, and we both know that just ain’t possible. And ye know what was the strangest thing? He was a talkin’ like he was an adult. That ain’t natural, ain’t natural at all.”

  “Ye done good,” she said, with a nod, patting his hand. “I must say I’ve been expecting this for a while now. I felt the disturbance in the magic back a few weeks ago, I just didn’t know what was gonna come of it.”

  “Didn’t know?” Tax asked, slightly astonished.

  The Seer cackled, “Now then, we Seers don’t know everything, in spite of what everyone thinks. Bah! Ye hear me? Sometimes we sees things and sometimes we don’t. Everyone sees different things. Do you understand?”

  Tax didn’t understand at all, but he nodded anyway.

  The Seer snorted. She knew that Tax wasn’t really comprehending what she was saying, but that didn’t matter none. He’d understand in time. “I have several sisters. Maybe one of them has the sight for this better than I do.”

  Tax understood that. What was it she said? Everyone has a different gift. He wondered what his gift was. He snorted, betting he didn’t have a gift, didn’t have one at all! That was his luck. Stupid halfling Tax don’t have no gift!

  “Now then,” she said. “I have some work to do. Ye can stay if ye want or you can go to the next room. If ye stay, it’s best for you to be keeping yer head down and not be seeing too much. People shouldn’t be knowing too much about the paths their future could be taking. Know what I mean? So, can you do that for me?”

  Tax looked on in horror, put his head down on the pillow and covered it with another.

  She grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled the pillow back. “Ye can watch the first part if ye wish ... but when I tell ye to close yer eyes, you do as I say right then and there,” she said forcefully.

  Tax nodded and watched as she began to chant and howl. The whole room seemed to reverberate and pulse to the sound of her voice. Tax felt his eyes watering and he wiped them with the sleeve of his jacket.

  The Seer tossed some powder from a clay jar sitting next to the pool into the center of an incense burner. The powder flashed and filled the room with its thick, sickening sweet aroma.

  “I’m cleansing the spirits away ...” she mumbled before she continued her work.

  Tax thought he saw shadows climbing the cave walls, but figured it was just his mind playing tricks on him.

  She lit a sprig of white sage and danced, if you could call it that, around the room chanting. When she returned, she lit another sprig of sweetgrass and repeated the process. The sweat was dripping from her face as she worked, cleansing the room of evil and summoning the spirits of before—before time, before Ror, before the times of magic.

  She leaned over and whispered into his ear, “Ye need to close yer eyes now. Ignore anything ye hear, and I’ll be telling ye when it’s safe to open them again.”

  Tax quickly put his head down, covering it with a soft pillow, and clenched his eyes shut.

  The Seer sat down in front of the shallow pool of water and set her hand into the water. The pool turned into a mirror, reflecting everything in the room. She picked up the dice and threw them into the pool. Instead of sinking, they tumbled and spun upward, stacking themselves one on top of another. Tax peaked out from under the pillow, eyes wide.

  “Eyes down,” she bellowed, cuffing him in the head.

  Tax shuddered and pulled the pillow tight.

  She leaned over the dais, stared at the pattern, and mumbled to herself. “That’s not possible,” she said, out loud. “Not expecting that, no, no. Huh! Never saw that coming.”

  Tax heard the dice tumble to the platter where she picked them up and then after adding the crystals to the mix, tossed them into the swirling pool again.

  “Inconceivable. Bah! That cannot be,” she screamed, standing tall and stomped her feet. She threw her arms out and cried to the heavens, “Ye can’t be changing yer mind about me all the time.”

  Tax didn’t know who she was talking to and squeezed his eyes shut tighter.

  She scooped the dice up a third time and tossed them again, she moved closer. Tax caught a glimpse of her from behind as she grunted and bent over to examine the throw. She cursed, threw out her arm and knocked the dice across the room. Tax heard the dice clunk on the walls and rattle across the floor. She groaned and started to chant again.

  She cursed, “Dice to me!” And the dice flew to her hand from whence they were scattered about.

  It wasn’t long before she picked up the clear polished stones with the runes and threw them over the pool. They began to spin and wild lights erupted around the room. Images begin to appear on the walls. Tax peeked out from his pillow and saw a horrific battle being fought between the demons and man. The image shifted in a blur and next he saw mountains crumbling and being leveled.

  He cried out at the sight.

  “Eyes down I said,” she shouted, whacking him in the head. He didn’t want to see anymore and pulled the pillow tight over his eyes as he moaned, “No-no-no.”

  It seemed to Tax as if the nightmare went on forever. The images eventually stopped and the stones fell to the floor and splashed in the pool, which had returned to being water again.

  The Seer pulled the pillow off of his head, “It’s safe now. Ye can open yer eyes.”

  Tax had his eyes squeezed shut so tight that his head hurt. He shook his head back and forth while crying, “Make it stop, please!”

  “It’s okay,” she said compassionately. “I be done for now. Remember, I told ye not to look, halfling.”

  Tax opened his eyes and stared around the room, fully expecting demons to jump out. “Can I-I-leave now?”

  “Not yet. You be right though, the Breaker has been born, but there be big troubles ahead. I be seeing broken links and confusion in the pattern. I ain’t seen this much turbulence since the times of Ror. That not be good!

  Tax blinked hard. She was alive during Ror?

  She grumbled to herself, “The Breaker may not be who we think he be. I may have misread the prophecy. I need be talking to me sisters, but that not bein’ as easy as it sounds.”

  Tax looked puzzled.

  “We be needin’ to find them first.”

  Tax still wasn’t sure why that would be so difficult.

  The Seer read his thoughts, “... that be a problem because I’m not sure ifin they be alive anymore. I haven’t seen or talked to them in forever.”

  Tax gasped out loud. “We’re doomed then? All these years have been for naught?”

  The Seer shook her head. “There are too many paths to decide. Not all of them are dire. We be needin’ more information. Might be needin’ a circle to figure this out.”

  “A circle?” Tax asked, with a puzzled look in his face.

  The Seer looked up, “Nothin’ for you to be worrying about. It’s a seer thing ...”

  “Oh,” Tax signed. “I guess I’ll be going then ...”

  Tax stood up and headed toward the exit.

  “Ye ain’t to be goin’ anywhere,” the Seer called after him as she waved her hand. His feet froze to the ground and try as he might he couldn’t move. Panic gripped him and he began to whimper.

  “Oh, stop that!” she said condescendingly. “I’m not hurting ye. “

  “I-I ... thought that my part in this was done.”

  “Nay, ye have a bigger role in this than ye be knowin�
�� ...”

  Tax moaned. He didn’t like the sounds of that. “Do we hide now? Do ye want me to be telling the Clans to be preparing to go to the caves?”

  The Seer shook her head, “I’m afraid not. At least not right now. I need to be learnin’ a lot more before I make that decision, and I’m gonna need yer help to be a doing it!”

  Tax swallowed hard, “My help?”

  The Seer’s eyelashes fluttered and she grunted softly.

  “Bu-but ...”

  The Seer shook a crooked finger at him, “Tax, it’s not your place to be complaining and whining. I’d rather ye wanted to help, but if need be, I’ll make ye be doin’ as I’ m wishing. It’ll be easier on the both of us if ye just resign yerself to the fact I’m needing yer help.”

  Tax didn’t know what to say. Fact of the matter was, he knew she could force him to do anything she wished. It was just that he thought his part was done. He wanted no part in dealings with magic and such. He was just a simple halfling.

  “Now sit,” she directed him.

  Tax sat back down on the pillows and sulked. The Seer grabbed a couple clay pots, spooned out some herbs, and set them over the coals to warm. When the mixture had heated, she removed it and smelled it. Satisfied, she poured herself a generous glass and drank deeply. She set the cup to the side, backed up against the shallow wall, wedged the oversized pillows against her back and began chanting. She closed her eyes and rhythmically rocked from side-to-side as she chanted to a crescendo.

  Tax covered his ears to block out her tune. It hurt. It hurt so very much. He wished she would stop.

  The Seer sat still, eyes closed. Tax tried to get up and leave, but his legs wouldn’t move. He panicked and tried to pry them off of the pillow, but he was stuck like glue.

  He looked over to the Seer and saw short thin threads, like those of a spider forming over her skin. He was sweating now and his heart was racing. She was becoming a spider and she was going to eat him, that’s for sure. Tax didn’t want to die. He rocked back and forth, as tears flowed down his cheeks.

  He watched as the webbing crawled out of her mouth and nose, undulating and creeping over her face, like vine tendrils climbing a tree. At first, they were fine as silk, then they thickened and multiplied. They glistened in the flickering light of the candles and appeared translucent.

  Next, threads began growing out of her ears, wrapping her head. The bundle from her mouth was now as big around as his wrist and had forced her mouth open in an awkward haunting expression. Her eyes were open, but they weren’t moving.

  Soon the Seer was completely covered with the web, and Tax could no longer see her body. The large white spiders crept near and chittered between themselves. He was sure that she was their queen. They added to her cocoon, building layer upon layer. He was thankful that their attention was on her. For the time being, they were leaving him alone.

  Tax awoke with a start, wondering how long he had been sleeping. He looked around and was relieved that he was alone. Alone, except for the giant cocoon sitting just inches from his legs. He was in a predicament. He didn’t seem to be able to move and the cocoon was starting to move. Something was going on and he feared the worse.

  Tax knew he didn’t have much time. Whatever was inside the web was alive. When it hatched, he knew in his heart of hearts that he was going to be dinner.

  He was whimpering and crying by this time and struggling to the point of exhaustion. He saw the cocoon rip and knew his time was at hand. Stupid Tax, he thought. Stupid, dead Tax!

  Then he saw it and his eyes relaxed.

  A hand, smooth, lithe and perfect poked out of the white fibrous web. It grabbed at the sticky stuff and pulled a big section back. Piece by piece the hand tore at the cocoon until a head poked through.

  Tax’s eyes startled. Before him was a young girl, more beautiful than any he had ever seen. Her hair was auburn, like the fall leaves and her skin, soft white as snow. She turned toward him and smiled with eyes as blue as the sky.

  “There you are!” she said, “Can you help me free.

  Tax stuttered as his mouth fell agape, “I-I ...”

  “For heaven’s sake, Tax. Get up off of your rear and give me a hand!”

  Tax stood up and helped pull the web free. Feeling the web strands on his skin made him shiver, and he had to wipe the fine threads off his face with the back of his hands several time as the gossamer threads lightly brushed his skin and made his face tingle and itch. She was over half out when he gasped and averted his eyes as the Seer stepped out. She was naked as a newborn baby! Tax blushed bright red.

  The Seer stepped out and luridly stretched, at least that’s the way it seemed to Tax.

  “Yer all new,” Tax stammered, looking off across the cave.

  “I am,” she grinned. “I can’t tell you how good that feels.”

  She sat down cross-legged on the floor, “Just don’t stand there gawking. Get me a robe! It’s damn cold out here.”

  “Where ...”

  “In the other room. I laid out some clothes on the bed. I’d get them myself, but I’m still a little weak from the change. I need to sit for a bit.”

  Tax snorted and headed off to retrieve her things, but not before taking a peak over his shoulder at her well formed back. Tax wasn’t quite sure what to think. This new Seer was going to take some getting used to, yes she was. He grinned. She was way easier on the eyes though.

  Tax returned and handed her a robe, making her reach for it. She stood up and put it one, tying it at the waist.

  “There, that’s better. Thank you!”

  Tax sat down next to her and tried to think of something witty to say. “So, ye been changed ...” Tax said, unable to think of anything. He winced as soon as the words left his lips.

  The Seer smiled back. “I can only do that three times. Seeing as we’re facing some tough times, I figured now was as good a time as any.”

  “Ye could have let me know ...” Tax grumbled.

  “I suppose I could have,” the Seer said. “But what fun is there in that?”

  Tax snorted, “Ye be talking funny too, like them mages.”

  “Yes, I suppose I am. The change makes me new again. Some things I remember, some I don’t. Funny thing though, about losing the accent, it happens every time!”

  Tax’s jaw dropped. “You’ve done this before?”

  “Once, right after Ror. That was the first time.”

  Tax understood, taking in everything she was saying.

  “So you’re probably wondering why I’m not a halfling ...” she said.

  “I wasn’t going to say anything.”

  “I’m sure you weren’t. I guess I owe you an explanation for that,” she snickered. “I’m actually a witch, a Trafalgar Witch to be exact.”

  She said the name like it should have some deep meaning to him, which it didn’t, but he nodded like an idiot just the same.

  “Me and my sisters have been watching over the realms for a long time, since long before Ror.”

  “Before Ror?” Tax asked, not believing his ears.

  “Well before,” she answered. “Since Ror we’ve been waiting for this time, the time of prophecy, because we worried that Ror left the threads of time snarled and unresolved. Nothing that big ever cleans up the pattern, there are always loose ends. We are custodians of the Pattern.”

  Tax felt dumb and was sure he didn’t understand what she meant.

  “I know this must seem overwhelming, but let it suffice that you know me and my sisters are ever vigilant. The pattern can be read, you see, but the exact times of events can’t be known,” the Seer said, with a short nod. “Some happen, and some don’t”

  “I’m sure ye will be tellin’ me if I really be needin’ to be knowin’ something, right?”

  “By the way, my name is Azuela, Azuela deNova,” she said, as she got to her feet and walked over to a set of clay pots lining the wall. She grabbed one, brought it back to the pool, and opened it.

/>   “That’s a pretty name, what does it mean?”

  “It means, ‘from the blue star.’”

  “You’re from the stars?”

  Azuela tried to decide how much to reveal, “No, but my parents felt like I came from the heavens, because I was born over the solstice when a blue star was in the third house. My mother was a seer too.”

  It was a half-truth, and close enough that she didn’t feel guilty telling it. She looked into his rose-colored eyes, trying to measure how well he would handle the whole truth. She decided she would tell him more if he needed to know, but for now, she felt it best to keep some of whom and what she was secret.

  Tax grinned, eyes wide as he imagined to himself that she had come from the gods. He wouldn’t have been surprised, but if she didn’t, she didn’t. He found himself staring and blushed for being so rude. Rude Tax, so very rude!

  She pulled a handful of nuts and dried fruit out of a bowl sitting to her side and offered a handful to Tax. Tax shook his head. He wasn’t hungry.

  “I’m famished,” she said. “Going through the change is taxing.” She snorted at her pun.

  Tax stared blankly.

  She stood up and opened her robe wide unabashedly, regarding herself in the reflection of the pool. She turned to the side and admired her perky bottom. Tax blushed.

  “Turned out well, don’t you think?”

  Tax grinned like an idiot, and then felt embarrassed for doing so, turning bright red. He wondered if she were teasing him on purpose.

  She read his thoughts and laughed to herself. “You’re a funny little halfling,” she said melodically.

  She closed her robe, “You need to excuse me, I must to go get dressed. You wait right there, I’ll be back before you know it!”

  She casually walked into the next room and after a short while, returned. She had donned a pair of buckskin pants and a short shirt made of finely woven linen. She had fitted some armor. Her long auburn hair was pulled back and braided. She was a sight to behold.

  Azuela was carrying a blue crystalline leaf, dangling from a string. She started singing. She chanted and danced wildly, throwing her head around in circles, causing her braid to swirl in loops. When she was done, she rapped the leaf with a spoon-sized silver clacker and it rung out loudly in tune. The entire room seemed to shake, quiver, and for a few seconds, Tax’s vision blurred and he saw double.