Capítulo 34: Chapter 16 Exploration: Travel Arc:
Act 1 Talk:
It was the early morning, the Carrioni did not have kumis or ale, they did not have the god for it. . . but they did have a mushroom spirit and with her help, they can make mushroom tea, and that went as well as expected with my caravan followers.
I looked around my wagon and saw them with the Carrioni people barely clothed, laying around burnout bonfires. "My lord, are really leaving me with them? I've bonded with you, I've become your eternal servant."
I kept looking at my people, and then turned around and sat on a still burning bonfire. "Yes, you are my promise to them, keep them healthy and when they need your power the most, ask them to release you. . . your a spirit, your kind was born to be unfettered."
I gave the small bird on my shoulder a little rub with my finger. "It would be generation before we would need to that Lord Abyss." It was the chief shaman who spoke, Vulivin showed herself, approaching from the shadows of the woods around us letting the light of the bonfire illuminate her.
She was wearing less than what she had when we first met, only wearing a short rough leather skirt and her feathered hooded cape. from her pale legs to her reddening chest, was tattooed with red ochre, I saw recognize feathers and birds, in her primal body art.
"You're still drunk Vulivin, go back to laying down, will speak when the sun approaches." She did not speak, but moved closer to me and laid her head on my lap, making noises that would have been cute if she was younger. . . but now it was nothing less but lewd.
"My mind's still clear enough to talk, My lord~ I. . ." Her redness was extreme she might have drunk an entire bowl, of that tea. she continued, her eyes clearer than earlier. "Can my people worship you? we lost our connection to our gods, when the army of winter, destroyed our volcanic golden home." I felt pain in her, and not just her, but from the memory and spirits of her ancestors. . . still connected to there descendants.
"We only had the miller of grain with us, as she was one of the goddesses that was outside our walls when the avalanche of winter came. She, our heroic ancestors and the spirits where reason our people survived. . ." she kept talking and talking until she was sleeping. peacefully on my lap.
"Don't mind her My Lord, she's just stressed she's only been the head shaman of her people this year after all, her mistress passed a few seasons ago, when defending her clan from a group of powerful winter-bears." I was calming her as she started to shift in her sleep, with a small spark of my flame, I took away her nightmare.
"I have yet the ability, to give blessing like how the gods, gift there followers." I felt amusement from my small bird companion. "Hahaha! then what do you call me my lord! you have turned a dying spirit into a blessing that many gods would greed after."
I felt her pride, of herself and being a spirit connected to someone like me. "Maybe your right Nightingale, but I must become more and I really want to learn the secretes of blessings." The personality of the reborn spirit gave me smile as she amused me with her stories as we waited for the sun to show herself.
Act 2 Sea of grass: Rainna Pov:
It's been days since we left the Evergreen-forest. And now we where in the hilly plains, I remember I was still a kid when we travelled through here.
"Sister is this normal, the grass here is. . . strange." unlike the emerald green of the forest the weeds of the this land was amber, with little green and other colors, and it's dirt was bleached yellow, sometimes white.
"It is youngest, you'll see more strange things in are travels be prepared for it." I said as I placed my hand on her light red her, trying to comfort her, our god is a traveler we must honor him, if not we would become nothing.
We where walking just behind the moving temple, using the path it made to make our travel easier as much of the grass was tall enough to reach my chest. even the bird riders, where having trouble riding through the tall grass.
There cousins those who ride carts where faring better as they cut there way through the grass rather than riding on them. but it made them move slower, and there magic and strength tiring quicker.
"Tink, tink, tink" bells, why did we stop? "Come on let's see what it is." I ran towards the front of the caravan with my sisters, cutting the grass around the wagon, as we got to the front we saw the grass pressed down as the six Vulture-wildlings was speaking to the Lord.
As I got closer I was able to hear there talk. "Lord Abyss, we saw a fire plume." One of them said. "Maybe a camp a few hours in the north" Another added. "Found animal tracks, large, clawed prints, maybe wild Bighorns, more than ten of them." they stopped speaking as the other parties had finally reached the front, gathering.
Lord Abyss noticed and nodded for them to continue. and then he spoke to each of the party. "How much food do we have?" He asked the carters from the Flame-wheat clan.
"We have enough for 2 weeks if we keep eating good meals, we can stretch it to 4 weeks if we start making simpler meals." I felt worried as I heard that, I didn't want us to stop eating those delicious meals.
"No need, keep making your best. Venessa how about the animals? how are they?" He asked the riders, there leader was a beautiful fire hair, she looked thoughtful, and smiled as she answered.
"The cattle should be fine to march for a few more hours, the raptors would need to rest if they needed to fight, but if they don't they can move for more than hour before starting to slow." Lord Abyss nodded and started rubbing the raptors chained to the carts, and then from his pack took out an onion stock and fed it to them.
"Alright, we travel north, look for a camp site, and then see what the fire plume was, after the camp's set." And we did so, the riders and carters riding around us making sure we don't get ambushed, and my party moving with the wagon.
But then I felt, the ground shake, it felt like an army was charging toward us. "Wyrm! do east!" I didn't see it, but I felt it, I immediately ran, climbing the wagon the weight of the bag of javelins on my back calming my fast beating heart.
I looked towards the yelling and the power hissing of the beast. what I saw was the riders and carters being chased by a Wyrm, a small river dragon, a descendant Akorra. . . we say small but the beast's head was big enough to swallow a woman whole, and she was meters long.
The riders and carter parties were firing flaming arrows at the spirit beast as they ran around the wagon, but it doesn't seem to have an effect on the great water spirit. "We need to help, we don't have a Wind-hero, but we have enough here to drive it off."
"We need your help, daughters of Orlaranthia, pray to our goddess, make our javelins strike with her wind." I yelled as all my clanswoman gathered and the smith brothers giving there own prayers, my sisters with me holding there own javelins nodded we where ready.
The riders and carters noticed me yelling, and they must have seen the gathering winds around us, as they turned and led the Wyrm right for us. "By the Lady of storms go back to your crick!" I threw my 4 pointed javelin and with it 2 others and then I kept throwing each one, guided by the winds of the Lady of the storms.
"Hisssahhh!" The wyrm screamed as holes appeared on it's watery body, each one turning his solid snake like form into more of water as she should be.
But it wasn't enough, as it crashed into us, ignoring the riders and carters it was chasing, with a butt of the beast's head I fell, my head striking the hard wood of the wagon's roof and everything turning dark.
Act 3 Serpent:
I watched the fight, erasing my presence subtle in my actions as I removed those out of commission from the battle. I removed the Idea of me helping them to fight off the large water serpent, as I observe how powerful they can be pushed into there limits.
My answer was, they were strong and very very brave. but they where not powerful enough to beat the beast alone. "Give me strength, my lady, for I need to save all those with me!" in her desperation, as Thelia was fighting the serpent with the surviving axe wielding rams and two of her shields.
She Vannessa, was performing a war prayer alone, trying to call for her head god's mercy. and for her to be given might and she was, I felt it the golden ring in the sky, burning brighter for a second, as I felt a powerful fire collect inside her body coming from her slowly expanding gate.
Her raptor and herself cloaked in vermillion fire galloping in the skies, as she charged lance first towards the serpent, it noticed the charge, swatting down those who was trying to stall with small earth and flames, and with a hissing roar breathed a Hose of water.
Steam shaded the land, and skies as the water turned to vapor, her new flames of vermillion dimmed, but not extinguish as her charge cut through the steam and she burned the serpent.
"Turn back to your true form!" She yelled as she burned brightly her lance piercing the serpent."Hisssaaahh! This is not the end human!" and the serpent slayed turning into a pond, where what had used to have been a grassy field turned into muddy dirt and patches of burnt land.
I looked around and only Thelia was standing, as she stood over her broken golden chained cart. the rest where too hurt to stand or unconscious like Vannessa as she fainted slumped on her laying raptor.
I removed my projection hiding myself and those I took out from the fight. and then quickly took care of those remaining placing them on grass-leather matts. as I was carrying Vannessa and her raptor, Thelia finally broke from her dazed state.
"Lord Abyss! we, we won. . . why didn't you help us?" She asked weakly as she dragged herself towards the medical area I was tending the others in, mostly bandages, healing salves, and my flames to dull the pain.
"I promised your clans to make you heroes, and a hero cannot be born if you cuddle them in there crib, heat and strikes is needed to make one heroic." I told her simply, as I caught her as she stumbled and laid her with the rest.
"I bet you just wanted to see if we can handle ourselves Abyss." Vannessa said as she sat up in pain, her whole chest bandaged as the steam burned her skin, some of her neck, badly scolded red.
"Well that's one of the reasons." I said smiling. I felt those still to hurt to move listening to us. "And you all proved yourself worthy of yourselves, your clan and travelling with me. now rest you'll all be fine by tonight." I said to them as I built the camp. I felt them happy and satisfied as they laid.
"Yeah! agh. . ." someone tried cheering but regrated it immediately, I did save them from death, but I did make sure they get roughed up enough to learn from the fight, atleast I'm getting better at using my Healing-flames projection.
I thought as I stood before near the less destroyed part of the field, and sang. my voice, calling forth lesser spirits of the wind, called forth by the magic of the battle. and I sang to them. "Please help me and I will give you a taste of my magic."
And they did as I asked, as they followed my thoughts, taking out the tents, gathering the animals and building the camp. as I sang, them a lyric less song, and wounded watched in awe, and the other spirits attracted by my song asked if I wanted more help. "Of course little ones. I would always accept your help." they danced as they did what I pictured in my mind a camp, with meal being cooked warmly in the middle.
Act 4 Camp: Almerie Pov:
"That fight was amazing! never thought I would ever get tested like that!" I happily said as we ate at the center of the camp, It's a shame we didn't have any Kumis, hopefully when we get to the Valley my uncle can get us as much as we need.
"Yeah, yeah said the girl that got her head bashed in while trying that pond spirit's tail. Ha ha ha." They laughed and I did feel embarrassed as it was true it wasn't smart thinking it couldn't fight with it's tail.
"Well atleast I didn't trip even before the melee!" I loudly countered and giving her my laugh but then I felt a strike to my shin.
Pov: Vannessa:
I saw as Almerie got sucker punched in the face by Rainna she recovered quickly and then they started wrestling, and the others cheered them on. "Well we needed the entertainment."
Said Abyss as he sat and watch enjoying the show. "We should stop them, both had there heads wounded during the fight." I saw him laughed. "It's fine, I healed both enough that they'll only get small headaches for a couple of days at worst." He said smiling drinking the soup bowl he held.
He didn't like meat much, only drinking the stock and eating the wild vegetables in the soup, feeding the meat chucks to the raptors. "That actual went better than I thought it would, those daughters of Akorra where common. . ." I remembered my childhood.
"As my clan travelled, most of the time the shaman's can just drum them back to there creeks, but others we needed to fight, it took many of my clan's strongest swords and bravest bows, just too keep the rest alive. . ." I fell silence as I told him about my clan's past before settling.
"I'm interested who is this Akorra? I've seen her images in the story tent, but many of her stories seems lost, fragmented." This made me smile as I laughed. "Ha ha! of course the lore tent and the ancestors wouldn't tell you. it's because we lost the story as we travelled, the reason we where being attacked was, we knew of the ritual on how to tame rivers."
I remembered it as my mother sacrificed our collective memory of the story to the gods, so that we may have there protection, as we settled our new forest home. "Was that the reason why where attacked?"
"No, it's not, we might have just entered her territory without noticing it, these spirits are powerful but there not as smart us other powerful spirits, it makes them more reckless." I told him as the wrestling got more intense as others joined in, I was left with the two smiths, the youngest Javelin sister and Abyss as we watched.
"Maybe not, I and my clanmates know the 'Orlaranthia slays Akorra' myth, we know it enough that we can do the ritual if we needed to." That can also explains we where attacked, the youngest javelin sister continued.
"We didn't know, knowing the myth would attract these evil spirits." She looked upset as a hand pressed on her head it was one of the smith boys. "We can sacrifice our knowledge, we can learn it again when we comeback." said the other smith boy.
"No, keep what you know, the fight was good for you all, besides with me here you guys can't die." The tension in the air fell as Abyss spoke, and it felt normal, this might have been how our ancestors felt while they travelled with our gods, feeling relief that we can face anything in our path.
Act 5 Rip:
I figured everyone needed a rest so I asked them all to ride on the wagon, and the did the animals and the Woodcarvers helping me pull the wagon, which they didn't need to do.
"Are sure this isn't breaking my promise?" I asked Vannessa as she walked next to me with the other riders, as they held there raptors, tied to my wagon. "No, I think atleast, I asked as I prayed to lady Cottosuri and she just laughed and said it should be fine." I doubt that, Raptori promised me I can ride her wilder children, if I ever find them, if I don't enslave the ones being taken care of by the riders.
"Good enough so. . ." As I was to speaking I felt it, a rip in reality what it was like being in a ritual yet this was chaotic, natural unlike the controlled and forced rip used during rituals.
"Ahh!" they screamed as we where pulled into the large gate, I felt the immaterial sea at the other side, but also not. everything turned bright and as I closed my eyes and opened them again, we weren't in a field of yellow and green tall grass.
But on the edge of a large lake, frozen. snow pressed down my feat as I felt small flakes of ice hitting my face, turning to steam as my inner flames made me hot.
I looked around and my wagon became smaller, becoming normal size compared to my smaller form, the animals and my companions missing. I only had my trading goods and treasures.
"Is this an illusion?" I said out loud as I felt for my reality, and no, I felt the essence of the cold land, the clouded snowing skies, and the lake. . . there was no singular will creating an illusion this was real.
I was surrounded by forest with the edges of the frozen lake the only part clear for me to see. I used my flames to sense through the land, but It's clouded by the cold.
I started walking, as I would not be able to do anything if I stayed idle in place. as I moved, I remembered the enchanted Items I gave to my companions clans, I looked for a shaded area and took out my long bladed banner-pike.
I drew my symbols on the frosted snowed cover ground, piercing the earth, with my black-gold. then I took a small clay pot of kumis, and "Crash!" the hot fermented milk spreading on my runic circle, melting the snow. "Fire on fire, I would not have you know-- as the flames within . . ."
I sang a short song of an uncontrollable passion, towards someone, I didn't know. and this attracted the attention of the spirits as they lend me there support as I sang and my flames burned, giving the land heat within this cold time.
Act 6 The call:
Pov Vivienne:
"This is a good day." I said as I cut and bundled another stack of fully ripen barley.
"Don't curse it by saying thing's like the Vi." I didn't need turn around as I saw another stack was added to the pile I was piling up.
I turned, and saw it was my brother, he was still wearing his feathered cape, but long took off his shirt as it was not worth it soaking a shirt. "Hopefully by next year I could find a harvest spirit, would make this go faster."
My brother was gripping again, as I felt sweat drip down my bare tits, they had become perked and softer after I was given back my youth. "Not everything can be solved with magic brother."
"ha ha ha! Of course not all problems can, but this? if I just find a large enough group of ant spirits or a gullible enough grasshopper spirit I can drum them into our clan's harvest spirit." I still think shaman work was too complicated for me.
Atleast prayer and rituals was easy enough, just be sincere enough with what you want and give enough as an offering and the gods would decide what happens next. and rituals basically is just following, your instincts and the stories we all know, but shamanism? you do everything by guessing and watching the world do it's thing.
"Chieftess! Chieftess!" We both where alerted by the call and immediately dressed and on our raptors, my brother was far from a true sword, but his magic is second to none, and he's bow is no decoration.
The priest's of Cloudy or now as the cart's had learned Abyss, rode towards us, she was the only one who was taking being a priest to the friendly young god seriously.
We rode to meet her and her escorts, two elderly bows, that was more helpful as escorts for the priests rather working in harvesting are gardens. "Chieftess, Lord Abyss had stared calling!" "Roar!" The roar of a powerful fire echoed through our lands, and some how I heard it too from our neighbor.
I looked at the direction of our sacred grounds, there was a large pillar of blue flames, that burned nothing but gave a warmth, making the hair feel like it was once again at the start of the fire-season.
"Well he did ask us to call him from time to time, when did we last call him?" I can hear the mockery in my brothers word. "Droppings. . ." I forgot, it's been months and I still felt my connection to my daughter so I did not worry but. . . and we were running low on kumis.
Pov Rozalia:
"Hey! keep that ditch straight!" I was ordering the slaves and freewomen, making sure they wouldn't ruin the irrigation ditch that Abyss designed and helped built, we where trying to extend it, so we can have more fields next year.
But then a felt a strong heat. I looked down and saw the bowl strapped to my hip sparking with blue flames. is my daughter calling again? I told her to stop calling us too much.
"Dallin! go bring me a hot pot of kumis and the priests!" I called over to my right to one of my shields, she nodded and rode on her small cart only strapped to one horse.
I pulled the stone bowl free from the strap, and looked at it was on fire, but the blue flames, like the vermillion flames of Elmhelia did not burn me. "It's sad that my people taking so long to accept this new god, where just too stubborn."
Those where my thoughts as Dallin came back and with her the steaming kumis and a few priests needed to work the ritual to activate this treasure. . . "I really should convince the others to build that shrine, so we can fully use the blessing of stonework."
Pov Biretta:
"Toast!" I yelled and the others followed. "Toast! Toast! Toast!" they chanted as the priests of the 'Earth-father' chanted there poems, and others blew horns. we where celebrating a bountiful harvest.
The fire blessing Abyss gave us really did made our black-millet to grow bigger and with more stocks, we were barely able to harvest them all and the best part? "Ferment! Ferment! Ferment!" The priestesses of the 'Brewer of ale' chanted as they tapped wooden barrels of water with millet and honey.
A smiled etched on my lips, I was right to welcome that young companion god of our founder, we were so lucky! "Chieftess?" I looked to my side and saw my death-thane looking red in her cheeks, coloring her paleness.
She was pointing at my lightly covered chest, I looked down and saw the stone drinking horn net to my bronze sword, as the horn was burning with blue flames. "That's worrying, told those kids they shouldn't call me unless they got too our tribe lands."
"Marites! get me the best black ale!" I yelled to the clan's brew mistress, she looked back stopping at her ritual, she looked mad at first but once she saw the flaming horn she immediately ordered her apprentices to get what I ask.
I felt my second tap me to my right and saw he was giving me a bowl of the amber Honey. "Oh yeah! I forgot he told us to use the sweetest ale, not the best!" Still I used the best ale and added an entire bowl of honey, a sacrifice does needs to be respectable.
Pov Abyss:
My eyes close, my voice singing a song, my body burning in a ritual circle and then. I was where I need to be, I looked down as four visions showed me 4 different places.
Two where fields of barley and wheat, the barley fields barely harvested, people using raptors to hull the harvest diligently. the wheat field empty, as the people of carts worked on the irrigation system extending it with golden hoes.
One was a large wooden hall with bear-people with twisted horn helms celebrating, and others chanting in rituals with poems, horns and sticks. and the last was forest of woods with hide tents around a communal butchering of boars, while feathered cloak shamans drummed and chanted.
Whatever they where doing before call they stopped and stared towards me some kneeling and bowing, others welcoming me back with joy. "Hear me, the world had started to become chaotic, a rip of the gods realms, separated me with your people." They all looked worried because of my words, but there worry was in scale. Vivienne and Rozalia worrying the most.
"I ask for there kin, to sacrifice a personal item of those missing, and there closest kin must sacrifice the item by telling a strong memory of them. I need to stablish a connection!" I told them I was planning a Immaterial-teleportation psionic projection, I was thought by master to use it to summon him If I needed his help, he left a powerful mark on my instinct gate to use as the medium.
I used the items and blood ties, as a medium to guide my influence on reality, and then anchored by my body, forced my fire into reality asking her to open a wormhole that I can use to grab onto the being I'm looking for.
It took them minutes as the families of my companions gathered what I needed. we started. "This a ritual, please ask your spirits and gods to support me, and your faith on the success would help." They agreed and I felt the energy of there magic flooding me, I still don't know how to use it as they do so I gave it back only taking the will within, the intention of my success.
"Of the sun I call you!" I saw them, they where fighting giant's of snow, they where already wounded, riders and carters fighting desperately, I felt my vision was shared by all.
Vanessa wreath in vermillion fire fighting the largest giant alone, with a broken golden shield. Thelia blindingly bright burning the cold around those fighting, weakening the snow giants, her golden armor broken ruined at her feet. Almerie leading both riders and carters with her golden shield with her left eyes gone, and her left arm broken, her rallying song giving everyone heart.
"I call you home!" My fire reach them healing them, with my flames but it wasn't enough, I can't pull them. "Charge my sisters!" My vision changed as I saw Vivienne with a handful of swords of the riders armored in leather and bones, with lances of burning gold, charged into me.
"To our daughters aid!" Rozalia with carts of brilliant gold charged, her shields of the carters armored in gold, with bows of ivory ready there arrows flaming. I felt they where rash but also that it would work.
And they appeared in the battle with there daughters fighting and killing the snow giants. "Mom!" "Ven!" "Mother!" "You idiot!" They hugged as the dark cold around them worsen, I felt more giants coming there way, my fire already with them I tried again, to pull them not to me, but to safety. "Follow my voice!"
I yelled to them as a large blue flamed bonfire erupted in the middle of there defensive circle of violence. "This way!" "To me!" The chieftess rallied there people and charge towards my fire, I saw them returning to there clans.
"Fuuu..." I gave a breath, and then looked for the others, they where in a less dangerous place, they where in a forest huddling around a fire surrounded with a wall of wood. "Why! where is our epic battle!" I heard the Fanged-ale chieftess yelling to the daughters of her clan, hopefully they didn't hear that. the vulture people was just relief that there scouts are fine.
I sent fire and it warmed them healing there frostbited limbs, and melting the ice under there eyes. but I can't pull them to me, it's like there was a force preventing me to them to my side. "Go and take your daughters and sons home!" I said as the campfire of those who was barely not freezing rams and vultures that was once my companions. turned blue and ingulfed them with a warmth heat.
The clans did so, moving through my flames and taking back there people. each returning them to there clans with that I breathed out and my flames simmering and then gone. "That was to much work, should I just travel alone?"
That was my thought as I laid down on the wet ground. too tired to think of anything else, as my eyes closed and sleep taking me. I heard the spirits still singing and somehow spirits of flame came warming me as I slept they felt a like blanket.
REFLEXIONES DE LOS CREADORES 
MA_Writecraft
MA_Writecraft Okay that's the end fort his arc next one would be a shift.
also give me stones if you liked the story so far.
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