The Myst was not entered into lightly, expanding and contracting within the Wyldwood as if it was the breath of the world. Many wandered in and never wandered out again, and nothing that entered left unchanged. For that reason the Wizard Queen of Canus did not come alone. She brought to candle bearers, one male and one female both lovely and unspoiled which even considering their youth was a rarity in Canus.
The male led, carrying a tall wide yellow candle the symbol of Tarnasus the Sun God painted on the boys face and on the candle. The girl carried three candles tied together wicks to be one, each a slender taper of a different color, white, red and blue, each taper had one of the three symbols of Breck the moon goddess upon it. Boy and girl wore the same simple white linen tunic. The witchqueen wore nothing as she walked between them, the symbol of the world painted on her belly.
The three of them traveled slowly into the Wyldwood, careful of their steps, moving toward a fog that got increasingly thicker. When Tanassus light could no longer be seen by the Witch queen she stopped allowing the boy to wander on his own deeper into the Myst, the first gift was given.
The girl was instructed to remain as close as needed to watch the witchqueen’s back and now she was so close that the heat of the three as one candle could be felt. The candle holder of Breck trembled as she both heard and felt the air around her speak.
“You have come uninvited.” the Myst said in a voice child like, to youthful to tell if it was male or female.
“The world needs no invitation.” the witchqueen said to the air, she was pleased to have gotten a result so quickly.
“You are not the world.” the myst child said from a different direction, annoyed.
“Then why did the sun lead me, and why does the moon watch me so closely.” the witchqueen countered. The mysts were silent long enough for the witch queen to chuckle softly, surprising the candle girl.
“We do not accept your questions.” the myst child said directly in front of the Witchqueen. “Leave.”
“You do not like those questions, well how about this one,” The ageless witchqueen said reaching her arms forward in peace towards the voice. “Why are you here?”
“Why are you here?” The Myst echoed in a chorus of children's voices from different directions. A form that might have been the shadow of the witchqueen for its height and shape perfectly matched came forward far enough to be seen without being close enough to offer details. “Why are you here?” the myst form asked in the witchqueen’s voice.
“The world is wounded, the world cries out to be healed.” the witchqueen said. “Her arms showed scars.
“You are not the world.” the myst form growled.
“You have said that before, but you have accepted my question, let me clarify it. There is a dragon in Skald.” the witchqueen said plainly. “so why are you, who have been called to protect this land from the ravage untamed destructive hungers of dragons, here. I call upon what spirit still lingers in here that remembers the ravage of dragons to answer that question. A dragon still lives in Skald. If I am not the world despite being led by the sun and followed by the moon, are you truly the Mysts when you have left even one dragon alive to threaten these lands and this forest?”
The myst came alive with a storms energy. Thunder and lightning shook the ground and Breck’s candle went out, the winds roared, and gathered rocks and sticks into a whirlwind around the witchqueen and her candle bearer, the girl let out a gasp of fear but her queen stood keeping her arms up in peace ignoring the storm.
“You are not the world. You do not belong here. You will leave now or will come to painfully and lengthily learn the difference between you and the world as the living heart of the deepest earth.” the mysts promised.
“World or not, I’ve nothing to fear from an oathbreaker.” the queen said lowering her hands. The storms fury ceased.
“You are bold, arrogant and foolish.” the myst queen said walking now close enough for her features to be seen. She was the Queens mirror left matching right. “We could easily kill you and forget you before your last breath left your body.”
“But even then you still couldn’t answer why you here here, could you? If there is a dragon alive in Skald, why are you here? I call on the Wyld one within you. I call on the ashes of Ember. I call on the memory of dead wizard kings slain defending the wyldwood. Answer them, children of the mysts, why are you here if there is a Dragon in Skald. because that is why I am here.”
The mysts grew thicker and the girl had to rest her head against the queen to see her back. No one addressed them but the sounds of the storms returned, lighting, and hail, the screaming of beasts of prey. Then the mysts thinned again and standing where the shadow queen had been was a shadow Tarnasus, mirror to the boy who had been given to the mysts.
“We accept the question. We will consider our answer,” the boy who was not the boy said then he evaporated back into the mysts.
“Then I shall continue my wandering.” the queen said pleasantly and she waved her fingers over the candles of breck re-lighting them. “Now you shall be my guide, walk in front for me.” the queen said gently to the candle bearer who nodded solemnly. “Yes mother.” she said and began to lead away. The queen placed her one hand on her stomach and pointed at the back of the girls tunic. The paint began to erase itself off her belly and repaint itself on the tunic. The girl walked dutifully forward never realizing the queen was not following and the mysts followed the girl and thickened around her till she was soon gone from sight. The second gift given. The queen safetly made her way out of the Wyldwood
No comments:
Post a Comment