We told Timmins to bring Mother Felistia to Father Vastil’s offices so as not to create too much of a disturbance and that haste was preferred.
Father Vastil greeted us from his desk and bade we close the door.
“I know I'm not supposed to know yet, but I hear you have one of the Nur-Hajisti lineage in your possession?”
May was stern, "Father, you mustn't spy on us. There's always a reason why you get information when you do, and you're never overlooked. If we feel you need to be there for a meeting, you'll be summoned. Now we must go over this again, as we do weekly, with the valets. They're impressionable children, Father, you're not.”
Looking properly admonished, she addressed him directly,
"What else have you spied from us?”
Vastil sighed.
"Everything, Your Majesty. I know it all. And if Felistia is up on her game, she does too. And she is.”
"And?”
"It's quite a plan to be certain. It's brazen. But élois is not afraid of new things, as evidenced by his male ‘Brides.’ Unfortunately, we still have yet to re-establish communication with élois.”
May asked "Is it a matter of having enough included amber?”
"No,” he answered, "we have plenty. We think he may be in the middle of a period of rest. Regrouping to do battle with the Black King. Having one of that ghoul's ancestors might make him more eager to listen.”
Felistia entered after a perfunctory knock, “Your Majesties, Father, sorry if I'm tardy. Most of our classes are this time of day in the Vesper hours.”
May said, "It's quite alright, Mother. This can't be rushed too much. You already know everything, yes?"
Looking a little ashamed of herself, she confirmed her foreknowledge.
“Well, we have as much right and reason to be in the know as anyone else. Especially given the direction all of this is heading, we should be a part of everything from now on. Surely, Your Majesties must agree?"
May answered, “No, you're completely right, Mother. Today was simply a matter of where we landed first. We have no intention of excluding you. But, we needed to have some kind of plan in place before we came to you, and hopefully to élois."
“We must show them what we've done," Vastil said to Felistia, “our communication system."
“Yes, we must. Come this way, Your Majesties. We have a space dedicated to the studies we've been doing with the included amber."
We followed up a long and winding flight of stairs and light faded quickly.
“Before I break my neck," I said, “there is a non-Elf in your midst without the ability to see in the dark!”
“Oh, terribly sorry, My Prince!" Vastil said as he cast a spell on the end of his staff. “We get frightful few Humans in this part of the seminary."
At the top of the staircase was a small, battered looking door. Taking a skeleton key from his satchel, Vastil opened the door and flooded the stairwell with light. The room it opened onto was oblong, some thirty feet in length by twenty feet wide with windows on every wall. A workbench filled the width of the wall opposite us and bookcases lined the other two walls. On the floor was an elaborate chalk drawing of a heptagram outlined with mystic runes and sigils.
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Felistia spoke, “This is where we've had our communication with élois. A measured amount of the amber and drops of our blood have granted us audience until the last few times we've tried to make contact."
I knew May would offer it, but I still flinched,
“Maybe our blood added to yours and more amber?"
"Well, it's certainly worth a try,” Vastil allowed. So far, the worst that's happened is nothing.”
"Is it something we can try right now?” May asked.
Vastil answered in the affirmative.
"Of course. We just need to draw these curtains and light some candles for Prince Tendil."
Vastil placed thick lavender candles at the seven points of the heptagram while Felistia drew the curtains and placed a very sharp looking knife and a bowl in the middle of the circle. In the bowl were several shattered chunks of included amber.
“Now," Vastil began, “the men stand at the North and West cardinal positions of the circle. The females at the South and East. You can see there where they're marked. I shall be North, the Prince is West, Felistia is South, and the Queen is East.”
We all got in our assigned positions.
Vastil went on, “Now I shall pass the bowl around to my left. Don't make a big cut. Just stab yourself a little with the point, and allow only three drops of your blood to land on the amber. When it's come back to me, I'll place it at the circle’s center, and pronounce the chant. Then we wait."
"Do you have any strong drink handy?” I asked. "Or some water maybe? My throat is as dry as the Waste.”
“I'll do it for you, My Love. But it must be your blood. Just close your eyes."
“Don't any of these spells ever use spit or a lock of hair?”
"Not the good ones, My Prince. Unfortunately for you, we're trying to talk to a god, not have good luck at cards.”
I really do love her when she's condescending. I don't think of myself as a Masochist, but the way she does it. There is something very primal in how it makes me feel. Perhaps it's best to leave those thoughts alone.
“Okay, places," Vastil pierced his hand and I nearly fainted. Watching the blood drip over the stones was almost too much. But I had to grow a spine and do my part. This was too important to be about me.
He passed the bowl and knife to May who made it look easy, she passed them to Felistia, who then passed them to me. And there I was. I waved off May’s offer of assistance. This was my fight.
I jabbed once and the blade didn't even touch my hand. The second time I actually drew blood. In my excitement I was letting it drip on the floor.
“Three, in the bowl, My Love!" And that's all it took. I passed the bowl and knife back to Vastil.
He held the bowl with both hands and made as if he were offering it to the sky, chanting,
“”
A cloud of lavender smoke began to billow from the center of the circle, and we went silent. A man's form began to materialize, bald, with silver skin, long Elf ears, thin muscular body loosely covered with a lavender robe. A two-handed sword held in his left hand.
The smoke continued to swirl around the image, no, it was more than an image. He was really there. You could smell him, honeysuckle, and cinnamon, fresh clipped grass, and lightning.
His voice was booming, “I know your plan, mortals, soon to be immortals. It's a bold move called for by bold challenges. I am in agreement with the one you call Janiver. She is a smart one. But when it comes to action, I am the only voice you hear. Is that clear?"
May seemed to be the only one not afraid to talk.
“That's abundantly clear, Lord élois. We act on nothing without your approval.”
“There are things for which you shall have my tacit approval. It's important that you can look to your hearts and tell what those things are. I won't be there much of the time.”
"Yes, My Lord,” May answered.
"I'm ashamed to admit that I will need help with the Black King. He is a young god, but so powerful in his youth. I don't think he can best me, but we're so evenly matched, the battle could go on for eternity. That can't be allowed to happen. Having his ancestor here will go a long way in helping us to defeat him. The rest is up to you.”
May seemed perplexed, "Excuse me, My Lord, what do you mean by ‘the rest?’”
"The rest of the Interlopers, the pretenders to godhood. Carca, Lasca, whoever else they recruit, and there will be others. The darkness draws them in so easily, it's really rather discouraging. But Carca has hand-picked a small group of the creatures. They'll all be eager to prove themselves. You'd best get your minds and hearts right. That is the key to victory for the side of good.”
He tilted his head upward as if he heard someone calling him in the distance.
“My eternal battle calls. Know this, the six you have chosen are who you go to battle with. But the Sand Elf, Brevid, is the one to be trusted. Shindur belongs to Carca. Get your team ready, my allies. The time for action is now.”