the gorge of fire (final part)

[cellio]

May 3 (Tuesday)

Wow. She was one of the two most awesome powers I have seen in my entire life.

Let's try again.

What stunning magic, and what clarity!

Ok, Larissa, look. If you ever hope to make sense of this journal in the future, you're going to have to be a lot more coherent. Maybe we should start at the beginning.

This morning as we were eating our adequate if unexciting breakfast, we found something strange on the platter. It was an iron spike that shone of magic, but we couldn't figure out what it was. A weapon? A single-use item like the javelins Turok once had that shot lightning? And what was it doing in our food? We didn't know what to make of it, but we all thought that Kyle might be able to use it to stab with, so he took it.

And not long after, we went into the crucible again. It was, of course, much like yesterday -- fire shooting up in the corners and in the center, the smooth floor and curved ceiling, the sense of impenatrability of the whole thing. And the salamanders on the opposite side, just as before.

Yesterday everyone's preparations were rushed; today, the dice were long in signalling the start of the combat. I had to renew some spells because they expired, but I didn't mind. Indzihar was holding back on her short-duration spells, but I seem to have a knack for drawing on power so I didn't feel the need.

And then it started. We spread out and so did they, though they managed to protect Indzihar for a long time. Turok was a fierce and effective warrior, Kyle was very good at striking from surprise (including once with my circlet, on Zaid), and Liandra's spells were thoroughly cooperative today.

Turok took quite a bit of damage and yielded, and then we saw Hamid's treachery. After Turok yielded, Hamid charged him, yelling "they are not worthy!" and disabled Turok. Farooq then challenged him, saying that he was behaving dishonorably and finally charging him. I never would have expected to see our hosts fight each other so fiercely. It is something I would rather not have seen.

Liandra had managed to hit both Hamid and Farooq with languars; this and Farooq's attack took Hamid down. Menwhile, Zaid yielded to Kyle's many attacks.

Indzihar proved to be the real challenge. Even though we countered or dispelled some of her spells, she was still very effective. She enfeebled first Kyle and then Liandra; Liandra was forced to yield but Kyle kept fighting nonetheless. This left the two of us facing her, in melee combat because I had no spells that she couldn't just shrug off, or so I thought. I charged her and smacked her with Sunrise, enabling Kyle to flank her. She turned invisible and began to move away; I cast dispel and managed to knock down most of her spells, including cold resistance. At that point I was able to start using coldballs to great effect; she in turn threw lightning bolts at us. Then I hit her with missiles and Kyle hit her critically twice, and she was forced to yield. That was exciting! Cold and electricity flying across a fire-hot room! Very intense.

Liandra had dropped the languar on Farooq as soon as he yielded, which allowed him to contain Hamid. Liandra then healed all of us and most of them at least somewhat. Zaid and Farooq then opened the massive bronze doors that led to the chamber of the oracle.

We entered a chamber filled with a pool of fire. In it was a woman (well, we saw the top half) made of fire. She was beautiful! She had a beautiful voice that seemed to speak in all languages at once, and when she spoke sparkling gems dripped from her mouth into the pool. (I could see a different kind of gleam in Kyle's eyes, but I chose to watch her instead.)

She greeted Turok as bearer of the Dragon's Tooth, reborn in the Dragon's Mouth. She suggested that our journey through the gorge of fire was not just for the sword but to temper and hone us as well for the fight ahead. The last few days have certainly done that.

She told us that, as we suspected, Kotara-Nar is in fact one of Agondre's teeth. Agon took the tooth when Agondre was born and used the Dragon's Heart to shape it into a weapon. (It's not clear to me how willing Agondre was; the oracle said that he was young and trusting then.) Agon then reshaped the land to match Agondre's form.

Later, Kotara-Nar and the Dragon's Heart were sent to establish Gorrush-Kar, Turok's homeland. But the bearer died and the purpose of these objects was forgotten. We asked the oracle where the Dragon's Heart is now; she said it is in the possession of Kepta-Mor and that recovering it is our best chance of healing Agondre. Once we have it, she said, we should bring it to Agondre with our loins girded for battle and Agondre will show us what to do.

There is no cure for te disease in the land (or in anyone struck by Weeping Wounds) while Agondre suffers. We must recover both Weeping Wounds, the incarnation of Agondre's disease, and the Dragon's Heart, the means to end that disease.

Kyle asked the question that I suspect the rest of us wanted to ask: given the evil caused by Weeping Wounds, why did the oracle strengthen it in the first place? She said that there are rules and Garrett came and gave of himself, so she had to. We asked what he gave and she said his fame. Garrett wanted to be subtle and quick like a dagger -- which is what allowed him to strike Agondre at all -- but as a result no one knows his name now. The glory he sought by destroying Agondre has continued to elude him. Alas, the obvious solution that occurred to me does not work: we cannot destroy Garrett by restoring his fame.

The time to strike Garrett is now, she said -- he grows stronger as Agondre weakens and we have shown him fear, so we must attack him in his castle and destroy him. I asked if she could release any of the denizens of the gorge to aid us in the fight; she said she does not control them and some are touched by the disease, and we will have to ask them. She also said they are part of her and that she is the pure mouth of Agondre. I'm not sure what that means, but I didn't pursue it. While we entered with many questions the sheer awe of the oracle kept me from the more mundane-sounding lines of questioning. It seemed somehow petty and improper to ask this majestic being for some soldiers, somehow.

I asked if Garrett is being guided by some other influence. She said that Garrett acts alone and most of his allies are dead, though Kepta-Mor's ambassador still lives. This is not the cat-man we found in Durgam's Folly; he is a spy and a thief but not an ambassador.

Kepta-Mor has dreams of conquest and craves the magical abundance of Agondre. Already the D'Gorim, the emperor's personal troops, are in the flying city of Aulos; further advances cannot be far behind. I guess this clarifies one thing for me: we are unlikely to obtain the Dragon's Heart through diplomacy. That's a pity in a sense but also a relief; I don't know what we could have reasonably offered and it's hard to do that without tipping your hand too much. Though I have been trying to learn some of diplomacy these last few months, I fear that I would not have been up to the task. If, however, he has already begun to invade Agondre when we have done nothing to him...

Relations between Agondre and Gurrosh-Kor used to be better, of course; Brennan told us of the ancient days. The Cataclysm shattered the bond and filled the oceans with monsters. With communication and travel cut off, people gradually forgot. Now it seems that the people of one land don't even know about the other; I certainly had never heard of Gurrosh-Kar a year ago. I wondered about re-unification (despite Kepta-Mor's actions), but the oracle said that no union is possible while Agondre suffers.

Elys' is imprisoned by Kepta-Mor in a green gem. He set a trap for her and hoped to steal her magic; I'm not sure how (either question). The gem is in the imperial capital, not in the flying city -- it seems that Elys' was right about her vision being a false one. We can free her, the oracle said, by breaking the gem. When we heal Agondre Therion will awaken; I look forward to being able to reunite the two of them! I hope we can. As for Renard, the legend is true and he is dead.

I asked if there is a rightful emperor; the oracle said that the one who holds Weeping Wounds and heals Agondre is the rightful emperor. It's not clear which direction the causality runs there, but again, I was not going to ask such trivial details. The answer will become clear or, if not, we'll do our best. If one of us is so destined then so be it.

We asked if Weeping Wounds corrupts the one who bears it and the oracle said yes. (Aha. I was right.) I hope that we are strong enough to withstand that corruption. We have to be; there is no one else.

Liandra asked if we could return to the oracle in the future but she told us that she has to sacrifice herself to strengthen Kotara-Nar, for the good of Agondre. She said "I hope it is not in vain". So do I! I had no idea. She said we cannot save her; the best hope for Agondre is for her to do this.

She then said that if there are no further questions, she has one for Turok: what will he give up to hone himself as the sword? This question took us by surprise (though it shouldn't have). There was some discussion, and then the oracle and Turok spoke in a private tongue. I did not pry into that; if Turok wants to tell us he will.

Finally she spoke to all of us again, saying to take these words to the salamanders: let Kotara-Nar be restored. There was a flash of light and a bright-hot gem dropped into Turok's hand as she collapsed. It was as if all of the might and glory of the oracle was in that gem. It burned hot in his hand and he ran back to the salamanders with the rest of us following. I wanted to linger for the oracle but I felt the strong urge to go. I hope the end was peaceful for her.

The salamanders took the gem and Kotara-Nar and returned to the fire-pool, where much hammering and pounding ensued. What emerged was a super-sharp sword of gleaming ivory; it really does look like a large tooth now. The salamanders bowed and offered the weapon to Turok. He told us later that he could feel Kotara-Nar singing in his hand and that it feels like an extension of himself. It is certainly the finest weapon any of us have seen or heard about.

I don't know how long we were there, with the oracle and with the forging of Kotara-Nar. Time seemed not to pass and the experience was completely overwhelming. As I said before, stunning -- adequate words fail me.

When it was all done, the salamanders led us back out and to an enormous feast, and I realized that I was in fact very hungry. While they tried to be festive, all of the salamanders were a bit gloomy. Hamid was very gloomy and he said we'd better make her sacrifice worth it. We will do our best. I hope our best is good enough.

I asked Zaid what will become of them now, without the oracle. He said that their fires will gradually burn down and that if Agondre is not healed they will cool. I said that we will do everything we can to hasten Agondre's healing and he said "I know".

I am tired now, and overwhelmed with both the power of this place and the crushing responsibility we now carry. They have invited us to stay tonight and returned us to the grand room we stayed in the first night.

May 4 (Wednesday)

Last night we heard the sounds of hammering and smithing all night long, and this morning the salamanders greeted us bearing gifts. I didn't expect that!

Hamid started by addressing us all, saying he had brought dishonor upon himself by his rashness and he asks our forgiveness, which we granted. He then presented me with a tear of everhot lava, saying that he hopes it gives both my honor and my skin the strength and resilience of rock. (I'm going to need that if I'm to bear Weeping Wounds eventually.) The tear protects my skin from both blows and fire; I can fee the heat of the lava but it doesn't burn. It's fascinating! (Later I found myself playing with it and with magical fire.)

Farooq presented Liandra with a ring made of flames. He said that fire creatures will recognize it and treat her with the respect due nobility. In addition, it protects her from flames and three times she can use it to summon an elemental such as those we fought in the gorge.

Indzihar told Turok that they have already done their greatest crafting with Kotara-Nar, but they had also made a scabbard worthy of the weapon. It's fire-proof, so he can sheath Kotara-Nar while it burns. Knowing Turok, this means he'll never extinguish it -- which makes sense. It sure would be neat to draw an already-flaming sword in combat!

Zaid spoke to Kyle saying that he was going to prepare a special cloak for him, but he noticed that Kyle already uses a magical cloak. So he offered instead to enhance that cloak, suggesting that he, Liandra, and I work together. I jumped at the chance to work with Zaid on a magical project! So we gathered around as he held a ball of smoke in his hands, and when we were done the smoke had infused Kyle's cloak and he can now use it to vanish like smoke into thin air and appear elsewhere. Kyle was very excited by this.

When we were done and had feasted once more, we thanked the salamanders again for all they have done for us and promised to do our best to heal the land. (While I don't speak for anyone else, I said that I intend to heal the land or die trying.) Then we said goodbye and teleported back to Oakhame, where Hrolf and Slade ran to us and the others came moments later.

Of course Seamus and Mairead wanted to hear all about the gorge of fire, but we asked for the chance to soak in pools for a long while first to remove several days' worth of soot and singed hair. Hrolf joined me and was clearly trying to groom me while I soaked, and he and I spoke privately for a long while. I missed him so much! I hope that this was the longest I will ever have to be away from him.