Spirit Speaker

The carriage trundled along, hitting every bump, every stone on its way. I groaned. 

Anna slept, her head resting heavily on my shoulder. 

Miss Rita sat beside her, doing her best to read in the less than ideal conditions she found herself in. 

And opposite us was Severen Ilyas, royal surveyor, assassin, spy. 

He was looking out the window. 

"How long will it be until we reach the mine?" Miss Rita asked, evidently giving up on her book. 

"Not much longer now, ma'am." Severen said. 

"How much longer exactly?" She was tired and irritable. I felt the same way, we'd been cooped up in the carriage for two days, with Rowan and myself sleeping under the stars, Severen up a tree somewhere, and the Princess and Miss Rita in the tent whenever it got too dark for the horses to see. 

"An hour or so, ma'am, though I'm not sure why we need to go there," he said, looking at me inquiringly.

"I've got to deliver some books to an acquaintance at the mine." I replied pointedly. "Once that's completed, we can resume our journey to the Elven Forests."

Severn nodded, "Oh, a mighty quest indeed." he replied seemingly mockingly. His eyes told a different story. He knew exactly which books I was talking about.

"You could walk, you know." I replied. 

Severen shook his head. "Not on your life. Do I look like I'm meant for that sort of travel? I'm delicate, Master Mage."

"Good. And I take it we'll be staying the night at the mine?" Miss Rita asked, pointedly. 

I shook my head. "We might, but not in the way you're hoping. I'm afraid you're going to have to rough it for just a little while longer."

Miss Rita sighed, closed her book and put it on the seat next to her.

Silence settled on the carriage, a tired silence, the silence of hot sunny afternoons in a desert town, where no one was brave enough to step out into the sun. 

After an hour in the baking heat, I'd had enough.

I summoned a spirit and had it cool the air in the carriage. 

"Thank you, Master Mage." Severen said. "Why didn't you do that earlier?"

"Didn't think to do it." I replied, an obvious lie. 

"Right." 

"Have you ever been to the Elven Forests, Lord Ilyas?" Miss Rita asked, stretching in the cool air. "Oh, that feels good. Thank you, Master Lukas."

I sighed. I'd told her to call me Lukas dozens of times. 

"Please, ma'am, I'm not a lord. My brother is the one that's inheriting my father's position. Call me Severen." 

"Severen then." 

"Why is he Severen, but I'm still Master Lukas?" I asked, mildly. 

Miss Rita smiled. "You are the Royal Instructor and personal teacher of the Royal Heir. How could I call you anything else?"

I sighed. "Have it your way, Miss. Rita." I said, sulkily. 

"To answer your question, Miss. Rita. No, I'm afraid I haven't had the honour. When I heard that Master Lukas would be heading there, I jumped at the chance to join him."

"Why do I get the feeling you two are making fun of me?" I complained, eyeing them suspiciously. 

"Woah!" I heard Rowan call, and the carriage ground to a halt. 

I felt Anna stir next to me. 

"Where are we?" She asked sleepily. 

"At the mine, there's something I need to do here. Hopefully, we'll be back on the road before long." I opened the door and hopped out. 

The entrance to the mine was a flurry of activity as workers pulled empty carts into the tunnel, and dragged full ones out, filled with clear, white crystal. 

Something else that caught my attention was the heavy presence of guards, strategically posted all over the place. 

"Looks like the right place, sir." Rowan said, dropping from the carriage driver's seat. 

"I see that. Have you ever seen so much crystal in one place, lad?"

Rowan shook his head, pointing at one of the carts. "The contents of that cart will probably probably fetch more than what the town of Corel earns in a year."

"Why are we here sir?" Rowan asked, rubbing his back. "You never did tell me."

"I'm going to bury something under all that stone, and make sure it stays buried."

"Is that what's in the prisons?"

I nodded. "Grab the bag they're in, and be careful. You really don't want anything to do with whatever's inside."

I watched as Severen hopped from the carriage and walked up to the two of us. 

"I think I'll accompany you, Lukas." the assassin said. "I'm not going to sleep well until I see that thing disposed of."

"I'll be glad of the company." I said. "I don't want to be the only one digging. Oh, Rowan, make sure to bring the shovels with you!" I called over my shoulder. 

"Can't you blow a hole in the floor with magic?" Severen asked as Rowan returned. The assassin eyed the shovels distastefully. 

"Magic doesn't work this close to the spirit stone. Sentient spirits avoid this stuff. They won't go anywhere near it."

- Unless you force me to. Ilargia said grumpily. 

"You're always welcome to stay in the carriage with the princess, Ilargia." I said to the staff.

I felt him vibrate. Then he floated from his holster and hovered back to the carriage. 

Rowan shook his head. "That staff is getting worse, sir. I wish you'd discipline him."

"Not on your life, Rowan. He's there for me when it counts." I looked back at the mine entrance. 

"Come, let's find the foreman."

*

The foreman was an orc. Thick, burly, green. He stood a good foot or two taller than my own respectable six foot two.. 

I knocked on his door. 

"You the foreman?" I asked, stepping inside. 

"Who wants to know?" The orc responded. 

I held up the Royal Seal. 

"Crown business." 

The orc huffed. "Another inspection? It's only been a few months since the last one." 

I shook my head, pocketing the seal. 

"You can relax, master?"

"Gaith."

"Master Gaith. We're not inspectors. How deep have you managed to tunnel?"

"Pretty deep. So deep in fact that the humans on the crew have taken to digging out rather than down. The dwarves are the only ones that can handle that kind of depth."

"I need a guide to the deepest part of the mine," I said. 

"Didn't you hear what I just said? No human could handle that. No elf for that matter." The foreman said, glancing at my ears. 

I grinned. "It's a good thing I'm neither."

"A mongrel then." The orc said, "Doesn't matter. I can't let you go down there."

In an instant, Rowan drew his sword and had it hovering just a few inches from the orc's throat. The shovels didn't even have time to hit the ground.

"Call my master a mongrel again, orc," he snarled, "and you won't live to see the sunset." 

I put my hand on Rowan's arm. "It's okay lad, put away your sword. I've been called far worse before."

Rowan looked at the foreman, who was leaning as far back from the sword as he could without actually stepping out of his spot. 

He put his sword back in his scabbard. 

"As you say, sir."

The orc coughed, his green pallor slowly returning. He rubbed his throat. 

"Look, Master Gaith," I said, tiredly, "we didn't come here to pick a fight, neither did we come for your permission. We came to tell you, as a professional courtesy that we're going down there. Is there a dwarf that can guide us to the bottom?"

The orc looked at me, his eyes a little wild. "A…what? A dwarf? After you threaten me?"

I sighed and dug in my pack. I pulled out a small bag of coins. 

"So, do you want to dance around the fact that you're looking for a bribe, or should we just save both of us a little time and address it at the outset?"

I tossed the coin to the orc. "Find me a dwarf."

*

We left the foreman's office with a promise that he would meet us at the mine entrance, guide with him. 

"Well, that went well," Severen said. "I didn't even see the sword leave your scabbard, Rowan."

"Thank you, sir." 

"Not praise. A question. Where did you learn to do that?"

"While I appreciate your natural curiosity, Severen," I interrupted, "I'd appreciate it if you don't pursue this line of questioning any further."

"Thank you, sir." 

"Very well, Master Mage," Severen replied, looking around. "I'd heard that this place was heavily fortified, but I didn't quite understand the scale."

"Can you blame 'em? Just one of those crystals would let you live comfortably for at least a year."

"Count Dreth is about to get rich." Rowan murmured,

"The Kingdom is about to get rich." Severen agreed. 

"The Kingdom is about to get attacked, if we don't manage this right." I said, watching as another group of workers dragged a heavy cart of crystal from the mine. 

"There's your man, sir." Rowan said, pointing to the foreman, who was approaching us in the blazing midday sun, a clean-shaven dwarf walking beside him. 

The dwarf didn't look happy. 

"Thank you, foreman." I said once they stopped in front of us. "You're dismissed."

The foreman raised an eyebrow, and then grumbling darkly walked off. 

"Impressive." The clean-shaven dwarf said admirably. "Though the workers are going to pay the price for your show of power."

I shrugged. "There's bosses like that all over the world. If he pushes too hard, the workers will have him tied to a stone and whipped."

"If you say so. The foreman says you want a guide to the bottom?"

I nodded. "Yes, and probably a satchel of explosives if you could get your hands on some."

"Not happening, unless you want to shatter the hill, there's a gas pocket down there. A nasty one."

"Worth a shot." I said, taking a shovel from Rowan. "Then, shall we get going?"

"You're not going to need those shovels."

"What do you mean?"

"You'll see."

He handed each of us a large cloth. "Tie that around your face." He dug in his pack and pulled out three blackened spectacles. "You're going to need these too. It's bright down there."

*

The mine was deep. Very deep, and the main tunnel went on forever. 

There was a surprising amount of space, and the three of us had no problem standing up straight. 

"There are no torches, sir." Rowan murmured to me. "No firelight."

"That's the spirit stone that." The dwarf said loudly. "Glows because of its purity. Never seen anything like it. It'll only get brighter the lower we get. I'd put those glasses on if I were you."

We did as he said. 

After what felt like forever I saw a dwarf in the distance. He was standing over a pit. 

"Hey, Breiros. Stuck on the lookout again?"

"Neraith, you seem to have caught a bad case of humans." He said, looking past me. 

"Foreman says we need to take 'em to the bottom of the mine. Deepest part."

"Why? There's nothing down there."

"Beats me." The dwarf shrugged. "Why are you guys going down there anyway?"

I held up the bag with the three spirit prisons inside. "We're going to bury something under all this spirit stone so it can't get out."

"What is it?"

"The end of the world." I shrugged. "The king sent me to make sure it never saw daylight again."

"The end of the world huh?" Our guide looked at me sceptically. "Well, you've certainly picked a good spot to hide it. The seam ends long before the bottom of this pit."

Naraith, the dwarf on guard, grunted. "The only reason we stopped digging was because we hit water. Deep water. I dropped the brightest spirit stone I could find into it and watched as it just sank, and sank, and sank. Gods, the thing could still be sinking."

"Perfect. How do I get down?"

The dwarf pointed at a round wheel on the side of the pit. "See that? We got a rope attached to it. We'll tie it around your waist and lower you down. When you hit the bottom, you can drop off your world-ending package, watch the water swallow it, and then we'll pull you back up again."

"Master let-"

"No. Rowan. I'll do it. You stay here."

"But-"

"No."

*

The winch squeaked and shuddered alarmingly as it lowered me down. 

I had passed the seam of spirit stone minutes earlier, and already I could feel my powers begin to return. 

Of course, that also meant the end of the light. 

I focused for a moment, attempting to summon a spirit to light my way down. 

And touched something else. Something immense.

- Speaker. Twisted Weave. Why do you disturb my slumber?

The voice was old, conjuring images of skies filled with unfamiliar stars. And eternity.

I shook my head, clearing it of the images. 

"It was not my intention to wake you, ancient one." I replied. "I was unaware of your presence.

Forgive my asking, ancient one, but who are you?"

- Have you mortals forgotten so soon? 

The voice echoed in my mind, saddened, disappointed. But it made my soul sing at the sound of it. 

"I fear we may have, ancient one." 

- I can't share my name, Twisted Weave. Your mortal mind will not be able to handle it. You've been marked as favoured by a goddess I don't know. A new goddess. I wish not to offend her. 

May I search your weave to know what has passed while I slept?

"You ask permission?"

- It is unseemly to do otherwise. 

"Examine away."

Immediately I was overwhelmed by the image of mighty waves that lapped ancient shores. I saw creatures, immense and dreadful, their heads rising above the clouds. I watched lightning thunder into primordial forests, and entire mountains rend and tear themselves apart, exploding in colossal pillars of liquid fire. I saw mighty titans, creatures of rock and stone clash with beings of water and ice. And then peace. A hill. A man. An old man. He saw me watching him. 

He smiled. 

And the vision ended. 

- So it has come. The end.

I shook my head. "Not if I can help it, ancient one."

- The Rending has taken many worlds, Twisted Weave, what makes this one so different?

"Those other worlds didn't have me."

Laughter echoed around me, a physical manifestation that shook the walls around me. 

- You are brave, little one. But the Rending is not something that can be destroyed with bravery.

"Do you know how to end it?"

- No, Twisted Weave. I don't. Though the Spiritfather sent you back for a reason. He must think you can do something. 

A thought crossed my mind. I shut it down immediately. But not before the spirit saw it. 

- You desire a gift from me?

"Forgive me, ancient one, it was a momentary impulse."

- It is customary for gifts to be exchanged at first meetings. You've already given me the gift of knowledge, and you woke me from my slumber. What would you have of me?

I was speechless. The walls around me shook again with laughter. Physical, real laughter that I could actually hear and feel. My weave quivered at the sound of her laughter.

- Very well, little one, then I shall grant you something. A blessing. My first in aeons. 

I saw a light appear beside me. The light solidified, into the shape of a woman, though I couldn't make out any of her features. 

- You can see me? The spirit asked, surprised. 

"Yes, spirit I see you, and I know what gift I will have of you."

- Oh? And what do you desire? 

"I wish to see your face."

The spirit paused. 

- Is that all? 

I nodded. "Please, great one."

- I will grant you that. Though I fear you may not know me. Sadness again. And fear. Trepidation. Nervousness.  

And the light faded from the figure. And I knew her. My soul knew her. I cursed the rope that stopped me from falling to my knees. 

And I said her name. A name that every child knew. The first word ever uttered by every mortal mouth. The name that broken souls called out to when they had nowhere else to turn. The name that brought comfort to soldiers and sailors and every weary traveller, far from home. The name that meant unconditional, eternal love. 

"Mother."

And the spirit smiled at me, and my soul soared with joy at the sight of it. And she took me into her arms and blessed me with an unspeakable blessing. 

*

I gripped the hand that one of the dwarves held out to me. He pulled me up. 

"I see you still have the world-ending satchel." The guide said. 

I nodded. The dwarf studied me for a moment. "Something happened down there."

I nodded again. 

"Something good?" 

Another nod. I didn't want to speak, I didn't trust myself not to break into song. 

"So we shouldn't cover up this hole."

I shook my head. I breathed in deeply. "If you knew the identity of the spirit down there, you would cease all work on this mine, and erect a grand temple in its place."

Both dwarves looked at me, surprised. "There's a spirit down there?"

"Oh yes, and she's awake. After an unbelievable length of time, she's awake. She's finally awake."