Forgotten Secret
A swirling mass of darkness, tendrils groping through the dark, searching for something, for the dreamer. She had to get out, she had to escape beyond all else from this cyclopean horror, this end of all things. She twisted and contorted, screamed in fury, thrashing with all her might, to no avail. The black tendrils closed in around her, she managed to pick out what looked to be a shape of a humanoid body, arms outstretched in the darkness before she was engulfed in agonizing wails.
Light, blaring warm candle light streamed through her closed eyelids as she flung forward in a scream, her eyes snapping open. She looked around in confusion, getting a bearing of her surroundings, large open room, tapestries lining the stone walls, the fireplace against the wall on her right burned low, a bubbling pot of some sort of liquid exuded from a cast iron pot hanging above the low flames. She rubbed her eyes and saw an older yet attractive in her old aged woman standing above her at her bedside.
“Hilde Von Aldrich, eldest of her family line since the founding of the Von Aldrich lineage and still you have night terrors as though you were a child.” Hilde instantly recognized the woman to be Mizu, her beloved guardian and friend, though her dark eyes were glaring back at Hilde in feigned frustration, Hilde knew that Mizu was feeling genuine concern. Hilde, sweating and regaining her breath, outstretched her hand for water, Mizu happily obliged and placed a ceramic mug into her hand, Hilde regarded the hand that grasped the mug, old, weathered, seen to many cold winds and far too many battles. Hilde flicked an eyebrow and her hand smoothed itself to a degree but some scars and wrinkles are too deep to remove. Gulping down large swaths of water Hilde breathed deeply and looked at Mizu, who was eyeing her carefully.
“What? gods above and below what?!” Hilde barked loudly, more loudly than she had intended as she quickly showed a somber expression to Mizu.
“Nothing my Lady, just drink your water and rest at ease if you will.”
“I always do Mizu, I just like to wake you up at the darkest hours of the night.” A mischievous grin cracked over Hilde’s expression as she drank some more. Mizu chortled at her dripping sarcasm, even at so late an hour Hilde managed it and Mizu bowed low and walked off, with Hilde smiling after her as the door closed.
“Again with this dream, but the shape of the person in the background, that was new.” Said Hilde to no one in the room, speaking to herself as she attempted to gain control over her new found shaking. “I have lived for 185 years now, longer than anyone else in the family line, that I know of at least, and to think nightmares would plague me after seeing so much.” A sudden image of a dragons frost breath blasting her body into frozen bits sudden flashed before her and she flinched as she took the last gulps from the mug she held and placed it at her dark pine bedside table. Taking a few more heavy breaths she threw her covers off, her face now bore the deep lines and wrinkles of anxiety as she withdrew a leather bound journal from a small chest under her bed. Willing the lock open she took out the stained and cracked book and withdrawing a quill and ink hustled over to her long desk with various half melted candles upon it.
Scribbling away within, she recorded her dream, the shadows, the form of a person with outstretched arms, the twinkling of the strange glass like lights in the back which had almost escaped her memory. The lights which danced now upon her memory after writing it recalled something within her aged memory, she furrowed her brow as she suddenly felt the pang of recognition to the pattern they formed. She sat quietly with head in hand replaying the scene over and over, the shadows, the person with outstretched arms, the twinkling lights, like, like the black veil of night and the stars upon them!
Throwing on what clothes she could in a hasty fashion from her large wardrobe she pushed open her large iron wood doors and began walking down the flight of stairs and passed different rooms and closets and chambers. Mizu was fast on her heels, calling after her as Hilde’s friend did her best to belt on her sword and what piecemeal armor she could.
“Hilde, damn it all, Hilde!”
Hilde smirked to herself as she continued hustling down the stairways and through large stone thresholds of her castle, Mizu the whole way barking orders for her to stop and return to her bed chambers.
“What has possessed you all of a sudden?! If you are in need of food, drink, or anything else you have but to ask my lady!” Hilde quirked an eyebrow at Mizu’s use of my lady again, she seemed to change between titles and exasperation in her voice, which Hilde thoroughly seemed to be enjoying. Finally they reached the large underground library which towered up through the castle as a large rotund tower.
“Well here we are Hilde, in your grand library, yes its all well and good and it will be here tomorrow, but at your age-”
“Enough Mizu, I know what you’re going to say, no I have not lost my mind and bring me my salves.” Hilde said curtly, Mizu stiffening, bowed and marched off, adjusting bits of armor and her sword as she went. Hilde nodded thankfully in Mizu’s direction and began walking below, to the lower reaches of the library, a walk that normally wouldn’t have bothered her decades ago, but this wasn’t decades ago, and the walk to the bottom took a far longer time than usual. As she reached the bottom, Mizu caught up to Hilde and held the salves in her outstretched hand.
“My lady-”
“Have you noticed, Mizu, that you change titles with me in different circumstances?” Hilde said with her hands on her hips, smiling a wide toothy grin. Mizu sighed loudly and continued,
“Hilde, are you sure you should be applying these things? Don’t you remember how you have sworn off using them about 10 years ago after-”
“Damnit Mizu of course I remember, but I need this bout of energy, I need just a small amount of time with a more youthful body, there is something I must do” Hilde interjected loudly and quite assuredly towards Mizu.
“But Hilde, you know that this is the last-”
“I know Mizu! I know my friend, but I must, please, trust me as you have these long decades we’ve had together.” Hilde put a hand on Mizu as Mizu looked on with a worry stricken expression, and dropped the three salves into Hilde’s waiting grasp. Looking at the vicious and strangely colored vials, Hilde saw the image of her slightly younger self, applying the oils for the last time, how her skin stretched, almost tore as her old and used body could no longer take the regenerative properties. Her screams of agony, Mizu calling down her healing hands, which only slightly abated the pain and agony of her age fighting potions, which even now in her ancient age would not accept.
Hilde loudly exhaled as she saw the gods above and below laughing at her attempts, but then she never originally sought such life longevity, it was the essence of a dragon magi’s blood which granted her the elongated years, and powers. She smiled a wicked grin, for even though her body would not accept regenerative salves, there was so much more in Entrathia to offer her more years if she willed it, her expression quickly turned once again to pensive concentration as she stood at the bottom of the grand library, and sitting upon a table with various scrolls and books she had forgotten, or someone else had forgotten, to put away, she popped open the salve.
She was bombarded with aromas of different fragrances and while some burned her nostrils others softly played off her senses, she felt a chill run up her spine. She took a few deep breaths, already she could feel the magical effects of the salve just by inhaling it, after a short amount of time she emptied the contents out and applied it to her body. The other two were spent in the same fashion, though the last one she drank, the taste of bitter root and plant life filled her mouth. She breathed calmly for a few seconds, suddenly she was enwrapped in convulsing pain, her skin sizzled and her mind broke at the feeling of the immense pain coursing through her. Her eyes blurred, a dark haze filled her peripheral vision, she collapsed to the floor, Mizu cried out in terror as she sprang to catch her wilting body.
“My lady! My lady! Please hold still I’ll use my healing hands.”
“No! No Mizu, let me feel this pain, it will be the last time I apply these salves, should I fall now or later, let me remember.” Hilde barked at Mizu, Mizu looked down in a look of horror, but did as Hilde bid. “Again Mizu, you look as though the weight of the world is pressing down upon you.” Hilde remarked with her voice growing softer and more labored. After a few short moments Mizu suddenly saw the sizzling abate, and where there was once wrinkled weathered skin, there was now a soft radiance to it. Hilde seemed to glow anew and opening her eyes, the pain passing, Hilde looked through eyes of someone only of 20 or 30 winters, her breath breathed deeper, her skin was more supple, her sight more precise. Hilde looked up at Mizu, her skin and face once again that of her younger self, Mizu, with tears rolling down her cheeks, smiled widely and coughed up laughs and exhales of relief.
“Mizu, I told you my love, I would either die now or later but the pain and feeling will stay with me, now, it seems my body had the strength for one last circle of this mortal coil. Come, now that I have the strength once again, we must go to the hidden reliquary and through the archaic tomes perhaps we can divine the nature of my dreams.”
Mizu nodded slowly and embracing Hilde again, helped her to her feet, Hilde retrieved her family crest.
“This pendant, the crest of my family, was created custom for me, you see Mizu, we had spent a lot of time adventuring with that group which helped to change the tides of battle during the Great Realm war, during that time I realized the power of a small band of adventurers and how tenacious they could be when it involved lost knowledge, power, and in most cases, gold. Taking that experience I made damned sure that this room was masterfully hidden and that only a specific dweomer upon a specific trinket would open the vault and so we have this.” Hilde held up her pendant towards the light, Mizu recognized the ‘V’ and ‘A’ with the different patterns signifying her as Queen of the estate and ruler of the region claimed by the Von Aldriches.
“Hilde, you certainly have taken some precautions but then after all we’ve been through, I can’t say I blame you.”
“Of course Mizu, and now-” Hilde stopping mid speech as she held up the pendant to a nondescript wall, just between two bookshelves with a globe representing Entrathia sitting in front of the opening, a small cubby hole of a door slid back. The sound of stone moving after being placed all those years ago filled the library, echoing off walls, until finally it came to a stop and only a dark hall loomed beyond the hidden threshold.
“Ah, just as I left it, now, Lux!, Hilde calling out the cantrip for light, a ball of white luminescence jumped from her hand and danced around where she pointed. Hollow sounds and drippings of the underground pass filled Hilde and Mizu’s ears, the light still dancing before them kept ahead at a comfortable distance.
“Careful Mizu.” Hilde spoke quickly as she hopped over a large block, Mizu following in step noticed for the briefest instance a strange glowing rune upon the rock below. “I had that installed just incase someone by some miracle made it in, even with avoiding the trap were you within 20 feet of its dweomer it would still sound alarms in my bed chambers, luckily being that I created the damn thing, I know how to circumvent this, moving on.” They continued down this small cramped corridor until Mizu realized they were no longer on castle grounds, that this chamber had been created to go farther underground and off the property to insure complete isolation.
“And careful of this as well,” Hilde stopped short and Mizu bumping into her back looked in front of Hilde, not seeing anything but more stone pathway, “This was more of an enjoyable design of mine.” Hilde placed a wooden plank before her and willed it to grow and remain strong, she motioned for the passing over the plank, as they moved along over the ten foot distance Mizu realized that there was a sheer drop below them, that the other end of the hole resembled almost identically that of the stone floor, a cunning illusion.
After another ten minutes or so they at last came to a solid steel door with spikes protruding towards them. Hilde held up her pendant once again and the door clicked, clanked, and eventually pushed back open, not making a single sound as it did, dweomers and small enhancements obviously kept the sounds of creaking and groaning from exuding from the door as it opened. There was a crisp dry cool air that met their passing through the openway, the chamber was completely dark, bereft of all light, and the air almost seemed to be frozen in place.
Mizu attempted to spark a light upon a torch she had and as the torch lit aflame no light emanated from the glowing mass, Mizu was just barely able to make out what should be a roaring flame at the end of a stick.
“My last precaution, within this room is set Ancient Deeper Darkness, a spell of my own crafting which blots out all light, for the most part,” Hilde regarding the small ember upon the wooden rod that Mizu had withdrawn, “in any case no light, greater light, ethereal light, or any spell giving off any sight whatsoever should work within these confines.” Hilde said astutely, before she spoke loudly into the open room, “Kal-wer frin ar lunis Aldichonos amig gleam!” There was a loud popping noise and air rushed in all directions, the steel door closed slowly behind the two women as lights from different sconces, candelabras and candles upon long pikes lit up instantly.
The room, now completely, lit showed a large stone spherical layout, with eleven pedestals, some of them holding archaic tomes, some empty. Within the center was a single raised pedestal like the others, grander in design, the glass casing open. Mizu noticed there were rows leading out like pews of lesser wooden pillar and pedestals which held only an empty glass case and one in particular caught Mizu’s eye. It was cloaked with a black-red like cloth, hidden for some unknown purpose.
“Gods, you certainly have kept this secret well hidden my love.” Mizu imparted while looking around the large round room, each stone with intricate carvings of the finest marble, various paintings hung up on the wall sides, a paltry amount of bookshelves housing all manner of fantastic and curious tome and text.
Hilde regarded Mizu whimsically, a slight smirk on her face for the sudden openness of her long time friend and lover, “Indeed, I have accrued a small amount of books in my haydays, though nowhere near the amount of many grand Magi that live to the great old age of five to six hundred, even longer but I daresay mine matches in gravity what I lack in quantity.”
“So many empty cases and empty slots, for what purpose Hilde?” Mizu now completely informally inquiring as to the true nature of such a magnificent, albeit incomplete reliquary.
“Ah, Mizu there are so many things in this world that you, nor I, understand or will understand completely, though in my travels and research I have found that these major eleven here and the one raised atop may house some of the most powerful tomes ever to exist, what’s more terrifying is the fact I supposedly have seven.” Hilde remarked calmly and with little shock in her voice though Mizu blanched at the thought and whirled around to face Hilde.
“Supposedly?! Gods Hilde, if what you say is true-”
“Then the gods should be searching for me endlessly, adventurers desperately wishing to plunder and learn all I know, Aeons themselves coming down to exact their viciously indifferent balance laws.” Hilde cut in, shrugging and walking past Mizu and slowly going to a couple different tomes, softly places her index finger and pendant near the glass surface, there was a click and the glass case opened willingly for Hilde.
“But that is not the case, as you have seen I have taken what most would see as a mentally unstable approach with the amount of safety locks, bolts and dweomers. Even now the room you stand in was meticulously etched and carved by me and me alone with every spell and evocation and harmful ability I could conjure and set them there in each and every stone. This place is a veritable bunker but what makes it more defensible is not a single soul, save for you now, and myself, know of this place.” Hilde saying this all quite curtly while placing a few tomes and sheafs of paper on a table that popped into existence along with two well furnished chairs and in one of the “corners” a couch with a carpet beneath it phased into existence.
“Mizu, I don’t know how long this will take, there is a secret door over near where that cloaked pedestal is, it’s connected to this room by all the same means, it has a large bed, a larder, a privy and a small place to cook something up to eat. There is also a couch as you see and my table I will work on, all these objects will cease to exist once we leave here again, so make yourself at home and I’ll finish this when I can.” Hilde stopped short on the last thought and looking up and quietly rubbing her face she imparted an extra last statement, “And Mizu, it is good to have you with me.”
Mizu smiled a wide and warm grin, and hugging Hilde in a lovers embrace, withdrew, nodded silently and sat with Hilde as she began to read away, Hilde’s brow furrowing into a crease as she began her immured study. hours passed, soon Mizu found that she grew hungry, and happy that Hilde seemed to predict whatever study was to be done here would take a large amount of time, quickly trotted over to the larder and food stores. As far as Mizu could fathom, the day was drawing on and it was getting close to sunset, still Hilde was completely mired in her studies, every now and then getting up to drink from her waterskin, or to use the privy.
“My love, it has been hours, surely it is night out and you must rest for now.” Mizu said pleadingly to Hilde, who turned a dour and gaunt expression towards Mizu, Mizu noted that already age seemed to catch up with her even after so short a time. “Come my lady, let me help you to the bed.” Hilde nodded somberly and standing, slowly trundled over with Mizu to the bed, where she retired, sleep taking her almost instantly. Mizu stayed up for hours, pondering before a mug of ale taken from a cask in the eatery room, wondering what exactly Hilde was reading, and where it would lead her.
Days marched on, still Hilde was engrossed in her readings, until finally upon the eleventh day, after spending many spells and cantrips replenishing the food supplies and water, and doing away with the refuse, Hilde slowly and calmly put down her tome. Mizu busily keeping herself active and alert looked to Hilde, Hilde’s expression was that of a dire mood, filled with anxiety and weariness.
“What, Hilde, what did you find?!” Mizu asked with quickness in her voice.
“Come, Mizu, follow and do not tarry.” Hilde remarked quickly and began to walk from the room, after placing the tome back in its case safely and securely. Mizu attempted to call after her, see what it was that obviously troubled Hilde, but Hilde was already out of the threshold, moving fast, Mizu ran after her. Bypassing all the traps, pitfalls and security measures Hilde had taken, they arrived once again within the Von Aldrich castle, a cool breeze wafted into the hall, some windows were open and outside sun rays shone through. Mizu, walking behind Hilde, had seen Hilde silently mouth words and flip her hands in certain gestures, clearly she was making sure the castle was habitable upon reentry.
“Here we are, the Heavenly Veil Observatory, and all looks to be in order.” Hilde looked from different planetary bodies which were placed in different coordinated areas on a massive spherical object, Mizu had been there in the beginning of its construction, with the same baffled but awe inspired expression.
“Now, to align certain planets, chart certain systems, to exhume the secrets that are becoming clear from their dark apocrypha.” Hilde spoke with a dark tone in her voice, Mizu cocking her head in perplexity at the statement just made. Hilde made some changes to levers, switches, dials, and all manner of different contraptions and gears, suddenly the room seemed to come alive, light filled different corners, different colored glasses lit up this large round room with varying spectra, Mizu twirled around as the room gained a life and color of its own.
“I had been, as you well know, intensely studying and going over the different pages, runes, archaic texts and all manner of strange secrets and texts splayed across the pages of the tomes I had. I began to see a pattern, a line being drawn, almost as if the universe itself were speaking out to me, beyond the realms of mortals, gods, goddesses, far beyond anything I could ever comprehend. In that, I felt the breath of change, the moving of the cosmos, in my ignorance I somehow did comprehend, as if somehow my brain remembered a distant muscle memory, yet in no way could define.” Hilde continuing to change the rotation of spheres, moving colored lights and trajectories of strange bodies in different ways. “So now something is awakening, something which hadn’t awoken in some four, five, maybe even six thousand years. I am glad that I had the dreams I did, and that it lead me to scry what little bits of this gargantuan mystery which surrounds us all and see the small slivers which spoke to me. Mizu, something is coming for us, for us all, there are very few who know of its existence, and most likely perhaps 2 or 3, maybe a fraction more, who could ever have even an inkling as to what this thing is and what it represents. It is not sentient as far as I could derive, or it may be beyond my understanding.”
“It wouldn’t be as those creatures we once fought, from an elder time of a far more ancient race.” Mizu asked, growing far more worried as Hilde regarded her silently.
“No, this thing, this is not the elder beings, it is not the great old ones, it is not an ancient race, this is something...something else.” Hilde returned to turning dials and cranking levers and pulleys until finally she stopped, and refracting the colored lights in a certain way, the spherical object with the planet attachments moved in a certain pattern, an image began to form.
“No, this is something far more greater than anything we’ve ever encountered, I know so little, yet compared to most I have the unfortunate bearing of understanding this small information I have, and I fear it will take a lot of mead, ale and distractions to keep me from worrying myself to death.” Mizu walked up calmly as they both gazed upon the strange celestial sphere and all the colors refracted in a certain way, the planets and celestial bodies in specific locations, throwing up a fantastic and completely foreign image before them. Hilde turned slightly, gazing into Mizu’s eyes, Hilde’s eyes hollow, dark with drowsiness looked on with an almost guilty dourness to them.
“Yes Mizu, I can see it in your stance, your look, I know you stand with me until the end, but this, this is something else. I don’t even understand completely what this is, or what it brings, or really too much of anything for that fact. These graphing observatory I had created, for such an event as we’ve experienced helped to elucidate a few mysteries for me, but then opened up more for me it seems.” At this time Hilde was scanning the layout, Mizu completely baffled by what she saw noted that Hilde seemed to understand a great deal of the strange round objects with smaller round object just near the edge of the bigger. Certain areas marked as Nebulae or star clusters were completely foreign to Mizu, yet Hilde moved to each side, recording and observing as she went. Finally after a small amount of time Hilde spoke again as if she had never stopped, her voice carrying a dark inflection to it,
“But there is one thing I do know my love, it is coming.”
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