Nord led his horse. He, Jaxon, and the little fairy had been walking through the hills for weeks, and Nord was getting sick of it. The scenery was beautiful, but the constant up and down was making him dizzy and nauseous. The fairy, Missy, floated along behind them. She had been whipping Jaxon and Nord along like a slave driver. Nord had thought they were headed north when the group had left Jaxon's home, but five days out from the village, she had turned them east, heading towards Elvenhom. Nord rode on, preparing to see his ravaged homeland again. But after ten more days, she turned them back west, causing them to retrace their steps.
Nord had grumbled to Jaxon about it a little. His friend told him not to worry, she was being guided by Lov's grandfather. A dragon would guide them to where they needed to be. The giant elf rumbled a little more, but not loud enough for Missy to hear. That little blonde minx worried Nord, he knew how tricksy fairies could be.
They started south before they hit the road back to Hobton, cutting cross country. After another week passed, Nord didn't know where they were being herded to. He screwed up his courage, and boldly demanded to know what their destination was.
Missy gave him a death stare, as if to imply, how dare you question me. "We're headed for Golbekli Tempe, the seat of the Anuunaki." She flew ahead of them, taking the lead, making the two riders have to push their horses hard. It was a cruel thing to do to the animals, but kept Nord from bothering her for a few minutes.
When Jaxon and Nord caught up with, her they dismounted to lead their horses. Nord started with the questions again. "Why were we headed north, anyways?"
Missy rolled her eyes, turning and flying backwards to talk to him. "Did you see what you looked like? You were getting fat, and we need you in fighting shape. I don't know if there will be a dragon war, but I know the big guy told me to 'Get that loud annoying elf ready to do what he has to. And don't forget Jaxon, that kid will keep that other ijit safe'." She saw it was getting dark, so she shot up into the sky to be a guiding light. She hated it when people questioned her guidance. She and her sisters were well trained by Tryton, they knew just how to steer his pawns.
Nord grumbled to Jaxon, who told him to shut it, leaving the elf alone with his thoughts. He reached for where Amon used to be and felt the familiar pain of what he had lost. He felt an unfamiliar presence with him though, and sent a probing question.
Clear as the fairy in the sky, lighting their way, Nord heard Uncle? Before losing contact with it. A part of his worry vanished, feeling that Lov was safe, if not happy. Late into the night, as the full moon reflected onto the lake from on high, Nord gave a sharp whistle and waved for Missy to come to their level.
She shot down, like a dart, worry clear on her face. "Did something happen to one of the horses?" She asked, her eyebrows furrowed.
Nord shook his head. "No, the horses are fine, but I think Jaxon and I need some rest." He gestured to the halfling, swaying lazily in his saddle with eyes half closed in sleep. "I don't know about you, but the walking dead creep me out."
Missy flew over to Jaxon, and punched him in the ear. Small as she is, it would have been like Nord flicking it. But it was enough to startle Jaxon awake. "What's for breakfast?" He asked cheerily, eyes red with lack of sleep. When Missy turned back to Nord, Jaxon slouched back down, eyes half closed and snored softly.
Nord chuckled, then pointed to Jaxon. Missy flipped around, then turned back to Nord. "Alright. I guess I can't be so cruel as to make you go without sleep. Besides," she said, gesturing for Nord to take his sleep pack off, "I guess it does make more sense to rest here and hurry across the salt of Tempe Bay."
Nord shuddered as he prepared for sleep. Even thinking of what had happened there filled him with despair. There once was a large inland ocean, full of islands and cities of the Anuunaki. The great Wyrms had decided they needed the water for their Tuthan made hot springs on the other side of the world. The renegade dragons had sucked all the water away, transporting it to where the Tuthan had dug out deep pools for them.
What was left over, they dumped back into the ocean, being too lazy to carry it back to Tempe Bay. The Wyrms had taken the water, but not the salt. So the result was a vast salt flat. He hoped the rains had been plentiful there this year, as it was the only source of water for the ant people.
He pictured the only Anuunaki he had ever met. The woman stood only a little taller than an elf, but with four arms, and the ability to lift four times her own weight. They ran on four legs, small, residual abdomen sticking out between them. Her middle two legs could be used as arms, and she stood a foot taller than Nord when they stretched to their full height. The Anuunaki also had tails, similar to a scorpion's, but not ending in a stinger. Instead, the women had a nozzle that shot out slime. A goo so slippery nothing but another Anuunaki could stand on it. Nord had never seen a male, but supposedly, males were slightly smaller than the females. Having the same six appendages, but half the strength of the women, their tails end in a large blunt ball, multicolored with swirling patterns.
They hobbled the horses, and laid on the ground to sleep. Missy looked down at Nord from where she floated, keeping watch over the two men. The night passed quietly, it seemed the forest knew the group needed their sleep.
The next day, in the predawn light, Missy thought about all the intricacies of what was happening with Tryton's guidance. Nord and Jaxon thought she was leading them to Lov, which she was. But first, they needed to make another stop and pick up a field commander. Tryton wanted Nord to develop an army. The old grump figured putting as many bodies between Lov and danger was the best way to keep him safe. One day, Lov would be a powerful person, able to shape the world with a thought, but for now, he lacked the discipline and knowledge. For all his faults, Nord was a superb leader, but he needed the right commander to take him in rein.
As the sky filled with purples and pinks from the sunrise, Missy decided to wake her companions. She floated down next to Jaxon's head lightly kissing his eyelids and calling for him to wake up.
The halfling stretched and let out a light groan as he awoke. Missy motioned him to silence, placing her fingers across her lips. Jaxon sat up a little and turned to face Nord as Missy floated over to him. She landed lightly upon the saddle Nord was using as a pillow.
She grabbed her tiny knife turning back to smile slyly at Jaxon, before jabbing Nord in his earlobe. The big elf gave a yelp, slapping at his ear, thinking a bug had stung him. Missy was propelled backwards as the back of Nord's hand caught her, sending her crashing into the halfling's chest. Jaxon looked to Missy an expression of disbelief and concern upon his face. When he saw the little fairy was alright, he exploded in loud deep laughter you wouldn't expect from a person so small. Nord shook his head, clearing the last of the dream from it, then looked to his friend, "I never realized dream bees could sting so hard. What has you so jolly today?"
Jaxon fought back his laughter, choking out a "Nothing!" before Nord saw his friend shaking with contained mirth. They packed up quickly and were back on the road as the sun crested the horizon, spreading dazzling light on the world, and spraying beautiful patterns of color across the surrounding hills.
They continued to head south. Today they should reach Tempe Bay and in a few days, Golbekli Tempe. Slowly, as they traveled, the grass became more sparse and they could see sandy brown patches in the ground. Eventually they came to where the white sand beaches used to be. Nord could smell the salt from the bay in the air, left over from when the water was drained. A sandy basin spread out, stretching as far as the eye could see to a faint glimmer on the horizon.
They passed the sandy expanse quickly, and headed across the ancient sea floor. The grains were baking underfoot, Nord could feel the stuff through the soles of his boots, sun- warmed and hot enough to cook on. Something glinted in the distance. As they neared the glint on the horizon, the sky approached them. In front of them spread the wonder of the sky, large and vast as an ocean. Clouds passed through that beautiful blue. As they drew closer to the scene, Nord saw that it was caused by a thin layer of water covering the ground, the white salt underneath caused the water to reflect the sky, leaving Nord with a tranquil feeling.
Jaxon, who had been half dozing in his saddle, suddenly jumped. To him, they went from the beautiful soft rolling hills of his homeland, to falling through the sky. Jaxon's start threw Missy, who had been sleeping in the crook of his arm, flying. She landed in the salty water, drenching her from the waist down.
"Are you kidding me?” she screamed up to the sky. Grumpily, she floated over to Jaxon, taking position over his head. She used her magic to dry her clothes, sucking the water from them. She then dumped the salty wetness onto Jaxon's head. It was just enough to soak his hair and run down his face. She flew over to Nord, landing on his shoulder next to his ear. "We should be at the city soon. Just a couple days of this hell."
They pushed hard that day and Missy used a device of tubes and pumps she had pulled from her pouch to extract the salt out of the water. Nord pumped as he listened to her speak, making a fair amount of clean water quickly. The water wasn't very refreshing and tasted flat, but it did relieve their thirst.
They found a small rise ahead white with salt, but it appeared to be dry. They stopped there, even though the sun was well above the horizon, and set up camp. Missy reached into her bottomless pouch and pulled out some jerky to share with Jaxon and Nord. Nord hobbled the horses, and pulled grain and oat bags from their pack setting them up to feed.
Jaxon pulled his pipe out of his pocket, and puffed away contentedly, watching Missy and Nord set up the camp. His job was the fire, but the wind still conspired against him, making his efforts futile.
As the sun lowered in the sky, they were surrounded by a sunset on a little white island. Pinks and purples spread around them like watercolors. Jaxon was awestruck at first, but his curiosity got the better of him, and he skipped a stone across it. The ripples ruined the picture, but was beautiful in its own way. The pinks and purples mixed as the tiny waves spread. Eventually, the ripples faded away and the sun dipped below the horizon. They all went to sleep happy and at peace.
The next morning the companions all awoke to see a similar picture from the night before, only with oranges, yellows, and blues. They packed camp quickly and started on their way. Each wanted to reach Golbekli Tempe as soon as possible.
As they rode through the day, the scene began to wear on them. None of the riders felt comfortable. The air was too silent. In the distance, they could see small funnels of wind and water. As they drew closer to the waterspouts, which grew to immense proportions, fifteen feet wide and hundreds of feet high, Nord began to feel a tightness in his chest. Salty water rained down on the small group when the spinning water columns turned towards them. They were soaked to the bone when the water funnels died fifty feet from their party. The airborne water plummeted to the ground, pounding down upon the group like a waterfall.
Missy whined, "Not again!" wringing her hair out.
Slowly, the waterspouts spun themselves out, and the water fell back to the salt floor. They rode on in silence, Missy working her powers to keep her clothes dry and comfortable.
The group was glad to leave the basin that was Tempe Bay. It had been beautiful, being surrounded by the heavens, but it grated on your nerves after a mere few days traveling through them.
They rose up onto a large green bluff, the island that housed Gobekli Tempe. Brine flies swarmed the base of the bluff and swamped the three companions as they reached the edge of the water. Jaxon and Nord pulled cloths over their faces, and Missy hid in Nord's pocket. As they rode out onto the top of the plateau, a grassland spread out before them. On the horizon they could see a large brown mound rising out of the ground. As they drew closer, figures began to swarm from the mound rushing towards the group.
Missy said, "Be calm and let me do the talking." as the Anuunaki drew close. The insects ran fast, their legs a blur as they crossed the grass. They surrounded the group, and pointed their tails at the companions.
Missy flew out of Nord's pocket saying, "Hi there, we're looking for a friend that should be in your city." The Anuunaki didn't move. Their multifaceted eyes gleamed in the sun.
One of them stepped forward. Her voice had a slight buzz to it. "We must ask you to remove your weapons, as we do ourselves in Gobekli Tempe," she said while reaching for a coil of twine that she carried. "They will be marked and returned to you when you leave."
Jaxon nodded and jumped from his horse, beginning to disarm. He pulled knives from his boots, sleeves, behind his back, and out of his hat, putting them in Anuunaki hands. They bound them and started to walk away. He gestured for them to stop, then pulled a mace out of his pants and a sling from his belt. He patted his body one last time, to make sure he had everything and was rewarded with a palm knife he had almost forgotten. An Anuunaki went to Nord, who surrendered his singing sword and belt knife. "Don't lose them." He said gruffly.
Missy gave the Anuunaki her most innocent look. "Even my little blade?" She asked, giving sad puppy dog eyes.
The ant being was unphased though. "Especially you. You're just the right size to be a pest."
Missy handed her knife over, a scowl on her face. The twine the Anuunaki used to bind the weapon was twice as long as the blade.
The leader motioned one of her underlings over. The Anuunaki jumped, eager to please their superior. The leader told her, "You, escort this group into the city. Take them to The Purple Mushroom and introduce them to Shatalia." The leader turned to the group, "He should be able to help you." She turned to the rest of her company and ran back to the city.
Their escort turned to them and with a hard buzz in her voice said, "My name is Zth. Please follow me." With that, Zth took off ahead of the party, stopping and pacing every time she was a hundred meters ahead of them. Her legs moved lightning fast while she paced impatiently waiting for the group to catch up. As they approached the mound, they could see a vast hole in the side of it. A loud buzzing came out of the cave while a brisk wind blew from inside. The buzzing became louder as they walked deeper into the cavern. Once inside, they saw dozens of large female Anuunaki the size of Nord, waving broad long leaf fans at an amazing rate. The air that passed them was warm and smelled of close bodies.
The companions and Zth passed into a wide tunnel that split seven different ways. Their guide headed purposefully towards the closest one, motioning impatiently for the group to follow. They walked along the long corridor, brightly lit shops appearing cut into the walls. They were lit with the same bright blue bulbs that Jaxon used in his underground rooms, only these were brighter. "How do you get such bright bulbs?" He asked wanting that kind of lighting for his own underground complex.
Zth stood still for a minute, as if thinking, then replied, "We make them. They are a chemical we find deep in the earth."
Jaxon jumped for joy. "I want some before we leave!" he said, glee in his voice.
"Of course, someone will take you at a later date."
Zth guided them to a hole in the wall, a large purple mushroom painted above the entrance. She led them into the bar, and pointed to a male Anuunaki behind the counter. He was a rich warm brown, and taller than Jaxon. "He's Shatalia. He will help find your friend." Zth walked them over and did introductions. She then turned and headed out of the cavern at a rapid rate.
Shatalia turned to them, speaking with a slight and light buzz. "It's just Talia, how may I help you?" He asked, turning his head to look at all of them.
Missy flew around the room, drinking in the sights. It was a marvel of architecture. The walls and ceilings curved together seamlessly. The floor looked made of dirt, but felt like marble. The walls reflected the glow of the blue bulbs into the common room, lighting up the entire area with just a few of them. Nord watched as Missy flew off, lost in wonderland. He shook his head, cleared his throat, and started describing Lov. "Yes, we're looking for a young half-elf, maybe a foot and a half shorter than I am, with dark blackish blue-gray scaly skin, and long pointy elf ears." He pointed to his own long and well-kept ears.
Talia seemed to pause, then spoke. "I have heard of no one by that description in this part of the city." She shook her head negatively, "And outsiders are not allowed in any of the lower caverns."
A dejected look passed over Nord's face. He'd been hoping Lov was here. It’s why he stuck to Missy rather than leaving to search on his own.
Missy flew over, scolding Nord. "I told you to let me do the talking." She turned her attention back to Talia. "We're looking for an elf. Somewhere between the short one and the tall one's height, with pale brownish white hair and deep blue eyes."
Nord rolled his eyes. "You just described about one quarter of my people."
Missy shot him a glare and continued to Talia, "His name is Sanche."
"Sanche!" Nord exclaimed, "Why didn't you tell me we were saving him?"
"Because you didn't ask, Dummy!" She shot back before turning to hear what Talia had to say.
"Sanche I have heard of." Talia said, pointing to a figure at a corner table. "I believe he is here as a guest of Xctchul, one of our retired generals."
Missy thanked the Anuunaki and flew to where the elder elf was seated, Nord and Jaxon trailing in her wake.
Nord didn't even recognize the man they approached. Sanche looked nothing like the elf Nord had trained and fought with. His cheeks were sunken in, and his eyes stuck out from his face, making him look bug eyed. Sanche's hands appeared skeletal. His fingers stuck out like claws. But the worst were his ears. Before, he had long beautiful ears. They had been his pride and joy, now nothing remained. Holes were all that showed where his ears had been. He used his hair to cover the scars of mutilation.
"Sanche?" Nord asked, still not believing it to be him.
Sanche turned his head slowly. He scowled at the three companions, then rubbed his eyes vigorously. "Nord?" He asked, disbelief in his voice. "Damn hallucinations, be gone!"
Nord reached out and touched Sanche's hand, "Sorry old friend, you're not licking the toads of ogier groves... I'm real."
Sanche jumped from his chair, and Nord couldn't believe how horrible, emaciated, and creepy his friend looked. "Oh my goodness! Nord!" Sanche wrapped the giant elf in a tight hug. His great big smile made him almost appear normal. "I never thought I'd ever see another elf!" Sanche took his seat again and looked around the room. "Where's Lov?" He asked, eager to see his best young archery student.
"His grandfather came and took him." Nord answered truthfully. He pointed to Missy. "She had me thinking we were going to find and meet him here."
"We are, ijit." She shot back, floating to the table to land next to Sanche's drink. "These youngsters can be so impatient. I told him we were going to meet Lov here, and we will. As soon as his grandfather brings him." She nodded her head to emphasize the point.
"If you say so, little one. I try not to fathom the mysteries of dragons." Sanche shuddered. "My own are bad enough.”
"How did you end up here anyways?" Nord asked, leaning into the table.
Sanche shook his head. "I wish I could forget that journey." His eyes lost focus and the smile left his face. "I won't tell you what happened in the council room. I don't want to relive that nightmare again unless I must. Suffice it to say, I escaped with my life if not my ears."
He took a long pull from his cup and motioned for Talia to bring him more. "I found a woman escorting her children out of the city. One was an infant, the other couldn't have been more than twelve. I joined them, thinking to keep them safe. We managed to avoid all the Titan patrols, and I managed to keep them from the mutilation. We made it to the Great Wyrm Desert, but the infant couldn't survive on the little bits of water we were able to find."
Sanche saw his cup was filled, and drained it in one shot. "The mother, I lost a short time later. We were crossing the back of a dune made from the spine of one of the great Wyrms. She was bringing up the rear, and as she crossed one of the vertebrae, it separated from the spine, sending it tumbling down the dune. She was buried under the sand, and though we dug for her, we never found her." He paused a moment, then took a deep shuddering breath before continuing.
"Her son and I struggled on. We made it to the bay just fine, but once we reached it, and saw the reflection of the sky in the water, he seemed to give up. I told him not to drink the water, but he wouldn't listen. He drank his fill. As we approached the bluff, he collapsed, falling from his horse and smacking his head upon the salt. He died, of course. I told him not to drink the water!" The last he yelled, hurling his cup across the room before bursting from his seat and running out the door.