Stones and Jokes

 Beneath skies streaked with pale clouds, thin wisps that glistened in the sunlight, the rings of the world were visible in their spectrums of coloured beauty. Chimi looked away from them when she felt colours she couldn’t describe present in them. Scholars and mages claimed they were clusters of stellar dust and magic materials. When the gods threw clumps of the dust as meteorites at Auresi, they would have selected one or more people to wield holy weapons. And these weapons upon their wielder’s passing would be kept in the lake Christareth, Ashworth’s longbow, Thomas Mayne’s axe, and many others. She looked around at her fellows. Gibson was the obvious choice for someone who would earn a weapon through his physical prowess.Chimi kept pace with her platoon with the Blades, and Charles remained by her side, much like a squire to a knight. They had spent the majority of the morning across the Alba Steppe, the march was set steady. A fast march would cut their journey down significantly from the two and a half days across the flats to the hills. She had taken the time to ruminate over herself, her desires and emotional recoil from the carnivorous blood in her veins, the things she was born with that were meant to be targeted toward non-humans and sinful existences. Yet, they had turned on Emmerlaine, and broken an alliance to kill her when she was a child.“Lady Chimi,” Charles said.“Just, Chimi, please.”He looked up at her with those warm blue eyes and seemed to find his own answer, “Chimi.”“What is it?”“You seem to be lost in thought. Could I provide some answers?” He asked meekly.“How many battles have you seen against other men, Charles?” she asked in quiet tones.“A great few, Odibrand savages will use any means for victory.” He said very formally without emotion or a hint of regret.“How many men have you killed?”“If I may, Maiden of First Star, it is best to see them as the enemy.” He said, “I think you should see them as enemies. People can be friends, family, allies, siblings, but enemies are enemies. One day, they turn their spear on you, you put up your shield and stab their heart.” He gripped his spear, “That is how life is.”She nodded ruefully, “Ygriar’s mercy.”“War and Everwinter.” He replied, “Would you like to learn magic?”“Tell me what you know of it, so I am better prepared for what I am to step into.”“A fine art,” he said, “Most of us, like myself, had to begin our cultivation of our souls for better attunement through binding objects and casting from those bindings. You can bind any object within your touch with even delayed activation once it absorbs your mana to cast elements from it. My binding with Almiko allows me to manipulate the earth without binding, it is rarely used with binding, as it is easily bound by others. But for a god—““Has your sister ever poked fun at your bloody formal speech?”“Women.” He said curtly, “Am I boring you, Chimi?”“Strange for someone of your rank.”“Verily.” He retorted, “Eleanor has been around for less than a week and yet the court has been sharpened to plain knife-speaking plankers.”“I think we all appreciate the adjustment.” Chimi said, “Go on, tell us about magic.”“When a god casts an element, they can delegate control to individuals, therefore, none but I can manipulate earth I elect to. For you, it may be impossible to bind to another god, but your powers will be weaker at first and with a few years, you will outshine even the best of the starforged casters.” He said, “Not too boring, is it?”She nodded, “What kind of—““Then you have missed the joke.”Chimi looked at him blankly for a moment, then scowled.Charles chuckled, satisfied with himself. “Sharpen your wits, do not let things bother you too much. Don’t suffer too much in your imagination, that is where magic and wit come from.”“I take your point.” She said quietly, “Thank you, Charles.”“You’re welcome, Lady Chimi.” He inclined his head. “Magecraft’s fundamentals are attempts to make chaos into order, sorcery behaves like an intelligent feral cat, it will claw your eyes out and yet bake you a cake out of your enemies with a concoction of elements. Bindings and incantation are essentially the same method; however, incantation is a prayer, a supplication to the Chaim, god or guardian spirit to intervene and bolster a spell that you have engraved or vividly imagined. The stronger the direction and visualisation of the spell, the more potent it is capable of being…” he went silent for a time before he spoke again.“If you have the greatest forge in the world, that is perfection in craft for function, you must fuel it with the right materials in order for it to ignite. That forge is the spell you have created, but if you only have enough mana for a spark, that spell will be a spark. Now, a deity will only help you so much depending on your offering, but they do not have a need for us. If the world were to end, they would still be, they may elect to assist more, but that is rare. So one must cultivate strength in order for the spells that they craft to reach the maxim.”Chimi nodded, “I see.”“Special cases such as Starforged humans, Eirsilus practitioners of the healing arts and bound come with their own rulesets. Eirsilus is the most uniform, mana is exchanged to recover. They can vary in how much is consumed by them or the patient.”“And cultivation, what is that—”The horn at the head of the march sounded, breaking the clomps and crumpling of snow. Egeon bellowed for a short rest to attend to horses and to eat. Charles rode off ahead to return to Gibson’s fold while Chimi dismounted to stretch her legs as scouts returned from hard rides that were set five hours ago. From the corner of her eye, she saw Poole wave at her and gesture for her to approach. She led her horse over to them whilst she took a few bites out of the dried gammon in her pack.“Captain Poole.” Chimi saluted.“Come, your father demanded you be present to learn strategy.” He paced ahead, leading to the makeshift headquarters set up quickly by a leather roof standing on wood poles.Egeon tapped his foot and nodded at their approach. He commanded the scouts to begin reports. Caitlin was the first. Eleanor dismounted and stood at the other side opposite Egeon with two of her mages by her side, heads down and listening intently.“We’ve observed a caravan twenty miles ahead with traders, armed guards from Asheluna are with them.” Caitlin spoke with peremptory manners, “We’ve picked up signs of Reisblight present from patrols that all come from the north-east. We should be on alert for combat. We scouts strongly suggest the march must slow in order to be combat-ready.”Egeon tapped his finger against his arm for a moment before he turned to the two captains present and gave the nod and muttered the word, ‘Blades.’ Then dismissed the other scout and signalled for Caitlin to remain.“We’re slowing the march, take a message to Aemilian that I want light shadow scouting around us in addition to a crescent moon in three rows with scattered pairs or triples. He will take my meaning, go.”Caitlin dashed back to her horse, swung up and heeled off to a gallop.“Do you understand, Chimi?”“Slow the march to be prepared for combat, have scattered scouts about us so that they can announce the enemy presence to us, sweep the enemy lands going forward a day or more ahead to maintain readiness, but won’t spread the number of two hundred scouts too thin.” She said coolly, “Considering the possible Reis threat, if I may, Asheluna has a strong population of dogs, and we are in need of those since Odibrand has wiped our population out after I was born. They can be trained to smell them.”Egeon nodded, “Good. Now go, Eleanor has much to teach you, Charles will join the two of you shortly, Poole, bring your… shield maiden here for her to have a set of exam questions.”Poole chuckled and marched away.*Chimi followed Eleanor a short distance from the stopped troops to a small rise on the flats and took out a stone marked with what Chimi assumed was air and inside a circle drawn three times. Chimi felt the hair on her arms rise as magic flowed into the stone and Eleanor whispered words to Tsarrgo, god of winds. Sound contorted around them and seemed to become strangled, but she could breathe. Chimi felt for the hilt of her broadsword.“Now we cannot be heard outside of this bubble,” she said, “Much as I am in control of the mages of Emmerlaine, I do not trust them.”“My ‘secret’ has already caught wings and taken flight.” She said.“Ah, yes, queen of the night, you shall be a great mage as Lady Elizabeth of House Wallachia in central Eiramoor, but for now…” Her eyes narrowed to the right. Chimi glanced in that direction and saw a figure who stood far off, seconds later, he fell, and two scouts rode over and hurled javelins into him. From their movements, she could tell they whistled for another scout to join them and hurl another javelin before they broke and rode off. Chimi focused her eyes, felt the minor strain, but could make out that it was not a man. It was the skinniest Crom she’d ever seen.“I fear a Vileroot’s presence in the north-east.” She said, “I’ve never seen a Crom so thin that managed to get this far.”“Laan’s breath—“ she waved her hand, “Charles, report that there may be an active Vileroot in the north-east, Chimi?”“They’ve just killed a Crom that pierced their lines to be only two miles ahead of us. We must be on high alert at all times.” Chimi said.Charles, who went from annoyance to a soldier’s calm, saluted and sprinted back toward headquarters.Eleanor redid the spell with a wave of her hand and no words this time. She took out a deer foot chisel, then a stone and placed them before Chimi. “Tell me what you know of The Craft.”Chimi relayed what Charles had told her to Eleanor.She nodded at each sentence, and once Chimi was done, she spoke, “But he left important parts out that he likely has not come to reckon with, as most mages do not. If your mana runs dry, The Craft will take your stamina. Post that if you are conscious or have maintained some reserve, then it will take parts of your fundamental self. One shall offer their body, memories, senses to the gods for powerful boons, or if push has come to heavy storm, you may do it from the start.” Eleanor said, “Lightning, fire, air, water and earth are resultant elements. Lightning is the product of storms, and fire is the product of fed combustion. The true foundational elements of Sagecraft have specific applications from woman to woman, man to man. All feet require different boots. Many mages, many sages, a thousand thousand crafts. What Aetia’s many aspects create, we merely scratch the surface of.” Chimi took the chisel and stone. “Today’s lesson is to practice carving bindings?”“Yes, child of Kell, child of Ravell.” She took out a sack heavy with stones and hurled it in front of Chimi, “In societies with larger armies and alliances, this is common knowledge, but Emmerlaine is unfortunate as is Almiera to be isolated in position. These societies have had the time of dragons to lash, tear and allow the ancient star to feast on their craniums to attain its knowledge at leisure.” She raised a finger, “You shall become empress, and must take unto yourself the task of deep learning of The Craft.” She said, “I recommend, once Alba is united, you take time in Almeira to study for at least a year before you march on Fenina.”“You speak as if it is inevitable.” Chimi narrowed her eyes.“It must be.” Eleanor said, “Else I fear if we lose you, we lose Eiramoor.”“I am not the hero.”“No.” Eleanor said, “Are you familiar with the theory of gravis?”“What’s that?”“When Starforged scholars bound to Ancient Cian Memoria, they claimed that the worlds and stars and suns hung on nothing. That if another large star were to come close, it would shift the balance of our worlds with its ‘gravis.” She said, “You may be no hero to wield holy weapons and divine judgment, but you do bring gravis.”“Is that why Ravalel damned me with his lies?”“Were they lies or were they foolish misunderstandings of prophecy?” Eleanor asked, “None are as strange as people under the wheel of stars. But I guarantee you, young Chimi. Ravalel must be killed by you.”“He is a god.”“He is a man playing god and a man too powerful for me.” Eleanor spat on the ground, “Keep what we have spoken here between us, tell none. Lest there be a traitor to stab us. I will tell you more about Ravalel and magecraft once you have finished your work with those stones. Make fifty seals and bring them to me tomorrow morning before the march.”Chimi watched Eleanor seemingly glide across the ground instead of her usual stride, this was more toff than ever before. Asheluna was more than a day away at the pace now set, and they were revered for their mages and history keeping due to their holy tree keeping them safe. Chimi took up the sack and marched back to the forces.*The march went on at a slow and steady pace, scout reports came infrequently. Chimi took advantage of the slow trot to busy herself and carved the fire seals. The ones carved into Eleanor’s staff were far more ornate than what she had seen from glimpses of the other plank-fairies— mages.Their trot stretched to another mile and a half before the fighting instinct began to take them all in its grip. Chimi had her spear drawn, her mind hungered for the sight of the enemy with Caitlin returning from a hard ride and changing her horse. Egeon waved a hand at Poole who blasted a horn that drew joy and cheer from the fighting force. She resisted the urges as she was sure a commander— no, an empress would be required to maintain detachment to see the big picture. Chimi stuffed the fiftieth stone into the sack and focused her vision to see further. The Alba River lay to the west of them, she could smell too much wetness in the air, things that smelled watery on their own as if they were buried within it. She shut that part of herself off and retreated back to her focus on the stones. Her mind felt an odd sensation that seemed to be outside of her head. Chimi clutched the reins and then moved a free hand to her spear as the riders picked up their pace. She almost begged for orders to interrupt the awkwardness she felt—“Civilians are under attack by Crom, they are holding on, we will cover them!” Egeon raised a spear, “After me, embers of Emmerlaine!”Poole blasted a horn and they changed their direction to ride along the riverside. A small cloud of snow dust started to rise behind them as they were ordered to speed up. With minutes going by the battlefield they approached downhill became clear, a line formation of fell Fae had began wearing down a force of Yeomen and a few squads of soldiers among them.“Javelins and archers, prepare batteries to hail fell Fae!” Egeon ordered as the troops rearranged into a vanguard of the fourth and fifth rookies. Chimi found herself pulled back to join the mages and Egeon’s command unit, not to her surprise but a minor discomfort but she pressed it down.“Knock,” Poole bellowed, “Draw, aim at the back line of Crom, we will break them off. FIRE!”Arrows took wing, salted serrated heads found their way into the attacking rank of Crom. Bark withered, silent screams and gnashing bark. Poole blew on the horn to hail the coming battle as more arrows were nocked, they hissed through the air and found their corrupted targets. The sound of impact was hollow, as if the arrowheads struck a small drum. Chimi observed the creatures closely, frail pommel thin and they died too easily to even a single arrow that penetrated them arm, one of which a finger. An odd sense of worry scratched at her senses like ash against flesh in the wind. A place foreign to her, somewhere that shouldn’t exist. The eyes of these Fae were dark, as if they were never alive to begin with. A biting cold made her teeth chatter despite the warmth of her armours.“Eleanor,” Chimi said, “These aren’t regular Crom, no?”“No.” Egeon said, “They’re not derived from people, it’s as if their Reisblight is incomplete, desperation to feed on flesh.” He chewed the words, “Eleanor, your knowledge?”“I do believe a sagacious man as yourself was the first to come to this conclusion.” She clasped her hands in quiet prayer.Egeon and Poole shared a look before Egeon raised a hand to order further attacks. The scrap army had managed to push back the remaining Crom. Once the fell creatures had retreated far enough, the Ashelunari faced them with the obvious question in the air.Another horn far off brought their attention around as a few scouts returned to the Emmerlaine forces. Banners of a black shield with seven silver stars surrounding it, the Ashelunari forces had arrived some way off. Egeon signaled for the Emmerlaine forces in totality to descend the hill and meet them. Weapons were sheathed, but the sense of bloodlust that shrouded their army in an invisible mist had her hand twitching on the pommel of her broadsword. Chimi needed a distraction from her nature— no, this was not her nature. This is just the way of armies. She ground her teeth.“Eleanor.” She said quietly, “I completed your task.”“Good.” Eleanor said, “We have much to discuss in the coming weeks, but first we must face the new battle…” she smiled with the same toffy sarcasm, “Holding a conversation in place of bloodshed or cock measuring of soldiers.”“Are you saying that a female soldier has a penis?”“Of a figurative sort.” She chuckled to herself derisively.“Planker talk.”“You lack a sense of humour,” she said, “A soldier’s mirth is not the only one that exists, an empress must have a sagacious mind and an expanse of humour.”Chimi nodded, “I understand.”“Now, humour me a joke on those lines.”Egeon’s jaw was set hard but he held his silence.“Is this why you brazen so much cleavage, Eleanor, to attract women with cocks for your nightly boffin?”Smirks and cracks of laughter surrounded them, but surprisingly Eleanor chuckled and retorted, “Perhaps I shall show you mine. As we boffins belong to the army now.”Chimi, instead of blanching red made herself remember those distant senses and instead tried to think of a way to retort.“You should either retort well or gracefully accept the offer and reject, like an empress.” Eleanor said, “Lest you rage and become the tyrant men kill.”“Thank you for the lesson.” She said with a clenched jaw as her brain scrambled to shove away the embarrassment.