Obsidian

Chapter Four

The Dragon Moon was but three nights away and Prince Brody was no closer to locating the chosen hero than he was at last year’s Dragon Moon. The prophecy specifically stated that the hero had to met with the Goddess of Life under the rays of the Dragon Moon to be given the Gods favor in his quest. And it was vital they obtain the Gods favor so as to keep them from looking too deeply into Brody’s plans. All they needed to know was that the hero had come, that his mission was to take the place of the God of Death, and in doing so restore the balance that has been out of sync since Damon cast aside his responsibilities and started doing as he wished.

The problem was Damon wasn’t cooperating. Seven years ago, upon Brody’s coming of age, he had decided to take an active role in locating this hero who would help fulfill the prophecy. And for those seven years the God of Death had sequestered himself in his principal region Tamal. Damon needed to take a personal hand in the destruction of the hero’s family. A wife, two children, and the hero needed to perish. Brody, having been saved in the womb by his twin sister who had willingly chosen death so he may live, had been given the gift to restore one life in return. Brody had decided the first time he heard the prophecy that he would use it for the hero, determined to avenge his sister and the horrible choice Damon had forced her to make before their lives had even begun. That God was truly evil, death incarnate, and he needed to be brought to justice.

Brody had been trying to instigate the God into appearing. At first it was little skirmishes in town with minimal violence and bloodshed. But the more Damon hid the more aggressive Brody had to be, all but starting a civil war. Brody had naively believed that the God of Death would have to appear where death was surely to occur. He hadn’t realized that while Damon may have been the God of Death, he did not personally attend every passing of life. He may approve it, will it, demand it, but he didn’t oversee it.

Brody paced along the map of Norn which hung upon the wall in his study. The map was covered in markings. Places Brody had circled, and then subsequently crossed off, when he’d been unsuccessful at luring out Damon.

Maybe he was taking this approach all wrong. He had been trying to get to Damon, to get him to come out of hiding. Maybe if he found the man who would be the hero, he’d be able to get Damon out. Brody ran across the room, to the shelves by the window. He reached for the ancient text that had become his guide. It contained everything about the prophecy including the rarest reference to the Princess of Darkness, a being who could upend the world as they knew it. He’d been unable to translate the passage in it’s entirety, but what he had learned had filled his being with such adrenaline, such hope, that he knew he was the one to set this prophecy into action.

Brody opened the book and thumbed through until he found the passage he sought. Skimming the lines he murmured out loud

“…enraged by disobedience…God of Death…shattered by betrayal…picked up a dagger…immortal being…the one with the gift…life restored…Damn it! There has to be something here.”

Brody sat down on the settee under the window by the shelf and began to focus entirely on his reading. Not much is known or has been written about who the hero is, but there has to be some clue here. There just has to be.

Brody read the same passage over and over. “…enraged by disobedience…God of Death…shattered by betrayal.”

Brody froze. Shattered by betrayal. Shattered by betrayal. 

That was it. That had to be it. The clue he had been looking for. The hero was someone close to Damon. It’s the only thing that made sense. The God of Death wasn’t well liked for his role, but he never stirred feelings of betrayal. Anger, yes. Resentment, yes. Helplessness, yes. But betrayal? The hero had to be someone close to Damon, someone who felt safe from the God’s control of mortality.

Brody began to chuckle. He stood and replaced the book on the shelf. He walked over to the desk where set a most beautiful and delicate ornament, a small glass heart with a violet orb encased inside. He picked it up, cradling it gently to his chest. 

“Dear sister, I will not fail you. It will begin. Tonight.”

He placed the ornament back down onto the desk in the plush box that kept it safe.

“I will see you when I return. Tonight, I go to Tamal.”

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Tamal was surprisingly beautiful. Brody had expected a desolate location, filled with impoverished people, dilapidated buildings, and stark vegetation. He'd envisioned a place covered in a shroud of grey, a place with no joy and no life to match the monster he now hunted. Instead he saw lush green hills filled with healthy herds of sheep and crops, happy and robust citizens humming with life, and even merriment, as they went about their days, and a pristine village that showed it’s wealth but did not boast it, and they hadn’t even reached the capital yet.

“Are you sure you’ve brought me to the right place? This, this is Tamal?” Brody turned to ask his companion for the fifth time.

“Yes, my prince. I have heard the rumors of Damon’s monstrosity, but I think that is just a product of his role, being the God of Death can not be easy for the reputation. But that’s all they are, rumors. From what my family has said, he is kind, understanding, giving even.”

“Enough with that prattle. You do not know him as I know him.”

“Yes, my prince.”

The two continued on their horses in silence. One rider set with a deadly determination, the other set with questioning hesitance.

Brody let out a long sigh. “What is it you wish to say to me?” he asked the other.

“My prince?” his companion turned to look at him trying but failing to hide his unease.

“You’ve been awkward and quiet since I convoked you. Obviously something is on your mind, so just get on with it.”

“I…I believe that I have found her my prince. The lady you summoned last year. You were correct, she is in Karzstead.”

Brody pulled hard on the reins. The horse sidestepped from the force and tried to buck, almost dislodging Brody. His companion appeared at the horses side, using his magic to calm the steed allowing Brody to regain control. 

“Greyson.” Brody’s tone was hard. “Why did you wait so long to say something?” he fairly roared.

“Well you called me to you so suddenly and this mission seemed urgent…I couldn’t tell if it was appropriate to mention.”

“Of course it was appropriate to mention! Did you see her? Did you met her?”

“Yes. I hadn’t said anything before because her presence was only rumors, but she came to town yesterday. I tried to engage with her to see if she would reveal anything to indicate she was from that other world. But she barely spoke and…”

“Did you even let her get a word in edgewise?” 

“I may have rambled on, but I didn’t know what she knew and didn’t want to reveal myself.”

“Tell me everything.”

“Well, she’s quiet. Kind. Has the most beautiful blue eyes.”

“That’s not what I meant. Why do you think she is the one I summoned?”

“Oh. Well the rumor is that she just appeared one night at the Logans farmstead. They’ve claimed she is a family friend, but I know that their place is near one of the teleportation sites. She seemed confused when we walked through town, not really knowing anything about the Dragon Moon or any of the traditions. Oh that reminds me, she apparently was very rude and alarmed when she first met Sir Hudson. And when she saw me use simple everyday elf magic she seemed amazed. But the real confirmation was when she went to see the Vicar.”

“She spoke with Andrew?”

“She did. She was dropping off some wine from the Logans but she was in there for far longer than was needed for the errand. I crept to the door and overheard him telling her something about the Princess of Darkness.”

“That blubbering fool. Filling her head with tales of “the game” no doubt.”

Greyson frowned at the comment. He felt bad for the Vicar. Brody had also summoned him from the other world. He had not been the intended target. Brody as a young child had discovered the other worlds and had been working to fix the teleportation sites, researching how to summon those who had the capability, all in the hopes of finding the girl who would be the Princess of Darkness. The summoning spell was tricky and required the summoner to know who to call. Since Brody had no knowledge of this woman, many people over the years had been brought to Obsidian. At first Brody was able to send them back, but once he had discovered that the teleportations were limited he’d stopped sending these people home.

Greyson didn’t know all of Brody’s plans, but he was also no i***t. He’d realized pretty quickly that Brody was trying to force the prophecy to unfold, but to what ends he hadn’t figured out. It was true that the God of Death had visited Queen Inara and laid claim to one of the twins she carried. No one knows why the God of Death had seen fit to punish the just and righteous Inara, but he had. And it was true that the God of Death continued his responsibilities, maintaining the cycle of life that all creatures - human, elves, gargoyles, even plants and animals, must go through; he was no longer taking council with the royal family or the other gods. If ever a god was to become errant in his lifetime, Greyson assumed it would be Damon. But he was never really sure if that was true. 

He also had no idea what role this Princess of Darkness carried. Aspects of the prophecy were fairly common knowledge, that a hero would save the people from an errant God and restore balance between the deities and the royalty, the two ruling entities that kept Obsidian in peace and prosperity. It was mostly a folktale, a story parents told children to stir their imaginations. As the story went, only one God was ever replaced and that was when the Mighty Zander challenged and replaced the previous God of Sea and Storms. As the legend goes, the previous God became too enamored with his wealth and the women of the royal family. He was demanding more tribute from the people, and even demanded that the beloved Princess Michaela be handed over to serve as concubine. When Queen Teagan continually refused both requests, proclaiming to her people and tot he Gods that she would not sacrifice her daughter nor her people nor their wealth and goods, the God had sent a tidal wave that decimated Alanaia. Only Zander remained. Some say he perished and the God of Death refused him entry to the afterlife, other says the Goddess of Life restored him and told him how he could defeat the God who destroyed his family, his home, and his village. With the help of the royal family and the support of the other Gods, Zander journeyed to the Mountain of Creation and was able to challenge and replace the God. In doing so, he was able to calm the raging storms and settle the oceans so that life was habitable. But that story had no mention of the Princess of Darkness.

“I did hear him talking of the game. He mentioned a Princess of Darkness…who is this princess? Do you believe Sienna to be her?” Greyson asked.

“Princess of Darkness, what nonsense. They’ve turned our world into a game, but it doesn’t mean that everything is truth.”

“So Sienna isn’t the Princess of Darkness? Then why do you need her?”

“I just do!” Brody shouted. A few people outside the Tamal Guild Hall turned to see what the fuss was about. Brody adjusted his cloak and quickly checked to confirm his enchanted necklace that disguised his face was properly in place. Brody smiled, nodded to the onlookers to assure them all was well.

“I just do.” Brody repeated to Greyson, this time calmer, more controlled. “Please find a way to bring her to me. I do not mean to be irrational and you know I trust you. There is no Princess of Darkness. But Sienna will be able to help me correct all the wrong the God of Death has done.”

“Will not Rex be able to do so?”

“Rex will replace the God, but Sienna will be able to replace my sister.”