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THE MINUTE LYE-ASHE stepped into the Ild’dart’it air she instantly felt more powerful. It was good to be home. Now she hoped that with the help of her brother she could capture the power of this goddess. She had once bested several ascended beings when she was younger, so what was one goddess trapped in the Underworld as a Chreuthecal?
Athine felt uneasy about the transformation. Although she knew it was actually just a traveling spell to travel through pools of the dead, she didn’t like the idea of Lye-Ashe thinking that she was now bound to her even if it were not true. Athine was quite impressed that this naïve little Narkurru could have accomplished all she did to gain her power, especially with the things she believed about her abilities. Athine knew this was probably a feeble attempt at a trap, but she didn’t know why.
The walk to Seorithcal’s was long and unusually tiring to Athine. It was hot and everywhere she looked there were molten lava falls. It was indeed a good place to smelt metal.
Seorithcal’s workshop was on an island in the middle of a lava stream. In the distance, you could see him forging weapons of great size. Next to him was a spirit of a man and it was tethered with some kind of chain. The spirit thrashed and pulled, but the large Narkurru only laughed as he marked the blade with glowing glyphs while the spirit was drawn inside. Athine could still hear the screams of the spirit within the blade. Seorithcal threw the weapon into a huge pile. He turned around when he heard Lye-Ashe approach.
“Brother, I have brought you someone in need of your assistance. It seems one of your weapons failed. It is now shattered and the spirit trapped. She would like you to fix it.”
“I no fix weapons, only make them. Weapon breaks, spirit dies or lies shattered. No matter to me. They get what they deserve in the end.”
Lye-Ashe began whispering to her brother in some kind of strange language quickly and quietly. He suddenly didn’t sound like such an oaf. He turned and his demon yellow eyes glinted while he licked his lips as he looked at Athine. Clearly, Athine could see they were not discussing anything of good intent.
“You, little goddess, bring weapon here. I bring out your spirit. I fix him. Ok? You stand there. You watch.”
Seorithcal pointed to the area Athine was to stand in while he worked on the sword. He took a huge moonstone out of his bench and began chanting over the sword pieces. Ever so carefully a shape appeared in agonizing pain. It began to take the form of a young man. Right before it was completely visible Seorithcal threw some of the silver chains around the forming spirit. The spirit yelled out in agony. The Narkurru said some strange words and the spirit settled down some but did not stop fighting the chains.
The spirit writhed around and then caught sight of Athine standing there. He called out to her. Seorithcal yelled at the spirit to be quiet. But this enraged Athine. If this was her Is’che’aiq he had no right to yell at him. He was hers to command and hers alone. Athine left the spot she was told to stand in and got closer to the bound spirit.
“Is’che’aiq?”
“Yes, Athine. I am the spirit in your sword known as Is’che’aiq.”
Lye-Ashe yelled at Athine to stand back away from the spirit, as he was a particularly dangerous spirit.
“What do you mean, Lye-Ashe?”
“Why not have him tell you himself, Athine?”
“Is’che’aiq, how did you come to be bound to that weapon?”
The spirit Is’che’aiq bowed his head in shame. If it were possible for a spirit to cry he would have. “I was once the ruler of a realm far away from here. I guess you could say I was cruel at best. I took what I wanted from whom I wanted, when I wanted. I waged wars to increase my coffers and I killed servants for looking at me in the wrong tone. The world was my oyster to smash. I wasn’t even afraid of the immortals in my world. We only had one goddess named Niliv and I forsook her. She begged me to change my ways. I could not. She loved me more than any of her other creations, but I could not love her back. Niliv was there when the time came and I passed on, but she barred me from entering any of the final resting places. She cursed me to wander the Underworld dimension with no place to go.
It was there that these Narkurru demons came along and trapped me in these blasted chains. They prevented me from moving and their magic bound me to the sword. The weapons they make are usually for their own enjoyment, but Niliv heard of my plight and took pity on me. She rescued me and took me to your realm where she hid me until Asdage found me. I thirsted for blood and vengeance so I let Asdage use me. I let you use me. I knew what would happen when I struck Shultash. I chose that destruction to let all of the souls in that weapon go free. I was reserved to spend the rest of my life shattered. I did not count on you wanting to fix me or Lye-Ashe trying to trick you. Athine, they intend to bind you to a weapon because they think you are weak.”
“They think I am weak?”
“Yes, Athine. You are in a weakened state and I am stronger. That is why I lured you down here. I was hoping you would come and try to save your precious weapon. I may have lost Shultash, but I still plan to get powers. I am going to put you in this fine golden sword my brother has been making for me.” With that, Lye-Ashe wrapped a set of Shumkaja chains around Athine’s hands and waist. They burned every time she moved as if her very flesh was being marred.
“Stay still pretty. I no want your skin to be too burned. Once your soul is in the sword for my sister, your body will be left here as Chreuthecal to me. I will finally have a worthy consort.”
Athine became enraged by the plan. Did these creatures think she was that weak? These chains may burn and sting, but she had the power to incinerate them where they stood. Seorithcal took out his moonstone and began chanting. He danced around the sword and wrote magical glyphs on the blade. Athine could feel herself weaken slightly. She knew she had to fight. She summoned all of her focus on to the chains and demanded that they break. They fell off her link by link. The siblings were too busy with their rituals to notice Athine slipping behind them. She summoned a giant bolt of Sh’cersay in each hand and flung it at Seorithcal and Lye-Ashe. Both of them burst into white-hot flames as their very essence was obliterated. They disappeared into the great abyss as their essence dissolved into tiny free-floating particles.
Athine turned to Is’che’aiq. She broke the chains that bound him. For the first time in eons, he was free to move. It was an unusual feeling. He turned to Athine. A look of sadness came over his face.
“What about all the other weapons here? Can you free them as well?”
With one wave of her hand, all of the weapons broke as she commanded the spirits to come out with the moonstone Seorithcal had used. Hundreds of lost souls appeared before her. She assumed they were all cursed souls that had been captured by the Narkurru. Maybe some of them were even from other realms like Is’che’aiq. All of these ghostly faces looked haggard and worn as if they had not rested in ages. Athine felt sorry for them. They had been punished enough.
“Beleaguered souls, the Narkurru that wrongfully captured you have been destroyed. You are now free again to go wherever you desire to go.”
Many of the spirits spoke up. “We have no place to go. Will you not put us out of our misery by using your powers on us? Will you not make it so we can rejoin the universal essence?”
Athine pondered this for a moment. She could easily do that, but was it right to destroy so many souls. Was there not some other way? As she raised her hand to destroy the first willing participant she was distracted by a portal being opened next to her.
“Stop, Athine. You do not have to destroy these souls,” a commanding Isri said as she walked out of the portal.
“Poor souls of the Narkurru, you have all ended up here for various reasons. In the very least your immortals banned you from your resting places. Regardless of the reason, the Chaddral people open up their world to you. Nal’yera can be a place where you can dwell in safety and no longer wander. The portal is here for you to take. But do not ponder very long for it will not be open forever. Or if you wish you can have Athine destroy your essence and return you to the dust of the universe,” Isri told the group of spirits.
Most all of the spirits immediately took Isri’s portal to the afterworld created by the true Crythl for the Chaddral followers. Then there was only Isri, Athine, and Is’che’aiq.
“Is’che’aiq, you must choose your fate now.” Athine prodded not wanting him to miss the portal.
“Who will protect you if I am gone? There must be a way to bind me to your sword again. I do not wish to leave your side.”
“Is’che’aiq, you do not have to stay here because of me. I will be fine. You have served me well and I am sure you served Asdage well. I may not be Niliv, but I am the Vesait’e here and I want you to go to Nal’yera where you can rest,” Athine instructed.
“But what good is a Vesait’e, even if she is a Ph’tiahon, without a powerful weapon,” pleaded Is’che’aiq.
“Athine, if I may, I can help you with this. As a Chaddral Sulesa, I am able to create a Shuthare, which is a weapon that is bound to the earth instead of a person. It will still be full of powerful magic, just not a bound spirit. It will definitely be different, but this way your Is’che’aiq can go freely into the afterworld without worrying about you,” Isri offered.
Athine looked surprised at Isri. The Chaddral, who swore away from all immortal help, was offering to help an immortal?
“I know it seems strange, but I am thinking that the Chaddral need to go in a new direction. Immortals are not our enemies and neither are all mortals our friends. If I help you, perhaps one day you can help my people. Although we may not worship an immortal patron, there is nothing that says we cannot have an immortal ally.”
Athine pondered this. “It is up to Is’che’aiq. He must choose what he wants to do. If he wants to remain bound to me then I am not going to stop him. If he wants to go to the afterworld then that is acceptable as well. I refuse to dissolve him though. Is’che’aiq, what say you?”
“My spirited one, if you wish me to move on and you say you will be alright, I will move on. I do not know when I will get another chance like this. Isri, I leave her weapon in your hands and I thank you for opening up your realm to me. Farewell, Athine. I bid you well. Perhaps one day I will see you just past the N’Loron.”
Is’che’aiq bowed a farewell one last time and stepped into the portal just as it closed. Athine and Isri returned to Cerynian.