Journey to the West By Bert McKenzie Copyright 2010
Chapter VI
Scott was in shock. He entered Akuta's room in the halls of healing only to find it empty. The body of the guard was gone. Scott had to grab for the side of the doorway to steady himself. First he lost Alex and now Akuta. He just wasn't prepared for such a double blow.
"Scott?" He turned and saw Sharon standing in the hall. He reached for her, hugging her tightly and venting his emotion. "Scott, I know what you're thinking," she said. "He's not dead, just stupid."
"What?"
Sharon explained the situation to her friend. She was grateful that an anchor was found that could pull Akuta back out of his despondency, but like Jennifer, she couldn't believe he really thought he could journey to the netherworld and bring the dead back to life. That was all to Orpheus and classical mythology for her. Scott was a bit more accepting in his view of Akuta's plan. He had seen many things since coming to this world which were no less strange than Akuta's proposed journey. Looking at it from a human point of view, it was preposterous, but from a Faerie perspective it just might be feasible.
"Scott, do you know what happens to a body once it dies?" Sharon asked. "I'm a scientist. I can look at it objectively. The body almost immediately begins to decay. The process is not pleasant. Once this begins, I don't care what 'magic' he finds, Akuta is not going to be able to restore life."
"Well, maybe..."
"Maybe nothing. What about the funeral?"
"What about it?" Scott asked. Sharon went on to describe the argument Akuta had with Robin and Rood just a few short minutes before. Robin wanted to set the ceremony of passage but Akuta refused.
The ceremony was the Faerie equivalent of a funeral. The dead body was wrapped in a cocoon of highly combustible flashweed, a plant native to the wet regions of Tuatha. The priests and spiritual leaders harvested the long, grass-like leaves. Once it was dried, they wove the material to completely encase the corpse. At the ceremony, a loved one would set the cocoon ablaze. With its intense heat focused inward by the weaving pattern, the flashweed could totally reduce the body to ash in a matter of minutes, including the bones.
"His argument was that we can't cremate Alex. If his body is gone then Akuta won't be able to restore him to life when he comes back from his impossible quest," Sharon explained. "The temperature is helping to retard decay, but it is inevitable. Scott, we can't keep a corpse around for too long. These people don't practice embalming. I have no idea how long he thinks this journey will take, but a couple of warm days and we'll have a real problem."
Scott acknowledged her concerns, and then headed off to the worship grounds to find his friends. Alex's body was there, waiting for the ceremony. He was pretty sure that if Akuta was anywhere, that would be the place.
Caseldra was sitting patiently in the outer chamber, just outside the door to her father's laboratory. She had not been there long, but to her it seemed like years. Robin had asked her to do what she could to hurry the old wizard along in his task, and she tried, but Elnar was in one of his moods and chased her away. The girl then went with her lover to check on Akuta and was instrumental in awakening him. But did she receive thanks for her part in the task? No. Robin, Rood and Akuta got into an argument, and when she tried to solve it, Robin again ordered her back to the wizard's chambers. She had only suggested that Elnar might have a map to the western islands when the king turned on her and asked her not to 'meddle.' She wasn't even sure what he meant by that human word.
It was dark outside, and evidently getting quite late, so she sent Jennifer off to bed and came back to her father's chambers. After the way he groused at her earlier in the day, Caseldra had no desire to interrupt him again. So she uncovered a chair and sat in the cluttered outer room. For the first few minutes she sat patiently, but Caseldra was not a patient woman. She then tried to read a book to pass the time. There were plenty of books lying around, but most of them were spell books and grimoires, not exactly stimulating reading. She then sat and played with her dagger, slowly drilling a hole into the cushion of her chair. Finally succumbing to total boredom, Caseldra sat on the floor and began carving on the chair leg, trying to whittle a female form out of the plain turned wooden support.
As Caseldra played with her dagger, she looked about for a model. Surely there must be a picture in one of the books or scrolls she could use as a subject of her impromptu sculpture. In digging through the nearest pile of dusty old tomes she came upon a thick black book with gilt writing on the cover. "The Book of Death," it said in the blocky runes characteristic of high Tuathan. Caseldra carefully opened the book and looked through it. The volume was an illustrated treatise on the Faerie theories of death and the afterlife. She thought she should take it back to her chambers to show Jennifer. Here were the documented stories she had tried to explain earlier. She turned a few more pages and found an illustration of Gilgamesh, standing on the shores of the western island. The following pages held a description of the spirit's journey to the west. It mentioned a passage through an underground world known only by the dwarves and called Turin Kareem in their language. An impulse grabbed Caseldra and she carefully pulled, ripping the page from the volume.
The sound of a tremendous explosion came from the laboratory. Caseldra jumped to her feet in startled shock as the wooden door swung open on its hinges and a thick cloud of grey smoke rolled out. The girl quickly stuffed the torn page inside her tunic and then ran toward the open doorway. Just as she reached it, Elnar came stumbling out, wiping tears from his eyes and coughing. "My father, you have destroyed your work room again?" she asked as she put an arm around the little old man and helped him to the chair on which she had been carving.
"I used too much dragon's bile in that last infusion," he muttered as he brushed the dust and soot from his robes. "But at least I have completed the tool you requested." Elnar looked up to give her a triumphant smile.
"Father, you have fashioned the device that will tell us where the fugitive is hiding?"
"It should if you use it correctly," he answered and tried to rise.
"You rest, I shall go fetch it," Caseldra volunteered. She turned and stepped through the doorway into the laboratory. If the cluttered rooms of her father's domain were a bit daunting, the sight that greeted her was a hundred times worse. The large table was overturned and its contents of beakers and bottles shattered and broken, their ingredients spilled on the mess covering the floor. The entire room was at least ankle deep in papers, books and other odd bits of broken glass, spilled containers and destroyed furnishings. "My father," she called over her shoulder. "What exactly is it I seek."
"A needle," came the reply.
"My lord, no one feels more for you than I," Rood argued. The four of them had been at it for some time now. "I grieve with you for your loss, but I cannot support you. First, you must know how dangerous such a quest would be. There is very little chance you would survive."
"Then I shall join Alex in death," Akuta answered back.
"And even so, you know not how to find the land of death. No living man has ever journeyed there and returned to chart the course."
"It is west. I shall search in that direction."
"And second," Rood persisted, "we must have the ceremony of passage for Alex."
"NO!" came the quick and angry reply.
"My friend, we have no choice," Robin added. He had been silently watching on, not wanting to add undue stress to Akuta.
"No! If I return I will be able to restore him. But if you destroy him now, then truly all is lost."
Robin and Rood exchanged glances, and then looked to Scott for help. "Look," the human said. "Alex was my friend too. We were even lovers several years ago. This hurts, but I have to level with you. We've got to do this. His body won't last. In a short time it's going to be a pretty unpleasant sight." The tall fairy looked at the human, shock plainly showing on his face. Scott felt a sharp pang of guilt at hurting his friend in this way, but maybe the shock of blunt reality was the only way to get through to the grief clouded mind. For a moment Akuta looked as though he would explode in anger, and then his lower lip began to tremble as his eyes glassed over. He suddenly fell on Scott's shoulder, hugging him tightly and sobbing his heart out. The two were locked in their embrace of mutual sorrow for several minutes, but slowly, the fairy's sobs began to lessen in intensity.
Robin stepped forward and placed a hand gently on Akuta's shoulder. "My friend," he said, "we shall have the ceremony on the morrow." This time the guard made no protest. He only held more tightly onto Scott.
Once she realized the extent of the task ahead of her, Caseldra quickly went in search of help. She stopped by Akuta's chambers and spoke with him before leaving again in search of Robin, Scott and Rood. On finding them she quickly filled them in on her dilemma and the group escorted her back to the wizard's laboratory. There they found Elnar and Jennifer standing in the doorway of the room surveying the damage.
"Never could figure out how much dragon's bile to use," the little old man muttered. "Too little and you have a fizzle with no reaction. Too much and kaboom, you destroy the workroom again."
"I was worried about you when you didn't come to bed," Jennifer told the fairy girl as the others approached.
"What now, old father?" Rood asked with a grin. "I understand you need help finding the tool you were supposed to deliver."
The wizard scowled up at the tall blond. He didn't care at all for Rood's playful sense of humor and penchant for jokes at his expense. "Go find it," he growled. " It is in there...somewhere."
"It might help if we knew exactly what 'it' was," Scott said as the group gingerly picked their way into the sight of the catastrophe.
"A needle, of course," Elnar replied. "A long, golden needle."
"A needle?" Scott exclaimed.
Jennifer looked back at the little man still standing in the doorway. "Like you sew clothes with?" she asked, and then said, "Eww," as she stepped into something gooey and smelly.
Rood had already stationed himself in one corner and began to sift through the ankle deep rubble slowly working his way inward when he noticed Elnar still standing in the doorway, watching their progress. "Old father," he called. "Are you not going to help us?"
"I am not going in there!" the little man said. "There is no knowing what dangerous concoctions may be under that mess. The explosion mixed all my ingredients and potions together." All five workers paused and looked up at Elnar for a moment, their feet and ankles coated in the grey muck that covered the floor under the papers and other debris. Robin then sighed and bent back to the task at hand. Slowly and cautiously the others followed his lead.
"My lord, I...Oh bright stars, what a mess!" Rowana stood in the doorway, looking over Elnar's shoulder into the room.
"Look, my liege," Rood called. "The good lady has come to lend a hand in our impossible task."
"For what purpose are you digging through this foul mess?" the red head asked.
"Searching for a needle," Jennifer and Caseldra said together as if they had rehearsed it.
"A hay stack would be a cinch compared to this," Scott muttered under his breath.
"A haystack?" Rood asked, clearly puzzled.
"Nevermind."
Robin stood and gestured to an untouched expanse of mess. "Please join us, lady. You may be the one to find this elusive metal sliver." Rowana shrugged her shoulders and stepped past the wizard and into the destroyed lab. She made a face as her sandaled foot squished into the slime that covered the floor, but she didn't complain. They all continued on in their search with Elnar supervising from his post at the door.
"Be careful. You are going too fast. You missed a spot over there," the little old man called, pointing to Rood's area. The guard stood and glared at the magician for a moment, and thought of several barbed comments to make, but instead bent back to the search.
An hour of sifting through the debris seemed to get them no closer to their goal. The humans were slowing down drastically, obviously feeling the effects of the early morning hour, when another visitor appeared at the door. "My lord, have you...Why ever are you making such a mess in there?" It was Melcot who now looked in over the little wizard's shoulder.
"We are searching for a needle," six voices said in a chorus of exasperation.
"You've arrived just in time to help," Scott added. "Hop in and start digging." Melcot gingerly stepped into the muck and mire and began rooting through the mess.
"This is hopeless," Jennifer whined. "We're never going to find a thing as small as a needle in all of this."
"But the task should be an easy one," Elnar chided from the sidelines. "It is not just any needle. After my infusions it is charmed."
"Big deal. How does that help us?" the human girl complained as she stood to stretch the stiff muscles in her back.
"The charm causes the needle to seek out Tuathan blood. It should find one of you."
"Yeow!" came a scream and everyone jumped. The shout had come from Rood who had leaped into the air in pain and surprise.
"Don't move! That's it!" Scott called and reached over to pull the thin, two inch, golden shaft out of the captain's hip where it protruded through the fabric of his breeches. "This little thing feels like it's alive," Scott said as he held onto the needle. It seemed to tremble and quiver between his fingers.
"It will be safe if none of you approach too closely. The humans may carry it with no harm," the wizard told them. As the group of searchers slowly made their way out of the shambles of the destroyed lab, they tried to wipe the muck from their feet. Caseldra hurried off to find towels for the task while Elnar explained his magic. "The needle must be inserted through a piece of float wood and then rested in a bowl of pure water. It will then point toward Tuathan blood. You may use it to find your missing servant."
"What's float wood?" Jennifer asked.
"Cork," Scott replied, and then turned to the wizard. "So this will act as a fairy compass?"
"If it points to any Tuathan blood how shall we know it to be the right Tuathan that we seek?" Robin asked.
"In the human world how many of us are there?" questioned the old man.
"I will not send my consort alone on this task," the king growled.
"Nor shall you need to. The stone of the homing crystal will act as a shield to disguise the attraction. Anyone wearing such a crystal may be invisible to the needle's charm."
"For once, old father, it sounds as if you have succeeded in your task," Rood said, still rubbing his sore hip. "We must find a bowl of water, a bit of float wood and some homing crystals. Then we may be off."
"Let us go bathe and change into more human attire," Robin suggested, looking down at his hands and feet. They were a pale azure color from the irritation of exposure to all the odd concoctions. "Wading through this wizard's accident has turned my skin the color of the blue tower's capstone."
"The blue tower!" Melcot exclaimed. "That was why I came in search of you. Has not my lady told you?"
Rowana glanced down at the floor. "I had forgotten in all the haste of the search."
"The blue tower sends a challenge. Lastel, their leader demands you produce their missing boy at once or be prepared for war."
"Then they know of Dannemel's disappearance," the king said as he wiped his hands on a cloth provided by Caseldra who had just returned.
"It is a ruse, lord," Rood suggested.
"Yes, very likely. The youths were here to cause trouble and act as spies. Now they use this excuse to provide hostilities. My first duty is to meet with the high council."
"They await you even now, lord," Melcot told him. "It was to the high council that Lastel first offered his challenge. They await your response."
"My lord captain and my consort, prepare you for the journey to the other world. I shall meet with you back here at sunrise. Make haste."
Caseldra and Jennifer returned to their chamber to bathe. Jennifer relaxed in the warm water while her girlfriend slipped out into the other room. Soon the little fairy returned with soft, fluffy towels and led her human lover to a bench before the hearth in their chambers where a warm fire was blazing. Jennifer leaned back and let Caseldra brush her hair, almost drifting off to sleep on the spot. She finally forced her eyes open and stood, deciding she had to get some rest even if her lover didn't need any.
As she looked at the platform that served as a bed she saw clothing had been carefully laid out, jeans and a sweater for her and a much smaller pair of jeans and a t-shirt for Caseldra. "What's going on?" she asked, suddenly alert.
"It is nearing sunrise. Dress quickly in the human clothes so we may depart with the others."
"But Robin didn't say..." the girl protested.
"Would you stay here and miss the excitement?" Caseldra asked as she pulled the t-shirt over her head. "I have a homing crystal as is needed for me." She glanced at Jennifer who still stood, paralyzed by indecision. "Rood, Scott and the king would go alone. Surely you know they shall find trouble. It is up to me to keep them from it." Jennifer finally shrugged her shoulders and reached for the clothes.
In a short time they were entering Elnar's library. Scott and Rood, both dressed in jeans and sport shirts were ready for the trip and were only awaiting Robin's return. They immediately began to argue with the girls about their coming along, but lapsed into silence as Robin entered the room, still dressed in his Tuathan tunic. "What's up?" Scott hesitantly asked.
"My love, I must stay. It appears that this threat of war is much more serious than I had suspected. Go quickly and return with the youth. I shall in the meanwhile stall the council and the blue tower. Your swift success may be the solution to this entire problem."
"I'm not going without you," Scott protested.
"Think you I would allow these three in your world unsupervised?" Robin wind whispered to his lover. "Now go quickly. The sooner you are gone the sooner we may celebrate your return." He pulled his human lover close in a tight embrace. Their lips pressed together in a poignant farewell overshadowed by the promise of reunion.
Scott broke the kiss and turned quickly before Robin saw the tears in his eyes. He yanked open the door on the wardrobe and glanced at Caseldra. "Well, come on if you're going," he said gruffly. The two girls climbed in together and disappeared. Then Rood and Scott followed them, Scott turning to look back at Robin as Rood pulled the doors closed.
Robin touched his fingers to his temples, then his shoulders, then held his hands out in supplication to the spirit of the universe and said a mental prayer for his companions' speedy return. He then sighed and started back for the throne room. At the door to the Keeper of Magic's chambers he was met by Rowana as she ran to him.
"My lord," she said as she tried to catch her breath. "Come quickly."
"What is it?" he asked in anxious concern. "Is it the blue tower?"
She managed to shake her head then took a deep breath. "The body of Alex! It is gone! Someone has taken it!"