Awaken

Parts 1 through 4

Dipping his quill into the ink for the final time, the old man finished the letter with a fervour, and hastily signed a regards. He pushed back the hand-carved, ornate wood chair into the sunlight from the window and stood up. Stretching his back, he let out a yawn. He let out a sigh as he rolled up the letter and tied it with some twine. Moving to the back of the residence, he approached a wooden door with intricate carvings of leaves and berries, and opened it to stairs down to a deck below.

"Kogg!" he cried out, followed by a whistling call that echoed throughout the forest canopy. "Silly bird. Now where did you go off to?" He walked to the edge of the deck and looked down at the forest floor below. It occurred to the old man that Kogg may be off looking for his lunch, so he walked underneath the nearby branch and looked up at it. "Aha, a cicada! I thought I heard you when I was off writing my letter. Trying to be quiet now are we?" Plucking the cicada from the tree branch he emerged back from under it and headed to the top of the deck once more.

"Kogg! I have a cicada for you! Come and get it!" As the echo of the man's call to lunch died down, he heard a faint cawing in the distance. It grew louder, and louder more. "There you are Kogg!" A jet black raven of considerable size emerged from beneath the deck, swooping up from the forest floor. Kogg let out a cooing caw as he landed on the railing and bobbed his head a few times. "Look what I have for you Kogg. A cicada." Kogg cocked his head and stared at the bug, and then let out a mighty caw before taking it from the old man's palm.

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Knowing Kogg was satisfied, he asked for a favour. "I need you to take this letter," pulling the letter from his cloak pocket, "to Orvus on the other side of the island for me." Kogg cawed understandingly and pecked at the letter a couple times. The old man slid it into a bamboo vessel and affixed the vessel to a ring on Kogg's right leg, then patted him on the head gently. The old man whistled and the raven launched itself off the deck and off into the distance, cawing as he went.

Sighing once more, the old man headed back up the stairs and inside his residence. He moved to a room on the left, and opened it to his bedroom. Entering, he opened a drawer on the left wall and took out pouches, large and small ones, about fifteen or so of them in total and then put them into the side pouches and pockets of a large travel-pack near his bed.

"Of course, I almost forgot." Moving to the end of the bed, he twisted the top of the left bedpost once, and slid it up an inch. Then, grabbing the top of the right bedpost, he lifted it up and turned it once to the right and slid it back down. A clunk was heard from underneath the bed as he bent down and reached underneath the foot of the bed. He picked up a sheathed dagger and put that in the travel-pack too. Finally, moving to the head of the bed and removing some clothing from a small dresser, the old man shoved it all into the bag and exited the room closing the wooden door behind him.

He emerged from the bedroom with the pack and headed to the pantry by the front door. He put some items in and pondered. "I'll be needing a bit more than this." he muttered to himself as he opened the other door to some cured meats, fish, and berries. He wrapped it all with large leaves and sealed them shut with twine and then put it in the bag with the rest of his provisions.

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Exiting the residence and back out onto the deck, the man waited for Kogg's return from Orvus' place. It shouldn't be too long of a trip, but Orvus is a slow writer, so a response may take a few moments. Not long later, the old man could hear cawing in the distance, as Kogg drew nearer to his location. Suddenly, down from above the tree tops swooped Kogg, cawing his arrival. He landed on the railing and the old man walked up and patted him. The old man praised him, "Good Kogg, good." and then fed him some berries from the pantry. Kogg ate them and cawed happily.

Noticing the bamboo vessel attached to Kogg's leg, he retrieved it and opened it to find a response written on the reverse of his letter - "South side of the lake. Tonight." That was all the old man wanted to hear, that Orvus would be there. He had to be there.

"Thanks for your help Kogg. Here's a few more berries, old friend." Kogg cawed and ate the berries one after the other. "I have to go meet Orvus now, stay out of trouble, and if I need you I will call you." Kogg bobbed his head up and down and let out a soft caw, before jumping off the deck railing and soaring off into the distance. "Be good Kogg," whispered the old man, "I have something I must take care of."

The old man headed back up the steps and into his residence, closing the door behind him. One final look over the room to make sure we're not forgetting anything should do. “Ah, some water for the walk would be most good,” he said, as he lifted a full water-bladder from a hook on the wall. After hoisting the bladder over his shoulder and setting it on his hip, he made for the front door and stepped outside.

The sunlight broke through the canopy enough to bring light to his front deck in spots, despite being on the North side of the tree. At the end of the deck was a wooden pulley-elevator which was operated by adding and removing sand bags from the platform. Grabbing a few bags of sand from nearby, the old man placed them on the elevator platform and stepped on with them. He grabbed onto the rope and with his other hand reached up and unhooked the elevator and gently lowered himself down towards the forest floor.

Now safely on the ground, he secured the elevator to a stake in the ground to ensure it wouldn't budge and made his way east along a worn trail that winded its' way between the dense trees of this ancient forest. As he went forth along the path he came to a fork and took a south-easterly trail. The forest grew less dense and the ground beneath his feet became more and more sandy. The smell of the ocean was in the now salty air and the sound of waves crashing onto the shore grew less faint.

Through the last little bit of trees, the old man could now make out the beach and the deep blue of the great ocean waters. He stopped for a moment and indulged in a few gulps of water from the bladder before moving onward along the beach. “I wonder what Kogg is up to now,” the old man remarked as he stared out at the expanse of the horizon.

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The sand along the beach gradually became more of a gravel mixture, signalling to the old man that it was now time to head north-wards, inland. As the tree-line grew nearer, he followed along the bottom of a small ridge-line jutting out from the land, running off to the north-east. He was back in the forest now, shaded from most of the harsh, late afternoon sun. He was happy about it too as it meant wiping less sweat from his brow.

As he made his way through the forest, he stepped over large roots jutting and snaking their way along the forest floor. Mushrooms, large and small, had grown in various places and on the sides of trees, decorating the forest with an array of colours. Being wise and knowledgeable of the forest, the old man passed on by. He knew these mushrooms to be inedible.

The forest grew less dense once more as the sunlight made its' way into the forest. An array of edible plants grew in the area due to the soil from the nearby plains. Letting out a sigh of relief, the old man sat down on a nearby rock for another drink of water, and enjoyed himself a break. He was making good time, and night-fall was still a ways off but he was anxious about getting there late none the less and didn't rest for long.

The plains on the island were full of bright, colourful flowers and various types of grasses and berry-yielding bushes. It was hard to resist food so ready to be eaten, and as the old man had suspected he would do, he stopped and enjoyed some berries that were along the way to the lake. The old man came to a hill and ascended it, and at the top he could see the south end of the lake in the distance. He would be early, but then Orvus is likely to be too, being closer and all.

The lake was close, but the hike through the tall grasses of the plains grew tiring. Suddenly, a figure at the edge of the lake stood up and waved in the old man's direction. It was Orvus, and he was early all the same. He called out to Orvus, “Hello, good friend.” Orvus rolled up the sleeves of his faded, red cloak and extended his arms for a hug, “Good to see you. It's been some time now.” The old man nodded and then cleared his throat softly.

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“I see you brought a canoe. Good, much better than swimming.” Relieved to see the canoe, the old man approached the lake and stared at the island in its' center. On the island was an old stone building, just visible. Orvus followed behind, “You sure about what you said in the letter?” The old man nodded. Ovrus continued, “So it's a tomb then. Not a shrine?” The old man nodded again and turned to Orvus, “More exciting than it being a tomb, Orvus, is the question of whose tomb it is.”

Orvus frowned his brow at the old man, “You said this occurred to you all in a dream the night before?” “A vision, Orvus,” replied the old man, as he readied the canoe for the lake. Orvus came up along the other side of the canoe and assisted with setting it into the lake. Entering the canoe, each with a paddle, they pushed off the shore and made their way north, towards the island in the lake.

As the island drew nearer, the lake bottom gradually fell out of sight. An array of vegetation lined the lake bed, and also floated on the surface. Large pink and purple water-flowers dashed the path to the island, as the two friends paddled their way to the central shore. Orvus spoke, “Tell me, old friend... what possessed you to embark so suddenly to investigate a vision of a tomb?” The old man stopped paddling and turned back to look at Orvus. Through his long black and grey facial hair you could make out a smile. It was more of a grin, cocked all funny.

Ten seconds had passed. “Well?!” spouted Orvus. The old man resumed paddling. He spoke loudly so Orvus could hear, “Do you recall when we explored here ages ago? We thought the building was a shrine because of the bee statues and engravings on the walls.” Orvus recalled, “Yes, and there sat a large bee statue on the central podium in the large room, covered in moss and over-growth.” Orvus remained perplexed as to how this could be a tomb. What could they have not seen the last time they were there?

As they drew near the southern shore of the island in the lake, the Great Light in the sky began falling behind the tree line, and the vibrant colours of the lake dulled. Orvus, being five years the eldest of the two, grew tired first but didn't pause for a break. It was best to make it to shore before it got too dark, and find a safe place to put the canoe. “We're here,” Orvus heaved, out of breath, “and just in time at that.” They both stopped paddling and coasted to the shore on all the give they had given, and the burn in their muscles was real.

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They both stepped out, one after the other and shored the boat, and then carried it with them inland a fair ways before leaving it on its' side. “We should make camp here and venture out in the morning,” suggested the old man, as he too caught his breath. Orvus nodded in agreement, then lifted his own travel pack off his hip and shoulder. After placing it on the ground he opened it and took out about a dozen dry log eighths and stacked them up against one another.

After the brush nearby was cleared, he removed a scroll from a different section of his pack and unrolled it. He knelt down by the wood pile and peered deeply at the crude image of a flame surrounded by wisps of air that formed corners. “Go ahead Orvus, call out the enchantment already!” egged the old man, hoping for some warm light. Orvus began to recite from memory, the oldest enchantment... Fire. “Purifying light and thee who wrought ashes, bring forth flame from your vibrant clashes!”

There was a moment's pause, then the pile of wood ignited in a sudden burst of flames and fury. Both Orvus and the old man were startled and fell back onto their asses. “Sorry! Sorry, old friend!” laughed Orvus, as he tended to his right cheek. The old man sighed heavily, *“I see your fire enchantments need a bit of tuning, Orvus.” Orvus quickly retorted back, “Got it on the first go though, didn't I?”, with a smile on his face.

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It was dark now, and stars shone down on them both in their favour. The light of the fire brought comfort and warmth on this lonely island, as the crescent moon peeked out from the eastern skyline across the lake and the rest of the larger island. Bats swooped down and danced around the fire, catching the bugs attracted by the light, making for a buffet of flying insects. Orvus pulled his extra cloak out of his pack and placed it where he would lay his head for the night. “See you in the morning,” said Orvus tiredly, as he laid back and rested his body and head. “Sleep well, Orvus, I'm going to enjoy the fire a while longer.”

After staring into the fire and embracing its' warmth for some time, the old man laid back and rested his head too, on his extra cloak. He was eager to make it to the tomb tomorrow, and test his vision's merit. Orvus had been gracious enough to embark on this journey at moment's notice, and in return the old man had wanted to show Orvus something exciting. The vision was clear. Something, or someone is entombed inside and it would take an offering to find out what, or who that is.

The old man's eyes had grown heavy, and the stars in the night sky began to blur. He closed his eyes and imagined tomorrow's adventure. Orvus snored lightly over the sounds of the crackling flames of the enchanted fire and singing night critters of the island. Soon enough, the old man was fast asleep and the crescent moon passed overhead, ever-faithfully to the other end of the sky.

Morning dawned as the sky became a faint blue, with light rain clouds overhead gently kissing the island and surrounding lake. Orvus had been awake for a few moments, and after letting out a yawn he tried for the old man's attention. “You've got a visitor,” called out Orvus across the smouldering remnants of the long dead fire. The old man, having heard Orvus arose from his slumber to find his companion raven Kogg at his side, snuggled up in his wrinkled cloak.

“Good morning, Kogg!” The old man was surprised to see Kogg this early. It occurred to the him that Kogg must've flown at night and located them by their fire. Kogg cawed a couple times to say hello and then jumped up on the old man's shoulder as he sat up. The old man reached for his travel pack, “Want some berries for breakfast?” and pulled out a handful of purple spotted berries. Kogg hopped down his outstretched arm and quickly ate three berries from his palm. The old man helped himself to a few before Kogg finished them off., cawing happily.

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The trio gathered their things and made sure the fire was put out before heading north to the centre of the island in the lake. The island was a serene place, and the presence and scent of many flowers filled the air and their nostrils. Another notable thing was the number of bees hop-flying from one flower to the next, collecting the sweet nectar. “I see this place is well taken care of,” Orvus pointed out. The old man nodded his head.

They entered a clearing and could see the tomb just ahead. “We're here!” Orvus said, relieved. The tomb was made out of an opulent stone, with carefully and intricately carved depictions of flowers and bees found on the island. Two large arches reached into the sky and intersected at their centres, and there mounted at the top was a large stone flower. Two large stone rings, one higher up than the other, were connected to the arches and encircled the structure. Moss and vines dotted the structure, and the stone was wet from the morning dew.

“Magnificent, isn't it?” the old man asked Orvus. “Let's head inside.” Orvus followed beside him as they made their way under the stone ring and between the arches. Kogg had taken to the air so he too could get a look at the place. There was a polished sandstone floor beneath the arches, which raised up in four round steps of equal height. On the fourth and highest step was a beautiful statue of a bee hovering in flight, pointed toward the east. Just as the old man remembered it, with moss growing in various places.

“Orvus, did you happen to have more of those enchanted fire scrolls?” Orvus reached into his own travel-pack, “I have plenty with me. Here, take this one,” and handed him the scroll. Orvus noticed the old man approaching the statue, and he suspected that the fire was for the statue. He was right. The old man began to recite the spell to render forth the magical fire, “Purifying light and thee who wrought ashes, bring forth flame from your vibrant clashes!” With his concentration on the statue, a burst of heat blasted them followed by fire which engulfed the statue.

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They both stood back to wait for the fire to die down, as Kogg watched from up high on the second stone ring. After a short while, the overgrowth on the bee statue was turned to ash and blown away in the winds. The two approached the statue and brushed the remaining residue off, a process that involved a bit of climbing of the statue. The statue was made of the same opulent stone as the arches and rings, and had clearly taken a long time to carve. No detail was spared its' place.

“Okay, so what now?” asked Orvus, as he stared at the newly looking statue. The old man smiled, reached into his pack and pulled out a bamboo flask. He uncapped the lid and handed it to Orvus. “Honey? What do we do with this?” Orvus questioned. “This is what the vision showed me, Orvus,” said the old man as he mounted the back of the statue and climbed up the wings. “Yes, there it is! Orvus, hand me the honey.” Orvus approached, reached up and handed the old man the flask. He climbed a bit higher and reach out towards a hole located between the ocelli. He tipped the flask and poured the honey into the hole. Every last drop disappeared, but to where they could only guess.

They waited for some time, but nothing appeared to happen. Slightly puzzled, the old man climbed back down and onto the fourth step and as he dismounted with his last foothold, the statue rotated out of position. It wasn't much, no, but it definitely moved. “Did you see that?!” Orvus asked excitedly. The old man had noticed, and asked Orvus over to help him see if they could rotate it more. Both pushed on the statue and slowly it started to give, and began rotating to face north. Just as it was getting exciting the statue halted, and wouldn't budge any further. “It's stuck. What now?” questioned Orvus. The old man, tired from pushing, looked at Orvus and frowned slightly. “I think we're going to need more honey...”

Awaken

Part 01 - Message to Orvus
Part 02 - The Lake Beckons
Part 03 - Night of Rest
Part 04 - The Tomb's Secret
Part 05 - The Deep Gouge
Part 06 - Dismay Down Deep
Part 07 - Orvus Restores Order
Part 08 - Magic Sans Scroll
Part 09 - Clear Path Provided
Part 10 - Trace The Key
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Poem 01 - Immortals of the Aegis
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Part 11 - Eigin Rooted Magic