Act 1 Distant Communication:
After the ritual I saw the world as something more than I thought it was, things really are different than in my past world, even space was different as my body shouldn't have survived.
A tall man with dark blue hair stood, on a hill watching the setting sun, as he held a curved lance with a banner telling a story yet finished. it's butt stabbed upon the earth.
The sounds of swift feet walked upon the grass behind him but as he heard them come, and felt there spirits, he did not act attentive, as he planted his lance and sat beside it.
"Lord Abyss, the wagon's ready and I think Chieftess Biretta asked you to join in the feast." I did not need to turn my head as I knew it was Vannessa that came to me, and I felt she was with two of the bows that came as her escort.
"I will later I still need to center myself, I did not know the otherworld was that chaotic." I felt her and her followers uneasy as I brought it up.
"Understood. . .and It shouldn't have been that random, an otherworld ritual was always predictable, with few elements changing depending on the actor. . .but your play was different, it looked like you where visiting multiple ongoing myths rather than acting in one."
I already predicted it should have been different, but the difference was too much, I think this was the reason that normal clans would only try to visit one of there gods rather than the recklessness I barely achieved.
"Go join the feast and try to learn more of them and those who would come with us." I felt her nod and then with a whip of her reigns she was off with her escorts.
I closed my eyes, finally alone and in peace, answered the connection trying to reach me, it was my friend. . . that I've started to call Joy. "hello Joy, did you want to talk?"
I felt her mind brushing into mine, and she showed me she was in a dessert planet and that right now she was trying to communicate with a people made or covered in stone.
"Do you want me to talk with them?" She showed me the time she touched my whisker and started talking to me using vibrations. so that was a yes.
"Alright please hold up your big arm towards them." She did so and I taxed my gates making them pull more and more Psionic matter that my Inner-flame burned turning into an energy I can used to bargain with reality.
I gave this energy to her and my request was granted. I opened my eyes and saw I was standing as a hologram Infront of three large stone people reaching my chest in my titan form. behind me was Joy, who was vibrating happily seeing me.
"Ghost! The strangers evil, everyone. . ." I cut them off I felt them becoming violent. "No she's not I'm her translator." They then looked confused, as they looked at oddly.
"You know how to speak Rukian? Where are you from stranger, this is the first time we've seen your people, we've heard those from the far-north uses shiny rocks as there shell."
I translated for my friend, what was happening. she told me she's still translating there crab like snapping language. and I should talk to them longer. "Sure I'll try my best."
"My companion, is an explorer from the beyond." I said pointing upward. and they all looked shock, and then one spoke.
"You mean your both part of the Sky people?" The term interested me.
"Sky people? is this not your first time meet people like us?" She looked at her companions and I felt them shrugging at her one wasn't sure if it's okay to talk about it with strangers, and her other friend was trying to remember an old advice.
"Generations ago my clan had met people that fell from the skies, within large shells burning in fire." So space ships had crash landed her I nodded at her and my connections with them made them understand the gesture.
She continued to talk about what she knew of the story, and then I felt Joy telling me she can communicate with them now. "That's good, ask them what they eat, they're probably still pretty primitive and would love food as a gift."
"Of course friend Abyss, I'll call you again when I need you." I smiled she used words in our connection. "You can call me anytime." With that I severed my connection and I felt I was once again in my solid projection.
Act 2 Farewells.
"Can't you stay longer? I could give you more food in a couple more weeks, the blessing you gave to are millets made there grain fatter than normal." Chieftess Biretta asked.
We where standing at one of there settlement's wooden gates, We just finished a small morning feast and now the rams I'm taking with me were saying goodbye to there families.
"Unfortunately we need to move, I want to reach the Osirry valley before snow catches up with us." She smiled and gave me a nod understanding my reasons.
"Well take care of the kids then, I'll expect they'll come back to us. I already told there leaders what to do when they meet are kin in the south of the Valley you want to visit." With those words Chieftess Biretta gave me there version of a sign of farewell, three fingers raised in the sky and then left.
I looked around and it seems the rams going with me where ready, they already packed there luggage on my wagon only carrying there equipment. to not tire quickly in our march.
We moved towards the other ram settlement nearby, the Fanged-ale clan said the other ram clan near to them had been settled there years before they came to the forest, and that they where tribeless rams.
And that they where a War-clan, they've been raided a few times and did reprisal raids against them, but it's been 2 years since they've raided each other.
I was interested, so I planned to pay them a visit, before going south and visiting the vulture people, Chieftess Biretta told me that the nomadic clan visited them last sea-season and went south.
Act 3 Table talk:
"Let's raid them!" A sword from Vannessa's rider party told spoke up as we made camp on a cliff above the Wool-thorn clan.
Thelia's party was already cooking are afternoon meal, and the woodworker rams working on our parameter and setting up sleeping foundations.
Everyone looked back at the middle of the camp where the leaders of the party and I where sitting, speaking on how to interact with the Wool-thorn clan.
"hmm, I. . .would not stop you or those who want to join a raid, against these people but I would not join you, only giving you a blessing." The sword nodded.
"We would not ask that of you Lord Abyss, we know of your nature. I just want to raid them as a reprisal for there raid against my clan." I felt it, she was not suggesting this with malice but to uphold her ideal of justice.
"Alright, I would sanction a herd raid, take what you can and try not to get into a fight. I'll give those who would join you a war blessing." The more aggressive folks in my caravan cheered.
The sword started to recruit those who would join them. Vannessa looked at me, as she spoke "I'm sorry for my escort, Abyss." She was the first of the leaders that had came around and to stopped calling me a lord.
"It's fine Van, remember I'm connected to you all, while you travel with me, I know she just wanted some justice to be done, she still thinks about her mother after all and how hurt she was during the last raid by these people." Vannessa nodded while some of the newer leaders looked shock.
"Wait how connected are you to us lord Abyss?" it was Rainna that spoke for the new rams. I felt them worried and others very curious.
"Enough that I know, your worrying about me carrying all the caravan supply. . .You really shouldn't feel bad about it, I would rather carry all the supplies rather than having a tired travel caravan by the time we camp." She looked taken aback by my words, she still felt that her party should carry some of it.
"Your very connected to us, Lord Abyss, is this why chosen only the kindest of us?" It was Allyra that spoke she was the leader of the woodworkers from the Summerlanta ram party.
The question made me smile and the rest at the table gave her an odd look. "Not the kindest but with the purest will, the more pure or the stronger your intent the easier it is for me to feel your spirit." Many did understand what I told them.
Almerie spoke before I can clarify my words. "He means the the more you follow your instincts the more connected Abyss is to you. like that reckless bitch I'll be raiding with." She pointed at the sword who had gather most of the fighter in the camp.
I nodded, after few more moments of speaking the raiding group was formed all the riders and carters where going, I've built small-battle wagons for the two shields to drive, and convinced them to let the javelin-throwers ride with them.
They found wild raptors, days ago and using the ritual of there warcart goddess made the raptors pull the wagon I made.
I asked the riders if this breaks the promise I made with Raptori, the riders that worship her, told me it doesn't. but she is displeased about it. even Samhel was displeased that I was asking her descendants to drive for barbaric storm-people.
I gave both sacrifices of treasures made out of the black-Titanium, that spawned as I did my ritual. It was odd that was what spawned I was expecting gold honestly.
The material was very easy for me mold using my fire, but hard for the ram smiths to work even with them using there fire spirits. I still gave the Fanged-ale clan some of it, and the rest was lying in my wagon.
I gave Samhel, a dagger handle, ornately decorated made out of the Black-titanium, it has my healing-flame projection in it. For Raptori, I gave bladed spurs like those of fighting roosters of earth, and place the same enchantment on it. both seemed to have liked the sacrificial gifts and gave favor to there worshipers in my caravan.
Act 4 Raid: Almerie Pov:
The raid was on, I and the other carters hid behind trees in the woods, we've found some hunters and foragers as we travelled down the cliff, the riders rode them down before they can leave the woods.
I looked on and saw the rams running swiftly towards a hill we saw that can hide there, group while they waited, the riders went forward planning to drive a herd towards us while the rams ambush any who follows them.
"HOO!" Horns, it started, I saw dust built behind the hill and then I saw the twisted horn, thick coated cattle of the rams, the seven riders ran quickly using leather whips to control the herd.
A group of enemy rams running after them, the first cows arrived at my location and the rams with me quickly calmed them as the riders did the same, with bells I sprang out from my spot and charged the following enemy rams.
While are allied rams started slinging rocks in there hidden spot. I charged with my shields they shot their bows with me as we peppered the 20 something rams, they returned fire with there slings, but mostly missed me and my fellows, as they start being wounded and downed.
"The herds clear!" With the signal, said I sheeted my bow and then drove my cart towards are allied rams running back towards us and picked them up.
I looked back and saw the riders going back towards us covering our retreat, as we rode back to the woods. . . the last I saw was a larger group of the enemy rams charging at us but they where to far as everyone went back to the woods.
As we rode back, we used a circular route as are allied rams, hid our trail but mostly my party's, our carts might be powerful but they are not subtle, which is good as the enemy should see there death.
"Thelia we got 20 cattle, I just realized what do with them? It's not like where, returning back to our clans, and it would be wasteful to just eat them." Vannessa spoke as she rode next to me and Thelia.
"Can't we just take them with us? you have a Bullnar worshiper in your party don't you?" I said to Vannessa, we could trade them to the next friendly clan will go to, I don't know who the vulture people are but they might want them.
She shook her head. "I already spoke to her, she said this Sheep-cows, would start dying in week or so if we take them with us without a herd blessing." A week? that's enough isn't it?
"That's fine for now, we could just sell some of them for easier portable goods when we meet the Vulture-folks, they might be primitive but there bone work is fine." A redheaded ram girl said, as she rode with Thelia.
Her words had gotten many, nods as are groups reached near the encampment where we saw the lord carving runes I did not recognize on the trees.
"Your all back? that's quick I thought it'll take you guys longer, don't mind me, go back to the camp I'm just concealing are camp for the night." I approached the runes with the others, they where odd as I look at them I felt like looking away. . . Oh, that looks a patch of spicegrass.
"Illusion-runes? When did you learn them Abyss?" Vannessa asked as she touched the markings and her hand turning invisible for few seconds but then as I looked at them in a different way they appeared again.
"Illusion-runes? Is that what you call them? I call them see-me-not enchantments. Pretty simple psionic application really, it just makes people who see them loose concentration and go, look or think of something else." That sounds like trickster magic! Foul magic that non of my people would ever practice.
"That sounds like a trick uncle Crow, showed me and my friends when we where kids, he did something with feathers and made a stampiding small herd of Raptors stop and just look around at random stuff." Crow. . . Does she have a shaman relative? Wait is that why she was chosen for this warriors pilgrimage?
"Oh? Feathers? Is that his psionic focus? Well its similar to what your uncle did, but this one isn't as permanent as his magic feathers, this only last for a day or two, then it just turns to regular carvings." I nodded to my shields, and they subtly came closer.
"Draw those symbols later, we might not use trickster magic but it's better too know if where fighting them." They nodded and split of on there own I saw one using a bult of hide to copy the runes on.
Vannessa and Lord Abyss continued to talk, as he worked "eghmm" I felt a spike of pain on my hip, I looked down and saw my gold plated, leather front scale, dented with rock shrapnel inside.
Damn, I need to get that fix, hopefully those ram smiths Lord Abyss hired would be able to fix it, I drove my cart slowly up, last thing I need is to look weak here, to many people can see.
Act 5 Aftermath:
I was walking around camp when I realized a lot of people were hurt, they didn't look like serious wounds but if I let them be it'll take them days to begin healing.
"Everyone, those that got hurt come to me so I can heal you." I shouted strong enough so that everyone can hear me as they, stopped there work and looked at me, many didn't come immediately but I felt they where keen on meeting me later.
I understood why they didn't come forward, so I shrank down to my smaller form and went to my tent. the camp noise continued as I left them be.
A few minutes after, I felt people thinking just beyond my tent. "It's fine come in." They felt alarmed but eventually went came inside my tent. they where the riders that participated in the raid.
"Lord we. . ." I nodded. "Please sit, I'll burn some incense" I stood up and started shaving wood and then lit them. they where siting on my matts.
"Alright, show me where you got hurt." I said to the first one, she rolled her sleeve and showed me a poorly bandaged and tended gash.
"That's not good." I told her as I came closer, the wound has stooped bleeding but muscles where exposed and I see some fragments. "Gena can you pass me that bucket?" I asked the one hiding her face using a clay bull mask.
"Yes!" She did what I asked. "Don't move I'll start healing it now." I started by humming, my inner flame being fed enough energy for me to create a flame large enough engulf her arm.
She looked like she was griming pain, but she quickly realized she wasn't burning. "Silly girl." I whispered through my humming as I burnt the small specs of stone and larger fragments of stone lodged in her wound.
"That should do. does it still itch?" She looked at me, I felt confusion in her, oh yeah she didn't told me it was itching. "No, it's not Lord Abyss." She said being slow with her words. I looked back and saw the bucket and a bowl, Gena was sitting on the side.
"Alright this would sting." "AHhh!" a high pitch yell pierced through the camp, as I pour water on her burning wound, I turned the water alcoholic as it touched my fire and let it pure into her.
"Time after time. . ." I started singing lowly, as I made the alcoholic water into kind of glue and then with a soft pinch and heat of my flame harden the glue.
"That should do it, move it lightly but don't carry anything heavy with it and it'll be healed by tomorrow's next day." I wasn't feeling her essence, as I worked but now I do, I saw her forcing herself not to cry anymore, as she bit on a piece of leather, as I felt her pain.
I placed my hand on her head and made her sleep. "Sleep now, you're a strong girl." I looked at the now scared 5 other riders in my tent and felt the more hesitant essence of those outside my tent. "Well this would be a long night." I wish I know more sophisticated way of healing people, than just gluing there cuts together.
Act 6 Cattle: Pov Bullnar:
It was getting colder, I felt the light from the new empress, getting brighter yet these new winds, and the longer time Elmhelia was away from the pastures, makes the darkness encroach on the lands longer.
"Mooo!" Alarm, I looked at where the noise came from, and it was my daughters fighting off Claw-tentacles. "HOO!" I called my challenge and charge the monsters, they saw me charging them and scattered like the cowards they where, as gutted, gored those two slow to flee. "Thank you father." my daughters said. "Stick closer to the center children."
As I left them to graze on the grass grown by the 'Earth-weaver' I once again, held my vigil upon the highest hill of the pasture watching over my daughters, feasting and playing with each other, and some of my grandsons, learning how to fight, by charging each other.
"They look peaceful, safe, your doing a good job Bullnar." A voice unfamiliar, yet felt familiar and kind and trustworthy spoke next to my sentry.
"HA! my herd was bigger once! I had sons once! my daughters hadn't need to fear the darkness, the cold, the winds! and now those new monsters that try to not only eat them, but turn there bones into other monsters!" I started crying and laughing as I spoke, the memories of the Radiant-Sun falling.
My daughters and sons scattering in the dark, my remaining sons, slaughtered as they defended there sisters, from the beasts as they waited for me to find them. I saw the fear, and forced change of my daughters as I lead them back to the sun. . . my once lovely, innocent, soft daughters hardening just to survive by my side.
I felt, a warm touch upon my side, it gave me healing with fire, my wounded heart, some holes mending, but most stood firm as I need not become soft in my vigil.
"Who are you stranger? I know of the 'Bone-mender' and Elmhelia has many descendants, are you an offspring of theirs?" I turned around and looked upon a large young god, I felt the flames of the skies from his touch but it did not burn but healed me.
"I am neither, 'Noble beast who guards the herd'. I am Abyss, an outlander born from a foreign Blue light." As I heard the world blue-sun I changed my stance and ready to gore this boy, or to drive him away.
"Are you related to the Cold-sun boy?" I was prepared I have killed lesser suns before, as they tried and failed to take my daughters from me.
He held is arms up, away to indicate surrender and then he shook his head, a sign of denouncement. "I am not related to the one who had buried the many golden cities." I calmed and relaxed pointing my pointed horns to the skies rather than the boy.
"I apologize young Abyss, that sun had taken to much from me to give any of those that relates to him with any quarter. now, I had enjoy our talk but I must guard my herd." I looked beyond and saw darkness was encroaching on us again.
"I had come to ask for aid." The boy told me, "Hoo. . ." His words angered me I cannot leave my herd, how would he expect me to help him? does he want some of my daughters? I looked back at him and saw his light strong, and that spear strapped behind him smelled of the blood of the wind and dark gods.
I looked away, and showed less of my anger and he spoke again. "I ask if you can accept these girls as your daughters? I am using your worshiper to talk with you and I want her to care for them." That was a different request than I expected, I was surprise and looked over him again.
Now he was surrounded by beasts with long-fur and twisted horns, they sounded like my daughters. . . they felt like my. . . but they look different. "Tung, tung, tung!" I started to sing to the skies, I sounded like heavy bells, my daughters started to sing and there voice sounded like small bells.
"tink, tink, tink." They where singing like my daughters. I finished my song, and then looked towards the young god. "They are my daughters, Young Abyss, they where lost to dark, there form changed to survive the lands, they now called home. . . Thank you."
I bowed and kneeled, to him, as he reunited me to some of my lost daughters. "Keep them, and I will make it so, that my worshiper would be able to protect my new daughters." And with that I stumped upon the earth, making my will be known to the world.
He smiled, and then looked behind me. "The darkness!" I was shock it was closing to fast, I was about to call for my herd to move but before I could do so Abyss jumped towards the dark skies and started singing, as a river of flames enveloped him, and it was getting bigger.
"I love my flames,
I love my flames,
I got fire in my- - - Heart!
Gonna set the fires to the skies,
making it a sea of flames. . ."
And then the world bright with a light that did not burn, but gave a light that was comforting and healed, as I felt his touch, and saw my hurt daughters and grandsons able to move normally again.
Does the others know of this kid? I should talk to Elmhelia having more suns in our tribe would be confusing to the mortals but it would help against our many enemies.
He turned around floating in the skies shrouded in blue flames, his spear now smelling more strongly of night-blood, he smiled at me and my daughters and with a burst of flames left. his sparks landed on the land, I feared fire would spread.
As a normal thing when the children of Elmhelia visits, but no, it only made the already grazed land grow back to what it where before we started feeding on this pasture. . . I must give my suggestion to the tribal circle!
Act 7 Vultures: Pov Vannessa:
It's the morning and after a night of many screaming, I was only able to sleep after visiting his healing tent. "Abyss, will be leaving scouting ahead." I asked him as he walked and my party rode at his side.
"Alright but don't go to far." He was in his smaller form, the wagon still as large as a temple to our gods. moved easily through the loose forest, not upturning woods, but making sure the trees did not stop our march.
He was pulling it but now, the cattle was helping happily as they pulled with him. they where pulling using thick wooden arcs, tied with rope, on the pulling bar.
I looked from him and then towards my party. "To me we ride ahead!" I yelled and then rode ahead of the caravan and then turned in an arc, circling the caravan looking for anything interesting.
"Ven, saw a patch of clovers." "Ma'am, found beast tracks" "Vannessa, I think I saw a shine a few sparks that way." My party gathered as they told me what they found. And showed them what I found. Tracks but not of animals but people and more than dozen of them.
They understood what I intended. "This might be the people Lord Abyss wanted us to find. Gena take two others and lead the caravan here." Gena the cow masked newly made sword rode back towards the caravan taking two bows.
I looked around saw they where ready so we started following the tracks being mindful of the forest around us.
It only took a few minutes before we saw a hastily broken small camp, the embers where still red, and we gathered with bows ready.
Then a woman wearing rough leathers, that has designs similar to what my people wore, stepped out of the forest shadows, she wasn't alone as I felt more around us.
She had a bow in her hand, and flint daggers on her hips. "Hail, fellow travelers, we are of the Carrioni people, serving our great spirit, Lady Vulture. What is your intentions?"
She spoke with an older version of summer-courts language but still I understood it enough to answer in kind. "We are Rider's once nobles of Nivoran, we are of the Honey-rose clan. We only ask for your clan leader to speak to the leader of my caravan."
She seem to have understood and lowered her bow, but those around us did not. I continued as I took a pack from my raptor and gave it out to her.
"A small gift from me, to show are intentions are honorable." The woman was cautious but gave in an took the pack from my hand and opened it.
It was my one of my ration packs filled with preserved food. She took of the dried lime-apples and ate it she seemed satisfied and place the pack on her feet.
"I accept your gesture. Girls! There friendly." The rest of her party showed themselves, it was a group of ten, we where out numbered but looking closely they looked weaker than a bow.
There magic was thin, there muscles deprived of there needed food to develop correctly and there gear was a few generations below ours.
Only the one in front was developed enough be called sword, but even so at best she was only at the low 2nd circle, and from her looks she was old in the end of her middle years.
"We would wait here for this 'Caravan leader' if I judge her as honorable as you are I would take your party to meet my clan." And we did, as we waited we restarted the camp, and spoke with each other, we learned they were a hunting party.
And they learned that we where part of bigger caravan on an exploration mission to a valley they vaguely recognized, but need to ask there elders for more information.
"By Nivoran, do you mean the golden city husband of Elmhelia?" I was surprised as one of the Vulture people asked and knows of our head goddess.
"That's right my ancestors where Rider nobles of one of the golden cities of summer-court, are your people from another city under the Resting-sun?" I was curious, my ancestors interacted with this vulture people in past, and they had there suspicions but it was never clear.
"We are not sure what city, we came from but we used to be Sky people, when the frost and winds broke through our golden walls, my ancestors where forced to flee into the woods to survive." It sounded very much what our ancestors told us.
We continued are talks and traded stories, until I felt his soft heat, much like the soft light of dawn, he arrived with his ridiculously large moving temple.
Followed by a procession of different parties with him, only because he was generous enough with his gifts and terrified the peoples he visited enough that they where willing to lend him there people.
I'm still unsure if what the head huntress brought home was a blessing or curse upon us all, that would influence generations upon generations of my kin.
Act 8 Hunters:
"Wow, this reminds me of distant cry primal." I said, as I looked around a village of tents made of hides and sticks with the bigger ones decorated with bones, there more primitive than the other villages I've encountered.
This must be the people who has yet started practicing agriculture. Or prefer to be nomadic rather than settling in one place.
We stopped walking as we reached the largest tent in the village. It's flaps open and showed me what must have been there chief. Her ears where furred and pointed, and her tail was bushy and straight. . . Like her people she was a squirrel gene-child, or the natural version of them.
Her long braided hair and fur was a mix of light red and blonde, her face only showing her yellow eyes as her nose and mouth was covered by a white bone beak mask.
Her rough feather lined leather clothes hid most of her pale skin. I looked at her hip and saw a leather drum decorated with feathers. "I am Vulivin, the head shaman of this Carrioni group, why have you seek us out?"
She was trying to show a strong front but I can feel her unease of meeting my group, she was most on guard with Thelia's party and least with the ram party.
I can feel ten people in the level of an elite warrior, among the Carrioni around us, but few bows, as felt most of the people in her group has been staggered in there development.
"I am Abyss the leader of this exploration and trade caravan. With me are the followers I hired from the local clans of this area. I seek to do the same with your people." This broke the tension building around us, as I felt silence would lead to violence.
"What do you offer?" She asked more curious than cautious like the other chiefs I asked of this from.
"Treasures or blessings, I would give a treasure or blessing in exchange for the quality of people you are willing to part with for no more than 10 fire-seasons." Her eyes filled with greed by the word of blessing rather than treasure. . . I felt the same reaction through the other Carrioni.
She looked around, and looked for conformation with the ones that felt like elite warriors and they gave there approval by tapping there drums.
"We accept your bargain Abyss, tell us of your need and we would ask of the blessing we need." Atleast this would be a quick, barter.
"I asked for a few of your best gatherer and hunters. We would be traveling far, and may need them to rely on those skills to survive the journey." She nodded I felt pride around me as each of them felt proud that they where recognized even by outsiders by there skill.
"We accept the cost now our price, we want a blessing against sickness, much of our people have become sick and took many seasons before they had healed." She explained while sadden.
"Give us a blessing to keep our people healthy and I would promise 6 of our best Hawk-pathfinders to not only gather you food but guide your travels." She seemed to sound sincere and worried, do they not have more than six available?
I nodded. And looked up seeing the sky would set in a few hours. "Gather your people, I would bless your clan tonight, grant my caravan hospitality and we will leave tomorrow."
The Carrioni cheered at my words. "Of course, we promise to protect and feed your people tonight, we will celebrate this day as the day we met someone with your generosity." Those around us played there drums.
Act 9 blessings:
A blessing was much different than a projection as my master had thought me, a projection needs me to bargain with the will of the universe, offering it both my intent and energy produced by my inner flame.
If both are sufficient enough, I could manipulate reality or influence the immaterial sea. . . But a blessing was different, it's me using a memory of something to trigger an effect that would draw power from the immaterial sea.
A blessing persist longer than any projection that doesn't permanently altar something like what I did to my followers, they don't know it but I've fundamentally changed them, it was a very small change but I did it.
A blessing was not changing something, but adding something unto that already exists. I thought what I could bless upon so many that gathered around me the youngest where babies still in the stomach of there mother's the oldest where those being supported by there sons as they stood up.
I can perform a projection, make it so there sickness would change into killer t-cells that would help them against normal sickness. . . But no, this was a world too submerged in the influences of the immaterial sea.
If I did so and a spirit or another people gives them a curse of sickness my bargain would be useless. . . And they might need to find something else to fight. . .
I just thought of something. "Do your people have some kind of healing spirit? Or flame spirit" I asked, I can't reliably create blessings like the gods of this world can do, but I can change something into what they need. Of course I have not done this before.
Those that where gathered looked puzzled at my words, and I know why, I've been a told a blessing of a clan towards another clan was done by calling upon there gods using there clan magic and faith as bargain to ask there God to bless the other clan.
What I asked was different but after them talking in a language I think they thought I did not understand, they agreed to my request.
The head shaman came forward, in her hand was a bowl of herbs and poison. "Tump, tump, tump." The Carrioni started drumming as the shaman sang with no words but a changing of tones like that of an opera and then it appeared.
It took the form of smoke, the herbs and poison of the bowl did not burn but yet smoke came from them. The spirit was smoke with a simple runic symbol of three lines in its core.
". . . Lord, Fire of the forest, what would you want from someone as lowly as me?" Her voice was like that of the whispers of of leaves dancing in the wind. But it was heard by all, the words made the Carrioni looked terrified as they kneeled and bowed there heads before me.
"I am no Lord, healing spirit of the woods, I know of the spirits that had watch me in the green, but I do not deserve the title. . . Can I change you? Into something that these people can rely on to stave of sickness."
The spirit thought of my words, the spirits are much like the gods as they could be bargain with, but unlike the gods that can be pleased by goods and life, they ask for magic from those they bond with.
"I know of your power, Fire of the forest, but I know of your youth, for you have yet the power to create blessings. And try to make me into the blessings these mortals greed after." Her words was true as it cut to what I am not able to do.
"I refuse to be changed, I'm not these people's slaving spirit, but a friend of the great eater of corpses. I refuse to be change even if it gives me the power to become more than I am." And then the smoke of then the spirit was gone in a puff of smoke.
"Do you have a fire spirit?" I asked them, as by now they had raised there heads but still stayed kneeled. "We. . . Have one Lord Abyss." This time another shaman stood from the crowd in her hand was a bowl with a small fire, burning a pile of ash.
The fire itself had a simple symbol of a circle with a dot at its middle the rune of life giving fire. "Hello there little one. . . My name's Abyss, I owe a blessing towards these people you serve, can I change you into that blessing?"
The fire spirit was weak but it was powerful enough that unlike the lesser spirits, it had a core, and with that core she was able to manipulate reality. I looked at her deeply and saw her power, if given magic she was able to become the flame that can burn away the fear of darkness from people.
She answered with sparks of her fire. The language of the fire spirits, something I intuitively know, unlike the other languages where I needed to use a projection to understand there meaning rather than knowing there language.
"I'm indebted to these people, they're ancestors saved me a piece of a dying fragment of a sun, now I'm nothing more than fire spirit clinging to life if you can turn me into a blessing for these people, please do, you have my permission. Great Blue fire." I felt it she saw my inner flame.
"Thank you." I told her as I asked the shaman that was holding her to back away I did the same to everyone else as this could go very badly, I was given the name of Fire of the forest for a reason. . . I just didn't expect that many spirits were watching.
And that they share news with each other. I never knew they would gossip. I breathed in not just the thick life giving air of these world, but the raw psionic essence of the immaterial sea being pulled by my gates.
I fed all to my inner flame, resting upon the center of this flesh doll I have become. My flames burning within me and out off me, I sang a song to make my will clear to reality as she drained me of my heat.
"Oh little nightingale, have you forgotten?
The skies we've flew'n though, my flames
burning through the people in there beds.
The night's we've shared, the soup you've made,
please remember the warm hands we've shared.
Oh little nightingale, know will always be with you . . ."
I sang the song as I felt reality responding, I felt her smile, and my flames entering the spirit, filling her core making it larger, changing her into something different something more than what she was.
As I opened my eyes, a pair of blue crystal like eyes was looking back at me, I felt a connection to her, and I she felt the same. "Crirrcracra!" the sound of a bird, making her call. "I am Nightingale, the spirit of healing with fire that burns the dark!"
Her blue coat engulfed in a blue and yellow fire, she was not large maybe as large as my hand when I was still a normal human, but nevertheless she was powerful.
I looked around, and yeah I did burned everything, in our surrounding, and everyone was in the edges praying or drumming I think there trying to collect some of my flames through there ceremony.