Kristyna stood up and looked at Jyriad. Their eyes met and she felt something similar. Familiar like the feelings she had with this injured girl. When she had looked deep within her, as if they both had looked into each other’s souls.
Kristyna thought, “ However, there was something different with Jyriad. Her’s was raw, wild, and unstructured. His felt calm, controlled, and rooted in something foreign, not quite familiar as being rooted in this world.”
Kristyna broke a slight smile and Jyriad immediately felt a deep connection with this lady but different then what he had felt with the injured girl. Jyriad returned the smile then asked, “Well, you’re the scout, please lead on.”
Kristyna thought then said, “follow me, there’s a hunter’s camp nearby. Let me lead and pace yourself a bit behind in shadow as much as possible in case there’s still trouble about.” Jyriad nodded agreement with her.
Kristyna turned and began to make her way back through the wooded land with Jyriad slowly coming behind with the injured girl held close against him as he kept to the shadows as much as possible.
They moved through the woodlands towards a ridge where Jyriad, who followed in shadow behind Kristyna, noticed light flickering below the ridge. He thought to himself, “That is most certainly their destination, the hunter’s camp.”
She looked at him with a slight smile and her eyes sparkling in the starlight then said, “Follow me Jyriad but don’t think you’re getting out of telling me what happened there. I also want to know what language is engraved into the metal of that cask? I have traveled a great deal of Rhiannon and not seen those types of letters anywhere before.” Jyriad stayed silent and waited for her to either press a response of continue towards her camp.
She turned to begin moving down the path towards the hunter’s camp. As she did so she called out. “What about your horse? Do I need to…” Just then she heard and then saw the horse following behind them.
Kristyna responded, “Now that’s a well-trained horse! What was going on back there with that glowing light? Are you a mage or something?” Jyriad chuckled lightly and replied, “Something might describe me better than most titles. However, in terms of that light, I am not sure myself, something happened that has stirred the heavens.”
Kristyna was ducking her head down under a stone arch that had fallen and settled lower then it was originally planned. They were in shadows before the trees broke open to the open camp below. She turned back to face him and asked, “What do you mean by that? You know, has stirred the heavens?”
Jyriad replied, “Did you not see that lightning spark and feel the strong down draft from a starlit night where there are very few clouds in the sky?” Kristyna replied, “Yes, but there’s all type of strange things in these old woods at times.”
Jyriad responded, “Yeah, when was the last time you saw that particular type of event happen in these old woods?” She went silent then continued forward again. She called out to him and said, “Oh, and we’re not done talking about this, so don’t think you’re getting out of providing me with some more reasonable responses.”
Kristyna turned to walk down into the lit camp of the hunters. Jyriad stayed back a moment in the deep shadows. He could see she was an experienced scout as she was observing and trying to reach out to detect any danger nearby. He thought to himself about her, “Trusting type of person, yet had observed caution as well. She appeared to be very well connected to her inner self; her sensory perception was exceptional.”
Jyriad turned his attention to look down at the injured girl he carried. The clouds had parted enough for the moonlight to shine down and highlight the features of her face. He noticed she had freckles sprinkled across her nose and cheeks. Her skin color leaned towards fair but for her age, she had the weathered look on her face of someone who had been on the road a long time.
He also now saw a crest on a silver plate hidden under the cloak and hood she wore. He thought to himself, “I don’t recognize that emblem of two rings bound together but it speaks that she is of royal birth. He continued thinking. What was she doing out here in this wilderness without protection? She should have been with an escort, where they killed, and why was she on the run?”
He mused quietly, “So many questions and very few answers. We’ll have to get her better first then see what we can discover about her.” He looked up and saw Kristyna standing with a group of the hunters and waving him to come forward. He arrived to where they were and Kristyna asked, “How’s our injured girl doing? She holding up okay?” Jyriad replied, “Yes, she is surprisingly strong considering the injuries she had. How far are we from your campsite?”
Kristyna replied, “We must take my sailing craft to an island located on a remote island out on the lake.“ She asked the hunters if they could help her prepare the ship for sailing. Some of them went off to help her raise the sail prepare a place for the injured girl to be laid down and put some supplies from their camp on it too.
One hunter, a large ox of a man came over to Jyriad and asked, “Have you known Kristyna long?” Jyriad looked into the large man’s eyes and said, “ No, we just met. I am a traveling merchant and was coming down from up high on the mountain passes when I heard trouble below. I saw this young girl I am holding get injured and fall off the high trail. I thought I should investigate and help if I could.”
Jyriad paused a moment, “ Kristyna was already there with her when I arrived and asked if I would mind if I could help her to get her to her campsite.” The large man introduced himself, “I am Gerald, a close friend of Kristyna.” Jyriad responded, “I am Jyriad, I sense she means a lot to you, am I correct?” Gerald smiled a bit and said, “Is it that obvious?” Jyriad said quietly, “No, but I travel the lands and like you a hunter and trapper learn to read the signs around me. Gerald replied, “So, what will you do once you are done helping her?”
Jyriad replied, “I have a mule loaded with goods back in the woods along with my horse to deliver. So I will be off to take care of business as there are many shop owners waiting for the supplies I carry with me. “ Gerald appeared satisfied with this response and said, “You can leave your horse and mule with us while you’re helping Kristyna out on the lake at her campsite. We will make sure the mule and horse are well taken care of and don’t worry; all your merchandise will still be there! “
Jyriad chuckled, “Thank you, Gerald, I appreciate your offer and will compensate you all for your assistance before leaving on my way.” Gerald nodded then Kristyna came back and said, “Okay, everything is ready. Let’s get our girl settled in the bedding we set down for her and that way you can help me while we make our way to my campsite.”
It wasn’t long before the boat had been turned, and the sail set to allow Kristyna to grab the rudder and steer them out to her island camp. Jyriad stayed close to the injured girl sitting cross-legged near her while reaching out with his sense to keep a lazy watch for danger. He thought to himself as he studied the injured girl, “What a day this was, and what is she doing here? Something big is beginning to take shape in the world. I am pretty sure they are now aware too after seeing that shadow in the sky.”
Jyriad paused, reached out and touched the injured girl’s hand with his fingers. The glowing light began to grow again, and he heard her voice once more in his mind, “Thank you for taking care of me, whoever you are.” Then the light faded.
Kristyna looked directly at Jyriad and asked, “What happens when the light appears? You know after you touch her.” Jyriad looked down at the injured girl then back to Kristyna and replied, “She is speaking with me. I mean not like you and I am talking with physical words that can be heard. Rather with impressions that convey feeling.” Kristyna took that in and asked, “What is she saying to you or conveying through her feelings?”
Silence returned for moments and all that could be heard was the lapping of water against the boat as it cut its way across the surface of the lake. Jyriad then replied, “She just thanked me.” Kristyna immediately replied, “What, that’s not possible is it? I mean, she is unconscious Jyriad, isn’t she?”
Jyriad looked into Kristyna’s eyes, and she felt herself shift again. As if she were connecting by some type of sensory only means. Jyriad then said, “We, meaning all of us, are more than just flesh and blood. We are most familiar, comfortable with our physical forms. It is because it ever demands our attention.” He paused then continued, “However, there is a spark within us all, it is always there. Silent, calm, a place of peace and guidance. It is that part of her that reaches out to communicate with me.”
Jyriad then said, “ I do not know more as I am trying to understand these events too. It will take time but be patient with me and I will explain more once I know enough to speak on the matter.”
Kristyna softly replied, “You are different, not the same as many I meet upon the paths and roads of these lands.” She paused a moment then continued, “There is an awareness, an extended part of you that appears to be so in touch. It senses the part of us that are mysteries to most of us throughout our lifetimes! To you, though, I sense what you do is as natural as breathing is to the rest of us.”
She paused then continued, “I guess what I am trying to say is thank you, Jyriad, Thank you for caring! I will never forget this meeting between us and the events that brought us to this place. “ Silence returned as both Jyriad and Kristyna listed to the sounds around them and Kristyna continued to steer the boat towards her camp.
Some amount of time had passed and Jyriad raised his head from his quiet meditation. He saw a flickering light and thought, “Hmm! The smell of a campfire, flowery scents drifting along with the currents of the wind. We must be getting close.” Kristyna having seen him awake again said, “We are almost at the dock. Once there, I’ll guide the boat in then I’ll need you to jump out. I’ll throw you a rope so you can anchor us.”
Jyriad replied, “Okay!” He gently attended the injured girl and made sure she was tucked in with the blankets to keep her warm while he prepared himself for the upcoming activities. He rose to a standing position and stepped to the edge of the craft as Kristyna masterly maneuvered them to a gentle stop against the edge of the wooden landing at the island campsite. He jumped onto it and then he saw the rope coming at him through the air.
He caught it with his hands then found a post with a series of hooks on it to secure the rope and anchor the boat securely in place. Jyriad then turned and scanned the surroundings. He noticed the camp was not directly along the shoreline but nestled back a good hundred yards or so from the docks.
Kristyna then called out, “Let’s get her into the camp. I can begin to attend to her needs and assess what kind of injuries we’re dealing with.” Jyriad responded, “Sure!” He then stepped back onto the boat and walked to where Kristyna was gently wrapping the injured girl with some lighter weight blankets. She then turned; the light and fog highlighted the contours of her face. The flickering light from the dock and nearby campfire reflected from the droplets dripping from her wavy auburn hair.
Jyriad quietly mused, “She’s an attractive lady to be out here on her own with so many that would take advantage of her if given the opportunity. He wondered briefly that she must be very confident in her skills as a scout and fighter.” Kristyna noticed his eyes roaming across her face, she smiled but then said, “Let’s do the same as before, I’ll lead the way into the camp, and you can follow with her. There is a covered place near the fire where we can make her comfortable for the night.”
Jyriad nodded agreement, then knelt next to the injured girl again. He slipped his hands and arm gently under her and lifted her while standing again and allowed her to gently slide towards a resting place against him. Kristyna took the lead and Jyriad followed as they stepped onto the dock, and she began to lead the way down a trail towards the campsite.
Jyriad was surprised when they arrived that the back edge of the campsite was surrounded by large boulders and stones the formed a sort of protective barrier against the elements and blocked any approach coming from that direction. He also observed the rest of the campsite was surrounded by thick bramble bushes and thorny iron shrubs that were natural to this area and fed off the elements in the soil.
He first laid his injured passenger down on the bedding, then got up and sat down on a stump that had been made available to be a seat near the fire. Kristyna was busy going over the injured girls wounds.
She turned to him briefly and asked, “Jyriad, could you help me loosen up her cuirass and then gather some more firewood. We will need to keep it going through the evening to ensure she doesn’t catch a chill. Also, I need a little privacy so I can clean her properly.”
Jyriad chuckled, “Yes, let me help you with her armor and then I’ll go gather some kindling and wood. I also want to patrol the island a bit before returning so if you need me back sooner just think about me and I’ll sense it.” Kristyna replied, “Really, you can sense that while you’re not even with the person?” Jyriad replied, “Yes, but please no questions yet! I need some time to figure out what is really going on here before saying anything more about those empathic abilities of mine.”
Kristyna nodded okay and then they both worked on loosening the injured girl’s armor and other clothing so Kristyna could dress her wounds. Jyriad then got up and said, “Okay, I am heading out and will be back with the firewood in a bit. Remember, just think about me, it helps if you put some level of emotion or feeling in it.” Kristyna smiled and then said, “Okay, I’ll see you when you return.”
Jyriad quietly went off to first scout the island to understand it’s strengths and possible weaknesses. He began to quietly contemplate about what had happened so far, “Whomever this injured girl was, it was obvious she was in a lot of trouble. For instance, why were these bounty hunters after her? Why were there so many of them sent against a single person?”
He continued musing as he made his way around the outskirts of the island. “So many questions about who she was? Why was she here? Was she looking for something or someone, and where did she learn how to fight like that?”
Jyriad had been gone now for over thirty minutes. He reached out with his senses but did not detect any call for help with his empathic abilities. He started to look for some kindling and fallen logs and sticks they could use for a fire throughout the night. After doing this he slowly made his way back to camp. He called out before entering the inner circle of the campsite. “Is it okay that I come in? I have a stack of kindling and firewood.”
Kristyna replied, “Oh, good you’re back! Please set some more logs on the fire. We need more light. I need to show you something I discovered while administering her wounds.” Jyriad was curious about this, so he entered the campsite area, and placed some new logs on the fire.
He then reached for his bag, pulled out another flask. He spoke, “Rol” to it and some more of those runic letters came alive in bright orange and red. He then poured some of the liquid onto the fire and it came alive with a brightly burning orange and red flame that quickly transformed to brighter yellow light that lit up the campsite almost as bright as day in the surrounding area.
Kristyna watched all of this but said nothing during it. She then waved him over to her and the injured girl. She was lying under some warm fur blankets inside a covered area that had a set of furs that could be pulled down in front of the sleeping area to keep her warm through the night.
Jyriad knelt beside Kristyna, and she turned towards him and said, “She was injured bad, but not fatal. However, it will take some time for her to recover from all those wounds.” Jyriad looked into Kristyna’s eyes. They were shades of green with yellow speckles sprinkled across them.
He then asked, “Understood, but I sense there is something that troubles you more than the wounds she received. What is it?” Kristyna whispered, “prepare yourself, I have never seen anything like it before.”
Kristyna turned towards the injured girl, bent over slightly and grabbed the fur blanket near the girls neck and shoulders. She gently pulled them away from her and down to the bottom of her shoulder blades on her back. Kristyna said to Jyriad, “I am hoping maybe you might have seen something like this and know about its origins and why someone felt the need to do this to her.”
The light from the roaring fire danced across the injured girl’s exposed neck, shoulders and back to reveal a set of deep engravings about a quarter inch in depth. It appeared to Jyriad as if someone had inscribed some very old letters in her skin using a type of hot writing tool that was used for writing on animal skins like those used by scribes to record important stories, events and such.
There were also some nasty-looking lashes lower down on her back that appeared as if she was beaten with a whip many times looking for answers. Jyriad thought to himself, “The language used was that on an old Lianian dialect. I’ve not seen this language except in some of the old ruins in Lian. Those scattered much further south in the ancient remnants of that nation.”
He continued to study the letters and thought, “This girl had suffered a great deal when they had done this to her.” He thought to himself, “She’s lucky to still be alive after that alone.” Jyriad was a hardened man in general from fighting in the many battles of the last border wars all those years ago.
He had seen his share of slaughter of men, women, and children from those times. Experiencing something like that tended to numb you over time. Jyriad thought to himself, “It was the only way your mind could cope with seeing so much harm done to innocent people.”
But this! It touched something deep within him, something not used or seen in this age. His emotions began to stir something within him burst alive and even though the number of years between the border wars and now had been very long, the brutality of what had been done to this girl rolled out of him with all the pain and anguish this girl had experienced in such a short life.
Jyriad felt as if he was losing control, as if something was reaching down inside of him and commanding him to respond. He had forgotten about Kristyna who looked on at his reaction and was surprised by this transformation and the pain she felt rolling out of him.
Kristyna watched him as he slowly lifted his head skywards and cried out to the stars in a strange language. It was a moment that she would never forget. Jyriad was speaking with a voice and language that transformed the very air around them as it lifted into the sky from somewhere deep within him.
Kristyna did not recognize any of it, as she looked on with a combination of fear and wonder. Jyriad lets lose a cry of words. It was loud but clear. Ringing towards the heavens. He cried, “Heaven’s Fus Mah Nah Mu, Dovah Do Fin Stars, Hon Dii Plea, Show Aaz, Het Kolos Dii Sil, Sosaal.” In the common tongue it meant, “Heaven’s force fall upon us, Dragons of the stars hear my plea, show mercy here where my heart bleeds!” Of course, Kristyna did not understand or know that translation but would hear it from him later.
Events were beginning to spin out of control and then a bright light shot up to the heavens that had formed from a place in front of where he knelt beside the injured girl. As the light rose high into the night sky a sound like rolling thunder split the clouds and fog. Kristyna was spell bound by what she was seeing and numb to do anything but passively watch what was occurring in front of her eyes.
The echoing sounds of thunder and crackling rolled across the starlit night. The sound of it rose in a long crescendo. The whole woods around them and the water on the lake came alive as if in response to this cry of pain, Then, Kristyna witnessed a bright light returning from the vault of stars above. It’s brilliance surrounded them with such a radiance of colors. It was as if the very stars themselves had fallen from the sky.
Kristyna watched as Jyriad, who was glowing with the spectrum of all the colors that had come down from the heavens, bent over the injured girl and shaped the light with his hands. He used it to penetrate the runic letters that had been seared into her skin and the whip wells of scars below the letters that flowed downward towards her waist. Where he touched the girl with the light a warm glow formed that seemed to transfer something from him into her.
Jyriad had never done anything like this before. There was something, a power that was guiding him, controlling his actions and responses. The injured girl began to moan, then she physically cried out as a transformation of healing began to take place.
Kristyna could see the scars on her back and shoulders began to fade and looked less angry. Jyriad continued this process, and Kristyna could swear she heard a melonic song singing in response to the efforts of this man to heal the pain this girl had experienced.
She knew that Jyriad was special, that she saw something not seen in many an age upon their world. This was the kind of stuff spoken of in the old legends and tales of beings with such power from ages long gone. They were from written memories and only now sung in song and by the storytellers who still used the craft of words to pass on knowledge to the generations of tomorrows yet to come.
Kristyna then witnessed the light fade. Jyriad then raised his hands to his face as he lowered his head. He began to weep from the effort it had taken from him while repeating the same words, in a cadence. In this same strange tongue, he spoke, “Dunguar Kun Do Fin Heavens, Hin Healinith Aaz Lost Healinith Faad Un Sil!” Translated to “Divine grace of light of the heavens! Your healing mercy has warmed our hearts.”
The light had faded from his hands and was now beginning to fade from around them. There he stayed lowering his hands where he left one resting on the injured girl while kneeling with his head bowed as if in prayer watching over the unconscious girl.
Once the light was gone completely, Kristyna could see that the injury of the engraved lettering and some of the scars caused by the repeated lashings had almost vanished. She couldn’t believe what she saw, “Who was this man?”
Kristyna silently reached over and slowly pulled the fur blanket back up around the injured girl’s shoulders and neck, then stood up and placed her hand softly on Jyriad’s shoulder in an act of understanding that what he had done for this girl was something extraordinary.
Jyriad reached up, touched Kristyna’s hand, and squeezed it as if to say, “I appreciate the comfort, thank you!” He stood up and then faced Kristyna and said to her, “I can’t believe what this young lady has endured.” He then went silent as the tears rolled down his cheeks. He leaned into Kristyna and gave her a soft kiss on her cheek.
Kristyna brought her arms up to gently hold him while he leaned into her. The only sounds that could be heard now were the snapping and cracking of wood from the fire, the lapping of the water in the lake nearby and the night sounds of the local animal inhabitants of this island.
He looked into Kristyna’s eyes and then said, “I am sorry if I scared you! I am sorry for all of this!” Kristyna raised her hand and dabbed some of the tears from his cheeks and said, “I am here for you Jyriad as you were for me!” He then turned and walked away into the darkness of the night and fog.
His last thoughts were, “No one had the right to do this to anyone, no one! Kristyna had returned to the bedside of the injured girl. She sat there thinking that Jyriad had become moved by some power that lay deep within him.
Her own emotions were threatening to overcome her with this act of kindness and the power of everything she had seen Jyriad use to help this injured girl. Kristyna then thought to herself, “This is no ordinary warrior that would be moved in such a way. People like that are so rare amongst the species of the races in the world these days. If Jyriad was even a person at all! Such a power of transformation! Nothing like it had been seen during this age. Its only in ancient tales that such things were even referenced.”
Kristyna quietly contemplated, “What was that language he spoke; it had such power that was a part of it.” She continues to think. “I would be scared out of my skin if not for the healing he had shown this young lady. When he spoke those words, they were full of anger but mercy and sadness as well. “
Jyriad was lost in the emotion of everything that had happened and his call upon that ancient power. He knew of course that such an act would not go unnoticed by her. Jyriad mused to himself, “So many riddles in the night now. I am sure she would share some answers but many thoughts she would convey to him would come as puzzles to be solved.”
Jyriad wondered aimlessly for a while and found himself near a part of the shoreline where the waters of the lake rippled in and were pulled back out. He found an old stump with a back carved out as if someone wanted this to be a bench. He thought to himself, did Kristyna do this or was this done long ago. These lands are very old indeed. One of the forgotten civilizations was not far from this location.
He sat down and let his eyes close, and the scenes of the day played across his heart, and he saw and felt them all over again. He felt raw and exposed down to the deepest part of his essence.
Suddenly, he sensed a presence next to him and opened his eyes to find an old lady sitting next to him as if this were perfectly normal out here on this isolated island in the middle of the night.
He asked, “Who are you? Do you live here on this island?” She turned her hooded head toward him and her eyes were a deep blue that penetrated the layers of his consciousness. She looked into his soul and reached in with her essence to measure something of him. “Jyriad, I am a traveler, one who comes to those whose needs are great!”
Jyriad responded to harshly, “What would you know of my needs? How could you possibly know the depth of my pain this night?” She chuckled a kind and gentle laughter and said, “Do you think you can call upon the power of the vault above and not stir the shapers of this world into existence?”
Jyriad responded, “ You heard me? Are you one of them in disguise?” She lifted her right-hand and placed it gently on his shoulder. “They you refer to are but children to me and my kind. We were the shapers of the songs that brought all things into existence!”
Jyriad sat up then and turned toward her and said, “What! Why? What is going on that beings such as you would become involved?” Jyriad paused then continue, “ Yes, I expected I likely touched her! She that you refer to. However, no beings such as your stating you are, have been heard of since the beginning of the age according to her!”
She then locked eyes with him and looked so deep within him he became locked in place. She then began to speak, not verbally but with a connection that felt like it was resonating directly within his soul.
Then she said, “Jyriad, listen closely now with the blood that flows through you. I know her you refer to and she is aware of what you did tonight! How could she not be after that invocation you cried into the night sky? What I am about to say will influence not only you but the two back in camp that you are protecting. However, the future of forever sits upon your brow and the choices you make from here!”
There was a pause then. She allowed those last words to sink in and then asked Jyriad, “What is the song of the warrior’s creed?” Jyriad replied, “Not to disrespect but if you are who you say you are those answers are already known, are they not?”
She replied, “Yes, they are Jyriad, but I need to know you remember the lessons you have been taught! I need you to sing them as you have been taught by her.” He briefly went quiet then he steadied himself as it had not been since the days of the border wars that he had sung them. Jyriad musted the strength from some deep well within him and began to gently sing,
“In shadowed lands where darkness creeps,
We rise, we stand, where silence weeps.
With hearts aflame and spirits bold,
The warrior creed in our souls, we hold.
For those who suffer, caught in plight,
We bear the burden; we seek the light.
With honor’s shield, and loyalty’s might,
We guard the meek through endless night.
In every echo of a voiceless cry,
We vow to lift, to reach, towards the sky.
With kindness woven through every deed,
We acknowledge their pain, their desperate need.
I, named among the brave and true,
In our sacred promise, I find my due.
To honor the fallen, the lost, the torn,
With diligence born of the battles worn.
Truth is our armor, honesty our sword,
In love’s radiant glow, we forge our accord.
To dishonor the weak, to cast aside grace,
Is an unforgivable sin in this sacred space.
As shadows linger, as nightmares swirl,
Together we stand, together we whirl.
Forever the crown will weigh heavy and deep,
A pledge that we make, a vigil we keep.
In the echoing depths of this rugged land,
Our hearts hold the sorrow; our souls take a stand.
Until the time comes when justice shall reign,
We carry the burden; we embrace the pain.
So here we gather, hand in hand,
Guardians of hope in a trembling land.
With hearts intertwined, we shall not fall,
For in our promise, we embody it all. “
Jyriad went quiet then and tears spilled over the wells of his eyes to roll down his cheeks from the telling of that sacred oath, ancient as it was but full of the meaning of his life. The older lady who sat with him took a silken cloth and dabbed the tears from his cheeks.
“ Thank you Jyriad for you service to our needs but now I must call upon you to take a journey for all of us. It will be your defining journey! It will be the hardest thing you will do in this life! Know that I am sorry that it must fall to you who has already given so much to this land. Listen to these words and know the prophecy that will guide the futures of generations of people across this world and its kingdoms,
“Two rings made in separate places,
Neither one knowing, no one owning,
Discoveries yet to be found, mysteries untangling with each round,
Many trails ahead, a twisted road full of dead,
Two rings lost in time, their destines intertwined,
Two rings when welded together, bring forth the one,
Thought lost forever until this moment when the truth is unwound,
Two rings once together illusions now broken, the truth has been spoken,
The harbinger of renewal revealed as it speaks of an end no longer concealed,
One ring welded by bonds, A love found strong, two rings fused together,
Unbroken forever their souls are bound, in endless love, written across the vaults of eternity.”
The kind old lady who sat with Jyriad then said, “Take good care of them, especially of her, she is special to you in ways neither of you have yet to discover.”
With that said, Jyriad fell into a deep restful state while this kind old lady simply vanished into the night as if she was never there. Jyriad rested and a shadow landed nearby and watched over him.
The shadow spoke to something as it lifted its head towards the vault above. “This is such a burden to place even on someone like him. Are you sure that this is the time that they must find their way for the songs of renewal to be sung? “
There was silence and then a voice replied, “Yes, it is so written and was inscribed into the stone of life at the beginning of time.” It must come to pass or so much will be lost!” The shadowy figure watching over Jyriad replied, “As you who were here before us, I bend to your will and wisdom.”
Silence returned to the site and Jyriad lost within himself felt the weight of all that had taken place etched upon the song of his soul. Here, alone listening to his own heartbeat he knew that life had changed, more profoundly, then even he would have thought possible and that the fates of many now rested with him and those who would journey with him to its end.