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barbarafettThe story I began yesterday continues. There is also a new illustration to accompany today's installment.
Illunia ran through the exit at the far end of the chamber. She knew she was in trouble, but then again, so did the two men. They had seen her use her totem, which told them that she was familiar with the dream-magic they were using, and that she had taken countermeasures against it. Now it was her and her defense-trained mental projections versus the two men and their maze, and both sides knew it.
She found herself running through what looked very much like her family's palace, except that nothing was where she expected it to be. Rooms and hallways led into and branched off each other at random. This was a well-made maze. After running blindly for a minute, she realized that she had lost the two men.
She slowed down, trying to focus on the situation. She knew they were after one of her secrets, but she had no idea which one, much less where in the maze it was hidden. If she were at home and wanted to keep something safe... But how was she supposed to get there when everything had been twisted into a maze? Unwilling to stand by and do nothing, she picked a direction and started running again.
She knew she was going the right way when she started passing tied-up, wounded, and dead projections lying in the halls. Damn - these thieves were good at what they did. She kept moving and abruptly found herself thrown against the opposite wall. One of the two men, the one with the darker hair, was holding her in place, binding her wrists. He pulled her into the room he had just come out of, slammed the door shut, and lowered the wooden beam to lock it. By looking back over her shoulder, she could see that they were in the treasury - exactly where she had thought her secret would be hidden.
With the door locked, none of her projections were getting in to help her, and even if they did, the man who now held her was obviously an expert warrior. Illunia began to weep.
"Nice try," said the dark-haired man, who was, indeed, tired and scratched from all the fighting he must have been doing. "You've put up a respectable fight, but the match is ours. Now tell us your password."
"Unque, * " Illunia sobbed.
"Unque," the sandy-haired man repeated. He was addressing the rune-covered vault door in the back wall of the room. All three of them watched the vault swing open.
The vault was empty.
The building shook, as if in an earthquake. The sandy-haired man turned around and looked at Illunia, dumbfounded. She herself was equally so.
"It... seems I've won after all," she said.
"So it seems," said the sandy-haired man.
The walls of the treasury were crumbling around them. This dream-world had served its purpose (or had failed to do so, it wasn't quite clear), and was now passing out of existence. The three elves stood silently, waiting without fear to be killed in the destruction, for they all knew it would not be the end.
***
Illunia found herself lying on her back on grass. She opened her eyes, sat up, and looked around. She was still on the bank of the reflecting pool. The sandy-haired man was lying on the grass to her right, and the dark-haired man was to her left. They were both waking up, too.
All three of them were bound together by a golden, glowing chain of magic that wrapped around their right wrists. The sandy-haired man shook his right hand as if shaking water off it, dispelling the enchantment, and the chain disappeared. Both men held their hands up before them, indicating that they no longer intended to attack Illunia.
"What was it that you wanted to find out?" Illunia asked.
The sandy-haired man looked surprised, but answered. "Last year, during the summer meteor shower, you made a wish. We wanted to find out what you wished for."
Illunia laughed, also surprised. "I wished for my horse to recover from her injury. It came true, so it's not a secret anymore."
He stared at her. "That was it?"
"Yes!" She moved to the edge of the pool and dipped her fingers into the water. "I spoke the truth just now, did I not?" she said to it.
The water in the pool glowed blue-green, verifying that she had.
"You didn't wish for political leverage or victories in battle or anything like that?" said the sandy-haired man, still in disbelief.
"That was pure skill and acumen," Illunia said archly. "You can tell your employers I said that. And no, I'm not going to bother asking who they are."
"They're never going to pay us for this job now," groaned the darker-haired man.
"Why not?" said Illunia. "You got the answer you came to me for, after all."
"Mm-hmm."
"You know," said the sandy-haired man, "this is the first time we've ever tried to extract information that we thought was a secret, but actually wasn't. Now, we know what happens when that's the case."
"So this wasn't a complete waste of time," said his partner.
"No."
Illunia stood up and smoothed her dress. "You've been nothing but civil and respectful since we woke up," she said to the two men, "and for that, I thank you. You are more than worthy opponents. Perhaps I shall hire your services myself someday. What are your names?"
"Capricio," answered the sandy-haired man.
"I'm Dogron," said the other.
"Pleased to meet you," said Illunia. "Until I have need of you, farewell."
"Until then," agreed Capricio.
Illunia and the two men turned away from the pool and went their separate ways, each with many things on their minds.
* In case anyone wonders, it means "hollow" in Quenya.
Disclaimer: Some of the concepts behind this story were created by Christopher Nolan. Others were created by J.R.R. Tolkien. This was written for fun (and it was a LOT of fun to write), and no money is being made off of this fanwork.
Illunia ran through the exit at the far end of the chamber. She knew she was in trouble, but then again, so did the two men. They had seen her use her totem, which told them that she was familiar with the dream-magic they were using, and that she had taken countermeasures against it. Now it was her and her defense-trained mental projections versus the two men and their maze, and both sides knew it.
She found herself running through what looked very much like her family's palace, except that nothing was where she expected it to be. Rooms and hallways led into and branched off each other at random. This was a well-made maze. After running blindly for a minute, she realized that she had lost the two men.
She slowed down, trying to focus on the situation. She knew they were after one of her secrets, but she had no idea which one, much less where in the maze it was hidden. If she were at home and wanted to keep something safe... But how was she supposed to get there when everything had been twisted into a maze? Unwilling to stand by and do nothing, she picked a direction and started running again.
She knew she was going the right way when she started passing tied-up, wounded, and dead projections lying in the halls. Damn - these thieves were good at what they did. She kept moving and abruptly found herself thrown against the opposite wall. One of the two men, the one with the darker hair, was holding her in place, binding her wrists. He pulled her into the room he had just come out of, slammed the door shut, and lowered the wooden beam to lock it. By looking back over her shoulder, she could see that they were in the treasury - exactly where she had thought her secret would be hidden.
With the door locked, none of her projections were getting in to help her, and even if they did, the man who now held her was obviously an expert warrior. Illunia began to weep.
"Nice try," said the dark-haired man, who was, indeed, tired and scratched from all the fighting he must have been doing. "You've put up a respectable fight, but the match is ours. Now tell us your password."
"Unque, * " Illunia sobbed.
"Unque," the sandy-haired man repeated. He was addressing the rune-covered vault door in the back wall of the room. All three of them watched the vault swing open.
The vault was empty.
The building shook, as if in an earthquake. The sandy-haired man turned around and looked at Illunia, dumbfounded. She herself was equally so.
"It... seems I've won after all," she said.
"So it seems," said the sandy-haired man.
The walls of the treasury were crumbling around them. This dream-world had served its purpose (or had failed to do so, it wasn't quite clear), and was now passing out of existence. The three elves stood silently, waiting without fear to be killed in the destruction, for they all knew it would not be the end.
***
Illunia found herself lying on her back on grass. She opened her eyes, sat up, and looked around. She was still on the bank of the reflecting pool. The sandy-haired man was lying on the grass to her right, and the dark-haired man was to her left. They were both waking up, too.
All three of them were bound together by a golden, glowing chain of magic that wrapped around their right wrists. The sandy-haired man shook his right hand as if shaking water off it, dispelling the enchantment, and the chain disappeared. Both men held their hands up before them, indicating that they no longer intended to attack Illunia.
"What was it that you wanted to find out?" Illunia asked.
The sandy-haired man looked surprised, but answered. "Last year, during the summer meteor shower, you made a wish. We wanted to find out what you wished for."
Illunia laughed, also surprised. "I wished for my horse to recover from her injury. It came true, so it's not a secret anymore."
He stared at her. "That was it?"
"Yes!" She moved to the edge of the pool and dipped her fingers into the water. "I spoke the truth just now, did I not?" she said to it.
The water in the pool glowed blue-green, verifying that she had.
"You didn't wish for political leverage or victories in battle or anything like that?" said the sandy-haired man, still in disbelief.
"That was pure skill and acumen," Illunia said archly. "You can tell your employers I said that. And no, I'm not going to bother asking who they are."
"They're never going to pay us for this job now," groaned the darker-haired man.
"Why not?" said Illunia. "You got the answer you came to me for, after all."
"Mm-hmm."
"You know," said the sandy-haired man, "this is the first time we've ever tried to extract information that we thought was a secret, but actually wasn't. Now, we know what happens when that's the case."
"So this wasn't a complete waste of time," said his partner.
"No."
Illunia stood up and smoothed her dress. "You've been nothing but civil and respectful since we woke up," she said to the two men, "and for that, I thank you. You are more than worthy opponents. Perhaps I shall hire your services myself someday. What are your names?"
"Capricio," answered the sandy-haired man.
"I'm Dogron," said the other.
"Pleased to meet you," said Illunia. "Until I have need of you, farewell."
"Until then," agreed Capricio.
Illunia and the two men turned away from the pool and went their separate ways, each with many things on their minds.
* In case anyone wonders, it means "hollow" in Quenya.
Disclaimer: Some of the concepts behind this story were created by Christopher Nolan. Others were created by J.R.R. Tolkien. This was written for fun (and it was a LOT of fun to write), and no money is being made off of this fanwork.
