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Description
Story begins here [link]
Previous Chapter can be found here [link]

Story based on notes and story written by Mike Thayer
Copy right 2009
This chapter summarizes several hundred pages of book that remains unpublished, but shown here so the reader(s) will understand what happened to Fayne and Hal'ciem.
---------------
“What manner of man is he?” The man voiced. “That he would not know fear when all others fled? Fear that you say was the stench of the foul Shadowken?”

The question faded into the silence of the gathering.

“He was once as you are.” Tacoma spoke finally. “But no longer the man he once was.”

“Are the tales true?” Another asked.

“I am not a teller of tales.” Tacoma laughed, disappointed that she had not managed to assuage the men’s concerns. “For that we would seek audience with Allay the Bard.”

A man coughed. “Then tell us the truth, for Allay likes to hear the sound of his voice, and is given to overly long tales me thinks. I would hear the truth from you, my lady.”

Tacoma laughed at the apt description of their resident minstrel. ‘erhaps here is an opportunity.’ She thought as she considered the request. Tacoma poured herself another mug of ale, and found a comfortable place to sit. Magna moved about, ensuring the cups remained filled.

Tacoma looked to the sun, for it was now setting. Color touched the horizon. “It is time to tell the tale of Lord Hal’ciem, but the words I speak are for you, and you alone. Lord Hal’ciem does not like his story repeated, for stories such as his tend to grow with every retelling, and his story is incredible enough! Are we agreed?”

A chorus of strained ayes followed.

Tacoma thought for a moment, gathering her thoughts. When she spoke, her voice was warm and gentle. “When Hal’ciem was a much younger man, full of ideals and eager to make his mark upon the world he set forth into the cold uncaring world. He was heroic, honorable, and so very handsome, the very things that would make the ladies swoon. He was exemplary in every way.” Tacoma smiled.

Magna chose that moment to chime in huskily: “In short, he was full of himself.”

Many laughed at the description.

Tacoma ignored the interruption, and continued her story. “So great was his skill and noble his demeanor that he found great favor with a king, and soon became as a son to the king for the king had no sons of his own. All in the kingdom grew to love him. He sought courtship with many fine and fair women of the realm, as all knew that he would one day be king. Yet no woman seemed to satisfy him. In that time came a woman of unsurpassed grace and beauty, and Hal’ciem and this beauty fell deeply in love. So great was their love that the king proclaimed that he would preside over their wedding, and a great feast was prepared with all the kingdom to celebrate. They were wed in a lavish ceremony so fantastic that bards still praise it in song.”

“It would appear Hal’ciem had everything a man could want, and his lot in life was assured with a bright future ahead. But the gods are a fickle lot, and what was created could easily be destroyed.”

Tacoma frowned, her voice becoming harsh. “On stealthy feet did death come on their wedding night, a foul assassin taking not only the life of the one he was sworn to protect, but his new bride for she had been trapped in their new home as it was set aflame.”

Tacoma fell silent for a moment, poking a stick at the glowing embers of the fire. She held up the brand, watching as fire licked the now burning stick. She stared intently at the small flame.

“To say he was devastated would not be telling the full truth. His heart became heavy, and his eyes, which were once bright and sunny became as dust. A thirst, nay, a ravenous hunger for vengeance grew to consume him, to kill the one that had taken his life and everything he knew. He turned away from the throne that was rightfully his, and set foot upon a path that could only lead to darkness.”

“He tracked the foul assassin for ages it seemed, always a step behind, for he left a swath of death. Yet Hal’ciem could not catch him. He grew to believe the he assassin was toying with him, setting trap after trap for him in lands distant and near. This did not deter him, only strengthened his resolve. He could not rest for the spirits of those he loved demanded justice. His skill with the sword grew greater, and his heart grew ever harder.”

“Then it happened one day. He caught the killer of his hopes and dreams, only to receive the greatest shock of his life.”

“The killer was none other than his beloved!” Tacoma spoke aloud. “The woman he saw burn in their home stood before him. She had deceived him, faked her own death for she had been an assassin all along! He was too stunned to move, could not deliver the fatal blow that he dreamed upon for so long. She seduced him then, and in her arms he lost his way.”

The flame flickered out, leaving naught but smoke curling into the air. She tossed the stick into the fire where all watched it consumed by the greedy flames.

“Filled with guilt and shame, Hal’ciem fled, and tried to find solace in the bottom of a bottle.” Her voice was barely above a whisper, and the men had to lean forward to hear every word. “It was in this dark time that we found him. Even deep in his cups, his skill with sword was without peer. A stalwart companion he became, but his soul was marred by his love for a woman that consumed his soul. We tried to heal his wounds, but they were too deep. She was his only weakness, a temptation he could not resist. He would seek her out when he learned that she was near. It was nothing for him to vanish from time to time and return and not speak of where he had been.”

Tacoma sighed wearily. “With each encounter, he would lose himself to her, becoming more as she was. So much so that even we began to doubt where his loyalties lie. In the depths of his darkness a faint flickering light remained, and it was this light that knew to continue as he was would only lead to eternal damnation. He took it upon his mind that he had to know why the gods had done this to him.”

Tacoma smiled, looked to the men. “Yes, he was determined to find the gods and demand to know why they had done this to him. He found the Desert Oracle, and demanded the truth. The Desert Oracle said unto him that the Truth would not be found with him, for even the gods did not understand what they did, but in a place where the gods fear to tread. Hal’ciem then knew he had to find this place, and perhaps there he could find the truth he sought, and the solace he so desperately yearned for.”

“The Oracle warned him that this quest was folly for no man was meant to learn the Truth.”

“What do you mean? Can’t the Oracle answer any question?” Asked a voice.

“Yes, the Oracle can answer any question. But even he does not know the truth.”

“The truth? Isn’t it the same thing as an answer?”

“No. It is not.” Tacoma said. “The truth is not the same as an answer.”

“What do you mean? If the Oracle answers the question, isn’t it the truth?”

“No.” Tacoma shook her head. “The answer the Oracle gives is true, but it is not the truth!”

“What truth?”

“The Truth of All of course!” Tacoma said with feigned surprise. “The Truth of Everything. You see, Hal’ciem erred in asking for the Truth from the Oracle, when all he really wanted was an answer to his plight. Had he asked for an answer, I suppose the Oracle could have given him the answer he sought, but instead, Hal’ciem demanded the truth, and the Oracle set him upon the path to find the Truth of All, the Truth of Everything.”

There was some murmuring among the men as several did not understand the significance of what Hal’ciem asked of the Oracle. Tacoma nodded. “The Oracle saw the heaviness of his heart, and saw the weighty things that plagued him so. The Oracle knew should he give Hal’ciem the answer he sought, that the warrior would not find the peace he desired. No, Hal’ciem was a rare man, a man that was driven, a man well acquainted with despair. The question Hal’ciem had to come to ask was not the question he wanted to ask at all, but to know the truth of why this was. The ultimate question that all men ask. Why are we here?”

There was silence as the assembled men absorbed this.

“So the Oracle set him upon the path, a path many would say leads to enlightenment, or as Hal’ciem would discover, the road to hell.”

“It took some time, but Hal’ciem found the place, the Door of the Giants and entered into the lands beyond.”

“Wha- what did he find?” Someone asked in the silence that followed.

“Madness.” Came a quip from one familiar with the tale, which drew a few laughs.

“Madness? Perhaps.” Tacoma said unamused. Magna came to sit beside her, handed her a new mug of ale. “Thanks. No one knows. Hal’ciem entered a place no other has ever returned from, a place that even the gods dare not venture.” Tacoma shrugged, took a sip. It was spiced heavily with Lavan. Tacoma frowned, glanced to Magna who winked in return. Tacoma giggled, turned back to the others. “What happened to him, we can not even begin to fathom. When he returned, he was not as the same man that left.”

“What do you mean?”

“It is said that a man who returns from hell knows no fear. I believe this to be true, for all fear was taken from him. What others see as bravery and virtue, I see as someone who does not fear, and cares little for safety. You can be brave and fearful at the same time, but not brave without fear.” Tacoma took another drink. “It is said that the eyes are the window to the soul, and this I believe. He hides it well, but there is darkness there, a deep abyss no man was ever meant to see!”
The sorceress nodded, continued her story. “If he were obsessed before, he was even more obsessed now! Not with his assassin wife, but with a woman he had not met. He knew what she looked like, carried an image of her in his mind. He was nearly frantic about finding her, but did not know where to look. Every waking moment he devoted to finding her. He once told me that she was the key to his salvation, proof that he was real.” Tacoma trailed off, her gaze lost, reliving a moment in time. “Madness you say?” Tacoma mulled it over for a moment, nodded at some decision. “erhaps there is much truth to that.”

“He scoured the lands looking for this woman. And Fate’s skein once again trapped him in its weave. The woman he had been looking for had been under his nose! An apprentice to the bard William that disguised herself to be a stableboy in our own stables!”

“William?” someone said with as much contempt as they could gather. “William the Slaver? That traitor?”

“Ah, you heard his story then?” Tacoma said. “I will speak of William only in that he had been tasked to find a certain woman and deliver her to Baron Tibbons the Elder.”

“Fayne.” Someone identified.

“Yes.” Tacoma nodded pleased. “Fayne, last of the great Foru witches, a once proud line of witches who called Lolthos, God of the Balance, their lord and master. It was a task William took great pleasure in, for you see, he worked for the Baron and Fayne was a treasure that the Baron long desired. William spent years searching for her.”

“We know that Fayne’s mother went to great lengths to hide her daughter, to ensure she not become slave to the god of the balance. She became a healer and mid-wife!” Tacoma paused for dramatic effect, then rolled her eyes. “You have no idea what that means I see. For a Foru witch to be reduced to a mere mid-wife would be akin to a king becoming a stable mucker.”

Tacoma laughed. “Which is what Fayne would become when she came to us! But I digress. Her mother thought her well hidden, but the concealment only lasted while she lived. Not days after Fayne’s mother passed this veil, was she discovered by William who seduced her with words of kindness and promised to make her his apprentice. He took her to Letni to book passage to Thabes.”

“Why Thabes when Wabic is not so distant? I think William became greedy and wanted to spirit her safely away so he could get a better price from the Baron. But as luck would have it, while they waited for their ship, she ran afoul of us, and to repay her debt, worked the stables. It was there we learned of William’s duplicity, of his role in slavery.”

“What made her so special that Baron Tibbons and Lord Hal’ciem would seek her out?” Someone asked.

“That’s a damn good question.” Tacoma said, brushing back an errant piece of hair from her eyes. “I believe the Baron wanted her to conceive a daughter for him, a daughter that would be slave to Lolthos, a daughter he could control. Such a daring plan! Imagine! To force your will upon a god!”

“Is that why Hal’ciem sought her as well?”

“No.” Tacoma shook her head. “That much I do know. Let me continue my story, and you will see I speak the truth. But first ensure you have something to drink, for the tale is not yet over, and you dare not miss a moment.”

When everyone was ready once more, Tacoma picked up where she left off.

“Upon learning Fayne was the woman he had been seeking, Hal’ciem booked passage upon the very same vessel. Why he did not confront William before they sailed, I can not guess. Sometime into the voyage, William discovered Hal’ciem was following them and tried to kill him.” Tacoma smiled. “It was not even a close fight. Fayne now lived in fear of her saviour, and believed him to be a slaver. You must remember that Fayne was only a pawn in this game, an object to Hal’ciem, an ends to a mean. Imagine being confronted by a man that knows no fear, spouting that you were the one that could prove him to be real! Fayne thought him completely mad and for good reason. Upon reaching Thabes, Fayne escaped Hal’ciem by rendering him immobile, and it is then she ran afoul of Cody, Hal’ciem’s estranged wife.

“It would seem that the Baron did not trust William to complete his task and set his assassin to bring the witch to him. Now Fayne was captive of Cody with Hal’ciem in pursuit. Cody could not understand why Hal’ciem would be so entranced with Fayne, and staged a trap. But Fayne is not without her wile, and escaped her captor, only to be captured later by a tribe of Aerin. It is here that Fayne learns of the Glyph of the Leljn Relty, and her skill as a healer is proven.”

“Hal’ciem and Cody race to find Fayne first, and Hal’ciem succeeds, taking Fayne from the Aerins and fleeing into the forest. It is in that forest that Fayne learns that Hal’ciem is not as insane as he appears. He tries to tell her the truth, but cannot, fearing that the truth would destroy her. Fayne is dismayed to realize that she is falling in love with the mad man. She learns from him of the Baron’s plan to have her produce an heir for the Foru bloodline, and a new servant for Lolthos.”

“Cody following after, knows that she will not be able to catch up to Hal’ciem. Instead she learns that Fayne befriended the Aerin tribe. She uses the Aerin tribe as bait. She kills nearly all of the tribe in an attempt to draw Hal’ciem and Fayne out from hiding. The ploy is successful, and while Hal’ciem confronts Cody, Fayne tries to save the Bearers of the Leljn Relty. But the medicine woman’s pregnancy takes a turn for the worse.

“While Fayne struggled to save the life the woman Bearer, Cody appeared and coldly killed both Bearers before Hal’ciem could intervene. It is then that the power of the Glyph manifested itself, escaping its dead hosts and seeking to envelope Fayne and Halciem, making them the new Bearers.”

“But something goes terribly, terribly wrong. We would later learn that when the Glyph is passed to successors that it must be passed to a couple that is married, and without child. Can you see the trouble here?”

“Hal’ciem and Cody were married.” Someone observed.

“Why then did it seek Hal’ciem and Fayne as its new host?” Tacoma asked.

The men thought on this.

“They were married?” Came the tentative answer.

Tacoma smiled. “Yes, or at least the Glyph thought so. I see that shocks you. Yes, the Glyph is alive, but it is not a sentient creature. Or at least I don’t think it is. It may very well be. It knows only emotions, and it is from emotions that it draws its power. The one emotion it places above all others is love. Sounds contrite, but it’s true, and it’s what makes the Glyph very powerful indeed.”

“It felt the burgeoning love between Hal’ciem and Fayne, and sought to unite them as the new Bearers just as it has done for millennium. Yet, Fayne was not a suitable host for the Glyph as she was with child.”

“What?” Someone exclaimed. “How is that possible? Did William-“

“No.” Tacoma shook her head. “William knew the Baron wanted Fayne pure and unspoiled and he went to great lengths to keep her this way. Any guesses?”

“Lord Hal’ciem?” Someone guessed.

“Yes!” Tacoma grinned fiendishly. “Hal’ciem and Fayne were busy in those woods it would seem, and as it turned out, Fayne was quite fertile that day.”

There were a few guffaws at that.

“The Glyph can not bond with a host carrying child, so it sought another. But Fayne is a Foru witch, and her power, unlearned and untested resides strongly within her. The Glyph tried to leap to the next closest person, but only a portion is transferred before it was drawn back by the power of Fayne. It is torn in twain.”

“Yes. Cody and Fayne share the power of the Glyph with Hal’ciem. Cody now bears a portion of the Glyph that should be Fayne’s. What was once shared by two now is shared by three, and all three are of one mind.”

Tacoma regarded the men thoughtfully.

“Imagine the horror of all of your thoughts known by another, all of your memories now shared by another! Every mistake, every failing now lay exposed to another! Imagine that you remember things that are not of your making, thoughts not of your own!” Tacoma shook her head. “It can be a terrible curse, or a blessing beyond belief. Such is the power of the Glyph. Such is the nature of the Bearers.”

“As the power of Glyph manifested itself, it rendered all three unable to fight any longer, and in the confusion, Cody made good her escape, putting as much distance between them as she could. Unlike Hal’ciem, she knows fear, and fear of losing her sense of self is the greatest fear she has ever known. It seemed only distance could mute the power of the Glyph, to diminish the other voices, but over time even this is proving to be ineffective.”

“Yet, no sooner does Cody flee when Lolthos, God of Balance, arrives to reclaim his wayward witch. It was his plan all along to breed Fayne to the Baron, and to produce a more – um, ‘trainable’ witch. Fayne is rendered powerless, and has no choice but to obey the will of her mother’s god. Hal’ciem challenges the god, proclaiming his love for the woman. He demands that Lolthos reconsider his plan. Fayne is with child, and therefore the god has lost the chance to breed a first born witch, and her mind is no longer her own, but houses the mind and spirit of a warrior as well.

“Lolthos declared that these things can be corrected with but a wave of the hand. The child she carried can be wiped away, the power of the Glyph sundered. So saying, he nearly does, but Lolthos hand is stayed when Hal’ciem calmly threatens the god saying that he will destroy not only Fayne, but Lolthos himself if he takes Fayne as his own.”

“Lolthos laughs, asking what can a mere mortal do to destroy a god?”

Tacoma smiled, her eyes glinting. “And how do you think Hal’ciem responded?”

‘The Truth of All!” Several voices cried out.

“Very good! You have been paying attention!” Tacoma laughed, “Yes, Hal’ciem threatened to speak the Truth of All, the truth that the gods fear to hear uttered. Lolthos saw no fear in the warrior, knew he spoke the truth. Hal’ciem demanded that Fayne be released for all time, and that Lolthos never return. To ensure that the God did not seek to deceive him, Hal’ciem placed in Fayne the memory of his time beyond the Door of Giants, a memory that she will only remember should she be taken by Lolthos.”

“Seeing that his prize his lost, Lolthos agrees, warning that the balance will be maintained. The loss of his witch will be avenged.”

“Fayne is then freed, and Hal’ciem and Fayne enjoy a honeymoon of sorts as they return to Letni, the only home Hal’ciem knows. Along the way, he tells her that she has now made him real, for he learned in the Land beyond the Door of Giants that she was fated to mate with the Baron and would have been killed after producing a daughter. In order to prove himself to be real, he had to thwart destiny and the will of a god, and free Fayne from the fate that had been written for her. Fayne as well has become real, freed from the shackles of fate and no longer part of its skein.”

“It is a much different Hal’ciem that returned to us, and we are heartened to see the deep and passionate love the two have for each other. Fayne readily adopted to our ways, and becomes a healer of renown, the best in all of Letni, and perhaps all of the lands. They have a beautiful daughter, Keanna. And it is in our home that the power of Glyph comes to flower, and now the man who knows no fear, and the former witch to the gods have become two of our greatest disciples, and our greatest teachers.”

Tacoma smiled, her story finished. There was a polite applause from the men.

Tacoma bowed slightly. “Thank you, thank you.”

As the men dispersed, the sorceress turned to Magna. She smiled brightly, the Lavan coursing through her. “Did I leave too much out?”

“A few things, but I think you got the high points.” Magna smirked, helping Tacoma to rise and wrapping her in a hug. “I’m so proud of you! That was a really good story. Have you been getting lessons from Allay?”

“Among other things.” The sorceress replied with a husky whisper, looked up into Magna’s eyes. “Would you care to learn what he taught me?”

“Indeed I do.” Magna replied with a kiss, brushing hair out of Tacoma’s face. “Shall I summon the Bearers?”

“Not this day, for he is wounded and must be healed.” Tacoma said pulling away, taking Magna’s hand.

“I was told that the wound was only a scratch.” Magna said with sudden concern.

“But a grievous scratch it is.” Tacoma laughed, tugging Magna to come with her. She thought for a moment. “A Shadowken once bit my sister. Mind you, Shadowken bites can be pretty nasty.”

“What are you talking about? You don’t have a sister and he wasn’t bitten.” Magna pointed out.

“What? Oh. I was thinking of something Allay said long ago.” Tacoma grinned widely as a familiar sensation washed through her. A pleasant ache throbbed faintly in her nether regions. It was more than the Lavan doing this to her. She could feel the faint presence of Fayne flowing into her. The skin tingled, and she shivered with delight. She so enjoyed how the Glyph touched her. She gasped, smiled. “No, I think the Healer will need to devote quite a bit of time to the injured warrior. Make sure the wound does not fester.”

“What?” Magna was puzzled.

Then she understood.

“Oh!”

She thought for a moment.

“Do you think she will need any help?”

Story continues here: [link]

Description
Story begins here [link]
Previous Chapter can be found here [link]

Story based on notes and story written by Mike Thayer
Copy right 2009
This chapter summarizes several hundred pages of book that remains unpublished, but shown here so the reader(s) will understand what happened to Fayne and Hal'ciem.
---------------
“What manner of man is he?” The man voiced. “That he would not know fear when all others fled? Fear that you say was the stench of the foul Shadowken?”

The question faded into the silence of the gathering.

“He was once as you are.” Tacoma spoke finally. “But no longer the man he once was.”

“Are the tales true?” Another asked.

“I am not a teller of tales.” Tacoma laughed, disappointed that she had not managed to assuage the men’s concerns. “For that we would seek audience with Allay the Bard.”

A man coughed. “Then tell us the truth, for Allay likes to hear the sound of his voice, and is given to overly long tales me thinks. I would hear the truth from you, my lady.”

Tacoma laughed at the apt description of their resident minstrel. ‘erhaps here is an opportunity.’ She thought as she considered the request. Tacoma poured herself another mug of ale, and found a comfortable place to sit. Magna moved about, ensuring the cups remained filled.

Tacoma looked to the sun, for it was now setting. Color touched the horizon. “It is time to tell the tale of Lord Hal’ciem, but the words I speak are for you, and you alone. Lord Hal’ciem does not like his story repeated, for stories such as his tend to grow with every retelling, and his story is incredible enough! Are we agreed?”

A chorus of strained ayes followed.

Tacoma thought for a moment, gathering her thoughts. When she spoke, her voice was warm and gentle. “When Hal’ciem was a much younger man, full of ideals and eager to make his mark upon the world he set forth into the cold uncaring world. He was heroic, honorable, and so very handsome, the very things that would make the ladies swoon. He was exemplary in every way.” Tacoma smiled.

Magna chose that moment to chime in huskily: “In short, he was full of himself.”

Many laughed at the description.

Tacoma ignored the interruption, and continued her story. “So great was his skill and noble his demeanor that he found great favor with a king, and soon became as a son to the king for the king had no sons of his own. All in the kingdom grew to love him. He sought courtship with many fine and fair women of the realm, as all knew that he would one day be king. Yet no woman seemed to satisfy him. In that time came a woman of unsurpassed grace and beauty, and Hal’ciem and this beauty fell deeply in love. So great was their love that the king proclaimed that he would preside over their wedding, and a great feast was prepared with all the kingdom to celebrate. They were wed in a lavish ceremony so fantastic that bards still praise it in song.”

“It would appear Hal’ciem had everything a man could want, and his lot in life was assured with a bright future ahead. But the gods are a fickle lot, and what was created could easily be destroyed.”

Tacoma frowned, her voice becoming harsh. “On stealthy feet did death come on their wedding night, a foul assassin taking not only the life of the one he was sworn to protect, but his new bride for she had been trapped in their new home as it was set aflame.”

Tacoma fell silent for a moment, poking a stick at the glowing embers of the fire. She held up the brand, watching as fire licked the now burning stick. She stared intently at the small flame.

“To say he was devastated would not be telling the full truth. His heart became heavy, and his eyes, which were once bright and sunny became as dust. A thirst, nay, a ravenous hunger for vengeance grew to consume him, to kill the one that had taken his life and everything he knew. He turned away from the throne that was rightfully his, and set foot upon a path that could only lead to darkness.”

“He tracked the foul assassin for ages it seemed, always a step behind, for he left a swath of death. Yet Hal’ciem could not catch him. He grew to believe the he assassin was toying with him, setting trap after trap for him in lands distant and near. This did not deter him, only strengthened his resolve. He could not rest for the spirits of those he loved demanded justice. His skill with the sword grew greater, and his heart grew ever harder.”

“Then it happened one day. He caught the killer of his hopes and dreams, only to receive the greatest shock of his life.”

“The killer was none other than his beloved!” Tacoma spoke aloud. “The woman he saw burn in their home stood before him. She had deceived him, faked her own death for she had been an assassin all along! He was too stunned to move, could not deliver the fatal blow that he dreamed upon for so long. She seduced him then, and in her arms he lost his way.”

The flame flickered out, leaving naught but smoke curling into the air. She tossed the stick into the fire where all watched it consumed by the greedy flames.

“Filled with guilt and shame, Hal’ciem fled, and tried to find solace in the bottom of a bottle.” Her voice was barely above a whisper, and the men had to lean forward to hear every word. “It was in this dark time that we found him. Even deep in his cups, his skill with sword was without peer. A stalwart companion he became, but his soul was marred by his love for a woman that consumed his soul. We tried to heal his wounds, but they were too deep. She was his only weakness, a temptation he could not resist. He would seek her out when he learned that she was near. It was nothing for him to vanish from time to time and return and not speak of where he had been.”

Tacoma sighed wearily. “With each encounter, he would lose himself to her, becoming more as she was. So much so that even we began to doubt where his loyalties lie. In the depths of his darkness a faint flickering light remained, and it was this light that knew to continue as he was would only lead to eternal damnation. He took it upon his mind that he had to know why the gods had done this to him.”

Tacoma smiled, looked to the men. “Yes, he was determined to find the gods and demand to know why they had done this to him. He found the Desert Oracle, and demanded the truth. The Desert Oracle said unto him that the Truth would not be found with him, for even the gods did not understand what they did, but in a place where the gods fear to tread. Hal’ciem then knew he had to find this place, and perhaps there he could find the truth he sought, and the solace he so desperately yearned for.”

“The Oracle warned him that this quest was folly for no man was meant to learn the Truth.”

“What do you mean? Can’t the Oracle answer any question?” Asked a voice.

“Yes, the Oracle can answer any question. But even he does not know the truth.”

“The truth? Isn’t it the same thing as an answer?”

“No. It is not.” Tacoma said. “The truth is not the same as an answer.”

“What do you mean? If the Oracle answers the question, isn’t it the truth?”

“No.” Tacoma shook her head. “The answer the Oracle gives is true, but it is not the truth!”

“What truth?”

“The Truth of All of course!” Tacoma said with feigned surprise. “The Truth of Everything. You see, Hal’ciem erred in asking for the Truth from the Oracle, when all he really wanted was an answer to his plight. Had he asked for an answer, I suppose the Oracle could have given him the answer he sought, but instead, Hal’ciem demanded the truth, and the Oracle set him upon the path to find the Truth of All, the Truth of Everything.”

There was some murmuring among the men as several did not understand the significance of what Hal’ciem asked of the Oracle. Tacoma nodded. “The Oracle saw the heaviness of his heart, and saw the weighty things that plagued him so. The Oracle knew should he give Hal’ciem the answer he sought, that the warrior would not find the peace he desired. No, Hal’ciem was a rare man, a man that was driven, a man well acquainted with despair. The question Hal’ciem had to come to ask was not the question he wanted to ask at all, but to know the truth of why this was. The ultimate question that all men ask. Why are we here?”

There was silence as the assembled men absorbed this.

“So the Oracle set him upon the path, a path many would say leads to enlightenment, or as Hal’ciem would discover, the road to hell.”

“It took some time, but Hal’ciem found the place, the Door of the Giants and entered into the lands beyond.”

“Wha- what did he find?” Someone asked in the silence that followed.

“Madness.” Came a quip from one familiar with the tale, which drew a few laughs.

“Madness? Perhaps.” Tacoma said unamused. Magna came to sit beside her, handed her a new mug of ale. “Thanks. No one knows. Hal’ciem entered a place no other has ever returned from, a place that even the gods dare not venture.” Tacoma shrugged, took a sip. It was spiced heavily with Lavan. Tacoma frowned, glanced to Magna who winked in return. Tacoma giggled, turned back to the others. “What happened to him, we can not even begin to fathom. When he returned, he was not as the same man that left.”

“What do you mean?”

“It is said that a man who returns from hell knows no fear. I believe this to be true, for all fear was taken from him. What others see as bravery and virtue, I see as someone who does not fear, and cares little for safety. You can be brave and fearful at the same time, but not brave without fear.” Tacoma took another drink. “It is said that the eyes are the window to the soul, and this I believe. He hides it well, but there is darkness there, a deep abyss no man was ever meant to see!”
The sorceress nodded, continued her story. “If he were obsessed before, he was even more obsessed now! Not with his assassin wife, but with a woman he had not met. He knew what she looked like, carried an image of her in his mind. He was nearly frantic about finding her, but did not know where to look. Every waking moment he devoted to finding her. He once told me that she was the key to his salvation, proof that he was real.” Tacoma trailed off, her gaze lost, reliving a moment in time. “Madness you say?” Tacoma mulled it over for a moment, nodded at some decision. “erhaps there is much truth to that.”

“He scoured the lands looking for this woman. And Fate’s skein once again trapped him in its weave. The woman he had been looking for had been under his nose! An apprentice to the bard William that disguised herself to be a stableboy in our own stables!”

“William?” someone said with as much contempt as they could gather. “William the Slaver? That traitor?”

“Ah, you heard his story then?” Tacoma said. “I will speak of William only in that he had been tasked to find a certain woman and deliver her to Baron Tibbons the Elder.”

“Fayne.” Someone identified.

“Yes.” Tacoma nodded pleased. “Fayne, last of the great Foru witches, a once proud line of witches who called Lolthos, God of the Balance, their lord and master. It was a task William took great pleasure in, for you see, he worked for the Baron and Fayne was a treasure that the Baron long desired. William spent years searching for her.”

“We know that Fayne’s mother went to great lengths to hide her daughter, to ensure she not become slave to the god of the balance. She became a healer and mid-wife!” Tacoma paused for dramatic effect, then rolled her eyes. “You have no idea what that means I see. For a Foru witch to be reduced to a mere mid-wife would be akin to a king becoming a stable mucker.”

Tacoma laughed. “Which is what Fayne would become when she came to us! But I digress. Her mother thought her well hidden, but the concealment only lasted while she lived. Not days after Fayne’s mother passed this veil, was she discovered by William who seduced her with words of kindness and promised to make her his apprentice. He took her to Letni to book passage to Thabes.”

“Why Thabes when Wabic is not so distant? I think William became greedy and wanted to spirit her safely away so he could get a better price from the Baron. But as luck would have it, while they waited for their ship, she ran afoul of us, and to repay her debt, worked the stables. It was there we learned of William’s duplicity, of his role in slavery.”

“What made her so special that Baron Tibbons and Lord Hal’ciem would seek her out?” Someone asked.

“That’s a damn good question.” Tacoma said, brushing back an errant piece of hair from her eyes. “I believe the Baron wanted her to conceive a daughter for him, a daughter that would be slave to Lolthos, a daughter he could control. Such a daring plan! Imagine! To force your will upon a god!”

“Is that why Hal’ciem sought her as well?”

“No.” Tacoma shook her head. “That much I do know. Let me continue my story, and you will see I speak the truth. But first ensure you have something to drink, for the tale is not yet over, and you dare not miss a moment.”

When everyone was ready once more, Tacoma picked up where she left off.

“Upon learning Fayne was the woman he had been seeking, Hal’ciem booked passage upon the very same vessel. Why he did not confront William before they sailed, I can not guess. Sometime into the voyage, William discovered Hal’ciem was following them and tried to kill him.” Tacoma smiled. “It was not even a close fight. Fayne now lived in fear of her saviour, and believed him to be a slaver. You must remember that Fayne was only a pawn in this game, an object to Hal’ciem, an ends to a mean. Imagine being confronted by a man that knows no fear, spouting that you were the one that could prove him to be real! Fayne thought him completely mad and for good reason. Upon reaching Thabes, Fayne escaped Hal’ciem by rendering him immobile, and it is then she ran afoul of Cody, Hal’ciem’s estranged wife.

“It would seem that the Baron did not trust William to complete his task and set his assassin to bring the witch to him. Now Fayne was captive of Cody with Hal’ciem in pursuit. Cody could not understand why Hal’ciem would be so entranced with Fayne, and staged a trap. But Fayne is not without her wile, and escaped her captor, only to be captured later by a tribe of Aerin. It is here that Fayne learns of the Glyph of the Leljn Relty, and her skill as a healer is proven.”

“Hal’ciem and Cody race to find Fayne first, and Hal’ciem succeeds, taking Fayne from the Aerins and fleeing into the forest. It is in that forest that Fayne learns that Hal’ciem is not as insane as he appears. He tries to tell her the truth, but cannot, fearing that the truth would destroy her. Fayne is dismayed to realize that she is falling in love with the mad man. She learns from him of the Baron’s plan to have her produce an heir for the Foru bloodline, and a new servant for Lolthos.”

“Cody following after, knows that she will not be able to catch up to Hal’ciem. Instead she learns that Fayne befriended the Aerin tribe. She uses the Aerin tribe as bait. She kills nearly all of the tribe in an attempt to draw Hal’ciem and Fayne out from hiding. The ploy is successful, and while Hal’ciem confronts Cody, Fayne tries to save the Bearers of the Leljn Relty. But the medicine woman’s pregnancy takes a turn for the worse.

“While Fayne struggled to save the life the woman Bearer, Cody appeared and coldly killed both Bearers before Hal’ciem could intervene. It is then that the power of the Glyph manifested itself, escaping its dead hosts and seeking to envelope Fayne and Halciem, making them the new Bearers.”

“But something goes terribly, terribly wrong. We would later learn that when the Glyph is passed to successors that it must be passed to a couple that is married, and without child. Can you see the trouble here?”

“Hal’ciem and Cody were married.” Someone observed.

“Why then did it seek Hal’ciem and Fayne as its new host?” Tacoma asked.

The men thought on this.

“They were married?” Came the tentative answer.

Tacoma smiled. “Yes, or at least the Glyph thought so. I see that shocks you. Yes, the Glyph is alive, but it is not a sentient creature. Or at least I don’t think it is. It may very well be. It knows only emotions, and it is from emotions that it draws its power. The one emotion it places above all others is love. Sounds contrite, but it’s true, and it’s what makes the Glyph very powerful indeed.”

“It felt the burgeoning love between Hal’ciem and Fayne, and sought to unite them as the new Bearers just as it has done for millennium. Yet, Fayne was not a suitable host for the Glyph as she was with child.”

“What?” Someone exclaimed. “How is that possible? Did William-“

“No.” Tacoma shook her head. “William knew the Baron wanted Fayne pure and unspoiled and he went to great lengths to keep her this way. Any guesses?”

“Lord Hal’ciem?” Someone guessed.

“Yes!” Tacoma grinned fiendishly. “Hal’ciem and Fayne were busy in those woods it would seem, and as it turned out, Fayne was quite fertile that day.”

There were a few guffaws at that.

“The Glyph can not bond with a host carrying child, so it sought another. But Fayne is a Foru witch, and her power, unlearned and untested resides strongly within her. The Glyph tried to leap to the next closest person, but only a portion is transferred before it was drawn back by the power of Fayne. It is torn in twain.”

“Yes. Cody and Fayne share the power of the Glyph with Hal’ciem. Cody now bears a portion of the Glyph that should be Fayne’s. What was once shared by two now is shared by three, and all three are of one mind.”

Tacoma regarded the men thoughtfully.

“Imagine the horror of all of your thoughts known by another, all of your memories now shared by another! Every mistake, every failing now lay exposed to another! Imagine that you remember things that are not of your making, thoughts not of your own!” Tacoma shook her head. “It can be a terrible curse, or a blessing beyond belief. Such is the power of the Glyph. Such is the nature of the Bearers.”

“As the power of Glyph manifested itself, it rendered all three unable to fight any longer, and in the confusion, Cody made good her escape, putting as much distance between them as she could. Unlike Hal’ciem, she knows fear, and fear of losing her sense of self is the greatest fear she has ever known. It seemed only distance could mute the power of the Glyph, to diminish the other voices, but over time even this is proving to be ineffective.”

“Yet, no sooner does Cody flee when Lolthos, God of Balance, arrives to reclaim his wayward witch. It was his plan all along to breed Fayne to the Baron, and to produce a more – um, ‘trainable’ witch. Fayne is rendered powerless, and has no choice but to obey the will of her mother’s god. Hal’ciem challenges the god, proclaiming his love for the woman. He demands that Lolthos reconsider his plan. Fayne is with child, and therefore the god has lost the chance to breed a first born witch, and her mind is no longer her own, but houses the mind and spirit of a warrior as well.

“Lolthos declared that these things can be corrected with but a wave of the hand. The child she carried can be wiped away, the power of the Glyph sundered. So saying, he nearly does, but Lolthos hand is stayed when Hal’ciem calmly threatens the god saying that he will destroy not only Fayne, but Lolthos himself if he takes Fayne as his own.”

“Lolthos laughs, asking what can a mere mortal do to destroy a god?”

Tacoma smiled, her eyes glinting. “And how do you think Hal’ciem responded?”

‘The Truth of All!” Several voices cried out.

“Very good! You have been paying attention!” Tacoma laughed, “Yes, Hal’ciem threatened to speak the Truth of All, the truth that the gods fear to hear uttered. Lolthos saw no fear in the warrior, knew he spoke the truth. Hal’ciem demanded that Fayne be released for all time, and that Lolthos never return. To ensure that the God did not seek to deceive him, Hal’ciem placed in Fayne the memory of his time beyond the Door of Giants, a memory that she will only remember should she be taken by Lolthos.”

“Seeing that his prize his lost, Lolthos agrees, warning that the balance will be maintained. The loss of his witch will be avenged.”

“Fayne is then freed, and Hal’ciem and Fayne enjoy a honeymoon of sorts as they return to Letni, the only home Hal’ciem knows. Along the way, he tells her that she has now made him real, for he learned in the Land beyond the Door of Giants that she was fated to mate with the Baron and would have been killed after producing a daughter. In order to prove himself to be real, he had to thwart destiny and the will of a god, and free Fayne from the fate that had been written for her. Fayne as well has become real, freed from the shackles of fate and no longer part of its skein.”

“It is a much different Hal’ciem that returned to us, and we are heartened to see the deep and passionate love the two have for each other. Fayne readily adopted to our ways, and becomes a healer of renown, the best in all of Letni, and perhaps all of the lands. They have a beautiful daughter, Keanna. And it is in our home that the power of Glyph comes to flower, and now the man who knows no fear, and the former witch to the gods have become two of our greatest disciples, and our greatest teachers.”

Tacoma smiled, her story finished. There was a polite applause from the men.

Tacoma bowed slightly. “Thank you, thank you.”

As the men dispersed, the sorceress turned to Magna. She smiled brightly, the Lavan coursing through her. “Did I leave too much out?”

“A few things, but I think you got the high points.” Magna smirked, helping Tacoma to rise and wrapping her in a hug. “I’m so proud of you! That was a really good story. Have you been getting lessons from Allay?”

“Among other things.” The sorceress replied with a husky whisper, looked up into Magna’s eyes. “Would you care to learn what he taught me?”

“Indeed I do.” Magna replied with a kiss, brushing hair out of Tacoma’s face. “Shall I summon the Bearers?”

“Not this day, for he is wounded and must be healed.” Tacoma said pulling away, taking Magna’s hand.

“I was told that the wound was only a scratch.” Magna said with sudden concern.

“But a grievous scratch it is.” Tacoma laughed, tugging Magna to come with her. She thought for a moment. “A Shadowken once bit my sister. Mind you, Shadowken bites can be pretty nasty.”

“What are you talking about? You don’t have a sister and he wasn’t bitten.” Magna pointed out.

“What? Oh. I was thinking of something Allay said long ago.” Tacoma grinned widely as a familiar sensation washed through her. A pleasant ache throbbed faintly in her nether regions. It was more than the Lavan doing this to her. She could feel the faint presence of Fayne flowing into her. The skin tingled, and she shivered with delight. She so enjoyed how the Glyph touched her. She gasped, smiled. “No, I think the Healer will need to devote quite a bit of time to the injured warrior. Make sure the wound does not fester.”

“What?” Magna was puzzled.

Then she understood.

“Oh!”

She thought for a moment.

“Do you think she will need any help?”

Story continues here: [link]