2022-03-17 The Call of The Wild - Gerhard
Mar 23, 2022 20:46:42 GMT
Jaezred Vandree, Velania Kalugina, and 2 more like this
Post by Gerhard on Mar 23, 2022 20:46:42 GMT
Within seconds, the beautiful and vast open fields that spread before me fade away, revealing an ornate sliver staircase. I begin to run up the staircase in utter joy, the never ending steps leading forever upwards. Each time I blink, the vistas around the staircase change. One moment, an endless ocean; the next, a vast cityscape; another, a battlefield abandoned by time.
I keep running upwards, ever upwards, until the vista changes again.
Now, it is just a void. And in that void, there is a door.
And in that door is Henri.
---
I snap out of the dream, slightly disoriented. Seeing Henri's face so clearly through the doorway... it troubles me. But, the confusion does not last long before it is replaced with another: somehow, I am standing at the end of my bed, fully dressed.
I stare down at my new bow: The Call. Its silverly surface moves and flows, slowly coming to a stop, and under my gaze a small doorway that decorates it starts to open.
A sudden realisation strikes me. A doorway to The Infinite Staircase is nearby and will open soon. And with the realisation comes a hum.
A Call.
---
I pack my few things, slipping The Call into my quiver, and set out. I am staying at the Three-Headed Dragon, but it is too early for any patrons. I slip out into the early dawn, the brisk air piercing my lungs as I begin to walk the streets of the city.
I try to avoid the hum in my head. I walk aimlessly, watching as my fellow citizens begin to wake and start their day. The sun is cresting just over the horizon when I find myself in Castleside, standing before the great northern gates of Daring Heights.
The hum is louder, now. A ringing fills my head, and I feel a pull towards the Angelbark. I take a step before I realise, and another before I stop myself. I went alone last time. Not this time.
With a bit of effort, I turn my back to the gate, and walk away.
---
I return to the Three-Headed Dragon to find that it is busier than when I left it. The ringing in my head has died down, now, and I busy myself with breakfast and my work, collecting my research from my travels north to Avra.
I recognise the sound of Kavel and Derthaad as they too eat breakfast, catching up on their travels apart. It seems I rarely see them separate. They talk about many things: dragons and hell creatures, hags and deals. I go over to join them. They were with me when I received The Call and travelled The Staircase. Maybe they hear something too?
Tayz, the aarakocra who last helped me to protect The Keeper, comes by, too. He's just finished his morning warm-up flight, and orders a plate of seeds and nuts for breakfast as he joins us.
Marto rushes in breathless. "Hey guys - it feels like I am meant to be here?" He had some sort of feeling, I guess, and rushed to meet us. Kavel waves him over, and asks if he's remembered how to do carpentry. Marto looks confused for a moment, but exclaims that he can! I suppose the deal from The Witching Court has run its course.
I'm lost in thought when I hear Kavel say my name. "Hey, Gerhard! What about you? How are you doing?"
I describe my dream to them, and my walk around the city. Marto looks pale. Maybe he is worried about me? Tayz offers a wing in comfort, though, which Marto gratefully accepts. I catch Tayz up on the goings-on for the last couple of weeks, pulling out The Call for everyone to see. "This was given to me, but they didn't really tell me how to use it."
We speak some more. "I've got this... feeling. Something is happening to the north. Which doesn't make sense, I was just north. Do any of you have this feeling?" Marto is feeling better now that he's had a bit of breakfast. Nobody else has. We agree that we should probably go check it out, but first: two picnic baskets are purchased.
---
We all start walking, making our way north. We come up to the Castleside gate, and I cross the threshold, the singing comes back. It's a low, ethereal hum. I move from side to side, and I can tell that it is strongest towards the Angelbark Forest. The others still can't hear anything.
"Maybe this is The Call? It sounds like something is calling to you." Derthaad points out.
"Hmm. If it is, then we don't have much time" I reply.
We keep walking in, and soon we reach a point where the hum fills my senses before disappearing entirely. I pace backwards and forwards, anxious that the moment has passed. If I take a few steps back the hum returns, and when I return, it fills my mind again, and disappears.
On the front of The Call, two doors start to move open, right by the grip. Derthaad takes a moment to look, and helps me to find the point where the doors swing open with a clang, of doors hitting stone. I can hear it clear as day, as though a bell has been rung right in front of me. The others, though, can hear only a faint sound.
But I don't know what to do next. Marto comes by, trying to help out. He mutters an incantation over the bow, eyes closed, trying to get a read on it. He tells me that it's weird, it's not sentient, but it needs... something. Something channeled.
Derthaad suggests that maybe firing an arrow would help.
I remember last time, and how it took me to where I wanted to go. I think of The Beastlands.
And I fire a shot.
---
As the arrow passes the bow, it turns ethereal. It hits the fabric of reality, which tears, and for a split second there is a magnificent marble staircase. And then in an instant, it is replaced with a new view.
A rust red sky stretches out over a land of pockmarked metal. "Um.. guys, this isn't what I was thinking of. This isn't The Beastlands."
Derthaad and Kavel, somehow, know that this is Thuldanin, the Second Plane of Archeon.
The First Plane is where celestials go when they die to eternally battle each other.
"Your friend, Henri, he isn't a celestial, is he?" Kavel asks. I shake my head. "No, he's as human as I am. Or, at least he was."
We speak a bit about whether or not to go through. I don't want to make them again, like I did last time.
"Well then, show of hands who would like to go through" says Marto.
Kavel raises his hand, and immediately steps through. Everyone else follows suit, until I am the last one remaining. I take a deep breath, and step through as well.
---
The metal cube we stand on is immense, a mile in each dimension. The sky is littered as far as the eye can see with other blocks; some smaller, others much, much larger. Scattered amongst the rust red sky are bits of junk. Clockwork and armour, swords and axes. All manner of things litter the sky.
As we all step through, the tear zips back up.
"Did you do that?" Kavel asks.
"No, I didn't. But don't worry! I can get us back. I promise."
Marto speaks up. "Maybe we should look for signs of Henri?" Derthaad agrees. "Maybe there will be an outpost here, like there was on the moon?"
We start to look. But there's nothing, or next to nothing, until we find something shining some distance away. "Hey, everyone! Is that a Call? Maybe someone left it here?" I ask.
It's a walking stick, of pure silver, accompanied by a bony hand in a death grip. It seems to be the only metal here not rusting away.
Kavel picks it up. "Is this.. human?" He's trying to avoid saying what I am thinking already. It's humanoid, but Derthaad says that it's far too big to be human. Likely a goliath or a firbolg. Kavel laughs, and holds it up to his own hand. "Ah, of course!" Tayz notices that it's giving off some magic. It's similar, but a bit weaker than the bow.
Kavel takes the withered hand off. I can see a small spark of electricity as Kavel drops it to the ground in shock. Derthaad tries a mage hand instead, and holds it up.
It's humming. It's a cry for help. I check the band on my arm, and it's humming, too. The line, once steady, is moving, with jagged peaks appearing every couple of moments. It's anxious, I think. I reach out to it.
I flinch, but nothing happens. I can still hear the hum. It's as though the hum is moving, walking away. I hold out the cane, moving it around, and I can feel the pull. In a smooth motion, I pop the cane on the ground, and just as before the staircase appears. This time, though, I feel that it remains visible longer than before.
In the time it takes to have the thought, the staircase disappears and is replaced with a view into a vast forest. This is Krigala. It is the First Plane of The Beastlands.
The cane is humming still, but a different tune. It feels... happy. The band of silver on my arm is happy, too, the line running ina swooping motion, as though playing a melody.
With a final note from the cane, it melts, and crawls up my forearm until it rests, writing out some words in a language I do not recognize.
But I can read it.
It's a schematic. I think.. I can use this to upgrade The Call? I will need to spend more time with it to be sure.
We step through.
---
Krigala is nothing like Thuldanin. The air here is heavy with moisture, and though we cannot see any wildlife, we feel it in the trees all around us. The sun hangs lazily in the sky, forever noon above the great trees that we walk amongst.
We look around. Kavel notices a herd of deer in the distance, and they appear to have been standing where we are now.
Derthaad finds a scarf. It looks old, and trampled. It's a muddled green, but in some of the stitches.. silver, as though it was woven in. Or transmuted, maybe. I ask if I can take a look.
Tayz says something about an approaching beast? But I don't hear him. The only thing that fills my vision is this scarf, and the only thing that fills my mind is memories of its owner.
---
Wintershield. Another place, another time
"Hey! Hey! G! I'm down here!"
Henri is just barely audible over the din of revellers behind me as I look down from the balcony where I stand watching the crowd. I look down to see Henri standing in the road, two candied apples in his hands. He holds up the spoils from his walk through the festival in both hands, a grin on his face. "Come on, G! There's so much more to see!"
I smile, and make my way down the steps to where Henri is waiting. The few flakes of snow in the air are settling on his pitch black hair, slowly melting in the winter sun. The scent of sugar wafts through the air as I take an apple from him, taking a bite as we walk through the rest of the festival.
Stalls are arranged on either side of the road selling all manner of goods. Candy apples, like we hold now, but also shiny baubles and trinkets. I keep a watchful eye; sometimes, stalls like these sell not just crafts but also their findings from a mysterious ruin.
Henri pulls me through, his laugh cutting through the crowd. "Come on Gerhard! It's Wintershield!" He tugs me away from a stall selling curiously carved bone, further into the festivities.
In the centre, a giant bonfire is lit. All around, folks from Waterdeep sing and dance and drink, celebrating the start of the new year.
I turn to Henri, his eyes staring into the fire. He lifts the apple to his lips and takes a bite, the caramel sticking to his teeth in great red streaks, before tossing the rest into the flames. A burst of ash and smoke to rises up, and Henri shivers.
I reach up to my coat, pulling out the scarf I am wearing. It's a muddled green, worn and frayed from the many winter months we have travelled together. I step forward, placing it around Henri's neck, tying it loosely and placing the ends within his collar.
Henri turns, tearing his eyes from the fire, and grins.
---
The beast's name is Urson. The giant bear, after some kind words from Marto, offered us his assistance.
"I live around here" he tells us. "Bit rare that I see this portal open, though. But it's not the first time."
Kavel looks up to him in awe. "I like bears, bears are strong. You must be really strong, you are gargantuan!" Urson lets out a snort. "I'm just the runt of the litter."
I tear myself away from the scarf. "You said this portal has opened before? When?"
Urson sits on his haunches, a paw to his snout as he tries to remember. "Two weeks or so, I think? There was a group of them that came through, and then headed away."
"What did they look like?" I stammer. Could one of them have been Henri? "I'm looking for my friend. He's human, like me. Black hair, a little shorter than me, he might have been wearing this scarf?" I hold up Henri's scarf for Urson to see.
"Ah, yes. I think he was with them. If you like, I can give you a ride to where they were going?"
Marto looks excited to ride such a magnificent beast. Kavel, I think, is more interested in Urson's strength than the ride. But we all climb on, and with a roar, Urson begins bounding through the forest. The trees, whether for their own safety or ours, seem to almost move out of the way as we approach.
We travel for about an hour, and I think about what I might find on the other side.
Will Henri be there?
Will he recognise me?
If he is alive, and out here, why has he not found me?
I meditate on these thoughts as we continue our journey, until the trees thin and give way to desert. As we approach the sand, Urson skids to a stop.
"I can go no further." Urson points to the desert. "That is where they went."
Ahead of us, just as the forest stretched in all directions, so too now does the sand. Dunes fill our vision, and as we look at where Urson points, we see our destination.
An obelisk, split into four pieces, hovers off of the ground in front of us. Each piece larger than an elephant, they seem to be centered over a spot in the desert.
We dismount, Marto thanking Urson with one of our picnic baskets. Hooking it onto one of his teeth, Urson gives us a final goodbye before thundering back into the forest, the trees folding in behind him.
Derthaad is the first of us to take a look. The chunks of obelisk swirling around match the architecture of the outposts on the moon, and of the ruins from The Witching Court. We're in the right place.
I fold the scarf, Henri's scarf. Once, twice, until it is a small square, and I slip it in a pocket, and begin walking.
I think on the dream that I had this morning, and I think about Henri. It wasn't that I saw Henri through a door. I was Henri, and I was looking at a mirror. And the very first scene of the dream, before he stepped onto The Staircase, was The Beastlands.
---
I feel Kavel's hands on my shoulders. "Comrade! Where are we going?"
"Forward, I guess? If this is where they went, maybe we need to find a way into those floating shards?"
Derthaad steps forward, and blows away some of the sand with magic. Underneath the dunes there is a stone plinth, still mostly obscured. He keeps it up, and with each gust more plumes of sand start billowing around us. We "dig" another ten feet, uncovering more and more.
Eventually, we can start to see more of what we have uncovered. Just like the ruins in The Witching Court, or the outpost on the moon, this stone is covered in runic inscriptions. And just like before, I cannot read it.
As we excavate more and more of the plinth, the ringing in my mind returns, louder this time.
"This... INFERNAL humming! It won't go away!" Marto looks at me with concern, and I turn to look at him as well. "You can't tell me that you can't hear it! It's everywhere!"
He shakes his head. "I won't tell you that I can't hear it, but..." "I'm.. sorry" I reply. Marto tells me that I don't need to apologize.
Tayz and Derthaad move in to inspect the plinth. They look all over the inscribed surface, looking for a way in, or a mechanism or something. They cannot find anything. Kavel though walks over to the corner, where two walls meet, and notices that there are what look like hand prints on the edge of the plinth.
"Hey, guys! Maybe it can be opened?"
We all take a look at what he found. Marto goes to Kavel, "I think Gerhard may be the one to do it." "But I am the strongest!" "I'm not going to deny that, but this could be a Call thing. Remember, you got hurt last time." "Oh yeah, Gerhard task." He steps away from it, and looks to me expectantly.
I walk over. The small grooves worn into the stone feel as though they were custom made for my own fingers. Each slips in like a well worn glove, and once I have enough leverage, I pull.
A screech fills the air, and as I continue to pull, the obelisk pieces spin faster and faster above our heads until the first piece stops, slams into the plinth, and falls from sight. The runic inscriptions on the plinth begin to glow, dimly until the second obelisk slams down, and then they are a little brighter. The third arrives, and the fourth, until all have disappeared. The runes on the plinth now glow a brilliant blue.
A doorway now sits in the plinth where I opened it. Like before, I can see the simple marble steps of The Staircase marching out before; this time, though, it is never replaced by another view.
"If we step through this time.. I'm not sure if I can bring us back." I say, turning back to the group. Marto steps forward first. "It's okay, just take a breath."
Derthaad chimes in too. "The Staircase is our best option. It's either go through there, and maybe find Henri, or stay here and do... what? Look for another rift?"
I look at them all, Kavel, Derthaad, Tayz, and Marto, and take a deep breath.
Then we all step through.
---
"Hey! Hey! G! We're down here!"
The unmistakable sound of Henri's voice meets my ears from further down the staircase, down below my feet. The Staircase spirals up, and down, for countless steps in either direction. I can sense Kavel start climbing up the steps, but I don't pay him any mind. I start walking down.
I make my way to the next landing. I distinctly heard Henri speaking from here, but as I look around, there is nothing to be seen. Nothing, save for an ornate metal door, cast from wrought iron and standing off to the side.
The voice is coming from behind that door. As though listening to my thoughts, it slides inwards, until it blocks any further passage along the Staircase.
I start running, bolting towards the door. It begins to open, slowly, revealing a vista of rolling red hills and small pools of lava. I reach my hand out, stretching for the door, begging to be let through.
When Marto's shield connects with my back, I stumble, sliding down the last few steps until I skid to a halt with only my feet through the door. He must have chased after me.
I feel the halfing's arms around me, trying to pull me back out of the door. "Marto, you have to let me go. Please, Henri is through there." I beg.
Marto refuses. "No! You do not go through alone. You do not leave your friends behind!" He keeps pulling, and my strength is no match for his. I can feel the door closing, the rift zipping back up, and in that moment I want nothing else but to be through the door.
With Henri.
So I Step.
---
My head clears as soon as I am through and free of the influence of The Staircase. I turn, seeing Marto's shock as he grasps what was once me and is now only air. I've Stepped through, and find myself at the top of one of those rolling red hills that I could see through the iron doorway.
Marto turns his head back up the staircase. "Fuck! He went through!" and runs through the doorway after me. Tayz swoops in on his black wings while Derthaad and Kavel run in behind him. With the last of them, the door shuts, and disappears.
We all take a look around, taking in the sights of our new destination. On the horizon, a giant city of metal can be seen.
Kavel and Marto seem the most familiar with where we are. They recognize The City of Dis on the horizon.
The Staircase has let us out this time into the Nine Hells.
---
I hear him again. Henri. And I turn, and he is there. He looks the same as he ever did, if a bit more travelled than before. I'm sure he looks better than I do.
I take the scarf out of my pocket. "I think... you dropped this." And I run to him, my legs taking me as far and as fast as possible.
As I pass through him, I stumble. I turn, and he is there, his mouth moving but not making any sound. I run again, thinking that I am still foggy from the staircase.
But I pass right through all the same.
He doesn't seem to know what is going on, either. He holds his hand out to stop me, and speaks something, but his words make no sound.
Luckily, I can read his lips. "Hi, hi, how are you! I've been travelling, and I've been looking for you, and I met this guy. Why can't you hear me? What's going on?"
Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Derthaad preparing a spell. He looks around, trying to figure out what is causing Henri to be this way. "Maybe he's still in the Staircase? Maybe this is just his consciousness?"
"Oh aren't you a clever one."
We look around. And we look back. And where Henri was before, there is now a new figure instead.
Derthaad is the first to shout. "Who are you?"
"Just call me Mister."
Marto responds, "Where is Henri!"
"He's here with me, exactly where he wants to be."
I'm the closest to him. I throw a punch. But just as my outstretched hand passed through Henri, so too my fist passes through Mister.
"Now now, that's not very nice. We've only just met."
Marto speaks up. "So you were lying about being here then."
"Ah, no. I am here. But things as trivial as the corporeal are nothing for me to manipulate"
Tayz tries to dispel magic, but Mister counters.
"What do you have to do with The Staircase then" asks Derthaad.
"Ah. You can't imagine that something as magnificent as the staircase would just be, would you? I'm part of it, and it is part of me."
"So, what, you kidnap people?"
"I'm no kidnapper. We invite people in, and they can decide for themselves. Of course, if they want to, who am I to say no? And if they help keep everything flowing well, they help."
"You mean they... power? The staircase? Is Henri still even alive?" says Marto.
"Of course he is. And he, too, could leave if he wants to."
"I want to see him." I stammer. With a flick of a finger Henri is back standing where he was before. But this time, he can speak.
I run, again, trying in what I must know is a vain attempt to grab him. But this time, I connect, my shoulder colliding with his chest as we both hit the dirt. I look down on him now for the first time in years, at a loss for words.
Everything about him is the same, save for one small detail. His eyes, they run with veins of silver.
Tears well in my eyes. "Henri, you have to come home. It's been years. I buried you."
All he can do is smile. "But Gerhard, I have seen so much! You should come with me instead, it will be spectacular!"
"This isn't you! What happened to the man who was content to dust bookshelves with me?"
"But out there, Gerhard, there are infinite worlds! Infinite realms from ages long past and long to come. There is so much out there to explore!"
The tears stream down my cheeks, now, and drop onto his chest below me. I reach into my pocket, pulling out the scarf. Henri's scarf.
I take it in both hands, knelt over Henri as he lies on the ground. Then, I place it in his coat pocket. "Please, just... just make sure they get home safe, okay? These are my friends, and I put them through a lot today. I promised that they would be able to go home." I place my hands on my knees, getting up and storming towards Mister.
"Take me instead. I'll go, wherever you want me to go. But take me instead."
Mister looks down on me, a small smile breaking his lips.
"But," I continue, "you cannot ever touch him again. I am yours, but he is lost to you forever."
Mister's smile cracks wider. "I'm afraid that you still don't understand. That would be his choice, of course."
I step closer to Mister, my fists balled at my sides. "No. No more games. This is the deal. You want bodies to power your Stairs? Then take me. I'm fresher, I'm more valuable. But leave him alone."
Marto comes up behind me, pulling at my arm. "I know you want to save your friend. But there has to be another way." "Maybe Rholor could remove the curse, like he did for Kruger?" Kavel adds.
Mister takes a step forward, closer to me. His presence is overpowering, and as he reaches out to grab my forearm, inspecting the band of light there as well as the new writing in silver. "Hmm. How interesting." His fingers dig into my flesh, but when I move to remove his hand, I cannot touch him. He lets me go and steps away.
"Henri walks The Stairs by his own choice. Who are you to take that away from him?" Mister holds out a hand to Henri, who is just getting up from where I pushed him down.
I hold out my hand, too. "Henri, please. I think it's time to go. I can't promise what comes next, but I can promise that we can walk The Staircase one last time."
Henri looks at the two of us, Mister and I, and for a moment I can almost see some semblance of the man I knew return. But it is gone in an instant, and Henri walks over to join Mister at his side. "I'm sorry, G. But there is just so much more to see. You can come with us! Come with me!"
I let my hand fall to my side. This time, though, I know exactly where I need to go next.
"No, Henri. No, I have disappointed my friends enough today. I can't."
Henri's smile never leaves his face as he receives my answer, turning to look at Mister instead. Mister looks at him, and then at me, and grins.
And then they are gone.
---
For some reason, Mister left us a way home. An ornate door appears in his place, and swings open to show the scene that we left at the beginning of the day: The Angelbark Forest, just as we left it.
I'm too stunned to speak. Too heartbroken to move. I simply stand, and stare, at the place where Henri stood just moments before.
Marto is the first to break the silence. "We're not abandoning him, right Gerhard? Right lads?" The other three, Kavel, Derthaad, and Tayz, agree. "Yeah, at least we know where he is now" Kavel offers.
"What I don't get is what was so special about Gerhard's arm?" he continues. "I'm not sure." is my only response.
Derthaad has an idea. "It seems like everyone has their own Call, right? Well now you have two, don't you? Maybe these schematics, this writing, maybe this is unique."
Marto reminds us that we have a portal to get through, and with one last look around, we step through.
---
Returning to the outskirts of Daring Heights, we make good use of the final picnic basket. I can tell that the others are trying to cheer me up, but the only thing I can think of is returning to The Staircase. The hum is ever-present, now, calling me back to those marble steps.
But Kavel passes me some food, and I am able to push it from my mind, if only for a little while.
We chat some more, until the sun begins to set, and the others must make their way back home. Kavel and Marto are headed back to Fort Ettin, and ask if I would like to join them.
"No, thank you. I think I'll stay here in Daring Heights for a while. I'm sure there are some scholars at the Academy who would be interested to hear about some of our travels." Kavel and Marto nod, and after a final embrace, set out.
Tayz and Derthaad remain in the city with me for a little longer until they too have to leave.
And then, I am alone again.
I keep running upwards, ever upwards, until the vista changes again.
Now, it is just a void. And in that void, there is a door.
And in that door is Henri.
---
I snap out of the dream, slightly disoriented. Seeing Henri's face so clearly through the doorway... it troubles me. But, the confusion does not last long before it is replaced with another: somehow, I am standing at the end of my bed, fully dressed.
I stare down at my new bow: The Call. Its silverly surface moves and flows, slowly coming to a stop, and under my gaze a small doorway that decorates it starts to open.
A sudden realisation strikes me. A doorway to The Infinite Staircase is nearby and will open soon. And with the realisation comes a hum.
A Call.
---
I pack my few things, slipping The Call into my quiver, and set out. I am staying at the Three-Headed Dragon, but it is too early for any patrons. I slip out into the early dawn, the brisk air piercing my lungs as I begin to walk the streets of the city.
I try to avoid the hum in my head. I walk aimlessly, watching as my fellow citizens begin to wake and start their day. The sun is cresting just over the horizon when I find myself in Castleside, standing before the great northern gates of Daring Heights.
The hum is louder, now. A ringing fills my head, and I feel a pull towards the Angelbark. I take a step before I realise, and another before I stop myself. I went alone last time. Not this time.
With a bit of effort, I turn my back to the gate, and walk away.
---
I return to the Three-Headed Dragon to find that it is busier than when I left it. The ringing in my head has died down, now, and I busy myself with breakfast and my work, collecting my research from my travels north to Avra.
I recognise the sound of Kavel and Derthaad as they too eat breakfast, catching up on their travels apart. It seems I rarely see them separate. They talk about many things: dragons and hell creatures, hags and deals. I go over to join them. They were with me when I received The Call and travelled The Staircase. Maybe they hear something too?
Tayz, the aarakocra who last helped me to protect The Keeper, comes by, too. He's just finished his morning warm-up flight, and orders a plate of seeds and nuts for breakfast as he joins us.
Marto rushes in breathless. "Hey guys - it feels like I am meant to be here?" He had some sort of feeling, I guess, and rushed to meet us. Kavel waves him over, and asks if he's remembered how to do carpentry. Marto looks confused for a moment, but exclaims that he can! I suppose the deal from The Witching Court has run its course.
I'm lost in thought when I hear Kavel say my name. "Hey, Gerhard! What about you? How are you doing?"
I describe my dream to them, and my walk around the city. Marto looks pale. Maybe he is worried about me? Tayz offers a wing in comfort, though, which Marto gratefully accepts. I catch Tayz up on the goings-on for the last couple of weeks, pulling out The Call for everyone to see. "This was given to me, but they didn't really tell me how to use it."
We speak some more. "I've got this... feeling. Something is happening to the north. Which doesn't make sense, I was just north. Do any of you have this feeling?" Marto is feeling better now that he's had a bit of breakfast. Nobody else has. We agree that we should probably go check it out, but first: two picnic baskets are purchased.
---
We all start walking, making our way north. We come up to the Castleside gate, and I cross the threshold, the singing comes back. It's a low, ethereal hum. I move from side to side, and I can tell that it is strongest towards the Angelbark Forest. The others still can't hear anything.
"Maybe this is The Call? It sounds like something is calling to you." Derthaad points out.
"Hmm. If it is, then we don't have much time" I reply.
We keep walking in, and soon we reach a point where the hum fills my senses before disappearing entirely. I pace backwards and forwards, anxious that the moment has passed. If I take a few steps back the hum returns, and when I return, it fills my mind again, and disappears.
On the front of The Call, two doors start to move open, right by the grip. Derthaad takes a moment to look, and helps me to find the point where the doors swing open with a clang, of doors hitting stone. I can hear it clear as day, as though a bell has been rung right in front of me. The others, though, can hear only a faint sound.
But I don't know what to do next. Marto comes by, trying to help out. He mutters an incantation over the bow, eyes closed, trying to get a read on it. He tells me that it's weird, it's not sentient, but it needs... something. Something channeled.
Derthaad suggests that maybe firing an arrow would help.
I remember last time, and how it took me to where I wanted to go. I think of The Beastlands.
And I fire a shot.
---
As the arrow passes the bow, it turns ethereal. It hits the fabric of reality, which tears, and for a split second there is a magnificent marble staircase. And then in an instant, it is replaced with a new view.
A rust red sky stretches out over a land of pockmarked metal. "Um.. guys, this isn't what I was thinking of. This isn't The Beastlands."
Derthaad and Kavel, somehow, know that this is Thuldanin, the Second Plane of Archeon.
The First Plane is where celestials go when they die to eternally battle each other.
"Your friend, Henri, he isn't a celestial, is he?" Kavel asks. I shake my head. "No, he's as human as I am. Or, at least he was."
We speak a bit about whether or not to go through. I don't want to make them again, like I did last time.
"Well then, show of hands who would like to go through" says Marto.
Kavel raises his hand, and immediately steps through. Everyone else follows suit, until I am the last one remaining. I take a deep breath, and step through as well.
---
The metal cube we stand on is immense, a mile in each dimension. The sky is littered as far as the eye can see with other blocks; some smaller, others much, much larger. Scattered amongst the rust red sky are bits of junk. Clockwork and armour, swords and axes. All manner of things litter the sky.
As we all step through, the tear zips back up.
"Did you do that?" Kavel asks.
"No, I didn't. But don't worry! I can get us back. I promise."
Marto speaks up. "Maybe we should look for signs of Henri?" Derthaad agrees. "Maybe there will be an outpost here, like there was on the moon?"
We start to look. But there's nothing, or next to nothing, until we find something shining some distance away. "Hey, everyone! Is that a Call? Maybe someone left it here?" I ask.
It's a walking stick, of pure silver, accompanied by a bony hand in a death grip. It seems to be the only metal here not rusting away.
Kavel picks it up. "Is this.. human?" He's trying to avoid saying what I am thinking already. It's humanoid, but Derthaad says that it's far too big to be human. Likely a goliath or a firbolg. Kavel laughs, and holds it up to his own hand. "Ah, of course!" Tayz notices that it's giving off some magic. It's similar, but a bit weaker than the bow.
Kavel takes the withered hand off. I can see a small spark of electricity as Kavel drops it to the ground in shock. Derthaad tries a mage hand instead, and holds it up.
It's humming. It's a cry for help. I check the band on my arm, and it's humming, too. The line, once steady, is moving, with jagged peaks appearing every couple of moments. It's anxious, I think. I reach out to it.
I flinch, but nothing happens. I can still hear the hum. It's as though the hum is moving, walking away. I hold out the cane, moving it around, and I can feel the pull. In a smooth motion, I pop the cane on the ground, and just as before the staircase appears. This time, though, I feel that it remains visible longer than before.
In the time it takes to have the thought, the staircase disappears and is replaced with a view into a vast forest. This is Krigala. It is the First Plane of The Beastlands.
The cane is humming still, but a different tune. It feels... happy. The band of silver on my arm is happy, too, the line running ina swooping motion, as though playing a melody.
With a final note from the cane, it melts, and crawls up my forearm until it rests, writing out some words in a language I do not recognize.
But I can read it.
It's a schematic. I think.. I can use this to upgrade The Call? I will need to spend more time with it to be sure.
We step through.
---
Krigala is nothing like Thuldanin. The air here is heavy with moisture, and though we cannot see any wildlife, we feel it in the trees all around us. The sun hangs lazily in the sky, forever noon above the great trees that we walk amongst.
We look around. Kavel notices a herd of deer in the distance, and they appear to have been standing where we are now.
Derthaad finds a scarf. It looks old, and trampled. It's a muddled green, but in some of the stitches.. silver, as though it was woven in. Or transmuted, maybe. I ask if I can take a look.
Tayz says something about an approaching beast? But I don't hear him. The only thing that fills my vision is this scarf, and the only thing that fills my mind is memories of its owner.
---
Wintershield. Another place, another time
"Hey! Hey! G! I'm down here!"
Henri is just barely audible over the din of revellers behind me as I look down from the balcony where I stand watching the crowd. I look down to see Henri standing in the road, two candied apples in his hands. He holds up the spoils from his walk through the festival in both hands, a grin on his face. "Come on, G! There's so much more to see!"
I smile, and make my way down the steps to where Henri is waiting. The few flakes of snow in the air are settling on his pitch black hair, slowly melting in the winter sun. The scent of sugar wafts through the air as I take an apple from him, taking a bite as we walk through the rest of the festival.
Stalls are arranged on either side of the road selling all manner of goods. Candy apples, like we hold now, but also shiny baubles and trinkets. I keep a watchful eye; sometimes, stalls like these sell not just crafts but also their findings from a mysterious ruin.
Henri pulls me through, his laugh cutting through the crowd. "Come on Gerhard! It's Wintershield!" He tugs me away from a stall selling curiously carved bone, further into the festivities.
In the centre, a giant bonfire is lit. All around, folks from Waterdeep sing and dance and drink, celebrating the start of the new year.
I turn to Henri, his eyes staring into the fire. He lifts the apple to his lips and takes a bite, the caramel sticking to his teeth in great red streaks, before tossing the rest into the flames. A burst of ash and smoke to rises up, and Henri shivers.
I reach up to my coat, pulling out the scarf I am wearing. It's a muddled green, worn and frayed from the many winter months we have travelled together. I step forward, placing it around Henri's neck, tying it loosely and placing the ends within his collar.
Henri turns, tearing his eyes from the fire, and grins.
---
The beast's name is Urson. The giant bear, after some kind words from Marto, offered us his assistance.
"I live around here" he tells us. "Bit rare that I see this portal open, though. But it's not the first time."
Kavel looks up to him in awe. "I like bears, bears are strong. You must be really strong, you are gargantuan!" Urson lets out a snort. "I'm just the runt of the litter."
I tear myself away from the scarf. "You said this portal has opened before? When?"
Urson sits on his haunches, a paw to his snout as he tries to remember. "Two weeks or so, I think? There was a group of them that came through, and then headed away."
"What did they look like?" I stammer. Could one of them have been Henri? "I'm looking for my friend. He's human, like me. Black hair, a little shorter than me, he might have been wearing this scarf?" I hold up Henri's scarf for Urson to see.
"Ah, yes. I think he was with them. If you like, I can give you a ride to where they were going?"
Marto looks excited to ride such a magnificent beast. Kavel, I think, is more interested in Urson's strength than the ride. But we all climb on, and with a roar, Urson begins bounding through the forest. The trees, whether for their own safety or ours, seem to almost move out of the way as we approach.
We travel for about an hour, and I think about what I might find on the other side.
Will Henri be there?
Will he recognise me?
If he is alive, and out here, why has he not found me?
I meditate on these thoughts as we continue our journey, until the trees thin and give way to desert. As we approach the sand, Urson skids to a stop.
"I can go no further." Urson points to the desert. "That is where they went."
Ahead of us, just as the forest stretched in all directions, so too now does the sand. Dunes fill our vision, and as we look at where Urson points, we see our destination.
An obelisk, split into four pieces, hovers off of the ground in front of us. Each piece larger than an elephant, they seem to be centered over a spot in the desert.
We dismount, Marto thanking Urson with one of our picnic baskets. Hooking it onto one of his teeth, Urson gives us a final goodbye before thundering back into the forest, the trees folding in behind him.
Derthaad is the first of us to take a look. The chunks of obelisk swirling around match the architecture of the outposts on the moon, and of the ruins from The Witching Court. We're in the right place.
I fold the scarf, Henri's scarf. Once, twice, until it is a small square, and I slip it in a pocket, and begin walking.
I think on the dream that I had this morning, and I think about Henri. It wasn't that I saw Henri through a door. I was Henri, and I was looking at a mirror. And the very first scene of the dream, before he stepped onto The Staircase, was The Beastlands.
---
I feel Kavel's hands on my shoulders. "Comrade! Where are we going?"
"Forward, I guess? If this is where they went, maybe we need to find a way into those floating shards?"
Derthaad steps forward, and blows away some of the sand with magic. Underneath the dunes there is a stone plinth, still mostly obscured. He keeps it up, and with each gust more plumes of sand start billowing around us. We "dig" another ten feet, uncovering more and more.
Eventually, we can start to see more of what we have uncovered. Just like the ruins in The Witching Court, or the outpost on the moon, this stone is covered in runic inscriptions. And just like before, I cannot read it.
As we excavate more and more of the plinth, the ringing in my mind returns, louder this time.
"This... INFERNAL humming! It won't go away!" Marto looks at me with concern, and I turn to look at him as well. "You can't tell me that you can't hear it! It's everywhere!"
He shakes his head. "I won't tell you that I can't hear it, but..." "I'm.. sorry" I reply. Marto tells me that I don't need to apologize.
Tayz and Derthaad move in to inspect the plinth. They look all over the inscribed surface, looking for a way in, or a mechanism or something. They cannot find anything. Kavel though walks over to the corner, where two walls meet, and notices that there are what look like hand prints on the edge of the plinth.
"Hey, guys! Maybe it can be opened?"
We all take a look at what he found. Marto goes to Kavel, "I think Gerhard may be the one to do it." "But I am the strongest!" "I'm not going to deny that, but this could be a Call thing. Remember, you got hurt last time." "Oh yeah, Gerhard task." He steps away from it, and looks to me expectantly.
I walk over. The small grooves worn into the stone feel as though they were custom made for my own fingers. Each slips in like a well worn glove, and once I have enough leverage, I pull.
A screech fills the air, and as I continue to pull, the obelisk pieces spin faster and faster above our heads until the first piece stops, slams into the plinth, and falls from sight. The runic inscriptions on the plinth begin to glow, dimly until the second obelisk slams down, and then they are a little brighter. The third arrives, and the fourth, until all have disappeared. The runes on the plinth now glow a brilliant blue.
A doorway now sits in the plinth where I opened it. Like before, I can see the simple marble steps of The Staircase marching out before; this time, though, it is never replaced by another view.
"If we step through this time.. I'm not sure if I can bring us back." I say, turning back to the group. Marto steps forward first. "It's okay, just take a breath."
Derthaad chimes in too. "The Staircase is our best option. It's either go through there, and maybe find Henri, or stay here and do... what? Look for another rift?"
I look at them all, Kavel, Derthaad, Tayz, and Marto, and take a deep breath.
Then we all step through.
---
"Hey! Hey! G! We're down here!"
The unmistakable sound of Henri's voice meets my ears from further down the staircase, down below my feet. The Staircase spirals up, and down, for countless steps in either direction. I can sense Kavel start climbing up the steps, but I don't pay him any mind. I start walking down.
I make my way to the next landing. I distinctly heard Henri speaking from here, but as I look around, there is nothing to be seen. Nothing, save for an ornate metal door, cast from wrought iron and standing off to the side.
The voice is coming from behind that door. As though listening to my thoughts, it slides inwards, until it blocks any further passage along the Staircase.
I start running, bolting towards the door. It begins to open, slowly, revealing a vista of rolling red hills and small pools of lava. I reach my hand out, stretching for the door, begging to be let through.
When Marto's shield connects with my back, I stumble, sliding down the last few steps until I skid to a halt with only my feet through the door. He must have chased after me.
I feel the halfing's arms around me, trying to pull me back out of the door. "Marto, you have to let me go. Please, Henri is through there." I beg.
Marto refuses. "No! You do not go through alone. You do not leave your friends behind!" He keeps pulling, and my strength is no match for his. I can feel the door closing, the rift zipping back up, and in that moment I want nothing else but to be through the door.
With Henri.
So I Step.
---
My head clears as soon as I am through and free of the influence of The Staircase. I turn, seeing Marto's shock as he grasps what was once me and is now only air. I've Stepped through, and find myself at the top of one of those rolling red hills that I could see through the iron doorway.
Marto turns his head back up the staircase. "Fuck! He went through!" and runs through the doorway after me. Tayz swoops in on his black wings while Derthaad and Kavel run in behind him. With the last of them, the door shuts, and disappears.
We all take a look around, taking in the sights of our new destination. On the horizon, a giant city of metal can be seen.
Kavel and Marto seem the most familiar with where we are. They recognize The City of Dis on the horizon.
The Staircase has let us out this time into the Nine Hells.
---
I hear him again. Henri. And I turn, and he is there. He looks the same as he ever did, if a bit more travelled than before. I'm sure he looks better than I do.
I take the scarf out of my pocket. "I think... you dropped this." And I run to him, my legs taking me as far and as fast as possible.
As I pass through him, I stumble. I turn, and he is there, his mouth moving but not making any sound. I run again, thinking that I am still foggy from the staircase.
But I pass right through all the same.
He doesn't seem to know what is going on, either. He holds his hand out to stop me, and speaks something, but his words make no sound.
Luckily, I can read his lips. "Hi, hi, how are you! I've been travelling, and I've been looking for you, and I met this guy. Why can't you hear me? What's going on?"
Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Derthaad preparing a spell. He looks around, trying to figure out what is causing Henri to be this way. "Maybe he's still in the Staircase? Maybe this is just his consciousness?"
"Oh aren't you a clever one."
We look around. And we look back. And where Henri was before, there is now a new figure instead.
Derthaad is the first to shout. "Who are you?"
"Just call me Mister."
Marto responds, "Where is Henri!"
"He's here with me, exactly where he wants to be."
I'm the closest to him. I throw a punch. But just as my outstretched hand passed through Henri, so too my fist passes through Mister.
"Now now, that's not very nice. We've only just met."
Marto speaks up. "So you were lying about being here then."
"Ah, no. I am here. But things as trivial as the corporeal are nothing for me to manipulate"
Tayz tries to dispel magic, but Mister counters.
"What do you have to do with The Staircase then" asks Derthaad.
"Ah. You can't imagine that something as magnificent as the staircase would just be, would you? I'm part of it, and it is part of me."
"So, what, you kidnap people?"
"I'm no kidnapper. We invite people in, and they can decide for themselves. Of course, if they want to, who am I to say no? And if they help keep everything flowing well, they help."
"You mean they... power? The staircase? Is Henri still even alive?" says Marto.
"Of course he is. And he, too, could leave if he wants to."
"I want to see him." I stammer. With a flick of a finger Henri is back standing where he was before. But this time, he can speak.
I run, again, trying in what I must know is a vain attempt to grab him. But this time, I connect, my shoulder colliding with his chest as we both hit the dirt. I look down on him now for the first time in years, at a loss for words.
Everything about him is the same, save for one small detail. His eyes, they run with veins of silver.
Tears well in my eyes. "Henri, you have to come home. It's been years. I buried you."
All he can do is smile. "But Gerhard, I have seen so much! You should come with me instead, it will be spectacular!"
"This isn't you! What happened to the man who was content to dust bookshelves with me?"
"But out there, Gerhard, there are infinite worlds! Infinite realms from ages long past and long to come. There is so much out there to explore!"
The tears stream down my cheeks, now, and drop onto his chest below me. I reach into my pocket, pulling out the scarf. Henri's scarf.
I take it in both hands, knelt over Henri as he lies on the ground. Then, I place it in his coat pocket. "Please, just... just make sure they get home safe, okay? These are my friends, and I put them through a lot today. I promised that they would be able to go home." I place my hands on my knees, getting up and storming towards Mister.
"Take me instead. I'll go, wherever you want me to go. But take me instead."
Mister looks down on me, a small smile breaking his lips.
"But," I continue, "you cannot ever touch him again. I am yours, but he is lost to you forever."
Mister's smile cracks wider. "I'm afraid that you still don't understand. That would be his choice, of course."
I step closer to Mister, my fists balled at my sides. "No. No more games. This is the deal. You want bodies to power your Stairs? Then take me. I'm fresher, I'm more valuable. But leave him alone."
Marto comes up behind me, pulling at my arm. "I know you want to save your friend. But there has to be another way." "Maybe Rholor could remove the curse, like he did for Kruger?" Kavel adds.
Mister takes a step forward, closer to me. His presence is overpowering, and as he reaches out to grab my forearm, inspecting the band of light there as well as the new writing in silver. "Hmm. How interesting." His fingers dig into my flesh, but when I move to remove his hand, I cannot touch him. He lets me go and steps away.
"Henri walks The Stairs by his own choice. Who are you to take that away from him?" Mister holds out a hand to Henri, who is just getting up from where I pushed him down.
I hold out my hand, too. "Henri, please. I think it's time to go. I can't promise what comes next, but I can promise that we can walk The Staircase one last time."
Henri looks at the two of us, Mister and I, and for a moment I can almost see some semblance of the man I knew return. But it is gone in an instant, and Henri walks over to join Mister at his side. "I'm sorry, G. But there is just so much more to see. You can come with us! Come with me!"
I let my hand fall to my side. This time, though, I know exactly where I need to go next.
"No, Henri. No, I have disappointed my friends enough today. I can't."
Henri's smile never leaves his face as he receives my answer, turning to look at Mister instead. Mister looks at him, and then at me, and grins.
And then they are gone.
---
For some reason, Mister left us a way home. An ornate door appears in his place, and swings open to show the scene that we left at the beginning of the day: The Angelbark Forest, just as we left it.
I'm too stunned to speak. Too heartbroken to move. I simply stand, and stare, at the place where Henri stood just moments before.
Marto is the first to break the silence. "We're not abandoning him, right Gerhard? Right lads?" The other three, Kavel, Derthaad, and Tayz, agree. "Yeah, at least we know where he is now" Kavel offers.
"What I don't get is what was so special about Gerhard's arm?" he continues. "I'm not sure." is my only response.
Derthaad has an idea. "It seems like everyone has their own Call, right? Well now you have two, don't you? Maybe these schematics, this writing, maybe this is unique."
Marto reminds us that we have a portal to get through, and with one last look around, we step through.
---
Returning to the outskirts of Daring Heights, we make good use of the final picnic basket. I can tell that the others are trying to cheer me up, but the only thing I can think of is returning to The Staircase. The hum is ever-present, now, calling me back to those marble steps.
But Kavel passes me some food, and I am able to push it from my mind, if only for a little while.
We chat some more, until the sun begins to set, and the others must make their way back home. Kavel and Marto are headed back to Fort Ettin, and ask if I would like to join them.
"No, thank you. I think I'll stay here in Daring Heights for a while. I'm sure there are some scholars at the Academy who would be interested to hear about some of our travels." Kavel and Marto nod, and after a final embrace, set out.
Tayz and Derthaad remain in the city with me for a little longer until they too have to leave.
And then, I am alone again.
