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News » History of Mardon Castle - 16C
History of Mardon Castle
Chapter Sixteen
Part 3
...
No longer seeing the spectral image, the elder kevalla could only relate what he saw. “Here. While Hexorth was frightened, I don’t believe the ghost intended harm.â€
Kaervel pointed to the one cowering as he said, “Of course it does not intend harm. The soldiers up on the wall encounter ghost rather often, and they are not harmed.†The mage then turned back to Axiste to ask, “Did you see it?â€
“Yes. It seemed to be warning about something.â€
Kaervel did not challenge the words, but studied the sight before him as he commented, “This is a section of the castle wall before us. This worker should thus be simply cleaning the rocks.†Seeing Axiste nod, he continued. “What could be the warning? Was the ghost signaling that the wall might collapse?â€
The questions are preplexing even as hopes stay high.
History of Mardon Castle
Chapter Sixteen
Part 3
While Kaervel and Norvichy kept the work area lit with magical sources of brilliance, those sources of illumination did not provide heat. As the days began to get colder, Axiste found himself to be the one going around checking on the fires. It was menial labor, but it also fit his job in that he was responsible for the kevalla workers. He knew that his kind could be active in cold weather, and felt that the humans knew such from previous skirmishes with his race where they tried to use the kevalla’s cold-blooded metabolism against them. Axiste however also knew how sluggish the blood did flow as the temperature dropped, which caused normal actions to require more concentration and exertion. Once the body started moving, the blood did move a little easier. He thus worked to keep the fires burning in order to keep his men comfortable and maintain his own blood flowing.
He moved down onto the firm ground at the bottom of the excavated volume. The size was increasing, although not at what Axiste considered to be a fast enough pace for the time set. The mages however did not want to ruin anything by their magic, so continued at a measured rate while promising that once they were certain of how the building flowed they would start blocking off larger areas. A celebration occurred once they had encountered the walls of the actual castle, but such only caused the extra workers to begin cleaning the stones and not simply moving mud. Axiste looked around at the bottom of the pit, but still did not see enough revealed to give him any sense of how the place looked centuries before.
A scream caused him to spin from his work at the fire pit. He saw a kevalla worker pressing its body against a stone slab magically created to hold back the surrounding mud. Looking to the spot where the man worked, a spectral figure stood waving its hand in a manner to keep one from approaching. Instead of the signaling caution, the ghost had however sent a feeling of fear.
Axiste approached to look at the spirit. It was human, male, and possibly rather old. The slightly glowing insubstantial form did not display color very well. Axiste thus could not be certain whether the man’s hair was truly white, or simply a washed out hue of normal light-colored hair. He turned away from looking at the figure as the strong voice of Kaervel sounded behind him.
“What is the problem here?â€
“A ghost appeared,†Axiste responded matter-of-factly.
The mage approached while asking, “Where?â€
No longer seeing the spectral image, the elder kevalla could only relate what he saw. “Here. While Hexorth was frightened, I don’t believe the ghost intended harm.â€
Kaervel pointed to the one cowering as he said, “Of course it does not intend harm. The soldiers up on the wall encounter ghost rather often, and they are not harmed.†The mage then turned back to Axiste to ask, “Did you see it?â€
“Yes. It seemed to be warning about something.â€
Kaervel did not challenge the words, but studied the sight before him as he commented, “This is a section of the castle wall before us. This worker should thus be simply cleaning the rocks.†Seeing Axiste nod, he continued. “What could be the warning? Was the ghost signaling that the wall might collapse?â€
Not being able to state an answer, the mage summoned Norvichy and a few others. A long conversation occurred where they discussed the excavation process and any irregularities in the stonework. Again not able to form any conclusion, Kaervel demanded for an amount of water to be brought.
A thick layer of mud still covered the castle stone near the bottom. The rocks had been almost been completely revealed to the bottom. Instead of the layer being removed by a tool, it was washed away by containers of water. Axiste could not see anything do to the humans doing the work, but moved up to look when he heard them exclaim in wonder. All he could see were the tendrils of a plant sticking out of the mud. It took the words of Kaervel to explain its importance.
“I don’t think it lives, but it is still a sign.†The mage turned to those that worked along the section of wall as he said, “Be careful. There are thorns. We have rose bushes. I promised our viscountess flowers, and I will send her this as proof that our land once grew them – AND OUR LAND WILL GROW THEM AGAIN!â€
Axiste looked at the brown remains of the plant as he heard the humans cheer. While he felt certain that those on the wall, and definitely those up on the land above, did not really know why they cheered, the fact that another milestone had been reached sounded. He wondered if so much elation should be result of finding a simple plant.
He turned to ask Kaervel about being so joyful about a plant, but then looked around him. He was standing on firm ground. It had actually been dry until water had been poured. Pumps did work to remove the flow of liquid that continually seeped in from the land around them, but the ground revealed showed that it had a past of not being part of a marsh. He looked up at the vertical wall of stones and realized that those that once looked out of windows would have seen a far different land than he knew. Suddenly the weight of the past came upon Axiste, and he began to understand why the humans cheered. This was not an accomplishment, but a fact that substantiated what minstrels and those that spoke of previous ages tried to explain to those that would listen. Axiste began studying the mummified plant to learn what it could tell him, and as he poured water to reveal more he suddenly wanted to shout for joy himself.
Kaervel asked, “What is it, Axiste?â€
“Look. You can see where the plant tried to adjust to the rising marsh. The stem of the plant put out roots.â€
The mage did bend down to examine the lower sections of the plant before saying, “Yes. It proves that the land was not covered quickly.â€
Axiste looked to his left and right while asking, “Is this the only one?â€
Kaervel showed no reluctance to pour water on the muck to the left and right. In each direction he revealed some strands of ancient plants. Seeing the acknowledgement of more, Axiste spoke of another that needed to see.
“Take another to Helshain. He preaches that the land is not cursed. This should prove that he is wrong.â€
Norvichy said, “I thought that he had already been convinced.â€
“One more piece of evidence should help him to trust in his change of beliefs.â€
Kaervel said, “You sound as if you had not been convinced.â€
“Oh, I believe in the curse. I just did not realize how much the land had changed because of it. I thought that you humans complained just because your forms do not manage the water well. We kevalla do not like it much either, but it really does not trouble us that much.â€
“Well, it does trouble us humans. We almost did not want to return from the war, because of our memories of life back here. What I still don’t understand is why the people that lived here did not fight the curse. They had the castle back in those early days. Telelum should have been arriving regularly. Why didn’t they do what was necessary to stop the curse? Instead of saving his own castle, why did Tasbirn’s ancestor build the present castle?â€
Axiste looked at the regular workers around them, especially the one that had screamed, as he said, “Maybe they were scared of the ghosts.â€
Norvichy shot back, “Maybe they knew the pirate really had a valid complaint.â€
Kaervel boldly responded, “Maybe he did, but this whole stinking mess tells me something that I don’t like to hear. It tells me that my ancestors were not as strong as we are today. It tells me that the curse was good for our land, and I don’t believe good comes from evil. I thus don’t know what to believe, but I know one thing, the curse will be removed.â€
After hearing cheers sounding around him, he began giving commands, “Have the man that was working here get some cloths for holding these plants. I will do the work, but I want him helping. If the ghostly caretaker does not like me taking the plants, I will handle it.â€
Axiste gave the orders, then turned to Norvichy to ask, “What did your family speak about? They continued to mark the sinking of the castle. Surely they had stories.â€
“They mentioned the horrors that regularly plagued the old castle. Kaervel said that the attack happened at night, so you kevalla slept through it, but he mentioned a night of him and his soldiers fighting a number of horrid spirits and demons.â€
“They did not fight them?â€
“Yes, but the castle was a home. There were woman and children that they cared about. The structure was built to keep out oppression, but was a dangerous place when the enemy came from inside. They fled not because they were unwilling to fight, but to protect those who could not or should not fight.â€
Kaervel voiced his own complaint in a tone that stated he had asked the question numerous times before. “But the curse, Norvichy. Why didn’t they remove the curse?â€
“I don’t believe that they knew how even then.â€
“But Telelum did.â€
In a resigned tone, Norvichy replied, “Telelum was also a ghost. I believe that they fought him as well.â€
“Surely they looked for answers.â€
“We only know of Telelum because we have an accumulation of stories of some helpful ghost. They did not have those stories back then. They did not know that one ghost was helpful.â€
Kaervel turned from working with the plants to face the other mage as he said, “But they knew Telelum. Surely they did not see his spirit as evil.â€
Norvichy waved his hand around him as he said, “They surely knew the other ghosts as well. That caretaker once had a name. Those soldiers once had names. What stories I have heard all said that those before were scared of the ghosts. They did not bother to separate good ghosts from bad ghosts.â€
Kaervel faced Axiste to comment, “Mardon has changed since the curse. I am coming to believe however that we have changed for the better.â€
The elder kevalla responded, “I doubt by much. We still tend to fight first. We seldom separate the good from the bad, but just react to gain the upper hand.â€
“Maybe our personalities have not changed, but our outlook on some things about our lives had. We don’t accept a bad situation without a fight. I cannot believe that our ancestors did.â€
Visitors come to Mardon.
Posted by TerishD on Saturday, March 06, 2010 (12:29:24) (206 reads)
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