Preparations

Aaron prepares to surrender to the Hutcaiah emperor.

4.

Preparations

 

Aaron had no idea how to prepare to be a sacrifice, so he simply went to Lysa’s room and checked on her.    Deborah was unaware of the news that Sophia had shared with the others in the meeting, but was horrified at the whole story.

“The Hutcaiah are a very vengeful people.”   Deborah told him after learning of the proceedings, “They are very obsessed with honor and keeping their word and fulfilling vows.    Most would rather die than to betray their honor.   I don’t know if this will help you in any way, but if any of the Hutcaiah vow to do anything for you, make certain they vow by Kuyomi-Chia and they will be certain to keep it.”

“Alright.    Do you have any other advice?”

“I don’t know of anything that could get you out of this situation, Aaron.     One thing that comes to mind is that the Hutcaiah are also very obsessed with time.    Things are always done right on time; at the exact moment they should occur.   Perhaps - somehow- that could help you.    Don’t give up hope, Aaron, Yesh can deliver you.     Lysa’s heart rate is slowly returning to normal.   I think she will make it.”

“Good.”   He said with a slight smile, “That is something hopeful.   I shall focus on that while I’m waiting… for my execution.”

“They will wait until the full moon to do that.    There may be time for something to be done.     Yesh won’t abandon you, Aaron, I honestly believe that.   You will see.”

“I hope so, ma’am.”  

 

***

 

The evening passed slowly.    Deborah left him alone with Lysa for a time, at his request, and he found himself talking to her, though he was quite certain she couldn’t hear him.    He explained the situation to the unconscious girl and sat there in the growing darkness, praying and wondering what it would be like to once again be a prisoner of the Hutcaiah.

Then, in pairs, they came to see him.     First were King Eleazar and Queen Aurei.    For a long time they sat with him and talked, and it was very evident that Aurei was desperately trying to think of a way to save the young Duke from his fate.

Aaron asked the royal couple to remember Lysa if she recovered.

“If I don’t return, I would request that you name her the Duchess of Helios Valley as my successor.   It would honor the suffering of the girl and perhaps the Orcs as well.”

The King readily agreed, but promised Aaron that he was confident they would think of a way to rescue him.

Yet there was nothing more that they could do and with hugs and tears they finally left.

Zeatt and Alvis visited next and didn’t stay long, but the Reverend Mother prayed passionately for him and then cast a spell that would enable those back in Westmark to know what was happening to him.     Aaron was reluctant to allow her to cast the spell, but she assured him that the spell might help them find a way to give him aid.   

“We won’t give up looking for a way to help you.”  She assured him, “Don’t forget that.    Not only will Yesh not forsake you, we won’t either.”

Minutes later they left and for a time he was alone with Lysa, listening to her breathing and noting that her swollen body seemed to be shrinking slightly.   He wondered what sort of life she would have after she awoke.

Aedric and Snoe came in next, and both looked completely devastated.     As soon as she saw him, Snoe hugged him and cried pitifully while his foster brother put his arm around him.

None of them said anything for a long time and he relished their love.

“Aaron, I promise you, I will think of a way to save you from this fate.”   Aedric told him with a determined expression in his eyes.   Aaron had seen that look before and he knew that the Sylvan King would keep his word.

“Aedric, it might jeopardize things if you try.    I don’t know for sure what the parameters of that Soul Geis spell is, but if I am rescued before the Hutcaiah Emperor extracts his revenge, it could bring a million soldiers here.”

“We’re hoping to learn if that is indeed the case, Aaron.”   The King told him, “But even if it is true, we will find another way.”

 “Don’t risk your lives for me, Aedric.   You are a King now and your Kingdom and your wife are your primary concerns.”

“Oh, don’t worry about me.”   Snoe told him, “I’ll be with the team that rescues you.”

“What about your responsibilities to your Kingdom?    For heaven’s sake, put your people first.     Listen, both of you - my parents and my sister are gone and I have missed them dearly.    Joining them again in Flux is nothing that I dread.    I don’t fear death.”

“But don’t seek it needlessly.”  Aedric answered, “You still have a life ahead of you and you are overdue for good fortune. “ 

“I understand why you are going to give yourself up, but I must agree with what the others said earlier - Yesh will not abandon you. “

“We won’t abandon you, either.”   Snoe added, “I know of the spell that Zeatt cast upon you, and we shall be monitoring you.    By the night of the full moon, you will see us.     I give you my word.”

 

The Sylvan Queen had the same determined look in her eyes that he had seen in her husband’s eyes minutes before, so he just humbly nodded and hugged them both.

Suddenly the door opened and Sophia and Khord entered the room.    Both of the Watchers held large books that seemed very ancient and they had somewhat mysterious looks on their faces.

“We want you to listen to us.”   Sophia said without hesitation, “We are not allowed to give advice in this situation, but we can read to you information found in these history books.     You MUST listen closely to what we are reading to you.    Do you understand?   It is very important!”

The Sylvan royals and Aaron all nodded, shooting puzzled glances at each other.    It was as if Sophia was trying to tell them something important without actually telling them what it was.    

The three of them all sensed this and focused entirely as Sophia began reading from the old tome that she held.

“This is what this history book says about the worship of the Hutcaiah Moon Goddess, Kuyomi-Chia.   ‘Four times a year, the Hutcaiah hold a festival to honor their goddess.     On the first night of the full moon nearest to an equinox or solstice, the nobles of the Hutcaiah gather at the temple of the Moon, hopeful that Kuyomi-Chia will appear at the top of the platform with the rising moon behind her.’

‘For it is said in their legends that in the earliest days of the Hutcaiah, she would infrequently appear, if the sacrifices offered to her were worthy of her time and effort.    Then she would take their offerings and return to the Moon where they said that she lived.’

‘But that was long ago, the elders among the Hutcaiah will say now, and none alive can remember a festival where Kuyomi-Chia appeared in person.     Many years ago, some of her priestesses attempted to appear, posing as their goddess, figuring that it would encourage the nobles of the Hutcaiah and honor their absent goddess.’

‘Yet this ruse greatly angered the great Emperor Taeus Shi, who put to death the Nueriah and the Mesen-gongzu-Yu who plotted the scheme.   Fear gripped all the blue-eyed Nueriah and even the Mesen-gongzu-Yu priestesses who survived his purge were terrified to try any more theatrics.’ 

‘From that point until now, no Hutcaiah woman is allowed near the top of the platform of the Moon, where the goddess’ throne rests.     When the sacrifices are placed on the lower altar, all back away a reverent distance and wait a full hour to see if Kuyomi-Chia will appear and accept the sacrifice.   No-one who practices magic is allowed near the Stairway of the Moon during the ceremony and all the Mesen-gongzu-Yu are watched closely to ensure that they try no trickery.   Some wonder if the goddess ever did appear, or if those times in ancient memory were merely magic tricks of theatrics by the Mesen-gongzu-Yu.'

‘When the Chief Priestess has determined that their goddess will not make an appearance, a gong is sounded 12 times and then the sacrifices are killed and set ablaze so the smoke of their consumption will rise to the moon and the palace of Kuyomi-Chia.’

 

Sophia turned to Khord, who now began to read from his book,

‘These are the words of instructions, the will of the great goddess Kuyomi-Chia, to her priestesses.     This is what she that reigns on the moon instructs her daughters and the princesses among her daughters to do to honor her.’

‘On the four festival nights, present your sacrifices bound and prostrate on the altar.    If I find your offering acceptable, behold, I will appear on the throne at the top, seated in my glory.    You will know it is I who has come among you.    I shall be clothed in blue and black and I shall raise my hands and give my blessing, “Yilu Anck, Iah-Xian, Nuw Anck, Mei Ta ae Te!”   Then I shall descend the stairway of the moon to the platform below.   All shall prostrate themselves before me in reverence with their hands raised in submission to my power.’

‘If I find the sacrifice pleasing to my sight, I shall take it and return to my kingdom.    Then your lands shall be blessed for a season.’

 

Khord finished reading from the book and the two Watchers just stared at them as if waiting for questions.   Snoe, Aedric and Aaron all looked at each other and finally Aedric cleared his throat and said, “Uh… I take it that we are supposed to have learned something important from what you both read to us?”

Sophia frowned slightly, “Yes, I certainly hope that you did.     I don’t have time to just read random excerpts from old musty history books.     Since we took the time to read those passages to the three of you - and to Lysa if she can hear us in her unconscious state- then there was certainly a good reason why we did.”

“But… you can’t tell us?”   Snoe asked.   

Sophia glanced at Khord and they made no answer.   

“Just reflect on what we read and remember it.   We had better leave.”   Khord finally said and a moment later the two had vanished in a flash of blue light.

“More riddles from Watchers.”   Aedric said with a groan, “I do wish they would just speak plainly.”

“I don’t think they can.”   Aaron replied, “Lady Sophia said they were restricted.”

“Then what they read must be a way of helping, Aaron.”   Snoe exclaimed, “Both passages were about the ceremonies of the Hutcaiah Moon Goddess.    That is their primary deity, right?”

Aaron shrugged, “As far as I know, it is.    But it seems rather cruel to tell me about what is going to happen to me.    What purpose would that really serve, except to let me know what was about to occur.”

King Aedric shook his head, a contemplating look on his face, “No, Snoe is right - that information was for all three of us.    Since there won’t be much that you can do once they take you, Aaron, I suspect much of what they read was for Snoe and I -- a hint of how we may help you.”

“Well, let’s look at this logically.”   Snoe suggested, always fond of a mental challenge, “The main character in both of the passages that the Watchers read was the Hutcaiah priestesses or their goddess.     In the first case, the priestesses were impersonating the goddess, and in the second it was what the goddess herself was going to do, upon appearing, that was the focus.”

“So how would that enable us to help Aaron?”   Aedric asked.

“I don’t know… I would imagine that it means that we’d have to wait until the very night of the festival.”

“If I last that long…” Aaron commented.

“Oh, they’ll make sure of that.”  Aedric said, “But the question now is how do we apply the information that Sophia and Khord told us to formulate a rescue plan?    We’d need a way to get there quickly, and none of us has been to the Hutcaiah Empire, so we couldn’t just teleport there.”

“Well then, that settles that!”   Aaron said, clapping his hands once, “Really, I don’t figure into any of these plans, as I’ll be a captive.”

“Yes, but just try to stay alert for an attempt to rescue you… probably at the time of the festival.”    Snoe told him.

“You both are wasting your time.    You need to consider that by rescuing me; you may be messing up that Soul Geis spell and bringing a million soldiers here.    It would be wiser just to let me be sacrificed.”

“We’re Paladins as well, Aaron, “ Aedric replied, “And I am not about to let my brother die that way.    I swear to you by Yesh, we won’t fail to try to save you.    Be watchful.”

He patted the Sylvan King’s back, “Please don’t endanger yourselves for me.”

“Don’t you worry about it.”   Snoe said, “Now we’re going to let you try to get some rest… if you can on such a night.     Believe in us, Aaron and never give up!    We will rescue you.”

He was weary of arguing and so he nodded and they embraced him, telling him of their love for him.    He returned the sentiment.  

“We’ll see you tomorrow morning, for we’re accompanying you to the rendezvous.”   Aedric said as they headed out the door, “I know it looks hopeless, but have faith, my brother, you will be redeemed.”

 

***

 

For several hours he just knelt at Lysa’s bedside, listening to her breathing.    She seemed to be slightly improving, and her skin was beginning to flake and peel yet again.    He wondered how she’d look when it was all over.    Somehow he sensed she’d come through this fine.     Yet try as he might, he could not be sure of his own survival.    

Everyone was putting on brave and determined faces and there was the cryptic message from the two Drow Watchers, but he still felt doom hanging over him and a sense of finality.

Deborah returned late that night, after he had fallen asleep in his chair.     She debated waking him, so he could maybe find a more comfortable place to rest, but she decided it would be best not to disturb him.    Instead she took a chair across the room and spent the remainder of the night praying for his deliverance from the evil that would soon engulf him.

Reviews

[Elina]

"...remember Lysa if she recovers." You may want to switch "recovers" to "recovered" to keep your tenses consistent.
"...a more comfortable bed to rest..." Since Aaron fell asleep in a chair, it mightn't make sense to say "a more comfortable bed." Perhaps something along the lines of "...a more comfortable place to rest..."

Another excellent chapter!

[Eddie Davis]

Thank you!