Winds of Time

[Eregor]

Monday, 9 May 2021

It was a quiet night, or at least relatively quiet by RhyDinian standards. Many residents were still enrapt with the magic of Beltane or, perhaps, still drunk on fey wine. Still. too, the heat that had broken upon the city kept a good portion of its folk indoors, either in well-cooled homes or else--in the case of those less empowered--well-cooled public buildings. Wonderplex and its water parks had become a popular destination.

Just beyond the southern walls of RhyDin, the forest stretched. These were not the Wilds of renown, dangerous and even deadly to those unwary, at least not so close to the city. These were younger trees, though still older than almost all inhabitants of RhyDin. They offered broad canopies of shade and peace, with deer and rabbit, fox and wildcat, all making their homes there. People, too, lived in these woods; they were dotted with everything from quaint cottages to a grand family complex. There was also, a little ways off the main road leading south from RhyDin, a Tower.

The Tower had worn many names in its time, but it was currently known as Gardenhome. Surrounded by the gardens and orchards that earned it that name, it served as the residence of one Eregor Túr Gairdín and his family. In outward appearance it was an unassuming three story stone tower, but anyone who has spent any amount of time in RhyDin would know that appearances are deceptive.

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Somewhere within the myriad corridors and chambers that lay behind Gardenhome's doors, one might discover a seemingly unremarkable room. There was light, a warm and soothing light that seemed to have no obvious source, while the circular walls were featureless save for the single door. That door was currently closed. Within the room there was a sense of nothing beyond its walls, no outside influences.

This was the Zero Room.

Eregor floated in the center of the room, in a cross-legged sitting position, both hands cupped together in front of him. Resting in his hands was a yellow stone, multi-faceted like a gemstone. As Eregor looked at the stone, it seemed to look back at him. "So, my master has finally decided it is time to talk." The voice was soft, such that a listener had to focus to truly hear its words; thus did MoonBeryl, the Yellow Opal, draw in its wielders.

A smile spread on Eregor's face. "It's been a month since the challenge. I wanted to take the time to get a feel for you, for your methods and wiles, before we had words. Of course, you've been trying to whisper in my mind the whole time, tempting me with secrets of past and future." The smile shifted, becoming a smirk. "How has that been working for you?"

No response came.

"Oh, don't be shy. You weren't expecting to be won by someone already well-versed in the vagaries of time, were you?"

MoonBeryl answered in a voice that was practically sullen. "No." A hint of mocking defiance crept into its tone. "So why did you seek to claim me? Am I simply a prize to be flashed about and then passed on? So many of you see us that way."

The smirk faded from Eregor's face as his expression grew somber. "Oh, no. Though I may not have need of your secrets, I will need your power. When you Opals reformed, you brought with you a deeper connection to the forces that lie beneath the skin of reality. That is what I require."

Now the stone's curiosity was piqued. "Why?"

"Because," replied Eregor with a grin, "we're going on a rescue mission."


((cross-posted here))