Elaina J. Davidson's Blog, page 346
May 20, 2016
May 19, 2016
The King's Challenge #304
TKC 304
How is it possible for a Glonu to be aboard an Ilfin vessel? There are three ways. One, the Glonu is a prisoner captured in battle. Two, the Glonu has infiltrated the ranks as a spy. And three, a Glonu is invited, as Leffandir has been. Her ‘invitation’ is open to interpretation, of course, but Glonu mediators have in the past been invited.
If a Glonu has set up a tapping rhythm in the bowels of this ship, he or she is not present via invitation.
Thus there are two possibilities. One, a spy went and got him or herself lost. Two, a prisoner escaped and is confounded by the innards of an alien ship.
Something more occurs to me. Ha. There is an additional likelihood to consider.
We have entered the deep cells. There may be more than one Glonu down here; there may be other criminals also. Ilfin murderers are ever taken away from general society, even from general prison conditions.
“Deep cells?” I demand of Commander Gennerin, addressing that one first.
“Not on this carrier,” the man murmurs, “and never is the access sealed.”
“We entered via a potential escape hatch, not the main access,” Kay says, throwing a thumb over his shoulder in the direction we entered from.
“True, and yet I say to you there are no cells,” Gennerin insists. “It is more likely that a Glonu infiltrated and got lost.”
That is one of my options, yes, but the reality does not fit after all. No one is able to become that thoroughly lost on this vessel so as to never find the way out, whether Ilfin or Glonu. There are communications panels everywhere. This individual is so lost, he or she resorts to code tapping, hoping for rescue? Something is wrong with that scenario.
We look at each other at the same time.
This is a trap.
How is it possible for a Glonu to be aboard an Ilfin vessel? There are three ways. One, the Glonu is a prisoner captured in battle. Two, the Glonu has infiltrated the ranks as a spy. And three, a Glonu is invited, as Leffandir has been. Her ‘invitation’ is open to interpretation, of course, but Glonu mediators have in the past been invited.
If a Glonu has set up a tapping rhythm in the bowels of this ship, he or she is not present via invitation.
Thus there are two possibilities. One, a spy went and got him or herself lost. Two, a prisoner escaped and is confounded by the innards of an alien ship.
Something more occurs to me. Ha. There is an additional likelihood to consider.
We have entered the deep cells. There may be more than one Glonu down here; there may be other criminals also. Ilfin murderers are ever taken away from general society, even from general prison conditions.
“Deep cells?” I demand of Commander Gennerin, addressing that one first.
“Not on this carrier,” the man murmurs, “and never is the access sealed.”
“We entered via a potential escape hatch, not the main access,” Kay says, throwing a thumb over his shoulder in the direction we entered from.
“True, and yet I say to you there are no cells,” Gennerin insists. “It is more likely that a Glonu infiltrated and got lost.”
That is one of my options, yes, but the reality does not fit after all. No one is able to become that thoroughly lost on this vessel so as to never find the way out, whether Ilfin or Glonu. There are communications panels everywhere. This individual is so lost, he or she resorts to code tapping, hoping for rescue? Something is wrong with that scenario.
We look at each other at the same time.
This is a trap.
May 18, 2016
The King's Challenge #303
TKC 303
Tap. Tap. Tap tap. Tap.
Tap tap tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.
Tap.
By the stars! The sound will cause insanity before an hour is out!
I hear Ross mutter under his breath, no doubt as affected. I wish to scream. Siri is silent behind me, but Leffandir swears continuously in a whisper. I do not blame her.
Soon Ross’ light illuminates movement ahead. The set of Damin’s shoulders is the most welcome sight ever. I manoeuvre past Ross to him, directly into his arms.
“Don’t let it get to you,” he murmurs in my ear before firmly setting me aside.
Easy for him. The last five years he lived amid the bustle of many, ever surrounded by sound; I spent those same five years in the countryside, with silence my companion. I give him a wry smile. It has already affected me, but I will attempt to control my reaction.
Kay’s torch is lit also and in the twin glows from his and Ross’ light, I realise this is a corridor. Metal lines the walls, with acoustic tiles overhead and underfoot. We are, in fact, still on a spaceship; my feelings of a maze and another world sit more in imagination than reality. The maze may prove true, but will be of the technological kind.
Tap tap. Tap tap. Tap. Tap.
Tap.
I frown. There is a pattern in the tapping. A code, perhaps? Moving to Gennerin, I gesture for him to give me his ear. He leans closer and I say, “A code? Are you able to decipher it?”
He swivels his head to murmur, “It is a code, but one unknown to me. We have discussed this while we waited for you. No one here knows it.”
Damn, and now what?
Leffandir shoulders forward to where I stand with Gennerin. Taking my arm, she pulls me close and blurts into my ear, “That is a Glonu rhythm.”
Tap. Tap. Tap tap. Tap.
Tap tap tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.
Tap.
By the stars! The sound will cause insanity before an hour is out!
I hear Ross mutter under his breath, no doubt as affected. I wish to scream. Siri is silent behind me, but Leffandir swears continuously in a whisper. I do not blame her.
Soon Ross’ light illuminates movement ahead. The set of Damin’s shoulders is the most welcome sight ever. I manoeuvre past Ross to him, directly into his arms.
“Don’t let it get to you,” he murmurs in my ear before firmly setting me aside.
Easy for him. The last five years he lived amid the bustle of many, ever surrounded by sound; I spent those same five years in the countryside, with silence my companion. I give him a wry smile. It has already affected me, but I will attempt to control my reaction.
Kay’s torch is lit also and in the twin glows from his and Ross’ light, I realise this is a corridor. Metal lines the walls, with acoustic tiles overhead and underfoot. We are, in fact, still on a spaceship; my feelings of a maze and another world sit more in imagination than reality. The maze may prove true, but will be of the technological kind.
Tap tap. Tap tap. Tap. Tap.
Tap.
I frown. There is a pattern in the tapping. A code, perhaps? Moving to Gennerin, I gesture for him to give me his ear. He leans closer and I say, “A code? Are you able to decipher it?”
He swivels his head to murmur, “It is a code, but one unknown to me. We have discussed this while we waited for you. No one here knows it.”
Damn, and now what?
Leffandir shoulders forward to where I stand with Gennerin. Taking my arm, she pulls me close and blurts into my ear, “That is a Glonu rhythm.”
The King's Challenge #302
We are in the final stretch. Only 64 episodes to go before we reach our target of 366 (because it's a leap year!) and then all will be gathered into one book ...
TKC 302
I am alone with Siri and Leffandir in padded chamber. This does not thrill me in the slightest. Yet I may have dealt with such a situation if it had been merely a padded chamber. The gaping dark hole the men vanished into thrills me even less.
The tapping is much louder and far more insistent. It becomes a rhythm beating into my every thought, weaving through the beats of my heart as a refrain of malevolence. Yes, malevolence. I am not comfortable at all.
Something is wrong.
Leffandir speaks first. “I feel a presence. It wants to destroy.”
Swallowing, I can only nod. Her words prove to me that I am not being fanciful; there is something other positioning itself and it may be to our detriment.
Siri whispers, “That door was sealed away for a reason. We should have left it alone.”
Hell. She is correct. Why do men always act without thinking?
A head erupts into our space, causing all three of us to flinch hard.
Ross grins at us. “Commander Gennerin sent me back for you. You are to follow.”
Unfortunately the commander is correct also. We cannot stay here. If the men do not return, we will be trapped. If we choose to follow into the darkness after too long a delay, we may be lost.
I incline me head. “Lead the way, Ross.”
The head vanishes and, drawing breath as if I will never again know oxygen, I swiftly step into the darkness and follow. I do not look back, but am aware of Siri behind me, with Leffandir trailing her.
Ross switches on the small light seated on the shoulder of his uniform, to my relief. “Keep your torches off,” I hear him say, “and follow mine.”
He is correct also. Too much light is a dead giveaway. The possibility exists also that we may need our torches if we are in darkness for a lengthy stretch; best not to expend them simultaneously.
It sounds as if we are entering a maze created to confuse us, one erected on a giant world lost in space. No longer does it remotely feel as we are aboard a ship.
I am not comfortable at all. Something is definitely wrong here.
TKC 302
I am alone with Siri and Leffandir in padded chamber. This does not thrill me in the slightest. Yet I may have dealt with such a situation if it had been merely a padded chamber. The gaping dark hole the men vanished into thrills me even less.
The tapping is much louder and far more insistent. It becomes a rhythm beating into my every thought, weaving through the beats of my heart as a refrain of malevolence. Yes, malevolence. I am not comfortable at all.
Something is wrong.
Leffandir speaks first. “I feel a presence. It wants to destroy.”
Swallowing, I can only nod. Her words prove to me that I am not being fanciful; there is something other positioning itself and it may be to our detriment.
Siri whispers, “That door was sealed away for a reason. We should have left it alone.”
Hell. She is correct. Why do men always act without thinking?
A head erupts into our space, causing all three of us to flinch hard.
Ross grins at us. “Commander Gennerin sent me back for you. You are to follow.”
Unfortunately the commander is correct also. We cannot stay here. If the men do not return, we will be trapped. If we choose to follow into the darkness after too long a delay, we may be lost.
I incline me head. “Lead the way, Ross.”
The head vanishes and, drawing breath as if I will never again know oxygen, I swiftly step into the darkness and follow. I do not look back, but am aware of Siri behind me, with Leffandir trailing her.
Ross switches on the small light seated on the shoulder of his uniform, to my relief. “Keep your torches off,” I hear him say, “and follow mine.”
He is correct also. Too much light is a dead giveaway. The possibility exists also that we may need our torches if we are in darkness for a lengthy stretch; best not to expend them simultaneously.
It sounds as if we are entering a maze created to confuse us, one erected on a giant world lost in space. No longer does it remotely feel as we are aboard a ship.
I am not comfortable at all. Something is definitely wrong here.
May 17, 2016
May 16, 2016
May 15, 2016
The King's Challenge #299, #300 and #301
TKC 299, 300 and 301
The accusation of throne stealing will set Enris off.
I know how much he has avoided being close to it; he left Makaran to deny not only the expectation, but also proximity. My brother has a horror for that kind of rulership. Our father gave his blessing for us to leave our homeworld, having realised Enris in particular required distance.
I step between him and Leffandir. “Let it go,” I tell my brother and then swing around to the Glonu Empress. “And you keep quiet. If you truly know Enris, you will know how untrue your claim is.”
Silence reigns for a few moments before Leffandir says, “Fine, as you say.”
There is a lilt to her words and my eyes narrow in speculation. “But?”
“There was a smoking urn, Iniri, and having heard what Damin says, it can only mean sorcery was in play the night our daughter died.”
Blinking, for I hear her underlying sorrow, I twist back to Enris to stare at him.
“I did not kill the child …”
“Child?” Leffandir hisses.
“Hush; let Enris speak,” I insert softly.
“… but I wished for a way out of a terrible situation,” Enris murmurs. “Did my thoughts cause what happened? I hope not, but having also heard what Damin tells us, I now wonder if Uncle Lorn didn’t step in.”
“Did Lorn know of your relationship?” I ask.
“He knew there was someone, and he was the first to see me after the birth.”
Closing my eyes, I move away. Even a fool will understand, after all that we have learned, our uncle the sorcerer did something about a situation untenable to Makaran rulers.
“I would never hurt a child,” Enris snaps at Leffandir.
“But you call her a ‘child’. She had a name!”
Enris steps back. “It is how I deal with my grief. It gifts distance.”
Leffandir stares at him. “Grief?”
Enris does not reply; I think he is incapable. I glance at Damin to find him watching me instead of the by-play between my brother and Leffandir. “What is it?” I frown at him.
“Souls return,” he murmurs. “That baby girl drew breath …”
“What are you getting at?” Leffandir almost screams.
“She is part Ilfin,” Damin responds equably. “All Ilfin are original souls. Your daughter has or will return.”
Enris looses a fist into the insulation padding. “No more!”
This time the silence is unbroken, for there is now too much emotion in the small chamber. Gennerin, I notice, stares fixedly at his feet. He no doubt understands, as I do, to bring Enris into fury will unleash an unstoppable phenomenon. The Warrior will assume control.
Into the silence there arrives a different sound, something external. How that is possible I cannot say, for this small space isolates sound as well as temperature, but we all hear it. Heads lift and eyes track for direction.
Tap, tap, tap.
Either someone mighty strides on metal legs somewhere beyond, a size and weight that translates into sound despite the insulation … or someone taps on a pipe that feeds directly into this chamber.
Damin moves to the far side of the small space and puts his ear to the padding, as well as one hand splayed. Closing his eyes, he listens intently. No one makes a sound; we wait with bated breath for his announcement.
Tap. tap. Tap.
Kay carefully approaches to lay an ear also. A huge frown mars his features.
Abruptly Damin steps away and in that same moment Kay straightens with alacrity. The two men stare at each other. Without explanation both begin pulling at the insulation material, hands and daggers tearing and cutting.
Enris marches in. “Explain!”
Damin throws a look over his shoulder. “Quiet. Just be quiet.”
The hairs on my arms lift as foreboding assails me. Without thinking it, my hands erupt into multi-hued glows.
“Control it,” Damin whispers. “An Elemental at this point is as dangerous as an angry Warrior.”
His voice is low, and his words barely carry. Swallowing, I force myself into calm. My hands return to normal, although my heartbeat does not. I lay a calming hand on my brother’s forearm.
Tap, tap, tap, tap …
Hauling a slice of padding aside, Damin and Kay reveal the metal walls … and a door.
We all stare at it.
Tap, tap, tap, tap.
Now the sound is loud. There is someone on the other side of the hidden door. An entrance deliberately sealed? I do not like this.
Damin puts a finger to his lips.
No one dares move, until Damin gestures Mirlin closer. The man moves in, a silent and stealthy tread that has my hair standing up again, and leans his forehead against the exposed metal.
I realise Leffandir and Siri have taken up positions on either side of me, close, and both faces ashen. I realise they hope I will protect them. For Siri it is not so strange, for she knows what I can do, but for Leffandir to seek my protection is decidedly odd. Clearly she knows what I can do as well, but her relying on it is an entirely new sensation. She is vulnerable and suddenly I view her in an entirely different light.
Mirlin steps back, nodding.
Damin instantly lifts a leg and kicks the door inward. A might resonance erupts as metal shudders in the impact. Damin hurtles into the darkness beyond and Mirlin and Kay vanish also. Gennerin marches past us, his face as stone, and Ross follows. They too vanish.
The accusation of throne stealing will set Enris off.
I know how much he has avoided being close to it; he left Makaran to deny not only the expectation, but also proximity. My brother has a horror for that kind of rulership. Our father gave his blessing for us to leave our homeworld, having realised Enris in particular required distance.
I step between him and Leffandir. “Let it go,” I tell my brother and then swing around to the Glonu Empress. “And you keep quiet. If you truly know Enris, you will know how untrue your claim is.”
Silence reigns for a few moments before Leffandir says, “Fine, as you say.”
There is a lilt to her words and my eyes narrow in speculation. “But?”
“There was a smoking urn, Iniri, and having heard what Damin says, it can only mean sorcery was in play the night our daughter died.”
Blinking, for I hear her underlying sorrow, I twist back to Enris to stare at him.
“I did not kill the child …”
“Child?” Leffandir hisses.
“Hush; let Enris speak,” I insert softly.
“… but I wished for a way out of a terrible situation,” Enris murmurs. “Did my thoughts cause what happened? I hope not, but having also heard what Damin tells us, I now wonder if Uncle Lorn didn’t step in.”
“Did Lorn know of your relationship?” I ask.
“He knew there was someone, and he was the first to see me after the birth.”
Closing my eyes, I move away. Even a fool will understand, after all that we have learned, our uncle the sorcerer did something about a situation untenable to Makaran rulers.
“I would never hurt a child,” Enris snaps at Leffandir.
“But you call her a ‘child’. She had a name!”
Enris steps back. “It is how I deal with my grief. It gifts distance.”
Leffandir stares at him. “Grief?”
Enris does not reply; I think he is incapable. I glance at Damin to find him watching me instead of the by-play between my brother and Leffandir. “What is it?” I frown at him.
“Souls return,” he murmurs. “That baby girl drew breath …”
“What are you getting at?” Leffandir almost screams.
“She is part Ilfin,” Damin responds equably. “All Ilfin are original souls. Your daughter has or will return.”
Enris looses a fist into the insulation padding. “No more!”
This time the silence is unbroken, for there is now too much emotion in the small chamber. Gennerin, I notice, stares fixedly at his feet. He no doubt understands, as I do, to bring Enris into fury will unleash an unstoppable phenomenon. The Warrior will assume control.
Into the silence there arrives a different sound, something external. How that is possible I cannot say, for this small space isolates sound as well as temperature, but we all hear it. Heads lift and eyes track for direction.
Tap, tap, tap.
Either someone mighty strides on metal legs somewhere beyond, a size and weight that translates into sound despite the insulation … or someone taps on a pipe that feeds directly into this chamber.
Damin moves to the far side of the small space and puts his ear to the padding, as well as one hand splayed. Closing his eyes, he listens intently. No one makes a sound; we wait with bated breath for his announcement.
Tap. tap. Tap.
Kay carefully approaches to lay an ear also. A huge frown mars his features.
Abruptly Damin steps away and in that same moment Kay straightens with alacrity. The two men stare at each other. Without explanation both begin pulling at the insulation material, hands and daggers tearing and cutting.
Enris marches in. “Explain!”
Damin throws a look over his shoulder. “Quiet. Just be quiet.”
The hairs on my arms lift as foreboding assails me. Without thinking it, my hands erupt into multi-hued glows.
“Control it,” Damin whispers. “An Elemental at this point is as dangerous as an angry Warrior.”
His voice is low, and his words barely carry. Swallowing, I force myself into calm. My hands return to normal, although my heartbeat does not. I lay a calming hand on my brother’s forearm.
Tap, tap, tap, tap …
Hauling a slice of padding aside, Damin and Kay reveal the metal walls … and a door.
We all stare at it.
Tap, tap, tap, tap.
Now the sound is loud. There is someone on the other side of the hidden door. An entrance deliberately sealed? I do not like this.
Damin puts a finger to his lips.
No one dares move, until Damin gestures Mirlin closer. The man moves in, a silent and stealthy tread that has my hair standing up again, and leans his forehead against the exposed metal.
I realise Leffandir and Siri have taken up positions on either side of me, close, and both faces ashen. I realise they hope I will protect them. For Siri it is not so strange, for she knows what I can do, but for Leffandir to seek my protection is decidedly odd. Clearly she knows what I can do as well, but her relying on it is an entirely new sensation. She is vulnerable and suddenly I view her in an entirely different light.
Mirlin steps back, nodding.
Damin instantly lifts a leg and kicks the door inward. A might resonance erupts as metal shudders in the impact. Damin hurtles into the darkness beyond and Mirlin and Kay vanish also. Gennerin marches past us, his face as stone, and Ross follows. They too vanish.
