The Day of Reckoning (part 5)

Of course things don't always unravel in a nice orderly fashion, so that it can be easily determined that event A led to event E, via B, C and D. That would be too simple; giving historians and archaeologists an easy ride.

So while the elf Sidrick the Innocent had met in assumed secrecy with Sir Thomlin Argon Hammersmith, a mighty dwarf not known for his diplomacy (although he was quite good at it nevertheless), other matters unfolded. Those happenings would remain disjointed and largely unreported until enough pieces of these puzzling times could be pieced together to make a whole lot of trouble.

For the moment- in no particular order- but all at around the same time the following things occurred...

A dwarf by the name of Robert Strong Axe had his drink knocked over in a pub by a human and didn't feel the need to spill blood.

Lucy, a young human girl, put the finishing touches on a song she had been composing for the past week. It was about her love for the boy of her dreams who happened to live in the next village over. Called My Love He Has Silver Hair and Rides a Pig to Market on Tuesday's and Friday's, it certainly did not have a catchy title but it was a song that would later become the unifying battle cry of the combined forces of the dwarves, humans and a few returning battle elves.

Sheep on the hillsides overlooking all the major towns and small villages stopped moving and became like stone, never to move again or utter a sound.

The self-styled Three Horsemen of the Abomination rode into the town of Sacrifice and began their annual five-day rampage. History would later record they only got as far as day three before abruptly suspending their 'entertainments.' Although the reasons why would only become fully clear with hindsight.

While passing the time of day in a restful after-lunch slumber, an engineer called Billy dreamt of the Chaos Machine, a device he would later construct, that might just save the world in the coming bloody battles.


Right now though we return to our (for want of a better word) girl, sat by the river pondering the rather odd meeting she had just spied. She had come to the conclusion she would not do herself any good remaining out in the open much longer. And certainly there were no further clues to what had transpired moments earlier. It was time to move on. Just give it a minute longer she told herself, to make sure the departing creatures wouldn't detect her.

The more-than-human girl stood and stretched her long limbs. As has already been described she wasn't much to look at and in fact if she concentrated really hard you would barely notice her. Rhia closed her eyes a moment and began to fade, melt into the background. Oh sure if you looked hard, knew who you were looking for and exactly where to look, she was still clearly visible but to the casual eye the veil would mask her progress across the landscape. It was a long walk back to camp even taking the shortest but least secure routes. Mind you Rhia wasn't troubled by such matters and throwing her satchel full of Impossible Things over her shoulder started to make her way.

The girl covered the open ground remarkably quickly without breaking into run. Time sometimes could move differently around Rhia. The landscape slid by, as did the villages and smaller towns. She stayed away from the larger towns where others of her kind were more likely to gather, better to remain undetected. Finally she spotted the standing stones, ancient and crumbling, up on the hill that indicated where the camp could be found, just another mile beyond. As she passed the stones Rhia felt the familiar shiver of ancient power humming from deep within the ground and through the rock pillars. As always at this point when returning to her adopted home, she let time catch up and she would walk leisurely back; enjoying her surrounds, with not a care in her world. And besides she didn't want the others in the camp to know everything she could do.

As she walked into the camp, Rhia noticed it was looking oddly more organised than usual. The main square deserted of normal traders' stalls and the hustle of day to day life. The cattle were in their pens, regarding her silently. The horses too were tethered, the carts arranged and loaded. As she turned the corner from the square, she realised the whole population of the camp seemed to be gathered outside the Mayor's tented home at the end of the main street. More than that, without exception every woman and man was stood to attention facing her, all dressed in battle armour and carrying a sword or other weapon. She felt hundreds of eyes watching her as she approached...

But what will she say and to whom? Will she act for the forces of right and good or for the coming darkness? What exactly is in her satchel? All may well be determined in the coming chapters...

(to Wunderlust)