Now, after Silnethren left them to go to Mount Milmota, Coraadrin and Colthan returned to Irrkengrond as Coraadrin no longer possessed the strength to travel. When they arrived at the city, Colthan carried her through the gate. Atisha met them there with all her family that had survived the siege and the fever, and mother cradled her daughter so that she may rest in the home in which she was born. Milyos came and greeted his brother, placing at their discretion a great many mages skilled in healing to serve them. He granted his mages access to his own power contained within the Phial and they were able to sustain her for many months, but the god of magic did not again visit his brother, for he said that he must attend to his great works in the city. In this time, Coraadrin and Colthan shared many whispered conversations in that time and together they agreed to embrace Silnethren’s gift to them so that even in death, she might aid Colthan in the spreading of the healing arts. Likewise, the two conversed with Coraadrin’s mother and determined that she would be cared for by Coraadrin’s cousin Asha. When the time came that not even the greatest magic could sustain her life without altering her very being, Colthan sent out all others save for her family. So it came to pass that Coraadrin died, in the company of her family and Colthan her lover. But her soul was not shepherded to the great crystal halls by Silnethren, but was placed in the crystal the Lord of Death gave to Colthan, guided there by Colthan’s own hand. In this stone, Coraadrin’s skill and wisdom lived on and guided Colthan, but for a time Colthan dwelt in Irrkengrond and grieved with Atisha.
When Colthan had grieved for Coraadrin for nearly a month, Myliayar came down to Irrkengrond. When Milyos learned of her arrival he called for Colthan to come and greet his mother. Colthan agreed and gladly came as he longed to see his mother. As Colthan approached the great central tower of Irrkengrond, he met Myliayar inside the main gate, the golden sun low in the sky. With her were her most faithful servants.
“Mother!” exclaimed Colthan. “It brings great joy to see you again! What brings you to Ikata’s city? Why do you come with your servants?”
“My son! It is good to be with you as well! I come with grim news from the heavens,” said Myliayar. “But I will tell you this when we meet with your brother. We come looking for a new home.”
Together they entered into the great tower and stood in the great hall, the servants of the Goddess Myliayar waiting outside. But Milyos was not in his great throne, and the pair waited in the silent empty room.
As the sun set, seats were brought in touches lit as the court of Milyos assembled in the hall. The pair of gods continued to stand in front of the throne. Finally, when all of the courtesans had assembled, and the hall was still again, the cloud of Milyos swirled into the hall, descending from the heights of the tower.
“Welcome Great Mother! And welcome, brother! Forgive me, for my work has kept me busy for many days now!” said the god of magic, as he condensed into the form of a mortal sitting in the throne. He rose and embraced his mother. “Now, tell me! What brings you to my city?”
“Grim tidings bring me to your city,” said Myliayar, “for Aientas has issued a decree that the heavens are to be sealed off from the world and that no god or spirit is to go to the earth from the heavens or from the heavens to the earth. Even now, Ikata builds her last work in the heavens, for she will come to the earth once she has completed the wall.”
Now she turned to address both the court and Milyos together. “All will be separated save for Silnethren’s halls. Aientas deemed them not his own works and thus he could not give their fate. For a great argument arose among us, regarding what aid we might render mortals. Aientas and a great many of the spirits who dwell in heaven with him deemed that the heavens should be sealed off from earth because of some threat they perceived to the heavens from the gods who travel the earth. No god or spirit will be able to travel from the heavens to the earth and return. We come now seeking where we will dwell next.”
Turning back to face her son, she continued, “I had hoped to share this with you in a more private setting, but I hold that you must know, so I tell you here.”
“I see,” said Milyos, back straight in his throne, his eyes narrow. The court was quiet, waiting for Milyos to break his pensive silence. On his throne he looked down, contemplating the Architect of Heaven. Then he spoke, “Do you believe Ikata will contend for the throne of my city?”
Confusion flashed across the face of Myliayar, and she stepped closer to the throne.
“My son, you have not listened to what I have said. She has no interest in your throne. She has interest in a home, like I and my servants. No, she has declared that she will build a new heavens for the gods to dwell in when all is said and done. Ewathat is accompanying her as well, when her work is finished. Many more are already on their way as we speak. Still others will discover Aientas’ foolishness when they attempt to return to the heavens. We do not want what you claim as your own. We come to ask for your aid in building a new home.”
“What concern of it is mine this building of a new heaven? I have my rule here on earth,” replied the god of magic. His eyes flashed bright and the cloud of his substance seeped from him, filling his silhouette. “And you are welcome to stay within it! Here you will see wonders as this world is shaped by my hand! She may build her new heavens, if she so desires, but she must do so far from here. I will not have her impinge upon my work.”
“We never intended to impinge on anything you do,” said Myliayar, “You need not concern yourself with it. I will meet her here and then we shall leave.”
So Myliayar left the great tower, and Colthan followed her, and showed her and her servants to where he stayed with Coraadrin’s family. When the sun to rose in the morning, Colthan approached his mother, saying:
“Mother, I am twice grieved. For I have lost my beloved, and now… what will you do?”
“I will do what you have said,” sighed Myliayar, “I will build a new home for any who leave the heavens. This is enough. Though Milyos’ aid would go a long way to advancing this aim, Ikata is more than capable of this on her own.”
“I will go and speak with him, mother,” said Colthan, “I think he might be willing to give some aid. I think he fears giving of his own time for he speaks often of his great work and the wonders they will bring.”
Myliayar gave out a long sigh, and then smiled at her son. “Very well, go speak to him. But first tell me of your travels, and what you have seen and done.”
So Colthan told Myliayar of all he had done. Of how he followed his mother to the earth, how he met Coraadrin and helped her heal Atisha. He then spoke of their travels together, teaching the healing arts, and of their meeting with Silnethren. Finally, he told her of Coraadrin’s death, the binding of her soul to the gem, and their plan to continue teaching mortals how to heal and treat the ills of the world.
“So, she is here with me. But to be with her takes focus. She guides me still… and perhaps as it will get easier in time. It is not the same… and I miss her physical presence.”
Placing her hand on Colthan’s cheek she said to him, “My son I am glad you have found this love, and that any of it has been preserved for you. I am sorry that she is not here with you in all that you had. I love you, my son.”
“I love you too, mother,” replied Colthan, taking his mother’s hand and holding it in his lap.
For some time, they sat there together in silence.
“I must go and speak to Milyos,” said Colthan, “Perhaps he will hear me.”
“I hope so.”
When Colthan arrived at the central tower of the city, he entered again to the central hall and again it was empty. He walked behind the door, past a small wooden hut, to a door that led to a great staircase that ascended the tower. Up and up spiraled the tower and from it sprung a thousand smaller passages and stairways. But Colthan passed by them all, for he suspected that his brother would be at the very top.
At the pinnacle of the stairs, at the end of a vaulted room stood a massive metal door engraved with thousands of intricate runes. He approached the door and seeing that there was no handle, he called out loudly.
“Milyos, I know you’re here. I know these runes are a spell and that I will not be able to break it. I have come to see this thing that you build. For if it is mighty as you claim, it must be some wonder indeed.”
His voice echoed off the walls of the high ceiling. The room was still for some time. But Colthan did not leave. Instead, he sat in the hall and waited, consulting with Coraadrin, letting her faint whispers fill his mind. In the stillness of the great stone room at the top of Ikata’s great tower, that Milyos called his own, Coraadrin’s voice grew and grew in his mind, and they conversed for the first time since the body of Coraadrin failed.
“You know when I agreed to this I thought we would be spending much more time traveling about the world than sitting up in great towers in silence.”
The smile that graced her face so many times when speaking to Colthan now filled the soft whispers of her voice. Colthan chuckled.
“Unfortunately, I have some family business to attend to.” His hand covered the stone that he now wore around his neck. “How much have you heard?”
“Not all. I think I know. Milyos’ voice crosses into the stone clearly. Others are harder to discern. But I would like to hear you explain it,” said Coraadrin.
“Very well,” replied Colthan. “I shall tell you everything that has happened.”
So Colthan told her of Myliayar’s arrival, of his time grieving, of Ikata’s plan to build new heavens for the gods, and finally, of Milyos’ refusal to aid Myliayar and Ikata in their task.
“And that is how I have come to be at the top of this tower in an empty room sitting in front of a door I know I cannot open, waiting for someone I doubt I can convince.”
“I see. Whatever happens, I am here with you,” whispered Coraadrin, “I love you.”
“I love you too,” said Colthan.
No sooner had the words left his mouth, than the metal door hissed and opened.
The cloud of Milyos swirled thick and slowly inside the room obscuring the walls and ceiling. Glowing a deep night blue at the center of the room beyond the great metal door sat the thin silver phial on a wide rectangular table. From the cloud, the god of magic spoke.
“Hello, brother. You may see my work, since it is evident that you will not leave until you have seen it.”
“That is not why I’m here, Milyos,” said Colthan. “I think you know that.”
“Indeed,” chuckled Milyos, “I imagine that you are here to appeal for our mother. To plead with me to help her build her new home for the spirits.”
“You are always one step ahead of me,” smiled Colthan. “You are right. I am here to ask you to help our mother. If you come it will spare much pain on the earth. There will be many spirits coming to the earth and many who have only watched from heaven do not realize how delicate the earth and the people in it are. Your power and wisdom could guide us in this work, help us find the right place in the cosmos to build our new home.”
Milyos’ cloud pulsed and contracted, condensing around the phial, revealing the contents of the circular room. Pipes of copper and brass and iron wrapped their way around the room starting at the table now obscured by Milyos’ cloud and leading to the perimeter of the chamber. Great crystal cylinders rose here, each containing the shadow of a mortal form immersed in a clear blue liquid.
“See, my work is delicate. I cannot leave it in this state. And if I succeed in my work, mortals will be such that they can withstand even us. I will make mortals new. They will be great and mighty such as I am. It will be my greatest gift to mortals. I will not abandon it.”
A deep pause seeped across the space between the brothers.
“I see,” said a crestfallen Colthan, “Is there nothing you are able to do to help us?”
Again, silence filled the chamber. Colthan face knotted, grief etched across his brow, but neither god spoke. Hanging his head, Colthan turned to leave.
“Wait.”
Colthan stopped at the sound of Milyos’ voice, back to the dense cloud.
“You should search in the southern skies. I once considered such an idea when I sought a domain of my own, before Acretia gifted me this city. I looked for spaces fertile where I might make a heavens of my own. There will be no easy path for such an endeavor. But if you look to complete such a work…”
“Thank you, brother,” said Colthan, half turning to face Milyos again, “Is there nothing I can say to convince you to join us? If you have considered this thing then you are mere steps from doing it.”
No answer came from the swirling mass.
“Very well. Thank you, my brother.”
And Colthan departed from the presence of the god of magic.
Colthan returned to Myliayar and those who came with her from the heavens, his grief etched on his face.
“So he will not come with us?”
“No,” replied Colthan, “He will not. He says he must finish his work of ‘making mortals new.’ He claims it will be his new, greatest gift for mortals, that they will be like him.”
A confused look came across Myliayar’s face, turning her head and furrowing her brow.
“I don’t know what it means,” continued Colthan, “he gave me only one thing. That we should search the southern skies for where we should build our home.”
“Very well,” resolved Myliayar, “we will go to the southern skies. When Ikata comes we know where we will look.”
So, mother and son set about preparing for their work so that when Ikata arrived from the heavens, they could immediately set to work searching for where they could build the new heavens. And word spread among the spirits of the world that Milyos was preparing, a great new gift for mortals in the city of Irrkengrond that would make them like himself.
