After departing from Ikata’s wall, Silnethren went out into the wilds to again find his sister, Kalikel. But the Goddess of the Wild eluded her brother and it took much time for Silnethren to find Kali. He searched through deep forests and grand caves but she was not there. Nor was she in her mighty rivers, nor in the waterfalls where she held her court. All he found was a great and wizened turtle who sat in the basin beneath the falls soaking in the sun, grand and mighty, large enough that many mortals could have sat on his back unnoticed.
“Hello, mighty one!” called out Silnethren.
The great turtle stirred, raising its head from its resting place. Its great eyes opened upon the God of Death and shone brightly in the sun.
“Ahhhh… the brother of my mistress,” said the turtle, its voice resonant and aged, yet kind and patient. “I am Higaro, chamberlain of Kalikel. I welcome you to her court in her absence. How may I be of service to you?”
“Greetings Higaro – I thank you for your welcome,” said Silnethren, “I come on a matter of great urgency and I must speak with my sister. Could you tell me where she is?”
“Hmmmm I can, though she requested that she not be disturbed…” rumbled the great turtle, “but… you are family and by your look you have been searching for her for some time and the matter you wish to discuss has weighed heavily on you as you searched…”
“It has indeed,” interjected the god, “and I would be very grateful if you would tell me where she is.”
“Very well. I will tell you,” replied Higaro, “I think she will be glad to see you, for she often says that she wishes that you would come visit her in her wild places more often. Here is where you must go: climb up over the waterfall closest to the setting sun and you will find a river that winds its way in the same direction. Follow it till it forks. There you will find a tributary that follows in from the north. It is naught but a small stream that winds its way through a deep forest. Walk up the stream until you reach its head. That is where your sister is.”
“Thank you,” said Silnethren, already heading for the eastmost waterfall. “I will not forget you, Higaro.”
And so Silnethren did as the great turtle instructed. He climbed up over the falls and followed the river that fed the falls closest to the setting sun until he found the fork in the river. After careful searching, he was able to find the stream that flowed into the river from the north and began to follow it. It led him through a great forest of the mightiest and oldest trees one could imagine. Great oaks and chestnuts and conifers as monumental and majestic as the sky they towered towards grew in abundance. Silnethren followed the stream for two days as it climbed into the foothills and hidden dales of the forest.
Then the tree line broke, and he stepped into a wide field. It sloped gently upward, so that he could not see the horizon. The stream weaved across the verdant scene, nurturing the wildflowers that bloomed all across the field. Growing up over the tall grasses, their vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows contrasted against green stalks. Patches of white and violet also grew up against the fiery field so that it seemed as if there were oases of water amongst the blaze. And in all their midst, at the head of the stream, tall and proud stood Kalikel, keeper of the wilds, her attention focused on the place where the stream disappeared into the ground. At her feet bloomed the most spectacular of the flowers in a field, though it would have been easy to overlook its small petals that grew only a short height from the ground. The flowers were blue throughout, but were dark and deep like the ocean depths at their base, gradually becoming lighter until it was clear as a frigid mountain stream at the ends of each petal. Such was their beauty that it seemed as if a deep spring bubbled up from each stem.
Silnethren approached his sister slowly until he stood at her side. She did not turn to face him.
“I am glad that Higaro told you where I was, so you could see this place in bloom. It is perhaps the most beautiful of all the vales and fields in the wild.” Gesturing at blue flowers at her feet she continued. “These grow only here. There are few mortal or immortal who have seen them. They bloom only for a few weeks every year.” Her eyes raised up, looking out over the field before turning to face her brother. “You are lucky to have seen them.”
Crouching down to inspect the flowers Silnethren replied.
“Indeed I am, sister. What are they called?”
“They have no name except what they call themselves, for so few have seen them that there is no reason for them to have another name,” said Kalikel, “They call themselves River Source, for that is where they call home.”
“Hmmm… they are beautiful,” said Silnethren, caressing a bloom as he spoke. His eyes began to lose focus after a moment, becoming glassy as consternation filled his face.
“It is okay, Silnethren. I know you are not here to bask in the beauty of this field.” A faint smile crossed Kalikel’s lips.
“I… I know that… I should come when it is a time of rest, but the souls of the dead need constant shepherding and…”
“I know,” interrupted Kali, “Your work to usher the souls of the dead keeps their soul-fire from running amok. The monsters made by the soul-fire are a threat to the wilds and the animals that dwell there. What you do is important. But now… tell me why you are here.”
Silnethren let out a deep sigh.
“Yes. I am not here to see this field,” before standing and turning his head to look at Kalikel. “I am here because our brother may come back. I will tell you my tale.”
“… So you see the efforts of Tilsitar to undermine the mountain Milmota may open a passage to the void that Myliayar sliced open when Kilomond was cast down. His return now may be sudden. We had thought perhaps we would have time to prepare but now…”
Silnethren’s voice trailed off, lost in a gentle breeze that rustled the flowers of the field. The siblings sat side by side at the top of the hill, looking out over the small stream, babbling its way to the tree line.
“It is fitting that you found me here to tell me all this,” said Kalikel, “This is where I was when the cardinals and jays came and told me that Kilomond had been thrown down from the heavens and sealed in the void.”
The goddess of the wild rose and began walking to the tree line.
“Come. We should see if our brother is in fact coming back. And at the very least I cannot allow this abuse of an earth spirit go unaddressed. We have things we must attend to.”
The two went swiftly then to the mountain Milmota, and Silnethren told Kalikel of all the happenings in heaven and earth as they went. Of Aientas’ decree that heaven should be sealed, and of Ikata and Myliayar’s plans to build a new heaven. He also told her about Colthan and Coraadrin, and the gift he had given them in this time.
As they approached the mountain, Kalikel saw the scorched earth and destruction left by the fire spirits. Grief and fear grew in her heart at what had been done. Both siblings readied themselves for battle as they approached. But they encountered no resistance as they entered the tunnel. Down they traveled into the great chamber. It bore now the marks that Thalachou left upon it with consuming mass, but the hideous devourer was not there. Nor were any of the servants of Kilomond or the fire spirits. The great engines that they had powered sat empty and quiet lit now by torches in the absence of the fire spirits. Only Tilsitar remained.
She sat next to a vast chasm in the center of the great chamber, which opened into a black pit, the void which Myliayar opened. On her right rested her great hammer. She seemed weary and ragged; her shirt torn. A burn ran down her left shoulder, the arm hanging limp at her side. She raised her head as the Silnethren and Kalikel approached her, for the siblings judged that she was not a threat to them in her current state. When they were still at some distance, the bellows women spoke.
“I will not fight you.”
Her voice was thin and drained.
“I will not fight you, God of death, Goddess of the wild,” said Tilsitar. “ My task… My hope was false. Your brother was not here and I have made myself a fool.”
“What happened here?” called Silnethren in return, “Where are the others? Where is Thalachou?”
The siblings drew near Tilsitar now, having come around the chasm until they stood behind her on either side.
“After you took the earth spirit from here,” began Tilsitar, eyes fixed somewhere in the void below, “our work progressed quickly. We were unimpeded and Thalachou’s hunger was great. He ate and ate and ate… until we broke through. We did not know what to do once we did. So we widened the opening into the void. Then we waited for our master.”
Tilsitar’s voice broke in this moment, and Silnethren sat down beside her. Tears streaked her face, cutting lines in the dirt and blood on her face. She looked at Silnethren.
“There was no sign of my lord, of your brother. I thought that we would find him when we uncovered the void but he was not there. So we waited.”
A deep sob came from the bellows women.
“I thought that since he had eaten so much of the mountain, his hunger would be sated. And after all he owed our lord so much, as his prodigy. But after waiting for some time Thalachou turned on us. He consumed anyone he could reach. We struggled against him, but his black masses consumed many. In desperation, I and the fire spirits drove him into the pit, the void. And… Thalachou was gone. And there was still no sign of lord Kilomond.”
Tilsitar paused and Silnethren looked at Kalikel who stood behind him and Tilsitar. Sharing a concerned glance with her brother, Kali moved down to the edge of the void, inspecting it for any secrets it might yield. Tilsitar began to speak again.
“I sent those who survived away after that. I know not where they went. I fear I may have caused yet more destruction. The fire spirits are unpredictable and with their grief I do not know what they will do.”
Tilsitar’s breathing became shallow as she spoke. Her eyes flicked rapidly across the void, searching for some solace. “And I gravely injured the earth spirit who dwelled here… and my lord is not here. I have no reason to have done to him what I did.”
She looked Silnethren in his eye. Her face was pale. “What have I done?”
Silnethren sat with Tilsitar while she wept, and Kali investigated the chasm that was the entrance to the void. She searched thoroughly and patiently, and though she did not uncover any sign of Kilomond, she was still uneasy. After some time, she returned to where Tilsitar and Silnethren sat.
Standing some distance from Tilsitar, Silnethren and Kalikel considered what was before them.
“What shall we do, brother?” Questioned Kalikel, “I do not think it is within our power to seal the chasm into the void, but we certainly cannot leave it open here for anyone to find. And what of the bellows women? She should pay for what she did to the earth spirit. Her end will be quick at my hand.”
Silnethren considered for a moment what should be done with the bellows women and then spoke.
“I… I do not think we should kill her. She is grieving like we were… Like I am…” said Silnethren. He breathed deeply into the darkness of the cavern.
Kalikel’s face was grim, meeting Silnethren’s gaze.
“We cannot allow her to roam free. She will cause more harm and chaos if she is left to her own devices. Perhaps we should send her into the void? She could join our brother who she so longs for.”
“No,” replied Silnethren, “If we send her into the void and she finds Kilomond, we would have to contend with both of them when they return. Kilomond would have all the time to fill her with rage and violence against us. Confronting Kilomond by himself is a monumental task. I, Aientas, and Myliayar were all required to vanquish him in the past. I do not wish to fight him and perhaps his most powerful remaining servant together.”
Silnethren paused and looked over the void.
“I think we should send her to Myliayar,” he continued “She would be able to keep a watch on Tilsitar and her project would give Tilsitar something to work on to keep her mind off of our brother. As she goes, she could gather the spirits she encounters. Keep them from burning the countryside as they did above.”
Kalikel nodded silently, looking back over her shoulder towards Tilsitar.
“Who will go with her? I do not trust her to go alone.”
“I would…” replied Silnethren, “But there are many soul-flames that seep into the earth even now. And the horrors they become will yet bring great destruction to the earth.”
Kalikel pursed her lips.
“Then I will take her to the city’s walls. But no further. I have no concern within its walls.”
So it was decided that Kalikel would escort Tilsitar to the city of Irrkengrond. Mistrust against Tilsitar grew from that time in Kalikel’s heart for she saw the hollowed mountain and discerned its maker as a threat to her wild.
And she was right to do so. For in the few moments Tilsitar sat alone as the siblings discussed her fate, something found the bellows women in the darkness that surrounded her as she gazed into the void.
There the voice of Kilomond found Tilsitar in quiet, raging whispers.
