Chapter 18: Leaving the City

Colthan and Coraadrin stayed in the new heavens for a month after the completion of Coraadrin’s body. She longed to reenter the world and begin healing the sick and the needy. Thus the two set out into the world. For many, many years they wandered the earth teaching and healing as they went. But Coraadrin’s thoughts returned to Irrkengrond and she wondered how the city fared. She also wished to visit her mother’s grave, and see what of her family who remained in the city, since so much time had passed since the two had first left the city. 

But when they arrived at Irrkengrond, much had changed since the last time either had set foot in the city, for much time had passed in the building of the new heavens. A thin blue mist hung over the city when they arrived. The walls of the city also seemed to take on this blue hue. The caps of the great towers, once a clear golden amber, seemed now a strange green when they caught the light. At the gate stood a half a dozen guards, all of whom looked weary and tired. 

Coraadrin, with Colthan at her side, approached the captain, asking, “What is the news of the city?”

The captain, leaning on his spear, looked up from cleaning his finger nails, at first lazily, before straightening up on seeing Coraadrin’s stone form, though even as he did so he favored his left leg, stepping toward the couple slowly with a pronounced limp. 

“The news is the same as it always is,” said the captain, “Milyos works on his great project that will save us all. All we must do is wait and be faithful, so he says.”

“I am surprised he has not finished it,” said Colthan, “He was working on it when I was here last…”

“He was working on it in my father’s life, and his father’s life,” replied the captain, “Even my great grandfather’s life was full of the wizards and scholars speaking of his great project…”

“I have not known my brother to take so long on any work,” said Colthan, “It is strange…”

“You are the brother of Milyos!” exclaimed the captain of the guard, “Do you seek entrance to the city? We are glad to welcome you if you are his family!”

“Yes we do,” said Colthan, “My wife and I wish to visit the grave of her mother. In the northern most quarter of the city.”

 He turned quickly to the rest of the guard, “Signal them to open the gate!” 

Turning back, he said to them, “It is a long walk from here. It is on the opposite side of the city. We will also tell the high court that you are here so that our lord Milyos knows that you have come and may come meet you. My lord, you are welcome in the city, though much has likely changed since you have been here last.”

“Thank you,” said Colthan.

“We are very grateful for your welcome,” added Coraadrin. As she walked past the captain, she placed her hand on his shoulder, and for only the briefest moment, her emerald eyes met his. “You have been a faithful servant to this city and your body has suffered for it. Be healed.”

Power flowed from her stone hand, and the captain straightened, his weight distributed evenly on both legs. Only for the slightest of moments did they touch. Before the captain could speak to them again they had entered Irrkengrond. 

Milyos did not come to meet them when they came to the city. Nor did he send an emissary to meet them. So engrossed was he  in his project for mortals, he did not even know that they visited the city. The people of the city likewise had turned their hearts towards magical endeavors, and the further one went into the city the more and more the people had turned to these works. Neighborhoods stood at the edges of the city, much as they once were when the city was first built, but the closer to the great tower one came, more and more shops, inns, homes, and cafes had been transformed into labs and studies and workshops seeking to advance some magical power. Through the windows of these buildings, Colthan and Coraadrin could see grotesque experiments conducted on all kinds of animals. Things that made them grow and twist and change. 

Stopping to look in the window of one of these labs, Colthan turned to Coraadrin.

“What has happened here?” he said, “the streets are so empty, and those who do go about the city move as though they are keeping some great secret.”

“I don’t know,” replied Coraadrin, “This is not the city I walked in as a girl. Everything here has turned inward and the streets are quiet. The people of my home have become quiet and secretive as they pass in the streets. Come let us get the things that I wish to honor my mother with and be through the city quickly.”

When the two arrived at the place in the city where Coraadrin’s mother, Atisha, was buried, a young man was there tending the grave alcoves in the well cemetery. Colthan and Coraadrin descended the stairs silently acknowledging the young man. As it so happened he had just finished cleaning the stone inscribed with Atisha’s name, moving on to the empty alcove next to it, so that when Coraadrin approached the resting place of her mother, the stranger was standing next to her.

“Few come to visit the dead in the city these days, lest they want something from them,” said the young man, “Though I judge by your flowers that you aren’t here to take from the dead.”

“I know my mother would have anything worth taking on her body,” said Coraadrin softly, a hint of a laugh breaking through, “she loved only her family and her alchemical ingredients, which I suspect are not in short supply here.” 

“She has a body and that is enough in this city,” said the man, “Some are so desperate to learn something that might move them up in station that they do not even leave the dead to rest.” 

The man’s voice was sharp with anger and grief. His face was knit with a scowl head to the ground. Silence filled the open basin as he paused in his labor. 

“So why are you here? Lest your mother died more than 800 years ago,” he said, “I doubt she birthed you.”

“She did not birth me in this body, it is true,” replied Coraadrin, “though she did birth me.”

At this the young man looked up and finally beheld Coraadrin’s stone visage. He stepped back confused. 

“Who are you?” the man asked.

“My name is Coraadrin, and I suspect you are cleaning what was meant to be my tomb,” she replied, “These are the graves of my father and brothers who died in the war with Acretia, and of my grandfathers and grandmothers, and my cousins and their children. Who are you?”

“My name is Wilos,” he said, “and these are the tombs of my long dead ancestors. So I guess that makes you some long lost cousin.” Confusion flashed across Wilos’ face as he spoke. He paused for a moment, considering what he should do then continued speaking. “Honour your mother. Then come and eat with me, my sister and my brother, so that you can tell us your story.” 

So they came to Wilos’ home, where he dwelt with his sister, Solma, and his brother, Eltros. It was a simple home on the second floor above a small shop that they tended together selling healing herbs and potions. When they arrived both Coraadrin and Colthan felt a swell of joy seeing that they had continued the healing arts in the city. But the mist that covered the city lingered in Coraadrin’s heart. 

After eating their evening meal, they sat around the table. Coraadrin caught Colthan’s gaze, a deep worry in her eyes. 

Colthan let out a deep sigh. 

“If that is what you believe is best,” said Colthan while standing from the table. “I will let you tell them what they must hear.” 

So Colthan went out from the room to the store below. 

“It is painful to tell you this, Wilsos, Solma and Eltros,” began Coraadrin, “But this is not the city of my mother. I do not know if you ever knew the city as it was in its brighter days, when the streets were full and green with trees and the people shone in the sun greeting each other like its warmth. This mist…I feel it bodes ill. I am not sure what Milyos intends to do in this place but it is not what Ikata intended for the city. All Colthaan knows of it is that Milyos intends to make mortals like himself… whatever that may mean.”

“What are you saying,” said Eltros.

Coraadrin stood and turned away from the three siblings. Pure crystal tears began to fall silently from her emerald eyes.

“What are you asking of us?” asked Solma.

“I am asking you to leave Irrkengrond,” said Coraadrin, “Leave here and go… anywhere else. Colthan and I have wondered much of the world.” 

She paused for a moment, reflecting on her journeys. 

“You should go west, beyond the edge of the great plateau. There are rivers and fields and welcoming folk there. Build a new home. Gather all those who you know who honor the gods and honor Ikata’s intentions for this city. Flee from whatever foolishness Milyos builds in that tower.” 

Wilos looked quickly from Coraadrin to Solma and Eltros. 

“We will need time to think about this. This is the only place that we have ever known,” said Wilos, “and if we are to take others… we will need to plan and prepare…” 

“We will stay with you until you have decided,” replied Coraadrin, “and if you decide to leave we will help you prepare to leave.” 

So Solma, Eltros and Wilos discussed what they should do for the next three days until they settled on a decision. Wilos came and told Coraadrin.

“We have decided that we will leave,” he said to the goddess of healing, “but we ask that you guide us to where you have in mind.”

“Very well,” agreed Coraadrin, “We will guide you there.”

So the three siblings began to gather all who they could find who were of a good name and honored the teaching of Ikata in the city. Some who were faithful chose to stay for the love of the city and the great architecture within, which they had dedicated their lives to preserve. Some feared a long journey and new place, so chose to stay where they called home. But some headed the call and chose to leave Irrkengrond, first city of mortals and gift of Ikata. 

They set out on their journey out of the city and still Milyos took no notice of them. They numbered about 200 and they brought with them all they needed to find a new home. 

Coraadrin and Colthan led them out from Irrkengrond west to the Mosstra Mountains. From there they traveled South until they reached the end of the mountains and again turned west, crossing the river Moss. They then trekked through the woodlands of that place until they reached the head of the Peltisha river. Here they settled because the land was good and the people were welcoming. Those who dwelled there were mainly of elven dissent and called themselves the Olta. The Olta spoke with Coraadrin and Colthan who explained why they had come and that they did not seek to harm any in the land. The Olta found this strange but brought them into their hospitality with great curiosity for many of those who came from Irrkengrond were members of shorter lived mortal forms. For a Olta may know a human and that human’s descendent to the fifth and sixth generation. They have few children for their long lives and little changes for them from day to day. Thus, they found the shorter lived mortals a great interest for the shorter lived mortals like humans and dwarves told stories about a day and a week and a year with the great passion that an Olta might speak about a decade or a century. This brought much joy to the Olta who learned a great appreciation for the smallest spans of time from these stories. In return the Olta passed on the stories brought from Irrkengrond to everyone in the land, for their long lives allowed them to tell them again and again, perfecting each tale over the course of thousands of retellings in their own lives. 

The Olta called that land Namossada, the forest between rivers in their own tongue. But those who came from Irrkengrond called the land Atisha, after the mother of the great goddess who brought them there.