Throngs of Misfits, second edition, an Epic Fantasy: The Assembly of Thirteen, a Sword and Sorcery Fantasy book

By Omayra Vélez

Second Edition

The Quetzan saga continues in Throngs of Misfits. June Dunbar triggered the beginning of the Assembly, but she had to leave Opal in the care of Lord Randall while she went to save another. However, Opal is not safe. She must leave

• Language: English
• Publisher: Omayra Velez
• Release date: Sep 20, 2022
• ISBN: 9781959443049

Omayra Vélez

Omayra Vélez has been a scientist, researcher, teacher, Army Officer, but now she is retired and finally has the time to write. The years in the Army gave her the opportunity to travel around the world and gather wonderful experiences, which she now uses to write her books. For now, she lives in Florida and she is enjoying the sunny beaches of Florida. The warm waters make life blissful. Currently, she is a busy bee writing her books and working on making a family greenhouse. Her life is full of crazy fun with her service dog Dexxy.

Book preview

Throngs of Misfits: The Assembly of Thirteen, book II

BY

OMAYRA VÉLEZ

Second Edition

Copyright

Throngs of Misfits: The Assembly of Thirteen Series, Book II

Copyright 2018, Omayra Vélez, the illustration design is under Omayra Vélez Copyright, all rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced wholly, or in part, in any form, by any electronic or mechanical means, including within information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. Exceptionally, reviewers may quote brief passages not exceeding 0.5% of the whole, which may be pertinent to their reviews.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Vélez, Omayra, author.

Title: Throngs of Misfits, The Assembly of Thirteen series, book II/Omayra Vélez

Description: Florida: Omayra Vélez [2018]

Series: The Assembly of Thirteen

Identifiers: ISBN 978-0-578-41657-1 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-959443-03-2 (Paperback) Second Edition

ISBN 978-0-578-41658-8 (eBook)

ISBN 978-1-959443-04-9 (eBook) Second Edition

ISBN 978-1-7364473-5-2 (Hardback)

ISBN 978-1-959443-05-6 (Hardback) Second Edition

Subjects: Quetza Empire (Imaginary Place) – Fiction. | Fantasy

Fiction. | Epic fiction. | BISAC: FICTION / Fantasy / High. | FICTION / Action & Adventure. | FICTION / Science Fiction / Adventure.

Classification: LCC TXu 2-102-600

eBook ISBN 978-0-578-41658-8

ISBN 978-1-959443-04-9 (eBook) Second Edition

www.omayra-velez.com

Dedication

We can choose many things in life. We can choose our friends, where to live, our jobs, but not our families. I did not choose my parents. They wanted me!

They gave me everything they had to give. Now I want to give them the world. But the only world that is mine to give is Quetza.

Mom and Dad, this one is for you.

For Ignacio and Anna

Acknowledgements

First, I must thank Jesus for his love and Salvation; without him, I’d be dead.

Second, I want to thank many people who have helped me along the way. My writing career did not start when I wrote the first book of The Assembly of Thirteen. It started many years ago when I was but a young woman in my teens. But my number one fan and friend was my grandfather, Ignacio Vélez. He encouraged me to always pursue my passion. He knew my character and personality better than anyone alive. So, all the books I write are in honor of his memory.

Then there are those friends that are so rare, and you find by happenstance. That was what happened with my friend first and editor second, Katherine. I battle mental illness daily and I must work around many concentration issues, but my friend and editor Kathy knows which words to say to get me going and through those ugly funks. I hope one day to meet you in person. I also want to thank my proofreader and my illustrator. You both are fantastic in your craft. Thank you for your patience with me. There are many others to thank but there are many other books, so look for your name in those.

Map of The Empire of Quetza

Table of Contents

Throngs of Misfits: The Assembly of Thirteen, book II

Copyright

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Map of The Empire of Quetza

THE PROMISE

PART 1: THE BLACK COMPANION— Guess Who?

CHAPTER 1:

When All Your Bones Are Broken, But You Must Swim

CHAPTER 2

Let’s Get Out of Here

CHAPTER 3

Career Change

CHAPTER 4

The Witch, the Emperor, the Slave and the Room Inside a Room

CHAPTER 5

Lace the Wife and Tuan the Husband

CHAPTER 6

If You Don’t Apologize Right Now, I Will Fire You!

CHAPTER 7

The Witches’ Request

CHAPTER 8

We Are Escaped Slaves!

CHAPTER 9

Scary Eyes

CHAPTER 10

Why Does This Always Happen to Us?

CHAPTER 11

I Found Two of the Same!

PART 2: EVIL FROM WITHIN

CHAPTER 12

Never Let Your Mom Drive Angry

CHAPTER 13

A Hate, Which Arose from Burned Love

CHAPTER 14

On the Way to Insanity

CHAPTER 15

A Light in the Town of Potano

CHAPTER 16

The Assassination and the Monster Father

PART 3: THE RED COMPANION JUDGE — Kara —

CHAPTER 17

Kuroi Meets Her Companion Kara

CHAPTER 18

I’m Still Hearing Voices

CHAPTER 19

Someone Interesting

CHAPTER 20

It’s Dark in Here

CHAPTER 21

Warrior Lords, Keepers of the Dragons

PART 4:

The Escape from The Castle:

CHAPTER 22

Something Moved

CHAPTER 23

Lies, Lies and more Lies, all for June

CHAPTER 24

Never Let Your Guard Down

CHAPTER 25

The Witch, the Duke, and the Servants

CHAPTER 26

The Trip North

CHAPTER 27

We Must Travel East

CHAPTER 28

Emperor Klastos’s New Army

CHAPTER 29

Down the Cliff, One Plus One Makes All

CHAPTER 30

Evil Finds a Precious Stone

CHAPTER 31

Your First and Only Chance

CHAPTER 32

We Must Return to the Castle, Now!

EPILOGUE

Brother on a Different Path

Appendixes

Key Athany Leadership and other Characters within the Castle

Key Characters

Glossary of Terms

Quetzan and Falestos-Equivalent Timeline: History

Falestos Family

Tolenko Family

THE PROMISE

QUETZA, YEAR 736 (in the 422nd year of the Falestos reign), 62 YEARS BEFORE JUNE’S ARRIVAL

The chill in the air made the teeth of anyone brave or foolish enough to venture out vibrate, with a chattering and a clanking and cracking sound that may have been the rhythm of a winter song, the music of a freezing night. No moon could be seen in the sky and the ground was covered with the hush of darkness; only a squish, squash, scrunch on the soft, freshly fallen blanket of snow could be heard, sounding even louder in the utter stillness of the night. Birds had long ago migrated to warmer climates and larger animals, like bears, were all hibernating, sleeping the cold away and preparing for the spring to come.

One by one the friends gathered, exchanging salutations and hugs before starting their night’s affairs. For the general population, the legitimate way of selecting a leader was all but forgotten, but there were a remaining few who recalled the true ways. The Falestos were not the rightful rulers. They were the usurpers in the Empire of Quetza, the ones who were bringing about the slow death of the land and the disappearance of magic.

The Koddy and Lavei had both been persecuted for years, but now they were nearing extinction and Emperor Cartaneo had ruled them to be second-class citizens. If a male, female, or child Koddy was caught breaking any law, the only sentence was death. They were not even permitted to be transformed into Hagos, as the transformation gave them a chance at life and that was not what Emperor Cartaneo desired.

The Lavei hid their villages by using the Blue Trees or through magic, but magic was in high demand and short supply. The people of Quetza were kept in constant ignorance by the sheer arrogance and conniving machinations of the Falestos. The emperor’s motto was: Keep the people fed, entertained and stupid. He knew if his people went to bed with full tummies and were sated with rum, they would not really want to know what was going on, nor question their Emperor.

The Falestos did just that and ensured those who wanted change stayed quiet through fear. The Hagos guaranteed the national state of fear and were the embodiment of all things undesirable: an ever-so-real bogeyman of the people, for the people and sadly, by the people’s approval.

Moreover, playing on the ignorance of the Quetzan general populace, Emperor Cartaneo Falestos carried out a systematic destruction of all the Red Trees (he could not focus on the Blue Trees as they remained hidden during the day). He used the excuse that the trees were causing the blight; that had killed hundreds of people in the southern towns of Vanyan. Thus, the Emperor ensured no Red Companion Judge could step forward to guard the two Gift-Vessels in his or her charge.

But despite this miasma of fear and ignorance, on this cold winter night, under the cover of the Queen Blue Tree in the Forest of the Living Dead, a group of Elders, Gifted and magical beings gathered to search for a way toward peace and to determine what they could do to bring down the Falestos’ reign.

Their gathering was treasonous, and they would probably instigate one or more criminal acts, but they did it for freedom and peace for their people, their families, themselves, and for Quetza. The Koddy, Lavei, Athany, Fairies, Humans (including the Warrior Dragon-Keepers with their own unique magic), and one of the last Geners came together to find a way to reach an elusive state of freedom.

They lit no fire, had no hall or cozy room to make merry in before their discussions. They were weary from the cold and the silence of the forest made their tired bodies even more aware of the necessity for brevity. Their only source of light was the soft glow emanating from the Gift-Vessels’ and Athanys’ hands.

In hushed words, they made their thoughts known, with the uncertain anxiety that maybe one of the others might be a traitor to their group. These days you could never relax; there were spies everywhere. The Athany leader Yako Mertano Chelao and his right-hand fighter Lady Peneas Ter Kushtaneo presided over the meeting. They were like two walking towers.

Peneas had a mass of the most beautiful long pinkish-white braids, left loose down her back, a fierce warrior. The first of the others was the youngest son of the Koddy King Noire. The young Prince Tamon B’Jen Noire had a well-built body and a head well covered. He could not be caught outside the Western Kingdom.

Queen Myla and her right hand and best warrior Jürgen were representing the race of the Vanyan Fairies and the wisest Elder and Gift-Magi Tola of the Lavei, from the Cliff of Tears; all arrived together flying on a well-camouflaged Gurg bird. The Water Gift-Vessel Horatio Tolenko the IV appeared from the mist in the air, along with the Grand Duke of Tilo, Rudstin Laine and his five-year-old son the Viscount of Shine, Yowan Laine.

These ladies and gentlemen arrived first and were greeting one another when, from the southern Kingdom of Karkat, the priest, David Von Liebe, walked quietly in among them, almost as if he floated over the ground. He represented the last of the Helathy Priests of Quetza. He brought along his son Davik. Just as they were about to hug each other, the last of the members to complete the group arrived: Qarhentio Visante, Warrior Lord of the mountain Dragon-Keepers appeared, followed last by Bratton Xonui, the only Gener Elder left in Vanyan.

Despite the danger of meeting like this, I requested all of you to be here for one reason, yet it’s imperative we act now. As you may well know, Emperor Cartaneo has ordered the destruction of all the Red Trees. He has given direct orders to the Athany to help him find and destroy the trees, an order we cannot circumvent. Without the Red Trees, there will be no more Red Companion Judges. Our hopes for a new leader, selected by the Assembly, will be gone with the memory of the trees, said Yako.

His muscled arms, crossed in front of his chest, revealed his glowing red tattoos; scars carved their history into his face, yet his eyes were full of concern. Lady Peneas, looking grim, could only nod in agreement at what Yako was saying. The warrior Athany woman also had scars along the left side of her face. She had seen her fair share of battles and for sure like all other Athany wanted no more wars. Her hair rattled as she walked—one bead was attached to her braids for every war in which she had battled. She had dozens of beads.

We have the Ring and Box of the Chosen with us. They both must be given to the Miracle-Magi Gift-Vessel and they must leave the Judges’ Castle. The emperor has asked we give him the Ring, but Lady Uhna has told him it wasn’t in the castle; thus, now, it must be out of the castle, said Peneas.

Why are the Ring and Box so important? asked Tola.

They start the formation of the Blue Companion Judge. The Miracle-Magi is always the keeper of both. She or he chooses the best of the Athany to be the next Blue Companion. In the absence of a Miracle-Magi Gift-Vessel, the Athany keep both the Ring and Box and select among themselves the next Blue Companion Judge. The Queen Blue Tree has selected a Blue Companion Judge but once, maybe twice, that we know of, said Yako.

Then why go after the Red Trees? You would think he’d go after the Blue Trees, since the Blue Companion always starts the process, said Duke Laine.

Because the Blue Trees are hard to find during the day and they only glow at night when there is a Gift-Vessel or a Companion nearby, answered David.

There must be something—anything—we can do to stop this order from Cartaneo, said Prince Tamon.

The destruction is already under way. The Fairies that were protecting the blooming of the Red Trees in the northern Kingdom of Tilo have been destroyed with the trees, and the few Fairies that survived are slowly going insane, said Queen Myla.

There must be a purpose for this meeting. If there is nothing we can do, then I risked my life to be here for nothing! said Bratton. His Gener fangs were retracted like the fangs of snakes and his tattoos covered his adult body markings to enable him to blend in society.

You’re right. There is a way to ensure we have at least one last Red Companion. Although there is still one Red Tree hidden in our land, without the presence of the other trees to commune with, we fear it will soon die. So, for years, we’ve been collecting the fibers of the tree and making clothing. We believe that if a sufficiently powerful Healer-Magi Gift-Vessel is infused with the fibers, then he or she can make a Red Companion. This may just be a myth, but we have always believed it to be true, said Qarhentio.

But how can any of this be of use to us? said Horatio Tolenko.

It could give us one last chance at having an Assembly with both a Blue and Red Companion, said Tola.

Her long fingers were caressing the fur of her dog. Tola’s lean body made her stand out from the rest, but her wisdom and peace were evident in her relaxed stance during this tense gathering.

What does your family say about the emperor’s orders to destroy the Red Trees? And do they know you are here with us? Do they know of this meeting? asked Tola.

Duke Laine’s hooded head looked down and he listened intently. He had said little throughout the meeting, heeding what the others had been surely thinking of ways to help.

My family knows nothing of this meeting. I gave a vow of fealty to the Helathy God. David here can vouch for me. We need a new Emperor and I want to help, said Rudstin.

Tola, leave him be. Rudstin has gained my trust. What none of us have discussed is the fact that once we have the new leader, there will be war. The Falestos will never give up power willingly. They will never give up the throne without a fight, said David.

Tola raised her hand and made all stay quiet. I hear a sound not too far away, said Tola. The forest was in relative silence until all heard noises in the distance. Tola was a Lavei so her hearing was better than most. She climbed a tree as fast as a leery monkey, to see if anyone was approaching. After looking around thoroughly, she quickly came down.

It appears there is a large contingent of castle guards heading this way. We don’t have much time, said Tola.

I say we make a promise and a vow, said Bratton in a rushed voice.

We all want and need a new Assembly of Thirteen to come forth. We need a new leader, said Peneas.

We all must be willing to give something to present our request to the God of Life and Truth, said the Helathy priest. David’s six-year-old son Davik was standing quietly next to his father, listening to all that was being said.

I vouch for the help of the Athany; we will fight next to the Companions when the time comes, and if we die, then so be it. It is about time we do something good, said Yako.

I am willing to give my heart and might to this endeavor, said Peneas.

I will give the strongest of my descendants to the task. The Gener Priests placed the curse on the Athany. When the time comes to form the Assembly of Thirteen and have unity, I’ll make sure a Gener will be blessing the union, said Bratton.

I will give my best warriors, the ones I trust the most, to this quest and when the time comes to fight, the Koddy will be ready, said Tamon.

We will give a trunk full of the essence of the Red Trees, but it must not stay with my people. It must be removed from our lands, far from the one remaining Red Tree, in case the Tree dies, and the magic goes with it. But the trunk must be given to a Healer Gift-Vessel within three generations after us. We are not sure whether the magic will last past the third generation. When the time comes to fight, the few dragons still alive will be trained and ready to fight along with their warrior trainers, said Qarhentio.

I, and my family after me, will keep the trunk containing the essence of the Red Tree. We will give it to the next Healer Gift-Vessel child we encounter. May the Lord of Truth and Life let us encounter the Healer-Magi, him, or her, who will come next. We will also spread the news of the old ways whenever and wherever we can, said Horatio Tolenko.

I will vow my race’s allegiance, but in my dreams, I only see this arising if a Gift-Vessel gives us aid when we need it the most. We have lost the most from Humans and no Gift-Vessel has ever been born from my people, said Queen Myla.

My Queen, I must give my own promise. I will give all, everything I am, even my life, to make the Assembly of Thirteen happen, said Jürgen.

My people guard the entrance to the pit of the Gurg, said Tola stroking the snout of her giant animal, thus when we hear of the Red Companion’s birth, we will ensure a lover of Quetza will follow the Path of the Righteous. This outcome will bring blessings to our quest. When the time is right, we will bring the Gurg into the fight with us, said Tola.

I will keep the Ring and Box of the Chosen safe and my men will fight along with the Athany in the war to dethrone the Falestos. We will not leave without a fight. I will make sure to find a way to give the ring to the Miracle-Magi in the third generation, said Duke Laine. His son Yowan was listening to his father’s promise.

I will give my son, Davik, as the guardian of this promise, said David.

Davik heard his father’s promise and in his youthful innocence he said, May our god grant us all our request and the Lord of Truth and Life place the healer directly in your path, Sir Horatio.

All in the group were standing near each other when they said their promise and the roots of the Blue Trees began to glow and shine, sending sparks of light to the feet of all making their promise. They all made a cut in their hands and they shook each other’s bloody hands. Then they touched the Queen Blue Tree’s roots to seal their pact.

Once done, they all quickly left, running in the opposite direction to the castle guards. All except Yako and Peneas, who made lots of noise to take the soldiers’ attention away from the tree, drawing them to a nearby practice arena.

What are you doing here in this late hour, shouted one of the guards.

I am showing my master the moves I am going to teach my students tomorrow, said Peneas.

I must know what my future warriors are learning, said Yako standing tall.

It is late; is your training over? asked one of the guards.

We are almost done, said Peneas.

We will wait here for you, said one of the guards.

No need to wait. I am already tired. Let’s go Peneas. It’s late and I have an early morning tomorrow, said Yako. The guards and the two Athany walked together back to the Castle in silence and in all of that giving the others time to escape, and the Queen Tree began her 62-year-long prayer.

Peneas Ter Kushtaneo returned to the castle with hope for the future and fully believing she was to give her life to The Promise. But twenty years after The Promise, during the next campaign of the Emperor, Peneas lay dying on the battlefield with mortal wounds, bleeding to death. She believed her promise would be lost forever, thereby damning the Athany to servitude forever. Death’s stench surrounded her. The dark sky became an omen for doom. It had been raining for days making the ground slushy. Mud caked everything, all around, making a hard, cool paste. Just as she was giving up hope, the joy of Peneas heart came running to her.

Momma, Momma, get up! Get up! We must move forward. You are not going die today. Open your eyes, now! Warrior, stay with me, said Kara Ter Kushtaneo.

Peneas touched her daughter’s face with bloody, shaky hands and the love only a mother has for her child. She spoke, in a pain-stricken voice, words from the ancient language of the old magic:

Nire bihotza eta ahalmena ematen ditut, eman dezakegun onena, nire alaba promesa nire ordez.

Momma, what are you saying? Momma, please get up. Please Momma, come with me. Healer Youh will make you better! cried Kara, trying to lift her mother from the ground and to get her to sit. The ground was wet and slippery, making it impossible for Kara to get a good grip on her mother.

I love you, Kara! Peneas looked at her daughter with glazed eyes. Her eyes were losing the bright shine of life and a brume of death engulfed and accompanied her last exhalation, signifying the release coming with death. One more death, but this time it was Kara’s mother. She took her mother in her arms. I love you too mother, whispered Kara. In that moment, sobbing and holding her mother’s body, the life ebbing away from it.

Oh god of Truth and Life, please take me instead of my mother. I don’t want to live without her. Please take me and not her. My mother is a loving soul, said Kara.

Peneas was Kara’s only living relative. Her father had died before she was born and all of Peneas’ family were dead or sleeping. Peneas’ mother, Kara’s grandmother, was one of the Elders who had vowed to sleep until it was time for the Athany to fight for their freedom. Warm tears fell down Kara’s cheeks, falling on her mother’s forehead and Kara’s hands.

As Peneas’ life extinguished and a massive storm unleashed, freezing rain falling hard, with drops so heavy they hurt like needles punching into the skin. Thunder and lightning mimicking the tumultuous emotions roiling like a mighty storm raging through Kara’s heart.

Kara’s sorrow and intense sobbing made her entire body shake. They were explosive emotions, all stemming from the pain of watching a mother die slowly from her mortal wounds on the battlefield. Warriors ran pass her. The battle waging on around them. Blood splattered over Kara. A Koddy man came at her with an ax. She didn’t care. She looked at the man, her mother in her arms and she closed her eyes. Then there was the clang of a sword against sword. Kara opened her eyes to see her lover Jon sword against the Koddy’s sword. Jon pushed the Koddy on the ground and stabbed him in his throat.

Kara, let’s go, said Jon and he kept fighting around his beloved. Numbed, Kara looked around and the battle going around her.

There were dismembered Koddy and destruction all around her. No longer bodies but carcasses of innocent Koddy and Athany, dead because of a mad Emperor. She felt an unbearable pain, only for it to be replaced by anguish and regret and so much hatred for the emperor. But since her god would not let her mother live, then she, Kara Ter Kushtaneo, would live to see the day the Falestos would be overthrown.

Peneas had died in the arms of her daughter. Kara clutched her mother tight in a last embrace; every bone, every patch of her skin covered by clothing and not covered by armor, and every fiber of her being felt the sudden electric pain of loneliness. Kara never knew that her mother’s promise said:

I give my heart and might, the best I can give, my only daughter to The Promise in my stead.

PART 1:

THE BLACK COMPANION— Guess Who?

CHAPTER 1:

When All Your Bones Are Broken,

But You Must Swim

Quetzan Year 798, Approaching the Year-End

This is the last time I’ll help anyone. Yeah, buddy, as if anyone cares. You’re going to be dead in a few hours. Karl, my man, this is the end—the last moments for anything! Karl thought to himself from inside the father of all Black Spires.

After the sounds of battle had stopped and silence came down, Karl had woken up repeatedly, each time in a more convoluted position inside the spire. First, he was sitting upright, next time he was slouching. Slowly, he was losing all will to live. His broken body hurt, and he could not move. But when he next woke, lying sideways inside the Black Spire and could not even turn onto his back, Karl cursed all his ancestors.

Karl woke to the telltale aroma of urine and feces. He gagged and the vomited what little he had in his stomach.

I want to die. My chest hurts, but I can’t feel my legs said Karl to himself. How could a human survive inside a Black Spire?

Karl’s felt his twisted to the side, he felt bones tearing through his skin on both his arms, and when he looked down with the little light that came from the top of the Spire he saw one leg out of the knee to the left, and the other the bone stuck out on his ankle. Goodness knew what internal injuries he may have sustained to his abdominal organs. His body was bathed in sweat, but he was only aware of the sweat drenching his face.

He needed water and the thought of dying alone made him want to scream. From the bones of both his legs protruding through his skin blood oozed slowly. Splinters of bones were poking out here and there and making a gory spectacle of grossness; blood caked on his hair. He was going to depart the world the same way he entered it: in a box of blood.

I don’t want to die in a hole full of blood, said Karl out loud, but none but himself could hear. His right leg was twisted, but it had not detached from his upper body. His dislocated left shoulder hurt. He could not feel or see his right arm at all, despite the light coming from above. What time was it? Karl didn’t know.

I want to die now. If there is a god. Hear me, can I die now? I just want out of this pain, said Karl. He knew death was coming and was thankful; at least he could feel nothing below his waist.

But it was not Karl’s time to meet the Creator; something was holding him back, keeping him in the land of the living. He fell asleep again.

Karl closed his eyes and sleep took him. It was more exhaustion than anything else, but this time the spire filled with glowing water. It engulfed his body completely shining bright on all his broken bones and making his entire body shined green.

When he slowly woke up a fourth time, it was to a sharp excruciating pain. So much for not feeling anything below my waist! He had been a Pit fighter for all his adult life, and pain had not engulfed his entire body the way he was feeling now. He felt sharp knives made of stone stabbing his back. There were tortuous tourniquets around his arms and his legs, throbbing on and off.

Karl had that feeling of running, sprinting at full speed, then stopping, the shortness of breath, the gaging sensation of having straw in one’s throat. Coughing resulted in a sharp, stinging pain in his left temple from the movements in his neck and head; each time a bout of coughing caused him pain in his neck and excruciating pain in his head.

Right in the middle of his misery, Karl noticed that the hole inside of the spire was filled with clean, clear water up to his chest. He was seated. How he got to that position he did not know. And there were no feces or evidence of urine to make him want to gag. There was no blood. His legs were stretched out straight in front of him and his arms were floating languidly by his sides. The water level raised slowly.

No, the water level is going up, said Karl. It reached his neck and then it stopped. Karl dunked his face in the water. The chill of the water refreshed his body and face, and in silent prayer he thanked whichever god was listening for this more dignified way to die. But deep in the recesses of his captivity, within the spire, a glimmer of hope came in the form of a stream of light from the full moon above.

The light he saw radiating down to him from the top of the spire was a silver stream of heavenly illumination, making him feel everything; the good along with the bad. The pain was undeniable, but he could feel more. A sensation was coming from the pressure made by the air and water around him. The coolness of the night and the soft rippling of the water, the trembling vibrations from the ground, made by the steps of the people walking around the outside of the spire—he felt it all. Karl bent his head and drank some of the clear water. A mist of luminescent light, glowing with red, yellow, green, and white colors, appeared before him and enveloped Karl in a shroud.

A light so bright came from the mist, making all seem like a dream, and the shape of the face of Karl’s mother came forward, her hand caressed his face. A gentle touch, like when his mother used to kiss his face as a child. That touch gave Karl a much-needed reprieve from his pain, followed by a peaceful rest. She gave him a good night kiss and Karl slept. Sleep overtook him once more as the water level rose; softly the waters of life caressed his cheek and made all his concerns disappear.

Karl woke again and this time the spire appeared to have shrunk, nudging Karl’s body into an upright position, and he was experiencing no pain at all. But he was standing, bobbing in water, submerged to his neck. Karl opened his eyes groggily and noticed he wasn’t alone. There was a Koddy woman inside the