Staff of Shigmar: Chapter 10, Part 1

16 May 2026

Again, we must apologize, for the “magic box” in the garage that connects us to the outside world lost some crucial code after working for less than a day. The techs finally arrived yesterday afternoon, and after wrangling with the manufacturer of the box, managed to get it working again . . . and it still is working. . . .

In today’s installment of the second book of our epic, Staff of Shigmar, our chosen heroes return to their starting point in Shigmar’s tomb, discovering that the inscription in the archway has changed. . . . (9 February 2015) We remind all readers that this book, Staff of Shigmar, as also the first book, is free for download from Smashwords! Glossary links: Book 2, Book 1

Chapter 10, Part 1

There are times healing when the kailu must admit defeat, must recognize that the patient’s life has run its course and the patient should be allowed to die; this decision–to stop healing–is probably the most difficult that we ever face. . . .

Tarlana, Headmistress of Shigmar, 167-194

“Is this the same room as before?” Klaybear asked, looking around.

“Look,” Tevvy said, pointing, “there is the sling bullet I threw into the room.”

Blakstar pointed to the wall. “And isn’t that the crate that contained your weapon and armor?”

“But the inscription is different,” Thal noted, pointing at the archway that had lead them to the earth realm, “so the inscription must change as we successfully pass through each of the five realms.”

“Why couldn’t we,” Tevvy began, “just skip the other realms, and go directly to Shigmar’s tomb. Wouldn’t that save time?” he finished, raising his hands.

“I don’t think we could,” Thal said, shaking his head. “The fact that the inscription has changed indicates that we must progress forward through each realm before we can enter the place where the staff lies. Remember that Shigmar told us that this was a test, mostly to prevent the staff from falling into any hands but ours.”

“Wouldn’t it have been simpler,” Tevvy said, “simply to prevent anyone but us from entering? Surely the fact that the founders knew us well enough to create these,” he pointed to his black leather bracers, “means they could have locked the staff away in a place that only we could enter.”

“They did,” Blakstar said impatiently, “this place.”

“I meant,” Tevvy said, throwing up his hands in exasperation, “some place that was easier for us to enter than this one is.”

“If they made it easy for us,” Blakstar growled, “it would be easy for anyone, and the staff would have been removed long before now.”

“Let’s examine the inscription,” Klaybear said, cutting off further argument.

Thal moved closer to the archway and ran his fingers over the new words. “Creatures made of heat alone,” he translated, then pointed to the first word of the second line. “I’m not sure about this one, it means, literally, those who make statues sacred,” he noted, and Klaybear interrupted him.

“Idolaters,” Klaybear said, “people who worship idols, or statues.”

Thal nodded. “Your realm, more than mine, I think,” he said, then looked back at the inscription. “Then I should think the line reads, idolaters worship us, the right-wise. . . .”

“Righteous,” Klaybear inserted.

“The righteous,” Thal corrected himself, “hold us in high regard, always the source of heat,” he finished, thinking for a moment before speaking again. “Fire,” he said, “we must next pass through the realm of fire.”

Tevvy groaned. “So instead of constant earthquakes and grinding boulders, flame spouts and blistering heat? That’s just great!” he added sarcastically, throwing up his hands.

Thal nodded. “Since we have a better idea of what to expect, what can we do to prepare?”

“Can’t I just sit this one out?” Tevvy asked plaintively.

Klaybear shook his head. “I don’t think so,” he said, “since Shigmar told us that the four of us had to pass through the test.” He turned to Thal. “There is one orthek I can cast on us, an orthek that will help us better tolerate the heat, but it is not very powerful, because I’m not very powerful, and it requires a drop of argwiwo, a very expensive and rare item, of which I have very little: for the four of us, maybe two applications.”

“How long would that last?” Thal asked.

“Maybe fifteen minutes each,” Klaybear replied, “if the heat is not too intense.”

“I think we can count on the heat being ‘too intense,’” Tevvy noted wryly.

Thal nodded. “I suspect that you are right,” he said. “Thirty minutes, then, it took us several hours to get through the earth realm, it won’t be enough,” he finished softly, speaking to himself.

“I should add,” Blakstar said, “that part of my training included surviving extreme conditions, and with heat the advice was to keep a cool head.”

Tevvy snorted. “That is the problem!”

Thal frowned at Tevvy. “How did they tell you to do that?” he asked the kortexi.

“Cover your head, and neck, with a cloth,” Blakstar said, “and keep the cloth damp.”

“That sounds like an awful waste of water,” Tevvy said, “water that could be drunk, rather than dumped over one’s head to evaporate.”

“The evaporation,” Blakstar replied, “is what keeps you cool.”

“We will also need,” Thal went on, “some kind of shield, to protect us from flame spouts, if, as Tevvy believes, we are assaulted in that way. I can create a shield, but, like Klaybear, it will not be very powerful, or proof against all.”

“Do you think there might be something here that will help us?” Blakstar asked. “Extra filled waterskins would be helpful.”

“The extra containers would be enough,” Klaybear said. “We kailum work many of our ortheks using the element of water, so I can create as much as we need, at least until I run out of energy.”

Blakstar went and opened the crate next to the one that had Klaybear’s armor and weapon. The others followed. The kortexi lifted up several empty, canvas water bags and handed them to Klaybear.

Klaybear took them, one eyebrow rising. He examined them carefully, and was surprised to find that they looked newly made. “How is it possible,” he noted, holding up one of the bags, “that this could survive three and a half millennia and still look brand new?”

“Not only that,” Tevvy added, “how would any of this stuff still be here, if others have tried to enter the tomb? We saw the signs in the earth realm that someone had died there.”

Thal shrugged. “It is a one way trip,” he said, “the only way out, once you enter, is with the staff.”

Blakstar pulled a small crystal vial from the crate and held it up for the others to see. “What’s this?” he asked, looking closely at the vial, then handing it to the maghi.

Thal took it, then he smiled, handing it to Klaybear. “Will this help?” he asked.

Klaybear looked at the vial, then shook his head. “Do you have any idea how much this would cost? There’s more here than I have ever seen, and if we sold it, we could all live comfortably for the rest of our lives.” He slipped the vial into one of his pockets; Tevvy was eyeing him closely.

Blakstar was watching the awemi, watching Klaybear. “If it goes missing . . . ,” the kortexi said, glaring at Tevvy, but not finishing his thought.

Tevvy jerked his eyes away, looking at the kortexi. “I had no such thought,” he noted, looking away quickly.

“Well, that will enable me to cast the protection orthek,” Klaybear said, turning the subject back to what they were about to do, “until I run out of energy.”

“There are several small bottles in here,” Blakstar said, having turned from glaring at Tevvy back to the crate. He picked up one of the small bottles and passed it to Thal.

Thal took it, his breath hissing past his teeth as he touched it. He transferred it to his other hand, using his sleeve to hold it. “It is icy cold,” he noted, seeing the others looking at him. He held it up to look at the symbols on its label. He smiled widely as he read the symbols, “potopator ghwerpuri,” he said, “a potion of heat protection; there is only one white maghi who could create such a potion today.” He looked at Blakstar. “How many are there?”

“It looks like enough for two each,” Blakstar replied.

Thal shook his head. “Another fortune,” he noted, “if we sold them.” He slipped the small bottle into his belt pouch, along with the second Blakstar handed him. The others also took their portion of the small bottles.

“How long will these last?” Klaybear asked.

“Depends on how potent each one is,” Thal replied, “an hour, maybe longer.”

“Now we just need some cloth,” Blakstar said, reaching again into the crate. He shifted things around for a moment, then pulled out a bundle of thick, white cloth. “This is the kind of material used for towels,” he noted, “it should work quite well.” He passed the bundle to Klaybear, who found, when he opened the bundle, four hoods–one of them smaller–that they could throw over their heads, with bands sewn on the inside of the hoods at neck level to hold them in place. Klaybear handed the smaller one to Tevvy, one each to Blakstar and Thal, and threw the last one over his head, tying it in place.

“Hold up the water bags,” Klaybear said, taking his staff out. Blakstar held up two bags, and Klaybear touched each with his staff and said, “kreyakwa.” Each bag suddenly filled.

Blakstar slung the two bags crosswise over his shoulders, with each bag hanging under his arms at waist level. He then held out the remaining bag, which Klaybear filled, then slung over his shoulder. The kailu touched each hood, whispered the same word, and each hood was suddenly drenched in water. He nodded to Thal.

The white maghi turned to the arch and touched the fire symbol with a glowing finger, bringing the archway to life for the second time.

Klaybear took the small bottle of argwiwo from his belt and handed it to Thal. “Open it and hold it up for me,” he said, and waited until Thal opened the bottle. He took the small dropper out, and put one drop on each person’s head, beneath the hood, including his own. He touched the spot of argwiwo on each head, and said, “nemfagelu.”

Tevvy shivered. “That’s cold!” he exclaimed.

“It won’t be as soon as we step through that archway,” Blakstar noted.

They stepped from cool darkness into a furnace, lit with red light, the air so thick with heat that breathing was painful, walking difficult. The water dripping from their hoods hissed and turned to steam as soon as it touched the blackened stones beneath their feet. Tevvy danced from one foot to another, digging frantically in his pack for a moment before removing a pair of thick leather-soled sandals. However, he could not stand on one foot long enough to get one sandal on the other foot. The kortexi, seeing Tevvy’s plight, lifted the awemi off of the ground and held him in the air until Tevvy managed to tie on his sandals. Blakstar set him back on his feet.

“Thanks,” Tevvy whispered, his voice echoing dully.

The kortexi nodded, but refrained from speaking. . . .

Next week, on Tuesday (as long as the magic box continues to perform) come back for another installment of this tale, where we will see them enter this realm of elemental fire, where the test is much different from the one they have already faced and overcome! For those who wish to read on, get a full ebook copy from Smashwords for free! If you prefer print, purchase your copy from the link provided. Good reading.