Staff of Shigmar: Chapter 15, Part 5

3 July 2026

As tomorrow is the 250th birthday of our country, I’ve swapped what should have been today’s Poet’s Corner to tomorrow; instead, we will continue with tomorrow’s post from our epic fantasy. In today’s installment from the second book of our epic, Staff of Shigmar, we reach the citadel of the rulers of the air realm; we also learn a legend concerning this world’s remote past, seeing the original ancestor of all aperum. . . . (6 July 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 15, Part 5

The others turned and saw a fortress of black stone perched atop a cloud, with high walls, tall towers and battlements; it grew larger at a rate faster than it should have, leading the companions to conclude that they were moving very fast through the air.

“That is the home of Wethkuro,” Felorno said, and they could suddenly hear horns blowing from the towers, hailing their immanent arrival. The aperum were turning to bring them next to the front of the fortress, and, as soon as the stone circle touched the edge of the cobblestone road leading down from the gate, the harnesses fell off the aperum, and the three flew up and landed on the parapet over the huge gate. “There is a final test that you must pass,” Felorno said, softly. “Since you are not creatures of this realm, you cannot enter through the gate, but there is a side door on the right side of the main gate that you must open and enter.”

Blakstar looked puzzled. “What is the test?” he asked.

“The opening of the door,” Felorno replied. “If you can open the door, then you have proven that you are truly, the chosen of the One.”

“And if we fail?” Blakstar asked.

“Then you are imposters and will be thrown from the fortress,” Felorno replied.

“That doesn’t sound too bad,” Tevvy said.

Thal touched the awemi’s shoulder. “He means thrown over the edge.”

“Oh,” Tevvy said, deflating.

“Has anyone ever tried?” Thal asked.

Felorno nodded. “Only one group ever made it this far; they resembled you in every respect, but they failed to open the door. They are still falling,” he finished, stepping off the circle and onto the short road to the fortress.

They followed, Tevvy’s face a mask of fear. Blakstar smiled at him. “We are the chosen,” he noted, “so there is nothing to worry about.”

“That’s easy for you to say,” Tevvy mumbled. He turned to Felorno. “How long ago?” he asked.

Felorno looked at Tevvy for a moment before responding. “Several ages, according to our reckoning.”

“And they are still falling?” Tevvy asked.

“Well, their remains still fall,” Felorno said, again turning away and leading them toward the gate and side door. “They all killed themselves in the first hour after we threw them off the fortress. Apparently, the prospect of starving to death while falling did not appeal to them.”

As he approached the gate, Felorno turned right and stopped before a blank stretch of wall. “Here is the door,” he said, stopping.

Tevvy groaned. “Blakstar,” he said without turning to the others, “we need your sword.”
The kortexi stepped up next to Tevvy, drawing his sword. When Blakstar noticed the familiar, kortexi symbol, his eyes were drawn to the slot at the center of the pupil, and he slid his sword up to its hilt. A flash of golden light illuminated all the symbols along with the outline of an arched door, which silently swung in; trumpets on the battlements overhead blasted a joyous fanfare.

“Again, I bid you welcome, chosen of the One,” Felorno said, bowing, “to the fortress of my lord, Wethkuro, Lord of Air.”

As they entered the courtyard, Blakstar heard a sound, from overhead, that was a cross between a hiss and a whine, a keening sound that pierced him each to the heart, and each felt a terrible stab of sorrow. Looking up for the source of the sound, he saw an aperu, larger than any before seen, perched on the top of the highest tower; his head was raised, neck stretched out, mouth open and emitting the sad sound. His color appeared at first to be silver, but his head moved as he crooned and the light reflected off his hide brighter and more mirror-like than the silver aperu they had just seen.

“The platinum aperu,” Thal whispered in awe. His companions looked at him.

“Yes,” Felorno said sadly, “he cries out in sorrow for his lost mate, every hour, on the hour, by our reckoning, and he has done so since nearly the beginning of time.”

“That is horrible,” Tevvy said, voice hushed. “How did it happen?”

Felorno shook his beaked head. “We do not remember,” he sighed, “it has been so long that we have all forgotten.”

“There is a legend,” Thal began in soft tones, “among the maghem, that sometime shortly after Gar and his followers were banished to the underworld, they thought to escape their prison by destroying the world. So they went to the fires burning at the core of the world and added more power to the flames, heating the core to the point were it was about to explode, ripping the newly made world apart. Platti,” Thal said, pointing to the tower, “was the faster flier, so he flew off to inform the One of what Gar attempted. His mate, Platta, wrapped herself around the core to prevent it from exploding and destroying the world, along with all the parents of all creatures and races, hoping that she could hold it in place until Platti returned with the One. They came quickly, but not before the core exploded, killing Platta; her sacrifice saved the world. Platinum is the most powerful metal, the most potent material for making rods,” he said, holding up his clay rod. “Few maghem ever achieve the level of the platinum rod; it is also said that the Rod of Melbarth was the first maghi’s rod constructed of this metal that Gar fears and hates. The traces of it found throughout the world are said to come from the remains of Platta,” he finished, his eyes lifting to the keening aperu.

Come back next Monday as the chosen finally enter Shigmar’s tomb . . . after proving themselves to the rulers of this realm! Until then, get a full ebook copy from Smashwords for free! If you prefer print, purchase your copy from the link provided. Good reading!