Tales of Midbar: Secret Priest

“Due to the decapitation attack,” said Dwendra, “emergency leadership protocols art in effect. I believeth I art the only anavah in Benai Nibeyim who hast been trained to controleth her powers and I art also a mage, a priest’s wife and knowledgeable about pre-cataclysm Benai Nibeyim practices.”

“Oh, feces,” said the man who didn’t like glildacs, “I remember now, she thinks she’s Nuhar Zorg’s wife and is trying to take over.”

“Garis ist opposed unto my leadership,” said Dwendra. “I hath two of the keys and needest the third to preventeth damaging conflict within the organization as the Prophesied Ruination art here.”

“You do know the Vine Grower division is supposed to breed anavim and we’ve only bred three in the last century and lost one of those to Haprihagfen?” asked Aflingia. “Grand Vine Grower isn’t a very good job.”

Obviously she wasn’t aware of the decapitation attack protocol that meant the Grand Vine Grower became the leader of Benai Nibeyim.

“I planest on doing if differently,” said Dwendra. “Anyway that art my problem. There shouldst be one key within this house, where art it?”

“No idea,” said Aflingia.

“You found my protocol,” I said.

“That’s just on this bit of paper,” said the man who didn’t like glildacs, holding up a tray with a note stuck to the bottom.

“That art not protocol!” said Dwendra.

“You should ask Miandri or Screld,” said the man who didn’t like glildacs, “they did all the magic stuff with Mum.”

We brought in the other anavim and started searching the house.

“Clindar, come and seeth this!” called Dwendra after a few minutes.

I followed the sound of her voice and found her with Breeze in a room looking at a wall with lots of photographs on it.

“What sayeth thou of this?”

I got closer and saw the photographs were of babies, mostly faharnis. Some were with smiling women or a woman and a man. One was with two smiling men.

“Yoldasia ran a fertility clinic,” I said.

“They looketh like thou!” said Dwendra.

“All babies look pretty much alike,” I said.

“They do look like you,” said Breeze.

“Yes they do,” said Egrindreth.

“Yoldasia was mad and was Grand Vine Grower and ran a fertility clinic,” said Breeze. “She must have ...”

“I think we’ve got a bigger problem,” said Vrenloa in my head. Breeze and Dwendra acted as if they’d also picked this up.

“What?” I asked.

“I’ve sent Nihla to check the area. I think all the mental patients are escaping and most of them seem to have associates.”

Inside the mental hospital, several buildings were on fire, some sections of the wall had collapsed and there weren’t any vehicles (although there were open garages). Aleph was just rising so we could see but the red light and long shadows made things look ominous. Many people were wandering or running around, many of them shouting or screaming. Most were dressed in night clothes while others had healer’s robes and a few were naked. I had my magic detector glasses on and could see that all of them seemed to have protective associates similar to myself and Miandri.

I approached a woman who was on her knees, crying and holding a stuffed ape.

“Excuse me,” I said, not really sure what I should do.

“The ancients, they took her,” she said.

“The ancients took who?”

“The ancients, they took her.”

She seemed to have the protective associates but I thought it unlikely she had the key, although they could be replicated so there could be more than three. To complicate things, the ape also had protective associates and she was hugging it to her belly.

“Who did the ancients take?”

“It wasn’t my fault.”

“Excuse me,” said a nibey approaching in healer’s robes and with protective associates in his intestines. “Who are you?”

I realized the truth would make me sound insane so I said, “I was just passing and thought you needed some help.”

“Could you two come with me?”

“Do you have a plan?” I asked. “It looks as if a number of people may have escaped already.”

“It would be much simpler if you cooperate.”

“It wasn’t my fault,” said the woman. “The ancients, they took her.”

“I’ve got friends who can help,” I said.

“Just keep calm and come with me!”

Considering the circumstances, I thought I was being decidedly cool headed.

“Your patients are escaping,” I said.

“That’s not your problem.”

I wasn’t sure if he thought I was a patient, although I was dressed normally, or was a patient himself.

“Well actually it is because one of them has something I need.”

“I’m sure we can sort that out later,” he grabbed my elbow and I hit him with a knockout spell.

“Having trouble?” asked Breeze, approaching with Dwendra.

“The ancients, they took her.”

“He seemed to think I was a patient and I’m not sure he’s sane.”

“It seemeth the psychics hath been programmed to believeth any anavim art patients,” said Dwendra.

“They all have the protective associates,” said Breeze, “but I haven’t found the key.”

“Yoldasia must have set the cells to open and the walls to collapse,” I said, thinking out loud, “and disabled the alarms.”

“It wasn’t my fault. Aleph was shining on the lake.”

“This could be Old Magic,” said Breeze, “there are some fires burning.”

“I think we should ask Garis about this,” I said.

We returned to Yoldasia’s house. Breeze had already confirmed Yoldasia’s hipsick children and her son-in-law didn’t know the location of the key.

“Do any of us know Garis well enough to douse for him?” asked Breeze.

“We’ve got half his DNA in the dark-haired girl,” I said, “and we could probably get a sample from his hair brush or something.”

After a bit of confusion, we found a map of the Great Basin and a hair sample, we managed to douse and located him in Vindian.

“He’s going the wrong way,” said Hubril.

“He’s going for Miandri’s key,” I said. “Which begs the question of where the third one is.”

“He probably knows where it art,” said Dwendra.

Vindian was now a shadow of its former glory, just a small port surrounded by hills and small islands that were the remains of the gleaming towers. There was a small cafe at the ferry terminal and that’s where we found Garis, sitting in a corner, brooding over a drink and looking very tired and unhappy. He ignored us; meaning myself, Dwendra and Breeze; when we first walked in but looked up as we approached him. He was probably having the most horrific day of his life and realized he was about to run out of adjectives to describe it.

“Oh fornicating gods, how did you get here so fast from Siglanti?”

“Haprihagfen secret,” said Breeze.

“I knoweth thou’s wife hath just been killed,” said Dwendra, “but I hath no respect for a child abusing pool of diarrhea.”

“I’m not a child abuser!”

“We hath got the keys from Clindar and Miandri so where art the one that shouldst be in thou’s house?”

“Can I help you?” asked the waitress.

“No,” I said.

“Why the fornication should I tell you?” asked Garis. “Kill me, whatever, Benai Nibeyim will never accept an insane anavah as their leader!”

“Kindras wert an anav,” said Dwendra, “and Yoldasia wert insane!”

“Dwendra’s never tried to get me and my best friend raped,” said Breeze.

“Fornication, the Vineyard magis!” said Garis. “That was years ago!”

“When I was eight!” shouted Breeze.

“Calm down,” I said quietly, realizing she’d never be able to read his mind with so much anger.

“If you’re going to fight,” said the waitress, “can you not do it in here, please!”