Story name: A Return from the Shadows
Author: CarpenterAnt
Publication date: February 12, 2000 (on TSA-Talk)
Date: mid-September, 706 CR
Location: Metamor Keep
Overview
The injured David awakens in Metamor Keep, and meets several of its strange inhabitants.
Summary
Part 1
After David struggles to get out of bed, Arla enters, and is not happy that he isn't taking his injuries seriously. David eventually manages by wrapping his abdomen in gauze and balancing on a crutch. He asks to be shown the dining hall; Arla is not happy but leads him there for some bread and a bowl of stew. She tells him to pack his things and leave after eating so that he can still avoid the curse. David, however, plans to stay and accept the curse. Arla is silent. When he finishes, she leaves for her duties, while David goes for a walk.
He sets aside his crutches and visits the gardens. He meets Dan the grasshopper morph, who tells him a bit about himself and Roscoe, the other insect morph at the Keep. Continuing his walk, he follows the sound of music to a brook, where an otter morph is playing the flute. She jumps when she notices David, and he apologizes and compliments her music. He introduces himself. Caroline has already heard of him from Arla, and asks him some questions about where he came from and why. Deciding to be open rather than untruthful, he admits that he is from the edges of the Giantdowns, but that his homeland is also fighting Nasoj. He has spent the last 10 years travelling the world, which is why he came from the south.
Misha enters in search of Caroline. David greets him, saying he's heard of him from Arla. Misha laughs when he hears Arla's description, and tells Caroline that Kimberly was looking for her. They invite David to come to the Long House, as David's belongings have all been stored in its armory. David happily follows them there.
Part 2
Misha follows David to the armory, and David explains to him some of their power. Wessex intrudes their conversation; as court wizard of foreign magic, he had been assigned to study David's weapons. David explains that his magic doesn't allow outside observation, but he offers a way to show him. In an empty room of the Long House, David tells Wessex to do exactly as he says, to stand in front and not move. He says the incantation to form a bubble of energy around them both. Wessex is in awe, and examines the shield by hand. David is just about to end it when Wessex casts a lightning bolt. David screams, but it is too late; the shield shrieks and pushes Wessex out.
The shield refuses to shut down before it slaps Wessex across the room. Misha and Wessex ask why he did that, and David explains he can't stop its reflexes, and to be glad he prevented a more serious injury. Wessex demands another investigation, but David is done dealing with Wessex, and pretends to be too tired, until Wessex storms off.
David then explains to Misha what the Kamas is, and demonstrates his exploding orb, even letting Misha operate it. The resulting explosions cause several Longs and Keepers to rush to the scene in agitation, and David decides he's demonstrated enough.
As David heads back to the armory to get some leather armor he forgot to pick up, one of the Longs takes Misha aside. David is alone in the hall when something gray rushes past. David chases after it into a dark room. He sees nothing and is about to leave when it pounces. David hurls his dagger Koru, which bounces harmlessly off the creature. He runs, and is pushed aside by the creature, who is some kind of a metal canine. It leaps and lands on him, defeating even David's gauntlet shield. Just as it leans in close with its jaws, Misha appears and tells Madog to stop playing with him.
Part 3
Misha gets David and Madog to explain and apologize to each other, emphasizing to David that Madog is a person and not a danger to him. Misha then shows David what had distracted him: a mysterious dust-covered door in the hall, with a carving on it. It lights up when David puts a hand on it, to his shock. It is a door sealed by Kamas magic; beyond is a small library with Kamasi texts, and the foul-smelling mummified remains of a Kamasi mage against a table. Just as David begins to investigate the body, a hooded figure arrives to take care of the body. Misha hustles David outside, where he explains the figure is a Caretaker, a person who tends to the dead, and are always near when death is. Misha refuses to answer more questions about it, so they wait until the figure returns to ask for the deceased's name and faith.
After taking inventory of the Kamasi library, and attending the deceased Kamasi's funeral, David sits in the garden, melancholy and nostalgic for his homeland. Madog walks up and drops a heavy ball and asks for him to play. The ball is too heavy for him to throw, but David uses his lightwriter to make the ball lighter, its runes still aglow. He and Madog play fetch in the garden, long into the evening.
Part 4
The next day, after a refreshing walk through the market, he visits Will Hardy the jeweler for a new clasp for his cloak. He finds a familiar silver cat-head clasp and pays 20 gold for it. When he demonstrates its magic ability to change the color of the cloth it is pinned to, Will is angry at being cheated and tells him to leave.
For his last errand, David enters the darkness beyond a dimly-lit heavy steel door.
Half an hour later, a pale David sits in a tavern, thinking about what he's seen. A squirrel server trips and spills on a lynx morph, who begins hitting the server. David stops him from throwing a second, first winding him, then knocking out with a punch to the back. A woman draws a knife to attack, but a large man orders her to take the lynx and wake him up at the well. He introduces himself to David as Gerin, and wants to offer him a place on his supply team. David calls them cutthroats and says he's not interested, and Gerin laughs and buys them some drinks. David is careful not to drink too much, and is still woozy by the time he leaves. The bartender, who is the server's father, waives the bill as thanks; David turns down any further reward.
Epilogue
That night, David tosses in his sleep. A sudden calm comes over him; his sweat begins to solidify into a coat of slime. By the time Arla checks on him the next morning, David has become encased in a cocoon. She rushes to get Coe, who examines and confirms that David is alive inside. He slices off a sample from the cocoon, which seals itself immediately. He promises to study the sample, and will meanwhile wait and see what happens. He locks the door behind them as the cocoon quivers.
Characters
Main characters:
- David: A Kamasi mage of blue rank of House Restamar. After getting out of bed, he meets with Arla, Dan, Caroline, and Misha before he gets his weapons again and demonstrates them to Misha and Wessex. He encounters Madog and mistakes him for an enemy, but they quickly reconcile.
- He had a gold brooch on his blue cape, but he ends up feeding it to Madog.
- He finds a familiar silver brooch from Will Hardy. It is shaped like a snarling cat head with ruby eyes. When its eyes are pushed, its eyes turn black, and it changes the cloth underneath from white to black; when pushed again, the eyes turn back to rubies, and the cloth changes to pure white.
- He has spent the last 10 years exploring the world, which is why he was travelling north from the Midlands, rather than south from the Giantdowns.
- He had a gold brooch on his blue cape, but he ends up feeding it to Madog.
Supporting characters:
- Misha: A fox morph, leader of the Long Scouts. David shows him how Kamasi artifacts and Kamasi magic works.
- David also heard from Arla that he is the best commander in the Long Scouts, and that others call him an axe-wielding maniac.
- He is well-built.
- He has a stone that glows brightly with the phrase "Nena Tofshu" (see A Small Repair).
- Madog: A mechanical fox automaton, ancient in origin, discovered and repaired by Misha. He likes playing with other Keepers, and sometimes does so by hiding and leaping out of shadows. After an early misunderstanding, he begins playing with David.
- He has golden teeth, and skin that looks like steel.
Minor characters:
- Dan D'Alimonte: A grasshopper morph, a quartermaster and the Keep's botanist, also works as a gardener.
- He has red and black skin.
- Caroline: An otter morph. Her hands were badly damaged by Lutins, and she has been practicing the flute to build back their strength.
- She is young and has dark chocolate fur. She wears a soft brown dress and cotton gloves. Her hands, not yet healed, have mottled scarring.
- Wessex: A child morph, a mage who specializes in foreign magic. He has an overbearing, impetuous personality. He is eager to study David's gauntlets, but unable to find out what he wants, he breaks his word to David and casts a spell on his shield. Angry and humiliated, he storms away without learning what he wanted.
- A Caretaker, who arrives soon after David discovers the Kamasi body.
- He is small, and wears a large black hooded robe with strange twisting embroidering. He speaks in a low and dry monotone.
- Will Hardy: A badger morph, a jeweler.
- He is described as having a medium build with a slight paunch, with short claws and a raspy voice.
- A female squirrel morph, who is a waitress at a tavern. She spills a pitcher on Joskin, and is punched to the ground in response. She is saved by David.
- A male squirrel morph, who is the female squirrel morph's father, and bartender of the same tavern. He offers to reward David for saving his daughter.
- Joskin: A lynx morph, part of a supply caravan. While massively drunk, a pitcher of ale is spilled on him. He punches the server, but is knocked by David.
- Judging by Gerin's reaction, he seems to get drunk often.
- Gerin: Leader of the supply caravan that Joskin and Grif belong to. He is impressed by David's boldness and skill, and offers him a job on his team. When David declines, he treats David to stories of his time as a caravan leader.
- He is a large man. He wears rough leather and a belt where he keeps his throwing axe. He is good at holding his liquor, and is a constant talker.
- His last run of the valley has been successful enough to extend his business. He hopes to one day monopolize supply over the entire valley.
Cameo:
- Meredith: A bear morph, a Long Scout. He was among those who charged in, wondering was causing the explosions in the Long House.
- Hough: A child morph, the Keep's Follower priest. He gives the eulogy for Huyon's funeral.
- Grif: A woman from the supply caravan who draws a knife on David when she sees him knock out Joskin. She is stopped by Gerin, who orders her to take Joskin out and wake him up.
Important mention:
- Huyon Deretkal: A Kamasi mage of green rank of House Kerinam.
- He wore a large necklace with a silver chain, bearing his name and house and rank in the Oultera language. This is the only personal item he had on his body.
Referenced:
- Omega: A humanoid magic-wielding automaton. He resides in the Long House, and helped heal David.
- Roscoe: A cave scorpion morph, warden of the Keep dungeons. He has to stay below ground to avoid the light.
- Kimberly: A rat morph, a friend of Caroline's.
- Regenci: The "Shadow Mage" whom David defeated and killed. He had a dangerous animal named Huj'Orin.
- Earnus Feli: The Kamasi's divine ruler, called "the Father of life". He is similar enough to Eli to be permitted a Follower burial.
- Casi: Huyon Deretkal's deceased lover, to whom Huyon dedicated his book on the fall of the Kamas.
Locations
- David first visits the dining hall, or commissary. It is not populated at this time, but still has stew and fresh bread set out.
- The gardens of Metamor are (in this case) adjacent to the Keep. They have many rows of fruit trees. A circle of willow trees is divided by a brook, which travels through the gardens and can be crossed by foot bridge. A large open field lies between these willows and the garden walls.
- Will Hardy's shop is located on a side road within a few blocks of the outer gates. Above the door is a sign reading "Will Hardy - Jeweler to the Duke".
- Inside, directly opposite the front door, is a round wooden emblem for the Metamorian Craftsman Guild. The room is divided by a counter with a silver handbell for service. A small forge and several tables take up the rest of the floor. A large heavy locked cabinet holds trays of jewelry for sale (one of which, a box of travel pins and cloak brooches, is wooden, lined with red velvet, and has a glass lid). Another door leads to the back of the shop.
- The main hall of Long House has tapestries. Its armory has rows of weapons along the walls and tables.
- The Kamasi library is protected by a door, inscribed with runes and sigils. Placing one's hand in a circle in the center causes the runes to glow and allow access, though seemingly only for certain people.
- Rows of books line the walls. Under each shelf is a series of runes. The first rune is "Eru", and lights up when spoken; each rune triggers the next rune to light.
- All but 5 of the books are common ancient texts found in most libraries. Of them:
- 2 are in ancient Oulteran, and mostly unreadable to David;
- 1 is in middle Oulteran and seems to be a personal journal written by an eloquent lunatic;
- 1 in common Oulteran is a copy of the Vestorian, which chronicles the founding of the Kamas. David knows it well, and fondly.
- 1 in common Oulteran is a book of the fall of the Kamas. It is newer than the Vestorian. It bears a personal dedication to Huyon's lover in the front cover.
- There is a table here with one seat, which was where David finds Huyon's body.
- The northern edges of the Great Barrier Range are called the Thiyonian Mountains.
- Oultera is on the western slopes of the Thiyonian Mountains, on the edges of the Giantdowns.
Chronology / Story Connections
- This story takes place no more than a week after First Command; David is said to have been in bed for "a few days".
- Due to the scarring and lack of bandages on Caroline's hands, it is safe to put this story a few days or a week after Balance in All Things, in mid-September.
Society
Metamor Keep
- The Caretakers are a group of people at Metamor Keep who care for the deceased and their burial in the catacombs under the Keep, including carrying the coffin. They are said to always know where death will be, and are always ready when it arrives.
- They wrap the remains of a body in a black cloth, and place a bag of fine-smelling dried herbs and leaves on top.
- The emblem for the Metamorian Craftsman Guild consists of a crossed hammer and chisel in the upper left, an anvil and lathe in the lower right, and a gem and jewelers hammer in the center.
- According to Dan, he and Roscoe are the only insect morphs at the Keep.
- One garrett is worth 5 gold pieces.
Kamas
- David explains that Kamas magic is not mana, but is like a living thing, and the Kamasi wield and sculpt Kamas magic. One can either treat the magic as a partner or as a slave; the Kamas can feel pain from other spells, and will react according against those who strike it. While only a Kamasi can shape Kamas magic, certain shaped spells that channel the Kamas can be used by others.
- Runes drawn without connection to a source of magic, get their power from the object they are inscribed upon. If more power is drained than the object can provide, the object weakens or shatters. To get around this, the Kamasi use runes that tap into a family house's magic.
- Kamas magic is activated by words: one to power it on, another to strengthen the power.
- When unactivated, Kamasi artifacts have a faint glow of magic that disappears from view when examined closely. When activated, their magic is visible but their structure is too difficult to study.
- David's gauntlets are powered by Kamas magic, specifically from his family's house rune on their back.
- David's gauntlets took him one or two weeks to make, and 8 more years to refine. The first runes he inscribed are in two lines on the knuckles, and protect the gauntlets from wear. The other runes are part of making an energy shield. A rough bar dividing the runes in two was done to cover up a mistake. Each rune has its own incantation.
- Here, after activating each rune and taking them to the empty room, David moves the gloves against each other to bring them "back to life", and then says "Vertoa Nagosh" to create the shield around him and Wessex.
- David's gauntlets took him one or two weeks to make, and 8 more years to refine. The first runes he inscribed are in two lines on the knuckles, and protect the gauntlets from wear. The other runes are part of making an energy shield. A rough bar dividing the runes in two was done to cover up a mistake. Each rune has its own incantation.
- The exploding ball that David shows Misha is small and made of steel, and is covered in Kamasi runes. It can be used by anyone to whom it is given willingly, and activated by saying "Hyuria Kormun". Kamasi have a mental connection to it, though, that lets them slightly manipulate its power.
A Journey Into Shadows | |
---|---|
Prologue | Coming of Age · Learning the Hard Way · An Inner Child |
Main Stories | A Journey into Shadows · First Command · A Return from the Shadows · A Hunt in the Dark |
Epilogue | New Neighbours |
Major Characters | David · Arla · Misha · Caroline · Rickkter |