A cure for Melancholy

The personal diary of Margrath, son of Sand, pt 15

I woke from another dream though this time I was running in a nightmare landscape, but however I tried I was not getting anywhere. A reflection perhaps on our attempts to leave the Courts, without obvious success? Though I do not remember any others in my dream so perhaps it reflected something more personal to me.

Over breakfast I heard various rumours that were circulating,

- High King Melvyn has cast Amblerash from the Rim

- The Serpent is now no longer the state religion of the Courts, though I did not hear mention of what Power has replaced it

- the Earl of Groan has died as have others, who were slain by hideous demons in the form of dogs that formed out of fog

- Rimlords have suggested House Jensen as a replacement for House Amblerash

- the High King is thinking about expanding the lower houses

- and there is apparently, much speculation on the choice of the High King for his Queen

I have done more preparation for the Duel.

We decide that we will ask for the duel to be to last man standing and as forfeit for Aelfric for him to create a venomous creature of power for me, which I will use to augment the defences of the Jade Palace.

I have also summoned a Ty’iga to whom I have promised the body of Aelfric as payment for its aid in the duel. The basic plan for the duel is to summon the Ty’iga and let it loose on Aelfric, with expel spirit as backup should Aelfric prove a match for the Ty’iga.

In line with this I have prepared by hanging various spells, more in line with a duel.

- Expel Spirit

- Summon Specific Spirit (the Ty’iga)

- Summon Spider x2

- Crushing Webs x2

- Exoskeleton

- Static Image x2

- Gathering of Shadows

- Veil of Closure x2

I have also sent an invitation to Kikakak of the Raven people, for William’s upcoming wedding.

The Duel

The setting is the Opera House where the stage has been set to allow use of magic. The stage is marked with two circles – each of us will stand in one of these circles and the duel will continue until only one of us is standing. During the duel we must remain within our own circle, though naturally, anything we summon can move freely around the stage.

Aelfric arrived with his three seconds from Houses Taud, Vaal and Zigo. Apparently Houses Taud and Vaal are satellites of House Zigo. House Taud have usually appeared in Barimen form but on this occasion they are all in the form of seven foot tall mantises, each of which has four arms.

The event was attended also by House Sumi and my relatives of Amber.

The last to arrive was High King Melvyn.

Our seconds met to set the terms and forfeits for the duel and there was an altercation where Mokoto was seen to stomp his foot and he came back to me looking very unhappy. Aelfric has apparently demanded, as forfeit if he wins, Ibemo for House Taud. Mokoto felt in light of this that we had to claim Aelfric for House Sumi.

The duel has been accepted as last man standing, so the sooner Aelfric is down the better for Ibemo and House Sumi.

Our forfeits were declared and Aelfric and I entered our respective circles and they were closed by our seconds. The duel began…

I started to cast Summon Specific Spirit to summon Doig-Kalao, the Ty’iga that I had previously summoned and bargained with, while Aelfric also began to cast. Doig-Kalao arrived and manifest as a dark being shot through with silver. It focused on Aelfric and moved across the stage towards him. Aelfric saw it and must have had some idea what it was, as he looked worried.

Meanwhile I was preparing to cast Expel Spirit.

Doig-Kalao reached Aelfric’s circle and was momentarily stopped, but Aelfric reached out to cast his spell through Doig-Kalao, who used this opening to stream through and enter Aelfric’s body. Aelfric fell to his knees and there was green energy flowing around and within him, and then he collapsed.

The referee moved to check Aelfric and declared victory for me. Aelfric had gone green! Aelfric’s seconds declared that the spell Aelfric was casting was Venomation, which floods the victim’s body with poison. I think that when Aelfric tried to cast through Doig-Kalao, not only did he open a channel for his possession, but the spell also backfired and Aelfric became its victim, leaving him unconscious, poisoned and presumably possessed, as there was no sign of Doig-Kalao leaving the body.

Aelfric’s body was taken away by his seconds and there were congratulations for my victory.

During this time of celebration, Mandor reminded us that before we leave we have agreed to topple the Colossus of Augustus, a giant statue of gold.

Melvyn invited us to join him at Brứ-na-Bóinne, which is now the Royal Residence, and we travelled there with our demons. The place looked bigger than when we last visited and there was a hint of gold around the stones along with the addition of Sigils of Power. Melvyn banged the gong and Loeg appeared to lead us into the building.

Inside there was more lighting and the throne had been moved back from the middle. Loeg showed us to a side room where refreshments were waiting for us. After about five minutes Melvyn joined us and we all stood, then he seated himself with us. He asked us for some help in re-populating the Courts after the losses of the war from any ixtramurini houses we have heard of.

Between us, Havelock, Constance, William, Sorashi, Darig and myself gave him some candidates – Kunstkabinett who are collectors and thieves; Tubal who are artisans; Papilio who are associated with butterflies and things of beauty; Phobetor who use dreams; McCaber who are a ,warrior house who throw trees at people; Araignée the house of spiders; Guédé; Diné who practice shamanism; and Grizelle who are weird even for the Courts.

Melvyn had us vote on which houses we thought should be welcomed back to the Courts and we chose Tubal, Kunstkabinett, Guédé and Diné with equal votes for Papilio and Phobetor. Melvyn said he would decide between the two drawn houses and thanked us for our help. He also talked about the choice he would have to make, over which Power would replace Serpent as the official religion of the Courts.

During our conversations Havelock brought up the subject of the state sword of Amber, which came into the Courts with the body of Oberon. As this is very much of Amber, it will need someone from Amber to carry it at Oberon’s funeral.

After the meeting I went back to House Sumi to talk to Mokoto about Aelfric. I was afraid that the double hit of possession and Venomation may have killed him and trapped Doig-Kalao, although I now think that the practice of disposing of bodies by sending them into the Abyss might free Doig-Kalao. More worrying could be that Aelfric was not dead but poisoned beyond recovery and that would trap Doig-Kalao.

Mokoto confirmed that Aellfric’s spell did misfire and flooded his body with poison. This was a problem as he was in Thry-Keen form, which is not as robust as his usual form and the venom has killed him. The Ty’iga is trapped in his dead body – undead, para-dead, quasi-alive??

Mokoto feels a foreboding and I explained that it was possible that I could free the Ty’iga from the body, if I could access the body before we leave.

Mokoto said that he had meditated on Ibemo and he was lead to believe that there are great things in store for Ibemo and when he returns to House Sumi, things will change.

The Funeral of Oberon

Held, naturally, in the Royal Chapel, although, saying that, nothing is natural in the Courts, at least not the natural I am familiar with. The chapel was sumptuously baroque with mirrored walls.

Oberon’s coffin sat on a plinth with a new Unicorn flag guarded on the right side by guards from Amber and on the left side by two demons.

The service was attended by the Family, Ambassadors, royal cousins, Dworkin and Suhuy. All the Amberites were dressed as in their trumps, with the men wearing black armbands while the women carried black tulips.

As people arrived there was much discussion about what form the service would take and who would lead it, since the Serpent was no longer the official religion and no replacement had been announced. Melvyn arrived and he approached members of House Seraph and talked with them, and then one of their members gave the reading. This was followed by various people getting up to the lectern and talking about their memories and thoughts of Oberon.

Dworkin said he was a very naughty little boy, and Brand got up and talked about Oberon.

While the speeches were progressing, Havelock and I approached Bragi but he excused himself so that he could go up and say his piece about Oberon.

When he was finished he returned to us where we talked to him about his poem and Ragnarök. Havelock explained that the term had come up with me and I had asked Havelock about it, and that he said that he thought that Bragi may know more about Ragnarök and may have information from a more definite source. Bragi explained that he had been going to talk to us before we left, about travelling with us back to Asgard where his father has been troubled by Ragnarök and possible links with the passing of Oberon. Apparently his father either deals with or has some interest in talking to the spirits of the dead.

When all the speeches were finished, the coffin was raised on the shoulders of the bearers, with the great sword carried by Havelock. A squad of palace guards went in front of the procession, with Havelock leading the coffin. After that came a squad of Julian’s rangers, then Family members, followed by a troop of Caine’s sailors and others not of the Family.

The procession took a circuitous route to the Whispering Bridge, past many soldiers of Chaos and Amber, showing the coffin to as many as possible. It ended with the coffin on the bridge with Ludmilla’s head in a niche overlooking the bridge and the Abyss. Above, we noticed, difficult not to, three dragons flying around in formation. There was a black dragon, a green dragon and a gold dragon.

Caine took the service, reading from a book of the Unicorn, thus emphasising Oberon’s dedication to the throne. Then the coffin was lifted on its silk sheet and Cymnea gently pushed it off the edge, from where it started to fall into the Abyss.

At this point the black dragon swooped down and grabbed the coffin. The green and gold dragons then said ‘Our father will be with us from this day’ and they flew off following the Black dragon.

Havelock re-sheathed the Sword.

Ludmilla had a tear in her eye and Darig wiped the tear which fell to the ground and tinkled and had become crystalline. She then said something about bearing witness for all those who could not be here.

We stood in silence for a while until Mandor asked if now would be a good time to tumble the Colossus and we agreed.

Toppling the Colossus

A grandstand had been built (created) facing the Colossus. Havelock approached and tried prodding the Colossus with the Sword of Amber. The Sword slipped in amidst flares and Havelock backed away. Flares covered the foot of the Colossus and expanded up the statue, which fell over, engulfed by fire, bright light and heat.

There was a big cheer and Sigebert of Lanfranc thanked Havelock for his service.

Melvyn’s Dilemma

Melvyn invited us back to Brứ-na-Bóinne to attend upon him. When we arrived we were shown into a different room than the one we were in on our previous visit, where Melvyn was looking at seven pictures. He asked us for advice on choosing a wife and queen.

Havelock turned to asking the cards and we managed to help him narrow the choice to three prospective wives.

The Wedding of William and Rachael

The wedding was held in the Duomo where the windows all depicted angels. The feel of the place also appeared to have changed. We felt more relaxed in there than we had on previous visits, which, given the occasion, was not really surprising.

William arrived with Rikard and was greeted by the altar by Cymnea. Seraphael was to preside over the service.

The organ rose out of the floor with many extra pipes and an organist in Barimen form, wearing a helmet.

Rachael made her entrance, swooping in from one of the windows along with two other members of House Seraph.

The ceremony followed with the joining of William and Rachael’s hands and an exchange of rings. This is very similar to marriage ceremonies on Corillaine, except that we do not exchange rings. Rather the couple make and exchange tokens of their totem, showing not just a bond between the couple but an acceptance as an honorary member of the partner’s clan.

Then a cup was lifted over the couple by Seraphael which swelled and drenched them. However, this evaporated very quickly.

Once the ceremony was finished the couple led us out while the organ played again, but this time with the addition of colours, smells and discordant notes.

From the Duomo we moved to the Ballroom where there was dancing, a banquet and presents. I danced with Kikakak and we talked about the splitting of a spirit from its physical form and the forging of a link with a new physical form, or with the physical form and a new spirit.

She told me that there are legends that suggest that the linking of a new spirit to a physical form could be construed as Necromancy, for instance if the physical form is dead or if the resident spirit is killed. This is not a path to be walked lightly, as Argoleb has said.

Kikakak also told me that there is a spirit that the other spirits are talking about. This is Brand’s spirit. She has heard of/from – she did not elaborate on her source for this information - ancient spirits from the time of the first war with Amber. One says the object carried by the spirit of Brand is the Jewel of Judgement while another says that it is not the Jewel.

She also said that the spirits will not return to contemplating infinity until we leave the Courts. I wonder what is causing these spirits the most disquiet – our presence or the presence of the spirit of Brand. This leads to speculation as to whether the spirit of Brand will journey with us when we leave. I feel this is most likely.

Later, when I had the chance, I introduced Ibemo to High King Melvyn and Zara, his partner for the wedding. We talked about Ibemo journeying with us when we leave the Courts and broadening his experience of shadow. Zara asked me if he was being exposed to my style of Sorcery. I replied that I had already started doing this and the High King said he looked forward to the knowledge that Ibemo would bring to the Courts when he returned.

During the celebrations I also danced with Sand, mainly to keep contact with her. She was focused on getting Delwin’s body back to Corillaine to be interred. She also acknowledged that it would be a long journey to Ygg.

Departure

The next ‘day’ I received an invitation from High King Melvyn and so I went again to Brứ-na-Bóinne.

Firstly it was decided that Hector of Zigo would be the Courts’ ambassador to Amber, and he would be journeying with us.

Secondly there was the Peace Treaty. Three copies had been signed by High King Melvyn. One will stay with Melvyn, one will go with Caine and one will go with Hector. The plan is for Caine and Hector to get their copies signed by Random, one to stay with Random and the other to be sent back to Melvyn by Hector.

Since we are about to depart the Courts I have sent out messages to Houses Toltos, Karlin and X giving my apologies for not being able to help them with their requests at this time. I also sent a message to the Order of the Loquacious Nettle, informing them of my departure and resigning my membership of the Order. They said they were sorry to see me leave, I suspect partly because none of them can hear the Nettle as well as I. They said I would be regarded as an honorary member should I ever return to the Courts.

With this I said my goodbyes to Mokoto and other members of House Sumi and prepared to depart for whatever now lay outside the Courts.