More state laws! This time I'm going to pick on South Dakots South Dakota: No horses are allowed into Fountain Inn unless they are wearing pants; If there are more than 5 Native Americans on your property you may shoot them; It is illegal to lie down and fall asleep in a cheese factory. Moral of the story: Don't live in South Dakota if you're a native American. For those of you who want the plots to start to tie together, I'm beginning the process with this post. (I'm betting that you know what the common theme is going to be...)
Part XII: The Sign
Amanela 17th, 114 A.U.
Jroldin suddenly sat up alert, staring into near-pitch darkness. He heard a clock nearby ticking and looked at his watch to see the time. 12:00 exactly: what a coincidence. But then, as his eyes adjusted to the darkness, Joldin realized that it wasn’t pitch darkness; there was a faint glow upwards. Jroldin looked up to see it, but the glow still seemed to be toward the top of his head, as if his hair was glowing or something.
Jroldin made his way in the dark to the bathroom, flicked on the light switch and as the light came on, gasped, and leaned on the door to support. Around his head was a circlet of gold with a blue sapphire affixed on the front, providing its light. Surprised, Jroldin tried to take it off, but his hand passed right through it. Jroldin played with it some more before giving up on trying to take it off.
He shook his head, and the immaterial circlet moved around with it. Jroldin frowned. He’d ask his father about it in the morning—if he was there, Jroldin tried to remember what his father had said the night before. Had he said he would or wouldn’t be there before he left? Jroldin forgot. Hopefully it was that he would be there.
Jroldin was trying to find some food for breakfast when he heard his father coming down the stairs. Jroldin waited as his dad came into the room. “Hello, Jroldin,” his father said, barely glancing up. He started his routine of getting the coffee ready while Jroldin tapped his foot.
“Um, dad?” Jroldin said, after a short while.
“Yes?” his father asked. He glanced up, but paid no attention to the circlet. Jroldin glanced in the reflection of a metal bowl to make sure it was still there.
“Dad!” Jroldin said, a bit exasperated. “Don’t you notice it?”
“Notice what?” his father asked, staring straight at him.
“This!” Jroldin said, gesturing to the circlet.
“What about your head?” his father asked. There was no trace of a smile on his face, as if he was joking. “Are you referring to Naming Day?”
“No!” Jroldin said, although he did want to hear his dad’s opinion on naming day. “I’m talking about the glowing circlet on my head?”
His father stared straight at him, a look of perplexion on his face. “Your what? Stop pulling my leg, Jroldin!”
“I’m not!” Jroldin said. “I really do have a circlet upon my head!”
Jroldin’s father stared at him. “What… um, Jroldin… There isn’t a circlet on your head.”
“What are you taking about Jroldin?” Mjrark asked. “There ain’t any circlet on your head…”
“Really? No…” Jroldin said. “There really is one!”
“Stop playing around,” Mjrark said. “Are you coming over to the arcade today?”
“No… no, I don’t think so,” Jroldin said. “I’d like to figure out what’s up with this circlet first.”
Only some people gave Jroldin odd stares as he walked down the street. Jroldin was going to the only place that he thought would be helpful: the Great Cathedral. Jroldin’s general opinion was that the people there were crazy mystics who believed in some god of some sort and didn’t have any touch with the real world. But then again, Jroldin’s circlet didn’t seem to touch the real world at all either, so Jroldin was hoping he could get somewhere.
Jroldin slowly pushed open the door and went into the church, feeling a good bit awkward. He hadn’t been here for who knows how long. His dad used to come some since his mom did, but they had gradually stopped going.
The church was quiet and Jroldin didn’t see anyone around. “Hello!” Jroldin said, a bit loudly. It was of his impression that there was usually at least one priest of some sorts in the church.
Jroldin heard some noises from above and waited. Finally, someone pushed open the door from the large sanctuary and came into the vestibule. He was wearing the traditional robes of a priest.
“Hello, young dwarf,” the priest said. “What would you li-” The priest stopped and stared at his head.
“You see it?” Jroldin asked.
“What do you mean?” the priest asked. “Of course I see your circlet with the glowing jewel!”
“You’d be the first,” Jroldin said. “Nearly no one I’ve talked to can see it. And the thingie isn’t material.” Jroldin passed his hand through the circlet.
The priest slowly cocked his head, which seemed to Jroldin to be a strange reaction for one who had just been shown something immaterial and yet real. “Why don’t you join me in my study?” the priest asked. “We’ll be able to better talk there.”
“Would you like anything to drink?” the priest asked. “Water perhaps? Lemonade?”
“No thanks,” Jroldin said, as he watched the priest pour himself a big glass of lemonade.
“Now then!” the priest said, sitting down in a chair. “Back to your circlet. You say that not anyone can see it?”
“No,” Jroldin said, moving a bit in his seat. He felt uncomfortable being interrogated by the priest like this.
“Well…” the priest said. “Interesting… What about on your journey here? Did any passerbys see it?”
“Some gave me odd glances…” Jroldin said.
“Well….” The priest said. “I might have some ideas… of course, it all depends on who it is that can see and can’t see it. Tell, me… um… what’s your name again?”
“Jroldin,” Jroldin said.
“Jroldin then,” the priest said. “Tell me, do you believe in the Great One?”
“No,” Jroldin said. “Not really.”
“Oh…” the priest said, pursing his lips. “Well that gets rid of the option of the Priest-King… So who couldn’t see it?”
“My dad and one of my friends,” said Jroldin.
“Interesting,” the priest said. “How about I call Brother Pietre? He’s more skilled in this area of expertise? You wouldn’t mind waiting…”
“I suppose not,” Jroldin said, waiting until one of the priests tried to shove a belief in the Great One down his throat.
“Then I’ll call him,” the priest said standing up while taking a sip of lemonade. “He should be able to help us with this.”
Question of the Week:What do you think the common thread will be that will tie all these characters' adventures together? (I won't tell you if you're right/wrong)
Part XII: The Sign
Amanela 17th, 114 A.U.
Jroldin suddenly sat up alert, staring into near-pitch darkness. He heard a clock nearby ticking and looked at his watch to see the time. 12:00 exactly: what a coincidence. But then, as his eyes adjusted to the darkness, Joldin realized that it wasn’t pitch darkness; there was a faint glow upwards. Jroldin looked up to see it, but the glow still seemed to be toward the top of his head, as if his hair was glowing or something.
Jroldin made his way in the dark to the bathroom, flicked on the light switch and as the light came on, gasped, and leaned on the door to support. Around his head was a circlet of gold with a blue sapphire affixed on the front, providing its light. Surprised, Jroldin tried to take it off, but his hand passed right through it. Jroldin played with it some more before giving up on trying to take it off.
He shook his head, and the immaterial circlet moved around with it. Jroldin frowned. He’d ask his father about it in the morning—if he was there, Jroldin tried to remember what his father had said the night before. Had he said he would or wouldn’t be there before he left? Jroldin forgot. Hopefully it was that he would be there.
Jroldin was trying to find some food for breakfast when he heard his father coming down the stairs. Jroldin waited as his dad came into the room. “Hello, Jroldin,” his father said, barely glancing up. He started his routine of getting the coffee ready while Jroldin tapped his foot.
“Um, dad?” Jroldin said, after a short while.
“Yes?” his father asked. He glanced up, but paid no attention to the circlet. Jroldin glanced in the reflection of a metal bowl to make sure it was still there.
“Dad!” Jroldin said, a bit exasperated. “Don’t you notice it?”
“Notice what?” his father asked, staring straight at him.
“This!” Jroldin said, gesturing to the circlet.
“What about your head?” his father asked. There was no trace of a smile on his face, as if he was joking. “Are you referring to Naming Day?”
“No!” Jroldin said, although he did want to hear his dad’s opinion on naming day. “I’m talking about the glowing circlet on my head?”
His father stared straight at him, a look of perplexion on his face. “Your what? Stop pulling my leg, Jroldin!”
“I’m not!” Jroldin said. “I really do have a circlet upon my head!”
Jroldin’s father stared at him. “What… um, Jroldin… There isn’t a circlet on your head.”
“What are you taking about Jroldin?” Mjrark asked. “There ain’t any circlet on your head…”
“Really? No…” Jroldin said. “There really is one!”
“Stop playing around,” Mjrark said. “Are you coming over to the arcade today?”
“No… no, I don’t think so,” Jroldin said. “I’d like to figure out what’s up with this circlet first.”
Only some people gave Jroldin odd stares as he walked down the street. Jroldin was going to the only place that he thought would be helpful: the Great Cathedral. Jroldin’s general opinion was that the people there were crazy mystics who believed in some god of some sort and didn’t have any touch with the real world. But then again, Jroldin’s circlet didn’t seem to touch the real world at all either, so Jroldin was hoping he could get somewhere.
Jroldin slowly pushed open the door and went into the church, feeling a good bit awkward. He hadn’t been here for who knows how long. His dad used to come some since his mom did, but they had gradually stopped going.
The church was quiet and Jroldin didn’t see anyone around. “Hello!” Jroldin said, a bit loudly. It was of his impression that there was usually at least one priest of some sorts in the church.
Jroldin heard some noises from above and waited. Finally, someone pushed open the door from the large sanctuary and came into the vestibule. He was wearing the traditional robes of a priest.
“Hello, young dwarf,” the priest said. “What would you li-” The priest stopped and stared at his head.
“You see it?” Jroldin asked.
“What do you mean?” the priest asked. “Of course I see your circlet with the glowing jewel!”
“You’d be the first,” Jroldin said. “Nearly no one I’ve talked to can see it. And the thingie isn’t material.” Jroldin passed his hand through the circlet.
The priest slowly cocked his head, which seemed to Jroldin to be a strange reaction for one who had just been shown something immaterial and yet real. “Why don’t you join me in my study?” the priest asked. “We’ll be able to better talk there.”
“Would you like anything to drink?” the priest asked. “Water perhaps? Lemonade?”
“No thanks,” Jroldin said, as he watched the priest pour himself a big glass of lemonade.
“Now then!” the priest said, sitting down in a chair. “Back to your circlet. You say that not anyone can see it?”
“No,” Jroldin said, moving a bit in his seat. He felt uncomfortable being interrogated by the priest like this.
“Well…” the priest said. “Interesting… What about on your journey here? Did any passerbys see it?”
“Some gave me odd glances…” Jroldin said.
“Well….” The priest said. “I might have some ideas… of course, it all depends on who it is that can see and can’t see it. Tell, me… um… what’s your name again?”
“Jroldin,” Jroldin said.
“Jroldin then,” the priest said. “Tell me, do you believe in the Great One?”
“No,” Jroldin said. “Not really.”
“Oh…” the priest said, pursing his lips. “Well that gets rid of the option of the Priest-King… So who couldn’t see it?”
“My dad and one of my friends,” said Jroldin.
“Interesting,” the priest said. “How about I call Brother Pietre? He’s more skilled in this area of expertise? You wouldn’t mind waiting…”
“I suppose not,” Jroldin said, waiting until one of the priests tried to shove a belief in the Great One down his throat.
“Then I’ll call him,” the priest said standing up while taking a sip of lemonade. “He should be able to help us with this.”
Question of the Week:What do you think the common thread will be that will tie all these characters' adventures together? (I won't tell you if you're right/wrong)
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