The River Ghasts of Lid and Other Stories

The Eidola and the Tree Serpent - 3

Hebdha had only been in the eidolon hall twice before: novices were only permitted in on special occasions. She could somehow taste the overwhelming age of the place, and shivered as she crossed the threshold into the relative cold of the room.

Massy was surprised when she found herself unable to stroll through the wall, and instead had to turn and followed Hebdha through the great door. Once in the hall, though, and outside of the great splash of light thrown by the open door, she seemed to shine gently, as if she was drawing power from the stones themselves.

'This is new,' she remarked, more to herself than anyone else, staring at her hands.

Hebdha glanced around; they were the first, although she could see the procession crossing the red earth towards the hall.

The hall itself was circular, with a vast round block of stone at its centre, and a set of alcoves cut into the thick walls, which could be closed with wooden doors. The priestesses would sit in the alcoves, able to privately consult with their eidola, while the supplicants would stand around the huge centre stone.

Now as Hebdha walked into the darkness she could see faint pools of light coming from a number of the alcoves, and realised that eidola had taken their places and were waiting for the priestesses. There were other glows, too: other spirits must have also come to watch, or offer advice, or whatever it was they did, and more were appearing near the door as the dead silently filed in. The hall felt both empty and strangely full, and she could catch glimpses of limbs, faces, robes, and heard fragments of words all drifting in and out of her awareness.

Hebdha could feel the lazy, hungry attention of the dead on her as she crossed the hall, and climbed the stone steps to an alcove. The High Priestess's eidolon, King Gracious as was, was waiting for them, sitting on a little stone ledge.

'I recognise you, I think. I can't remember from where, though,' he said, looking at Massy. 'I wonder. Well, we shall see.'

The procession entered the hall. The priestesses lit a set of candles in the centre stone, while novices closed the doors from outside. Then the hall was lit only by the tiny flames of the candles and the red glow of the whispvine staffs and the golden shimmer of the spirits, and she could see everything as silhouettes and shadows, except for the gleam of the skulls on the priestesses robes when they caught the light. Then suddenly, the candles on the central stone caught something, and fire ran along lines from the centre, and down to a ring around the supplicants; and they were illuminated by a circle of low flame, and you could see their fearful expressions.

And so the priestesses walked calmly to their alcoves, their staffs lighting their way, and the consultation began.

'That,' said the old King, grandly, 'is my eldest son's eldest son, first in line to the throne. He will eventually be King Just III. Right now, though he's Leodan, First Yaj of The Lower Reaches. It astonishes me that my useless son managed to get something right.'

'We can agree on one thing, then, your majesty,' replied Massy.

Ignoring them both, her voice booming in the strange acoustics of the hall, the High Priestess called, 'supplicants to the Tomb City of Anu, ask your questions of the dead.'

The Yaj kneeled, so they could see his face lit in the low flames, and replied, some of his confidence returning, 'I wish to ask for advice on an invasion from the South by Troize. Our spies claim they have a secret weapon of great potency, capable of toppling our country.'

Massy snorted. 'Hardly. The Troizians could barely rub two sticks together last time I was there. That doesn't make any sense.'

'No, I agree,' said the King. 'That sounds wrong. Ask them what the weapon is.'