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Shaig and the Stone
Solo #1
Words: 1241

Come.

The word roused Shaig from his sleep, its presence demanding his attention. He looked around but could not see where the voice had come from. The troll threw back the pelts that covered his body and peeled back the flap of his tent to see outside.

The darkness of the night made it difficult for the young troll to see out, there was no moon tonight, no bright stars casting their demure glow upon the clan lands. And yet he had heard a voice, who or what it belonged to he did not know, but he had heard it, that he was sure of.

Shaig glanced back into the tent. His father lay, like a large, overbearing stone in his cot, fast asleep. His grandfather much the same. Neither of them would wake, they would sleep through almost anything, his grandfather had even managed to miss half of last year’s quake because he was that deep in a slumber.

The troll darted back to his cot. There was not much surrounding it, his possessions as a priest in training were far and few between. He grabbed his staff, a lightweight carving of Boughwood, given to him by the priest that was training him, and a small canteen and left. He was sure something was calling to him.

Come.

The voice again, stronger this time, vibrating through his mind as he stepped forward into the night. Shaig was sure this was the right path, perhaps this was a part of his training as a priest, or maybe it was a calling from the Lords themselves? Either way he was eager to prove himself, to his mentor, and to his father.

Forward he went, though where he was going he did not know, he was guided by a sense, a pulling, something was leading him to wherever he was meant to go.

Almost an hour had past, Shaig had to stop for a moment. He was thin, weaker than the others, his body was not built like theirs, and exertion was not something he dealt with well. A rock nearby made a nice rest stop.

It was there he felt a slight shudder through the ground.

A tremor, than another, and another, each one stronger than the last.

“A quake? But it is not the season…” he started, steadying himself on the rock as the ground shook more violently.

“The others!”

Forgetting his quest to follow the unknown voice, Shaig’s attention was now on his clan, his family, everyone was in danger.

He jolted from the stone and started running, back the way he came. He hoped he would make it in time. He’d never known a quake to come like this, he was sure the others would need any assistance he might be able to give.

The earth beneath his feet groaned as he ran, each sound louder than the last. This was going to be a great quake, one that could cause serious trouble.

As he ran the ground began to shift violently beneath, groaning louder still. Soon after, cracks began to appear beside him as he ran, growing wider as the earth shifted, swallowing up nearby trees and boulders. Shaig kept running, praying he would make it to his home in time.

He tripped, his balance taken from him as another hole opened up, this time beneath his feet as he ran. All around him the ground was tearing away into darkness.

“Please, not me,” he whispered as the very ground underneath him disappeared.

This was it, thought Shaig as he fell, moments from his life passing by him. This is my end.

Except it wasn’t.

After a time, Shaig noticed he still felt the sensation of falling, though surely he would have hit something by now? And yet he had not. He looked around the darkness, only, it wasn’t as dark as it had been. Things seemed to be getting lighter, becoming visible.

“What is happening?” he said aloud as trees, earth, grass, rocks, all manner of things came into view below him.

The area looked much like his own but felt foreign.

And the ground was getting closer and closer.

The troll stilled himself for the impact, sure that this would finally be his end.

Just he was sure he was to hit the ground, his momentum slowed and he landed with a dull thud atop the bright red earth.

Shaig looked around in wonder, frozen by the realisation that he was not dead, but that he had fallen through the earth to another place. He had never heard a story like that before. Nonetheless he was glad he was alive, but also sad, because he was sure he would not be able to return to his home.

Come.

It was the voice again, only this time he could see what it had come from.

Standing before him was a great creature, an amalgam of many things, what it was called he had no idea, Shaig only knew it was important.

It was large, over half his height as a troll, and wide, certainly it was wider than their largest warrior back home. It was covered in fur, yet only its front legs had paws, the back ended in rough, menacing hooves. It had a long mane surrounding its face, making its way down its body and connecting to its tail. Its face was much like a bears, yet it had two long, spiralling horns atop its head. Large tusks, much like his own, protruded from its mouth.

Shaig rose from the ground and the beast turned. The troll followed. Whatever it was, it was important, and it was leading him to something of great value. He would not disobey.

They walked for some time, the troll silently following the beast as it walked ahead. Eventually they came to a rocky cavern and the beast disappeared into the dark void. Shaig paused for a moment, wary of what might be inside, but followed, knowing that this all had a purpose, a meaning, he had to go in.

Inside the cavern the troll saw no sight of the great beast that had lead him here. There was, however, something else inside.

Atop a platform in the centre of the cavern sat what the troll could only describe as an amulet. He ventured forward and picked it up. It was smooth, circular, slightly rounded on both sides. He could feel a power within it, pulsating through the stone and into him.

Become one.

The voice again, Shaig looked up and he could see the face of the beast through the shadows.

He looked at the stone, become one with it? It was a stone, he wasn’t sure how he was supposed to do that. Yet he was not one to ask questions, so the troll held the stone up and pressed it against the flesh of his chest, hoping that this would all become clear.

A moment passed and nothing happened, and then he felt it sink into his skin, fuse with his body, and as it did, a great many images flew before his eyes, of things he’d never seen before. Then there was the feeling he was no longer alone.

Well done my boy, I’m proud.

A voice, different from the beast, echoed through his mind. He tried to see who it belonged to but before he could finish looking around he collapsed, unconscious on the ground.

Almost Home
Joint #1
Words: 2199

In which Shaig and Lunn finally come to the Pantheon. On their arrival they meet one of the Dragon Kings and another Goddess whose domain identity is unknown, at least to some. The Dragon King offers Shaig and Lunn a place to rest for now, until they can obtain their own quarters.