Progeny II

by zathras

"...Now there was a Law in the Pyramid, tried and healthful, which held that no male should have freedom to adventure into the Night Land, before the age of twenty-two; and no female ever. Yet that, after such age, if a youth desired greatly to make the adventure, he should receive three lectures upon the dangers of which we had knowledge, and a strict account of the mutilatings and horrid deeds done to those who had so adventured. And if, after this had passed over him, he still desired, and if he were accounted healthful and sane; then should he be allowed to make the adventure; and it was accounted honour to the youth who should add to the knowledge of the Pyramid. But to all such as went forth into the danger of the Night Land, there was set beneath the skin of the inner side of the left forearm, a small capsule, and when the wound had healed, then might the youth make the adventure. And the wherefore of this, was that the spirit of the youth might be saved, if he were entrapped; for then, upon the honour of his soul, must he bite forth the capsule, and immediately his spirit would have safety in death. And by this shall you know somewhat the grim and horrid danger of the Dark Land..."

"Mother, you DON'T have to do this!"

"So you have said, countless times and daily, during our Preparation. But, as I have said just as many times, I am the best choice for this. You cannot venture Out alone in what you are attempting with this initial experiment. The knowledge of a Monstruwacan is needed to judge the ultimate success or failure, which I have as one of that Order. More so, as a woman, I can better judge the effects this might have on you, another woman, my daughter. Especially because I know you better than I might another, allowing greater acuteness of observation. Though I am not as skilled with the Diskos as perhaps one of the Guard, I am adaquate...and easily your match as you have discovered in our practice and training...so I am also your Protector. But the most important point of all is that I too wish to venture into the Night Land. Always have. It is a point of marked pride and great pleasure that it was my "errant" and willful daughter who has made this impossiblity possible. And, finally, should this experiment go awry and you cannot Return, I could not let you face that fate alone and still be called your mother."

"It is for that last reason, more than any other, that I wish you would remain and let another go in your place. But it would seem any such debate is over. Look! The Door is opened for us!"

Before us one of the great Doors that allows egress into the Night Land was ponderously swinging open. Ponderous for it's great size and thickness, reminder that the same Door also was a final protection against any incursion by the Land that might seek to gain entrance. Behind us stood a contingient of the Guard, as is the procedure and precaution at any time there is an opening of any Door. They stared at us in open astonishment. Not because we were women breaking the greatest Law of the Redoubt, with sanction, for that fact was concealed by our armors that made us look much the same as they. Rather it was our armors themselves that drew attention. None in all the Guard had seen thier likes before. To the untrained eye there seemed little difference between the armors we wore and that of the Guardsmen's, save an ornate filigree that could be dismissed as appropriate on a woman's armor. All that is due to even the mass produced "munition armor" stored in the armories are of exceedingly fine craft. The countless years of developement that the Guilds can bring to any such task now makes one think there is little to the subtle manufacture of parts that then blend smoothly and become as a secound skin to the wearer. Yet to the knowledgeable eye it becomes plain that extra care was placed in the making of each piece of our armors, not the least scratch is without some Purpose. Such is the case with the perceived "filigree", it's golden wires resting within grooves carved into the metal plates' face in a woven pattern that encompasses the whole surface. So well is this "filigree" crafted, so exacting are the intersections, that one can look at the armor's surface from any angle and see the endlessly repeated pattern formed by it. Not mere decoration, it is the the most vital part to the Protection my daughter has concieved of for us. It is, to use simple terms, similar to a Faraday Cage, shielding what's within from external forces. But more than that passiveness it has been charged with the Earth Current in a cunning way that it will react to any fell influence brought against the wearer. At those times a shielding blue glow will be seen coming from the "filigree" to further protect the wearer. In extreme cases, smaller sigals placed within the larger pattern will burn indigo. In one respect the armor is nearly a living creature in it's own right. It had taken years to even make the discovery that a Protection was even possible for a woman in the Night Land. More years still to convert concept to a potential reality. In the making of these armors the Guilds surpassed themselves and those involved are counted with high honor within the crafts, even apprentices who merely fetched some tool for a Master. And yet, for all this effort, the Protection has not been truely tested...for there can be only one test in truth. A woman must go into the Night Land and risk the greatest of Peril and violate the most staunchly held Law that exists within the Great Redoubt. That of no woman, ever, is to journey forth. It is unlikely that the edict against women venturing forth will be lifted even if the Protection proves itself. The efforts to create such would be better used to equipt a thousand of the Guard. But, even if it is never used again in such a manner, the knowledge of that Protection could prove useful in some future unforeseen way. The possibility of such knowledge gained finally convinced the Monstruwacans to conceed to the attempt, if suitable candidates were found to volunteer. That proved the easiest part to accomplish. Thus my daughter and myself find ourselves standing on the threshold of the Door, looking for the first time in our lives, indeed for countless generation of women, upon the Night Land direct with out own eyes. No view from an embrasure. No image from one of the countless lens that espy the dangers about. And, with the next step, no return if anything goes awry.

We stepped into the Night Land.

I am not sure that I can adaquately describe that moment to others. That is because there is no adaquate point of reference for myself to make it sensible. I can only draw upon known frames of reference as being akin to what I felt. And that, collectively, they cast a shadow of what was. Some things can only be understood through direct experience. And only by those who have experienced similar. It matters not that the experiences might be radically different and deeply personal. One needs only look into the other's eyes and you will see the kinship of Understanding. Words are unrequired between such persons, thus it is for others that I speak.

With that first step into the Land came a riot of impressions, thoughts, and feelings. Amongst them were awe, wonder, fear, and vertigo.

Awe and wonder to actually be Outside in the Night Land. A place that neither of us should ever had the chance to experience. The feel and taste of the air with the first breath away from the recycled and ministered to atmosphere within our Home defies description. It was more chill than what is considered the norm in our city-level and carried a multitude of alien tangs to it that perhaps came from the moss-growths and other living things that were beyound the Circle. Or perhaps it came from the ventings of the various fire pits/holes dotting the land. Or some amalgam of all this percieved and more of that beyound and yet to be discovered. It matters nought, they were, whether adaquately described or not.

Fear, perhaps the easiest to understand. How can one leave all they've known utterly behind, with only an untested hope one can return to that which is known and comforting, and not feel a marked and extreme trepidation Very few could face such an experience and not quail or freeze in place. I will admit that my first steps were hesitant. I looked to the daughter and saw her face grim set and biting her lip, but she came on as well. There was nothing for it now, we were commited, this was to be our new Home unless we proved successful.

Vertigo. Though the Redoubt is a structure surpassing the scale of any other work of mankind, it still is dwarfed by the lands about it. The eye struggles to measure the distances and properly focus. The mind reels as the new alien perspectives are grasped. The only time I can think of where I experienced similar was when I was a small child. Ours was one of several cities that had combined their garden areas to create the Great Park. The roof/floors were removed to make a vast Space. To maximize this the living areas were compressed to basic apartments. Few mind this clastrophobic arrangement as a short walk brings one to a vast garden area with tall trees that are only to be matched in the Underground Fields. At that time in my youth my parents took me for the first time to the Great Park. After the small cubicles of the apartments the open spaces of the Park made me dizzy and I fell back against my parents, who laughed as they held me upright until I could steady myself. I felt very similar at that moment as I stepped into the Night Land and had to steady myself against the side of the great Door for a moment.

But, now that we had stepped forth, it was time to venture forth. But not alone. There was part of the Guard who stood behind that would follow us into the Land. There were 100 in all in that force. The One Hundred's task would be to protect us, as best they could, against any creatures that might threaten us, should we need the aid. But they were not to follow so close that they were in direct peril of Destruction, should we encounter a pnuemavore. That Peril was to be ours alone.

We had decided that we would take a direct route towards the North East Watcher, who some called the Crowned Watcher, and make for the area that lays between the Red Vale and Where Silent Ones Are Never. This would take us away from the Giant's Kiln and the Valley of the Night Hounds, lessening that threat, but would point us towards that greatest of Perils....the dread House of Silence. It was thought in this way to minimize the dangers of the Night Land while still having the greater chance on testing the Defenses built into our armors.

There was one thing that we had in our favor, there would be no aetheric wave from those who followed our progress, for only a few knew of this venture and they were adept in shielding their thoughts. Too many times a youth would brashly speak of his upcoming venture and, as the word spread, many would espy the Lands in which he traveled, for such a thing was quite rare and a novelty. Though many lack a true proficiency with those brain elements that govern the aether, enough concentrating en mass upon something can send out a pulse into the darkness. An aetheric pulse that, if detected, could spell death, or even Destruction for the would-be hero as the Night Land's denizens became aware of him.

The first day's march went without incident. We took less than usual precautions at concealment since we hoped to come to notice. Ironically we took greater pains to conceal ourselves from the Redoubt, so that no one was likely to espy us. We saw no sign of the One Hundred but doubted little that scouts kept us under constant surveillance. It was on the second day that we encountered our first threat, a Night Hound. It was while near a fire-hole, testing the ever present streams that accompanied them for potable waters to stretch our supplies that the beast came upon us. It strode into the clearing slowly with fangs bared and snarling low and crouching as it prepared to attack. It was a young Hound and not fully grown, barely coming to our shoulders, likely on its first hunt after being weaned. It still was a fearsome creature to face. The fire that flew from our diskoi as we came on guard made the beast flinch, but also maddened it. With a fierce snarling growl it leapt at us. A single person would not have stood a chance, but we were two. What's more we were two that had trained for just such a possibility and had the advantage of experience this young beast lacked. Waiting until the last moment, we leapt to opposite sides swinging diskoi inward to meet the Hound's charge. It spun to attack me and took my diskos in the chest while my daughter's raked along its shoulder and side. With a howl of pain the beast jumped away from our reverse slashes. Wounded, and doubly dangerous for being so, the Hound circled trying to position itself to where it faced only one of us at a time. At first we circled with it, giving it no opportunity for this, biding our time as the beast's wounds continued to bleed and weaken it. Once the creature realized what we were doing it increased it's speed trying to get an opening before it had to yield. It was at that time I stepped before my daughter and the Hound took the bait, rushing me. Spinning and stepping to one side I tried to avoid the Hound's charge but it's maw clamped down on my upper arm. I could feel the teeth indenting the metal of my armor and there was pain. However my diskos sliced open the beast's ribcage and, in turning towards me, it exposed it's neck to my daughter, who's diskos chopped down and severed the beast's head. It was over and we had survived! It took a moment to extricate my arm from the Hounds maw, for, though dead, it's muscles yet clamped tight and had to be forced open. The damage to my armor, and arm, weren't bad and so we took no time to tend to such just then. It also seemed wise to move on lest the noise of battle, or scent of fresh killed meat, attract other beasts. It was at that moment we heard a faint sound and whirled to see what new danger beset us. Instead we saw a Guard, likely a scout, making himself visible to us. Once he saw we espied him he raised his diskos, inverted, in salute to us. Then he melted back into the moss-bushes and we moved on. We had not only survived, we had gained the Guards' respect.

There were several other encounters we had on our trek, all similar to the one mentioned, and similar to the countless other tales by those who returned from the Night Land. Only one is worth noting here, the one where we encountered two giants. It was unique in that we stumbled on them during what seemed to be some nuptial ceremony, as such they were less intent on us initially and almost made good our escape due to that. But that proved not to be and the One Hundred came to our great need. Fifteen of those brave men died in the encounter before the giants were dispatched. While the rest raised a cairn of stones over the dead, I went to examine the giants. As a Monstruwacan it was a unique chance to see one of the females of a race we usually meet, or see, only the males of. As a woman it was an unnerving moment, to see another woman, however foul in form, laying slain. For all their brutish form and mannerisms I saw more that was similar than that was unlike. Ab-human, it would seem, was yet alarmingly too human still. Never could I consider these "monsters" as such ever again.

With the cairn finished we saluted our honored fallen and moved on.

It was only when we approached the area near the Crowned Watcher that we were finally put to the test.

We crouched in the shadow of a boulder so the light from the Crown would not reveal us. In all the strangeness of the Night Land, the Watchers must be the most strange. Huge as a hill the monster was also as motionless as one. And yet one could feel a chilling alertness to this thing, for it never slept and ever gazed towards the Great Redoubt. One has to wonder how any could escape detection that had ventured forth. Perhaps they didn't and thus those who had returned had actually been allowed to. A frightening thought. But whether it knew of our presence or not there was no way of telling at that moment. The question at that moment was to test that theory and risk detection. And to test another theory, which was why this route had been decided on from the beginning. Now was the time to finally face Peril.

I had been to the fore in the battles to this point, but this was the daughter's quest. As such I left the decision to her. As when we walked out from the great Door of the Redoubt, she bit her lip. But her face was grimly set, she had decided. Stepping out from behind the boulder into plain sight she walked slowly towards the Watcher. She seemed too insignificant, with such a creature as backdrop, to be worthy of any notice. Yet notice it did, though that was not apparent at first. The first outward sign that the brute did ken my daughter was when it's great Ear quivered, something not seen for generations. The next sign was most terrifying, one that there is no record of having happened before, for the great beast turned it's one Eye, and nothing else, towards us and we were tranfixed in it's awesome gaze. It was like being in a searchlight's beam to have that fearsome mind considering us directly, standing there in that errie radiance of the Crown. No, the radiance did not come from the Crown alone! For it was at that moment I perceived our armors had begun to glow with their own pale blue nimbus. Whatever was in that monstrous gaze was malevolent towards us and had triggered the armors' defenses, the filigrees glowed in defiance of this assault. For some moments the Brute strove to penetrate and the armors glowed brighter for this effort. Then another amazing thing began, the Crown began to glow brighter as well. As it's light increased the glow of our armors lessened, as if it were shielding us from the malice of the Watcher. There was much speculation whether the Crown were of similar origin as the Dome that thwarts the Southern Watcher, especially after the discoveries of the daughter. It would seem this to be a truth, though it gave no comfort. For whatever Power created these defenses for us only saved us from Destruction, never interceding when faced with more common threats and mere death. This triad duel of Powers was sure to alert the Night Land to us and we were now likely in grave peril. I was greatly relieved that the remaining One Hundred were somewhere near at hand, as likely we were going to need their aid sorely. The glow on our armors died away at that moment and the awesome Eye turned from us back to the Redoubt. I ran to where my daughter still stood. But when she moved to embrace me, I moved away, holding my diskos between us. It was not armed but it's warning/query was plain, was this still my daughter before me? With a sigh she nodded and stepped back herself. Then I sensed the beat of the Master Word around me as she sent it into the aether and I relaxed. Yes, this was yet my child and not some fell doppleganger. Not even a possesed human could send forth the Word, for it was graven upon our genes and was negated by even the most cunningly subtle invasion of the Soul. I moved towards her and found her diskos in place of mine between us, not armed but ready. I chuckled at this. Of course! In my relief I'd forgotten she wouldn't know whether _I_ was yet her mother. For a second time the aether throbbed with the Master Word, and then we embraced with a cry of joy. The defenses had worked! What's more they had held against a Leviathan the likes of the Watcher. What a joy to just be alive at that moment!

Then we heard the Great Voice of the Redoubt as it rolled across the Land like thunder, the Home Call from the days when flyers arced over the Land. The encoded Block Speech warning us that a force of Giants were bearing down on us. Even worse, the House of Silence was roused. Hearing that sound alone told us the peril we were in, for to use the Home Call was to alert the whole Night Land that someone was abroad. It was used only under the most pressing of need, so we looked to see what peril we faced. A scout from the One Hundred appeared and told us they were going to attempt to draw the giants away, but that we best look to the House, for against that they could do nothing. At that he disappeared again into the Night. Shortly we heard the clash of battle that seemed to be moving away from us. Looking to the House of Silence we turned pale. A mist was coming from that fell place, but a mist unlike any ever seen. It seemed more fluid than vapor, though it broke apart and reformed like a vapor. It formed appendages and shapes of animals, even human-like faces within it's mass. And it moved far too fast to be natural. There was no doubt we did indeed face a pnumavore sent to Destroy. The daughter motioned for us to keep apart, for it was doubtful our weapons would prove useful now. Only our armors and their defenses would prove our salvation against this threat. The Mist-Thing closed on us and chose to first attack the daughter, who was slightly closer. It enveloped her form and I lost sight of her for a moment. Then within it's mass I saw a muted form that blazed blue and indigo, followed by the flash of a whirling diskos and a cry of agony. I immediately leapt forward, brandishing my own weapon, only to hear my daughter shout at me.

"No, stay back!! It seeps in through the chinks in the armor!"

I halted but would not retreat. I slashed at the fell mists leaving rents that sealed themselves almost as they formed. Within I saw the daughter's blazing diskos spinning about leaving it's own wounds within the foul thing. We were both shreiking at the top of our lungs. Above us the Crown began to blaze blindingly blue, illuminating the whole area where we fought to survive. I am unsure what may have happened then, all I know that when I came to myself again I was leaning against a boulder. The daughter lay on the ground near me and the Mist-Thing, what remained of it, was dissipating in ragged tatters. I stumbled over to my daughter and cradled her head in my lap. I found she was yet alive and my happy tears spattered on her armor, it's fine golden filigree now blackened from the intense forces it had been touched by. That is how the One Hundred found us, though in truth they now numbered barely a dozen, with most of them wounded and needing help to walk. By then my daughter had roused and I helped her to stand. The Dozen turned their diskoi towards us, awaiting our sending of the Master Word. This I did and they showed much relief. Then they turned to my daughter. She stood there, silent. The aether did not stir. I stared in utter shock. Tears streamed down her face and she could do nought but shake her head no. She could no longer send the Master Word. The Mist-Thing had left it's mark on her soul. She had not been Destroyed, but was now.....ab-human!

Diskoi blazed bright from the Dozen. Mine own did as well. But not to strike down the one I had birthed and was now utterly lost. Instead I stood between the Dozen and her, my weapon pointed in defiance at them.

"NO!!" I shouted

"Stand aside!"

"I will NOT!"

"She is ab-human now!"

"She is yet my daughter!"

"Mother! Do not do this!"

"I will!"

"We have proved the Defense works. There is no more to do here. Go back and tell the others what has been gained!"

"These brave few can do that much. I will not abandon you, even now."

"Mother....please!....."

"No!"

It was a tense moment. We all stood with weapons ready. Then the moment passed. One by one the Dozen extinguished their diskoi and stood down. I did the same, and not without a great relief that I would not have to contest with those who had fought and sacrificed so bravely for our benefit. Their leader came to me and spoke:

"Where will you go?"

"With my daughter. She is now of the Night Land. I am safer with her than even your stoutest aid can grant."

He just nodded. Then he raised his diskos, inverted in salute, to us. The rest of the Dozen did likewise. Then they turned to Home. I turned to go with my daughter, for we were now Home.

EPILOGUE:

"Mother, do not do this."

"Must we always have these same arguements?"

"They will not let you return within."

"Perhaps, perhaps not. We shall see. I can still speak the Master Word."

"Even if they do let you enter the Redoubt, they will not listen."

"Again, perhaps, perhaps not. We have much to teach them from our travels."

"They will not let you leave again."

"Daughter, you know well that answer. They did not stop us before, they will not stop me now. I will come back to you."

"Then I will await your return."

"Of that, dearest daughter, your mother has no doubts."

With that said I turned and stepped within the bright Circle the daughter could not now pass, walking towards the Great Redoubt..........