Demoni Vankil - Letter Twelve
He became red faced in his anger, and raising his voice to me said my results were unacceptable and my attitude deplorable.
Demoni Vankil is the historical and award-winning work of Höbin Luckyfeller, and the precursor to Chronicles of a Hero.
An ancient puzzle box.
Fourteen letters.
A Council of Whispers.
…and a clerk.
Discover the 700 year old secret millions died to protect.
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LETTER TWELVE
My Beloved Ethany,
King Kimmeldell brought me a visitor today. It was Charles. It seems strange to me - his visits. I am questioning what his part is in all of this. I was, however, looking forward to seeing a friendly face.
But that is not what I saw. In fact, I may have not recognized him in another setting. His hair, which was once neatly trimmed, is now shaggy and unkempt, and his face, which was once handsome, is now scarred, creased, and unshaven. Even his eyes had a fire in them that made him look stern. Could these be the effects of fighting on the front lines of this war since I saw him last? He, we both, have aged a great deal.
Charles related to me impassioned, the conditions of the war, the devastation and death plaguing the land. Not a single village or city to the south has survived. Mahan now controls Tämä-Un and the Prime Gate.
It will surprise you to hear what happened next, my dear. For you probably believe it isn’t in either of our nature.
We contended bitterly against one another.
Charles has been most unkind about my completing this work and the time it has taken. He kept repeating that it would work…and that I must make it work. I tried to explain the limitations of the runes, but he won’t listen to reason. He became red faced in his anger, and raising his voice to me said my results were unacceptable and my attitude deplorable.
His judgements of me are unforgivable, for I, too, as you know, have suffered and sacrificed a great deal. I can do nothing when I have nothing!
They will not hold me responsible for this failure.
He then tried to make me swear I would not give until I had succeeded.
But I would not.
Maybe I overreacted, being frustrated over the current state of this work and he being worn out from his labors. I know not. Whatever the cause, he’s gone now.
Maybe my part is over and I will come home soon.
All my love,
Eamon
P.S. Gratefully, Charles had not left. He is the last person I want to be at odds with.
It appears he took my words to heart and has been in council with King Kimmeldell.
Charles announced he believed the Kutollum possessed the answer to our problem. And then the dwarf King reverently placed a jeweled case before me, which made me leery.
Ethany, it was a Lanthya! A most prized possession of this race and King Kimmeldell gingerly handed me the shard to use with the runes. He assured me that no less a cause could have compelled his people to part with it.
At first touch, I could feel the power emanating from it, even though it was smaller than the other crystals we have been using. I wonder also if he knew that if the Lanthya had enough life force, it would never return to his keeping.
We would still need two more.
How can we accomplish such a feat? I felt sorry for that but chose not to mention it.
I gave the shard to Shiro for study and to practice upon and we resumed our experiments the following day. Shiro shouted with excitement when he channeled the energy from the crystal into the seal of the rune. There was no limit to its power! We created and activated four insignificant runes, investing none of our time…
Charles may have saved us all.
There are no historical records on the Lanthya, even though historians know they exist. I have seen one myself.
Legend says the Lanthya fell from the skies, a gift from the Gods. An actual piece of their own home world, intelligent and filled with wisdom, sent to teach us and help us.
Unfortunately, the people of the Elämä bickered and fought over who was to ‘own’ the Lanthya and bloodshed ensued. So the Lanthya split herself into twelve lesser pieces—eleven shards and a ‘heart stone’, to be shared as a gift to all people. One piece to each organized ‘clan’.
This is when the first Mahan appeared, seeking to obtain the shards—and use them to bring all people under his dominion. As the wars grew, Mahan gained several of the shards and became nearly invincible—drawing on the unlimited life force to power his magic.
But the intelligence of the Lanthya had remained in the ‘heart stone’. The Ithari, she called herself. She chose a humble boy among the people to be her Hero. To be the one she would grant all her power for his service to the people. He was to be the warrior against the forces of darkness and to defeat the Dark Lord Mahan.
It was the last battle between the Hero and Mahan which caused the Great Sundering. It tore the world apart, sending lands across the waters and dividing each race.
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Paid subscribers can access the entire archive of this series from the beginning, along with other stories and every article I’ve ever written. If you aren’t a paid subscriber, you can access the archive for free with a 7-day trial OR earn a paid membership by joining the referral program!
“The first Mahan” that’s a statement. I was under the impression that Mahan was a individual person or being who was sealed away by the demoni Vankhil. Buf this makes your mind race with what Mahan actually is is it a station like the Hero? Anyway just an observation. And if it is a station what exactly was sealed away?