The mother of all headaches tap-dances through my mind - with high heels.
We were a mess. Collapsed like rag dolls on the floor of the keep. I was the first to stir and get up. Briefly contemplating my exhausted comrades, I warily brought the pattern up before me to see whether we had in fact succeeded. I could see nothing there, so when the rest got to their feet I grabbed the door handle and opened the door. To our surprise, standing behind the door, stood Corwin and a feathered person. He was introduced as Quetzalcoatl; The Serpent. I suppose he was in disguise.
Corwin seemed rather relieved that we'd finally succeeded, and strode off to speak with his daughter, Cordelia. I presumed (out load) that he'd probably fill us in, when the timing was more appropriate. He agreed, and went off to one side with Cordelia and had their secret little chat.
Meanwhile, while Alfred and Isla used magic to lock the door behind us, Allaghan and I went off with the serpent, to have a look at the fountain of power. The corridor was strange, in that it took us considerably longer to cross, than it first appeared. The Serpent took great delight in explaining (in the way god-like beings just love to fill in details) that it was a connection between here and there. I tried and eventually gave us trying to liken it to something I already knew, like an abyss tunnel, or an extended trump portal, but in the end, it just wasn't that important to make too much of a fuss about.
Together again, less Corwin who'd buggered off again, (probable doing something important), we stared at the Fount of power. Inscriptions on floor, petrified remain of the guardian, obligatory beam of energy rising from a central platform. It was a bit of a let-down after all the effort we'd put ourselves through. I knew that Cordelia was the one to go into the energy stream, and be the linchpin to summon the phoenix, and so did she. Very bravely did she approach the central pillar, she turned and handed me her sword, which I strapped on for safe keeping and she walked up to dais. "Be careful" I called after her, but I doubt she heard. The serpent started the incantation and began the inscription on the floor. Cordelia hesitantly enters the vortex. The energy whips her hair into a frenzy, and she is lifted off the floor, carried on the eddies of power. As the ritual continued, the beam of energy collapsed in on itself. My companions, who (as it later transpired) feared a similar climax to the Unicorn summoning, edged away from the proceedings. I, being ignorant of such things, couldn't take my eyes from Cordelia's body twisting and turning in the vortex, my heart racing in anticipation. I hoped to dear god that she'd survive. I hoped she'd remain herself. The mind is a fragile thing. The column collapsed onto Cordelia, and she slumped to the floor. Above her, exploding into a blaming shape grew into being, the giant phoenix. Massive and all powerful, it looked around and said glibly, something about it all happening again. It then spotted the serpent beneath it. It thanked him, and then spied us. It told us that it would meet us at the Keep, and rose into the air and vanished. A lone feather appeared in the air and fell on her still form. I picked her up, at first taking the feather into my own care, but after a suggestion from the boys, put it under her tunic, next to her skin, as it might have healing properties, then trumped Deidre. I handed her over into her care. Loathe as I were to be parted, I knew we had to attempt to find the book of Selheim. So, we returned to the doorway and left the chamber, re-entering the Keep of the four winds, and onto the next phase of our mission. Our discussions were interrupted by Merlin who after rudely rummaging through my mind to get an update, told us of a threat to Ygg by either Chaos or Rodian demons. Automatically believing him, I opened up a trump gate there, and Alfred and Allaghan popped through to search for information. They returned, having found nothing there - feeling suspicious I trumped Merlin again, but couldn't get through. With a joint feeling of suspicion and apathy of being other people's dogsbodies, we decided to carry on with our quest. But not after trying Corwin's trump again. Surprisingly he answered, and was moderately interested in Cordelia's plight, but quite content to try and get a message through to Benedict (via Fiona, who was still blocking everything in sight). Having set that ball in motion, I did a cursory pattern scrye down the corridor and told Allaghan that everything was clear. Perhaps I should have clarified that last comment to him, but hindsight is a marvellous thing. Isla casts an invisibility spell on him an off he went, in his armour, to search for the book. We don't hear from him for some time. We rest and wait. After a time, I obtain a trump from Deidre (originally in Cordelia's possession) and attempt to contact him, but get no answer. He isn't dead, but he is probably as good as. Damn! Our concern is abbreviated by the sound of running feet. Demons! Fred1 and Fred2 competently dispose of them and I trump us to the outside of the keep, where using Cordelia's sword, we make a brave attempt to find him. But with diminished firepower (no Allaghan or Cordelia), we retreat via trump, to Elysium. Having briefed Deidre, I check up on Cordelia. I am acutely aware that my feelings and concern for her are growing. Orac says she's alive, and fortunately not in the same condition I last found her in when she was unconscious. I return her sword, but keep her trump of Allaghan for future use contacting. I sleep. When I wake again, I check on Cordelia, then Allaghan. No change on either front. I felt that familiar tingling feeling again, and began to check my trumps to get a feel on who was calling, when Fiona's voice blasted through my shield. "Stop being silly", she said (or something like that) "Benedict needs your help - good though he is, he is experiencing some trouble against a thousand or so troops". "Help? What, us? What possible help can we be, against an army that size?" Before she has a chance to reply, I interrupt..."Wait, let me think"... And so, I think. A new headache begins.Part 2: Another One Bites The Dust
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