The Unfated Wanderers Canto 23
Huddled in Tong Shatterbone’s hall, the Unfated Wanderers told the tale of Sprybull. Tong mourned the death of his friend and took possession of the Box. He was intrigued by the staff. The word carved into the staff tickled Tong’s mind. He pondered the mysterious staff for several moments. With a triumphant shout, he jumped to his feet and ran to a book shelf. Billet and Vilerend followed him.
Tong opened the book of poetry The Land Above Our Heads, The Sky Beneath Our Feet and read from it:
A Small Place of Peace I wished for a small place of peace A place of safety, where I can just be I planted my staff, saying omit and there grew a tree Whose canopy granted my wish
Beneath this canopy that only I could see I sat and watched the world pass me by No yells of mine, no shouts or screams Would turn the heads of any person without
Tong said, “I believe that the poem was written about this staff. It was written for you long before you were born. I think that we are witnessing the Children creating Fate. You should pursue any strange occurrences that you discover. I consider these to be acts of Fate. The Equerry told us that you two do not have Fates. Perhaps the Children of the Gods are building Fates for you in the past to be acted on in the present.”
The Unfated Wanderers held the staff and said, “Omit.”
Tong said, “I wonder if it worked.”
A servant entered the hall with a tray of food. He looked for his King and saw him not. He returned to the kitchen. The staff had performed its task perfectly. Those within its radius of effect were unnoticed.
Their Boxes began to hum with an influx of new messages from Scholars watching the doings in Icebrunt:
Radical Weavers are gathering people together to form an army to repel the invaders. They are also working to create a government to seize the nation. They are hoping that by repelling the invaders and praying the giants away, they will earn the respect of the people and become a legitimate government. The army of Radical Weavers will soon deploy from Lake Slowmelt to fight the invaders.
The invading force has gotten as far as the Sundig Cliffs, below Henspire and Stormcraft. The Fertile Belt of Icebrunt is lost. The settlements there were already weak from giants and spawn. Without a standing army, they stood no chance of defending themselves.
To my friends in the north, prepare your villages. Refugees from the invasion are fleeing in your direction.
A message from Keeper of Lore read:
My home is secure but nobody can get to it due to the invasion. I am flying the present Scholars north, away from the invasion. To every Scholar still on their way: stop! You cannot get to my home. Does anybody know of a safe place that is underground or well defensible?
Tong sent a Boxing message to all of the Scholars:
Flee to the Inverted Tower. It has no strategic value to either army and we should be safe inside. I must stay in Shatterbone with my horde. May your Fates be kind to you. We will find each other when this is all over.
Tong ordered Vilerend and Billet to the Inverted Tower. Many of the Scholars cannot defend themselves. They will need the might of the Unfated Wanderers.