Chapter 14

Pollen from the forest flitted down through the opening inside of the main chapel. The tiny airborne objects glittered and glowed within the tall beams of sunlight. The little bits of dust glided towards the ground like winter snow.

Laying in one of the ancient pews was the body of the injured girl. Her thin form rested upon the crushed velvet seat. Her stark white hair contrasted heavily with the ruby-colored fabric.

Donovan was able to get a better look at the young woman as she rested. Her most obvious feature was her long ivory locks, and the silvery strands almost mirrored the environment inside of the old Church. The great mane was held back from her face by a twisted cloth band tied around the top of her head. Her bangs and the tail of her mane were trimmed flat perpendicular to her body. Two longer white tresses on each side of her head were long enough to frame the front of her face. Tiny flecks of bright pink dotted her pale cheeks, and her terse lips only had a tiny amount of color. Faint blue glitter seemed to lace her closed eyelids. Not a single line could be seen dotting any of her features as the edges were all smooth and rounded. Odd green stains, probably from walking in lush grass, covered the bases of her feet.

She still wore the same crude burlap smock that Donovan found her wearing earlier in the forest. It was very loose fitting and it was almost falling off of her tiny shoulders. It had been torn and ripped in places, apparently from a combination of running through the forest and by the torture caused by the three men.

"Why were they trying to capture this little girl? They were planning on 'selling her'? Why would they do that? And why was she so special?" These were all thoughts running through Donovan's head.

This little girl did seem a bit strange compared to other girls her age. An invisible aura seemed to emanate from her small form and her features let off the sensation of mysticism. "Just who is she?"

When Donovan had returned to Ternail Dae, he immediately brought her into the great chapel. The old warrior's thought was that in the presence of a shrine to God she would be in better hands, possibly under his protection during the healing process. He left her there while he went to retrieve an Ifriit seed. He did not have any healing experience and it was the only thing he knew of that might help her recover from her wounds.

When he returned, the warrior had been able to force feed her a single seed, and she convulsed and healed as any other would. After the procedure she laid resting upon the pew for a few hours, much longer than what Donovan expected. He thought that she may still be sleeping due to the exertion of the day's events.

The aging man was sitting a distance away thinking about this young woman, when she suddenly awoke. Both of her eyes jolted open and she stared directly up at the ceiling. Before Donovan could blink she had jumped high into the air and clung to the bent brass tubes of the pipe organ. With her hands and fingers clasped to the metal, she leaned back to look at the warrior. Obviously startled and possibly frightened, she began to speak.

"Ai tau iet ferr hyum?" A trembling voice, similar to the chirps of wild birds, came from her small mouth. She was obviously asking him a question, but what?

"What? What did you say?" he said towards the hanging girl in vain.

"Tyui bannei vuadi puily, erta byum efreeyn cade ta u?" she asked again.

"I don't understand. What are you asking?"

The young woman clinging to the organ stopped talking and a slight grin appeared around the corners of her lips. Almost as easily as she had hopped up onto the brass pipes, she jumped back down and landed softly upon the ground a few steps away from the warrior. She looked at Donovan again and smiled even more.

The short white haired girl began to walk towards Donovan. This caused the startled warrior to become apprehensive of his current situation. He froze for a second and took a step back. She continued to advance.

When she got close enough to him, she lifted her arms upward into the air towards his upper body. Donovan stood still not understanding her requests. She shook her lifted arms, almost as if she was pleading to hug him. Because of her height she was barely tall enough to reach up to his shoulders. Begrudgingly he began to kneel down.

She cupped her small pink hands around the sides of his head and slowly pulled it towards her. With a quick peck she kissed a spot on his forehead next to his large scar. Strange chills ran down Donovan's neck and back. The girl let go and he stood back up.

"What is your name?" she asked, her voice now recognizable.

The warrior was taken aback. "I can now hear her whereas I couldn't before? How? Wasn't it just a bunch of chirps before?"

The older warrior cleared his throat before speaking, "Donovan."

"Donovan… isn't that an odd name for a man? I don't think I've ever heard that name before. Are you the only Donovan you have ever come across? Is it a common name? And…"

"Wait," Donovan interjected, "How can I now hear you?"

"I gave you a kiss. I've granted you the ability to hear my true voice. Isn't it obvious?"

"No, why would that be obvious?"

"Because it is obvious, silly. It is completely obvious. Where…"

He interjected again. "If I couldn't understand you before, but I can now, then how come you can understand the common language?"

"Oooh, more questions for me! I've not had any questions asked of me in a long time. I am always the one asking the questions." With noticeable excitement she paused trying to remember his query, "Umm, I enjoy studying your people, it's fun to learn your words."

"My people…? What do you mean by my 'people'? You aren't part of my 'people'? Then who are then 'your people'?"

"I am a Gilly."

"What is a Gilly?"

"A Gilly…? A Gilly is a… Well, I'm a Gilly… What more do you need to know?"

Donovan thought, "What more do I need to know…? What do I ask? Where do I start?"

The warrior spoke his first thought, "You have asked my name, then I must ask what is yours?"

"I am called Whisper by my family and friends. Do you like it? Is it a common name of man? Or should I say, of a 'woah-man'? I haven't had much time to study your females. They simply don't interest me as much as you men. How…"

Another question came from the old warrior. "How old are you?"

"Well…" she smirked, "Aren't you a rude one for interrupting me yet again? From what I've seen it is impolite to speak before a female is finished with her speech. Anyway, I enjoy your questions… Let's see, I am fourteen seasons in age."

"How can you only be fourteen seasons old? That is only four and a half years. You look to be sixteen. You can't possibly be that young!"

"Of course I can. That is my age, and I am standing here in front of you. That is proof enough of my age. I'm actually quite old for my people. We are new to this world you know."

"New to this world?"

The ivory hair girl sighed. "I keep forgetting that the world of man does not know the history of the Gilly. I mean, you should, but I guess you haven't had the opportunity yet. Maybe in time."

She spoke up again, "The Gilly were created by… I suppose you call him 'God', forty seasons ago. We are one of his more proud achievements; a slight improvement of your kind I must say."

"Created by God Himself!?! How do you know this!?!"

"He told us himself of course. He is a very kind deity, quite curious like us. We often speak with him at his discretion."

A massive flood of thoughts swarm into Donovan's mind. "Created by God! Is it possible? Of course it could be possible, anything is possible with it involves the Lord. And can she and her people really only be that young? If in fact they are a recent creation of God, then it would only be by His will that they could possibly be so young…"

"Are you okay?" she asked. "You look confused."

"That is because it is confusing. It is unheard of for God to have recent contact with our world. Not a single memoir of direct contact from God has been recorded in a millennia. And even then, no tangible proof of his presence exists. It is a difficult thought to grasp."

"Oh he wouldn't like to hear that. He almost certainly exists, even if just as a creator and advisor. I just think he has tired of your people and therefore does not bother with your kind. He needed something new to keep his mind occupied, and we were his answer.

"I find you silly. Might I now ask how you came across that scar of yours? I have answered many of your questions."

With the query, Whisper brought Donovan back into the real world. "Uh, I was wounded in a battle with a giant Pontian monster. During the battle I lost my eye as well as…"

"'As well as…' what?"

"My family."

Whisper gasped. "Ooh… sorry! I didn't mean to ask something like that. I'm sad to hear that. Family is a very dear thing to lose. I don't know what I would do should lose any of my thirteen brothers and sisters. Nor what would happen should to my twenty-four cousins…"

She stood next to him as she spoke. With a slow gesture her tiny pink fingers clasped onto his left hand. Her tiny little hands were slightly cold. She tilted her head up and looked into his eye. A tiny grin appeared across her face. Her eyes were a deep marine blue and they pierced through the air. With her gesture and the glare from her sympathetic eyes, he couldn't help but smile back.

"Good, I have made my amends!" She walked away towards the marble podium and turned back to face the warrior. "I forgot to thank you for saving me from those evil men who caged me. I owe you my very soul for your heroic deed. Thank you… Donovan."

"Caged?" Donovan remembered that she had been chased by three men. "Why were they chasing you?"

"Oooh, I get to tell a story. I love stories? Do you love stories? I like simple stories the most, but sometimes I like scary stories even if they give me nightmares. The ones that my father tells during the harvest moon are…" Whisper glanced over towards Donovan.

A blank expression ran across his face.

"You are a bit slow aren't you? Oh well. Well I'll begin my story now I suppose.

"A few days ago I was watching a caravan of men traveling through a forest near my home. We had heard the calls of strange beasts echoing through the tall woods and I decided to investigate it alone. It is hard for us not to be curious about these things. There is so much to learn!

"Well, I managed to follow the caravan and saw a wonderful amount of new things. Beasts with long tails, colorful birds, and females covered with vibrant clothes were all part of the caravan. Men who walked along the wagons tossed small balls into the air and caught them in magical ways. There were also men that were only half the size of your smallest children. I was most excited by this find! I had never seen such things!

"On the side of one of the wagons was the word 'circus' written in your language. Sir-cuss I think it is said. Is that right? What is a 'circus'? Do they perform magic? Why did the women look just like the birds? Were the small men children?

"Well, I was hopping from branch to branch as they went along the forest path. Pathetically I lost my footing. It was a slippery branch I tell you, I almost never fall!

"I fell down through the branches and horribly my clothes were torn from my body! My beautiful bressum got hooked by a stray dry branch and stuck there. That bressum was sewn by my mother not more than two seasons ago! Anyway, it was terrible flying down through the air naked!

"I lan… why are you turning red? Are you 'blushing'? Why are you blushing? Oh, because I was naked... never mind that, there is a great story being told!

"I landed in the soft root of one of the larger wagons.

"What happened after that I don't fully remember. I did land pretty hard. Well, next thing I knew I was caged behind some cold iron bars. Several hideous men poked and prodded at me. They had clothed me in this pathetic dressing as well. Is this actually what some of you wear? Pitiful!

"I tried to escape from the metal bars, but I couldn't fit through between them. I almost got stuck too!

"A day passed, and they removed me from the cage for some strange reason. Well I took this opportunity to escape and jumped away. Unfortunately I didn't plan correctly and ended up fumbling into a large fat woman. I tripped over her and everyone's attention was on me.

"I started to run and one of them attacked me with that long leather strip. It cut across my left leg and I couldn't jump! So instead I ran into the depths of the forest. They continued to chase and chase me. I couldn't seem to get away from them.

"Just when I couldn't move any further, a great and noble hero came to my rescue! He saved the poor Gilly in need and shooed away her aggressors. It was quite valiant! I've never been saved by anyone! Have you ever saved anyone else…?

"I saw you attack the hairless one with the whip just before I lost my vision. What else did you do to those men? Nothing else that was violent I hope…"

"… I took care of them and they fled. I gave them penance for their transgressions."

"Wonderful. It sounds like they learned their lesson, never mess with a Gilly and her hero!

"And so that is what happened before I ended up here. Where are we by the way? Is this your home? Do you live here? How long have you lived here? Do your wife and your family live with you? You do have children right? Most men have children from what I have seen."

The warrior ignored these questions.

"Another sore subject I suppose. I always have trouble with asking the wrong questions. That happens when you ask so many questions like me. Well at least you can answer where we are, can't you?"

"We are in the once hidden city of Ternail Dae. This structure is now abandoned except for the two of us. We are in the chapel where my people once prayed to the great Lord above."

"You pray to God? Does he listen? Does he answer you?"

"No, he has never answered any of my questions. For others I do not know, but he has never spoken to me."

"Interesting. Can I look around? I have never actually been inside one of your cities. Far too dangerous. So much to see though! May I?"

"I doubt I could stop you with that jumping ability of yours, and so I won't. Please do not destroy anything. Many things within this cavern are quite fragile. Most of the items are holy to my people."

Whisper giggled. She quickly skipped towards the great wooden entrance of the chapel. Her long white locks billowed behind her as she ran. Donovan cast a simple spell to light their way, and began to follow the strange young girl on her exploration.

The pair walked through many different tunnels and passageways of Ternail Dae for a few hours. She continued to pester Donovan with questions every few steps. While it was slightly annoying, he enjoyed being able to actually talk to someone once again. He had not had a conversation of any length in a very long time. With each little query that he answered his mood seemed to improve. His ever present depression appeared to seep further away.

"What is that room over there?" the tiny girl asked as she pointed down a hallway.

"That is the study chamber. It is where elder priests would have conversations about our faith. Behind there…"

Whisper's eyes wandered to the tall sword that now lay across Donovan's back. "Where did you get that sword? Is it magic? Is it made of silver? Do you always carry it? Why didn't you have it during the fight in the woods? Can I see it?"

"I found it within a great white tree in a forest far from here. It appears to be very old and ancient. It looks to be made of silver, but I'm not for certain. The blade is superb but I doubt it is magic. I'm not sure from where it came, but it appears to belong to me now. The only thing that I know about the blade is that the symbol found here on the hilt matches a symbol found on an old religious artifact that I was able to collect. However, I was unable to learn anything else about it from the books in the great library."

"Ooh, more mysteries. I like to solve mysteries as much as I like asking questions. Have you searched all the rooms in these caves? There might be clues about the sword right here!"

"I have searched most of the cavern, but I have not searched all of its hidden passageways and secrets. Some places are inaccessible due to cave-ins that block my way."

"Maybe I could climb over them and search for you! It would be fun to solve the riddles of your sword. It can be a game!"

"I don't have time for gam…," the old warrior caught himself.

Donovan began to think, "What else do I have to do that is more important? Do I have anything at all important to do? I can't I suppose searching more of this cavern would be quite helpful."

He spoke up, "Yes. Yes, we can search the hidden passageways. Would you like to help?"

Whisper's eyes widened and her deep blue eyes reflected all the available light. An expression of pure glee draped her face. Excitingly she spun around and skipped away ahead of her new playmate. She began to hum a tune and sounds from the little melody reverberated through the great stone walls.

"Have you found anything this time?" the warrior asked from across a giant pile of rubble. The mass of granite and earth blocked most of this passageway. Near the top on the left-hand side was a small opening through which the tiny girl was able to squeeze through earlier.

"You must be patient. I am still searching," said a distant voice from the other side of the mound of rock.

From within the hidden room a noisy collage of tin pans hitting a stone floor could be heard. This was followed by the distinct sounds of breaking glass.

"Oops, I didn't mean to do that. Could you have this little floating glowy-thing be more careful? I can't see what I'm doing in here. I tripped over some dusty papers and into a box made of wood. I think it's called a 'cabinet' right? Am I right?"

"Yes, I believe so but I can't tell you for sure. I can't see in there you know."

"I'm sure it’s a 'cabinet'. I am usually right about these things. Cabinet, cabinet, cabin…"

Whisper continued to repeat the word over and over again for several minutes as she searched. As she looked around the hidden room, a multitude of noises could be heard. They ranged from her falling into furniture, to the small girl knocking equipment over, as well as from the curious Gilly just being clumsy in general.

"Cabinet, cabinet, cab…. inet! I've found something! It looks just like the glass tube you showed me earlier. Would you like to see it? It is full of liquid! Should I drink it first? It looks like it might be sweet. Can I have a taste?"

"No, don't drink it. Men traditionally don't put beverages in tiny glass tubes. Bring it over the rubble and I'll take a look."

The tiny girl came crawling back over the mound of broken stone. Within her small hands was a glass capsule similar to the one he had found in Copperton. The same twisted feather symbol that lay engraved into the hilt of his sword, and on the tube from Copperton, could be found on the unbroken tube that Whisper held within her fingers. The liquid inside resembled a dark red version of honey. By tilting the vial the liquid could be forced to ooze from corner to corner.

"What do you suppose is inside? Do you think it would taste good? It almost looks like honey," the inquisitive Gilly responded.

"I don't know, but it looks like the liquid inside might be magical. Why else would someone place this marking on its stopper? It is a very unusual symbol, as I have said before. And the vial looks to be related to my sword but how?"

"Can I see the sword? You didn't let me see it earlier. Maybe I can figure the puzzle out!"

Donovan laid the sword down onto the stone path between the two of them. Whisper began to feel the different sections of the weapon. Her fingertips traced from the pommel, up the quillon, and along the long grooved chamber that lay inside of the blade. Her attention returned to the hilt and she began to follow the golden spirals found within the crossguard. By drawing tiny swirls along the hilt, she studied the golden metal.

"There is a bump here in the middle of the handle here. Have you felt this before?"

Donovan bent down to take a closer look. He too traced the golden spirals and there in fact was a distinct bump, hidden within the design, right in the center of the hilt directly below the blade. The warrior studied the strange bump and noticed that it could be depressed with a small amount of effort, feeling rusted as if it had gone unused for many a year. A faint clicking sound could be heard with each press.

Whisper noticed that the tube was the same width as the channel along the blade. Still holding the vial within her hands, she placed it inside of the groove. With the stopper facing towards the hilt of the blade, the glass cylinder was able to fit snugly inside of the channel.

"Why didn't I think of that before?" Donovan exclaimed. "It's so simple."

"It is because you are not curious enough like the Gilly. We often stumble along solutions to complex problems by accident. It helps to look at everything. Don't you look at every little detail?" A sheepish grin spread across her face.

Donovan touched the vial and shifted it closer towards the hilt along the groove. With a small click, it locked into place.

"Heeee! What do you suppose happens now that we have solved the puzzle? Is the sword enchanted now? What do you suppose the tiny button does? Can we try it!?!"

"We can experiment, but we must do it outside. I don't wish to have anything terrible happen within this the city, so we shall go outside to the forest for our tests.

"But first, were there any more vials like this in that room? How about any books or papers that were laying around the vials that might help us figure out what they do? Did you see anything like that…?"

The old warrior turned to face the little girl, but she had already scrambled up the rubble pile and was inside the room in just a matter of moments. Just as before, numerous sounds of items falling and bumping into each other could be heard. Tiny little curses of frustration also perforated the air, presumably from the overeager little girl.

Continue to Chapter 15