112 - Man in the Mirror

On the other side of the hill Magnus finally got a full view of the colossal tree - for miles and miles all around there were only roots, giant wooden snakes that spread out in a huge tangle above the earth. The roots were like a thousand sleeping snakes, all intertwined and pressed tightly together, their twists and tangles formed cavities which were filled with a murky red liquid.

That great tangle all rose together to a single massive heap, rising like a mountain of roots and in their center seamlessly weaved into a single massive tree trunk. There were none of those little pointy eared freaks on this side of the hill, not one of them had dared to follow Hob, instead returning to play and laugh down in the forests below.

This was it! This was exactly the dream! I have been here before - it's the same bloody tree! Last time Magnus had been filled with a wondrous sense of coming home - of being in a safe and welcoming place. This time . . he watched Hob scurry down the other side of the grassy hill towards the tangle of roots. This time Magnus felt no sense of homecoming - none.

Half left . . half my Logos. Once this goes, I'll be entirely exposed . .

So far Magnus hadn't the feeling that anything or anyone had compromised his concealment formations, certainly not Hob - and he was determined to see it through to the end.

Hob stopped before a tangle of roots with a small pool of murky red water and kneeled.

"Oh Master, Oh King of the Woods! I beseech you! By the light of dusk, by the light of dawn, your servant pleads for an audience!" Hobs bowed three times to the pool of blood, his forehead smacking the dirt with a dull thud.

It was a truly strange thing for Magnus to see his facsimile acting in such a fashion - it really was like watching himself acting out a bizarre pantomime.

"Master! Master!"

From the pool of blood arose a figure, the colour of blood - it's robes red, its face red - raising a hand it touched Hob on the head and spoke; its voice a weird insect buzz in Magnus ears.

"Calm. I am here Hob. Speak."

"Master! It has all gone wrong!" Hob sobbed fearfully, clutching at the figures robes. "We've been found out! One of the twelve, Borges! He is on Aquilonem! He knows Magnus is there! He . . he . . and Magnus, he . . I tried, Master! I tried, I let him touch the ley lines and feel his power, like you said - but Borges was there!"

"Calm." The figure spoke again - Magnus felt it like the buzz of an insect within his skull. Every word intoned itself upon the world itself leaving an oppressive sensation in his body. Down, deep down inside himself Magnus felt something struggling, howling - within the very core essence of his being - countless animal howls were struggling, trying to claw their way out and towards the voice.

The Earth Lizard and the Griffon - he could feel them, and a whole host of other lesser beasts he had devoured - all the creatures that were on the stones in the black water stream within the sleeping forest - they all roared and shrieked and tried to claw their way to the surface - all of them reacting in a frenzy at the very sound of his voice.

Magnus took a deep breath and fought against it. Should I go? If I stay . . I can stay hidden a good while more - more than enough to listen and to make good my escape. But . . the more he talks, the less control I have over myself. Hells, what happens if the creatures burst out? It can't be good . . hells, it most certainly can't be a good thing for me.

"What should I do Master? Magnus is too much of a liability, we have to abandon him! The others will surely know - the Lord of Embers is sure to know!"

"There, there. My little Hob, calm yourself." A bony blood red hand gently caressed Hobs head, soothing him. "Magnus Lund is unimportant, see?" He pointed up to the branches of the tree high above. Amongst the branches was a distant shape, the sun glinted off its silver scales. "Magnus is but one of the scales on my little fish. If he is found, if he stays hidden - all is within my palm, all is without consequence. See, Hob? What is important . . is that he grows big and strong."

"Yes, Master!"

A sudden dread filled Magnus - a sudden realization of where he was and what he was doing. Yes, he had been left by Hob all tied up, and yes - what was he meant to do? But . . coming here . . even the chance of being found out - it would spell certain death. No, no, no . . death? In front of a creature like this . . there were a thousand things worse than death. What was this place? How was it connected to the sleeping forest, to the Ether? What the hells was Hob? Ah hells, ah hells . .

"Help him grow, Hob. Don't worry about the other divines, focus on Magnus - that is your role." As the red figure spoke he sunk back into the puddle of blood, rapidly dissolving. "Go, Hob - go back and maintain your ward. I have another scale coming to see me . ." The buzz like voice faded to silence.

"Thank you Master!" Hob knocked his head on the ground a last time before the puddle of blood before scrambling to his feet and hurrying down the roots back towards the hill, Magnus hastily followed after him.

Magnus felt his Logos running short, he knew he could only maintain the concealing formations for another few minutes. He felt like he needed to leave - to run, to get back to his body as soon as possible and pretend he hadn't moved at all - if they find me here . . if I am seen . .

I wasn't meant to hear that . . I wasn't meant to see this . . I shouldn't be here . .

As if he had broken some great taboo - Magnus heart beat wildly, the buzz like words of the figure in red reverberating in his thoughts as he chased Hob over the crest of the hill.

Hob . . his master . . the figure who he'd seen the first time he'd come into the sleeping forest - the figure within the lake of blood. They had to be one and the same, of course they were . . he had seen all the same things, of course. Who the hells were they? Nothing like them existed anywhere in any of the Seers or Alchemists memories; there was no record of anything like this - no Lord of Embers, no King of the Woods . . nothing like this . .

He hurried forwards, passing Hob and going ahead towards the line of strange things on the far side, quickly coming to the tree that so resembled those growing in his own Sleeping Forest.

Next to the tree was the tombstone, and on the other side the wooden fishing boat - just as Magnus was about to leap into his own tree there was a flash of light and a cry - the air around the fishing boat warped and formed into the shape of a man.

The man that appeared had seemed in a daze - he appeared to be a little older than Magnus, though his complexion was weather worn it was yet youthful, not quite marked by the passing of years.

"Father . . I am here, Father . ." The man raised his hands above his head, his eyes were glazed, as if he were staring into nothing. He must be dreaming . . I must have looked like this when I was brought here. He must be . . he must be one of the other scales, a Celestial, right? Someone just like me . .

"Joshua . . come to me my son . ." From the sky came a buzz like voice - with it a golden thread of light descended, pulling the man into the air and towards the gigantic tree.

Magnus shook his head, diving into his tree and back into the Sleeping Forest. He had enough on his plate without having to worry about another! What could he do? What was he to do? Chase after him? Ah hells . . what am I meant to do?

Now, more than ever before in his life, Magnus wished he did have someone at his side he could rely on - someone like Pa Lund, anyone - someone who could guide him in the right direction.

The enchantments and formations that were keeping him concealed flickered - his Logos was near entirely empty. Another few moments and he would be exposed . . a little way off he saw Hob hurrying towards the tree - without a second thought Magnus leapt through.