The Ingichic Tale

This room is spacious, made of slick grey and black cobblestones. A large table is the only object occupying the room and I stand over it, studying (despite this, I find my mind wandering from my current task of examining the battle map before me). I choose not to light the torches mounted on the walls. I am alone, thinking. Nobody to keep warm nor entertain, nobody to even burn. What a shame.

The table before me is made of a rough stone. It looks crudely carved and rushed, with bits of smaller rock still crumbling off of the sides. As a result the map painted upon the slab looks inaccurately bumpy. The waters Ma'Undin Kingdom, inhabited by merfolk and other such creatures, looks the least accurate. There is a random crater in the East Reef, and the Northern Drop-Off looks more like a slow decline rather than the daunting steep underwater cliff. I sit closest to the diagram of the oceanic domain, near the end of the table. I can see that edges of the table are jagged and I rub my flickering palms against them. I can see the stone instantly beginning to take on a dark red glow under my touch. I have always appreciated the way stone cannot truly burn, absorbing the heat and forming into thick, beautiful lava rather than instantly bursting into flames. I would just love to watch it grow brighter and brighter until I could see the red-hot heat dancing beneath the surface of Ma'Undin. Yet I draw my hands back, for there is simply no time to partake in simple pleasures. Not anymore, at least.

My people and I used to be held in such high regard. What happened? We are Hymns; the bearers of life and death itself, and we used to be worshiped as so. Each Hymn represented a factor of mortality; for instance, I am Fire. I was created to reek havoc and destruction around the world. I burnt down entire continents, cleansing the land and allowing for new beginnings. I am the heat that dries up deserts and scorches the dry grasses. My right-hand and most trusted confident Vedlitrni is Poison, the plague that abolishes those who contract it. He is the venom from a snake bite, the toxic berry on the unassuming shrub. I have other Hymns in my rebellion as of late, such as Mechael, the portrayal of chill and frost, and Likemn, the being of old age and time. We were regarded as as servants to the Elemental Gods themselves, which wasn't far from the truth. We were the Hymns in the duet of life and death. Not anymore, I suppose. Now we are considered demons and beasts, the villains of the story. Such a shame.

"Shall I bring them in, my Lady?"

I start; Vedlitrni had apparently entered the room to speak with me. I suppose I didn't hear him while lost in thought. He notices that I wasn't listening.

"Two of our Shadows from a western Terrinaf trail have arrived," Vedlitrni re-states. His tone is cool and soft, as usual. I can't say I'm not embarrassed to be caught off guard by such a competent advisor. His thick liquid exterior flows in smooth acid-colored swirls around his body. His calm stature makes my more intense personality seem drastically more sporadic. He stands a bit shorter than me but made up for it in his sturdy and short physique. This form seemed suited for him, unlike other Hymns I had met that tried to put on a false display of power merely by making themselves as large as possible. Those were the kinds of cowards that were the first to join my legion; afraid of true power, power that didn't need to be portrayed by size or strength.

Vedlitrni looks at me with expectant glossy-green eyes. Ah, silly me, lost in thought yet again. I truly do need to watch myself; there is no more time for daydreaming.

"Yes, yes, show them to one of our scribes for their statement-"

"Ignichia, there is a situation concerning the news they bring," Vedlitrni cut in. I flicker a bit at being interrupted, but the seriousness in my colleague's eyes and the way he personally addressed me drove me to ignore the man's abruptness. My Shadows act as spies, and they are usually mortal beings who have nothing to lose. I have Shadows all over the Three Kingdoms as of late, keeping eyes out for what areas have the least defense over their land in order to strike. If a Shadow has any important information they report to Vedlitrni, so this is unusual. I assume the Shadows are already outside the door, so I silently nod my head to allow Vedlitrni to bring them in.