A Deep and Verdant Green
3
After making Tova take up Hadaad’s dropped scimitar, Sigyn hastily led her charges through the dense jungle to the ruins. Her gaze swept the jungle constantly, expecting at any moment to be set upon by Zuagirs, or green, leafy plant men. In short order, they arrived at the base of the great tree where she’d battled Shabaz.
“Great Tarim!” Fardis exclaimed, while Tova and Chandi gasped in horror. The hulking Zuagir still lay at the base of the tree where he fell, but the corpse was hideously transformed. The flesh had been invaded and tunneled through by vines and creepers, and thick moss had covered the flesh that had barely cooled. Here and there, white bone lay exposed where flesh had given way to plant growth.
“Ymir..” whispered Sigyn, prodding the body with her yatagan, “This is damned peculiar.”
Fardis turned to her, a baffled expression on his face, “Do you think so? What grows that fast? And while we are on the subject of things peculiar, have you noted that?” Fardis gracefully gestured with an upturned index finger. “Listen!”
Sigyn sighed and concentrated on the sounds of the jungle, only to hear… “Silence. Dead silence." She stated. "No birdsongs, no screeching of monkeys, nor buzz of insects. By the same token, normally in a climate like this, we’d be eaten alive by insects. Ymir’s teeth! Let’s hasten to the ruins!”
“Perhaps we should fill our water skins and leave this valley?” Tova suggested.
“I would agree, but darkness will be upon us soon, and I would not wish to navigate this thick growth in the dark. Come!” Sigyn resumed the march into the jungle, and shortly the four arrived at the cyclopean wall.
Chandi made straight for the pool. “Asura be praised!” she exclaimed as she started to thrust her hands into the water.
Fardis stopped her. “Hold! Let me have a look at that pool first.” Fardis approached the pool thoughtfully, stroking his moustache. “This was not constructed as a pool. I see the remains of some sort of platform in the center, and the rim of the pool makes a bench. This was some area for oration or discussion I’ll wager!” Producing a silk handkerchief from the sleeve of his tunic, he dipped it into the pool and brought it to his nose. He grimaced and shook his head then circled the stone lined pool until he arrived at the waterfall that poured from the broken aqueduct above. He thrust his hand into the flow, withdrew it, then rubbed his wet fingers together, and then brought his fingers to his nose. Finally, he gathered some of the water in his cupped hand and tasted it.
Chandi threw up her arms in exasperation, “Well?”
Fardis gestured to the waterfall, “This water is safe. Avoid the water in the pool. Do not drink or bathe in it.”
"And why not?” Chandi enquired petulantly.
“It is oily and smells foul, and, unless I miss my guess,..” he placed the handkerchief on a nearby rock. He then reached into the satchel he’d been carrying and took out a peculiar looking metal contraption.
“What in Ymir’s name is that?” asked Sigyn.
“It’s basically the same as flint and steel, but it works more efficiently. ‘Twas a gift from a Khitan princeling. Behold!” Fardis operated the mechanism and it produced a shower of sparks. The handkerchief, which should have been too damp, erupted in flame.
“So the pool is flammable then?” asked Tova.
“Partly.” replied Fardis. “If you look, you’ll spy shiny rainbow hued areas, those would likely combust.”
“We should have no trouble staring a fire then!” said Sigyn. “You girls fill those skins and refresh yourselves in the waterfall. I think there’s some flat rocks behind it on which you can perch. Fardis and I will gather some fruits and firewood and have a look around. We shant go far. I’m sure I can count on you to cry out if anything untoward happens!”
Fardis and Sigyn searched high and low in the area near the pool but found no dead wood of any kind. It seemed the trees in the strange valley were immortal. Giving up, they resorted using their swords to hack down a number of oddly formed saplings and chopping them into usable lengths. While they worked, Sigyn shared the account of the apparition she’d seen when she discovered the ruins. They agreed to keep that detail between themselves. No sense alarming the wives any further. After gathering a load of wood and picking a good quantity of purple fruits Fardis identified as being edible, they returned to the pool as night fell. Fortune smiled upon them in that, when kindled with the oily liquid floating on the pool, the green wood burned quite nicely, if somewhat too quickly. Once everyone was gathered about the crackling fire, Sigyn finally allowed her self to make use of the waterfall. Undressing and peeling the makeshift bandage from around her head, she went behind the waterfall where a rude platform was formed by the fallen masonry, and there stepped into the waterfall. The water was surprisingly cold, but more than tolerable to one reared on the icy tundras of Nordhiem. She allowed the flowing water to wash the dried blood from her hair and body, and soothe the cuts and scratches she’d received over the past few days. When she’d finished washing, she drank her fill of the cool water. Discarding her torn, bloody tunic, she donned the red leather jerkin, pantaloons and boots and rejoined the others by the fire. They were eating and chattering to each other in low, quiet voices. Sigyn mentally praised them for keeping quiet, but in the preternatural silence of this bizarre jungle, their whispers were a cacophony. If Hadaad was still at large and had not bled out in the jungle, or if more Zuagirs had entered the valley, well, that scarcely bore thinking about. Seating herself where she could see gateway to the jungle, Sigyn seized a few of the fruits and tore into them with great relish.
“The rest of you sleep” she instructed between mouthfuls, “I will take first watch. I will wake you, Fardis, when I judge it to be midnight.” Fardis nodded silently.
Fardis and Chandi stretched out by the fire, throwing the blanket over them. Tova approached Sigyn, bringing her the bow and its single arrow.
“You may want these.” she said.
“My thanks! I’m a mediocre archer on a good day, but perhaps I might give them a fright!”
“You have done well by us, Sigyn, You have my thanks.”
Sigyn shook her head, “Nay, I was charged with the protection of all ten of Fardis’ wives, and only saved two of you.”
Tova placed a comforting hand on her knee. “Do not reproach yourself! What happened was beyond your control. You fought mightily and brought us away with our lives. Oh! Your wound!” The cut on Sigyn’s temple had begun oozing blood again, “That needs stitched. I have the means, and the skill to do that, if you will allow me.”
“Please do.” Sigyn replied, “Tis a damned nuisance as it is. I hope you do as well on me as you did on those sandals you fashioned from the quiver, that was impressive.”
Tova smiled and fetched a small bag from their pile of belongings from it she took out a needle and thread. “I don’t have to tell you, this will not be pleasurable.”
“Aye, I’ve been stitched up on more than one occasion.”
Tova began sewing the wound shut. Sigyn winced now and again, but otherwise stoically endured the procedure. Tova sought to distract her with conversation as she worked. “How is it that you came to be among us? What brought you away from frozen Asgard to the deserts of Turan?”
“Nothing noteworthy. In Asgard, my life consisted of battle, hunting, freezing and more battle. There was an old man in our village that had been south and sailed with the Barachans; he would regale us children with wild tales of the exotic lands to the south. That fired my imagination, I suppose. At any rate, once I reached a certain age I was told to pick a lad to marry and have babies. This didn’t sit well with me, so, using one excuse or another, I decided to see a bit of the world first.”
“All finished.” said Tova, as she produced a small clay jar, “I’ll apply a bit of this unguent to speed healing”
“As you like. What of you Tova? How came you to be one of the ten wives of Fardis?”
Tova smiled patiently as she applied a generous amount of a yellow balm to Sigyn’s freshly stitched head wound. “It’s a typical enough story. My family was waylaid by bandits in Brythunia. I was taken alive and sold into slavery. Eventually I was purchased by Behoud of Akif and given to Fardis as a gift. I have lived a life of ease since then, true enough, but still a slave.”
Sigyn’s brow furrowed, “I like it not, the way “civilized” folk keep other people as they would livestock, I myself plied the oars of a galley under the lash, albeit briefly.”
Tova put away the ointment, and as an afterthought, carefully arranged Sigyn’s hair, saying, “Any foolish enough to enslave you would no doubt rue the day! You were born strong enough to live free. I am not so lucky.”
Sigyn impulsively embraced the Brythunian, “I am sorry to have brought it up. Thank you for tending my wound. It feels better than it has in days.”
“Good, the Unguent is doing its work. You will soon feel no discomfort.” Tova stretched out by beside Sigyn, “I will sleep now, barbarian, I am weary to the bone.”
Sigyn made no reply, and sat with her yatagan across her knees, casting a sharp eye on her surroundings.
Tova was true to her word, all of the cuts, bruises and other injuries Sigyn had accumulated ceased to trouble her. Indeed, a great feeling of contentment and well being came upon her. A strange lethargy crept into her limbs. As she watched, the dancing flames of the fire seemed to take on bizarre aspects. She turned her gaze toward the pool and watched the rainbow colors that floated there swirl and form phantasmal images, Sigyn rose and went to the pools edge. From this closer vantage point she could see reflected in the swirling, prismatic waters scenes of a bustling metropolis, majestically carved of polished basalt. Great domes and towers reared up about precisely planned streets. Tiny, sallow skinned people moved about hither and yon conducting their business. They were resplendently clad in silk and cloth of gold, with outlandish headgear and esoteric jewelry as accoutrements. Was this the city they now camped in, when it was alive and wondrous? Suddenly the strange little people looked upward, a green glow fell about all things, becoming brighter, brighter, obscuring the people and their city. Sigyn moved closer. She had to see what happened next.
The tiny people seemed to shout with one voice, “Kozouhept! Kozouhept! Kozouhept! ”
Suddenly, she was pulled backward away from the scene. Twirling about she was confronted by a great, wooly serpent, with huge glowing eyes.
“Ice Worm!” Sigyn raised her yatagan to strike the legendary monster of Nordheim, when it’s toothy, drooling maw began to work obscenely.
“Stay thy hand Sigyn! Have you heard the cry of the loon? It is I Fardis! You were about to fall into the pool!” before her eyes, the image of the Ice Worm melted and swirled, reforming into the familiar countenance of Fardis,
Sigyn dropped her blade and shook her head, “Fardis!” her speech was heavy and slurred. “ Sweet Fardis! Had I slain you..” she seized the scholarly Turanian and crushed him to her bosom.
Fardis writhed and protested. “ Unhand me woman! What has gotten into you?”
Sigyn thrust him from her, but still gripped him fiercely about the shoulders, “ I know not! I am plagued by phantasms, and my limbs feel as lead! That fruit I ate must have poisoned me!”
Fardis tried to escape her grip. “Why are none of the rest of us affected? No it must be….”
Before Fardis could finish, he was interrupted by Chandi shouting, “The Gate! Look to the Gate!”
All turned to look at what stood there, partially revealed by the flickering fire. It was a tall, well muscled man, bald and clean shaven, gold hoops adorning his ears, he eyed them impassively, still partly shrouded in darkness.
“Ulegg, no doubt!” said Fardis in disgust.
Sigyn picked up her yatagan and lurched forward. “I’ll deal with him.” she slurred.
“How?" Protested Fardis, “You are in no condition to fight!”
“Who else will do it?”
“I for one! Sit down!” Fardis drew his jade hilted Khitan sword and approached the figure.
Sigyn ignored his instructions and followed at his side.
“See here, Zuagir!” began Fardis, raising his sword point to the sinister figure, “Walk away from this! Your fellows are all dead or maimed! There is no point continuing this madness!”
Wordlessly the man stepped closer and was fully illuminated by the fire. He stood before them unarmed and stark naked, his flesh had an oily sheen and the suggestion of a greenish tint.
Sigyn snorted with drunken amusement, “Oh my! Is this another phantasm? That’s not the sword you should have brought to this fight, Zuagir, but I’m impressed, for what it’s worth!”
The man said nothing, but began trembling slightly. A crease appeared in his forehead between the eyes and rapidly spread down his face, then further forming a vertical slit from forehead to crotch. The slit widened, oozing green ichor, and tiny wriggling green tendrils began to appear.
While Fardis recoiled in horror, Sigyn began laughing harder “Are you seeing this too, Fardis? You know what that looks like, do you not?”
Abruptly, several rope-like vines erupted from the split body of the Zuagir, seizing Sigyn and dragging her towards it. Hard spiky thorns had appeared about the edges of the slit, and the man’s legs dissolved into stout trunks. Sigyn grappled with the creature while Fardis sought to cut the tendrils holding her. He managed to free her, but the thing produced more vines and sought to entangle them both. Fardis found it difficult to grip his blade as it became coated in the oily secretions of the plant. Then, an idea came to him. “Sigyn! Drag it to the pool!” with that he raced to the fire and using the flat of his sword, swatted the burning embers into the pool. As he’d hoped, the oily sheen lying upon it ignited, turning the pool into a raging conflagration. Sigyn grasped great handfuls of the fibrous mass that assaulted her and drug it inexorably toward the pool. The thing struggled against her, but plant fibers were no match for iron thews forged in the harsh wilds of Asgard. With a final effort, Sigyn lifted the whole writhing mass over her head and with a bestial cry, hurled it into the blazing pool.
It nearly drug her in after it, having hurled more tendrils about her during the struggle, but she held fast long enough for Fardis to sever the revolting tentacles. The thing caught fire and writhed obscenely for a few moments, then was still. Sigyn collapsed on the ground, and laughed long and hard.
“How much of THAT was real, Fardis? By Ymir, my head feels as though it’s infested with ants!”
Fardis dropped to his knees beside her. “And my heart pounds as though it will tear from my chest! That was damnably real woman! We must quit this hellhole at first light.”
“Agreed,but for now let me lay here, whatever curse that fruit laid on me still plagues my senses! Now I seem to hear the wailing of demons.”
Fardis leapt to his feet. “ I hear it too! Tis the girls! Listen!“
Indeed, Sigyn heard the tortured wails of a woman, and Tova’s voice was clearly recognizable, “Help! Oh merciful Mitra, help us!“
Fardis tore off in the direction of the wails, exhorting Sigyn to follow. She struggled up on unsteady feet and, not immediately seeing her yatagan, took up the jeweled scimitar of Hadaad, which lay forgotten by the edge of the now blazing pool. She also paused to gather the bow and arrow.
Staggering off after Fardis she muttered, “What fresh hell is this, I wonder?”
