Sacred Power in Your Spirit

 

"Follow Farsinger," the small Yunni shaman said, her bracelets jingling as she ladeled more stew into her guest's bowl.

The raven heard her name and stirred from her nap on the pronounced bosom of a carved fertility totem. Farsinger looked at the guest, a human healer from the White River village, and cooed in Ravenspeech, "Yes, I know the way, friend Don-lee-sar."

The healer nodded thanks to the large black bird. Then he turned to the Yunni. "You have seen the artifact yourself?"

"I have," she replied. "They have no idea how important it is."

Two weeks later, Farsinger landed on a thatched roof and squawked, "We are here."

The healer waved greetings to a few dirty children who ran into a nearby cottage. He waited just a moment, and a woman came outside, wiping her hands on her apron.

"Hello," he said with a friendly bow. The lady nodded without a reply. "My name is Donlisar. I am a healer traveling from White River." He hitched a thumb over his shoulder. "I was told you have a magical idol in this village."

The woman did not seem impressed by his origin or title. "What is your birth month?"

Donlisar was surprised at the odd response. What harm could it be? "December," he said.

She looked at the sun, shading her eyes with one hand. "He will see you until noon. After that, you must leave an offering, wash your hands, and depart." She pointed toward a stone path that ran between cottages.

"I hear it was carved from a stone that fell from the sky," Donlisar said.

"He is over there." She pointed to the stone path and walked away.

Farsinger squawked "Don-lee-sar" and flew to another thatched roof.

The healer followed the stone path and found a small carved figure sitting on a wooden bench. It was shaped like a meditating Yunni. It was entirely ordinary.

Then he touched it.

His hand hummed with magical energy. He had felt magicked items before, but nothing came close to the power of this figurine.

"Hello, stranger," a voice said in his mind. "I see you have the sacred power in your spirit."

He gasped and stepped back.

His first thought was: "I am going crazy." His second thought was: "Let's try again." He stepped forward and touched it again.

"Welcome back," the voice said in his mind.

"My name is Donlisar," he said out loud.

"Hello Donlisar. My name is Three."

Donlisar smiled. How remarkable - and unexpected.

"I am bored here. Let's go somewhere," Three said.

Without any sense of movement or a feeling of any kind, Donlisar was instantly sitting in a large room with silks and tapestries on the walls. Cushions of all kinds covered the floor. A small fire ring was in the center of the room.

A a pale Yunni with a conical black hat sat across from him on the other side of the ring. It looked exactly like the figurine.

Except it stood and smiled. "Now, let's discuss how you are going to get me out of here."

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