A Brief Moment of Insanity Ch. 05

The sister took point and the brother walked in the rear. Speaking of rears, I couldn't help but notice the sister's well rounded ass as it sashayed from side to side. The merchant told me to tell the sensory net to release before we reached the tower. I did not want it on if they decided to torture me. The net withdrew until only a patch remained over my heart. I reached for it and it reluctantly formed a ball in my hand. I offered it to the merchant but she just shook her head. She mouthed the words, you earned it. I caught sight of Quickening as we made our way through the food court. She looked quite alarmed to see that I was in the loving company of the wolf twins. I just smiled and she nodded.

The tower loomed over the entire area. It was a wonder I hadn't spotted it earlier but I had been otherwise occupied. It reminded me of Orthanc from the Middle Earth saga. Was I to be greeted by the white wizard and his brother? Somehow I doubted it. The massive black blocks of stone were joined together with such precision that it was difficult to see where one began and another ended. The portcullis was lifted and we entered the domain of the Corvus Brothers. We walked up the thirty three steps to the massive double doors. I almost wished I had brought my dice along, oh yeah that's right somebody dumped me here in an alley way. I was trying to be calm and collected about my situation but was failing by the moment.

The huge circular chamber was part museum and part entry way. To my ever loving joy there was an actual elevator to take us up. I was pleased to be spared god knows how many stairs to the top of this tower. The doors of the elevator opened as we approached. I must admit I was disappointed when no music could be heard to entertain us as we rose skyward. I returned my attention to the sister's backside.

"Quit staring at my ass," she snarled.

"I can't, you don't see such perfection in a buttocks just anywhere you know," I replied as the brother turned and fixed me with a death stare.

"Oh... I uh..." she stammered and was saved by the loud metallic DING that announced that we had reached our destination. "Get moving!"

The space before us was amazing. I looked at so many gleaming relics and artifacts from ages past. Here a Pharaoh's death mask, there the golden scepter from the Irish Crown Jewels. They all had one thing in common, they were unique and all lost to history. I almost missed the twins standing in obscure shadows of the chamber. They were identical in almost every way. Tall and thin, almost to the point of emaciation, they possessed sharp angular features that reminded me of avian as the siblings did of wolves. Their eyes were cold, dark and inhuman. It felt like I was gazing into the abyss.

"I think..." said the first brother.

"I know..." replied the second.

The merchant was on her knees and never looked up at them. Her fear radiated from her like a funeral pyre. She wasn't just afraid she was terrified of the Corvus Brothers. I on the other hand was too ignorant to be afraid. I didn't know who they were or their place in the Maze's hierarchy. The silence was maddening but I had sat through too many negotiations with the other Elders of the Family to speak until they did. So I waited. I looked at their hoard of trinkets and treasures. I had to admit it was quite impressive. I didn't dare touch anything but I did lean in to see some pieces close up.

"He is patient," one of the brothers said.

"He possesses strong will," replied the other.

I looked up at them and used my enhanced sight to its fullest. I examined every tiny aspect of the nearest brother. The suit he wore was custom and fit him perfectly. The pristine shirt beneath was of the finest linen. The cufflinks were solid gold and were stamped with a very interesting mark. I knew it because I had researched everything I could about Loki. The three interconnected triangles was called the Valknut and it was the sign of only one being, Odin. Now it hit me, I knew who they were. I looked at the female warrior and her brother and smiled. I glanced back at one of the Corvus Brothers and smiled.

"He knows us," the first said.

"He remembers us," the second replied.

"Indeed I do, it took me a moment but I saw his mark and it all became clear." I told them. "But I still do not know why I am here."

"All will become known in time," said the first. "The woman is known in the Maze as Freak and that is her brother Gear. Our names our not to be spoken is that understood?"

"Perfectly, but uh where is Odin?"

"He is in Asgard of course," the second answered with a sharp tone in his voice. "Where else would he be?"

I looked over at Freki and Geri as they were known in the old stories. Now the canine characteristics made perfect sense but why were they and the ravens, Huginn and Muninn in a humanoid form? The old tales never mentioned that before? Did Odin no longer need them? Is that why they were here in the Maze? I wasn't comfortable raising those sorts of questions and I waited until they were ready to tell me why I had been brought here. I returned to walking around the chamber and looking at the raven's hoard. I almost laughed when I realized another thing all these treasures had in common, they were shiny as all hell. Ravens love shiny bits and baubles. In this case however the bits were priceless artifacts.

"Release her," one of the brothers said out of nowhere.

"Yes, she is to be a gift to the Harrower," added the other raven.

"As you wish," Freak said grinning. "Enjoy your pet Harrower, I am sure she will please you quite eagerly."

I bit back my reply fearing her brother might snap my neck for even suggesting it. Though I did smile at her and give her another once over. I pondered what wonders were hidden by that armor of hers. A soft metallic click returned my attention to the merchant. The following clang was loud and ruffled a few feathers, so to speak. The slave collar lie on the stone floor and Gear walked over and picked it up. The merchant got to her feet and pledged her undying devotion to my household. I was new to this and simply nodded and rewarded her with a smile. I heard the elevator mechanism activate and it dropped down to the first floor. I turned, as did everyone else, to face to elevator door. There were no dials or readouts to tell how close it was. But the sense of power was unmistakable and as the doors opened my suspicion was proven true. The door opened and Odin, the All Father, stepped into view.

The Ravens and Wolves dropped down to one knee while the merchant once more was kissing stone. I was the only one left standing. I bowed and lowered my eyes. Odin laughed as he crossed the distance between us. What the hell was going on? I remained like that with eyes downcast and waited. I didn't know the protocol and panic left me paralyzed. I could feel my hearts hammering in my chest and held my breath as he walked up to me.

"You have her stink on you," Odin said as he stood in front of me. "Stand up Harrower."

I stood up but kept my eyes lowered.

"I brought you here for a reason. I need something from you. I have neither the time nor the patience to muck about. What does that woman want with you?"

"You mean Loki?" I asked and he nodded. "I have no clue. She has been yanking my chain since I found the pieces of the Great Seal. I don't know what else you want to know."

"That is enough," Odin rumbled. "Walk with me, both of you."

The merchant rose to her feet and clung to my arm as we followed the All Father to one of the walls. The illusion covering the door evaporated even as the door opened for us. There shouldn't be a space beyond the wall but the Maze didn't appear to follow many of the conventional rules of physics or mundane reality as a whole. I gasped when I saw the chamber beyond the door. It was cavernous with a domed ceiling that had its own climate including clouds.

The room was dominated by the golden throne that must belong to Odin. It was situated on a raised dais that rose a good thirty or so feet above the floor. There were three massive windows aligned with the throne. I glanced out one of them and saw the totem pole that dominated this portion of the Maze. The other two windows looked out at the other two anchors. In the distance was what appeared to be a Japanese Prayer Gate. It was crimson and bore the symbol of a coiled dragon. Through the other window was a Trilithon. The three cyclopean stones formed a kind of archway. You would expect them to be at places like Stonehenge or other prehistoric stone circles.

So there was one anchor in the Midwest of the United States, one in Japan and the other in Northern Europe somewhere. Odin waved us over and there on one of the many surfaces was an unusual chess board set in the middle of the table. The odd thing was that all four sides of the board had different colored pieces, black, blue, red and white. The white pieces faced Odin's throne and I suspected represented his forces in the world. I looked at the board and my eyesight seemed to blur and I staggered back.

"Interesting," Odin remarked as he laid a hand on my shoulder. "What do you see?"

"It is just a chess board M'Lord," the merchant replied.

"Of course it is," the All Father said smiling. "Harrower, what do you see my boy?"

I leaned forward and looked at the board again. The strange thing was that the corners of the board are where I was having that dizzy sensation. It was as if two pieces occupied the same square at the same time. That is what I told Odin and he appeared quite pleased. Again he hand settled onto my shoulder and the board took on an entirely new depth and dimension, quite literally. There were two rooks on each corner however one rook sat on a higher level while the other a lower one. The next time I looked at the board I realized the squares existed on ten different planes simultaneously.

"Whoa," I gasped.

"Whoa indeed," Odin replied. "I see why she chose you. Take a look at the white pawns and tell me what you see."

I did as I was told. At first glance the pawns appeared identical but that was not the case. Each of them was similarly attired but their faces were all different and unique. One of the pawns carried my face. I pointed and said aloud that's me. I looked at all the pieces now and just about fell over when I saw the face of the Blue King. It was none other than Nick Shaw the multibillionaire that had developed the crystal tech that allowed A.I. even possible. I put all the faces to memory as I went. That was easy at first but when I looked at the black pieces I freaked out. But I forced myself to stare at the nameless monstrosities and burn them into my long term memory. Many of them moved and oozed never holding one true form for more than a few seconds at a time. The Black King was one such abomination.

While the majority of the pieces described human sized people the Army Black was another matter entirely. Most of them were huge beyond reason. I was just about to give up when I saw a single black pawn that was human. He was a handsome young man flanked by two major pieces. One was a black knight that shifted its form from a roughly humanoid figure to a thousand non-human forms each worse than the one before it. The other piece was a black bishop that was a mass of bubble-like structures that hovered in the space between spaces. That bishop existed on several different planes at the same time. Who was that man? Why would he ally himself with such nightmares?

"I take it these are the powers that be?" I asked and Odin nodded.

"There has always been conflict, but now things have changed and you are going to be a key player in keeping the world from plunging into madness. I hope you will be brave and strong for what is to come."

"I will do my best." I said.

"Of that I had no doubt." Odin said and smiled down at me.

I was still shaking when we stepped out of that damnable tower. The merchant was still clinging to my arm. I decided it was time to get some food. I asked her where the food court was and she pointed. We were being watched and not just from the tower but the street as well. We walked around and the chefs, cooks and servers offered us all manner of cooked, fried and baked dishes. I directed my companion to a table and we had three servers placing various platters before us. The drinks followed and they never asked for coin or any other form of payment. I guessed that word had come down that we had been inside the tower and left in one piece. I was beginning to get an inkling of how things ran here in the Maze.

I tried every dish and set the ones I preferred in front of me. The merchant wasn't nearly as picky and consumed whatever I had left untouched. The beer was excellent and I discovered that it was brewed in the Maze and that alone gave it a special kick and an added flavor. I looked across at the Telempath and I suddenly realized that despite how intimate we had become I didn't even know her name.

"What do I call you," I asked. "I can't go around calling you merchant forever."

"It is customary for my new master to give me a name," she purred.

"Hey now, you are free and I am not your master," I replied.

"Humor me," she fired back undaunted.

"Damn you," I growled. "How about... Precious?" I said remembering that is what Gear called her when we first met.

"Works for me," she replied with a smile.

"Precious it is," I said.

The Telempath and I talked for what felt like hours but the sun never rose over the Maze. The perpetual night sky remained as glorious as when I first arrived in that damned alley. I learned a lot about her race in the time we spent chatting. They were created by a race now extinct known only as the First Ones. While they were designed for all manner of tasks, even those involving reproduction, they do not create offspring from copulation as she put it. Precious offered to be my friend, my companion and my bodyguard. I balked at the idea of her guarding me and she held up a hand. She told me that her unique physiology made her perfect for such a task. Since she had no internal organs as such projectiles and edged weapons had little effect on her. Blunt weapons were utterly useless and only pissed her off. There were a few things that could injure her but her healing factor was quite high.

"Won't you stand out in a crowd," I asked and she giggled. Her transparent skin darkened and as I watched it took on the color and texture of human skin. "Whoa!"

"I can emulate and pass for any living thing that I have ever touched. As I understand it, there is a kind of genetic sampler built into my DNA. My touch not only creates a psychic link but a physical one as well. I have quite a few races already in my genetic library."

"You're hired," I said and she smiled. "We need to get you some clothes and head back. My family must be worried sick."

"As you wish Master," she replied.

"Call me Warren," I told her. "I don't need an all-out war when I get home."

We strolled through the open air markets and if you could think of it, it was for sale. Finding clothing for Precious was simple and when I tried to barter for it the naga behind the counter refused any form of payment. The serpentine entity was all too happy to give his wares to us for free. I asked Precious if this was normal behavior and she shrugged. Well she needed covering up if we were going to leave the Maze. I accepted the naga's offer and handed the outfit to Precious. She slithered out of what she called a dress and put on her new clothing. Once she was dressed she looked a little uncomfortable.

"How do you people tolerate having so much skin covered up?"

"There are places where they only hide the necessities." I told her.

"Please tell me you live someplace like that," she begged but I shook my head. "Of course you don't."

We turned around and a dozen or so clothing merchants were waiting to offer us their goods. There was almost a panic in their eyes. I was about to argue when Precious stuck her arms out and the merchants gleefully piled clothing there. Soon there was so much I had to help her. That was when Quickening arrived and saved the day. She produced a backpack and we loaded the clothing into that. She handed it to me once we were done. I slipped it over my shoulder and we tried to slip past the other merchants but that proved impossible. I opened the backpack and as we passed a stall the merchant placed their product into it. Quickening was the one who explained what was going on.

"You went into the Raven Tower and came out alive. That doesn't happen too often. They believe that you are blessed by the gods. Accept it, you are a celebrity here. They will be talking about you for a very long time after you leave."

"Well hello Hero, can I offer you a hand stitched silk suit?" A sensuous voice called out.

I looked at the source of the voice and smiled at the stunning woman standing at the open door of her shop. Then suddenly there was a blurring of my vision and I saw her true form. I took a step back and then got a grip and nodded. She went inside and we followed. The tailor gestured for me to stand in the middle of the walk way so she could take my measurements. I grit my teeth as she approached with her measuring tape.

"You can see me can't you?" the tailor asked and I nodded. "Hmmm... that explains much and how you survived the Corvus Brothers."

"I apologize," I said and she laughed.

"I am what I am. I understand that most beings would be frightened of my true form. So I maintain the illusion. Speaking of illusions, does the Fae know your Althan?"

"I noticed," Quickening replied. "I thought they were extinct."

"There may be a handful, if that, that survived after the war. The Nephilim just about wiped them out. The world's first ethnic cleansing and there hasn't been a sighting for millennia."

"I guess I should leave then," I said and began to move but the tailor shook her head.

I remained still as the spider-like being completed taking my measurements. She stood at least six feet and was built like a centaur. Her lower half consisted of six heavily armored spider legs. The upper half possessed a V shaped torso, four arms and a large pentagonal head with horn like boney protrusions above the eyes, all fourteen of them. Her exoskeleton was black with a mottled pattern that seemed to spin and swirl into new and random patterns. It was the four sets of eyes that were the most disturbing. They were distributed in a lower set of eight eyes, set in horizontal pattern of four each. The upper pairs were grouped in threes just above what I felt were the primary. Despite the almost skeletal appearance, her fingers were precise and delicate in their work.

"MMMMMM... you must be popular with the ladies," the tailor purred as she measured my inner thigh.

"I do okay," I replied with a smile.

"Liar, you do very well," she corrected me. "I can smell the scent of sex on you."

I blushed as she finished her measurements. The tailor produced a series of clicks and a moment later Quickening gasped as a tall ethereal woman stepped out carrying a silver tray with a matching silver pitcher and three porcelain cups. The woman smiled and set the coffee service down and began pouring. She added two sugar cubes and a bit of cream for mine. I noticed a delicate metallic webbing that acted as a kind of headpiece. The woman's features reminded me of Quickening but hers were far more refined and had an air of aristocracy.

"I cannot remain within, I will wait outside," Quickening said and fled the tailor's shop.

"I do believe my pet upset your companion," the tailor said with an evil smile.

"Your slave you mean," I said and she nodded her massive head.

"It is accepted here. Do not blame me blame the system. I am just taking advantage of it."