Emhril and the EarthBlade
October 20th, 2005 by Salem
Chapter 10 – The Gemini Twin HexBlade Masters, Salem and Selene walk the paved streets with Christina from the SaintBlade Cathedral back to the Inn called Bill’s Miller. “Have we met Bill?” asked Salem. “No, but we did meet a big friendly fat guy named Emhril. I am only guessing you did not see him earlier today. He should be working the bar now,” says Selene as they enter the tavern where they find Jarody doing something that knocked them for a real loop. Jarody was standing on the small stage singing “In Heaven there is no beer. (No beer?!) That’s why we drink it here. And when we’re all gone from here. Our friends will be drinking all the beer.” as Emhril was playing on his accordion. The other tavern patrons were enjoying themselves raising their heavy mugs of mead and cider as Haiku moved about the tavern floor delivering full mugs to patrons and collecting the empty ones. Salem and Selene never liked to be part of things like this. They were trying their best now to make their way to the steps and up to their quiet room. Suddenly, Pawn jumps off Salem’s shoulders and lands on the floor shaking his head and twitching all over the floor until he opened the ThievesBlade void. The EarthBlade comes flying out and lands hard in the middle of the room.
The floor starts to bend and cave in under the EarthBlade’s unbelievable weight. Everyone starts to run to the nearest wall to get away from the bending floor in case it falls through and tries to take them with it. Emhril grabbed his seven year-old daughter. Once he was sure that she was safe, his concerns now turned to the safety of his beloved tavern. A light starts to build around the EarthBlade then fires a beam of light to Emhril’s forehead. “The EarthBlade! It had chosen a master!” yells Salem to her sister. The floor starts to splinter as it caves in more and more. “Emhril! You are the EarthBlade’s master! Go and pick it up before it goes through the floor!” yells Selene to the shocked bartender. “You want me to pick up that thing? Look at what it’s doing to the floor! That thing has got to weigh a ton!” yelled Emhril. “Please Emhril! Before it is too late!” yelled Selene. Emhril sucked up the fear that was swimming inside him and ran to the EarthBlade. Expecting it to be heavier then anything he had ever lifted before, he gave the chain attached to it a big heave and sent the EarthBlade flying through a wall and out onto the street.
The floor was still slightly curved but it was stable now. Emhril was looking at his hands now not knowing what to think about him being able to move such a thing with great ease. The EarthBlade sat in a pothole on the street as people gathered around it. Salem was feeling better now that the problem was solved and a new Blade Master was found. Salem went to pick Pawn up again but the small animal was still shaking and again Pawn opens up the ThievesBlade void. The void closed again after a cat size dull silver spider had jumped out. The large spider looked around with its eight emerald jeweled eyes. Salem moved to grab it but it jumped out of reach and landed on the second floor balcony. “Why is the HealthBlade out? Is someone hurt?” asked Selene as she turned to run up the steps. The HealthBlade jumped again from the balcony to the stage where Jarody was sitting on a chair he had placed there and looked at the HealthBlade as if it were something he has seen everyday. “Grab it Jarody!” yelled Salem. “Why,” asked Jarody, “Is it going to kill someone?” The HealthBlade jumped from the stage to the bar just as Salem got to the stage and Selene arrived on the second floor balcony to see she was too late. “It has no reason to be out. We are not looking for a master for the HealthBlade,” said Salem to Jarody. Jarody gave Salem the impression that he could not care any less. “Well, I guess you got one,” said Jarody as he pointed to the bar. The HealthBlade was gathering light and then it shot a beam to someone out of view behind the bar. A frightened squeak could be heard as it did this. Then the HealthBlade started to approach whoever it was that it just chose behind the bar. Emhril grabbed a broom and ran to the eight lagged Blade, “You leave her alone, she didn’t do anything to you!” Emhril swiped at the HealthBlade but it jumped and landed behind the bar causing the little girl hiding behind it to scream. Salem ran from the stage to Emhril and grabbed the broom from him as Selene came swinging down from the balcony using her WitchBlade and an infection vein as a rope. “Do not worry, The HealthBlade has chosen her as its master,” said Salem to Emhril as Selene jumped behind the bar to see the girl curled up with fear as the HealthBlade stood before her. “Sweetie?” said Selene “Her name’s Haiku,” said Emhril. “Haiku? It is OK. The HealthBlade just wants to be your pet. It will not hurt you,” said Selene to the scared Haiku. Haiku slowly picked her head up and looked at the large spider at it stood near her. She was still not sure if it was safe but a sudden curiosity got her to stretch a hand out and she carefully touched the top of the metallic arachnid. Its eight eyes closed as it gave off a very mechanical purr. It was the purr that filled the little Haiku with courage as she stood up and continued to pet the HealthBlade. “We have a lot to talk about Emhril,” said Salem to the amazed father as he watched his precious little girl pet the large spider.
Emhril still filled with wonderment, was carrying the EarthBlade by its chain into his tavern, but to him it was as light as if it were made of cloth and air. He sets it down but it starts to cave in the spot it was being rested on. “You have to tell it to stay light in your mind, Emhril. Do not be fooled. It is light to you but only to you. You must command it to remain light when you put it down,” said Salem. All of this was just too much for Emhril but he figured out what the Blade Master was saying. He tried with all he had and was telling the EarthBlade in his head, “Stay light, don’t bend the floor. Stay light, don’t bend the floor. Stay light, don’t bend the floor,” as he slowly sets the heavy ball and chain down. It looked to have worked. It was now at rest on the floor without indicating it would break through. The tavern was empty now as people left to go home after the excitement, or to run and pass the news of what happened at Bill’s Miller. Haiku, who was very afraid of the HealthBlade before was now running around the tavern playing ball with it and laughing every time the HealthBlade tried to kick the ball with the wrong leg. Jarody and Selene were putting up heavy cloths to cover the hole in the wall using makeshift nails from Selene’s WitchBlade and Jarody was using the SwitchBlade in its hammer mode. Christina was using her GullBlade in Phoenix mode to melt the tar from the pavement to cover the pothole on the road after sand was placed in it by Emhril’s helpful neighbors. “We are on a mission from the Temple of the Blades. You have been chosen by the EarthBlade to be its master and so we need you to travel with us until the mission is completed,” said Salem to the bartender who looked like he wanted to pass out now. “The EarthBlade? Is that want the bloody thing is called? Look young lady, I have a tavern and an inn to run plus a little girl to look after, I can’t just up and leave on a journey to who knows where,” said a very distraught Emhril. Jarody, at the other side of the heavy cloth could be heard laughing his head off, “He called her young lady!” “Shhh,” said Selene. Salem continued, “Your daughter will also have to come with us. The!” “What? You want to take my little girl on a dangerous journey! I won’t have it! You can forget it miss but me and my daughter are staying here!” yelled Emhril. Jarody reentered the tavern but with a look on his face Salem had never seen on his face before. “Look you big fat fucker guy! The KingBlade was taken. If you do not know what that is, it controls all of the Blades and their masters. You are now the master of the EarthBlade and your little bitch is the master of the HealthBlade. I have a Blade. I don’t know about you but I don’t want to be the slave of some fucker with a pretty crown! And by the way, Salem here is over four thousand three hundred and something years old. You are dealing with a real old bitch who hasn’t had a man since the Trojans jumped out of the fucking Greek Globe. Oh and by the way. I am Death,” said Jarody extending a skeletal hand for Emhril to shake but Emhril only cowered back. “Agree to leave with us or you will be the first person to die of a beer enema,” yelled Jarody one last time as he turned and walked to the center of the tavern. Jarody pulled out his curved dagger and did a quick transformation into his true form of Death. “So what will it be? Help, or bend over and take it fat man?!” said Death.
Emhril was busy packing for the journey as Salem stood at the door, “We are not leaving yet Emhril. We still have to find three more people to join us.” “I’m not taking a chance. I want to be ready when we leave,” said a very frightened Emhril. “Look, I apologized over and over again and I will continue to do so. I did not mean for him to treat you that way,” said Salem. “Is your sister going to be OK?” asked Emhril. “Sure she will be OK. She always kicks Death in the nuts for acting like a bastard,” answered Salem. “It is not that I don’t believe. It’s just that I spent most of my life running away from things that proved to be hard,” said Emhril. “My baby girl works harder then I do. I am a big goof off. I’m not proud of it. Look at me, do I look like a man who’s taken a hard road?” said Emhril. Selene enters the room saying, “I am the kind of person who believes that a man can change under the right circumstances. My dear Emhril, we would not wish harm to befall you. You have a lot on you as it is and do not tell me that raising a child is easier then anything else cause we have seen many children come through our school at the temple. We had Christina with us since she was a baby and now here she is as the master of the GullBlade. We were not planning on it but it happened and now her safety is on us as well as all the other members who will join us.” Emhril looks away from Selene but she jumps back into his view, “Emhril, you are the Master of the EarthBlade. That Blade is the most heavy and possibly the most powerful Blade in the world. It chose you. It saw something in you it liked or it saw a great potential in you where it wanted you as its master. You have to believe that you are more than you think you are.” Selene waves her hand at Salem and the Twins leave Emhril in his room.
Salem and Selene head down the steps and reenter the Tavern where Jarody is sitting on a chair with a bag of ice between his legs and a glass of whisky in his hand. “Well? Is he going or will we be short one element in our little road trip gang?” asked Jarody. “He is going, no thanks to you. You did not have to be so harsh with him,” said Selene “You were going about it too slow,” said Jarody. “Too slow? We are going to be here for a week. We are not leaving anytime soon. We had plenty of time to turn the man around,” said Salem. “What is that in your lap anyway?” asked Selene ” It is called ice Selene, or have you forgotten what ice is?” said Jarody. “I know it is ice, how did you get some? Did you go all the way back to your place to pick that up?” asked Selene. “No, the kid’s spider made it for me. At least she knows how to treat people. Can’t wait to see how hot she’ll look eleven years from now.” said Jarody. “Speaking about the girl, where is she?” asked Salem. “She left with Christina. She wanted to show her some one named Carber,” said Jarody. “Rook is outside. We can use him to find them,” said Selene as they walked to the exit. At that time, Zealot enters the tavern and bumps into Selene. They look at each other. “Zealot!” says Selene. Zealot wanted to say “Selene” but was not sure which twin this was. Selene realized his problem and said, “Selene.” “Selene!!” said Zealot. They hug as Jarody mimics vomiting into his drink. Zealot looks around the tavern and sees the floor sagging down at a point in the center, a few broken chairs and tables but all were out of place, and finally the hole in the wall. “Shit, I think I missed something good,” says Zealot. “This is not what you think. What are you doing here?” asked Selene. “Salem didn’t tell you?” asked Zealot. “I do not mean the competition. I mean here at this place,” said Selene. “Oh. I’m rooming here. I didn’t have a tent like the others so I rented a room. Ummm. Is the owner Ok?” asked Zealot. “He is fine. He is a new Blade Master. The EarthBlade,” said Salem. “The EarthBlade?! Well then that explains the floor,” said Zealot. “It is late Zealot and I am sure the competition will start bright and early. You better get up to your room and get rest,” said Selene. “Wanna help me to bed?” asked Zealot. “Should you not be avoiding that before competing?” asked Selene. “Did not affect me in the final test at the Blade temple,” said Zealot with a wink. “I would but I have people to find,” responded Selene. “I guess you’re right,” said Zealot, “Anyway, I think your sister still hates me.” “I am standing right here!” yells Salem. “We better get going,” said Selene. “Night!” said Zealot. Selene waved goodbye as she and Salem left the tavern. Jarody was laying on the floor pretending to have passed out with disgust.
“I cannot believe you slept with Zealot,” said Salem. “Mmm, his tongue is not the only thing that is forked,” said Selene. “I did not have to know that,” said Salem. The twins look around the roof until they find Rook eating a rat he just killed in the moonlight. “Rook!” called Selene. “At least all my sexual partners have been human,” said Salem as Rook made his way down to them. “So I have a thing for beast men. We need to find Christina, Rook. Please go find her for us,” says Selene as she gives Rook a piece of chocolate for a treat, “You have not lived until you had a minotaur in you,” said Selene as she sent Rook on his way.
Christina and Haiku with the GullBlade on Christina’s shoulder and the HealthBlade next to Haiku were at a small pond outside of town. “That is Janni, and Munka, and Talar,” said Haiku as she was pointing out the large koi in the pond, “And the big orange and white one is Carber. I bring him bread to eat.” “Wow, such wonderful fish. I have seen fish as big as a house were I come from,” said Christina. Suddenly the GullBlade gives a loud squawk alerting Christina to the man approaching them. The GullBlade was ready to do a quick attack as Christina pushed Haiku behind her. The HealthBlade climbed on Haiku’s back and held her making Haiku look like she had on a metallic spider shaped backpack. “I am not here to harm you lovelies. I understand you are Blade Masters and you are with the Gemini Twin HexBladers. I have come to give you tickets for front row seats to the Tagi Challenge. I understand you have a friend who is competing,” said the man. Christina could not see the man very well for the moon was behind the man obscuring her vision. What she could see was the chain that was barely touching the tops of the grass. “How much are you asking for these tickets?” asked Christina. “Nothing at all my beautiful dear. They are a gift from the event organizer,” said the man as he reached out his hand presenting Christina with four tickets. “Take them my dear and have fun at the Tagi Challenge,” he said as Christina took the tickets. The man turned and walked away. Christina still kept up her guard until she was sure the man was gone. Christina turned to Haiku to make sure she was ok when Rook came down and started to call. “Look, that means Salem and Selene are on their way,” said Christina as they turned and saw the twins making their way to them.