Of Rituals..... (Part 5)

[Nilan]

Nilan nodded and bowed low. “I have learned about the layers of the golem, my lord. Shall I speak more now on them?”

Dlavizz nodded and listened intently. Nilan spoke, recalling each layer in the order he had learned that the followed. The first was described as magic mirror. That had to be dropped else our spells and attacks would be reflected back upon us. After the magic mirror layer came a layer of quicksilver. Nilan explained that it was said that no fire, gas, or cold could destroy it. Perhaps lightening and acid could be used upon it to weaken it.

“So mirror then silver,” Dlavizz muttered. “How many layers does this thing have?”

Nilan nodded and replied, “I have learned six, then smoke, but that is him, Azoun’tvorl.” When the High Priest acknowledged this the assassin continued saying, “The third layer is most interesting. It is the brass bug layer. Thanatar. But to drop this layer the mortal sacrifice must be made.”

Dlavizz narrowed his eyes suddenly. “Mortal sacrifice. Made here?”

Nilan stopped and gazed at the High Priest. He watched as the High Priest pondered what he had said thus far. “What do mean?” Nilan asked. “What is it?”

Dlavizz pondered, “For some reason this one layer is the point at which the sacrifice must be made. No others.”

Nilan thought for a minute. Trying to understand what the High Priest was getting at. Was it possible that he had misstated the order of the layers? He didn’t think so. Still he listened.

Dlavizz whispered shaking his head. “The other layers must not be of significance then. If there is but one sacrifice, and it is made to destroy the brass bug layer, then that’s the end. All rituals I have seen and learned about accept the sacrifice as the finish.”

Nilan crinkled his nose in confusion. “Let me tell you of the others, perhaps they will have some significance to you.”

“If you must, Hand of Vhaeraun, but if the sacrifice is made at the third layer then they are of no consequence. Still proceed, perhaps they are of use.”

Nilan nodded and continued, “The forth layer is stone, and it must be chipped away.”

Dlavizz replied, “It will not need to be destroyed if the end of the battle is at the prior layer, yet perhaps it represents the land.”

“Under the stone, the fifth layer is one of glass, blood, and spores,” Nilan added.

Dlavizz paced and pondered, “The glass layer to represent the beings of the land?”

It was a question. And Nilan didn’t have the answer. “Explain what you mean?”

“Where is the sixth layer?” came another question.

“Sixth?...smoke, but that is Azoun’tvorl.” Nilan replied, confusion in his voice. The assassin had never been schooled in the ways of magic. It was above his station and he was first to admit it thoroughly confused him. Yet he tired to understand.

Dlavizz stopped and gazed at the Hand of Vhaeraun. “Rituals follow a procedure or else they do not work. Do you follow?”

Nilan nodded slowly, “Like a recipe?”

“Yes, a recipe, if you will. The last step in the recipe is where the sacrifice is made, if it is a life-gift.” Dlavizz continued, “Blood, offerings, may all be made sooner, yet always it has been that the life-gift is the final step. Often it is the caster whose life is given – you can see why it’s the end of the ritual. Do you follow, Velg’larn?”

Nilan nodded.

“Golem crafting requires rituals, “Dlavizz continued, “Any occasion requiring a sacrifice IS a ritual. So your attack on Azoun’tvorl, requiring a sacrifice, may be a ritual. You have tools, you have methods, you have the life-gift. If there is indeed but one sacrifice, it WILL NOT be in the middle, Nilan. Do you follow?”

Nilan nodded, considering the possibilities. Perhaps the layers were in a different order? Or perhaps there was indeed more sacrifices to be made? The assassin had new questions now that needed answers. Answers he was determined to get.

“You mentioned six layers but you have only spoken of five. The smoke is not a layer of the golem. There must be something else.” Dlavizz interjected. “The mirror and the silver would serve as shields for the brass. Earth (stone) and Blood (glass blood and spores) and another layer not yet mentioned would be symbols, not a part of the final ritual.”

Nilan nodded, “I shall try to learn of this other layer.”

“It might be important, it might not be.” Dlavizz gazed at Nilan before speaking, “It disturbs me that the brass layer is the finish.”

“Why so?” Nilan asked, his voice bathed in concern.

“It does not take into account Azoun’tvorl’s native form, …smoke,” Dlavizz frowned. “When the host is gone, it will be as it has been. The grey smoke will be free again. It is not mentioned in the ritual you have described for me. The sacrifice is made at the brass layer, unless there is more than one. Or unless you have confused the timing.”

Nilan nodded, “Could we contain him again?”

Dlavizz shook his head, “That was done once before and that went badly. It was done before the Time of Troubles. Now, without the Netherese artifacts and without Gods…No…We could not do it.”

The High Priest gazed at the assassin once more before whispering, “If a sacrifice is needed for the host, then a sacrifice would be required for the destruction of Azoun’tvorl, yet you mention only one sacrifice for the complete ritual. Do you follow?”

Nilan nodded.

“There are elements missing from your recipe. At least one sacrifice and at least one layer of the host,” Dlavizz paused letting the Hand of Vhaeraun digest his words.

“Then they must exist,” Nilan uttered. “I shall try to learn of them.”

The High Priest folded his arms before him. “Either that, or there is no way to destroy Azoun’tvorl. And we may but only hope to slow the destruction of our world.”