Happy Holidays, Greywolfheir! (Part 7)
They looked around, and realized that they weren’t in the cave any longer. The starry night sky was above them, and a large grass prairie stretched out as far as they could see.
Crowley was the first to speak. “We made it, angel. We made it back.”
This was confirmed when they saw six figures rushing towards them, four children and two adults. The children looked thrilled to see them, and the adults had looks mixed with excitement and anxiety.
The children reached them first, and the boy named Adam said, “You’re back.”
Crowley grinned at the children’s enthusiasm and said, “Yeah, we’re back. Thankfully.”
All of the children started asking questions at once.
“What happened while you were in there?”
“Were there lots of monsters?”
“I heard there was a giant man eating squirrel in the woods. Did you see it?”
“Don’t be silly, Ben. That’s not even realistic.”
Crowley held his hands up, and the children eventually quieted down. “I can answer your questions, but only one at a time.”
“Well how about you start with this one, what were you doing in there all that time?” Aldreda asked, crossing her arms. Norman ran up next to her, carrying a lit lantern, and gave a quick wave. She continued on, “You two were in there for hours. We were beginning to worry that something had gotten you.”
Crowley and Aziraphale looked at each other. The whole quest felt more like days than hours. However, they had long stopped trying to apply logic, and just shrugged their shoulders before turning to answer Aldreda, who was waiting impatiently.
Aziraphale was the one to talk. “We were getting the ineffable artifact. Let’s just say, there were some….obstacles that we had to overcome.”
Crowley scoffed quietly, thinking that the others would never understand just how big the ‘obstacles’ they faced were. He also thought that it was better that they never learned, and decided to keep quiet.
“And did you get it?” Aldreda asked. The other five waited in anticipation.
The two looked at each other again and held their hands out, revealing their palms. Similar to before, the two halves of the sigil showed up, glowing.
A loud gasp was heard from all of the spectators. Murmurings could be heard among the children, and phrases like “So it is real” and “I didn’t think that…” were easily discernible.
Aldreda said, “So are you going to go back to the village now?”
“Yeah,” Aziraphale said. “It’s getting really late, and the sooner that we heal the people, the better.”
“Can we come along as well, sirs?” Adam asked. The children had hopeful looks.
Crowley looked at Aziraphale, who nodded, and turned to say, “Sure. Come along.”
The four children cheered, and the eight of them headed back through the prairie. It was dark, and the only light that was available was from the stars and Norman’s lantern. Aziraphale went to light his, but found it wasn’t there. Crowley told him what happened to it, and said he would replace it. Rather than getting angry, Aziraphale simply said that it was okay, and that he could buy his own lantern. Crowley still felt sort of bad, and lit his own lantern.
While walking, Aziraphale said to Norman, “So you’re Norman Pulsifer, I’m guessing.”
“You would be correct,” Norman said. “I’ve heard about you.”
Aziraphale frowned and said, “Really? From where?”
“Earlier today, Aldreda told me about you two. I think you were both really brave for going on the quest. I know I couldn’t have done the same thing.”
Aziraphale shrugged and said, “Well, we did what we had to do.” He then thought about something and said, “You should really get back to Stanimir. He was worried about you.”
Norman’s face shifted, and he said, “Stanimir. I forgot about him. I’ve been staying with Aldreda for a bit, helping her with some housework, and I must’ve forgotten to report back to him. I wouldn’t be surprised if he thought that Aldreda had abducted me.”
Norman seemed panicked, and Crowley said, “Yeah, he kind of does. Aziraphale and I spoke with him yesterday - or I guess earlier today. Just tell him that you were staying there for a full day so as to thoroughly investigate, found out that Aldreda wasn’t the cause of the disease, and planned to make your way back as soon as it was light out.”
Norman nodded as he thought about that. “Yeah, that sounds like a good plan. He will be happy to hear that I was so dedicated to being thorough, and he’ll no longer blame Aldreda for the disease. Not to mention he always tells me not to travel at nighttime. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome,” Crowley replied, and the group walked on in silence.
It wasn’t long before the group reached the village limits. The village was completely empty, as everyone was already asleep. Aldreda said that she was going to return to her cottage. Aziraphale and Crowley offered back the swords and lantern that she had given them. She took the lantern back but insisted that they keep the swords, as she had no use for them. Norman said that he would go along with her and make his trip back to Stanimir the next day. After one last wave, he headed off with Aldreda. The Them said that they were going to spend the night in their secret fort, and walked into the village before making a turn and disappearing from sight.
Now Aziraphale and Crowley were alone, and the two of them made their way to the village inn. All of the buildings they passed were completely dark inside. Eventually they arrived at the inn, which still had its lights on.
They hadn’t even reached the door when it flew open and a man walked out of it. They recognized him as Basil, and his face was a combination of fear and irritation.
“Where have you two been?” he asked tersely. “You two disappeared from the village completely, and when I asked around for your whereabouts, I heard that you have been spreading talk about the ineffable artifact. And then you don’t return until the dead of the night, spending precious hours that could be used to help the ill ones doing who knows what. I expected better from you, Mr. Ziraphale.” He pointed an accusing finger at Aziraphale.
Crowley’s eyes flashed, and he stepped forward to say something. Aziraphale held him back, warning him not to act rashly, and said in his most apologetic tone, “You’re right, sir. I completely apologize for my recent behavior. We had hoped that maybe we could get some help from other people, and so we set out to find them. We didn’t think it would take that long.”
Crowley didn’t say anything until Aziraphale looked at him. “Sorry,” he said quietly.
The apologies seemed to appease Basil, for his face softened. “Apologies accepted, sirs. Just don’t let it happen again. Now did you find anything useful on your quest?”
“As a matter of fact, we did,” Aziraphale said. He looked into the doorway and asked, “How are the patients?”
“They haven’t gotten worse, but none have improved. They are all sleeping right now. If you decide to check on them, do make sure not to wake them up.”
They nodded in understanding, and Basil led them both into the inn. The room was dimly lit by a few lanterns, and the only people that were still there were the ill people. All of them were in fitful states of rest, as the disease continued to torment them even in their sleep.
“I’m going to go back to the church to get something,” Basil said. “If you need anything while I’m gone, feel free to alert one of the workers upstairs.”
He left the inn. Aziraphale and Crowley looked at each other and decided that now would be the best time to start healing the people. Aziraphale said, “I’ll go check on Father Francis. You start healing the people on the ground floor.”
Crowley signaled his assent, and the two of them started off.
Aziraphale climbed the stairs carefully, making sure not to make too much noise. He walked down to the end of the corridor and knocked on the door on the right. When no response was heard, he slowly opened the door to see that Father Francis was sleeping. He carefully made his way over to the side of the bed and placed a hand on his forehead, which was warm to the touch. Doing the same thing he did with Crowley, he focused his power on curing the disease.
The power flowed into Father Francis’s head and spread throughout his body, seeking out the disease and driving it out. The disease resisted for a bit, but Aziraphale didn’t give up, and eventually it faded away. When he removed his hand, Father Francis’s face relaxed, and his breathing became more rhythmic. Aziraphale sighed with relief and headed back downstairs to help Crowley heal more of the sick people.
Crowley stood there uncertainly, scanning the room. Unlike Aziraphale, he had not used the artifact’s power yet, and was unsure of what to do. He turned and looked down at a nearby patient that was muttering incoherently in his sleep. While trying to think of a solution, he remembered Aziraphale talking about how he used the power, and got an idea. He kneeled down next to the man, placed a hand on his forehead and, focusing as hard as he could, willed the man to get better.
Instantly, the feeling of power emerged from within his core. He almost stumbled back in startlement, not expecting the result to be this immediate. He managed to steady himself, and kept the flow of power going. Slowly, the disease began to shrink away until it eventually disappeared. Crowley stood back up, and watched as the man slept peacefully, no longer disturbed by the disease.
“It’s amazing, isn’t it?” Aziraphale said, walking up next to him. “How easily the artifact’s power can erase the illness.”
Crowley flinched back until he realized that it was only Aziraphale and relaxed. “I know,” he whispered back. “It’s incredible.” He looked around at all the other people. “We should probably hurry and heal as many people as we can before that Basil guy shows up.”
“Yeah, we probably should.”
So they continued going from person to person, using the artifact’s power to cure the disease. As soon as they saw the look of peaceful bliss on the person’s face, they knew that another healing had been successful, and moved onto the next person. Each of the two took on the responsibility of healing one half of the room, Aziraphale working the left side and Crowley working on the right. Crowley re-encountered the young girl asking for her mommy and, after he finished healing her, placed his hand on hers, softly whispering that she would find her mommy soon, hopefully. Basil did walk in and see what they were doing. However, from what he could see, Aziraphale and Crowley were merely checking to make sure the patients were okay. He smiled, glad that they turned out to be good assistants, and headed upstairs to go to sleep.
Aziraphale healed the last patient and walked back to the front to meet with Crowley. “Well that was a success. All of the people are well.”
“I know,” Crowley said, looking out at all the sleeping people. “We actually did it, angel. It makes all of the suffering we had to go through seem worth it.”
“Seem worth what?” Father Francis asked, having been awoken by Basil and wanting to go downstairs to see what was going on. His hair was still damp, but the redness in his face had faded.
Aziraphale and Crowley turned around hurriedly. “It’s nothing, I assure you,” Aziraphale said, hoping he didn’t sound as nervous as he felt. “We didn’t mean to wake you.”
But Father Francis was no longer paying attention, too busy watching the once ill people sleep peacefully for the first time since the disease struck. He placed a hand a nearby person’s face, waited, and removed his hand, faced filled with shock. When he found his voice again, he said, “Why...it’s a miracle. They’ve all been healed. Every single one of them.”
He walked over to Aziraphale and Crowley and took each of their hands in his own. “Thank you both so much, good sirs. I don’t know how I will be able to repay you two for how much you have been able to help out - not only me, but the whole of the village.”
The two of them were unsure of how to react. Crowley looked like he was going to say something, but a look from Aziraphale kept him silent. Aziraphale answered, “No, don’t worry, Father Francis. We don’t require payment.”
“Oh, but I insist. And if you don’t mind, could you perhaps tell me how you did it?”
This made Aziraphale pale. He cleared his throat and asked, “Pardon?”
“How did you manage to cure the disease?” Father Francis explained patiently, never losing his cheerful stature. “It will be useful for us to know, should another event like this come up in the future. Although I sincerely hope it doesn’t, we must be prepared.”
Aziraphale stood there, not sure of what to say. Crowley eventually stepped in and said, “Okay, we can explain to you, just not here. No need to wake up the people when they have just recovered. And on top of that, we can’t risk anyone else figuring out about this, so you must promise that you won’t tell anyone else.”
Father Francis’s face fell a bit, and he asked uncertainly, “What? Why is that? Why would you want to keep something like that a secret?”
Without missing a beat, the two of them raised their hands for Father Francis to see. He leaned forward and squinted a bit, scrutinizing their palms. Recognition appeared on his face and he took a step back. “No…you did not.”
“Oh, but we did,” Crowley said, putting his hand down. He held back a smile, seeing the look of disbelief on Father Francis’s face. “So now you understand why we can’t risk just anyone overhearing this.” A nod, and he added, “Tell you what, we can discuss this in your room. That place is a bit more private, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, but if you really want private, you two should come over to my house. I live alone, and my only servant has been away to run errands for the past couple of days. We can talk there.” He sighed, and said, “I feel like this is going to take a long time, as you probably have a lot to tell me, most of it being out of the ordinary.”
After hearing this, Crowley let out a laugh. He ignored Aziraphale’s look and said in an emphatic tone, “You have no idea.”
The three of them walked over to Father Francis’s house, which was not too far away from the inn. The house was medium sized and there were no lights on inside. Father Francis opened the front door and ushered the two inside before closing the door behind himself. Aziraphale and Crowley looked around and figured that they were in the kitchen. A table stood in the center of the room, and a fireplace was situated in the wall.
Father Francis had locked the door and was looking around for possible eavesdroppers. When he was sure that there were none, he turned around and headed to the table. He sat down and gestured for Aziraphale and Crowley to do the same.
When they sat down, he looked at them and asked, “Well the first question I have is this: how did you two even learn about the ineffable artifact?”
Aziraphale coughed in his hand and said, “Well, sir….you were the one who told us.”
Father Francis’s face twisted in confusion. “No, I didn’t. Why, I haven’t seen any of you two prior to a few minutes ago.”
“Yes, you did. While you were delirious, you said something about the ineffable artifact.”
“I was...delirious?” Father Francis said in disbelief. “But, that would mean that….” He put his hand on his head, trying focus. He muttered to himself, “Last I remember, I was talking to some of the patients, trying to keep their spirits up. And after that, I….” His voice faltered again as he struggled to remember. Realization dawned on him, and he put his head on the table. “No. That’s not possible. How could I have fallen ill, while all those villagers needed me?”
Aziraphale reached out a hand and said in a sympathetic tone, “Hey, don’t blame yourself. There was nothing you could’ve done. The disease claimed anyone in its way, regardless of who they were or what they did.”
Father Francis nodded and, after a moment, straightened himself up, looking at them. “Now my second question is: how did you two manage to get the artifact?”
“Well, it’s a long story,” Aziraphale warned. “Are you sure you want to hear all of it?”
He nodded and said, “Yes. I have time, and this is critically important.”
Aziraphale and Crowley took turns telling the story of what they did after leaving the inn. They talked about how they spoke with the villagers, trying to get information about the artifact, until Madame Thea advised that they go to Aldreda's cabin in the woods. They said how, with the help of Aldreda and the Them, they learned about the artifact's immense power as well as its location. Then they described the entirety of their quest from start to finish, including detailed descriptions of all the trials they faced. They talked about how they made their way through the woods, struggled to cross the river, endured the torments of the valley, dodged the obstacles of the mountain, defeated the dragon in the garden, and at last, claimed the power of the artifact. Throughout all this, Father Francis listened silently, not wanting to interrupt.
When it seemed that they were finished talking, Father Francis said incredulously, “I can’t believe it. It’s all true. Every single part of it.”
“Wait, you mean you’ve heard of the trials before?” asked Aziraphale
Father Francis shook his head. “I’ve heard that there are...tests that a person has to go through before getting the artifact. The exact nature of the supposed tests, however, have remained unknown, as no one has survived long enough to tell of their experiences. At least up until now.”
“So no one else has gotten the artifact before us?” asked Crowley.
“That is unknown,” Father Francis said. “The problem with the artifact is that there is a lot of speculation, but very little facts. You two are the first to have had a full length factual recount of what happened. Since your stories have lined up with at least some of the legends, it opens the possibility to the other ones having some truth as well.” His face turned grave, and he said in a serious tone, “Which is directly connected with my main concern…”
The two looked at each other, not liking the direction that this was heading. Aziraphale looked back at Father Francis and asked him, “What exactly is this concern?”
He gave a long sigh and said, “There’s a reason that we don’t like people knowing about the ineffable artifact. Sure, it gives the wielder enormous amounts of power, perhaps more than we can comprehend, but all of that power comes with a hefty cost.”
“You mean the trials, right? You don’t want people to die from them.”
“No, I’m not talking about the trials. Although you have to give a lot in order to conquer them - and it’s true that I don’t want villagers getting killed in their hunger for power - they’re not my main concern at the moment. They’re bad, but at least they only last a short time.”
Aziraphale and Crowley felt taken aback and were about to protest when they saw something in his face that indicated that he knew something that they did not. They stayed down, and Aziraphale asked, “Okay, then what is it?”
He closed his eyes for a moment and asked, “How much did Aldreda tell you?”
“Not much, only that it fell to the earth thousands of years ago and that it is incredibly powerful.” Aziraphale recounted. “Why? Is what you’re thinking of connected to that?”
“In a way, I guess.” Father Francis took a breath and said, “Well, I guess I should tell you the rest. As you both know, the artifact houses a large amount of power, and the dragon helps to guard it further. You probably also know that when a person defeats the dragon and claims the artifact, the power marks them as the chosen wielder and transfers itself into them, which is evident by the sigil that burns into their palms.” Both of them nodded, and he continued, “Unfortunately, it is not nearly as consequenceless as that. When the power marks the person, it...claims them as the new guardian, and they are tasked with protecting it.”
“But what happens after they die?” asked Crowley.
“That’s where the part I was dreading comes in. Supposedly, as soon as the person dies, the power leaves them and goes off to find a new habitation, creating a new artifact and a new set of trials. As for the person...well, the artifact doesn’t let go of its chosen guardians that easily.”
A moment of silence, as the implication sunk in. After a while, Aziraphale managed to get out, “So, you’re saying that after we die…”
“Yes,” Father Francis said, nodding grimly. “You will spend the rest of eternity guarding the artifact and keeping it safe from unworthy seekers. Like I said earlier, the power comes with a hefty price. This is supposedly just speculation, but after how much supposed speculation has been proven to be true by your recounts, I would advise being on the safe side and believing in it.” He rubbed his head and said, “However, the only thing that confuses me is that the legend clearly states that the artifact only chooses one guardian at a time, and yet...” He turned back to them and said, “Show me your marks again.”
They opened their hands, and one half of the sigil showed up on each of their palms. He studied them carefully and said, “So each of you got one half. That does explain why the jewel exploded, as the act of dividing the power in two must’ve caused a reaction.”
“Yeah, but it doesn’t explain what will happen to us after we kick the bucket,” Crowley said. “Will we only have to play guardian for half of an eternity, assuming that’s a thing, or will only one half of each of us be recalled?”
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