A Grim Discovery: Licidion
Vuudu - December 19, 2005
Chapter 1 – The Voice In the Stone
Sno – fea – ther …
The disembodied, Foresaken voice drifted from the heathstones of
the Grim. For a moment, wherever they were, on the face of the
world or under it, the members of the Grim paused. They had heard
the voice before. Many of them silenty mouthed the name
“Licidion.”
Licidion, the traitor, was well known to the Grim. Once a strong
member of the guild, Licidion had since fallen into madness –
attacking and almost killing Snowfeather, and now poisioning
Wadjet so severely that hiding in the spirit world was the only
way to forestal the final death.
The voice continued for a while, and Vuudu listened to it as she
sat idly in Hammerfall, feeding her lion, Humar. When the voice
died away, she picked up her hearthstone and looked at. She
didn’t know quite what she was thinking, or why she was about to
do what she was going to do. Perhaps it was her naturally
rebellious nature – she always had a bit of dislike for people
who seemed to be grandstanding. Licidion’s voice had been
annoying her, and it was time to make it stop.
Vuudu turned the stone over, and aligned it so she would be
speaking directly to Licidion, only.
“Hey mon … can you hear me?” she whispered to the stone.
The winds stilled around Hammerfall.
“Snow-fea-ther …” came the icy reply.
“Yeah yeah yeah, Snowfeather. Listen mon, why don’ you tell me
where you are, we talk about dis whole ting.” Vuudu chuckled to
herself. When in doubt, she thought, make threats. It gets
people’s attention.
“An-ti-dote …” the word drifted from the stone, as if on the
breeze.
Vuudu looked curiously at the stone, “Antidote? What you sick
mon? You tell me where you are, I bring you some juju, make you
all better.” She patted the hilt of her sword, chuckling. She
didn’t really expect this taunting to work. After all, why would
a sworn enemy, a traitor, willingly reveal his location? However,
just the act of speaking these words to Licidion, words laden
with her contempt and hatred for him, made her feel better.
A long, silent moment passed. Vuudu imagined that Licidion had
turned his attention from her, no doubt bored with her attempt to
bait him into a mistake.
“Is this thing still on?” came a loud, clear voice from the
stone. Vuudu flinched, the stone almost falling from her hands.
Hearing this perfectly clear, if somewhat gravelly voice suddenly
speaking to her was a bit like realizing that someone has been
standing behind you, looking over your shoulder.
“Who be dis?” she asked.
“You won’t be needing this anymore Licidion,” said the voice more
softly, before returning to full strength and addressing Vuudu
through the stone. “As for you, Troll, you will not be allowed to
interefere with our experiment. Do not stick your nose where it
is not wanted.” The stone went silent, as the connection was
broken.
Vuudu sat on the ground, stunned. Like the gears in a goblin
engine, her mind slowly whirred up to speed, trying to understand
what had just happened. Who was that? The voice sounded like a
man, a Forsaken man. It definitely wasn’t Licidion. And what was
this experiment they mentioned? Too many questions not enough
answers. But one thing was becoming clear the more she turned
options over in her mind.
Licidion may not be a traitor after all.