The sun was starting to go down. The day, which had already been on the cool side for spring, had turned downright chilly. Despite this cold Jepeth and Tejnik continued to wait patiently. Tejnik spread out on the ground in his mess of blue robes and cloak, and Jepeth standing silently with his back to the water and cliff side watching the woods. The sky became that lovely shade of pink and the sun dropped so low that it cast a beautiful golden light onto the two men. Jepeth’s normally dull grey armor seemed to glow with orange fire. Tejnik thought of remarking on this but their conversation had died out hours ago. They still awaited the Wisp to appear.
Finally, the sun dropped below the horizon. The water along the cliff’s edge seemed to stop all motion as the world quieted down. Jepeth turned to Tejnik and right as he opened his mouth to say “enough,” it appeared.
A blue, brilliant ball of light came into existence right in front of them. It did not approach them. It did not drop from the sky. It was more like the reverse of a candle extinguishing. It went from nothing to a bright ball of something in an instant.
Tejnik stood up and approached the Wisp while Jepeth hung back.
“Hello dear Wisp!” exclaimed Tejnik.
He looked at Jepeth who was starring at the orb of light and after a moment Tejnik made a show of clearing his throat.
“Oh,” said Jepeth stepping forward. “Right. Ah, ‘Lend us some of ye light?’”
Tejnik looked pleased that Jepeth had followed his instructions for greeting the Wisp in a respectful manner but thought his delivery needed some work.
The Wisp began to move. It floated past Tejnik and began to hover back and forth in front of the two men. It traced a path left to right before them; back and forth, over and over again. It did this for a few minutes before Jepeth’s impatience got the best of him.
“We have been waiting all day,” sighed Jepeth. “Won’t ye speak, Wisp?”
Tejnik jerked his towards his Governor giving him a reproachful look.
“It must decide to speak on its own, Sire!” hissed Tejnik.
“It was just a question,” replied Jepeth looking more and more annoyed.
“It deserves our respect, not our questions, Governor!” whispered Tejnik under his breath.
“It’s a bloody great big lightning bug,” said Jepeth louder than he probably intended, “that has kept us waiting all day.”
Tejnik looked downright panicked at Jepeth’s comment but at that moment the Wisp made a sound probably no Britannian had heard in centuries.
The Wisp laughed.
Or made an odd, alien sound and motion in the air that approximated laughing. Whatever humor was for a Wisp, Tejnik realized at that moment the Wisp was experiencing it and he was thunderstruck.
“Xylyl! Bloody great big lighting bug!” said the Wisp. “YZXXl! Excellent.”
Tejnik smiled nervously. Jepeth continued to look annoyed.
“Ye have too much respect,” said the Wisp, “Yxxtlk, and ye not enough.”
“Governor Jepeth means no disrespect, honorable Wisp of the great wide Woods,” said Tejnik.
“He does, Yxxl,” said the Wisp, “but we care not. He’s just jealous of our magical brilliance.”
Tejnik smiled. Jepeth folded his arms.
“Indeed,” replied Jepeth with gritted teeth.
“I have brought him as requested, beautiful Wisp,” said Tejnik. “Will ye now tell us what ye know? What doom does the comet above Skara Brae bring?”
“Death,” said the Wisp.
The word hung in the air for a moment.
“Of whom? Of what?” said Jepeth.
“Death!” repeated the Wisp.
“For such an advanced race ye are as helpful as a rock, and just as dull” said Jepeth.
“Governor, please,” pleaded Tejnik.
“I have had it with prophecy and riddle and whisper!” said Jepeth with his voice rising. “Skara Brae has been dealing with this crisis for weeks! Either speak plainly or float off into the woods and trouble some other unhappy soul!”
The Wisp made the laughing sound again. It raised the goosebumps on Tejnik’s arm.
“Death comes,” said the Wisp. “How much is entirely up to ye.”
“How do I stop it?” said Jepeth. “No riddles. Tell me how to stop it!”
“Zyxyl!” chirped the wisp.
It floated towards Jepeth, circled him a moment, and then hovered up and away from the two men. It settled a few meters above them in the sky. Jepeth and Tejnik both noticed that to the right of the Wisp in the far, far distance was the comet.
“Ye will soon know everything there is to know,” said the Wisp. “Ye are already so close. Heed thy spiritual father. Thy just healer. Thy honorable knight. Thy honest aide.”
Jepeth opened his mouth to reply but remained silent for a moment.
“There will be four others?” Tejnik asked finally.
“Nae,” said the Wisp. “Three more will come. The compassionate, the humble, and the valorous.”
“But what of the sacrificial?” asked Jepeth.
The Wisp laughed its cold, alien sound again.
“Nae Jepeth, ye will sacrifice.”
It vanished entirely leaving the two men in the dark.
Finally, the sun dropped below the horizon. The water along the cliff’s edge seemed to stop all motion as the world quieted down. Jepeth turned to Tejnik and right as he opened his mouth to say “enough,” it appeared.
A blue, brilliant ball of light came into existence right in front of them. It did not approach them. It did not drop from the sky. It was more like the reverse of a candle extinguishing. It went from nothing to a bright ball of something in an instant.
Tejnik stood up and approached the Wisp while Jepeth hung back.
“Hello dear Wisp!” exclaimed Tejnik.
He looked at Jepeth who was starring at the orb of light and after a moment Tejnik made a show of clearing his throat.
“Oh,” said Jepeth stepping forward. “Right. Ah, ‘Lend us some of ye light?’”
Tejnik looked pleased that Jepeth had followed his instructions for greeting the Wisp in a respectful manner but thought his delivery needed some work.
The Wisp began to move. It floated past Tejnik and began to hover back and forth in front of the two men. It traced a path left to right before them; back and forth, over and over again. It did this for a few minutes before Jepeth’s impatience got the best of him.
“We have been waiting all day,” sighed Jepeth. “Won’t ye speak, Wisp?”
Tejnik jerked his towards his Governor giving him a reproachful look.
“It must decide to speak on its own, Sire!” hissed Tejnik.
“It was just a question,” replied Jepeth looking more and more annoyed.
“It deserves our respect, not our questions, Governor!” whispered Tejnik under his breath.
“It’s a bloody great big lightning bug,” said Jepeth louder than he probably intended, “that has kept us waiting all day.”
Tejnik looked downright panicked at Jepeth’s comment but at that moment the Wisp made a sound probably no Britannian had heard in centuries.
The Wisp laughed.
Or made an odd, alien sound and motion in the air that approximated laughing. Whatever humor was for a Wisp, Tejnik realized at that moment the Wisp was experiencing it and he was thunderstruck.
“Xylyl! Bloody great big lighting bug!” said the Wisp. “YZXXl! Excellent.”
Tejnik smiled nervously. Jepeth continued to look annoyed.
“Ye have too much respect,” said the Wisp, “Yxxtlk, and ye not enough.”
“Governor Jepeth means no disrespect, honorable Wisp of the great wide Woods,” said Tejnik.
“He does, Yxxl,” said the Wisp, “but we care not. He’s just jealous of our magical brilliance.”
Tejnik smiled. Jepeth folded his arms.
“Indeed,” replied Jepeth with gritted teeth.
“I have brought him as requested, beautiful Wisp,” said Tejnik. “Will ye now tell us what ye know? What doom does the comet above Skara Brae bring?”
“Death,” said the Wisp.
The word hung in the air for a moment.
“Of whom? Of what?” said Jepeth.
“Death!” repeated the Wisp.
“For such an advanced race ye are as helpful as a rock, and just as dull” said Jepeth.
“Governor, please,” pleaded Tejnik.
“I have had it with prophecy and riddle and whisper!” said Jepeth with his voice rising. “Skara Brae has been dealing with this crisis for weeks! Either speak plainly or float off into the woods and trouble some other unhappy soul!”
The Wisp made the laughing sound again. It raised the goosebumps on Tejnik’s arm.
“Death comes,” said the Wisp. “How much is entirely up to ye.”
“How do I stop it?” said Jepeth. “No riddles. Tell me how to stop it!”
“Zyxyl!” chirped the wisp.
It floated towards Jepeth, circled him a moment, and then hovered up and away from the two men. It settled a few meters above them in the sky. Jepeth and Tejnik both noticed that to the right of the Wisp in the far, far distance was the comet.
“Ye will soon know everything there is to know,” said the Wisp. “Ye are already so close. Heed thy spiritual father. Thy just healer. Thy honorable knight. Thy honest aide.”
Jepeth opened his mouth to reply but remained silent for a moment.
“There will be four others?” Tejnik asked finally.
“Nae,” said the Wisp. “Three more will come. The compassionate, the humble, and the valorous.”
“But what of the sacrificial?” asked Jepeth.
The Wisp laughed its cold, alien sound again.
“Nae Jepeth, ye will sacrifice.”
It vanished entirely leaving the two men in the dark.
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