A ring of great power....not from Mordor

As the lighting blazed in a dancing, arcing column to the sky, a voice deep and powerful as thunder said, “My son, today my powers are bestowed upon you.”

One of the most vivid scenes in Guiamo is where the god Lugus bestows special powers upon him.....as you read it you can almost see the scene as it would play out in a movie....the excerpt is below.  This scene finds Guiamo with his druid teacher Susama.

            Guiamo brought Susama to the sacred grove atop the high hill near Gobedbiacum.  Guiamo noticed that while the cold weather carried a wind, it was not strong enough to move the limbs of the trees which swayed dramatically along their way.

            Susama noticed the activity of the trees, too, and observed, “Lugus eagerly awaits your arrival.”  They trudged along watching the branches moving energetically around them.  Guiamo pointed out that the trees a short distance farther were nearly still.

            Susama asked, “Durmi, did you bring the unformed gold?”

            He reached into his bulla praetexta pouch and pulled out a lump of gold.

            “Oh, Durmi, that is far too much,” Susama said in a kindly tone.

            Guiamo was not bothered.  He replied, “I thought Lugus would take what he needed and leave me the rest.  I just did not want to have an insufficient amount.”

            “No harm is done, Durmi.  It will be so,” said Susama.

            “Do you really think Lugus will craft a ring for me today?”  Guiamo asked.  “I have studied for such a short time.”

            “From what I have seen of the oracles and augures, you may not have a full nineteen years before your life as a great warrior is to begin.  Malleolus and I suspect it will begin when you are in your mid-twenties when your strength is at its greatest.  That would give you about ten years to prepare and mature,” Susama said.

            Before long, they entered the sacred oak grove and the trees moved even more violently about.  As before, Guiamo saw movement flickering just beyond his peripheral sight.  Susama brought him into the center of the clearing and sat him on the ground.  Guiamo saw her nervousness and realized she felt inadequate to her responsibility that day.

            Susama gathered an armful of oak leaves and placed them in a wide circle one passus in front of Guiamo.  Then, sitting beside him, she began to call in the ancient language, “Lugus dithmero-mil! Lugus dithmero-mil!”

            As she completed the word of Summons, from out of a clearing sky, a massive lightning bolt struck the ground in the center of the oak leaf circle.  Rather than dissipate in an instant, it continued to blast the ground and, twisting, sent out tendrils of brilliant fire.  Overwhelmed by the power of the sustained lightning bolt, Susama fell back in alarm, and Guiamo shielded his eyes with his arm. 

            As the lighting blazed in a dancing, arcing column to the sky, a voice deep and powerful as thunder said, “My son, today my powers are bestowed upon you.”

            Guiamo blinked his eyes at the words and was awestruck.  The blaze of lightning continued to dance with power in the circle of oak leaves and Susama sat forward to kneel before the raging light.  Around them the oak trees bent and swirled as from blasts of wind from a raging storm.

            Lugus’ roaring voice continued, “I have seen your heart’s desire to speak to nature, to converse with the animals.  Today, I shall give you the power to speak to my servants of war and to know the truth always.  I cannot give you the ability to speak to all creatures, for only those who serve me in war do I command.  Know this: the ancient tongue only shall they understand.

            “Hound and hawk will understand your words.  Caution is needed, for they shall obey only as they see fit.  Their reply will be of limited understanding and they shall use but simple words.

            “Horse, donkey and ox you shall speak to, and they will understand and blindly obey, but they have not the gift of speaking.

            “Serpent is the healer of wounds but is a speaker of both truth and deceit.  With him you will be able to converse as man to man, but you will be unable to command him.  I shall give you the power of Discernment which shall bind his deceit and force the serpent’s speech to the truth if he dares to speak.

            “Bring forth the gold.”

            Guiamo removed the lump of gold from his bulla praetexta pouch and held it out with an open palm toward the light.  With a blinding flash, a thin tendril of light streaked out and snatched the gold from his hand.

            The lightning bolt intensified and then with a crash of thunder disappeared from sight.  Susama gasped in surprise and looked around, realizing that the surrounding oaks had gone suddenly still, and he knew that the god had departed.  Guiamo looked at the blackened ground within the circle of oak leaves which lay undisturbed.  At its center lay a ring of cunning design.  Guiamo stood and walked forward into the circle. 

            He reached down carefully and picked up the ring.  It was a serpent ring, but different from the two he had seen before.  Rather than being a single loop with the serpent swallowing his tail, this was designed as two parallel loops set half a finger’s width apart.  At the center apex was the serpent’s head swallowing its tail.

            The serpent ran diagonally across the top of the finger and then turned to wrap around the finger.  As the loop came up the opposite side, it bent diagonally again to pass beneath the snake’s head.  It then wrapped again as a second loop around the finger.  Rising on the other side, it then bent its tail to enter the serpent’s opened mouth.

            “Place it on your finger!  Quickly!” whispered Susama.  “Or it shall dissolve again.”

            Hearing her words of alarm, Guiamo slipped in onto the index finger of his right hand.  It was a perfect fit.  He turned to hold his hand up so Susama could see the double ring. 

            “I have never seen a ring of such design!” she exclaimed.  “Its powers must be unique to you alone.  Bless Lugus!  He has given you tremendous power.  You must wear it always, but never reveal its source.”  Overjoyed and with great enthusiasm, she said, “We must soon begin to discover its secrets.”

Thanks for taking time to read a part of Guiamo.

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