Return to Jorgaldur Volume IV: Reunion

The Book of Judgment

His companions watched in amazement as Eldi entered the altar and the city spirit welcomed him. Perhaps, many of them weren't inhabitants of the city, but the joy of the spirit was evident even for them, since they had it before them.

One of the objectives was that Eldi Hnefa obtained the approval of the spirit. Without such approval, it would be more dangerous to reach the palace. It was something that many of his supporters were concerned about, as they didn't know how he intended to achieve it.

Now, in view of events, the concern seemed ridiculous. The city spirit not only approved of him, but it followed them off the altar, with a clearly familiar, affectionate attitude. It seemed more like a pet than a majestic spirit. Besides, they didn't know its name was Hnefi.

Snapping out of her stupor, the bearer of the horn blew it on a long, high note. It was the announcement that Eldi Hnefa had entered the city, and that the spirit welcomed him.

One after another, horns throughout the city were heard in response. They spread the announcement, to the joy of the majority of the inhabitants, who were already affected by the good humor of their spirit.

In many places, dances, songs or toasts were improvised. There was still fear in the city about what could happen, but it was much better to let oneself be carried away by a festive atmosphere than by fear.

The spirit wasn't capable of speaking, but it did understand the language of humans. It rushed towards one of the forks in the road, returned quickly, and followed the beginning of the other. Hnefi turned back again, and looked at Eldi, still moving, undoubtedly excited.

The high human smiled. A lot of time had passed, and that spirit had grown in size, but its character was still that of a child. He couldn't help but remember the words of the Oracle.

"Will the spirit remember me?" he had asked them.

"Guardian spirits don't forget," the Oracle had responded.

"After so much time, will he hate me for not having come sooner?" he had worried.

"Don't try to judge a guardian spirit as a mortal. If the spirit hated you before, it will continue hating you. If the spirit loved you before, it will continue loving you. Time doesn't pass for them as it does for mortals," the mysterious being had assured.

Now, he could witness that they were right. There wasn't even the slightest hint of reproach for not having returned in so many years. There was just genuine joy to see him again. Eldi was really moved.

He pointed in a direction, and Hnefi walked it for more than a hundred meters, before turning back, circled Eldi four or five times, and left again. It repeated it continually, as if it were a game. Nonetheless, sometimes, the spirit stayed with the visitor for a while.

It had even sometimes encircled his followers, with curiosity, to their surprise. It also encircled the citizens who had approached, or had been waiting near the temple.

However, they couldn't approach Eldi Hnefa or the spirit. A tunnel of mana had formed as they walked, thus protecting them. It dissipated any hint of mana that crossed. No traps could be triggered while it was active.

The tunnel was a protection that used to be activated when royalty came to the altar annually to pay tribute, but it had never been so easily manipulated, nor in such a dynamic way.

It dated back many centuries, and the key to open the wall also gave control over that barrier. Normally, it was necessary to activate it in a more forceful way, by using auxiliary devices. Now, in the hands of Eldi Hnefa, there was the master key to the city, with the approval of a certain spirit. Of course, he didn't control everything, only what was connected to the heart of the capital.

They didn't head directly to the palace, once again disconcerting allies and enemies. However, at this point, his allies blindly trusted Eldi Hnefa. Not only was he a legend that had returned, but with every step he took, something extraordinary seemed to happen.

This time, they came to a plaza with a statue of Eldi himself, which made his lips twitch a little. It was somewhat overwhelming for him to see himself in the form of a stone more than five meters high.

Although not for lack of desire, the queen hadn't dared to demolish or move it. There had been subtle attempts, such as neglecting it, letting it get dirty, or letting the surrounding plants grow uncontrollably. They intended to use it as an excuse to end up getting rid of a symbol that was uncomfortable for them.

However, anonymous citizens had been in charge of cleaning, of tidying up the gardens, of not letting that symbol be sullied. It was something Eldi remembered when he looked at the pristine statue. His children had explained it to him, and had embarrassed him as they did so.

Now, however, he felt his resolve increase. The battle mage couldn't let them down, he couldn't abandon them, he had to carry out that mission for each one of them.

Hnefi was flying around the statue, thus giving the impression that it was having fun. Nonetheless, it stopped when Eldi raised his hand towards the statue, not because of the gesture, but because of the mana reaction it provoked.

The statue depicted Eldi Hnefa pointing forward with one hand. With the other, it held an open book, with richly decorated covers, and with a title engraved in an ancient and magical language.

It didn't have an exact translation, since it represented a figure that didn't exist. Part judge, part legislator, part prosecutor, although not king. It was said that the bearer of it could judge, change laws, even depose emperors, or appoint them.

In legends, there had been many bearers, all of them oblivious to power, but not oblivious to injustice. One condition of being a bearer of the Book of Judgment, as it was popularly called, was not to use its power for one's own interest. Otherwise, they would be unworthy, and they wouldn't be able to hold it.

They were legends, stories, some very old, others not so much. Eldi Hnefa himself had carried it in the past, or so it was said. However, no one knew what had happened to that sacred book, until then.

Some even knelt as the sculpted book shone, as it separated from the stone hand, as it shrank in size and landed on the flesh and blood hand of the real Eldi Hnefa. Now, the book was no longer made of stone, but real, and a strange power emerged from it.

It wasn't a power to attack or protect, but simply granted a mysterious aura, a palpable dignity, but apparently of no practical use.

"It's time to go to the palace. They must be waiting for us," he announced.