Chapter 57: I am Nammu

Irin had hooked her arm in Koth's. He was more grumpy than usual, and she knew it was because she was making his life difficult. They were heading for the temple with Viturleiki, Lokhue, and Melir. Viturleiki could rival Koth in grumpiness, while Lokhue looked serious and worried. Only Melir looked as if he were heading on the greatest adventure of his life, which was probably true. Irin had mixed feelings about it. She understood the danger; Koth had lectured her about it in detail the previous evening. She knew they were taking a risk. At the same time, she was excited about the possibility of communicating with a being like this.

"Are you really angry with me?" she asked Koth when they were almost at the temple, after he hadn't spoken to her since they had set off. He sighed and looked at her for the first time.

"No, little one. I'm a little angry that you are putting yourself in harm's way. It will pass," he told her. She gave him a smile and gestured for him to bend down. When he did, she leaned in closer.

"I will make it up to you tonight. I will do that thing I did with my mouth that you really, really liked," she whispered to him. Koth stopped walking and looked at her. She giggled and gave him a quick kiss. "See, you are less angry already," she told him, and then pulled on his arm to make him walk.

"You are seriously trying to kill me," he said, not expecting a reply. Irin felt a lot better as they stood outside the temple.

"It looks like it always has done," Lokhue said. It was clear he had expected something to be different.

"It feels different, even from yesterday," Irin told him. The energy she had felt the day before as they had walked into the temple, she could now feel outside it as well.

"Still think this is a good idea?" Koth asked her.

"Yes. Let's do it before something happens that makes me rethink it." Koth frowned at her, but nodded. Melir walked toward the door, but his brother grabbed him by the collar of his tunic.

"Let's let the ones who know what they are doing go first," he scolded his younger brother.

"Like there is anyone fitting that description," Koth huffed as he walked up to the door and opened it. The temple looked the same, Irin noted, right down to the flowers she had left on the altar the day before. They should have wilted, at least a little, but looked fresh. She walked past Koth, put down an incense burner, and took out incense and an ember stick. She blew on the ember stick, and it produced a flame she could use to light the incense. It had been years since she had used one; she usually relied on her magic. She placed it on the altar and took a step back, starting to kneel down when Koth stopped her. She looked at him, wondering if he had changed his mind and was going to stop her. Instead, he took off his cloak, folded it, and put it on the floor for her to kneel on. She smiled at him and kissed his cheek.

"Thank you," she said, and kneeled down. Irin closed her eyes and focused on the source of the power she could feel. It was a day full of things she hadn't done in a while. She rarely spoke to gods other than Alesseja, and with her, Irin had a more or less open line. It was another thing to pray and try to establish contact with a new being.

'Hello? Teacher?' Irin tried in a prayer.

'Yeees? Hwoooo are youuu? Nooo one has spoooken tooo me in... a looong time,' a reply came. The words were slow, flowing like mud. Irin was happy the others couldn't hear the conversation. She had to give this being her real name; it would have confused Lokhue and Melir.

'I am Irin Eandrirn, a cleric. You have been asleep for a long time. May I ask who you are?' Irin answered.

'I am Nammu, mother of the eternal ones," the entity answered.

'Greetings, mother of the eternal ones.'

'You are not from here, not one of the ones who has been keeping my temple," Nammu said.

'No. I'm their guest. After one of them woke you up, your presence made them uneasy. They asked me and my... companion to see what was happening,' Irin explained. She got a feeling Nammu was amused.

'That is why I'm awake after all this time?' she asked.

'Yes. A boy saw the round symbols on your mural and thought they were spell circles. He didn't know what he was doing, but added his magic to one. He's talented,' Irin said.

'Spell circles?' Nammu seemed to be thinking. 'Oh, I see. My children have taken what I taught them and shared them with you. Interesting adaptation for the lack of inert magic. I think I approve," she then said. 'You follow one of my daughters.'

'I do, ancient mother,' Irin admitted.

'They are scared of me,' Nammu told her. Again, Irin got the sense of amusement. 'Back in the days when my children walked the earth and I still guided them, temples like this were all around. My children came and I tested them and their magic. It was necessary; they didn't take their powers seriously when they were young. When they decided to leave this world, there was no need for places like this,' she explained to Irin.

'Are the other temples left as well?' Irin asked.

'Not many of them. I can feel them now that I'm awake. Few of the races that walk this world would worship someone they don't know. There are places, like this one, who still show me respect. I don't remember much from when I was asleep, but I think the people here have been most respectful to me. I like them.'

'What will you do now that you are awake?' Irin asked.

'I think I will go back to sleep. This world no longer interests me. I would like to see the human who woke me up.' Irin was relieved. Nammu didn't seem hostile, but it would probably be best for her to stay asleep. She turned around and waved at Melir to come closer. He walked up to her.

"Kneel next to me; she wants to say hi," Irin told him.

"She does? To me?" he asked. Irin nodded.

"Is it safe?" Lokhue wanted to know.

"It's as safe as it can be. She doesn't seem upset with him, more curious," Irin told him. Melir kneeled down beside her. "Close your eyes and focus on the power that is all around us. You can feel it,

right?" she asked. He nodded and closed his eyes. "Now you just reach out with your thoughts to that power." Irin closed her own eyes.

'Mother Nammu, this is Melir, the one who woke you,' Irin introduced Melir to the being.

'Hello?' Melir did his best to pray to her. For his first time, he did well.

'Melir, son of those who have watched over my temple. You have potential, or your magic does,' Nammu told him.

'T-thank you, ma'am. Sorry to wake you,' he said.

'I don't mind. It was a mistake, and it has made me see that the world didn't end when my children left. I think it makes me... calm. I can sleep in peace now. Irin, protector of my daughter, please tell her she need not fear me returning. Although I feel better seeing this world, it is no longer mine. I will keep my hand over this place; the people here are good people, and they will have my protection,' Nammu said.

'We thank you,' Melir said.

'I will let her know,' Irin promised. She felt the power draw back. The temple felt colder, less alive.

"Is she gone?" Melir asked out loud.

"She is slowly falling back to sleep. It will take her a century or two to return to the state she was before you woke her, but she is no longer here,"Irin said. Koth touched a circle on his arm, and a fireball appeared in his palm.

"Works better already," he said.

"So it's over?" Lokhue asked. Melir nodded.

"She seemed nice. She will continue to watch over our town," he told his brother.

"This time we will remember who she is. I will write this into the town history," Viturleiki said.

"I think she would like that," Irin told him as Koth helped her stand. She picked his cloak up from the floor and dusted it off before handing it back to him. He nudged her to walk towards the door. She could see he still didn't trust the place. She was happy they had left the talisman in their room, unsure how it would react to the strange magic going on in the temple.

"Let's head back to town and tell everything to father," Lokhue said. As they walked into town, Koth bent down to Irin.

"Don't think I have forgotten your promise to me, little one. Once we have talked to the chief, we are heading back to our room," he whispered. Irin smiled. She was happy he was in a better mood.