Read The Crystal Keepers, An Overseers Novel Page 32
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Morten walked briskly through the tunnels, poking his head into various caves as he passed by. He snuck a momentary look around a corner, down one of the side tunnels and saw the person he wanted.
“Oh, there you are, Garmund.”
Garmund stepped back from the wall where he had just retrieved a crystal that was fading and replaced it with a new one. He turned at the sound of his name.
“Yes, Morten?”
“I need a favor. Can you bring me some hot stones to my upper cave, please? I need them right away.”
“Of course,” replied Garmund.
“Thank you. I’m heading there now.”
Morten walked away and headed for his room. Since it was meal time, few people were milling through the tunnels.
He knew the fairies were nervous about the possibility of the Guardians or the Brethren locating their crystal. He had been watching the forces himself and knew they were getting close to figuring it out, but the last time he checked, they hadn’t made any moves. It was time to take another look.
He entered his room and walked to the wall next to his bed. He touched the surface of the wall and pressed. A rock door quietly pivoted open and exposed a set of stairs leading upward. He stepped through the small opening and the slab closed behind him.
As he climbed the steps, he breathed in the fresh air that was coming from above. The stairs took him to a quaint grotto that had pillows on the floor and some blankets. Natural light came through an opening to the outside. It was high up in the Great Mountains and offered a beautiful view to the south. Morten walked to the opening and looked out. The bottom edge of the hole was at waist level and extended several feet over Morten’s head. It was a natural break to the outside and the cave itself had been enlarged slightly to give Morten enough space to be comfortable without being disturbed when he spent time there, watching over things.
By the fresh air that got sucked past him, he knew Garmund had opened the door below. Garmund was getting on in years but he had been with the Overseers for most of his adult life. He had made it clear to Morten, when they first met forty five years ago, that he didn’t want to be an active member. Garmund was a simple-minded man and preferred to stay in the background. He had been a dedicated worker, maintaining the Overseers’ facility, and was a trusted and devoted friend to Morten.
Morten heard his labored breathing as he climbed the stairs, carrying a heavy metal bucket containing rocks. Morten picked up a pillow from the floor and stood next to a carved depression in the floor. Garmund used his gloved hands to remove three hot river rocks from the bucket and set them into the cavity in the floor. They were substantial in size and fit perfectly into the cavity, as though it had been carved specifically for those rocks.
“Thank you. Come back in a couple hours as I might need fresh ones, if I’m still here.”
“I will check with you then.” He was still breathing heavily as he turned to walk down the stairs.
Morten set the pillow over the rocks and sat down on it. The rocks helped to keep him warm while he sat in his special cavern, high in the Great Mountains, and kept an eye on the forces.
He pulled a vial of liquid out of his pocket and carefully poured exactly one drop onto the palm of his opposite hand. He set the vial on the stone floor and used the same hand to replace the lid. Then, with his palm open, he blew onto the drop of liquid. As he blew, the liquid formed into a bubble which grew bigger with every breath. The bubble floated off his hand and hung in the air.
Morten spoke to it. “Show me the Brethren of Darkness, past, present and tomorrow, regarding the crystal.”
There was no point in looking far into the future because, as Morten knew, the choices made in the present affect the future. So, why waste his time viewing something that may or may not happen? If something in the past, the present or the very next day required intervention by the Overseers, then that would change the future anyway.
Image after image played out, revealing the Brethren’s activity. Morten’s face grew more solemn with each one as his concern grew.
“Show me the Guardians of Light, regarding the crystal, tomorrow.”
After a brief moment, he had seen enough. There was no time to waste. He stuck his finger into the bubble. Pop! He sat for another moment, reflecting on the scenes. Well, we’ll see how Loki handles this, he thought. He grabbed the vial off the floor and stuffed it into his pocket as he got to his feet and scurried down the stairs.