{"id":45,"date":"2017-07-13T01:24:52","date_gmt":"2017-07-13T01:24:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/?p=45"},"modified":"2017-07-13T01:24:52","modified_gmt":"2017-07-13T01:24:52","slug":"six-the-evil-idol","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2017\/07\/13\/six-the-evil-idol\/","title":{"rendered":"Six: The Evil Idol"},"content":{"rendered":"

Raizel was in a plane of white in front of a black spectre, without fifty sed and nowhere near the train station. <\/span><\/p>\n

If she got out of here, she was going to curse Trinner Traln and that idiot Esterzon Gorenz<\/span> with every trick and hex and lie all of her grandparents and great-grandparents had taught her. <\/span><\/p>\n

If.<\/span><\/p>\n

That was looking to be the problem. <\/span><\/p>\n

The spectre opened its maw. \u00a0<\/span>You will kill the idol.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Why did everyone want her to kill and destroy and get rid of things? \u00a0What was she, the trash-picker? \u00a0Was this more of the ridiculous nonsense about the \u201cmountain people?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Raizel opened her mouth. \u00a0Nothing came out. \u00a0So she shrugged: <\/span>which idol<\/span><\/i>?<\/span><\/p>\n

The many-hued idol<\/i><\/b>. \u00a0<\/b>Its voice – its voice was also, she realized, not actually sound. \u00a0It was as if it was writing the answers on her mind. \u00a0<\/span>There are things that will help you on your quest. \u00a0Things that will help you continue. \u00a0And I will tell you these things. \u00a0I will tell you how to be out of this trap. \u00a0But only when you kill the idol<\/i><\/b>.<\/b><\/p>\n

Why? \u00a0Why did an idol need killing? \u00a0Raizel shrugged at the thing again: <\/span>What\u2019s going on?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

The idols of the<\/i><\/b> Lady Huleran, the tomes of the Lady Huleran, all of the things in this chest are evil of one sort or another, save the coins and the tools. \u00a0Money and tools are only as evil as the hand that wields them. These idols and these books, they are true evil<\/i><\/b>.<\/b><\/p>\n

Well, that was clear. \u00a0All right, Raizel wanted out of here. \u00a0She could destroy something – well, could she? \u00a0She shrugged again: <\/span>How?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

The spectre seemed smarter than perhaps it ought to be. \u00a0<\/span>T<\/span><\/i>here is a hammer and chisel in the bottom of the chest. \u00a0Take those and strike the many-hued idol at the neck and at the base of the tail. \u00a0You are protected, you who the pixies have blessed. \u00a0You will be safe from its evil. \u00a0Others may be tainted. \u00a0Once you have done that, I will give you the answer to three questions, which you may take at any time in the next year and a day.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

That seemed like a decent deal, plus the thing had her trapped. \u00a0Raizel nodded \u00a0She would do the thing.<\/span><\/p>\n

She felt the geasa lay on her and, if she could have grumbled, she would have. \u00a0She\u2019d said she\u2019d do the thing! \u00a0There was no point in slapping yet another geasa on her. <\/span><\/p>\n

Then she was staring at her two newly-minted nemeses, feeling even more grumpy. \u00a0\u201cYou could\u2019ve said it was trapped,\u201d she pointed out.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd how would I know that, <\/span>Ennizaba<\/span> child? \u00a0I have never touched it and could not reach it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou, Trinner Traln,\u201d Esterzon Gorenz complained, \u201care an idiot and a moron and a liar, and I will tell everyone I see that you cannot be trusted.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Raizel had no more time for them. \u00a0She pulled item from item from the chest, until she had three tomes and three stone falcons, a set of carving tools and ten silver trei. \u00a0She looked at the falcons \u00a0– one black, one white, and one iridescent – and picked up the hammer and chisel. <\/span><\/p>\n

The men were still arguing. \u00a0She set the chisel at the thing\u2019s neck. \u201cStep back,\u201d she called. <\/span><\/p>\n

They were still yelling at each other. \u201cStep. Back.\u201d She lifted her voice into almost a shout. <\/span><\/p>\n

They were still fighting. \u00a0\u201cSTEP BACK!\u201d she hollered. <\/span><\/p>\n

They looked at her. \u00a0\u201cYou cannot!\u201d Trinner Traln shouted. \u00a0He started towards her. <\/span><\/p>\n

She lifted the hammer. \u201cGet him back, Esterzon Gorenz, get him back now. \u00a0The multi-hued idol-\u201d her voice shifted, although she did nothing to it.<\/span> \u201cThe idol needs killing.\u201d<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cI paid you to get me the falcon!\u201d Trinner Traln complained. \u00a0Esterzon Gorenz, less of an idiot than Trinner, hauled the smaller man backwards by the back of his shirt. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou paid me to get one falcon. \u00a0Actually, you promised to pay me and Esterzon Gorenz is paying me. \u00a0And I got lain with curse and geasa on the way. \u00a0So, I do what the chest tells me to now.\u201d \u00a0They were well away from the chest. \u00a0She drove the hammer down onto the chisel, breaking the neck of the idol. \u00a0Another strike, quick and precise, and the whole thing exploded in black and blue light. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Raizel was in a plane of white in front of a black spectre, without fifty sed and nowhere near the train station. If she got out of here, she was going to curse Trinner Traln and that idiot Esterzon Gorenz with every trick and hex and lie all of her grandparents and great-grandparents had taught… Continue reading Six: The Evil Idol<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"Side Quest Ch. Six: The Evil Idol\r\nWhat, someone else wants Raizel to do something? Is she ever going to make it to the train?","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-45","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-quest"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8Tn4Q-J","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":49,"url":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2017\/07\/14\/seven-moving-on\/","url_meta":{"origin":45,"position":0},"title":"Seven: Moving On","author":"Lyn Thorne-Alder","date":"July 14, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"The black-and-blue light danced upwards like a geyser and then seemed to be sucked downwards, towards the books. \u200b\u201dNo!\u201d Trinner Traln shouted. \u00a0Raizel glanced at him just in time to see him jerk away from Esterzon Gorenz and dart towards the idol. The blue-black light seemed to suck him in.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Quest"","block_context":{"text":"Quest","link":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/category\/quest\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":117,"url":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2018\/01\/05\/twenty-seven-the-train\/","url_meta":{"origin":45,"position":1},"title":"Twenty-Seven: The Train","author":"Lyn Thorne-Alder","date":"January 5, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cAm I really here?\u201d Raizel muttered to the Diamond Raven. \u00a0It felt unlikely. \u00a0She had been trying for this for what seemed like months, even if it had only been days, and here they were, on the platform, buying two tickets for the train. \u00a0 That she had the Diamond\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Quest"","block_context":{"text":"Quest","link":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/category\/quest\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":54,"url":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2017\/07\/21\/nine-yederya-wizard\/","url_meta":{"origin":45,"position":2},"title":"Nine: Yederya Wizard","author":"Lyn Thorne-Alder","date":"July 21, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"The woman studied Raizel. \u201cYou have skills I don\u2019t?\u201d \u201cWell, I can\u2019t design a building,\u201d Raizel admitted, \u201cor build one. \u00a0But in the last two days I\u2019ve been dusted by a pixie, blessed by a spectre, and kissed by what might have been a goddess.\u201d \u00a0Also by two whores, but\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Quest"","block_context":{"text":"Quest","link":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/category\/quest\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":16,"url":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2017\/07\/03\/day-one-chapter-one-the-quest\/","url_meta":{"origin":45,"position":3},"title":"Day One, Chapter One: The Quest","author":"Lyn Thorne-Alder","date":"July 3, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"New Story with a short timeline! \u00a0This is Side Quest, a story for Camp NanoWrimo July 2017. \u00a0 And so it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Tzar Vimyxa that representatives of all the families of the nation should come to Buscontra, in the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Quest"","block_context":{"text":"Quest","link":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/category\/quest\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":36,"url":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2017\/07\/12\/five-pixie-dust\/","url_meta":{"origin":45,"position":4},"title":"Five: Pixie Dust","author":"Lyn Thorne-Alder","date":"July 12, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Trinner Traln and the round man were, of course waiting for her. \u00a0 \u201cPixies,\u201d she swore at both of them. \u00a0\u201cPixie dust.\u00a0What were you thinking?\u201d \u201cWhat?\u201d \u00a0The rotund man stared at her. \u00a0\u201cThere are pixies in that cave? \u00a0And you didn\u2019t bring any out?\u201d \u201cWhat do I look like to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Quest"","block_context":{"text":"Quest","link":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/category\/quest\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":95,"url":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2017\/10\/11\/twenty-two-lost-and-found\/","url_meta":{"origin":45,"position":5},"title":"Twenty-Two: Lost and Found","author":"Lyn Thorne-Alder","date":"October 11, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cWhy her?\u201d The Diamond Raven shifted so he was standing almost between Raizel and the Left Hand. \u00a0\u201cWhy this stranger on the street?\u201d \u201cBecause she\u2019s not a stranger, is she? \u00a0She\u2019s the one that everyone\u2019s been muttering about. \u00a0She\u2019s got you, which is interesting in and of itself. \u00a0She\u2019s made\u2026","rel":"","context":"With 3 comments","block_context":{"text":"With 3 comments","link":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2017\/10\/11\/twenty-two-lost-and-found\/#comments"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":46,"href":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45\/revisions\/46"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}