The Heavenly Host

Lord Tommus grinned in Tal Gor’s mind. “Our hunters are gathering now. They have not been hunting in a very long time and so are anxious to enter Astlan. Make sure you have a good-sized fire going and make room around it for us to come through. I will be reaching out to you shortly to open the gateway!”

Tal Gor raised his eyebrows in surprise, scrambled from his tent, and hurried quickly to the main campfire, where the band was gathering to break their fast. “Everyone! Listen!”

“Still talking to your dream gods, Tal Gor?” his brother Fel Nor teased him with a broad grin.

“It’s no dream! Lord Tommus and his D’Orcs want to hunt! They are coming soon and twenty of our best hunters are invited to hunt with them!” Tal Gor exclaimed.

Horrgus turned and gave him a bleary eye. “What are you babbling about, boy?”

Tal Gor quickly recounted his experience last night for the tribe members who had been in their tents when he had told people last night. He could see people rolling their eyes at his story. Clearly, no one believed him any more today than the group late last night had.

Sal Gor, his father, shook his head. “Tal Gor, did you hit your head or something? You are making no sense.”

“It is real, father, I swear! You will see shortly when Lord Tommus brings his hunting party here! They are also going to bring D’Wargs for our hunters to ride today.”

“D’Wargs?” His older sister Soo An asked.

Tal Gor shrugged. “I assume they are demon wargs. All I know is that the hunting party will be flying and so they need to bring flying mounts for our hunters!”

Bor Tal, his oldest brother walked up to him and put a hand on his shoulder. “We need to check you brother, perhaps you were bitten by a viperclaw? Its poison causes false visions.” He gestured to Tris An, his aunt the band’s healer, to come over.

“I was not bitten! I am telling you, Lord Tommus is the ruler of Mount Doom and the heir to the mighty Orcus!” Tal Gor tried to explain. At this point, even Horrgus was rolling his eyes in disbelief. Tal Gor shrugged off his brother’s hand and marched up to the main fire.

“You need to listen! Lord Tommus will be coming soon, and his hunters shall hunt. We have an invitation for twenty hunters to join them. This is something that hasn’t been seen on the plains of Norelon in thousands of years!” Tal Gor told them, turning around to face the gathering band. At this point most of the band had come out of their tents to see what all the commotion was.

Horrgus shook his head and then winced. He came over to Tal Gor. “Come, boy, let’s go back to my tent with Tris An so we can take a look at you for bite marks.”

“Why don’t you believe me?” Tal Gor asked, annoyed.

“You do understand this is a bit farfetched, yes?” his father asked him.

“No. I am a shaman and I am sworn to Lord Tommus, see?” Tal Gor stuck out his palm for people to see the scar. Horrgus stared at it, as did Soo An. His father also came closer to look.

“That’s a fully healed scar!” Horrgus said, rubbing it.

“It looks like it’s been there for years,” Soo An added. “But I’m sure I would have noticed you getting that scar. It’s also an odd scar.”

“It mirrors the image on the Talisman of Tommus!” Tal Gor said.

“The Talisman of Tommus?” Horrgus asked.

“Well, it used to be the Talisman of Orcus, but since Tommus replaced him...” Tal Gor trailed off.

Horrgus shook his head. “You know those stories are myths? I know you’ve always been fascinated with the dead god and tales of glory, but at this point they are just tales.”

Tal Gor shook his head. “No, they are real, and there is going to be a hunting party, today!” Tal Gor could see several heads shaking in disbelief. They thought he was crazy. Suddenly his hand ached.

“Ready to open the gate?” Lord Tommus asked in his head.

“I am not having a lot of luck getting others to believe me, My Lord,” Tal Gor replied.

He felt the demon lord grin. “Their belief is not necessary; reality should be sufficient. Go to the fire and thrust your hand with the scar into the flames. You won’t get burnt.”

“Boy?” Horrgus asked the zoned-out Tal Gor.

“He’s coming. They are coming, now you will see!” Tal Gor shook off their concerned hands, ducked around them and walked as quickly as his leg would let him to the central fire. He thrust his left hand into the flames.

“Tal Gor!” His mother yelled, thinking he had lost his mind.