Eleven
At the old temple, Luna and Eira were making plans – or, more accurately, preparing for making plans. Luna listened patiently to Eira until the old priestess hit her deity's anecdote button, in which case Eira would listen and, with little success, try to write down what Luna said. The reindeer kept cursing her muzzlewriting; right now, the Revelations of the Moon Princess (the back of her wall almanack) were rather more filled with “I SAY TO THEE STFGLB AND THEN IT HAPPENED THAT PLRT PLRT BLOB SPLOTCH” than proper sacred writings should.
The talks were amiably practical, though. Eira had always suspected that Luna couldn't hear prayer or anything like that, and knowing it was actually the case was wonderfully refreshing. Even better; she had gotten the proper address to send any letters instead.
The talks sooner or later came back to her old temple and its fate.
“It is the biggest in Poatsula,” Eira said proudly. “But that is merely because it is in the capital” she added more sadly. “Long ago, kings and their jarls donated their silver to us. See, reindeer could never think Skinfaxi would endorse war, except against the forces of Winter, so they made you its patron. Then they stopped their warfare, and the only ones in the city who turned to Night was the ones without anything to give. So the temple got like it is today. I am sure the grazers venerate you for the even older reasons, but they don't worship here, but at various sites where they live,” she said.
“I assume those who 'turned to Night' are the dwellers of the slum around us, who has to be out at night,” Luna said uncomfortably. “But what about the grazers; why would they even care for me?”
Eira smiled.
“My Goddess, you have never been small and mortal and lived on the ground," she said. "When night comes to this land – and it lasts long – you cannot fear it, you have to come to terms with it, live with it, especially in those places where the day never comes in winter. Furthermore, the moon makes everything better in winter – it is the only light, even. Your stars and your northern lights – who I have always heard is your jewels and your shawl, even if I understand it is not to be taken literally – also make the night brighter” she explained. “You have to take the bad with the good, and the good with the bad. Summer, when your sister is hottest, brings plagues and the bugs that can eat a fawn alive, along with all the food for a year. Winter, which we fight each year as a war – you and I know, it comes from the same forces who created us reindeer. You cannot deny one part and take another. Whenever you do something, it has a side effect. That makes you careful, but you cannot carry on and do nothing. You have to accept it all,” she said in a long harangue that was meant for fawns, not for the one supposedly teaching it.
“I am glad you take it that way,” said Luna. “Now, how do you go about to get more of the city-dwellers to think so?”
“Once this place had other things to attract them – great mages, relics of old. But I can hardly do any magic, and as my eyes get worse my visions are getting so lousy I have to watch the news and guess. And as for relics...” Eira shrugged. “Well, there are Wiglek the Wicked's antlers, but they are more Artifacts of Doom than relics. And manure ones at that!”
“Wiglek the Wicked?” Luna said. “I think I know who he was... it is an old name...”
“He was a selfish, dishonest sorcerer who lived long ago,” said Eira. “He wasn't very good at it, except he made pacts and deals with various spirits, demons and gods to gain knowledge or services.”
Luna looked thoughtful. “Yeah, now I remember. I was one of those. He was a sneaky little snit, if I remembered him correctly,” she said. “I was one of those he made a pact with” she clarified when Eira looked mystified. “Why do you keep his antlers?”
“Well, as so many others, he gave his last shed antlers to Your temple before he died – or rather, before he and his son went on a journey they reckoned they'd never come back from, and they didn't, so I guess it was a good choice," Eira explained. We had them here for years, but long ago some King came and took Wiglek's son Sampo's antlers away to place at some national monument – that burned down over a century ago. The then head priestess placed Wiglek's antlers in a box that is still around somewhere, instead of in that old heap in the basement. I think it's the only magical thing we have left, but they don't do much.”
“What of the antlers in general,” said Luna. “You think I could do what I wanted with them?” She indicated the huge heap outside.
“They were a sacrifice to you, Oh My Goddess. I guess you can do whatever you want” Eira said and sighed. “Saga once said they should have been placed on stakes with the former owner's name or something, so deer could come and pay respects. It's probably too late for that... and besides, I guess the dear fawn only hoped for a field of death, with rune-carved stakes topped by antlers.”
Luna smiled enigmatically.
“I think I have an idea, but it will need some deliberation. But that is probably only because I remember Wiglek, so he and his antlers have done some good in any case” she said.
Eira nodded.
At Luna's suite in the palace Twilight had summoned Saga, who had been triumphant in coming there but now was a little bit awkward when she finally was to start working with Twilight. Twilight wasn't any less nervous, but had cleared a table and brought out some books and training materials.
“So...” she said.
“So...” said Saga.
They both looked at each other. Silence reigned.
“Oh, let's start with something easy,” said Twilight. “This quill... try to levitate it for me. Just lift it off the table.”
Saga looked unhappy, then she raised up on her hind legs, placed her front hoofs on the table and stared intensely at the quill, getting more and more cross-eyed. The quill didn't move. Then the quill didn't move. Then the quill was immobile.
And then it burst into flame.
“Sorry...” said Saga meekly, blushing. “I – I don't know that spell. But I thought if I just...”
Twilight put out the burning quill.
“Levitation is not a spell, it is merely the direct application of a unicorn's magical talent, and... Celestia's socks, you are not a unicorn!” It was Twilight's turn to blush.
Saga shook her head.
“Unicorn magic – unicorn magic is of two kinds,” Twilight started to lecture as she got up and paced. “First, there is application of pure telekinesis, though not all unicorns are equally talented at it. All unicorns are born with it. Second, there are actual spells, using analytical thought patterns to change reality using the same basic talent – but they must be learned by rote, and that is very hard.”
Twilight had stopped by Saga, who looked a little bewildered.
“Uhm, should I like write this down, will there be a test later or...?” she said, but Twilight shook her head and started to pace again.
“However, each unicorn, like every other pony and some other equine beings, has a cutie mark which shows their talent, their destiny. If the action tried is encompassed by the meaning of their cutie mark, a unicorn’s telekinesis is both stronger and more precise. Likewise, spells are far easier to both learn and use,” she said.
“I sort of... knew this already!” Saga protested.
Twilight shook her head again.
“Sometimes it is important to summarize what you already know, to understand something else. Now... can you describe what you know about reindeer magic in a similar manner, Saga? So that I don't make anymore... silly mistakes,” Twilight said.
Saga cleared her throat.
“Reindeer magic... it has the spells, see, just like you said with unicorns. But we don't have any cutie marks, so it is like all spells are equally hard...” she began. “And we can't... levitate things.”
“So there is no common reindeer magic?” Twilight asked.
“There is, but it is... harder to describe. We... see things. All reindeer see things. Sometimes,” Saga said.
“See what?” Twilight asked.
“Well... things that are hidden, or invisible, or what is it called, ethereal. Y'know, like magic and spirits and stuff,” Saga said, waving her hoof for vague emphasis.
“Now most grazers... it is mostly that they see beneath the snow. Not like when you make an X-ray of a broken leg, but I mean they see where the snow wouldn't hold their weight. Or cause an avalanche. Or, or, when there's lot of lichen to eat... 'coz you scratch it up when you graze in winter, see?” she explained to a somewhat perplexed Twilight. “But you could also see a place where there's a spirit, or if someone cast a spell on the lake, and so on...”
“Is this... on... all the time? Like when you have earphones and hear music that's only there for you?” Twilight asked.
“No, not really... it's not like you see through the snow with some super-vision all the time – bzzz, bzzzz, bzzzzzt!” Saga said as she showed her eyes shooting rays with her hooves. “It's more like sometimes when you need it, but not always, you can see it.”
“That was grazers... are you a grazer, Saga?” said Twilight.
Saga shook her head and actually looked a little ashamed, and Twilight made a mental note to ask about it later.
“No... my parents were stupid city reindeer...” she said sadly.
“What do they see?” asked Twilight.
Saga sighed. “Not much, I think. Like, the best woodworkers, I know they can see the wood and know where to cut. I mean really see it. And the traders, they can see, say, if something is bad. Or if someone selling to them is lying...” said Saga and then perked up. “Oh! And they say great warriors can see a bite or buck before it happens, and where an enemy is weak! And some reindeer see special things, like they say Princess Ljufa can see if you are a good or bad person, or Gramma who can see things happen far away...”
“It's like a cutiemark!” said Twilight. “It adjusts... to what you are looking for with your normal senses in your everyday life!”
“Except I think only really, uh, sighty reindeer get that. That's how you learn spells too; if you're sighty enough you can if you work hard,” said Saga. “I'm pretty sighty, but I don't see anything important... and Gramma taught me three small spells...”
“What do you see, then?” asked Twilight gently.
Saga looked at the wall. “Things that could be,” she mumbled.
“You mean, like the future?” Twilight said skeptically.
Saga shook her head. “No, things that could be but aren't – that could happen but hasn't yet, or never will happen but could, or never happened but could have happen,” she said. “It's – it's like daydreaming, only more magical. And more stupid. It was fun when I was a fawn but it's not like you can use it when you are supposed to be a wise priestess, like Gramma's farsight.”
“I don't think it is stupid,” said Twilight gently. “What spells can you do, then?”
“Well, I can make a small fire – you saw that, it came like on accident when I should lift the quill,” Saga began. “And I can chase away bugs and make them go somewhere else. That's supposed to be a curse from Hrimf... – from Luna, you know, but don't tell her that. And then...” she looked at Twilight with a bit of pride and bit of fear.
“Then what?” said Twilight, duly fascinated.
“I can, uh, talk to the shadows of dead reindeer,” said Saga and looked closely at Twilight for signs of disapproval. She found some pretty quickly. “Well Gramma said you should be really careful in using it because you should be careful with all magic, and because it is not proper to bother dead deer who have worked all life and now deserve a bit peace and quiet in the Summer Lands,” Saga hastily added. “And it's not I have used it much so I'm not very good at it!”
Twilight nodded.
“Unicorn magic cannot pierce the veil to the Summer Lands, so forbidding neighcromancy have always seem weird to me,” Twilight explained. “It's like having a law against setting fire to water. But I must admit I find the very idea spooky.”
“You can pour oil on it,” Saga said.
“What?” said Twilight.
“If you pour oil on water you can set fire to it,” Saga explained. “And then you could set fire to boats and ducks and swimmers, so you probably should have a law against setting fire to water!”
Twilight chose to change the subject.
“Thanks for all this useful information!” she said. “Now, I was going to use some spells on the walls of this room, to investigate the runes in it. They are perceptive spells, so I imagine they should be easy for reindeer to use. So, we will try to cast them together and see what happens, OK?”
Saga nodded. Then, looking at the wall, she pointed to one glyph on it.
“I think I know what that one does. Can we start with that, so I can do something easy first?” she asked.
“Sure” said Twilight “That sounds great. So, what kind of magic is it then?”
“It's an eye-rune, for looking through,” Saga said. “There is one in the temple but it is old and all wonky and stuff.”
“Eye-rune?” said Twilight taking notes.
“Yeah, you can look in one and see what is happening near another one. Like, you know, when you have a peephole in the door?” Saga explained.
Twilight was very still for a while.
“Saga, do you think you can figure out in which direction that eye-rune goes?” she said, rather seriously.
“Direction?” said the doe.
“I mean, is it for looking into so you see another place, or is if for looking out from when you are looking into another place,” Twilight said.
Comprehension lit upon Saga's face.
“It's a spy-hole!” she said and started looking around the room. “The one in the temple just let you watch the front door from the altar... There's another one – and a third...”
“I am sure there is one in my room as well,” Twilight said grimly. “Somepony can see – can they hear?” she looked at Saga who nodded. “Somepony can see and hear everything that happens in here,” she said gravely. “It could be... these runes are old... they could be in any number of rooms. I hope they have as many rooms spied upon as possible!”
“Why is that?” said Saga.
“Because the more things a peeper has to watch, the greater chance they miss something,” said Twilight, watching the ceiling.
“Are you sure some runecarver wasn't just a big old pervert?” Saga said.
Twilight laughed. “Then I would want to stop this even more... Hm. Change of plans. You will help me with the wall as I said, but first I will teach you a spell that I never thought would be useful again. I am sorry you will learn something you only will use once a decade...” Twilight said and smiled towards the doe.
“What... spell is that?” said Saga.
“It is very odd. It is called Cheater's Conundrum,” Twilight said. “It makes anyone trying to eavesdrop on you or the like having a really hard time focusing on you, and no one accidentally overhears you. I and another student made it back in school to stop other snooping on us when we had to take tests. You will help me put a really heavy version on this room and the nearby one.”
Saga nodded.
“So it doesn't make you invisible?” she said. Twilight nodded.
“Given the magic of all reindeer, trying to be actually invisible would probably only attract attention. I think this thing, that works in a roundabout way, will make it harder if someone is sitting there at another eye-rune spying at us,” she said. “Now let's get to work!”
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I play too much Dungeons and Dragons, I was statting out the differences between unicorn magic and reindeer magic and caught myself thinking of D&D solutions to the eye rune.
Still, excellent stuff here, your writing sometimes reminds me of Terry Pratchett, and has a good combination of comedy and seriousness. I enjoy the differences in culture between the reindeer and pony civilizations, it seems very well thought-out.
28901
Since I like PTerry's writing a lot, that is high praise.
I must confess being an old roleplayer as well. My only lets call it professional writing, that is, where I had an editor and such, has been made for fantasy roleplaying games. I find myself spending a little too much on exposition, actually, so I'm glad people at least find it interesting.
I get both "Under The Northern Lights" and some delicious Scandinavian food in the same day, what a deal! My church had its annual "Norwegian" Supper(a bit of a misname since, due to the number of Swedes, there is food overlap), lots of Swedish meatballs, Lefsa, Kumle, Kringla, Spritz, Flatbrod, Ostkaka, and Lutefisk.
SPOILER ALERT!!!
Even better; she had gotten the proper address to send any letters instead.
-
See, reindeer could never think Skinfaxi would endorse war, except against the forces of Winter, so they made you its patron.
-You know, she would be very effective against the forces of winter perhaps... but that might just be my own head-canon. Besides which the reindeer would like it even less than AJ liked the idea of magic for WWU in Ponyville.
or never happened but could have happen,
-"happened," I think...
so forbidding neighcromancy have always seem weird to me,
-"has always seemed weird to me," I think
“Given the magic of all reindeer, trying to be actually invisible would probably only attract attention.
-Good point... also having the runes in the guest rooms a breach of hospitality by their hosts that any reindeer with good spell-craft would recognize... surprised that Luna didn't recognize it, I wouldn't think that runes would change much over the centuries, but she is (relatively) young, so maybe she hadn't gotten around to learning that particular stuff when she was banished.
And just when I have a handle on the fic again, along comes the spying to throw me off!
Neighcromancy is not a good pun. Necromancy is a combination of the words necros, meaning death, and mancy, meaning the divination of knowledge. It's not creating zombies or controlling the energies of death as a weapon, it's just asking dead guys for info.
That being said it is horrificly evil magic that rips people from their eternal reward so that you can ask them a question or two.
2470187
Whether it's a good pun or not is up to you. As for the other comment you are in one way right: that is the actual ethymology of the Word. However, it's not the modern usage of the word; years of fantasy has changed that, and it has actually often been used to signify "magic" in general. Check out "The sword in the stone" where Merlin is said to wear 'necromantic' robes; he is neither using necromancy in the modern or ancient sense of the word.
Todays lesson, which you can report to Princess Celestia: Words have different meanings, and the oldest one in the dictionary is not always superior.
By the way, are all the comments you make going to be Little besserwisser snippets where you try to show off your presumed knowledge of the English language?
Neck-romancers. Beware of hickeys.
Hmmm, interesting, so Reindeer Magic is more a mix of Psionics and New Age witchery, like something out of a Mercedies Lackey or Andre Norton novel. It is quite fitting for Norse-type critters. That's a wild mix she has there, with Foresight, Pyrokenisis, and being a Spiritual Medium.
Now I see why she has the Goth vibe going on about her
To anyone saying Saga is Goth: nope, she is totally into black metal. I can totally see that on an album cover.
And know I have an image of Eira giving Luna a gentle boop on the nose and saying "Tell me a story"
Non-stop world building.