Jerrit : pt1

"This is him, King Torgrum!"

Jerrit looked at the surrounding chambers. So this is what the dwarves do with their precious gems. The room's décor left him feeling slightly dizzy. Every nook and cranny it seemed had been infused with some sort of gold or silver. Precious gems seemed to stick to every surface like pollen on a bee. Marble pilasters lined the edge of the room leading back to an ivory bed fitted with satin sheets.

Jerrit could only wonder at how many hours upon hours the King's loyal subjects had toiled away over the years to fill this room with such extravagance. Though he was sure most of them hadn't even had the opportunity to stand where he was standing now and see the fruits of that hard work; for surely they would have not wasted another moment towards something so frivolous if they had seen what their labor truly produced.

"Are you really as gifted as the rumours claim?" The king asked Jerrit.

Jerrit finally seeing the source of the question was caught off guard. The king was not the symbol of opulence he had expected. Instead of the broad shouldered boisterous Dwarven-giant, if such a thing existed; he was met by a creature whose tears ran freely with no attempt to hide them from either Jerrit or his Dwarven escorts.

"Yes. Whatever you have heard of me and my deeds, are true. I am a healer of Koralenae, and as one of her chosen, I have performed many great feats in her name." Jerrit paused to take in the room's admiration. "I will surely call on Koralenae's blessing to drive away whatever ails the child, my Great King, as surely as a King is deserving of such a beautiful bedchamber." Jerrit's comment dripped of sarcasm, but he didn't care. They needed him.

If Torgrum caught Jerrit's slight he let it go. He approached Jerrit and embraced him tightly, sobbing.

"Please," he looked up, "please work your healing on my daughter. Grant her the cure that The Great Builder has not. If Giligam is testing me, then I have failed, because I only wish to hear her laugh once more. And I will do whatever it takes, I will pay whatever price, I will give your Koralenae whatever tribute she asks to save the life of my innocent Drinduma."

How fitting thought Jerrit. To see the dwarf, who had as much power as one could dream of, beg for the one power he could not have. Still he grasped the King's forearms in sympathy, and replied "I ask for nothing great King Torgrum. I will cast aside her fever in the name of Koralenae, and drive out the sickness from her body. Show her to me, so the Kingdom of Brindlethron's future Queen may know the grace of The Eternal Mother."

Torgrum moved aside, and in the back corner, Jerrit saw a few women gathered around a small crib made of Ivory. As he approached a soft looking dwarven woman dressed in matching chamber robes to the king's, turned to face Jerrit. She stared at Jerrit, unable to hide eye contempt through her red, swollen eyes.

"The Builder is testing us Torgrum, we cannot falter now."

"I don't give a damn Drummina! This human is a chosen of Koralenae, already with a long list of feats to his name. He is our only hope right now. He is our daughter's only hope."

Jerrit could see several of the women next to the crib shift uncomfortably at words they surely must have found equally blasphemous as insulting. He could see now, as he got closer to them, the symbol of Giligam hanging around their necks. The queen was not happy either it seemed. But of course the king's words were not a lie. Jerrit knew if The Builder's own clergy were unable to help the princess, her fate was sealed without his help.

Continued tomorrow...