WoG Chapter 57
Chapter Fifty-Seven: Mother's Dream edit
A coalition of Silone, Colok, Edan, and Trelelunin ventures to Istinjoln to confront the Celestial Gate and its guardian, Marukane, seeking to close the portal birthing Shadows. The chapter unfolds through three distinct perspectives—Pikarn, Glimdrem, and Dareun—each offering insight into the mission’s challenges, interpersonal tensions, and supernatural encounters.
Pikarn’s POV: Pikarn, a grizzled Silone warrior, leads a group of eight Silone and thirty Colok from five tribes, arriving at Istinjoln with confidence bolstered by their success against Shadows and Taken en route. Observing the Celestial Gate’s deceptive weakness, Pikarn and Rikis discuss the Edan’s delayed arrival from the Steaming Lakes, where Inslok’s party sought answers from the Touched. When the Edan—Inslok, Limereu, and Nezeldun—arrive, Pikarn learns their mission yielded little, with Limereu tasked to solve the Gate’s closure, possibly long after human lifespans. Proposing to enter Istinjoln to stir Limereu’s memories or confront Marukane, Pikarn agrees to camp overnight, sensing the mission’s urgency despite Zjin’s caution. His pragmatic leadership balances human impulsiveness with Colok restraint, but tensions flare when Glimdrem’s jab at Inslok provokes a sharp Edan response, highlighting Pikarn’s role as a mediator. As they prepare to face Marukane, Pikarn’s focus on survival and strategy underscores his skepticism of lofty Edan plans, like negotiating with the Queen Mother, Zwinfolkum.
Glimdrem’s POV: Glimdrem, a Trelelunin increasingly at odds with his Edan superiors, rides a Colok sled into Istinjoln, relishing the ease compared to running. The absence of Shadows and Taken in the courtyard surprises him, but he joins Limereu at the Celestial Gate, where she grapples with fleeting memories of its creation, marveling at Ulrikt’s feat, possibly as an Instinctive-Channeler aided by the Queen Mother. Marukane’s sudden appearance shifts the mood, taunting Inslok as an oathbreaker and mocking Limereu’s past as a killer. Glimdrem, singled out as “fallen,” feels the sting of his diminished status but is saved by Limereu’s diplomatic pivot to negotiate with Zwinfolkum. When Inslok, provoked by Marukane’s dark influence, attacks futilely, Glimdrem restrains Limereu, secretly delighting in Inslok’s humiliation despite his own admonishment. As Shadows and Taken amass, Glimdrem helps load the unresponsive Inslok onto a sled, recognizing the Edan’s broken state—repeating “I am Almost” from the Touched’s moniker—mirrors his own fall from grace. Fleeing Istinjoln, Glimdrem grapples with the vine’s claim that he and Inslok share a similar fate, questioning his identity while aiding the retreat to Berul.
Dareun’s POV: Dareun, a ghostly entity since his execution by the Face of Ulrikt, observes Istinjoln’s events invisibly, ignored by Taken and repelled by Shadows. His prior interactions with Marukane, sharing stories to calm the demon, established a rapport, but today Marukane ignores him, tormenting Inslok with dark energies. Desperate to intervene as Inslok’s frenzied attacks falter, Dareun possesses the Edan, halting the assault and demanding Marukane reveal Zwinfolkum’s desires. Marukane, amused, suggests mortals discern what “all mothers want” and agrees to release Inslok if Dareun withdraws, threatening to withhold future stories. Sensing Eliles’s fleeting presence, Dareun pauses, yearning for her, before honoring the deal. Exiting Inslok’s body, he’s dismayed when the Edan collapses, Marukane claiming innocence and blaming Dareun’s possession. As Marukane vanishes, ordering the group to leave, Dareun believes he saved Inslok, though the Edan’s broken state—muttering “Almost”—suggests unintended harm. Lingering in Istinjoln, Dareun’s spectral perspective reveals Marukane’s manipulative power and his own limited agency, torn between aiding mortals and his ethereal existence.
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