Redberg VillageNear the mangroves little moor, the panhandler rested his back against the post of the keelhaul and stared up at the afternoon tangerine sky. The clouds were parting and, after a few moments, the sun was exposed and he felt warmed by it. Nevertheless, he kept his shroud tightly draped around his body against the early spring wind. As he stared up, the ebony crow appeared, straddling on the keelhaul's leveled extension above."I have nothing for you little crow," let out the panhandler. "Not a single traveler has departed by these last few hours you know."The man longed for that crow's parents - or perhaps his friends - might have dined on caged bodies of witches that hung and half-burned at the crossroads by the Old Father. And some of the corrupt chaplains, reverends of Redberg who forbade recanting, shunned lovers, betrayers - both true and fictitious - their cadavers had been presented from the keelhauling as a warning to others.But no insignificant individuals ha
“We’re good,” Celestina told them, holding onto her wooden tray. She had used it to defend herself if she had to, no matter how much the patrol leader might lecture her about ‘inappropriate weapons’ later. Even now, she could feel the soldier's and the jester's regards burning across the area wearying into them.“You don’t look fine Celestina, are you alright?” Diana grumbled. She sat there almost unmoved and a sliver of moonlight coming through the window, blond hair, a blazing faded gray tunic and kilt, and one foot covering untied. Making her so vulnerable yet in truth she was the predator in this aisle.She was a close second to Tommy in times of unconditional loathsomeness. Her look flickered to Jenna who was smirking at them, understanding full well Diana wasn't comfortable with so many humans in the enclosure. She could almost feel her fangs slowly coming to life as Jenna's spell to make her reek like a human was almost coming to end. 'Dammit! I missed taking a shower' Diana th
The mangroves region was a tremendous inhospitable habitat that would kill travelers unfamiliar with its capricious territory. It was the sort of cold winter that would freeze the blood of those who didn't take sufficient care to be warm in heart and core.Drifters and travelers confronted a lack of rest, especially with the wet, alligator and slug-infested wetland, scorching hot days, freezing snow-cold nights, and unforeseen storms at a moment’s notice. The cold weather that seeps through any thin cloth to drain the soul instead feeds the soul of those well wrapped in warm layers of well-insulated fabrics.Fortunately, the panhandler at the moor knew the landscape because he had been through its jaws in the past during his alligator killing days with his father and brothers. They had crossed the barren terrain on their way to the floating cavern of the Battleaxe tribe. Winter mangrove trees line the next route. Their thin-clothed forms stand starkly against the snow, almost like cha
Inside the stone villa walls of Camella, Lord Andrew Lawvosky was confused and dazed for weeks and not with himself, he looked out and saw the hillside in flames and Camellana's people's hamlet destroyed. Undisclosed to him, the old woman had been enhancing him for weeks and made him fast asleep, oblivious in his chamber.But this time, he had awakened. He knew his time was short. He would take no more chances at waiting, he would find that woman. The woman in his dreams. He would take what was his before he lost it again.Furious and annoyed, he slammed open the door to Camellana’s chamber and found her in a corner weeping and with a woman on her side on the floor praying with the long white sheet gathered over her in useless defense.He grunted pleasure to himself and walked over to the unmoved woman. He grabbed the white sheet and whisked it off of her.But it was not Camellana underneath. It was her servant. Andrew turned and threw a dagger at her side, hitting the other woman in
The sight which met Diana's eyes after yet another episode of her sudden collapse at the dining hall had the horror of a dream within a dream, with the reality of sensibility added.The dim-lit chamber was as she had seen it last at the dark natives' cavern; except that the shadowy look had gone in the glare of the many lantern lights, and every piece of each oil lamp stood stark and solidly real in the niche of the chamber she was in.By the empty mattress sat young Celestina, as Diana's eyes had last seen her, sitting bolt upright in the chair beside the bed. She had placed a pillow behind her so that her back might be erect, but her neck was tightened as that of one in a warrior trance. She was, to all pursuits and goals, turned into stone as she surveyed her.There was no outstanding attitude on her face--no anxiety, no horridness; nothing such as might be anticipated of one in such a circumstance. "Celestina, where is Jenna? I haven't seen her in the dining hall."The young woman
Later at night, the healer came back with her two helpers after Cavin convinced her that what she saw earlier was just a mere apparition of the werewolf soul and she wasn't looking at the demon himself.A young helper was at once posted for the healer, and several of her servants disappeared to make themselves respectable. The healer and Cavin lifted Tommy onto the mattress where he had laid yesterday; and, having done what he could do for him, turned his attention to the helper. In all the commotion earlier the poor young woman had not stirred; she stood there as before, straight and formal, breathing softly and artlessly and with a placid look. As it was manifestly of no use to try anything to help them till the healer had left and the helper followed suit.In Diana's chamber, Celestina watched the vampire, who had by this time taken her guilt away and changed her demeanor; Celestina took her time to freshen up and change her clothing with a pair of tunic, comfortable and fresh for
The burial went smoother than expected, tears were shed as they all mourn for the fallen. Their mourning was the dawn before the light was brave enough to flood over the frontiers of the cliff facing the dark ocean. It was the time when the colors of the world bowed in reverence to their grief, pausing... before moving on with the new day and the life that needed their loving attention once more. At times the Battleaxe tribe must let the dark come as a cocoon, for their grief prepares them for the light; so they let the mourning wrap around them, they let it start their healing song. Vengeance must serve in a plotter, fresh and warm, they thought.After the burial, Celestina, Diana, and Tommy launched their journey to the Dark Mountains as per the manuscript of Marites, the Fated One dwells on the darkest peak.Supervised by young Cavin, the four souls commenced their voyage into the darkest side of the land.The small village of Twin Hallows near Dark Mountains was the region of sev
In the passageway to the Dark Mountains, The old-growth forest was like a tunnel into another time, a place where it could be any century and no one would ever know they had ever left, not even the predators. There was wisdom in the wilderness that could whisper to the pure of heart and gave fear to the darkest of souls.There was contentment in a tree branch, Diana realized how grateful they were, the natures were talking, whispering enchanting lullabies on her bears. The denim branches dangling over the limb of silver-earthen bark. It dangled independent of the wind, with a smile to match the brilliance of the moon above. Diana traced her fingers over the bark, her fingerprint over the ridged patterns. Something about being there made her so glad as if it were a sort of independence to let her body match its curving form."All, come inside,” called Cavin, “It will be daylight soon.” As he stared at the luminous band of orange straddled on top of the dark purple horizon of the Dark O