by Ren Curylo
Aventine 20, 789 Silverwilde, Cardosa
Chéile Chéile had relentlessly tracked Moriko through her scrying bowl, or at least attempted to, for many decades. Her ability to connect to the woman was hit or miss. It had been iffy for the last twenty-six years, but she had continued to try, even though she was successful less than half the time. Her dedication was mainly because she wanted to catch the little liar with Ársa, but also she hoped to find her husband’s illegitimate half-breed Fae son. That little monster needed, in Chéile’s mind, to be destroyed. She could not tolerate anyone coming before her precious Déithe. She had devoted herself to the pursuit of finding this creature.
Her luck had made her heart soar with joy when she managed to connect with her rival. She had watched Moriko the day before, watched her carefully, and had almost fainted when she saw the woman talking to a slender, almost feminine version of Ársa. Here was her quarry at last. She had used her scrying ability to move around the area until she was sure she could locate it. Her only problem was how to get rid of Moriko so she could take care of her long-awaited business without that nuisance interfering.
Chéile had stalked Moriko for hours, using her doll to connect with her and amplifying the connection with her proximity. She had managed to read her well enough that she could home in on the place she needed to go. She was close at last, she could feel it.
She came solid, to her relief, completing a successful Travel. Her palms were sweaty and her hands trembled. She reached up and caressed herself above her left breast. She wanted this to go perfectly. She had waited for this moment for over two decades. She needed to rid the world of Ársa’s heir so she could secure the legacy for Déithe. She would have no bastard brat popping up and usurping his rightful place later on.
She moved forward, making certain to keep herself invisible and hidden. She didn’t know if any of these nasty little Fae creatures could see her or not, but she assumed some of them could, so she took care to stay in the shelter of the trees that rimmed the flower meadow where they lived. There were some trees out amongst the bloom, she noted, but they were far too exposed to conceal her. She would have to be happy with her spot until the opportunity to strike came along.
Chéile congratulated herself on her genius for getting Moriko out of the way. She had promised Ársa long ago that she wouldn’t attack that little bitch anymore, and she was happy that she kept her word. After all, this was all for Ársa and his son. She got Moriko out of the way and never had to lift a hand to her. Chéile smiled to herself as she watched the Fae creatures busily setting up some todo they had going on.
Whatev er are they doing? There’s some event scheduled here. Oh, well, that will make it even more exciting.
There were many, many Flower Fae here, but that made perfect sense. She identified some of them as Tree Fae due to their bark-like skin. She saw a Lilitu woman who made her think of Erish, except this woman had flaming red hair and eyes the color of newborn spring leaves. She was much darker skinned than Erish, too. But their faces were hauntingly similar. A Pixie was also among their company. Chéile watched and waited. She hadn’t yet seen anything she believed was Ársa’s bastard offspring.
Then he stepped out. He expanded; he was taller than the Lilitu woman who moved forward to greet him. He had Ársa’s dark hair; he had blue-green eyes and a more delicate version of Ársa’s face. That’s him; it has to be. Chéile’s heart pounded so hard she was afraid they would hear it from her hiding place. She had to make her move. I have to be quick. She mumbled a few words under her breath as she pulled out the long-carried hilt from her pocket. She pressed the smooth hidden button on it, extending it into a long, sleek, silver bladed sword with a keen razor’s edge. She gripped the hilt tightly in her hand and waited, trying to force her breath to come more regularly and not the raspy gasps rattling through her body now.
She steadied her nerves and stepped from the trees. No one noticed her; they were all focused on their revelry. She raised the sword and got it in position. She took three more deep breaths and moved forward as fast as she could go.
As she neared her quarry, a scream escaped her involuntarily, startling every creature around her. None of them seemed able to move or respond. They were suspended in horror and surprise. Ársa’s bastard son turned to face her, a look of sheer terror on his face at the sight of her.
Chéile caught sight of Moriko coming solid a few feet behind him as she swung the sword. It caught him under his jaw, severing his head from his neck. The arc of her sword caught a number of Fae, and as it flew, it cleaved them in midair, severing their tiny bodies in two. They dropped to the ground beside Girin’s head, their bodies twitching and flopping in the last throes of death. Blood spouted from the young man’s neck for seconds before his body crumpled and fell to the ground.
Suddenly, to Chéile, everything felt like slow motion. The world had slowed down. Screams and cries of pain, rage, and horror rent the air, but they were all muffled in her ears as if they were underwater.
She straightened with the sword dangling at her side, loosely gripped in her shaking hand. Her eyes met Moriko’s and a sudden fear flamed into her chest. The rage on her rival’s face sent a cold chill through her.
A Pixie’s bolt struck her in the neck and she felt a numbness creep into her. Am I poisoned?
The Lilitu woman rushed from the crowd to Ársa’s son’s body and fell to her knees screaming and crying hysterically. The other Fae creatures swarmed to her and around her.
Moriko hit Chéile with the punch she had considered throwing back at the rat tree minutes before. Every leaf on every tree trembled and leaned in when the blow landed. It hit Chéile squarely in the chest and sent her flying halfway across the clearing in the direction she had come from. Another Pixie arrow struck her in her left breast. The pain burned like fire in her veins.
She could see another blow heading her way from Moriko and she tried to scramble to her feet. She had to get out of here. Panic filled Chéile’s eyes and her brow furrowed as she tried to crawl into the forest so she could gather her wits enough to Travel.
She heard someone, dimly, at a distance calling Ársa’s name.
Limbs from the nearest tree bent down, leaning close to the ground and wrapped themselves around Chéile’s arms and shoulders, constricting her as they lifted her from the ground and slammed her into the tree’s trunk. In panic she looked around, desperate for a way to free herself. Her struggling was pointless. She was trapped. A vine—a dozen vines—ran up the tree and entwined themselves around her legs, up her body and around the tree and back again, holding her fast to its trunk, coiling tendrils around arms, legs and around her waist while the tree’s limbs were still pinning her shoulders back.
Chéile struggled against her bonds but the tree and vines were too strong for her to fight. She could not break their hold and they were squeezing her ever tighter. Her attempts to conjure up bravado failed and she gave up hope as she looked up into Moriko’s rage and hate-filled face. The tree was in her command.
“Please,” Chéile whined, “let me go.” Real fear gripped her and she knew that Moriko would give her no quarter.
Moriko thrust a blow at her, slamming her head into the tree. She felt blood trickle down the back of her neck and her head throbbed. Her vision went dim for a few seconds. Chéile was only barely aware when a thin tendril of vine wrapped itself around her forehead, creeping down her cheeks toward her neck.
Chéile was suddenly aware that not only was the desire to kill her raging within Moriko at that moment, the ability to actually do it was there as well. “Please,” she said, struggling again. “You can’t do this, Moriko,” she begged. “Ársa will never forgive you if you kill me.”
“I don’t know about that,” Ársa said, appearing behind Moriko.
“Ársa,” Chéile breathed in relief. “Please, help me, take me home.”
He shook his head. “I think I’ll let Moriko deal with this.”
“I
think you deserve to die,” Moriko said with a snarl. She prepared another blow as she moved forward. The vine had worked its way around her neck and was beginning to choke her.
“Ársa, you can’t let her kill me,” Chéile croaked.
“Why not?”
“Because I’m pregnant with your daughter, the one you wanted me to give you.”
Ársa’s chin went up. He looked at her sharply, glaring at her as he assessed her. Suddenly his hand went out and he grabbed Moriko’s wrist. “Stop,” he said. “Let her go. I’ll take her home.”
Moriko shook her head. “I can’t do that, Ársa,” she said. “You know as well as I do, that I have every right to kill her for what she’s done.”
Ársa continued to hold Moriko’s hand as she struggled against him. “I’m taking her, Moriko, stand down.” Ársa pushed Moriko behind him, certain that she wouldn’t attack him. He could feel her glare on his back as he moved forward to walk up to Chéile. He tried to release her, could not. He turned to Moriko and said in a low, quiet tone, “Release her, now. That’s an order, Moriko.”
Moriko glared at him with hatred for a long moment before she snapped her fingers and let her lock fall. The vines and limbs receded quickly, fully releasing Chéile. The moment the bonds dropped, Chéile fell to the ground, landing on her belly with a guttural grunt.
“We’ll discuss this later,” Ársa said to Moriko as he bent to pick Chéile up in his arms
Moriko shook her head. “There’s nothing to discuss,” she said. “You’ve made your choice, Ársa.”
Ársa gave her one quick nod and disappeared with his wife in his arms.
THE END
The 10 weekdays:
Days of the Week
Day Elune Sorin Kolm Navhir Rundin
Function OBS OBS OBS OBS OB
Day Perelda Tanweth Pim Bell Shadowday
Function B B WE WE WE/Wor Legend for weekdays:
O Offices, banks, other professional services B Business, merchants
S Schools & Universities
WE Weekend days, business is optional Wor Worship days for those who observe Since there are three 10-day weeks in each 30-day month, a simple grid will accommodate the calendar. The only thing that changes are the names of the months & the ending holidays:
MONTH
El Sn Km Nv Rn Pd Tw Pim Bell SD
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
Holiday
Explanation of Holidays:
Month Holiday Observance
Ianualis Strena A celebration of the New Year. Observed by all.
Feralis Bruma Mid-winter holiday to bring cheer in cold. Widely observed.
Imber Bellicus Confession day to confess feelings to secret love. Observed by most.
Nalin Pales Night Pales is the goddess of shepherds & flocks. Widely observed in rural areas.
Tarakal Vivus A celebration of life & new awakenings. Widely celebrated.
Agmen Merus A celebration of plentiful bounties to come. Celebrated by Fae & Immortal races as an origins festival, although many humans observe it, too.
Nonae Dulcis Dulcis means ‘sweet water’ & is widely celebrated by all for the living giving force of water with bonfires & dancing.
Phaedrus Ancil An ancient holiday carried over from the old world. Most no longer know the reason for its celebration & is mostly observed among Immortals. It is viewed as an ‘independence day’ and the breaking of chains of bondage.
Taeda Areo A fall celebration of harvests and bounty. It is widely celebrated by all, but it holds a special significance for Tribal and Nomadic people.
Aventine Samhain Another ‘old world’ holiday. This one is widely celebrated by all with bonfires, food roasts & dressing in costumes. It is one of the most anticipated festivals of the year.
Devexus Ilex Ilex is a food festival to give thanks for the year’s past bounties and for all the good things to come. It’s a holiday of thanks & is widely celebrated by
gatherings of friends & family. Albus Feriatus A gathering holiday for friends, families, villages, Sagina even whole towns to come together & share gigantic meals. Fir trees are decorated in squares & common areas & often in individual homes. Gifts are often exchanged.
GLOSSARY
A
Aindréas ~ (AHN-drayus) Male Selkie, Muirgan’s mate.
Adamen~ (ADD-ahmen) Princess of the Lilitu Fae; Queen Erish’s daughter. Afrona Sea~ (AF-ron-ah) The body of water north of the Spiorad Islands, between the continents of Til’gaviel and Antus.
Aled~ (AHled) Weather officer in Ársa’s Envoy, in charge of lightning. Alteration~ The process implemented on the old world that altered the genetic structure of its subjects, producing changes in their appearance & abilities. Amalith Island~ (AMA-lith) Large island off the eastern coast of Til’gaviel. Anahera~ (AHNA-herr-ah) Rootwork expert in the Spiorad Islands. Human. Andraya Ocean~ (AHN-drayah) Lerien’s northernmost ocean.
Anoba~ (AHN-ohbah) Waterways officer on Ársa’s Envoy, also his sister. Antus~ (AN-tus) One of the five continents of Lerien, south of Corath. Ársa~ (AWR-sah) Leader of the expedition, Commander of Na Réaltaí, Anoba’s brother.
B
Bacainn Island ~ (BUH-cane) The smallest island in the Spiorads, north of Dragon’s Isle.
Belnesse Province~ (BELL-ness) Large province in the southeast of Ceann’nathair. Its coastline is on the Sea of Paldor.
Blackpool~ fishing village in Catormad, Corath along the western central coastline.
Bob~(BAHB) A group of Selkies.
C
Caolán ~ (QUAY-lawn) The Elfin prince, King Severo’s son, next in line for the throne.
Cansu~ (CAN-su) An officer of the Department of Weather, primarily in charge of floods.
Cardosa~ (CARD-oh-sah) one of the five continents of Lerien, located in the southwestern Jeredian Ocean.
Catormad~ (CAT-or-mad) province in western Corath.
Ceann’nathair~ (KEYAN-nah-here) Small, northernmost continent on Lerien. Chéile~ (KHAIL-ah) An Elfin Princess.
Corath~ (KOR-at) one of the five continents of Lerien, located in the northeastern Andraya Ocean.
D
Devil’s Finger~ The northernmost island in the Spiorad chain, named for its bent shape.
Durada~ (JURE-rahdah) Guard at Erish’s palace.
Dragon Isle~ Third largest island of the Spiorads, it sits just south of the smallest island, Bacainn, and east of the second largest, Devil’s Finger.
Droichead ~ (DRAY-head) the center section of Na Réaltaí that connects all the family sections.
D’win’teasin~ (DWIN-tee-sin) The second Elfin colony, founded in Silverwilde Province in 666.
E
Éad ~ (AYut) Ársa’s Envoy officer; Hermolaos’ sister. Éad is a shifter. Éadóchas~ (AY-doh-kus) also known as Despair. She is Ochón’s wife. Éadomhain~ (AY-at-ohwyn) An officer on Ársa’s Envoy; Hermolaos’ wife. Elfling~ One of the non-Fae, immortal races brought on the Na Réaltaí for the colonization of Lerien.
Enric~ (EN-reek) An elder member of the Elfin Colony.
Erish~ (ERRish) Queen of the Lilitu Fae; Adamen’s mother.
F
Faedrell ~ (FAY-drell) Northernmost province on Ceann’nathair.
Fogedge~ Port town on the southern tip of Amalith Island.
Fou~ (foo) crazy, insane.
G
Galimir Province ~ (GALImeer) Til’gaviel’s largest and most northern province. Gan-sreang~ (GAHNsrang) communication devices for Na Réaltaí’s crew. Gealach~(GEE-ahlak) Officer in Ársa’s Envoy. Oseyan’s sister; Ída’s mother; Ársa’s & Anoba’s cousin.
Glunterpeck~ (GLUN-ter-pek) Slang term meaning an idiot.
Grannus~ (GRANus) Chief Medical Officer in Ársa’s Envoy.
Gulf of Cardosa~ Gulf on the northwestern coast of Cardosa, bordering the provinces of Icehedge, Blackwater, Silverwilde, Deepmarsh & Old Cliff.
H
Hermolaos~ (HERM-oh-layohs) Officer on Ársa’s Envoy, married to Éadomhain.
I
Ída ~ (EEdah) Gealach’s daughter, Ársa’s niece, Envoy member in the Department of Nature.
Ifreann~ (IF-rahn) Hell.
Isil’gania~(ISIL-gain-ya) Province in south central Til’gaviel.
Izett~ (IZ-ett) The leader of the Tigmuc.
J
Jeredian Ocean~ (JER-ed-ee-ahn) Lerien’s southernmost ocean.
K
Kealoha~ (KEE-ah-lo-hah) Na Réaltaí record keeper.
L
Laghdaigh bag ~ (LIEdah) Moriko’s hip pouch.
Lalin sik~ (LAY-leen-seek) illicit drug on Lerien.
Larandir~(LAIR-undeer) Province on the west coast of Til’gaviel on the Sea of Paldor.
Lerien~(LER-eein) The new world created by Ársa’s Envoy.
Líadáin~ (LEAHdawn) Procurement Officer in Ársa’s Envoy.
Lilitu~ (LILY-too) Fae race.
Lorccan~ (LOREcahn) Officer in Ársa’s command who primarily deals with wind. Ly’wyn’tas~ (LIE-wintahs) King Silvus’ daughter, Princess of D’win’teasin.
M
Mo dhia ~ (MUH-yeeah) It is an oath, meaning literally, ‘my god’.
Mieranshire~ (MERE-ahn-shire) A large, centrally located province on Ceann’nathair. It’s west coast is on the Gulf of Gillana.
Mirus~ (MEER-us) large south central province on Corath.
Moriko~ (MORE-ee-koh) Forestry Officer in Ársa’s Envoy.
Muirgan~ (MEWR-gahn) Female Selkie held captive by Yann, a fisherman.