Burial of hearts the black widow's malice

by Parnham, N

  There was a small stream close by to the courtyard and my hair was becoming a touch greasy, so I decided to at least wash my hair.

  Dipping my hair in the water, I was careful for it not to touch the dirt and stones at the bottom. Holding strands in groups, I cleansed, attempting to rid of any knots that had formed in the process. A small fish decided to become caught as it swam by; now I knew my hair was a mess, but I never realised it had become a fisherman’s trap.

  Returning, I dried my hair; splashing water upon Bibi as I whipped my head around, removing any more stubborn knots, until I felt satisfied that it was smooth enough to the touch.

  Zinmbe was waiting outside, eager to start the second round of death defying training as soon as possible.

  “Avis, are you ready? We must begin”.

  “Must we?”. I said under my breath.

  I walked out and gave a pleasant smile, which in no way was returned; entrapping us both for a moment, in a state of awkwardness. Heading back to the courtyard, I was not in a pleasant mood, exhausted from the day before, rudely awoken and now Zinmbe was not even giving me a simple smile; no doubt today would be thought-provoking… unpleasant most likely.

  “Right, first you are going to learn the magick passed down to me by my mother and my mother’s mother; I am sure you understand how that goes. I do know how you are adequate at lighting fires, so also I know that with a little practice, you will be able to achieve this”.

  “Ok, fire away…”. I said giving a slight chuckle as I did.

  “This is no laughing matter Avis, do you want Alexander back or not? I am guessing that you do, so you had better listen to me”.

  “Sorry”. I said as lowering my head.

  “Now, beforehand you used the power of words, today we need to go a step further. The mind is the tool that creates the words, so the words can be held in the mind to create the result; do you understand?”.

  “I think so… ”. I said giving a bewildered look.

  Zinmbe had gathered a few logs from below the forest foliage that were teeming with spiders, placing them at distances equal to another and enlisting the help of small crumbling rocks, which she placed at their base to prevent them tumbling over unexpectedly.

  “Now Avis, visualise; see the fire building up within you, from around you, from the sun and the stars; feel it erupt in your heart, shooting out from within your hands, like the shot of an arrow striking upon a target”.

  Trying to visualise, I did as she said. Deeper my thoughts sank, I could feel the riveting power building up from within me, but my mind was not clear and as I let go just a small puff of smoke fluttered out; quite comedic I thought myself.

  “No Avis, try harder, clear your mind”.

  Pushing myself, I cleared out all a sombre thoughts isolated in my head, concentrating deeper, seeing the fire, seizing it in my hands, pushing it out from within me, waiting for that moment where my belief met my will; the feeling burst forth from within me, causing the log to flare up before us, the spiders running off squealing as they turned to lifeless ash.

  “Tremendous Avis, but still we need to pursue; with the haste you showed, you would have been slaughtered”.

  I spent until sundown practicing, each time improving my technique, growing stronger, no longer reckless or risqué. My reward for today was the setting of the sun, the outbursts of light, rustic upon the horizon, as it lavished upon all that stood before it; the serene beauty pleating the heavens and the earth.

  Zinmbe started to poke and prod me to gain my attention.

  “Come on, let us go back to the village. Tonight I believe is going to be a fun one”.

  Back at the village, the evening’s entertainment was in full swing, the melodic sounds of instruments played fluently were pleasant to hear; songs were sung in plentiful portions and alcohol ran freely among men and women.

  “Let our children grow old and our whispers be told, of a legend born solely, here in Yilesul.

  Oh singing a song of a merry old man, a house full of brewers making all that he can. He drank till the day dawned, then fell to the floor, but the merry old man came back for some more.

  Let our children grow old and our whispers be told, of a legend born solely, here in Yilesul.

  Now listen to us closely for you might not hear, that this merry old man was not as appeared. He was the husband so righteous, a lord you should fear, with a house full of tables that were rather queer. Each day he would rise, each day he would fall; but the old man from Yilesul he did never disappear.

  Let our children grow old and our whispers be told, of a legend born solely, here in Yilesul”.

  I was passed a large jug of ale. It looked well hardened, with thick thread holding the sides together securely. The smell of the ale caused me to gag, but not wanting to spoil the occasion, I held my nerve and took a sip of the concoction. It was just as awful as it smelt. My mouth turned inwards, feeling the vile brew building up a layer of bitter yeast upon my tongue. Closing my eyes for a moment, I swallowed, trying not to think about how it tasted, but knowing it was not good.

  Maul and Werdo had come up behind me, urging me to drink.

  “Come my fine lady, let us be merry together”. Maul said whilst he not so carefully swayed his drink around the place.

  “I bet she will not be able to handle the drink, being a Malkaretz woman and all”. Werdo said giving me a cheerful glance.

  “Excuse me? I have defeated many an oaf whom has declared they could out drink me”.

  “Then drink it all, I challenge you”.

  “Yes show us the man you are”.

  Rolling my eyes aback, I unwisely agreed to their rash challenge. Sitting upright, I took in a large breath, placing the jug against my lips, I began to swallow; urging me on I continued, as drink began to trickle down the sides of my mouth onto my newly tailored clothes. Before I knew it I had drank the entire jug, giving myself an unsavoury froth moustache in the process. Cheering at my triumph, they handed me another, causing me to sulk in disapproval, as I fought off the foul taste and texture left in my mouth.

  Another jug, another challenge; this time they even offered me a fair bit of coin; if I was successful of course; very well, I thought to myself. Gulping down the ale as if it was a ship ripping through the water’s tide, I began to feel a touch light headed; this obviously is a little bit more potent than the alcohol back home.

  “Now young fellows, if you would be as kind as to… pass me… what was it again?”. I said as the signs of the alcohol began to take effect.

  Laughter ensued between the pair as they mocked me, civilly informing me that I was a light-weight drinker.

  “I will have you know, I could table you under the drink, or is that drink the table under you? … Surely the table does not drink? … You mischievous little men, now look what you have done”.

  Continuing to drink jug after jug of the rather addictive, yet still unpleasant ale, I began to dance wildly, singing along with the songs the men and women sang, not even knowing the words, just making them up as I went along.

  Snatching a stale bread roll, I took a bite, only to spit it back out. My head was spinning out of control, my feet no longer able to hold me upright. It is time to stop I thought to myself.

  Parting company with the rest, I strayed off up to the courtyard to try regain some composure. Sitting down I looked over to where the moon had arisen. Confused it seemed like there was three, but certainly alcohol was to blame for this. I planted my head between my legs, sobbing in self-pity, how I would welcome something to take this feeling away from me.

  To my left I could hear rustling in the trees; obviously nocturnal creatures of some kind. Rubbing my dreary eyes, leaning to a side, holding my head up to the opal sky, none of these methods worked; I was still just as unable to properly comprehend the world around me. Then again I could hear the rustling, this time I decided to investigate; unsteady as I walked closer. Closing in on the sound I wondered what it could
possibly be. Peering at the trees, I tried to make out any form; I saw a reflection, but how? Getting as close as I dared to go, I scouted the area before me then again I saw the reflection, it was the moon reflecting, on someone’s eyes.

  “Who is there?”. I shouted, demanding to know.

  With that, a man came shooting out from where he was hidden. My reactions not as quick as typical, he managed to tackle me to the ground, forcing my head down as panic gripped my body. His hand slid to my throat, my heart racing, tears pouring from my eyes, I desperately looked everywhere around me; a few small rocks were close by. Thrusting my knee into his stomach he jolted a slight, giving me room to turn, but just as I did, he came back, lurching onto me with ferocious wrath, ripping at my hair and sending tough blows into my now bruised sides.

  I was becoming weak and bloodied, my adrenaline was like a furnace about to explode, yet it gave me no advantage. I was going to die tonight, I thought to myself. I screamed. My eyes now a stream of misery, I reached out desperately, finally clenching onto a rock, I turned, smashing it into his temple.

  Seizing the opportunity, I stood up, the alcohol now relinquishing control, giving rule to the overwhelming dread driving through me. He was blaspheming my name with every sinful word that could be thought upon, sculpting his hand upon his head, whilst blood trickled down. I had to get away. In seeing that he was starting to rise, I began to run, fighting off the pain as I dashed about the trees, catching my face in barbaric ways upon thorny plants and getting a mouthful of bugs as I ran below branches they were nesting upon.

  He was gaining speed, getting ever closer to me. I shouted trying to get the attention of anyone, but no one heard me. He was upon me, his face fuelled by hate, he tried to grasp at me but he missed. Again he swiped, ripping at the edges of my clothing; I turned, holding onto the thought of escape that felt so far away; he tripped, landing head first into the ground below in a rather squeamish exhibition. I continued running, as he tried to regain poise. I did not know where I was, but all I wanted was to escape. I ran as far as my legs could take me, becoming breathless I slowed eventually collapsing to my knees in exhaustion. I had never been so scared; I went out to find love and instead I found hatred. Sadness pounded out at my vulnerabilities, I cried as like a thousand hearts broken, lowering my head in defeat.

  The world around me closed in, my senses shrouded in a silent mystery. My shoulders slumped aback, seeing the world through the droplet of a tear. I laid my hands upon the ground wishing that my roots left in my life would rot away giving me a chance for a new beginning.

  The twisting of trees brought me from my glum composure. Raising up my head all but the slightest, I could see the trees unwinding delicately, revealing an opening amongst them. I stood up, taking cautious steps forward, my face dampened by the revealing of my pain.

  “The Gate”. I yelled, in a sudden rush of enthusiasm.

  No longer with due care I ran towards the gate that towered above me. It looked as though silver, strong and glimmering in the exquisiteness it held. Between the silver frame blackness held tight, not permitting any form of light within. I was urging myself closer, admiring the stone work that arched above. Grasping the handle I swung it open, taking one last glimpse behind me and then I passed through.

  Chapter 5

  It seemed like afternoon, the sky was an unusual shade of pink, soft looking clouds occasionally passed by floating in whichever way the breeze would take them; free to roam the world until their burden became too heavy.

  The moon enormous in the skyline, you could see the debris shining around it, lit by the glow of the sun. The stars were clearly visible, some more than others even though it was daytime.

  I was atop of a baron mountain; from where I was stood it seemed like a walk down that would last the rest of my days, but most likely and I hope, that is merely an overstatement.

  Looking down, I could see a large city in the distance, smoke gushed from the chimneys of many homes. I walked around for a short while, trying to decide upon the best direction. There were a few possible paths, but most seemed to lead me to a hasty conclusion.

  I took a moment to catch my breath. I was thankful to be here, even though I did not know where here was; but at the very least I was away from whosoever was attacking me.

  There was a sweeping slope to the side of the mountain; this was the way I had decided was less dangerous than the others. A few moments on the trek I had to be steady on my feet, but compared to the sheer drops that lay in wait on the other paths, this was a much more of a desirable way down.

  Reaching the foot of the mountain, I looked back up; it did not seem as monstrous as it did before. In front of me there was row after row of farms, the sides of which had small ditches where water flowed for irrigation. Each row had a different variety of plants growing lusciously; but they all had something very distinct in common, they were very vivid, a lot more so than the land I had become accustomed to at Malkaretz, or even Yilesul.

  The harvest had begun, there were large carts pulled by horses, laid about, slowly being filled. Women were gathering all the fruit and vegetables in wooden baskets, and the men lifted them up. The ground was impeccable, rarely could I see a single bad crop, nor the sight of any ghastly weeds.

  I strode by the working men and women, some whistling repetitive tunes as they earned their coin for the day. With a nod of the head, the workers acknowledged my existence, wishing me a prosperous day.

  It was a fifteen minute walk through all the farmland; there must have been at least a hundred eager workers gathering the city food, ready to preserve it for the winter months.

  Coming to the end of the farms, the city walls looked down upon me; guards loosely kept watch for any unruly behaviour from people near or far. It looked as though the only way into the city was through the main gates, which by default were guarded by heavily armoured men.

  Every person, man or woman, showed the guards a document of citizenship in order to enter into this city; luckily for me a group of young louts had decided to embroil themselves into a scuffle, drawing the attention of the guards and giving me the opportunity I needed to sneak my way behind the city walls.

  There was a large stone tablet just after entering the city, upon it were words chiselled out competently by a stonemason.

  “Welcome to Rartonvie”. It said upon the tablet.

  Now I know the name, what a useful insight.

  There were several buildings built in strikingly hefty proportions. The Council of Rartonvie was right before me; the outside of this building was built of white stone, tainted by the soft touch of black. The city emblem was situated above the entrance to this building, it showed a mountain (presumably the one I had just walked down) as well as a woman with the body of three; that must be the person Zinmbe showed me in her book.

  There were a variety of different individuals going about their daily business; some tall, some small, witches, wizards and I even saw a few of the Panotti; whom I had thought were a creation of the imagination, but clearly now I had been proven wrong.

  Undecided on where to go, I paced over to a notice board which was tilted downwards at a sharp angle. Divided into two, one half reserved for messages and the other a map of the city, showing popular shops and landmarks for tourists to visit. The main centre of the city was a small walk away from the entrance and this is where most of the shops were drawn out to be.

  Upon the noticeboard board were a handful of announcements, most of them advertising menial jobs; a room to rent, a wanted sign for a rogue sorcerer, but the notice that stood out the most, was one advertising a lavish event, a tournament of magick and valour, at the city stadium. Upon the notices parchment read:

  “We invite you to the fifth annual event ‘The Rartonvie mystic brawl’ in order to enter, you must have at least ten years of experience in your field of magick, as well as an entry fee of a hundred coin.

  The tournament shall consist of ten rounds, the victor of which sh
all be crowned ‘the principality of magick’. To enter you shall be required to visit Garmontus at the glass makers shop.

  Yours expectantly.

  Hecate”.

  Taking a few of the notices, I made my way through the streets, crossing paths with fire breathers, stilt walkers and jugglers who wowed the crowds that had gathered around them; I quickly found my way through the narrow streets to the centre of the city.

  Central to this area was a small place for people to sit down and rest. There were trees and flowers bedded about the area.

  Seating myself, I had decided to relax for a second as I took in the view of this new city. The shops were something of a mix up of materials and shapes; it appeared as if whatever the builder had on hand they had built with; a worthy example was the slaughterhouse. It had a standard looking shop front, the usual butchered meats covered in salt and surrounded by fresh rosemary, but above the ground floor there were a multitude of different wooden planks, stone bricks and even pigskin, all jumbled together to form the outer shell of the building; an architect’s nightmare I would add, if perhaps I could see into their thoughts.

  Frustratingly, just as I was becoming completely relaxed the seat I was upon began to shake from side to side. Disregarding it as shoddy workmanship I tried to return to the relaxed sensation I had felt just moments before; but again it was not to be. Lifting itself up with me sat upon it, the seat tilted forward forcing me to either stand up, or fall.

  “Sorry, must dash, my shift is over, I do not work unpaid; I have already had a tiresome day and I need to rest my legs”.

  With that, it and the other seats ran off into the distance. Standing there for a moment, with my mouth a tad open, I gawped in shock, blinking to make sure I was not sleeping at all.

  “Perhaps I can be surprised?”. I said to myself, as I backed away slowly.