“Hera’s familiar, Aquila,” Pads whispered and shrank back into the shadows.
Hera said, “I’ve just been informed by Hydra of the capture of a human male.”
“In the Nec Void?” Shadow Walker asked with a strong tone of disbelief. “Hydra’s getting complacent, Majesty. Perhaps you should allow me to oversee security.”
“We shall see. I dispatched Hydra with a full quota of torture-spells to elicit the truth from this spy.”
Shadow Walker sighed, “Humans know it’s death to enter the Nec Void. Who would be so stupid?”
Hydra appeared, like a mist slowly forming as she stepped out of the mirrors. Night Fear marveled at the teleportation spells that the Queen’s bodyguard possessed.
“Mirror Magic,” Pads snorted. “It’s for show offs. One day it will be her death.”
Hydra’s own familiar, Sicarius the large Tigress leapt out of the mirror and landed before Hera. Bowing briefly before prowling up and down the hall.
Hera nodded to Hydra as her bodyguard bowed deeply. “What news?”
“He claims he’s here for Night Fear.”
Shadow Walker gasped. “My daughter? Why?”
Hera narrowed her eyes, “To kill her?”
Night Fear gripped Pads’ tail and squeezed tight. The familiar batted her away with its paw.
Hydra laughed, “Apparently to save her.”
“Save her?” Hera asked. “Who is this human male?”
“An escaped slave,” Hydra said. “A Mage Marshall, no less.”
Hera let out a shrill laugh. “It gets better. The humans really are as stupid as we supposed. What kind of runaway slave escapes only to return? ”
Hydra sneered at Shadow Walker, “The kind that says they fathered a child with one of our own.”
Night Fear gasped, “My father?”
Pads muffled her exclamation with her paw and frantically searched the ceiling of rolling clouds.
Aquila swooped.
“If he came back for me,” Night Fear exclaimed, “then your story of raping my mother was a lie. Right?”
Pads whispered to Night Fear, “Believe what you wish. It seems you’re destined to learn the truth about humans the hard way.”
Hera glanced at Shadow Walker and asked for all to hear, “All slaves who father a Wyrdra-born are killed after the birth of the child. Is this not correct, Shadow?”
Shadow Walker trembled. “Yes, Majesty.”
Hydra nodded to her familiar. Sicarius circled Shadow Walker and sniffed at her butt. The tigress wrinkled its snout, raised its head and growled, “I smell a lie.”
Hera asked, “Hydra, name this slave.”
“Wolf. Mage Marshal John Wolf.”
“Wolf?” Hera asked. “I know that name from somewhere. Explain.”
Hydra nodded. “Formerly known as War Marshal Wolf.”
Hera hissed, “But of course. Our enemy’s bravest warrior.” She turned on Shadow Walker. “Wolf should have succumbed to your Entity Sword, Shadow Walker. Instead he escaped after Night Fear’s birth. For eighteen years you hid your betrayal, but in the Hall of Truth it is plain to see.”
Night Fear felt the floor slowly spin. Dizzy with apprehension she felt herself begin to wobble on her perch. Fearing she was about to blackout, Pads lashed at her mistress with the prick of an incisive claw to stimulate her.
The shadow of a vast pair of wings engulfed Night Fear. A pair of talons reached out and clawed at Pads. The leopard lashed out and leapt at Aquila. The eagle’s talons ripped at Pad’s fur. The leopard roared with pain.
Night Fear felt consumed by anguish and beat her fists at the eagle’s wings. The talons hooked her hair and tugged her from her perch.
All three plummeted to a certain death.
CHAPTER 4
Hera raised her Entity Sword and in a violent sweeping arc carved a levitation spell out of the air, sending a sweeping blue lightning ball into the air. The ball ascended and spread out like a spider’s web. Ensnaring the warring familiars and entangling Night Fear.
“What have we here?” Hera said in cold amusement. “Spies?”
Hera lowered the spell-web to the ground. “So Night Fear, daughter of Shadow walker, you are just in time to witness your mother’s execution.”
“No, Majesty, please,” Night Fear cried. “Don’t blame my mother.”
“Then whom?”
“I’ll do anything.”
Hera’s eyes popped wide. “Anything?”
Shadow Walker stepped in, but was beaten back by Sicarius.
“No, Night Fear,” Shadow Walker said. “You don’t know what you’re saying.”
“Tell them it wasn’t your fault,” Night Fear said. “Tell them my father forced you to help him.”
Shadow Walker said nothing.
Hera sighed, “Child,” Hera said and ran her long fingernails down Night Fear’s neck. “You mother’s guilt is plain for all to see. There is no hiding from the truth in this place. The punishment for betrayal of the Wyrdra is fixed. I can do nothing to unfix it, unless…”
“Unless?” Night Fear asked. “I do anything you ask.”
“So you say,” Hera said letting her words sing out across the hall. “Perhaps if you executed your father, I might be able to convince the Star Coven council to spare Shadow Walker’s life. Is that not so, Aquila?”
The eagle released Pads and Night Fear from its talons and said, “It would right a wrong.”
Night Fear swallowed hard. “I’ll do it.”
“Brave girl,” Hera said. “We’ll make a true Wyrdra of you yet. Whatever everyone else says about you.”
Night Fear felt her skin burn, “What do they say about me, Majesty?”
“Never concern yourself with malicious gossip,” Hera said and clapped her hands. “The important thing is you seize your fleeting chance to become a respected Wyrdra.”
The great doors either end of the hall opened and in came the Star Coven. Thousands of witches, flying in on their Wyrdra Hunter brooms.
The Star Coven circled them from hundreds of meters high.
“Sisters,” Hera said using a spell to project her voice off the tip of the blade of her own Entity Sword, “I have gathered you here to witness the execution of the Dyn who dared to infiltrate our Nec Void. Justice demands that his own daughter, one of us, proves herself by ending this human’s betrayal. What say you?”
A cheer thundered down at them.
Hera turned to Night Fear. “You’ll need an Entity Sword of your own.”
Night Fear felt a rush of excitement. “You mean I get to become like you?”
“Of course,” Hera said and snapped her fingers. “Your new Entity Sword must possess the spirit of one closest to you. For only the power of a true bond may be enough to evoke the magic of such a weapon.”
Hera turned to Aquila, “You know the one I speak of?”
Aquila nodded.
“Then bring him.”
Aquila flew off and returned with a human slave between her great talons. The familiar let him drop before Night Fear.
Night Fear gasped as she saw the young man’s face. “Dig?”
She glanced at Hera, shielding her eyes from her beauty. “Majesty, you don’t expect me to—“
“We expect you to do your duty.”
Caredig began to speak, but Hydra’s tigress slashed his face with her paw. He fell to the ground, bleeding.
Hydra presented a sword to Hera. She gazed upon its dull blade and said to Night Fear, “Now it is lifeless,” she said. “End your slave’s life, take his soul, capture his spirit and trap it inside the blade. Then you will know the power of possessing an Entity Sword. For in that power you shall find your true self. Your inner Wyrdra.”
With tears streaming down her cheeks, Night Fear took the sword. Fighting the weight, with both arms she raised the blade above her head.
“Honor the slave’s spirit by striking,” Hera said, “with swiftness and grace.”
Night Fear locked with Caredig’s gaze as Sicarius pinned the slave down.
“I’m sorry,” Night Fear said and felt her arms grow limp. “If I don’t, they’ll kill my mother.”
The sword dropped to her side. “I can’t.”
Sicarius grazed Caredig’s neck with her jaws.
Caredig called out, “Night Fear, you can kill me, but you cannot kill my love for you. Do it.”
Sicarius bit deeper. Hydra drew her Entity Sword, “Majesty,” she said. “Shall I end them both?”
“Do it now,” Caredig shouted.
“I’m sorry,” Night Fear cried and plunged the sword deep into Caredig’s chest.
A blue flame spiraled out of Caredig’s chest and slithered up the blade of Night Fear’s Entity Sword.
Under a wave of self-disgust, Night Fear let the sword fall from her grasp and clatter on the ground. She sank to her knees, buried her face in her hands and sobbed.
“There, there, dear,” Hera said and patted the top of Night Fear’s head. “Hold onto your bravery for the real test is to come.”
Hera snapped her fingers and Aquila flew off.
The sword levitated off the ground a few inches and Caredig’s voice called out from it, “You did it,” the Entity Sword said.
Night Fear parted her fingers and stared at the Entity Sword.
“Dig?” she asked.
“It’s me,” the Entity sword said. “Dig!”
“Dig!” she gushed and wiped her eyes.
Aquila returned with John Wolf dangling from her talons. She dropped him in the center of the circular hall. Pushed him with her vast, sharp beak onto a pentacle etched in blue flame. There, Hera cast a spell with her Entity Sword and positioned Wolf prostrate with his neck at an angle.
A murmur in the crowd was stilled by Hera, “He cannot hurt you, sisters,” she said. “He is under the influence of Aquila’s stun-spell.”
“He awaits your blade, Night Fear,” Hera said. “Claim your rightful inheritance.”
Night Fear’s trembling hands reached out for her Entity Sword. She grasped the hilt and felt the resonating power of Dig’s spirit course through her fingers like electricity.
She carried the sword over to her father and raised the blade above her head.
The Entity Sword cried out, “What’s going on? I feel weird.”
John Wolf shook his head clear of the fog that permeated his mind. He glanced up at the glowing Entity Sword and at the eyes of a daughter he hadn’t seen since birth.
“I’d recognise your mother’s eyes anywhere,” he said. “Long time.”
This had the desired effect of confusing Night Fear. The Entity Sword wavered. She redoubled her conviction as she said, “John Wolf, your death is justice for raping my mother.”
Wolf snorted and glanced at Shadow Walker. “Shadow, tell her the truth.”
Night Fear called out, “Mwwrinkledother?”
Shadow Walker shivered as Sicarius grazed her neck with her jaws. Shadow said, “This is not about my happiness, Night Fear. Do it!”
Night Fear shut her eyes tight and hurled the blade down into a violent arc. It stopped with a sudden jolt that sent a frisson of electricity burning up her arms and stabbing at her heart.
The crowd gasped and jeered.
Her eyes flew open and she stared at the Entity Sword, hovering an inch from Wolf’s neck. Despite her efforts, it refused to move any closer.
Hera screamed out, “What is the meaning of this?”
The Entity Sword cried out,” I can’t do this. Don’t make me.”
Night Fear felt all her anger drain from her body. At once, the Entity Sword felt too heavy to bear. She let it drop to the floor.
Hera sprang at her and said, “You little fool. You’ve thrown away a bright future.” Hera nodded to Hydra. “Execute Night Fear, the mother and the father.”
Hera hesitantly glanced up at the Star Coven swirling above her like a gathering flock of starlings darting back and forth at vast speed. To the uninitiated it might seem they travelled at impossible speeds to avoid collision. A ballet of suicidal exploits.
Hera felt her hands ball into fists. She took a deep breath and yelled, “And anyone else who defies me.”
Hydra stepped forward.
Pads called out, “Night Fear, demand the right of trial by Nec Lords.”
Night Fear nodded. “What she said. Trial by—”
Hera screamed. She shirked under the ten thousand eyes of the crowd looking down upon her in judgment.
“Very well,” Hera said. “Prepare them.”
Sicarius leapt at Night Fear and with a powerful swipe of one paw stunned her.
CHAPTER 5
Night Fear woke up tied by her wrists and ankles to a large steel Pentacle Star that hovered in the air above a river of acrid magma. The river was spanned by a bridge carved out of a mountainside. On the far side, a glowing red gate.
The gates of the Nec Void.
On either side of her, two more Pentacle Stars. Separated by a hundred feet of swirling spell-lightning.
On her left was a Wyrdra girl she recognized as Cariad.
“Cariad, what are you doing here?” Night Fear asked.
The girl wailed, “I was caught in the act of love with my Dyn, Uchel.”
Night Fear understood. A human lover was only permitted for sex. Not for love.
“They killed Uchel,” Cariad said. “Now I am to be judged. And you?”
A voice called out, “She failed to kill me.”
Night Fear glanced to her right where John Wolf was suspended by spell-bonds to a Pentacle Star.
Cariad asked, “Who is the Dyn that dares speak in our presence?”
Night Fear sighed. “My father.”
“How is it possible he is alive after your birth?”
“He raped my mother and fled his crime.”
Wolf whistled, “Utter and complete crap!”
Cariad and Night Fear glared at him. “What’s your story?”
“Your mother and I were very happy together. We humans call it love. Not love for a slave. But for an equal. Mutual love and respect. I sincerely doubt you Wyrdra have a concept for it.”
“So why did you abandon me?” Night Fear asked.
“The plan was for you and your mother to join me. Then war broke out. You can fill in the blanks.”
“Why did you return?”
At that moment, a blood curdling roar emanated through the gates as they began to open. The ground shuddered with each step of an adult dragon. Its orange scales leaked blue smoke. One leg was bound to a long chain.
“Just how long is that chain?” Wolf asked.
“Not long enough,” Cariad said as the dragon unfurled its wings and leapt into the air. In a moment, it was upon them. Its great wings beating a hurricane force wind into them.
It roared, “I am Nec Lord Porthor. Judgment shall commence.”
It leaned into Cariad. With the tip of one talon it scratched her cheek and unfurled its great stench-ridden tongue. It licked the blood from her cheek.
“I taste your guilt,” Porthor said. “Let judgment commence.”
Porthor breathed out an orange flame that engulfed Cariad and incinerated her.
Night Fear turned away as Cariad’s body was reduced to glowing orange ashes that drifted away in the wind of Porthor’s wings.
Porthor sniffed at Night Fear. “I smell the stench of your guilt,” Porthor said. “And something else. Curious.”
The dragon scratched Night Fear’s cheek and let his tongue slither over her face.
Night Fear felt her bile burn her throat.
“Unusual,” the dragon said. “I taste your virgin purity. Such a pity. Let judgment commence.”
“No,” Wolf cried. “She’s here because of me. Let me be judged in her place.”
The scales around Porthor’s eyes narrowed. “Your turn will come, Dyn.”
Porthor exhaled an orange flame that engulf
ed Night Fear. She squeezed her eyes shut and writhed in pain. Then the pain eased.
She felt a cooling sensation on her skin. She opened her eyes and discovered the smothering flames had turned blue.
Porthor bellowed, “Night Fear, the judgment of the Nec Lords is complete. You shall enter the Nec Void.”
“The Void?” Night Fear asked. “Why?”
“You shall be wed to the Nec Blood Lord, Gwaed.”
“Wed? You mean I’m to marry a dragon?”
“A dragon?” Porthor growled. “We Nec Lords are no mere dragons as you will discover when you pass through the gates.”
“She’ll marry one of you scaly fuckers,” Wolf shouted, “over my dead body.”
Porthor shrugged. “That shall be arranged, Dyn.”
Porthor scratched Wolf’s cheek and tasted his blood. “Your sins taste vile, Dyn. Let judgment commence.”
“No,” Night Fear shouted. “Let the Dyn—”
Porthor took a deep breath.
“Sorry, Kid,” Wolf shouted. “It was good knowing you, while—”
Porthor snapped back his head and convulsed. He sneezed and let fly a ton of glowing green snot over Wolf. He sneezed again. And again. Sending his flight into a sharp powerdive, before he managed to pull out.
Porthor bellowed, “What the fuck is happening to me?”
Wolf laughed. “Seems you caught a bout of Magic Dust Flu.”
“This is no Magic flu,” Porthor growled and sneezed so hard his wings crumpled and he headbutted the mountain before regaining flight once again.
“You’re right,” Wolf shouted, “it’s my Magic Flu inoculation. Side effect is a profanity spell. You’ll be right as rain in a year or two. Providing you don’t get too close to the source of your infection.”
“Get way from me,” Porthor cried out.
Rapid-fire sneezes took control of the dragon and sent him spiraling away back through the Nec Void gate.
“What was that?” Night Fear asked.
“Insurance,” Wolf said. “Now how the hell do we get out of here?”
Night Fear recognize the silhouette of her familiar, carrying her Entity Sword in her jaws.
“Pads!”
Pads leapt up at Night Fear’s Pentacle Star and slashed the sword at her bonds.
Night Fear fell to the ground and stared up at her father.
Star Coven Page 2