Red Twilight the Weaver chapter 16

Chapter 16:

Darklings

Corn and Rodney continue their way across the valley for some time in relative silence. Corn only slightly upset by Rodney distancing himself from her, but a friend is a friend when times are trying and letting little things bother you is ill-advised, so she bites her tongue. As the quite hours drag on it become harder to keep their destination in sight, Rodney draws out a parchment from his pocket and reads it softly to himself. "Rodney: last we spoke I had just reached the harbor of Queen. Here I have found that our stalk and trade is over-saturated at the very least and I will be moving on as soon as I can find a pound of silver to trade for a fairy. But even then, it is unclear what my next stop will be. Maybe I will travel to Silk Path, or maybe Dagger Road, so many are talked well of these places. I will write eight letters to you and send them off with eight walking priests the day before I leave and then I will send eight more after I find dry land, if you have been kind to Remmeal surly one will find you. Go forth with love. Meredith."

Corn looks over his shoulder "Remmeal?"

"A fairy tale from my hometown." Rodney hides the parchment, "in every land that Chaos graces she leaves behind an egg. Ours is called Remmeal."

"your sister?" Corn asks

"what of it? You have your kids, and I have my sister." There bickering is cut off by the sound of dogs barking, and a snarl like no animal they know, shouting in an alien tongue calls over the roaring. Rodney whisper as he recalls the language "Heifer, you have lead your hand across the face of a man, and you refuse to do your duties as a Cow. This is punishable by death twice. How do you plead?"

Corn whispers with Rodney "what do you hear?"

"I had truly hoped that walking halfway around the world would get me away from things like this." Rodney slurs "Darkling Head Hunters"

"what are Darklings?"

"what you and I would most likely be with no more or ethical code, they are a non-secular culture of pig-face carnivores obsessed with the status quo above all other things… that and in endless land grab campaign." Rodney runs off. "although I think that they are more lizard then mouse."

Corn fall onto all fours following "if they're carnivores then what are we doing?" she shouts in a hushed tone.

Five armored beast raiding wolves: dressed in robes liaised with animal bones are circling a feminine creature with a blindfold. The girl at the center of the circling has two long blades with hooks on them strapped to one hip; her hands are reached across her body gripping the blades listening to the taunting of her peers. Her skin is a gray-green, her nose is tipped upwards like a hog, her ears are sharp and jet backward across her back, and her teeth are long and jagged like a lizard as well as she has a thick horned tail, her hair looks like grass growing down her back framed by her ears. The strange woman lowers her body hissing like a cat at the dogs; she has cloaked herself in the pelts of the fallen.

"Rodney?" Corn asks

"There reading her rap sheet, she is a convicted murderer there saying, and she is barren. The second being the more horrendous of her offenses it would seem."

One rider charges forth with an ax in hand to dole out punishment. The seemingly blind warrior drops to her knees hearing the charge and draws out one sword, she slashes the dog across the lip and it rears back throwing its mount to the ground. With a bloodcurdling cry, she jumps into the air and lands on the rider blades in hand.

Rodney turns away for a moment from the battle "oh my…" he looks to Corn "I want to help her" Rodney give Corn a playful kiss then runs out to join the fight.

The second rider sees the death of his fellow at the hands of the outcast and pulls a whip from his belt. The warrioress snarls bestially thrusting her arms behind her charging her challenger. The judge is fast on the draw, but the huntress is just quicker, before he has time to wind his whip she leaps onto his shoulders and silences him with her blades.

The next in line reaches for a sword, but Rodney intercepts, Rodney picks up the discarded ax on the ground and flings it at the side of the Riders hound, the dog runs off uncontrollable dragging its rider with it. Rodney laughs and cheers clapping. The fourth and fifth stand shoulder to shoulder one produces a lance the other a pair of hooked swords like those of the huntress that they have been stalking has.

Rodney reaches into one of his pocket finding a fistful of sparkling powder and grins playfully. As the lancer charges, Rodney fling the handful of glitter blinding and confusing the lancer sending him screaming off to nowhere. The huntress grabs one of the swords of the other between her blades twisting it from his grip then thrust it at him inflicting a deep wound in his side. The last of the raiders flee frightened off by the huntress and the Grate and Powerful Rodney.

Still giggling Rodney reaches over and playful grabs the arm of the Darkling girl shaking her. The Darkling takes less than kindly to this as she howls and points her hook-sword in her primary hand up at him. Rodney backs off hand holds up his hand in surrender. "It's all right, I'm harmless."

The darkling pulls her blade away sliding them both back onto her hip proclaiming in her native tongue "I believe you are." She sniffs at him "Not a drop of blood on you; you do not take your enemies lives. Merely frighten them with your games."

"that is all I needed to do." the cheerful illusionist explains

"When your enemies live to see another day, they have time to redouble their efforts, and find faster cleaner ways to deal with their problems." the huntress twirls her blades about cleaning the mud and blood form them.

The happy wizard nods his head in understanding "that is true, yes but the dead get few opportunities to have a change of heart. Once they are dead, that is that, as it were."

"If you think those head-hunters are going to give you their blessings you are surely misdirected."

"Maybe they will maybe they won't. There is no way to know for sure. By the by, I am the Great and Powerful Rodney. at your service." Rodney lowers his eyes to the huntress. "you stand at my side, you can see I am marked for death, and yet you wish to speak nevertheless…" she runs her nose up and down his body snorting "I feel as if I owe you much for your kindness, if not bravery. I am the heifer Ownlog of the Aalieth tribe. I will bend my blade to your will, for a time." Ownlog lowers her head drawing her sword and taking a bow.

"I can ask for nothing more." Rodney turns to face the road. "Then we must carry on. There are those how eagerly await us."

"That which awaits me can wait much longer for all I care." Ownlog folds her arms snarling.

"Come Ownlog, we travel to the fabled Elec Mountain in search of ancient and mystical thing." Happily, Rodney pillages another discarded ax from the ground mounting it on his back; then waves forth walking back to where he left Corn. Corn mounts her hands on her hips and huffs in frustration at the boyish magician, she stands nose to nose with him and brings up one finger to poke him in the nose in protest of his stunt but Rodney beats her to the punch. "Mother-Corn, I would like you to meet Ownlog of the Aalieth tribe, she would like to help us reach Elec." He grabs her hand and squeezes it between his.

Corn sighs "You silly; silly, man." The party now three strong carry on.

** *

After the passage of another day, the weather on the valley grows sour. Dark clouds gather in the distances and the smell of salt in the air increasingly pungent. Ownlog seems to understand the terrain better them most and leads them to a Rocky field and from there into an underground chamber to hide from the approaching storm.

Corn runs her hand up and down the walls of the chamber finding drawing on them and starts to read them aloud as she translates. "on the corpses of 26 honorable dead I build 13 towers of flesh turned to stone." Corn freezes as if she couldn't understand the words she just read, "Rodney will you please ask Ownlog where we are."

Rodney taps Ownlog on the arm and whispers with her. Ownlog starts chattering in response to the whisper. Rodney translate "This place is called Moon Flower cave, it seems that this is the place where and I hope I understand right, is where dead kings are sent to rest. This is a holy place, and she is asking if you understand the markings on the wall," Ownlog talks frantically, Rodney tries to keep up. "and… will you slow down a bit? This place has something to do with the Avatars, the ahm… the hands of the gods or some rot."

Corn looks to Ownlog "Yes I can read." Rodney relays the message. Ownlog walks over to Corn and starts pointing around grunting.

"she wants to know what these symbols mean," Rodney explains.

Corn reads on "In the time of Ragnarok, all the kings of the lands gathered with their finest blades in hand, the kings all named their greatest heroes, and in a fierce charge past and present meet in a battle for the time yet to come. The sun fell from the sky when the grate wolf goddess Skoll killed Apollo, Loki killed his father Odin, and Hades claims Zeus throne for his own."

Ownlog removes her blindfold and begins to question the story with Rodney's help, "Is this past or future?"

Corn looks at Ownlog tipping her head "aren't you blind," she looks to Rodney "isn't she blind?" Ownlog looks back and forth watching the two of them.

Rodney shrugs "maybe not." Rodney talks with Ownlog a moment "it seems that she has something called 'day sickness' she has to wear a blindfold anytime she is outdoors, or the light induces something… unpleasant to happen." Rodney shacks his head "this is just unnerving. I'll spare you the icky parts." He looks back to Corn.

Corn studies the writings some more "the story seems to be half in the past and the half in the future as if the writer were in both places at once."

Rodney stands by Corn's side, "what is this written in anyhow?"

Corn runs her hands up and down the wall "this part is in Huma, this part Gaiadren, over here is our tongue, and Enokion I think over here."

Rodney leans in "Never heard of it."

Ownlog whispers with him "the tongue of the kings."

"Kings?" Rodney asks

Corn mumbles "the language of Tamriel." She walks a few feet ahead reading to herself "this is a place of worship."

Ownlog whispers with Rodney then Rodney to Corn "she wants to learn how to read."

Corn nods in agreement.

As the rain grows thick outside a growling can be heard clearly in the cave, the resting of the trio is interrupted. Something is watching them, Ownlog is the fastest to her feet with sword in hand ready to fight in a heartbeat. A bellow shatters the stillness "Mammon!" it calls in an animalistic voice. Corn lowers her head hiding her ears between her hands from the earthshaking sound: Rodney does much the same pulling his hat over his ears Ownlog falls onto all fours in a lizard-like stance howling in responses.

A giant cat made of stone and grass steps out of the darkness with flames bleeding from its eyes and mouth. The cat is three times the height of any of the lot, its body looks to be carved out of the living earth. Corn cries out horrified by the sight. The cat roars again slowly packing forth.

Ownlog jumps at the monster as the monster charges at them. Ownlog lands on its head grabbing it with one hand and her feet, she brings back her hook-sword punching at it, the monster flicks its head to the side throwing Ownlog off of it.

Rodney draws his ax and knife, the monster stampedes forth, Rodney loses his nerve and dives to the side. Corn stars the monster down nearly frozen until she sees the reflection of the campfire off to one side of her, she swoops down grabbing a burning piece of brush and waves it in front of herself. The monster stops and lowers its head backing away from the mouse mother and her burning bush. Corn notices the strange recourses and slowly starts to pace forward, the monster paces back keeping just outside the fire-light.

Rodney stands dumbfounded at the display. The light flashes off Corns fur in a nearly angelic light as the monster cowers from the tiny women. Corn waves the bush left and right still shacking but managing to not only hold her footing but press on. Soon the monster is standing with its back to the wall. It lowers its head and cries as the light shines on its face. Corn calls down to it as she seems to tower over the mammoth. "I am Corn the light bringer. Can you understand me, beast?"

"Mammon!" it howls

"I'll ask again! Can you understand me?!"

"Stop!" it shouts. "We can hear you."

"Why do you attack us?!" Corn holds the fire close to her face, the monster shrinks itself tucking its tail. "I wish no harm into any beast; I will make the red flower flee if you run away. Do you understand?"

"The remains of Kari's father is here. Kari ordered me to stand watch until the end of time." Ownlog picks her swords up off the ground and prepares to fight again but is stopped by Rodney who is watching greatly interested in the monster's reaction to Corn.

"We did not come for Kari's father. We are here to seek refuge, nothing more, nothing less. I am a woman of my word." Corn drops the burning bush on the ground then pulls her cape form her back throwing it down on the flames to snuff them.

The monster lifts its head to look into Corn's face. "you are the gentlest and most elegant beast I have ever seen. I leave you and yours in peace. Should you ever be in need of a protector," He rolls his jaw slightly off to one side, grinds it then spits a tooth onto the ground.

"speak to the stone, it will hear you." With that, the beast flees as quickly as it came.

Corn picks up the tooth and rolls it in her hand she feels the texture of the stone and tips her head, she pulls the flute out from the pocket of the Weavers robe, that Jessica had handed her she notices that they seem to be one in the same. 'what can this be' she asks herself. Then what she had just done dawns on her and she falls to her knees overtaken by fear. Corn folds her hands around herself and weeps.

Rodney slides over to her and picks up her robe rewrapping her in it and holds her. He tries to speak but no words come to mind. Corn leans over Gripping Rodney hiding her face in his chest till at last, she stops shaking.