Red Twilight the Weaver chapter 24

Chapter 24:

Speaking with Gods

With the aid of a handful of friendly by passer Corn finds out that Preston is the leader of the town's guard and lives in a place called 'The Spire'. With this in hand she makes her way there, her trip is largely unhindered. Rodney and Ownlog wait outs side as the doors open to reveal a lavish estate to like of which someone like Corn is seldom privileged to see: the walls are decorated with flags of numerous medleys and trophies for all sorts of works and accomplishments ranging from knife throwing, to swimming, to wall climbing. Corn is mesmerized by a wall of shinning pines describing some of Preston's other works as well.

Preston sneaks up alongside Corn and lowers his head to her ear to whisper with her

"They're nice, aren't they?" Corn jumps not having noticed his walking up to her, "I went to privet school, outside the main township 'Nu' was a place big on celebrating accomplishments." He looks down at Corn who is staring at him trying to decide what to think of the mildly girlish man "I'm sorry, Preston, at your service." He picks up one of her hands and brings his head down touching his noise to her fingers "You must be Mother Corn."

"Yes, yes I am."

"It's a pleasure, please fallow me. I can think of a handful of others that will be excited" Preston leads Corn to his den where the children await. In a flash the lot of them take notice of their mother's scent at first then her presents and they all run to her: Onion in the lead, then Butter and Cream jump at her Salt and Garlic after that and Mint and finely Pepper. Corn ends up toppled by the loving arms of her young as they pile on her. Preston smiles watching the affair play out. "I would offer you some hospitality but I don't know what is safe to eat. Let me look in my pantry." Preston slips out of the room leaving the family on their own.

Corn slips out from under the pile and calms them kids down as all of them at once try telling the tale of how they got to the city and what has happened. Corn looks to where Preston had slid off and whispered: "Charming young man isn't he."

Butter nods "I think he would make a good dad."

Salt sticks her nose in Garlic's ear whispering "I bet you and Pepper would make good parents too. Should the three of us find out?" Garlic, as she thinks about what Salt is implying, squeezes her legs together feeling jittery "I can pull his tail to distract him as you get ready."

Garlic looks to Salt and places one hand on her head pushing her over yelling "stop that!"

"If you don't, I bet mom will." Salt joke with Garlic "you're ready, he is ready, what are you waiting for?"

"That, is, it!" Garlic gets up on all fours and runs at Salt; Salt turns to run also as the two of them start bouncing off wall running about.

Corn calls to them. "Ok everyone, calm down and let's talk. I have been away for some time, and I need to know what has been happening."

Onion starts them off. "I had asked Cream the same thing. No one thought you going away was a good thing, even if it was to help me. I guess the loss of one of us is accepted, but to lose a brother and their mother on the same day was too much. They had Jessica us her magic to fallow you on your adventure. Before long they felt the need to go see me as well and so came had Jessica bring them here, that was when things started to get strange."

Butter picks up the story from Onion almost jumping on his back to be seen "we were attacked by the knights and brought to see the king. Then Jessica was arrested for witchcraft, and the king's guards threatened to make us their mates but Preston should up, and Pepper stole one of their swords, but Preston fought off everyone and broke Pepper's sword with his bare hands. After that we went to get Onion, then all sorts of strangeness happened."

Garlic comes in "the smells all over the city get strange, the scent of Cream and Butter are gone, and the smell of mold becomes overbearing. That night the town is attacked by cats. Preston is harmed in the fighting, Jessica shows up to save him. She throws her hands in the air, and the fighting stops all at once, the town is gathered, and we find our way to the gates to heal the sick."

Cream takes up the mantle "here is where we saw Baba-Yung for the first time, a Glooming like the ones that attacked us outside Jessica's house the day you left. She had a great and evil power she flew around telling everyone that if we did not leave our homes, more suffering would follow, and it did."

Salt cuts in "not long after that we found that our clothing was covered in warms, and the town was half flooded and now all the fruits and meat in town are soured. The monster Baba-Yung is destroying the town."

Pepper grunts "Baba-Yung and Jessica are friends; I saw them sleeping together at the Tree of Tales."

Corn looks between them all "this is very strange."

Salt jumps in grading Corn by the cuff of her dress "what should we do mother?"

Pepper blushes but turns away as Salt accidentally slaps him with her tail. Corn bites her tongue thinking "you are dressed now and look fed, so what happened to the worms?"

Salt looks at Pepper as if waiting for him to answer then Salt looks back "Jessica scared them away with her magic."

Corn slides one hand under Salts rump sitting her down on her lap "this is in spite of

Jessica and Baba being friends?"

Onion thinks aloud "what if they aren't friends but close enemies?"

Pepper snuffs "that is dumb."

"But why not?" Onion asks "think about it; they're not going to eat each other or anything right, so the best way to fight one another is to stay close by."

Pepper cuts him off "If I were sleeping with Baba-Yung, she would be my chew toy in one night." Salt giggles immaturely at Pepper saying chew toy.

Corn looks to Pepper "I think Baba-Yung might be immortal, I saw a knight try to stab her just before I came here. When Baba got stabbed, it was the stabber that bled."

Garlic's eyes open wide "that is something."

Corn pats Salt on the lag, "get up, let's find some snacks."

Pepper points up to get their attention "Just a reminder; if you want to eat today, we need to find Jessica first to uncurse us or whatever it is."

** *

After a long flight Baba-Yung is drawn back to Jessica's side without an upwards glance

Baba quivers as she approaches Jessica now frightfully aware that the plagues have decimated her clan, likely having killed them off or scared them away, Baba's gloomwings are no longer about, she is now the last of her kind in Graywall. Jessica still paces about the church now burring with righteous indignation. Baba hops over to her sniffling like a child. "Jessica."

Jessica turns to face Baba-Yung throwing her arms in the air enraged "You filthy thing! All this mess! All that has passed! Why have you accommodated it all! The genie is out of the bottle and befouled everything in its path! You have not only dammed us but…"

Jessica is a powerful woman who is well known for her love and understanding but not her anger. Jessica bares her teeth as she yells at Baba, Baba cowers. Baba can see the phantom light that is Jessica's soul flaming in her bosom, and maybe, more importantly, the diseased black shadow of Cravixs hiding in her wake. This anger, it is not hers, everything that is known of Kari is true, she is a vampire, and now she feeds on the purist soul the kobolts have to offer.

Jessica's eyes fade to a gemstone violet, one hand creeks into a claw lifting to face Baba, Jessica wishes to see Baba in pain, she wishes for blood, and she has the power to kill an immortal. Baba rolls over onto her back and tucks her beak into her breast to reinforce her helpless predicament pleading for mercy. "Jessica, the Weaver, lower your magic."

"What evil do you have in store for us next soulless bird!"

"Kari has your heart in her grip just as she has mine, but you still have your innocence, Kari can control you, but she does not own you. Please forgive me!"

"Tell me what I want to know before I end your meaningless life."

"Jessica! Silence Kari's voice from your mind and hear me."

"I give endlessly! I gave my children art! I gave them wisdom! I gave them direction! And yet they smite me across the nose at every turn. And you, I gave you my love! I gave you warmth! I was the mother that you so longed for! And you smite me as well!"

Baba pulls her legs into her chest and covers her body in part with her tail. "come mid-day tomorrow, the earth will freeze. The sun will hang in the sky and the wind will fade. Then the rivers will boil and the hour before Kari appears in the flesh all who are without young will fall asleep and never awaken. Once the last child of Graywall is dead this island will sink to the bottom of the sea and Kari will eat this place and all left within."

The darkness fades from Jessica as she grabs herself by the nose, her hands melt down her face and she bits her hand, she reiterates "All without children?"

"Only expecting mothers will be spared on that day. A lonely male child will be born to each tribe the same hour as you find the land across the sea. They will be the fathers of the new kingdom; they will each father seventy-seven sons and one hundred and one daughters."

Jessica whimpers "I can't let that be. What of Preston, Onion, and Pepper?"

"They have two days left to live."

Jessica yells out to the walls again "Kari! I will not let you take our sons away!"

Baba looks at Jessica "you still think you can fight Kari?"

"you are the hand, I am the voice, that must mean something. So many have died today, and so many will die tomorrow?" Jessica hypothesizes

"if we fight Kari, there is nothing to stop Kari from eating us and calling a new hand and a new voice into being." Baba explains

"If Kari wanted a follower she would not have chosen me. There are so many others that would do as they're told with much less of a fight." Jessica offers a counter-argument

"Cravixs chose you to be dominated. To crush the spirit of one with so much strength is a thing of pride."

"are you a bird or a fish? Do you wish to die laying on your back? Stand with me. Kari can have the island. I will not let her have our children." Jessica proclaims

"you have a heart like a hen. Ready to die in I meaningless fight in the off chance your bones will cradle your eggs. You wish to bargain with god? So be it. I will grant you this wish." Baba lowers her head looking defeated. Baba stands up "we will need to ready ourselves. We need salt; a gold needle, a snake's eye, a fat leach, the feather of the thigh of a blackbird, and a tooth plucked from the mouth of one touched by Kari. and should we need to cut Kari to make her hear us, we will need a knife dipped in powdered lighting glass."

Jessica thinks about that a time "between you, me, and the Parma Mus I think we have all but the lighting glass."

Baba jumps up on Jessica's arm "then I hope your tongue is forged in silver."

***

Jessica waste no time summoning the mouse called Parma in helping her gather the bits and pieces of the spell. He protests at first but once Jessica spills the story he reluctantly follows along muttering "this is sickening."

Baba barks at him "this is somewhat time sensitive, now stick your hand in her mouth and pull out a tooth."

Jessica lies on the alter knees up head back mouth open as Parma stands over her with a spike and hammer. "I hope you understand that these things don't grow back."

Baba calls to him again "…and once you are done with that you need to stick your hand under my tail and find a juicy feather to pluck."

"Can't you do that on your own?" Parma looks at Baba.

"I need one off of my thigh; those are harder to pull out then you think. birds still bleed you know?"

"I had no idea." Parma stretches one of Jessica's lips and places the spike hard to her gums as far back as he can reach into Jessica's mouth. Jessica closes her eyes tightly awaiting the strike as Parma pulls the hammer back "hold on, this is going to hurt." His first strike misses the tooth and cuts the inside of Jessica's jaw; Parma rests one lag on Jessica's breast to hold her still as he takes a second swing shattering one of her teeth. Jessica rolls onto her side and vomits up a mess of blood and other fluids. "I told you," Parma explains, it takes Jessica a moment to catch her breath and then to use her magic to stop the bleeding.

Baba looks to Jessica. "good, now start to draw an eight-pointed star on the ground of the church out of salt. Place the leech and the tooth at the heart of the star, and I will take care of the rest."

Baba climbs on the table and bends over showing off her tail to Parma. Parma stare at Baba for a bit "What are you doing? Pluck me!"

Parma grabs one of Baba's legs "I think it would be easier another way." He flips Baba onto her back, Baba squeaks and flaps her wings as Parma pulls her legs off to the sides and places one knee on her stomach to hold her down. He raps two fingers around a perky feather on the rigged between her pelvis and her thigh. This being a live feather it bleeds after being plucked, Parma holds the wound shut with one finger.

Baba complains "I have had surprise mountings gentler than that!"

"I'm your doctor, not a lover. Keep squawking and Ill pull another one." Parma gets off of Baba, "now let's do this dirty deed."

Baba rolls over "A man that knows what he likes. I can respect that." Baba takes the feather and goes to finish the spell.

The salt on the ground starts to burn and a wall of sold night forges inside its confines. The walls of the church start to couture bubblegum outwards as the darkness pushes against the construct. Jessica has heard of magic like this but never seen it, Jessica harkens back to her books as the magic takes hold and a story like no other begins unfolding.

The tale takes place at a strange time in Huma history. A new land had just be discovered overrun with snakes and ox. The king of men had decreed that all living in chains must be freed. A powerful wizard had created a fire-staff smaller and faster than the ones Huma welded for the last hundred years and cheap enough that for only a fist full of coin anyone could have one.

***

Sometimes he is called Jim, sometimes Jessie, but his half-brother calls him J.J. Young, and that is the name he like the most. The road leading from the east into the west is still being laid, a hundred feet of fresh steel is hammered into place every hour. J.J. and his brother Franklin are gamblers, gunfighters, and thieves, everyone living east of the Mississippi knows it. A thousand min on horseback chased the two of them to the Rocky's. The two found safety for a time in Oregon.

But the thing with men that like wine and woman is they will always like wine and woman, and those things aren't free anywhere. One day Franklin finds himself out drinking when he runs out of coin, he is ready to shoot the barkeep to get out of paying his bill when a man in an elegant suit that looks fresh from Italy take the gun out of his hand making him a deal.

The man has a thinning mustache and sweats profusely, he stinks like aging cheese and his skin is white like bed sheets. He is a small man with a gamers chest he halls around with him. He places a purse overflowing with sparkling gems on the counter to pay off every debt the bartender is owed.

The stranger calls Franklin by name "Frankie, people say you like to play games, you like the finer things in the world." Franklin is a giant, stands a foot over any other man in the bar with hands the size of small melons. Franklin nods and the stranger goes on "so do I, but between you and me, when I play I win, and I don't ever let a man leave the table if there is a coin left on it."

Franklin laughs at the stranger "I like to win also. But the only way a man gets that good is if he isn't playing by the rules."

"Nonsenses," the strange looks about, a wide smile on his lips "I just bought a drink for you and everyone who wants one for the rest of the night. What part of that isn't playing fair?" he then slaps Franklin on the arm "I've got my cards on me and looking to play a hand, join me. You win you and J.J. will never have a problem in the world again."

Franklin tips his head "Or."

The stranger sets up a table, shuffling his cards and setting out a stake of chips "I take your life, one year at a time."

"what does that mean?" Franklin wants to fight, but a chair pulls itself up under him pushing him into the table. Once the cards have hit the table, Franklin can see that the bar's patrons are nothing but piles of bones on the ground. This is devilry at its most delicate Franklin takes his gun and shoots the gambler until his weapon runs dry. The shots pass through the gambler like water.

"Have you ever heard the word Shinigami?" the stranger ask, Franklin shacks his head.

"then let me introduce myself, my name is Greed, and I am a Shinigami."

"so Greed what is your game?"

"you are marked for death, if you beat me in a game of poker, you live until you die, if not, you never leave that chair." Franklin is a smart man, but not too smart. Franklin can see that the cards are stacked against him, he does the only thing he can as the game drags on he finds a pin and a carves the word Shinigami into his arm. J.J. will find him dead in the morning, and with no way to save his own life, he can at least have revenge.

J.J. does find his brother aged to death by the monster, and he finds the note cut into is arm with the pin. If there is one thing that J.J. has more than most it is tenacity, this death after seeing so many more leads him to a rage that would send him cross-country looking for the devil. In his rage he finds a rusty book with the letter W cut into the cover, where he finds a spell to call the demon to him. Next, he finds a witch named Loretta Belmond who forges him a gun that can kill even a god if need be and that is the plan.

A shard of glass struck by lightning, a chicken's leg, a bit of his tongue, a cross pounded out of iron, and a ring dipped in salt. J.J. is ready to fight the devil.

J.J. calls out to the monster, and he appears just as he had to Franklin, Greed smiles "Jessie…"

Jessie doesn't wait for the sales pitch, he shoots the Shinigami in the leg. The monster falls to its knees "shut your fool mouth. I came for my brother and if you don't show him to me right now I'm shooting again."

"you mean Franklin."

J.J. shoots him in the arm toppling the Shinigami "what part of Right Now did you not get! Try again."

"where on earth did you get an Avatar weapon?" Greed ask

"God damit, next Ill shoot your eyes out!"

"What!" Greed orders, "I am a Shinigami, a god of death, I can only take life, to give it back you need a god of creation: Salis-Chaos, Fillios-Mammon, Sa-La-DayO, someone stronger than me."

"then you better start hollering!"

"New Orleans, there is a swamp hag with burning hair there, she knows how to call on Mammon."

J.J. flips his gun over like a hammer and slaps Greed across the jaw "if what you say is anything less the true, I swear on all that is holy I will chase your ass all the way to hell just to shoot you one more time."

J.J. leaves the half-dead god there on the ground as he hops the train to New Orleans, and into the den of the waiting witch. The witch looks like a child not yet sixteen, her hair is a flashing red, her eyes a flaming yellow, her ears sharp like a hound and her voice deep and hungry with sexual thought. The center of her home is a burning coal pit, sixty or more feet deep shimmering orange with an undead light.

"I'm here for Mammon," J.J. explains.

"I know." The witch goes on "that is why I have this." She shows off a box of spell components. "you are not the first to try to bargain with him if you speak and he doesn't like what he hears he will…"

"Miss, I don't give a fuck."

The witch cast her spell calling a flock of birds out of the hell pit and together they form into a slender man glowing purple eyes and ivory skin he looks to the witch "Meyu, I have been asleep for a hundred years, why did you call me?"

The witch Meyu points, the god Mammon looks to J.J. the power rolling off of Mammon is stunning. J.J. fights through the pain caused by looking into the face of god "You killed my Brother, I want him back!"

"greedy, and selfish min have often beckoned to god to salve their menial strife and never have I give in. what does it mean to be a perfect conductor if every man with a dream can wish for once to change their plans to fit their own needs? " Mammon walk slowly to J.J. "how brave you have become, once men fainted at my sight but you star with knife filled eyes. But have no fear, I can heal your emptiness. If it is to be with the one you love your wish, I grant you." Mammon wraps his arms around J.J. and with a kiss sucks the life form his body. "You were once full of loneliness; now you are not."

***

Slime spills through the walls, Teeth shatter stone, and the roof is stretched being held only by the ooze dripping in, the voice of Kari silences all other sounds "Baba-Yung, the most beautiful of my gloomwings, Have you just committed the highest of blasphemies? Have you tried to chain your god to a mortal form?"

Baba stretches out her wings and her beak drops open hissing as she tries to threaten the god that she has called on "more than a dozen times you have called on me to fight your foes, you think none of them have bargained for their lives? Many have spoken of your fears, one even gave me a spell to…"

Kari speaks "You are sloppy, your spell is weak, you misspoke the binding, and even if you hadn't I see no powdered glass in this ring of power. Your magic is powerful, but this time you failed. I am not chained in place." With that Baba-Yung falls to her knees as Kari reaches into her chest with an invisible hand and starts to strangle her heart.

Jessica throws her hands in the air and then thrust her staff to the ground vengefully. A blinding light flows through the staff, and the ooze seems to cower from the Weaver's light, Baba doubles over struggling to breathe. Kari howls with laughter. "Tiny Prophet, do you intend to fight me?"

"We brought no weapons because we do not intend on fighting, we intend on talking," Jessica explains.

"And what is it you wish to speak of my puppet." Kari inquires

"The plagues, stop them." Jessica orders

"why?" the God ask

"your point is made, we are leaving. One more week is all I need."

"I told you, you had fourteen days to leave Graywall."

"yes. But we will give you the whole of the island if you simply let us go. My mate is going to gather the tribes; we will be gone before the frost."

"I will just as soon send this place to the bottom of the sea."

"If that was your wish you would not have named me your Avatar. You would have simply crushed us under your mighty claws. You were once called Cravixs god of Emptiness, now you are Kari goddess of Creation, you have changed. But what part of you speaks now, the Cravixs or Kari?"

"Cravixs or Kari, Tis' nothing but a name, we are each other nothing more nothing less."

"Baba-Yung lives, the plagues end, we the beast of Graywall willingly offer this island as a sacrifice barring you allow us all to leave unhindered."

"You play off my vanity. I like that. But your sacrifice is only material. The island is already mine. This world is mine; there is no formation of rocks you can give me that is not mine to take already. But, there is something you can give me."

"what is that?"

"Your heart, your soul, your flesh, give it all to me."

"What need do you have for flesh?" Jessica acts unshaken, but sweat running down her tail tells the tale, she is terrified, thoughts of escape are evident in her mind, Kari is asking all too much, but thinking about what is on the line, is her body and soul a fair trade?

"Do you remember the story of the crows? We traded our flash and are hands for wings and feathers; we feel no warmth. Right now, you are my Avatar; now I want a Vessel. Jessica the Weaver will become the body of Cravixs." Jessica is frozen, the room shutters the oozing cancer breaths a scolding breath over the room "Give Yourself to Me!"

In haste, Jessica responds "Granted." The slim moves close ready to infest her body "but first…" she calls out and everything stops in place "Guaranty my people salvation."

"I know that part already, anything else?" Kari ask in a seemingly hormonal frustration

"You will facilitate our exoduses."

"And…?" broadly Kari asks

"only after my people have come to a suitable home away from here will I submit to your will."

"FINE!" Kari bellows "transportation will be provided, an endless food supply for our journey, and I'll throw on top of that timelessness for everyone under your wing 'till the moment you arrive at the promise land I will provide. Then your body belongs to me?"

Jessica nods. Baba and the doctor both look at Jessica; their faces flush with fear and confusion at the idea that Jessica just gave her soul away. Jessica will die so that her people may live. But is this the end of a story or the beginning? Only Kari knows what happens now.

***

After Cravixs vanishes the church starts to come apart, Jessica and Baba-Yung leave and slowly watch the pits and pieces of the structure crumble away. Corn finds her and tips her head as a strange sadness can be seen on Jessica's face, it is as if she aged ten sessions in just a moment, Jessica doesn't speak to Corn, she instead wraps her arms about her taking in the warmth of her body. In that instances, Jessica becomes like a child and Corn the wise old women.

Book 3 the Goddess