Red Twilight the Weaver chapter 26

Chapter 26

the Last Day

Odidimus would track down Monty in time, but when he does he is not the mouse he once was, sometime in the last several day's demons had taken his mind, and his hand. He has become a snarling monster crawling around in the hills not far from the farm-ships. Odidimus brings Monty home but never expect him to recover from whatever wickedness he had seen after leaving the capital.

***

All present stand and stare at the Weaver as she leers over the wall. In the time she has stood her face has changed from one of fear to one of anxiety, to the perplexing look that a kitten gets when it first sees the awe-striking power of lighting crashing into the earth. From there, her eyes seem to fall out of focus, and what she sees then, what she feels then no one can know, it is as if her eyes turn inwards, no longer looking onto the crowds but instead into herself.

At one point in this intense glare Pepper rest his hand in Jessica's arm to ask her what she is thinking about, but Jessica rolls her hand in a small ring removing his hand form herself pushing him off. Even after Odidimus returns, the silence stands firm.

One last change of expiration, A desperate narrowing of the eyes, a fever curled of the lip, and her ears raise on point. The look of a hunter, the look of a killer, Jessica has channeled all of her strength, all of her wisdom, all that she has seen in her timeless life has boiled over in her heart for one moment of glory.

Jessica throws her hand and her staff into the air and shouts out to the crowd calling all in the kingdom to heel. Jessica is alone tiny Kobolt, but all hear her voice. Only by the grace of the stars can this be possible, every sound falls silent to listen to the words of the prophet.

What did Jessica have to say? She dares not start with speaking of the moment that they live in. No. She speaks to the crowd, she harkens to the past. She did what she has always done. She reminds everyone of who they are, she invokes the names of hero's, she respites the written history and it's most magnificent moments, then recalls the spoken history as only the sages and bard of years past remember it.

Jessica offers the performance of a lifetime, what the Roks and the Gloomwings would call 'the Song of Swans' and what the Kobolts and Unpine call 'Magnum Opuses'. The words she spoke will never be spoken again, and even if they were, it would not be the same. When Jessica sings the songs of the past, the hills stir and kings weep. Some also think that the stars in the sky shed a tear. It was a solitary moment of peace in a land littered with blood and war that never seemed to halt.

Jessica's last words are a confession; God had touched her, God had spoken to her, God confided that the devil has come to their homes and that a battle between the earth and the sky is at hand. God had offered the people of this land forgiveness for their crimes, and that she would pay the blood-toll for their salvation. Jessica offers to act as a mother one last time in her life; she insists that the kings and their families meet her at Odidimus home that she may cook for them and discuss the future. But she speaks little more.

It would seem that there is not a dry eye in the kingdom outside of Jessica's. It is as if she has cried her last tear already. Her packet with Kari is starting to shine through already.

Jessica turns her back on the crowd physiologically drained of strength.

Jessica demands that Odidimus fetch a small fish and a sweet roll. When he hands them off to her, she tosses them over the side of the wall, and rain of meat and candy falls into the hands of all that wait below.

***

Jessica finds she feels quite unwell after her performance but going to the castle and cooking gives her a feeling of contentment, in that content she finds peace and in peace wellness.

Not one of the seven king's dares turn down Jessica's offer for fine dining at the presidential hall. But the mood is hardly one of joy when the lot of them find themselves in such close chambers. Odidimus takes his set at the head of the table, he looks over to Preston, "My boy, when was the last time I sat in this set?"

"I think it was when Jena died."

"Will I ever sit in this chair again?"

"I don't think so."

Tor, the Darkling king pounds the table to get Odidimus to look at him. "I saw you had a heifer. Unless my eyes decisive me she is Ownlog Aalieth, she is a criminal awaiting judgment. Give the cow to me."

Caliguluse looks to Tor "why you want to eat her?"

Tor grunts "she has killed many men. now it is her turn to die"

Caliguluse laughs "if there where one like her under my wings I would honor her for her good works."

"What good is a cow that has no milk to give?" Tor ask his peers

Odidimus looks to him folding his arms tight "If the cow has no milk to give then place a spear in its hand and call her a dog."

Tor waves around the table, "of all the kings at this table you are the only one, Odidimus that allows his Queen to hold a set of power. A Heifer belongs on all fours serving her master, not on a battlefield."

Odidimus grunts pulling is arms tightly into his chest and nearly growling "I find your view of our better half disturbing. A girl is more than just a pair of reproductive parts."

"your wife may be something exceptional, but it is the ancient power that defines her not anything of her own doing." Tor heckles

"I don't think that you strong-arm dedication to the past will serve you well in the future."

Tor chuckles "your head is soft old man, you have become half heifer yourself, forgotten how to be a man, so you let a cow tell you how to behave. Is that why you left the underworld for this sunbaked pill of rocks?"

Shadi, the lady of the cats looks to Tor "If you think that I am but half a man I will happily show you the power that a mother has."

Tor jumps to his feet at the insult shouting in the Darkling dialect a phrase no one fully understands. Shadi matches his furry by brandishing her claws and letting lose a roar like only the cats can do. Odidimus tries to convince Tor to be seated but it is to late the duel has already begun. Tor pulls a knife from behind his back, Shadi leaps onto the table on all fours.

Sig the Unpine lowers her head rubbing her eyes as she looks to Odidimus "we can hardly sit in a room together, how are we to survive the trip to the new world?"

Odidimus lowers his eye "many of us likely will not."

Tor and Shadi are both from tribes filled with seasoned killers, but wall Tor lived a life of laziness Shadi is a huntress, she kills and eats her food daily. For that reason alone, when Tor leaps with his blade Shadi has no fear, she grips Tor's arm and twists his wrist making him throw the blade she then brings in one claw of her own threatening to rip his heart out of his chest.

A fist full of workers shot out to the guards that a fight is underway. The guards grab Shadi but she is a powerful foe quickly picking up and throwing two guards across the room.

Jessica is called to arm next, she is not so easily amused.

Jessica shouts as she steps into the room "children," She slaps her cane to the ground and arms reach out of the chairs pulling the combatants back into their seats "blast the lot of you, what is one to do with naughty dumplings!" The tone of Jessica's voice advertises to Odidimus that she is falling I'll but he dares not speak of it.

The maids bring out the soup Jessica has readied and Jessica sits at the head of the table across from Odidimus. Sig looks to Jessica "what happens now, where do we go?"

"North, a boat is waiting for us at the end of the river."

Caliguluse ask "what will we eat?"

"you have so little faith. I will provide." Jessica explains

Tor looks her up and down "who will lead this party?"

"trust in me, I know the way." Jessica declares

Shadi questions "Will this journey be unhindered?"

"No, demons will try to block our path."

Shadi continues "and how will we deal with them, swords and spears?"

"Tornados and lightning will clear us a path."

Tor mocks Jessica "and you an old cow will do all of this?"

"you can choose to have faith, or you can choose not to, it counts for little." Jessica marches forth.

Tor asks again "But how will you do all this?"

"Have I not made myself clear?" Jessica tips her head and widens her eyes confused by the ignorance.

Caliguluse looks to Jessica again "and these demons? Will we escape them?"

"no, not all of us." Jessica turns her gaze to the bird king.

Caliguluse looks upset "and who does not?"

"I will not tell you."

Tor points to her "it is not that you will not, it is that you cannot, not even an emissary of god can be taken for granted if it is a cow they speak through."

Jessica's eye turn discreetly from green to purple "the wise do not tempt the Lord."

"you are nothing are you? You have deceived all of us to play some game."

Jessica rises from her chair and walks around to Tor "tread softly for you know not where your master dwells." Jessica's hand finds Tor's cheek and his hair turns to silver and skin takes on the look of stone. The faint glow in Jessica's eye becomes ever harder as she drains away Tor's youth with her touch at first softly but then violently as she starts to move in for a kiss.

Odidimus yells "Jessica!"

Jessica's eyes widen as she notices what she is doing, she drops Tor halving drank away half his life with her touch. The purple light fades from her eyes as she backs away sniffling in fear. Jessica runs off. Silence falls over the kings. Sigh looks at Tor concerned for him "How do you feel?"

"cold." Is all Tor can come up with.

***

Jessica hides in Odidimus bedchamber, she walks over to the mirror in the room and runs one hand around her neck feeling herself. Jessica's eyes glance up and down as it seems she is confused by her appearance. Jessica seems to be getting younger, the dusting of gray in her fur has given away to the light brown and tan of her youth. The pendant around her neck sparkles and chimes.

She giggles slightly smiling at herself but then freezes as her fingers find something on her neck that is alien to her. Jessica grips the imposing object on the back of her neck pulling hard to dislodge it. Jessica finds a slender blackbird feather woven in with her fur, a dribble of blood trailing it as she rolls it between her fingers. At first, Jessica thinks it must have come off of Baba-Yung but the hot blood dripping off of the feather is more than proof enough that it did not.

The door swings open loudly as Monty walks into the room squeezing a spear in his claws so tightly that his nails are punching the flesh of his hands. Monty is babbling as he falls into the bedchamber "on the first day, the bird showed me a doorway, behind it a turtle breath fire and a mountain grows wings laughing at the white bird by my side. Then the second day, the bird showed me a river, and the river filled with thoughts. I drank of the river, and I was filled with life, but the life did not belong to me for life was given by the giver of all life. He walked along the river until we came to a man with four heads. He holds a scale in his left hand and an ax in his right. He calls himself the judge of life, and through him is the second gate…"

Monty faces Jessica; he throws his head back screaming "Come little child! Come to me! You and Me! We will Be! But a part of Me!"

Jessica's Reflection in the mirror is what calls back, not Jessica herself; the reflection is wrapped in shadows as if looking through smoke, only the eyes are bright, glowing within the evil light. "Hello, Scara." Jessica stands to face Monty "your mind is not your own, a daughter of Chaos is inside you."

"Come little child! Come with me, came and stay with me forever!" Monty starts to sing. Monty runs at Jessica swinging the spear.

Jessica ducks the first swing, Monty counter-swings, Jessica holds up both hands grabbing the spear, she pulls down with one hand and up with the other pulling the weapon off balance, she rolls the innermost hand slightly then pushes inwards then pulls out to brake Monty's grip. Jessica jabs Monty in the gut now having control of the spear, she slaps him left then right left then right again then jabs and uppercuts with the butt of the spear sending Monty into the ground.

Monty howls demonically, his eye turn white, and his teeth drip with a hot ooze. Monty's skin tightens to his body and spike line his face as he starts to stand again.

Hearing the fighting spectators start gathering in the room, all are stricken dumb for a short time seeing Monty transforming into something part kobolt and part bug "Avatar, I will eat your heart." the spider-like Monty hisses.

Jessica drops the spear and places one hand on Monty's head the other holds him by the arm. Flames spill from Monty's eyes and mouth as he howls in mortal agony, a holy light fills the room burning and angelic image into the walls as Jessica fights the demon.

The monster is powerful but is no match for Jessica's divinity, the holy fire makes Monty's body inhospitable, and the monster in the form of a centaur-like spider falls from his mouth. Monty falls to the ground losing all control of his body. The room bathed in holy light is no more welcoming to the extra-planar beast, and it summons a black-hole into the room to escape through.

The white light burns away leaving the image of Jessica with angelic wings scorched onto all four walls burned into the room itself. The evil cleansed from his body Monty will recover, the events of the past mainly looking as if a half-remembered dream to him.