Legends of Belariath
Salina Kyle
The Kiss of the Nightflyer - Part One
My voice rose up carrying the song to every listener in the large crowd. Their eyes wide with wonder as the air around me seemed to shimmer with silver light ending in a slight glow around the Lady of Light’s symbol I wore with pride in this country farther from the land of my birth then I’d even dreamed I’d go. This glow happened every time I sang The Lady’s Ballad of Love but I never ceased to be renewed knowing She blessed me this way. In a moment, the crowd began to applaud giving a light cheer as I bowed deeply in my front legs, my Lady’s braid swinging a little. Coins fell in the circle that served as the stage for our little show. Xenex walked around collecting the offering from the citizens of this small city. Quietly, I left the circle to let Basal start his show of ‘magic’. In the months we’d traveled together, I’d learned most of the man’s tricks and sleight of hand. Gasps of astonishment told me, the young man had started with his usual pulling fire from the thin air. A small tug on my tunic brought my eyes down to see a poorly dressed young girl no more then seven or eight years old. Her dress, though tattered, was clean and mended. Her dark blue eyes gazed up at me with wonder making me grin.
“Greetings, little one,” I said in a gentle voice. Her eyes widened a little more as I knelt down to take her hand in my velvety hand.
“Are you really a Lady’s child?” she asked with wonder, her fingers rubbing the back of my hand.
“Yes, child, I follow the Lady of Light,” I said.
“But you’re not human,” she said in a rush then turned a bright red looking ready to runaway.
“It’s all right, dear,” I said smiling to assure her I’d taken no offence. “I’m what you’d call a wolf-centaur… This is how the Lady made me…”
“Would you help me?” she asked in a serious tone. “It’s my father…”
“Caitra! Come here at once!” A woman hurried up looking quite fluster as she took the girl’s hand in a tight grip. “I’m sorry…” She started to drag the girl away.
“But Grams said a Lady’s child could help…” the girl protested looking back at me.
“Wait… Please,” I said catching the woman’s shoulder. Reluctantly, the peasant woman turned to face me trembling a little.
“This child has asked my help,” I said in a firm voice though I smiled at Caitra to calm her. “I’m bound by my vows to the Lady of Light to help her if I can…”
“You don’t understand the danger,” the woman said glancing about, “If the priests see us talking to you it could get us in great trouble.” In this land religion hadn’t faded but their beliefs were intolerant to the faith of others.
“I understand,” I said in a soft voice, then smiled. “Come with me. I have a place where we can talk in privacy.” I took the two into the back of the large wagon nodding to Tag as we passed him.
Once the door had closed the woman seemed a little calmer.
“Now tell me of her father,” I said, settling a little as she collected her thoughts.
“About a month ago a strange ‘plague’ befell the men,” she said, a tear running down her cheek. “Without warning, Caitra’s father went to bed with me at his side but didn’t get up again. He’s laid in a fever muttering about beauty and lust…” That made my heart jump bringing me to my feet.
“You laid with him?” I asked and she nodded. “Did the two of you couple before bed?” Her face went bright red in embarrassment but I needed to know.
“No, near the full moon I am in my cycle,” she said. The full moon had only been a week ago so I knew I must act at once.
“Will you take me to your mate?” I asked reaching for my pouch of herbs and healing roots. “We must go now… There is no time to loose…” At my insistence, we left the wagon to meet Xenex looking for me.
“What’s going on, Shalla?”
“I’m going with…” I looked at the woman expectantly.
“Hilda,” she offered.
“I’m going with Hilda to see her mate,” I said, adjusting my rod in my belt.
“I’ll go with you,” my friend started but I shook my head.
“Her mate is struck with a sickness that only takes males,” I said. “I’ll be all right, Xenex… Tell Basal I’ll try to be back in time for the evening show.” Quickly, I followed the woman away never seeing the man in gray robes watching from the shadows.
We went to the poorer side of the city where rats ran in the streets and trash piled about. It amazed me anyone would live in such horrible conditions without fresh air or even a hint of green grass or trees. On the doors as we passed I noticed some sort of strange symbol I didn’t recognize.
“What’s this?” I asked as we’d stopped at one such marked door.
“It’s a blessing from Priest Joshen to make our men get better,” Caitra said with a glare, “but it isn’t working…”
“Caitra!” her mother said snatching the child forward. “You must never speak like that.” Placing my hand on the symbol I tried to sense power, even a holy power unlike mine but felt nothing at all. Shaking my head, I entered the small living space. An Old woman sat at the side of the stricken man. Looking up at me, I saw a joy of recognition as she jumped up then bowed.
“I greet you child of the Lady of Light,” she said in a solemn tone of respect. This woman knew me for what I was.
“Please… You may call me Shalla,” I said embarrassed at such a display of homage and I wasn’t more then a novice priestess.
“I brought her, Grams,” Caitra said looking proud of herself. “She came just like you said she would…”
“Mother… You told Caitra to speak with the Lady’s child,” Hilda said with a glare. “You know what ‘they’ will do if she’s found here with us.”
“It was the only way to save Braum,” the old woman growled then turned to me. “I’ve heard of you from travelers and merchants. When one described your braid to me, I knew what you were… That you were my son’s only hope. Braum was struck down with this strange fever not long ago but grows weaker by the moment… Please Lady’s child, you must heal him…” I stepped by her to look down at the stricken man. The first thing to catch my eye was the black, dirty red and sickly yellow aura that surrounded his body. I knew that look from scrolls I’d read but I needed to be sure. Pulling the blankets from his naked body, I took my rod of silver wood from my belt to hold over his sweat soaked form then closed my eyes to concentrate. My chant was soft, yet intense as I gathered power to show me what truly ailed this man. The dark evil held this poor man in a sleep of death, his soul being drained away. My eyes were troubled as I reached into my pouch for some herbs.
“His sickness is unnatural,” I said standing to move to the foot of the bed. “Braum is being attacked by a demoness called a Nightflyer. She is tormenting his mind and draining away the energy of his soul…”
“By the High Ones,” Hilda gasped. “Please… Can you save him?”
“The draining has only been going on for a short while,” I said preparing myself for the battle. “There’s a good chance I can remove the curse from him.” Taking certain herbs from my pouch, I made a circle around him then used holy oil to anoint his forehead, heart and genitals chanting to increase my power. At the foot of his bed, my hands rose holding my holy rod over his twitching body. My chant grew louder as I felt the dark presence of the creature of evil hovering over his body. My eyes glared down at the dark mist then I plunged my rod down as though I’d thrust it through the man’s body but stopped when it touched his skin. He cried out in pain thrashing for a moment before lying still. The aura of evil dissipated into the shadows leaving the man weak but alive.
“It is done,” I said, staggering just a little at the power drain. Braum’s moan brought Hilda running to his side, tears running down her pale cheeks.
“Wh-what happen?” he whispered as she showered his pale white face with kisses.
“You’ve come back to me, beloved,” she said, tears running down her cheeks. His eyes fell on me and grew wide with a horror I’d seen more times then I cared.
“What’s that demon doing in our home?” he demanded, weakly. The women and child all flinched together as though all struck at once.
“This is Shalla, child of the Lady of Light, father,” Caitra said giving me a smile. “She saved you from the demon…”
“…child of the Lady…” he sputtered looking somewhat disgusted. “You let that thing work dark magic on me…”
“Braum!” the old woman snapped as she laid her hand on my shoulder. “Shalla saved you from death by breaking a curse that some demon put on you… You should be grateful…” I stepped forward a little bringing their attention to me. “I understand your mate’s feelings, Hilda, as I’ve gotten them often in my travels,” I said, smiling at Caitra. “Knowing he’d react this way, I still would’ve healed him… Right now I need to speak to him… alone…” After a few moments of arguing, the older woman took her daughter in law and granddaughter from the main room as Braum and I stared at one another in tense silence.
“You were under the spell of a female demon,” I said looking deep into his watery eyes. “I must know… where may I find the one you laid with before you came home to your mate?” The question caused his face to go from a pale white to a bright red as he sputtered in rage but I stopped him with my glare. “Your mate was in her cycle and undesirable to you so you sought out another… I will not tell Hilda of what we spoke but if you don’t tell me, the Nightflyer will kill many and most likely come back for you. I can’t free you a second time so you’d do well to answer me honestly…” His eyes went to the door where his women waited before glaring back at me.
“I went to the House of Delights,” he hissed so softly a human standing next to him might not hear but I had no trouble. “Her name is Hayfa… Now leave me…” Walking toward the door, I pulled a small charm of protection from my pouch. The three were talking in soft worried tones when I opened the door trying not to look too grim for Caitra’s sake.
“I must go,” I said with a soft smile for the girl. “Your father will be fine now… I promise to make sure this doesn’t happen again…” She threw her arms around me as best she could with my size and shape. I gave the dear child a small hug before turning to the women. I held out the holy charm to them and was pleased to see recognition in the older’s eyes. “This must remain above the bed or around his neck till I can find the demoness and destroy her. If she should take hold of him again I don’t think I’ll be able to free him. You must keep vigil as Braum is very weak both physically and spiritually.”
“I understand, Lady’s child,” the woman said taking the charm with reverence. Caitra offered to lead me back through the city but I didn’t need such help as I was versed in remembering my way from years in the forests. Looking relieved if not happy, Hilda gave me a quick hug before I left.
The people of the street took pains to avoid me not even looking me in the eye. As I walked I took count of every blessing mark I came to shaking my head when the number rose above twenty. It truly was a plague… a plague of evil. With this many victims I felt sure the creature of evil was preparing to mate. She’d need the energy to bring another of her kind into this world. My thoughts turned to Xenex, Basal, and Tag in worry. The three were in great danger, not that I expected any of the three to seek out a house of earthly pleasures but from what I’d read on the she demon she might be able to seduce them into her dark power. I wasn’t about to let that happen, my sensitive hand reaching in my pouch to take count of what holy herbs I had. I’d need to make the three of them charms of protection. I’d have just enough for them but no others. As I walked my path was blocked by men in gray robes, their leader, a balding man of steel gray eyes and a hate filled glare, stepped forward to spit at the ground at my feet.
“Your black magic is not welcome here, demon,” he hissed at me.
“Priest Joshen?” I asked, my hand resting lightly on my holy rod as I faced him without fear. “These men’s sickness is evil in nature… a curse of life draining that’ll kill every man touched…”
“Liar!” he snarled, clinching his hands in tight fists. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you were the cause of the illness… a trick to get the foolish peasants to trust you so you can take their souls… Take the witch and we’ll soon get the truth.” My rod came out like an extension of my hand gleaming silver in the gathering night’s gloom.
“Lady of Light protects me!” I shouted as the rod became a staff of silver light. As I squared off with the nine, Joshen standing back to let his men do his dirty work, a familiar voice called out from behind me. The next instant fire exploded in front of the men making them stumble back. I found Xenex to my right and Tag to my left, both with swords drawn and ready. Basal, though he used stage magic for the common folk, had begun to study as a magi during our travels. His studies seemed to be paying off. Faced with the four of us, the ‘holy’ men fled away down the street to disappear into the gloom.
“What’s going on, Shalla?” Xenex demanded as we watched the men disappear.
“Great evil, Xenex,” I said in a soft voice, then looked at my dear friends in concern. “Great evil and we must stop it before the evil can spread.”