Burial of hearts the black widow's malice (6 page)

Opening the book, the pages were
made from an animal’s hide. It defined many facts about Hecate; her powers, the
history of her legacy, her influences in society, including the kings of old
and new, among other detailed descriptions. The book seemed to warm in my
hands, to the point of where I had no choice other than to drop it suddenly.

“Even here, she holds the power
to harvest what she may, but you must learn through practice”. Zinmbe said
whilst posturing herself more comfortably.

“I must bring safety among us, to
prevent unwanted evil(s) coming forth”.

Her arms outreached, Zinmbe
recited the following words:

‘
Uklay san heuson
vareno’
.

Strong winds began to blast
around the room, like an unbreakable storm, it held firm in destructive ways;
at this point it seemed that this was quite peculiar, as the door was firmly
shut.

As she recited, darkened vapours
drew in from above, revolving slowly around the ceiling. A strong presence of
light came from the vapours, down onto the symbol drawn out upon the floor.
Each of the symbol’s elements lit up one by one, until all of them were
emanating light.

Lowering her arms, Zinmbe turned
to me.

“For now you are protected from
harm, but you will have to learn how to help protect yourself, this symbol you
will learn is always within you, fixed within since your birth”.

Nodding I stared at her in
disbelief, my eyes uncontrollably glancing around the room, searching for a
crumb of normality. If I were sceptical before, I certainly was no more, after
this dreamlike spectacle.

 “Remember those words Avis,
they will bid you well”.

“How can I recall that symbol
though, it is
too
complex, I do not have the
greatest
of
memories”.

“The symbol, as I mentioned is
merely a depiction of protection; feel it within you, say the words and hold
them true to yourself, hold them like a mother does her child. Come with me if
you may? Let us put the knowledge you have gained into practice”.

Following Zinmbe down from her
dwelling, we walked up a steep mound, the path walled by boulders that appeared
to have plummeted down from pastures set in the sky above.

With each step the walk up became
more strenuous, my soles frolicking in the mud below, until we at last reached
the top; in doing so we caught sight of a very striking courtyard. The pillars
that surrounded the courtyard were made of marble, buffed to the finest degree;
flower beds sat between each, with a group of precious stones embossed into
place. A majestic water fountain fed by a nearby stream, was towards the rear
of the courtyard, it was beautifully clean, with carved stone foliage creeping
up from the base; the water looked as if though it had become polished, as it
yielded the sun’s gaze. 

Upon the top of the pillars lay
blocks of refined stone, each of which had small sections cut out into various
outlines; so as for when the day dawned, till the sun did set, a portrayal of
art from nature’s palette would spill forth upon the centre of the courtyard;
lit by magnificence rendered by form.

We walked to the centre of the
courtyard and then Zinmbe turned to speak to me.

“Avis, you are a pleasant woman,
but you need to guard yourself ready for your journey. Let us prepare. I will
summon a dark spirit forth, are you prepared?
”.

“No… ”.

“
Good
, let us begin”.

“
Eorvra san
shimakay, volankol satami
”.

 With those words spoken, a
violent struggle between land and air took forth. The casting of darkness upon
the ground, the placing of a vile container of ruptured hearts; the pain I
could sense forming before me, the tortured souls combined as one. I could see
a creature forming out of the melee of the rotten flesh; black as the night
that death did embrace, it had eyes like silver eclipses, shimmering virtues
lost. A tongue, cruel in intent, protruded forth, tasting the bitter scent of
battle that was about to ensue.

Stepping forward, it sported
ragged clothing, decaying from the creature’s abominable touch. Venting in a
furious unhallowed roar, it took a step closer to me, and again, soon it was
half the distance to me and I began to panic; what do I do? I looked at Zinmbe.

“Recite the words Avis, do it
now
”.

Thinking quickly as the creature
began to run towards me, I said:

“Uklay heuson vareno”
.

“Avis
No, ‘
Uklay san
heuson vareno’”.

Just as the creature was upon me,
I managed to declare the sacred words; with them spoken a dull haze surrounded
my body, protecting me from every angle, every swipe it took did not affect me,
but I was still fearful and distressed. Zinmbe quickly banished it back to the
labyrinth of despair it called home.

“That was close Avis, one moment
longer and you would have been gone. Now the incantation you used was only for
temporary measures, it quickly dissipates from existence, so you will have to
learn accurate and strong defence magick, as well as of course predatory attack
methods”.

“
Yes
, thank you for your
considerate
…
training techniques, I will be sure to return the favour”. I said in an
abhorrent manner.

“Now, now Avis do not get
hostile, that was merely training, in reality it was minor compared with what
you shall soon discover, but for now let us return to the village to rest,
tomorrow we will need to practice again”.

Turning back, we left the
courtyard and headed down the steep mound. I was somewhat agitated with Zinmbe,
her teaching methods were dangerous, how easily I could have been slain just
moments before and it seemed not to even cause a single frown upon her
forehead, as if it was
normal.

Passing by her dwelling, I took
note of the surrounding area. It was now late afternoon and the sun was
starting to gradually depart from the grand stage in the sky; I could still
smell the odours in the air of the food we ate earlier that morning. Flocks of
birds flew past; occasionally I could make out their forms through the small
gaps in the forest tops, swooping elegantly with one and another in a display
of skill.

Close by was a small pond
surrounded by dwindling undergrowth; the odd plant here and there managed to
fight off the fatal blow the water was issuing to life around it, but for the
most part, the land before it lay barren. The pond itself was stagnant, there
seemed to be no source for the water, so I assume it was just collected from
the frequent downpours of rain. The smell emanating from the pond was quite
unpleasant, as if creatures had been drawn in to take their final breaths of
life, then left to decay; excluded from a righteous passing.

I quickly hurried back to the
village, swatting away little flying pests as I went by, departing with Zinmbe
and cautiously thanking her for the help she had given to me today, even if it
was untoward in practice.

“Avis, come over here, I have it
ready”. Operk was holding a garment in front of him, with a small beam of glee
on his face.

“So… what do you think? I am
quite fond of it personally, I assume you like it?
”.

Putting out my arms to hold the
garment, I inspected his craftsmanship. As requested it was an opal red, he had
also lined the sides with a black lace material; unlike most men of the time he
did have some decorum, the top was not revealing, actually it did not reveal
anything at all; it was a garment designed to last and to keep me warm. I could
not see any way a
dirty mongrel
could try and undo it with any form of
ease and this pleased me significantly.

“Thank you, it is flawless, may I
try it on?
”.

“
Of course
, I will wait
here, you may use my home to try it on if you wish”.

Entering his dwelling, I was
greeted by a mountain of useful clutter; sequins, fabrics, threads of many
colours, even pots and pans were thrown about in a colourful display of
organised chaos. Slipping off my clothing whilst ensuring no one was having a
peek at my dainty figure, I raised the garment around me and fastened it
tightly. What a perfect fit, it was snug and warm, yet not overpowering.
Lifting one of the pans strewn about the floor, I caught a view of my
reflection, unclear as it may be; I was very pleased with what Operk had
accomplished and wanted to thank him some way.

“It is surreal,
thank you
so much, how can I ever repay your kindness”. I said excitedly.

“No, no that is fine, but
perhaps… are you any good with gambling? We have a small challenge soon to
begin, you could bet on my behalf; if you win I could even give you some coin,
if
I am feeling generous”.

“Well, I have not gambled before,
but I will… give it a go?
”.

“Good, come over with me to the
meeting area, we should get settled before the games start”.

I followed, with
little
interest in where I was going; my legs drifting loosely as I walked, in a sense
a mediocre form of protest at gambling, each to their own I suppose, but I for
one will not be wishing away
my
coin.

The area had been cleared from
the meal before, stone blocks were placed in various supportive positions, in
order to hold up a large wooden platform; I am presuming for gambling purposes.
Surrounding the platform was around twenty cushioned stools, the fabric indigo
with embellished imagery; I could tell the chairs had not been used for some
time, wood rot had begun to grab hold in many of the chairs, which you could
detect through the distinct aroma in the air.

“Come hither ye old folk of
Yilesul, make merry, the games henceforth shall begin”.

“Werdo, speak as you do usually…
”. Jonule said whilst he gave him a firm look.

“Very well. Gather around for the
games are soon to begin… better?
”.

“Much…
”.

Once everyone had seated
themselves, Werdo stood up to announce the rules of the games.

“Entry is a thousand coin, you
may choose your bet amount, but a minimum of fifty coins does apply; there will
be three rounds; the payout will be based on the amount of bets placed, now
please prepare your coin”.

One by one, each of the players
gave their thousand coins over to Werdo. Not only were those seated taking
part, but also a large crowd stood aside of the platform as well. The piles of
coin soon mounted up; I could see the eyes of many lighting up at the prospect
of victory, their plans of indulging in luxurious items shown quite clearly.

 “So, what is this game then,
a card game? Rune stones?
”.
I said intrigued.

Werdo brought over to the table
two metal platters enclosed with wooden covers. Lifting the first then the
second, he asked for everyone to make a choice.

“Seriously? We are betting on
wingleybugs? (A small creature similar to that of a caterpillar) You have to be
kidding me…
”.

Operk turned to me in reply:

“These are no
ordinary
wingleybugs; they are imported from quite far away, they lavish on brutality
and war”.

Raising my eyebrows, I cupped my
face in my hands; I might as well watch grass battle soil, be just as good to
bet coin on.

“Avis,
choose one
”. Operk
said growing irritated.

“Fine, that one”. Pointing at the
bug to the right.

Everyone was given a chance to
place their bets. My bug had three to one odds against it, with a two hundred
coin bet; waste of effort if you ask me.

Uncovering the wingleybugs again
everyone stopped what they were doing and intensely glared at the
conflict
that was soon to arise…; both
opponents
were of equal size, the only
difference being their colouration. They swept back and forth as they faced
away from each other in utter disregard; one reaching the edge of the platform
it turned back upon itself and with seeing the rival, an
almighty
squeal
came forth; almost causing my ears to implode. They raised their bodies,
growing grander, until to my disbelief, they were almost ten times their
original size. Their eyes drew blood unto them, their mouths opening, drenched
with some poisonous looking fluid, whilst showing a ferocious set of teeth.
Lurching forward, they moved much faster than they previously had, ripping at
the others flesh in a display of brutal dominance. The crowd roared with each
blow to the other, until finally mine was declared the victor, destroying the
foe in a somehow merciful way.

“Well that was
unexpected
”.
I said in a surprised manner; Operk gave me a well-rehearsed grin.

Werdo took the victor away,
returning shortly after for another round of ruthless warfare, and again, to
the amusement of Operk, mine was victorious.

The final round was upon us; what
remained of the runners up, was strewn upon the platform. The two victors ready
to fight their way into the history books, to be crowned a
hero
among
bugs. The odds were much higher on this occasion, fifty to one, with a thousand
coin bet. Most involved in the gambling had chosen to back the larger of the
two opponents, but to the dismay of Operk I had chosen the smaller. The fight
had begun; strike after strike, they wore down at each other. At this point the
contest had caught a slight hint of my interest, but not enough to warrant a
joy. It seemed as though the one I had backed was about to lose; Operk had
lowered his head, not wishing to watch as he lost his coin. When all hope was
all but vanquished, my bug fought with all the strength it had left, leaping
back up and roaring mightily; the bug’s mouth rotated, like an out of control
wheel, causing all around it to be sucked in; even the trees strong as they may
be drooped down, as the people who had gathered held onto anything they could.
With the intensity so great the rival could no longer withstand being drawn in,
sliced to a slush, by the unforgiving fangs.