Category : Stories

Sub Category : Fantasy

             
                  Nyx, The Night Mother.
                        (In editing)

    Emptiness, a void so cramped. Nothing and everything all at once. The idea of existence was all it ever knew. No memory of a beginning, simply existing. Now for the first time the entity felt a pull. Something, far away tugged relentlessly, forcing it to discover the source. It began manifesting over mountain peaks, a dark fog rolling slowly, consuming the rock.
  There in the mountain peak valley a small town was nestled. One main high way road through the center of the valley, provided adequate traffic needs for the small business center located in the center. Moving away from the highway the town thinned out. A soft glow came from houses, and businesses, outlining the mountain walls on either side. Still high enough plants remained lush and green, here in the mountains humans seemed to live in harmony with nature. Buildings made from wood, very few amounts of metal. 
   It found the source of power which tugged ever so relentlessly. Circling above the darkness massed, unsure what would unfold the entity grew. Being there felt correct, and the entity fell back into a trance state. Only aware of being. 
   Pineridge, was a small mountain town, quite, the town was perfect. She had found this house for sale three months ago on a proverbial website, it matched the criteria, so she proceeded. Three months of preparing, allowed her three times to retrace her work. Three is an important number in her practice, failing the rule of three could destroy her completely. If the rule of three was not acknowledged her desired results may falter. So she lived in threes.
 Fresh wet pine hung in the crisp air, a low pitter patter of rain hitting soaked dirt outside. Small puddles seemed to grow in the spaces between sparsely separated vegetation, as the falling water seemed to erase all traces of passing beings. Those same small beings huddled together, hidden under dripping pine branches. Near the edges of the tree line, a darkness held swallowing a person's view.
  The sound of rain, driven by hard and harsh wind, hammered on the window. A typical dual pane window rattled occasionally in time with a sudden crash from above. A brief flash of light to illuminate the outside world. The storm seemed to linger, dark and menacing, right above the town for weeks. It seemed to have arrived in response to her buying the house. At times it seemed the storm would leave, only to the surprise of onlookers, the storm would circle as if contained by some unseen force and regain strength. It would circle back to settle over the town again. Like a dark plague the mass slowly consumed the air space above the town, cutting off all light vainly provide by the heavens.
  After concluding the storm would not dissipate the woman, refocused on her work, stood straight backed at the northern point of a chalk circle. She inspected her lines for a third time, ensuring her painstaking hours of prep would not be in vain. She was tired, her fingertips now left small red marks behind, a trail to items she touched. Her bones ached with every move as if threatening to stop working. A warm cup of tea and her fire place crossed her mind. There was smoke in air, the smell was comforting. Oh to rub the ache from her bones, fire? With an effort she pulled herself from her mind's trap. The longer she was in this town the less she could concentrate. She centered herself on the northern aligned five pointed star, in the very center of her slowly fading circle.
  One point at each cardinal direction, to honor the guardians, forming a square. Another square lay across the first forming an eight pointed star. A circle drawn around the star, connected by each point providing enclosure. Inside the eight pointed star lay another circle enclosing a five pointed star, which was aligned north with the true tip, where she stood. One point for each element to be honored. The shapes lay perfectly spaced inside one another. The runes were painted in the wet grass, three times over. 

   ×She reached her arms out, palms towards the sky. Taking precise steps she walked towards the northern point of the outer star. With each step she spoke the proper amount of words. Careful not to reach the end of this sections chant before her physical actions matched.
   A careful combination of her trinity resulted in this master piece she now crafted. Her mind matching that which her physical form expected both swirled among her soul. As the three, in unity, danced their moves of perfection, the ground began to vibrate with anticipation. 
  She moved in her precise dance the ground beneath her feet reacted, first a small ripple along the earth, then slowly small particles separated and flowed away. Parts of the ground appeared to be melting away, without ever losing any mass. She maintained her focus she could not allow her trinity to falter. 
   She held a small polished stone of Onyx lightly clasped between templed fingers. She held her hands to her chest, speaking equally to her offering as the spirits around. Each step and syllable was timed perfectly, she would arrive to place her first offering with the final word leaving her lips. A thrill of hope creeped up her spin, like a chill, when she noticed the glowing blue footprints she left behind. 
   Blue foot prints left a trail to where she begun. A cloud of dust swirled away from her and the glowing after images on the ground, it gained strength the closer to her as she approached the center of the Northern Circle. By the time she was standing in the center of the Northern Circle it appeared as if boulders and trees were mixed in a cyclone with the ground. It raged like an insatiable monster, however, not once was she actually hit with a thing.

    “Hail to the Guardians of the Watchtowers of the North, powers of Earth. I bring in offer this stone of Onyx. Hail to the Guardians of the Watchtowers of the North, powers of Earth. A true child of Earth, solid and true. Hail to the Guardians of the Watchtowers of the North, powers of Earth.” 

    Pausing at the Northern Circle she held up the smoothed stone of polished Onyx. Saying the final words she lowered and placed it in a small ceramic bowl with no paint, in the center of the Northern Circle. An offering accepted, the raging cyclone of dust, trees, and boulders now calmly flowed gently inwards toward the stone. The ground had ceased roiling around and no tree appeared to be missing, not even a small scratch.
  Her footprints had formed a perfect circle around her no wider then her arms outstretched to either side. Glowing with a gentle blue, it looked to be liquid. Something calmly swirled inside the blue making it appear marble in texture. The stone now floated inside the bowl, it glowed with the same blue from her footprints, shining no stronger than a candlestick flame. 

  She tasted blood, a good sign. Earth accepted the offering, without faltering in timing or step, she continued. Immediately feeling her body begin to lose strength, this reassured her that the ritual was working. She felt sick, now. Her body worn from weeks of physical exertion. A new test to her physical abilities at each point, only after she proved her worth would the gods grant her council.
     Blue foot prints trailed again as she headed clockwise around the circle towards East, Air. She could not make a direct line to East, so she walked in an arch forming a true circle. Faltering here would not create a proper Barrier. This particular ritual demanded perfection, and would brutally punished for anything less.× 

    As she paced the steps, forming a circle around the outer star, she spoke her words. She held an eagle's flight feather, speaking as much to it as the spirits, like before between her fingertips. Like before her request was answered promptly, however, like before began gently. 
     Air began blowing away from her. At first she could feel her hair be drawn away from her body by static. With each step she grew more and more exhausted, her feet growing heavy. A good thing considering the strength building behind the gentle breeze. 
    As she entered the circle dominated to Air, she felt the change. The air around her suddenly became charged, every step a battle against what felt like a solid wall. She struggled on, she would be found worthy. Red lightning started to streak through the whirlwind. She nearly stumbled over her words when she discovered the lightening came from her. 
    She was the storm moving across this plane, lightning touching everything in split second burst. With each blast an ache exploded somewhere in her body, it would spread through her body tingling before a searing pain.

    “Hail to the Guardians of the Watchtowers of the East, powers of Air. I bring in offer this eagle's flight feather. Hail to the Guardians of the Watchtowers of the East, powers of Air. A provider of flight, ” 

    She placed the feather in another identical bowl placed in the circle dedicated to Air. A loud bang could be heard from everywhere, signalling the air to gently pull towards the feather. 
     Taking note the feather was floating, bathing everything around it in the same blue light as the stone, she forced herself to continue. She felt instantly short of breath as she dutifully continued her circle towards South, Fire.×

   She held in her hands a bundle of sage wrapped with a very special cloth. It was worn, held no solid color. She had hunted for this essential piece of cloth for the better part of ten years. She had nearly spent everything she had to obtain this blasted article of clothing. She closed her eyes, allowing her emotions this one brief moment then it was gone, and she ignited the cloth. 
   Half way only, she was already sweating profusely. The small bundle of sage she held burned like the sun. She felt as though she were walking through a firestorm in the depths of the darkness.

    “Hail to the Guardians of the Watchtowers of the South, powers of fire. The flame that cleanses. Let my soul be lit by your fire.” 

    She placed the burning sage in it's bowl, truly relieved when the blaring sun dulled to a soft blue flame. She nearly blanched when she realised she had nearly failed her work. She hesitated in her step, nearly marking her chalk marks. Every breath was agony, each step burned with growing intensity, small droplets of ruby blood glistening in the blue light, appeared on the corner of her lips. Her eyes locked to her feet, step after step, placing each step where it was needed. Her ears heard a voice speaking the words, a horrible raspy, weak, voice. Strong in her words, firm in her right to invoke such a demand.×

    She pressed on. She felt wet, her front and feet, were wet. She knew not to care, she began feeling lighter. 
    Water flowed from her jar as she walked, a never ending flow from the jar pouring out, splashing on the ground. The sound of rain melding, she opened her mouth. Why did she open her mouth? Her chant was finished for this part, as if by answer water powered from her mouth. Eyes wide she continued walking, she could not breath. Each step a minor miracle, water flowed from her mouth and nose, her insides burned.
     A jar was in a hand stretching out before her. A steady hand, tight skin, neatly done nails, no blemish in sight. She marveled at the beauty, the simplicity of a being of form. Her vision tilted matching the hands with the jar, she was numb now. Only a passenger in this show.

    “Hail to the Guardians of the Watchtowers of the West, powers of Water.” 

    The hand released the jar as it began to float in a very familiar looking bowl. She blinked, this part of a "Calling" was always brutal. Never the same, always brutal. Her physical trial was over, two more to go. 
     Placing the jar, she stepped inside the circle. She had successfully cast her circle, a portal sealed up like an invisible dome around her. She was now caught in the realm between, Spirit and flesh. 
    A twisted reality of everything a person has ever done, all at once. Every decision made against others, comes to you. Her body finished walking her circle back to North. Once aligned her physical vessel would return to the center of her circle.