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trazskil · 5 years ago

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Creatures of the Night

The Land Between Worlds Anthology: Issue #5

The following is an excerpt of the transcription from the lost diary of the crone known as Sirael. Found shortly after she assassinated Mast, the last of the Messar Priests, and the massacre at the Docks some thirty miles outside of Ichiké. The book itself was found next to her corpse in an acceptable condition (much of her blood had spilled onto its pages). The ink, however, was found miraculously impeccable.

The diary itself was then placed carefully into a burlap sack (as to not touch the accursed blood, as even when dry can make one’s skin itch) and carried to an undisclosed location in Chalice to be purged of the poisonous red substance. Thanks to many brave souls we now know about many creatures of the night, an advantage we did not have before and have been using since to rid the world of such beings known as shapeshifters, wendigos, crones, and other like abominations.

Make no mistake, the crone who originally wrote the words you are about to read makes it seem as though we—humans and elves that is—are in the wrong. I find it my duty to inform you that Sirael is more than incorrect in this assumption. As a studied historian, I can assure you I know what I am talking about.

Notes are written in brackets by the mysterious man of few words known as Cedar. (That is all he allowed me to write about him here).

Enjoy,

-Professor D. D. Highfork

Telling, 33rd of Jin, 734 O.T.B. [O.T.B. means “Of The Barriers.” Some would argue it means something crude, but I can assure you it does not.]

Killing the priest was easier than I had anticipated. Not that getting into the chapel was difficult, nor was paying the boy to take all of his holy acid and dump it into the stream. I did more than half expect him to be carrying some sort of dagger—or at least a shiv—coated in holy acid. I was counting on it, in fact, so you can imagine my face as I strolled easily out of the chapel, leaving the poor bastard to choke.

Now, I’m off to the small town known as the Docks. One more errand I need to run before I make the journey back to Stregge. At least this time it’s an errand for my sisters and me. Not that I mind doing Dozii’s bidding, but I certainly cannot take his mundane orders all the time. [Dozii is one of the new gods known as the god of death, decay, destruction, etc. here in the Land Between Worlds. She has many names, however, and I do not just mean variations like; Doz, Doz’ll, Dozirii, Do, Doxill’m, etc. Her other names are too horrid to mention here, even in written text. Thus I refrain from doing so.] So simple all the time. “Kill this person.” “Kill that person.” “Make sure no one sees you and your target knows who it’s coming from.” “This time, simply leave a note on the wall, painted in their daughter’s blood. They’ll back off.”

I have one word for you. Monotonous! Of course, it’s important work, but there’s no passion in it. No fun!

At least it’s almost over now, my master’s work, that is. Just one more task before it’s ready, but before we get on that, it’s off to the Docks. One little town has been a little too rude to our friends in the dark. Not to mention small towns always have the most bored young people, perfect for recruiting.

Anyway, I’m getting off topic, and the sun will be up soon. Time for bed. Can’t be caught skulking around in the human’s and elves’ precious daylight! How I miss it though. The sun rejuvenating my skin would turn me back into the young, perky woman I was when I first started my life as a crone. But instead, I wear this saggy bag of bones. At least I have a Knockaround for such occasions that I do need to show myself in the daylight. Otherwise, it would look extremely odd shedding my saggy human-like skin and changing it for beautiful, soft baby-like skin.

Tremm, 34th of Jin, 734 O.T.B.

I passed a wraith this evening. It’s been a while since I’ve seen one, but this far out in the country I guess I shouldn’t have been so surprised. We glanced at each other and went our separate ways. The wraith seemed to be having a splendid time waiting for someone to haunt, so I didn’t interrupt and continued my way toward the Docks. I’ll be there within an hour of nightfall. Perfect amount of time to set up and prepare.

Leg, 1st of Minge, 734 O.T.B.

Just before I began the night’s plans, I knew that I would need to change my appearance to something a little less… disgusting. I pulled out my Knockaround and muttered a little something into it. In seven seconds I transformed into a beautiful, pale-skinned, raven-haired, woman. My lips were redder than any rose and my cheeks were flushed and full. I was ready.

It wasn’t hard finding the youth. Many snuck out to play hide and seek or go for a romp in the woods. Some were apprehensive, at first, meeting a stranger in the woods is hard to trust right off. When they heard what I had to offer, however, they could not refuse.

“Magic?” they all asked, a light burning in their eyes. “Real magic?”

In the seven total, there were three that stood out the most. Bronny was apprehensive and untrusting as a stray cat in Chalice. He didn’t want anything to do with, as he put it, “witchy things.” Good thing his friends were there. Nothing like good ol’ fashioned peer pressure.

But once they got into it, Bronny didn’t hesitate and he showed his true colors. He even promised to bring his little brother sometime. I told him not yet and that they would need to wait until the time was right and if all went well, great things would happen to them.

Kappie is my favorite. So bright and full of life. Hardly had to tell her what she needed to do. It was as if she was meant to be a crone. Too bad she probably won’t make it. Jemmy on the other hand, now she has the right stuff! Just as bright as Kappie, but ruthless and willing to do whatever it takes. The others, well, their names aren’t exactly worth mentioning. They’re more like pawns that will play exactly as I tell them. No need to push or pull. They’ll simply do.

Now onto how I lured them in…

It was late, well past midnight, the moon was nearly full and I had a full fire going. Over it, I hung my traveling cauldron and began to brew. Nothing sinister, just some herbs, spices, and rabbit meat that I had acquired earlier. I’m sure it smelled delicious because it drew Jemmy right to me. I told her a quick bit of folklore and shared my fire with her. She was so intrigued and her smile was so wide anyone could have seen it for miles.

I asked her if she had any friends that might like to hear similar stories and have dinner around the fire with me. She nodded and bolted off into the night, returning minutes later with the entire slew of them. Oooh, I get giddy just thinking about it!

I told them a few stories and had them eat all my stew and shared the warmth of my fire. Not that I would have wanted any of the food. Horrid stuff, cooked meat is. I’d much rather it raw, not alive, but raw. With blood dripping down my chin and neck. Yummy!

Once they were satisfied, heads filled with fantasy [When she says fantasy, she refers to truth. There is often very little difference between the two.] and bellies full with food, I sent them off and invited them back tomorrow night. If all goes well, which it should—nothing could go as horribly as Glosvee a few years ago. What a catastrophe that was. [If you feel you must know what she refers to here, see Horrid Happenstances at Home by Berry Soule; pp. 254. The entry entitled Glosvee: A Town of Wretches will tell you everything you think you want to know.]

Dozii, 2nd of Minge, 734 O.T.B.

I’ve gained their trust.

I showed them a bit of Tripping, what they call “magic” and they were all very impressed. [What is known as “Tripping” is a type of magic. I do not understand why she refuses to call it as such as it is just as much magic as a Knockaround is.] Even Bronny wants to learn something. So I taught them all… something. A Sparks Tripping. Nothing advanced, by any means, but it will definitely get the snowball rolling. Maybe even get some of them into trouble with the townsfolk. It will be interesting to see who comes back tomorrow night.

I made sure each of them knew to not use the “magic” in the day time. Forbade it, in fact, but I know children and they will disobey. They will want to know why they shouldn’t use it in the day time and they will find out one way or another.

I explained what they could use the sparks for; lighting a fire, creating a distraction, etc. and warned them once again to not get caught by anyone, or else there would be trouble. We will see who is clever tomorrow, though. We will see who is clever and around my fire once more and we will see who is dead.

Gathering, 3rd of Minge, 734 O.T.B.

Only two were caught yesterday. Luckily not my favorite. But now there were only Jemmy, Bronny, and Kappie and two others whose names I have not bothered to learn. May they be caught quickly, so I have no need to worry about them. Bronny told me that their parents found them using the sparks. One was beaten to death and the other was drowned as an example to the rest of them.

This bit of knowledge made me extra curious as to why Bronny was even still there. Jemmy and Kappie I understood. But Bronny? What was a skittish boy doing here with someone who is obviously a witch? Oh well, he’ll be gone soon and it won’t be my problem.

The other two wanted to leave and never come back to my fire and I told them that it was their choice, but once I explained that the knowledge they knew was with them forever, they decided to stay. No sense in having only one piece of the puzzle…

So tonight I taught them a little more. I asked them what each of them wanted to be able to do. If they could possess any one power, what would it be? Each one said something different, Bronny wanted to learn how to become invisible, so I taught him a Shadow Tripping. Kappie learned to further her pyromancy, so I showed her a Flame Tripping. The other two were boring and wanted as much candy as they could eat. But Jemmy? Jemmy wanted to learn how to bend people to her will.

She was a little nervous about asking it of me and she did so in private so that none of her friends might hear what she had to say. But I taught them each what they wanted. One by one, I took them deep into the forest where we practiced for hours and hours and when the sun was beginning to rise, I sent them all home. No need for them to see my haggard old self. Besides, I needed to give the Knockaround a rest, mostly for my own sake.

[For those of you who are unfamiliar with Knockarounds; they are a type of amulet that almost anyone can use to transform one’s visage into something completely different, including clothing and gender. It takes immense amounts of concentration and the perfect knowledge of a dead language, the name of which, I cannot write here. Think of it as an entire wardrobe of disguises that weighs half a pound and is worth more than you want to pay. Trust me, even if you could afford to buy one of these relics, you wouldn’t want one. They attract the worst kind of attention from the worst kind of company.]

I told them not to return tomorrow night as I will need to rest. And I do. Which means I will not be writing tomorrow for Sierra, 4th of Minge, 734 O.T.B. Great things are coming.

Creddling, 5th of Minge, 734 O.T.B. (Day)

It’s been a while since I’ve walked around in daylight. If it wasn’t for my Knockaround, I don’t think it would be possible. Perhaps with a powerful bit of Tripping, but I have far better things to spend my energy on as it is.

The town known as the Docks goes without much description, but I’ll go into it a little anyway, for prosperity and all that.

The Docks is a one road town that has all its buildings on either side. Cottages, a smith’s forge, an abandoned church which appears to have been turned into a sort of townhouse. And at the end of it all, the docks for fishing craft and the occasional cargo import and export across the lake. [In case you don’t have a map handy or have never seen a map of the Land Between Worlds, the lake she is referring to here is Death’s Lake.]

A few people noticed me as I walked through their town, but hardly anyone said anything unless I approached them at their work. Then it was the usual greetings, but every so often there would be a, “Never seen you before.” or “Long way from home?” or “Piss off! I ain’t got time for strangers mucking about my business.” No need to take offense at this, so I kept going about my day. Waiting for something to happen.

It eventually did a couple of hours after midday. I was sitting at the docks, dangling my feet in the cool freshwater when a large group of people was causing quite the commotion. They made their way over to where I was sitting and—not wanting to get in the way—I slid to the back of the crowd to watch what I had been waiting for.

Two children were produced from the crowd, the same two who wanted endless amounts of sweets. They were terrified as the people whooped and hollered for testing. They threw the boy in first, his ankles bound together with a chord, the slack of which was tied to many stones he made a lame splash and the crowd waited.

They waited, and waited, and waited some more. Then, after about five minutes, they pulled the corpse out of the water and was declared not a witch. Next, was the girls turn because surely they must have gotten the sweets from somewhere. And if he wasn’t the witch, then surely she was!

At that moment, I looked around me to make sure no one was watching and muttered a little something into my Knockaround and changed into the woman the girl knew from the campfire in the forest. We locked eyes and I smiled at her, but before she was able to say anything from her screams of terror, she too was thrown into the water with the same stones anchored to her feet. Another five minutes later they brought her up and pronounced her lifeless body, “Not a witch.”

But at least they were sure now. Even if they were not sure where the sweets came from. Not to worry though, they are in for quite the surprise. I’m sure of it.

Creddling, 5th of Minge, 734 O.T.B. (Night)

Bronny, Kappie, and Jemmy were all late tonight. But it was understandable. Four children in two days suspected, arrested, tried, and killed for witchcraft wasn’t unheard of, but it certainly made for a jumpy town. Once they were all settled in around the campfire, I asked them what they wanted to learn tonight. Bronny was the first to speak up.

“I think I speak for everyone when I say there’s nothing else we want from you, witch. You may think no one saw you at the docks today, but I did. I saw you change and watch as Milly and Jared drowned. You stood there and did nothing! You could have helped, but you did nothing!”

“Using your new skill, I see,” I nodded approvingly. “You impress me, Bronny. I honestly didn’t think too much of you. Tell me, do you still want to bring me your little brother? That would really speed things—”

“Shut up!” Kappie snapped, cutting me off.

I looked at her, incredulous. “Or what?”

“Nothing,” Kappie retracted. “But we are leaving. All of us. Go poison some other town, crone. C’mon, Bronny, and Jemmy.”

She turned to leave and Bronny followed, but Jemmy did not. Jemmy stayed seated staring into the fire, casually warming her fingers by it. It took a few steps, but Kappie finally realized her friend wasn’t at her side and she turned to look at her, but when Jemmy didn’t even flinch, Kappie stamped her foot in the soft dirt, making an underwhelming thud and stormed off with Bronny.

Once we were alone, I knelt across from her and waited for her to speak. We sat for hours, listening to the wood crackle as the fire died down and rose again when I stacked more logs onto it. Eventually, she spoke.

“I made them leave, you know.”

I nodded. “I am aware, and very impressed. Your skills have increased greatly in a day.”

Jemmy nodded.

“Are you ready for more?”

She nodded again, her eyes glued to the waving embers at the bottom of the fire.

“How much more?” I asked, knowing full well what she would say.

“All of it…” she said. I detected no reluctance, no apprehension in her voice. It was cold and calculated. It was impossible for her to know exactly what she would have to do, but she knew it would not be pleasant and she was right.

[It’s important to note here, I think, that the training each one of these children went through was not as easy as she made it seem. Sirael glossed over the details because she knew better than to write down these things. They are a sort of “trade secret” amongst the Sisterhood of Crones and if anyone were to have stumbled upon her diary—which someone obviously did—those secrets would be out. Which is also why she cut off the day above right then and there. Suffice it to say, what Jemmy went through was painful, horrible, and above all, damning to the soul… or to anyone else that has or will go through the same trial. Dozii is not one to make deals with.]

Wicker and Idle, 6th and 7th of Minge, 734 O.T.B.

It’s been a few days, but things have been busy. So I’m going to cram as little about what happened on Wicker and Idle into a paragraph each then go to bed.

Wicker: Once Jemmy made the deal, she became much easier to train. Just like most crones, she was able to pick up on any concept of using different Trippings and within an hour have something close to mastery over it. Some would consider that cheating, however, we know the brutality of what happens during the deal or how common it is for one to die in the process, it is a fair trade.

Idle: By the end of the night, Jemmy was ready to become a crone. Well, almost… she still needed to be accepted into the sisterhood back at Stregge, as well as make the deal. Her knowledge of Trippings is impressive, though lacking. But, she is ready. There was only one more test before I could take her back to Stregge, she needed to bring me the traitors’ heads. Or rather, Bronny’s and Kappie’s heads. I told her this and she understood. In fact, she did one better and brought them back to me alive before the sunrise and did the deed right then and there. Tomorrow night, we’ll head back to Stregge and finish what we started.

Nitel, 8th of Minge, 734 O.T.B.

Sisters, if you are reading this, I am sorry. In truth, I have failed you. Not entirely, but know that there is not much more that I can do here at the Docks.

Allow me to elaborate…

When Jemmy went back to her home that dawn to pack a few things for the journey back to you, I felt something was wrong. Knowing to never distrust my stomach, I used some Tripping to get my adrenaline pumping, allowing myself to stay awake. Then, I muttered a little something into my Knockaround to change my appearance. I know what you’re thinking. I’ve used it too many times in one spot, but I had to. Something was going to happen to Jemmy and I needed to be discrete.

I bolted into the small town and as I got closer, I heard the angry voices of a crowd. Mixed in were the wails of babes and children crying, doing their best to find their mothers and in the middle of it all was Jemmy. She had been tied up and strung to the back of a horse which pulled her on the ground. I wasn’t sure how they got to her this way, she had been trained by myself, after all, and should have been able to defend herself without a problem. I suspect that they got behind her and waited for the right moment. It’s happened even to the best of us.

I used a Blink Tripping and appeared on one of the roofs and hid behind the chimney to watched as they took my girl and dragged her to the docks as her muffled screams were drowned by the shouts and yells of the crowd. Tears of fear streamed down her face and soaked the gag they put in her mouth.

I saw her eyes darting every which way and eventually mine met hers and she recognized me. Even through the charm of my Knockaround! Such a bright girl. I nodded to her, reassuring her that everything would be alright and she took some sniffled breaths and waited.

They were getting ready to drown her now, bringing large stones to the docks and knotting them to her bonds. They lifted her up, heaving her to the water and tears began to stream down Jemmy’s cheeks again. I used Sharp Tripping and the tight chords holding her down released from her arms and legs. The stones dropped and a rather large one managed to smash one of the men’s feet, causing him to let go of Jemmy, leaving the rest to struggle and fail to hold her up.

Jemmy fell into the water but was back up in a flash with no gag on. She rose from the lake, dripping and soaked as she floated up then hovered there. You see, sisters? I taught her well in Trippings.

The overcast sky began to sprinkle rain but quickly turned into a downpour and slowly each of the townspeople turned their heads to see their Jemmy. The little girl they had known all their lives and watch as she grew into a beautiful young woman, now hovered above them in dripping wet clothing, her hair hung over eyes that glared at the world she once loved. It must have been terrifying to the humans. To me, it was glorious.

I watched her mouth move and one of the houses, perhaps it was even her own, burst into flame! Despite the enormous drops of pounding rain, it did not cease in any way. In fact, it soon spread to its neighboring houses. Then she did the same to the other side of the one road town. I hopped down into a crowd of people running in every direction imaginable and made my way to Jemmy.

She looked down at me and I held my hand out to her. She began to float downward and reached out her own hand they almost touched when the noise of something terrible infiltrated our ears. The groan was loud and long and very familiar to me, but not to Jemmy. I had not the time to teach her in the bestiary yet, not that I was permitted to do so anyway.

Her head jerked up and looked down the hellish road to see a fifteen-foot tall figure with the head of a buck’s skull. Its antlers protruded out past the length of a full grown man’s height and its legs appeared to be backward, but when taking a closer look, I’m sure she saw that they were more like a deer’s legs. You know, sisters, just as well as I do what we were looking at.

A wendigo had caught my scent via my Knockaround and hunted me to the Docks. I knew the dangers and risks of using the tool. I just never expected to be hunted so soon and much, much less in the day time. It knew better than to show itself then, but there it was, a creature of the night in the light of day.

My best guess to why it was able to show itself then was because of the heavy rain. I cursed and brought Jemmy the rest of the way down onto the old and rough hardwood. I looked her in the eyes and told her where she needed to go to find you and told her to run. That I would handle the beast. She was reluctant but did as she was told and bolted.

The wendigo bellowed its roar, mixed somewhere between a human voice and a deer call a hunter might use to attract his prey. The sound reverberated off the buildings that still stood and punched me hard in the chest—causing me to fly backward! I used the Hover and Stop Trippings and froze in mid-air. By the time I had my bearings, however, the beast was already at the docks. Its legs must have carried it in less than a second. Perhaps just as fast as a Blink Tripping, faster even!

I have never seen one this big, sisters, and I hope none of you have to either. I hope that not one of you ever has to face this creature….

Using a variety of Blink Trippings and Adrenaline Trippings, I was able to escape the beast, even if momentarily. I am taking the time to write this last bit, so you know what happened and how it happened.

The wendigo has my scent now and it is not going to let me go. But I also knew that I could not lead it back to you. We have hunted wendigos and other creatures in the past, sisters, but we were always together and it was never like this. I do not think that it could end any other way and I leave this with you so that in some way you may find solace in my passing. I hope that Jemmy finds her way to you, sisters and if she does, accept her readily and with open arms. She is ready, she is right.

Goodbye.

-Sirael

A group of soldiers found Sirael’s body—or rather what was left of it—just a day later on Telling, 9th of Minge, 734 O.T.B. The Crone’s diary was found in the mix of tattered clothes and ripped strips of flesh left over. The diary was brought from there to Chalice where I translated it and sent it off to be printed and sold. Later, Cedar approached me and let me know that he could shed some insight on the subject of the magic known as Tripping as well as a few other notes. Naturally, I accepted. Anything to have the upper hand on some of the creatures of the night.

As you may have gathered, Cedar did not deliver as I had hoped, but the insights were interesting; thus, I had the book reprinted and redistributed. You may find copies of the entire diary with Cedar’s annotations right here at the University of Chalice where I teach, as well as select book shops in these cities; Ø, Tahgattah, Tü, and Yamilla.

Sincerely,

-Professor D. D. Highfork

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