24. Callign

The story of the goddess Nox and what happened to her.

I stood in the middle of the Remer’s living room trying to take in as much of the information that they were telling me. Richard had gone quiet watching me closely as I listened. Soon all I could sense were his eyes, they seemed to be burning with an intense calm and yet under his mask I saw the question in his eyes flare slowly to anger.

 

I began to pace trying to pay attention to what Mr. Remer was saying but his words began running together. Richard bent over, his eyes growing more intense; he looked like he was ready to pounce on me at any moment. I stopped my pacing and held a hand up to pause Mr. Remer. I turned my eyes to Richard, making sure he knew I was unhappy, he stared back with an impassive look.

 

“Why are you watching me so closely?” I asked standing straight and not breaking eye contact.

 

“I’m waiting for it to happen.” He stated calmly his eyes wondering over my form.

 

“Waiting for what?” I asked feeling my unease growing with each passing second.

 

“I’m waiting for you to break, for your mind to shut down, for you to either run or faint, or something.” He answered frustration leaking into his words. I smiled, finally understanding his wirey energy.

 

“And what’s the verdict?” I asked crossing my arms over my chest and smiling smugly.

 

“You are doing exceptionally well with all this. Most humans go into shock, and your other reincarnations, at least the ones I’ve known, never took to the whole supernatural world with such an emotional detachment.”

 

“I already told you that I’m not like most people,” I said calmly uncrossing my arms and sitting on the only empty and neutral space left in the room, the floor.

 

“So how many times have I been reincarnated?”

 

“I have been your guardian twice before, but prior to that I don’t exactly know.” Richard answered.

 

“And your job as a guardian is, what exactly?”

 

Richard sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. Apparently, a subject he was hoping I would not ask.

 

“Our job as guardians is to protect you from the Hunters, if we ever fail; we must kill you so you can pass on to your next life.”

 

“I have other questions but first of all, who’s we?”

 

“You have two guardians; me and, since he was the first one to see you, Ezeikal. It’s to ensure that your spirit is kept safe.”

 

“Okay, another question; who are the ‘Hunters’?”

 

“A race of humans with an extraordinary ability to track and kill anything they set their minds to. It is rumored that when you were in your true form you fell in love with a hunter and the product of that affair was Vampyres.”

 

“It’s not just a rumor,” Zeik started, “The hunter’s name was Altmir.”

 

“How would you know, wolf? You weren’t alive during this time.”

 

“So what if I wasn’t, others were ancestors of mine whose voices have carried through the years in stories.”

 

“Oh here we go, little wolfy needs a bedtime story.”

 

The entire Remer family let loose low growls. I watched as their muscles tensed and their hairs lifted. The air in the house began to pulse with the angry energy. Richard smiled deviously and pulled himself into a crouch waiting for the first pounce. I felt that the thin cord holding this small truce together was going to snap at any moment, I still had things I needed to know. I stood and stepped between Richard and Zeik, the two initiators. I glared at Richard until he settled back into the chair, then I turned to Zeik and his family.

 

“Any information, even stories, would be helpful as long as they are as true as possible.” I said looking to Mrs. Remer. She sat up straighter and cleared her throat. She cast her eyes down to the carpet and took a deep breath. When she looked up again her eyes had gone glassy as though she were staring into time herself.

à à à

“Long ago, when the earth was young and belief in the supernatural abounded, there existed a race of humans gifted with an extraordinary ability to hunt. So great were their skills that the Gods would watch them from above as they drove through the trees and tracked their prey. There was one among them, however, who stood apart. It is said that this hunter was so great that whenever he would find the trail of an animal, the animal would stop and lay down already knowing that they would not escape. This mightiest of hunters was named Altmir.’

 

‘One night Altmir was out hunting, on the trail of a great stag whose antlers looked like the gnarled limbs of an up-rooted tree. He found the great beast in a small clearing. The light of the moon shone brightly into the opening and the stag stood next to a lovely woman of fair skin and black hair. The woman lifted a slim hand and touched the brow of the stag. The beast ran from the clearing, Altmir glanced at it but turned back to the woman.’

 

‘“Are you lost, fair maiden?” He asked stepping further into the clearing.’

 

‘“No,” She answered in a voice like silver bells, “I am waiting for the greatest of Hunters.”’

 

‘“I am the best in my tribe, if there are others, I know not. What is it that you require the greatest of Hunters for?”’

 

‘“I need the greatest of Hunters to capture something for me.”’

 

‘“What might that be?”’

 

‘“My heart,” And with that she ran into the forest with him close behind. As he neared her, she leaped and she shifted into the form of a wolf, bounding further ahead until he changed tactics. She shifted again into the form of a mountain lion; again, she pulled a head. With each time, he changed tactics she would change into a form that would draw her further from him, until she no longer saw him behind her. She ran on looking behind her as she neared a break in the trees. As she reached the edge of the forest strong arms wrapped around her. Altmir pulled her into his arms and kissed her. She did not fight it, she flung her arms about him, drawing him closer, and initiating a deeper kiss.’

 

‘Lust grew thick between them and they felt the effects of desire together. Altmir slowed the passionate kiss.’

 

‘“But, fair maiden, I know not your name,” He whispered hoarse with desire.’

 

‘“I go by many names, each more reverent then the last. I am the Goddess of Night and the holder of all those within it.” She answered her voice filled with the power of her stature. Altmir faltered not.’

 

‘“Why did you seek me?”’

 

‘“Do you wish to hear the simple answer? Your strength, you are strong enough to give me a child and to hold my love.”’

 

‘He pulled her closer and kissed her once more as though he sought to make her words into a physical realization. However, they were not alone within the woods, hidden among the trees was Altmir’s older brother, Talmon.’

 

‘Talmon was jealous of his brother’s great prowess in the hunt and wished to overthrow him. He returned to the village, raving to anyone who would listen that Altmir had charmed a demoness. He worked the village into frenzy. He led them through the forest to the edge of the clearing where Altmir and Nox lay wrapped within the ends of love and passion.’

 

‘“Look at how she glows,” Talmon pointed to Nox, “It is from the fires of hell, Altmir plans to destroy us we must kill him and the concubine.” Hands flew to weapons as they prepared to enter the clearing. They waited, in silent expectation, for the signal; a raise of the hand from the right side and they charged forward catching the love spent couple off guard. Altmir and Nox fought viciously trying to fend off the sprawling mass of weapons and rage. For a few moments everything stopped. The pair was separated, and placed on opposite ends of the clearing, facing one another. Talmon walked forward and with his silver hunting knife slit Altmir’s throat.’

 

‘“NO!” Nox screamed as blood flowed from Altmir’s wound. She pulled away from her captors abandoning her human form. She lurched forward and gently smoothed the hair from his paling face. He weakly lifted a hand to her face.’

 

‘“Take the blood from me,” He whispered gently, “It is my strength and will give my offspring strength as well.” Nox nodded and gently lifted Altmir cradling him to her chest. She turned to the hunters who sat stunned in the clearing.’

 

‘“The blood of my blood will have the blood of your blood,” She ascended to the heavens leaving them with the pondering statement. She drank of Altmir’s blood and she felt his strength within the child she now held in her bosom. After birthing the child, she taught him her rage and together they plotted to avenge Altmir.’

 

‘It was many years after Altmir’s death that Nox and her child attacked the hunters. The child became so filled with rage upon seeing his father’s killers that he began to drink of their blood gaining strength and slaughtering more of them, but those he attacked did not stay dead for long they became like him, blood thirsty and cruel.

 

‘At the beginning of the attack Altmir’s brother Talmon ran from the village attempting to hide from the monster. Nox watched the blood bath and reveled in the sight of so many of Altmir’s killers dyeing and turning on one another, she watched from afar smiling as the humans begged her for mercy.

 

‘When she refused, the hunters grew angry, they began to fight harder, creating new weapons to destroy their new adversary, until finally the monster was caught. The Hunters bound him to a tall stake with silver cord, the only metal that weakened it, for it was the same metal that had killed its father.’

à à à

Mrs. Remer paused and shifted in her seat, halting the hauntingly familiar images that were racing through my mind. It was as though I had already seen these events and I was looking back in hindsight. She cleared her throat and Mr. Remer handed her a glass of water I hadn’t realized he had gotten.

 

Mrs. Remer took a small sip and settled back into her seat she thought for a moment trying to remember her place. She then cleared her throat and continued. “Nox ran through the woods alone for three days and three nights straight, changing her forms frequently, trying to rid herself of the heartache. Her pain and misery over the death of her son was almost unbearable. Her furry was even greater. Her want for revenge driving her close to madness.’

 

‘She slowed for just a moment, in her running, and realized that she had taken the form of a wolf; she enjoyed it, the strength and power in her limbs with each push forward into the denser part of the forest. The world around her was thrown into a surplus of sensory delights, the scent of bracken and urine brought a bittersweet breath to her lungs, her rapid breathing and heart rate a chaotic drum that drowned out even the possibility of hearing the rest of the world. There was nothing to worn her of what would happen, she felt a sudden pressure of teeth at the back of her neck.’

 

‘At first she was outraged at being stopped she fought against her attacker who only bit down harder and pulled her to the ground. Her mind cleared for a second and she realized that the one attacking her was Fenrir, the Nordic wolf-god who would swallow the sun during the end times. She stopped struggling and allowed him to do what his nature drove him to; already she began to develop her plan for revenge against the Hunters.’

 

‘She raised the offspring the wolf-god had given her to be ruthless and capable hunters, they grew to be strong with the ability to change their shape from that of a human to a large wolf. They blended in amongst the Hunters waiting for their chance to strike. After several weeks of merging with the Hunters, the wolves attacked bringing down a large number of men, women and children slaughtering all that fell into their teeth. The freshly spilt blood brought forth those vampyres that had escaped the Hunter’s grasp.’

 

‘Together they killed many forcing the Hunter’s into hiding. Several days passed while the Hunter’s tried to regroup and figure out what they would do to rid themselves of the great monsters. They asked their High Priestess to beg the Gods to help them. One Goddess, Athena, heard their prayers and acknowledged to help them. She instructed them to find Talmon, the object of Nox’s extreme fury, and use him to bait out the enraged goddess. She then taught the High Priestess the spell for trapping the goddess inside a willing body.’

 

‘A small search party was disbanded to find and procure Talmon. They searched for many days and eventually found him huddled within a cave starved to thinness and half crazed with fear. They dragged him back to their encampment and waited for night to fall. They drugged Talmon and placed him in a small clearing where the Wolves and Vampyres were soon to find him. They called out to their mother goddess who quickly descended to have the privilege of slowly torturing the cowardly warrior.’

 

“You have taken from me the only one I could ever love; murdered him in cold blood hoping to gain the appreciation of your people, but look at what your people have done; they have given you to me.”’

 

“Please! Spare me, I beg of you!” Talmon screamed in the face of his worst nightmares.’

 

“Spare you! Ha! Spare you when you would not spare your brother from an undeserving death, neigh you slit his own throat! No for you there will be no mercy, your blood is mine!” She withdrew a blade from her garments, and her children backed away from it with deep growls.’

 

“Do you remember this?” She asked holding it before Talmon’s face. He gulped and nodded. “It is the very knife you used to kill your brother, ironic that it will now kill you.” She lifted the blade to his throat and sliced a thin line through the tissue, not enough to kill but enough to send the scent of blood into the air, Nox’s children breathed deeply of the smell and were whipped into a frenzy egged on by their mother’s hatred.’

 

“Come my children feast! Engorge yourself on his blood!” She leapt out of their path and watched as they dove for him. His screams faded into the growls and roars of sibling rivalry as the children fought for rights to the food.’

 

‘As they battled for dominance they didn’t notice that their mother had been captured, ensnared with a spell that prevented her from moving or speaking to her children. The Hunter’s dragged her to their camp and brought her to the alter they had prepared according to the instructions given to them by Athena. They bound her to the alter, and began to chant the words of bondage. As they chanted a veiled woman was lead to the alter to the table beside that of Nox’s.’

 

‘She lay down on the table and she allowed her fellows to bind her wrists and ankles. Nox strained against her magickal bonds aware of what they were attempting to do. Though she was unable to break the bonds of her immortal body, her screams were allowed to give voice to her discontent. The roar drifted over the lands and fell upon the ears of her children. They immediately stopped their bickering and took flight, running to find their mother.’

 

‘The two worlds collided in a devastating battle. With the first initial attack, several on both sides fell to death. The Vampyres and Wolves fought to gain access to their mother who still screamed as the ceremony progressed, but the Hunters fought them off hoping to give their priestess the time she needed to rid them of the goddess and hopefully the wretched monsters that were her children.’

 

‘The Children were fierce and brutal in their tactics, and more were added to the battle as the Hunters fell to their teeth and became bloodthirsty themselves. They broke through the lines, but were unable to prevent the completion of the bondage ceremony. They watched with the greatest fear as their godly mother was sucked into the body of the woman on the other alter. As the last scream faded, the Children tore through the chamber and stole the unconscious body of the woman on the alter and ran off into the night. Only after they assured themselves that they were safely away from the Hunters did they attempt to awaken the woman.’

 

‘They failed in everything they tried and even turned to burning the flesh of the woman to no avail. As the sun began to show itself to their part of the world, they sank into caves and bushes to sleep off the day. They tied the woman to a tree just in case she might awaken while they slept. Towards the end of the day when the sun barely reached over the top of the horizon, they were stirred from their sleep by awful screams. The woman was awake and it appeared that she was hell’s fury mad. She struggled against her bonds and clawed at the tree that held her. When a Child attempted to approach she would snap at them with her teeth.’

 

‘They were unsure as to what to do, fearing to hurt the woman that they might hurt their mother. Therefore, they backed away and allowed the woman to work off her anger. Her voice soon began to rasp and her struggling to weaken. The Children began to fear for the woman’s health. They offered her water from a stream in the forest and after much prodding, persuaded her to drink. She still wriggled every now and then against her restraints but after a while she became too tired and again fell to sleep.’

 

‘It was late into the night when she again awoke. She found herself untied and nestled deeply into the soft fur of a large wolf. At first she was frightened but the vampyre child across from her spoke.’

 

“You have nothing to fear mother, she won’t hurt you. She loves you dearly as we all do.”

 

“Mother?” She inquired softly.’

 

“You hold the spirit of our godly mother, and therefore have become mother to us.”

 

“But I am not your mother, I am… I am… I don’t know who I am.”

 

“The spell must have given her memory loss.” The she-wolf Child spoke into their minds. The vampyre Child nodded and stood.’

 

“Regardless of whether or not she remembers we must protect her, or risk losing our lives if she dies by Hunters’ hands.”

 

“Hunters wish to kill me,” The woman spoke, “But why, I do not recollect doing anything to anybody?”

 

“They wish to kill you because you bore us and your rage to them; we have killed and converted many of theirs to gain your vengeance for killing your loved one, our father Altmir. They murdered him in cold blood, he was apart of their tribe, the greatest of hunters, but also the gentlest, and most just.”

 

“Why did they kill him?” She asked with tears glistening in her dark lashes.

 

“For loving you,” The children answered. The woman sobbed for a moment but brought herself back to what they had just spoken.’

 

“When you first spoke to me you mentioned ‘we all’ there are more then just two of you?”

 

“Yes there are many like us, the others have gone to protect our parameter or to find places to sleep for the day.”

 

“You sleep during the day?”

 

“Yes, you hold the spirit of the goddess Nox, or goddess of the night, and being the mother to us, we are naturally nocturnal.”

 

“Does the sun hurt you?”

 

“No we are just rather sensitive to its light and heat and prefer to sleep during the day, however we can operate fully well no matter the time of day.”

 

“If it is true what you say and I am indeed the goddess of the night, why am I in the form of a human?” She asked.’

 

“The Hunters performed a ceremony that sealed your spirit into a human body. They intended to kill you after doing so, but we were able to steal you back. Now you must sleep to regain your strength I will try to find some food for you.” The vampyre child left the small cave and stepped into the night.’

 

“Don’t worry,” The she-wolf child said, seeing the anxiety on the woman’s face, “He is a strong hunter and smart, he will return.”

 

“You sound fond of him.”

 

“He is my half brother and I love him, although he can be annoying at times.”

 

‘The woman laughed softly as she drifted into the dreaming world.’

Mrs. Remer slowly came back to the future and it wasn’t until she looked at me that I realized that during the story I had slowly crept closer until I was almost on top of her feet.

à à à

“Is it all true?” I asked her. I wanted her to tell me no, so that the familiarity I had with the tale might somehow fade from me. Since first she opened her mouth to speak the words of the tale, the eerie feeling crept over me stealing into my blood and chilling my bones.

 

“Yes it’s true,” Richard moved behind me.

 

“You never wanted us to tell her in the first place and know you’re vouching for its honesty, man your whacked!” Zeik viciously snarled.

 

“I denied the tale because it is normally told without the full truth of what happened during those days.” Richard countered. Zeik opened his mouth to speak, but I held up my hand and stopped his words. I turned to Richard.

 

“And what happened Richard?”

 

“A child had been born in the village several years before you were bound; they reserved him as a last resort to lure you. For, he looked exactly like Altmir, his eyes as green as jade and his hair as golden as sun ripened wheat,” My eyes widened as I took in his description of Altmir and just as suddenly I saw Baldric. Richard nodded.

 

“Now you understand why I have been so insistent that you stay away from Baldric. He is a trap, they all are. Every time you are reborn, they cultivate a new ‘Altmir’ and it is all so that they can destroy your spirit and the creatures you have born! I have had to kill you twice with my fangs and each time it has devastated me, I do not wish to do so a third.”

 

Richard stopped, he was clenching his fists and on his face was an expression of sheer remorse and regret. There was something deeper to it; it was in the way he looked at me now, in the way he has always looked at me… Richard loved me. Not only did he fear that Baldric would kill me, he was jealous.

 

“Were you the Vampyre Child in the cave?” I asked.

 

“No,” He answered on a slow sigh, “But he created me. You were killed in the forest when the battle broke out, but you were reborn in Italy, the country to which I was born. I had seen you when you were young; you were different then, not as jaded. You loved the sun and life, your hair was of the palest blonde I had known, your eyes a beautiful cerulean. He saw how I watched you growing up, when he told me what he was, and what he could do for me I instantly agreed. He created me to be your guardian, he also charged me with a secret mission to find a way to release you from your bondage.”

 

“Have you found anything?” Everyone turned to the hopeful voice of Mrs. Remer. We were shocked by the compassion in her voice towards Richard.

 

“I have studied many texts I have found in my years, they all point to a solution

hidden deep in an ancient tome. A tome that is guarded by the L’immortale coven. But never mind the fact that the coven guarding it is the strongest and blood thirstiest coven in the world, with their leader being the very Vampyre that has haunted the nightmares of human and immortal alike, from what I‘ve read the actual ceremony is … Tricky.”

 

“How tricky?” Zeik asked.

 

“We would have to find the blood of Altmir, and as you know he has been dead for centuries.” A thought occurred to me as he said this.

 

“Who’s to say that Baldric isn’t Altmir?” I asked carefully into the silence that followed.

 

Rage flashed across Richard’s face and in the next moment, he was directly in front of me glaring deeply into my eyes.

 

“Have you not been listening to a single word I have said? Baldric is not Altmir; he is a trap that would not hesitate to kill you if given the chance.”

 

“He was given the chance already and he did not hurt me, in fact he helped me!”

 

“When was this?” His voice was menacing and a part of me realized, with some detachment, that he was trying to control my emotions; he was trying to evoke fear. He got an emotion alright but it certainly wasn’t fear.

 

“Back off Richard!” I spat. He continued to glare but I noticed that the muscles beneath his eyes began to twitch, as though he was straining against something. His arms shook, and it was than that I realized, that he was forced by some unforeseen power to obey the orders I gave him. I smiled slightly.

 

“Richard, go back to your seat and calm down!” I said putting as much power and force into the words as I possibly could.

He roared with outrage, angry that I finally understood what was happening, but he obeyed. The room was silent for a few beats; Richard was the one to break it.

 

“You are different.” He stated simply with a small sigh of resignation.

 

“Different as in how?” I asked.

 

“The powers of Nox show through you more greatly then your previous reincarnations. Before this you were gentle, sweet you wouldn’t wish to hurt anything, and you could not so easily command me. I have hopes that you might just make it to the heavens once again.”

 

“There is only one way to know for sure if that will happen and that involves using Baldric. He is going to be after me anyway to lure me into a false sense of security, why not turn the tables?”

 

“Trap the bait,” Zeik finished.

 

“No it is too dangerous, and I will not allow you to risk yourself.”

 

“You have no choice in the matter! Or have you forgotten that I can make you stay away from me?”

 

“You wouldn’t-”

 

“You think I won’t? After you drug me to your house and locked me up in a tower like some worthless princess! I should do it now just to prove to you that a stunt like that will not be tolerated again.” Richard’s mouth opened as though he wished to speak but he promptly closed it and ground his teeth.

 

“I will not allow it! You may not understand the consequences of what could happen if you were to die, but I am fully aware of the dangers. I will kill him if I notice so much as a moment’s discontent on his part.”

 

“And if he shows no aggression? What then? You can’t hurt him if he doesn’t wish to hurt me.”

 

“You assume too much, but if you are insistent on getting yourself into trouble be my guest, I will enjoy squeezing the life from him.”

 

“You will not touch him!”

 

“Your command only works within your presence, if he in anyway thinks to harm you, my coven, the mutts, or myself, I will destroy him. I suggest you step carefully, Goddess or not, you can be killed and, if the Hunters find you, completely destroyed.”

 

“I’ll keep that in mind, but in the meantime we’re going with my plan. Zeik would you mind taking me home?” I said turning away from Richard.

 

“Sure,” Zeik answered, he stood and started for the door. I turned back but Richard was gone, my spine tingled and I held back the shivers that threaten to break through. I knew that none of them wished to harm me but it was still unnerving and new. I swallowed my modicum of fear and pushed towards the door behind Zeik.