Kalona’s Fall (13 page)

The Goddess bent and blew gently on the girl’s bleeding throat. The torn flesh instantly
began to mend.

For my daughter, this creation of mine,

I give the gift of Night Divine.

Nyx kissed the girl’s lips, breathing the last of Spirit within her, and then she
kissed the middle of the girl’s smooth forehead, touching the child with a Goddess’s
Old Magick, whispering,
With this Mark tattoo, your life begins anew.

In the middle of the girl’s forehead a sapphire-colored crescent moon appeared. From
it, spreading down either side of the girl’s face, grew an intricate series of filigreed
swirls and mysterious signs that held symbols of each of the five elements, magickally
mirroring the tattoos with which Nyx so often chose to decorate her own body.

The girl opened her eyes. “Great Goddess of Night, tell me your name so that I may
worship you.”

“You may call me Nyx.”

Then the night around them exploded as Mother Earth materialized, followed by a crowd
of trilling dryads who took one look at their Goddess and fell unusually silent.

“Ah, so, it is as I thought,” Mother Earth said. She shook her head sadly. “The test
has been tainted. Kalona must fail.”

Erebus dropped from the sky, holding a woven basket. His sunlit smile faded as he
took in the somber scene.

“I felt the test begin. I hurried to join you,” Erebus said.

“Daughter, sleep, and when you awaken you will forget the terror of your creation
and remember only love, always love,” Nyx commanded the maiden, and brushed a hand
down her face, causing the girl’s eyes to close. Then the Goddess moved her gently
off her lap, and stood to face Erebus and Mother Earth.

“What happened here is my responsibility. The old man was confused and mistaken. He
sacrificed this maiden to Kalona in a fit of madness. I commanded Kalona give me his
creation gift and invoke Spirit, so that I might mix our magick and save her life.
His actions have pleased me. I decree that Kalona has passed the third and final of
his tests.” Nyx turned to Erebus. “You may complete your test now, as well.”

With none of the playfulness he usually exhibited, Erebus walked to Nyx and placed
the basket on the ground between her and the sleeping maiden.

“I meant this as a gift for the Prairie People you love so well,” he told her. “It
seems right that they now belong to your most favored mortal daughter.”

Erebus took the lid from the basket to reveal the five kittens Erebus had shown her
earlier that evening. He spread his hands over the basket, and invoked:

Ancient Magick, borrowed creation, and the power of Spirit I call to thee.

Know my will and do as I command from the very heart of me.

Create joy from this night of confusion, death, and tears.

Comfort this daughter of Nyx with companionship during long years.

Familiars and friends and playmates they shall be in name and in heart.

Once chosen, by the might of the sun they will never be apart.

Erebus’s hands blazed with the orange glow of a setting sun, and when he lifted them
from the top of the basket, Nyx saw that the wild tan and gray fur of the kittens
had been changed to sunlight orange and cloudy cream. Erebus lifted one of the kittens
from the basket, and instead of hissing and scratching, it began to purr, nuzzling
him with its fluffy face. The winged immortal smiled. “Not me, sweet one. She has
need of your friendship more than I.” He tucked the kitten beside the sleeping maiden,
and then carried the other four to the girl, as well, so that they formed a warm circle
against her. Then he turned back to Nyx.

The Goddess took his face in her hands and kissed him gently. “Your gift has pleased
me greatly. You, too, have passed the last of the tests.” Then Nyx turned to face
Mother Earth. “I did not plan what happened tonight.”

“And I planned too rigidly. I tried to control too much. Tonight I realize that there
are some things that not even your great capacity to love or my gift for creation
can forestall.”

“Are we still friends?”

“Always,” Mother Earth said. “But I think it is time I stopped meddling in your personal
affairs.”

“I will never be able to thank you enough for that loving meddling. You ended my loneliness
and now, with Kalona and Erebus, the Otherworld will be filled with life again.”

“You are more than welcome,” Mother Earth said. She walked to Erebus and embraced
him warmly. “You will always be the memory of a perfect, sun-filled summer’s day to
me. I have enjoyed being your mother.”

“And I enjoy being your son. Will we not continue our visits?”

“Perhaps, but I think you will find that you will be quite busy in the Otherworld,
and I realize that I have become weary again. I need to sleep.” Mother Earth accepted
Erebus’s kiss on her cheek, then she moved to stand before Kalona. “I have been hard
on you, my moonlit son, but that is because of what I sense within you. Kalona, you
are a different type of creation from your brother. You were born warrior and lover,
and those two roles are not easy to bear side by side. I see within you a limitless
capacity for good, as well as an equally limitless capacity for harm. Through the
tests I meant for you to learn that with great power comes great responsibility. Only
your future choices will show whether I succeeded in my lessons.”

“I do not intend harm,” Kalona said earnestly.

“Intent is a fickle friend,” Mother Earth said. “You did not intend for any mortals
to die this night, did you?”

“No. I did not.”

“And yet one is dead, and one is altered forever. Kalona,
hear me well as this I vow: Should your anger, Darkness allow, Earth’s embrace shall
not succor thee. So I have spoken, so mote it be.
” Sealing the oath, Mother Earth kissed him on his cold lips and then turned to Nyx
wearily. The two women embraced.

Nyx’s gaze went to the maiden. “When you are not sleeping, would you watch over my
daughter with me? She is a new being, and the only one of her kind. She will need
special care, and one cannot have too many mothers.”

“My friend, I am afraid that I may sleep so long that in some ways I shall never again
arise, so before I drift into my living bed, I will create once more, though you must
watch over these children yourself.”

Nyx was confused for a moment, and then she understood what Mother Earth intended.
“You will create more like her!”

“I will, though their creation will be more difficult than was hers. She is not truly
a
new
being, but rather a mortal made
more.
I will sow humanity with the seeds of what she is. I do not know how many of them
will be able to become
more.
”

Nyx clasped her friend’s hands. “Thank you, Mother Earth. Thank you for making sure
my daughter will not live her life alone.”

“Do not thank me yet. I do not know how many like her will survive.”

“Humans are strong and brave. There will be many who survive,” Nyx said. “And I will
be their Goddess of Night!”

“Yes, my friend. Yes,” Mother Earth agreed. “Now, embrace me again, and take your
leave quickly. I want no sadness or regret between us.”

Nyx hugged her tightly. “Sleep in peace with no worry and no regret. I will visit
your children, and I will watch over that which is eternal within them for eternity.”

“Watch over yourself as well,” Mother Earth said. Then, still embracing the Goddess,
she whispered for her ears alone: “And watch Kalona. If he begins to change it will
be because his anger has grown greater than his love. If he allows anger to consume
him, it will also consume you and your realm.” Then she released Nyx and stepped back.
“Go now, and may you all be blessed—”

Heartbreaking trills erupted from the group of Fey that clustered around Mother Earth.
Nyx saw that there weren’t only dryads there, but coblyn, naiads, and even a few skeeaeds
had appeared on the prairies, painting the night with bright colors that reflected
their anxiety.

“No, little ones, do not despair. You belong in the Otherworld—that is your home,”
Mother Earth said.

“Oh, my friend, please tell me that the Fey may continue to visit your earth,” Nyx
said.

Mother Earth looked surprise. “You would allow it?”

Nyx smiled warmly at the Fey.
As long as there is Old Magick, ancient, rich and true, there you shall find the Fey,
and there they shall find you.

“So your Goddess has spoke, and so mote it be!” Mother Earth cried, enlivened again
as the Fey formed a circle around her and began to dance in celebration.

Nyx wiped away a tear, and then took Kalona and Erebus by the hand. “Let us leave
her now, happy and surrounded by those who bring her such joy,” she said softly, guiding
them into the darkness of the grassy prairie. When they were out of sight of Mother
Earth, Nyx let loose their hands and said, “Follow me.” The Goddess lifted her hand
and a slender silver thread appeared, as if the moon had lent her a beam of light.
She grasped it and smiled at the winged immortals who were studying her with twin
looks of apprehension. “Don’t worry. If you know the way, the journey is not far.
And I will show you the way, so that ever after you will never be far from me.” Then
the glittering ribbon went taut, lifting the Goddess into the night sky. Kalona and
Erebus unfurled their wings together, and took to the sky after her.

*   *   *

Nyx didn’t let loose
the glittering silver thread until, out of the complete blackness that exists between
realms, a patch of hard-packed earth suddenly appeared. She stepped on it and turned
to face Kalona and Erebus.

“Is it a piece of Mother Earth here?” Erebus asked, bending to touch the ground that
looked so very much like the red dirt from the tall grass prairie.

“There’s more of it in there,” Kalona said, pointing at a seemingly endless grove
that stretched before them.

“No, there is nothing of Mother Earth here,” Nyx said. “Though you will see many sights
that will remind you of her.”

Nyx thought Kalona looked relieved. Erebus only looked curious. “What is that tree?”
he asked, starting to walk forward toward it.

Nyx stepped before him, blocking his way. Both immortals were now looking at her curiously.

“That tree has many names in the mortal realm, Yggdrasil, Abellio, and the Hanging
Tree are but three of many reflections of its Old Magick. Here, I call it the Wishing
Tree, as I have filled it with ribbons of Divine Energy in which I have woven wishes
and dreams, joy and love. It stands at the entrance to my realm, the Otherworld. I
intend to share my realm with both of you, but before I allow you entrance I ask each
of you to make me one promise—that no matter what the eternity to come brings, you
will never again speak of the events of this night. My daughter, and those who come
after her, must never know that they were mistakes created because of superstition
and madness. Do you agree?”

“I do, and you have my promise,” Kalona said.

“As do I. You have my promise as well, kind, loving Goddess,” Erebus said.

“Then I gladly bid you enter the Otherworld, and wish that together we will all blessed
be!”

*   *   *

Mother Earth left
the Fey to their endless dancing. She had one last task to perform before she could
sleep, but first she approached the body of the Shaman. She knelt beside him and closed
his sightless eyes; then she waved her hands over his body, and the rich earth of
the prairie parted, gently making an opening in which to cradle the old man.

“You did well, just as I asked. I know it broke your heart to follow my edict and
sacrifice the maiden, but by doing so you have given Kalona his only chance at redemption,
for he has, indeed, been tainted by Darkness. Nyx does not see it, but I see it as
clearly as did you. You did as I commanded. Now I will keep my word to you, old one.”
Mother Earth touched his forehead, and drew from within him the glowing orb that held
his eternal spirit.

Come to me, mighty beast of the grass sea!

An enormous bison trotted up to Mother Earth. The muscles of his wide chest rippled
as he bowed before her, his muzzle resting by her knee. She stroked his thick pelt,
murmuring her appreciation of his majesty. Then she completed her promise by saying:

Joined for a lifetime you and he shall be!

She pressed the spirit glob against the bison’s forehead, and it disappeared within
the beast. Mother Earth smiled up at him. “Go, old one made young! Roam the prairie
and have a long, fertile life.”

With a snort, the bison obeyed her, and as he trotted away he kicked the air in a
joyous dance of freedom.

11.

THOUGH IT WOULD CREATE A WOUND WITHIN HER THAT WOULD ACHE FOR ETERNITY, NYX KNEW KALONA
MUST BE STOPPED …