The first records of our young world
were those of tears and blood
***
were those of tears and blood
***
The shadow of storm clouds darkened the sky over the Witch Doctor's secluded, swampy hovel, drawing her eye away from the bloody remains of the raccoon she'd been examining. Thunder rumbled across the heavens, rattling her bones and her nerves into a thrum of caged excitement. With a bit more expediency in her movements, she poked again at the ruined mustelid.
It gave up few secrets, but then it was dead. Sometimes, the dead have very little to say, and that was their choice.
Then the rains arrived.
They did not pick up slowly. Rather, they arrived like a wall of water and sound sweeping across Terrastella, beating the land into submission with heavy, torrential blows. As the rain broke across her hideaway and began trickling like ant trails into the dry spaces, the spotted mare couldn't help but bark out a triumphant cackle. She hop-skipped out into the elements, sheets of water streaking the blood and red paint on her skin until red runnels ran down her neck and flanks, and howled her glee to the bruised purple sky.
The witch doctor spared not a moment's thought for the boggy water as she splashed and lurched her way out into the open, where already she saw the soft city-dwellers scurrying about beneath the heavy hand of Vespera's judgment. She wondered if Swewll had been caught out, and if his fancy books had been ruined. That shouldn't have made her as happy as it did, but she of all horses loved being proven right. Her bobbed tail smacked against her flanks like an excited metronome as she called out to the horses before her, antlered skull all the more menacing in the shadowed mire of the monsoon.
"Oho, now you see, outsiders! Now you face um Vespela wrat!" She didn't even mind that the swaggering spring in her step jarred her crippled foot with every beat. Pain seemed as nothing next to the awesome power and rage of her goddess. Shaking her bone-crowned head with a fervency that rattled the vertebrae tied into her sopping mane, she continued.
"But as de goddess punish, so she forgive! De witch doctor help all loyal to Vespela."
She knew powerful medicine, passed down since the times of Nahane and the sand girl. If they would be but pious, the witch doctor would help them. If not...
...then perish.
It gave up few secrets, but then it was dead. Sometimes, the dead have very little to say, and that was their choice.
Then the rains arrived.
They did not pick up slowly. Rather, they arrived like a wall of water and sound sweeping across Terrastella, beating the land into submission with heavy, torrential blows. As the rain broke across her hideaway and began trickling like ant trails into the dry spaces, the spotted mare couldn't help but bark out a triumphant cackle. She hop-skipped out into the elements, sheets of water streaking the blood and red paint on her skin until red runnels ran down her neck and flanks, and howled her glee to the bruised purple sky.
The witch doctor spared not a moment's thought for the boggy water as she splashed and lurched her way out into the open, where already she saw the soft city-dwellers scurrying about beneath the heavy hand of Vespera's judgment. She wondered if Swewll had been caught out, and if his fancy books had been ruined. That shouldn't have made her as happy as it did, but she of all horses loved being proven right. Her bobbed tail smacked against her flanks like an excited metronome as she called out to the horses before her, antlered skull all the more menacing in the shadowed mire of the monsoon.
"Oho, now you see, outsiders! Now you face um Vespela wrat!" She didn't even mind that the swaggering spring in her step jarred her crippled foot with every beat. Pain seemed as nothing next to the awesome power and rage of her goddess. Shaking her bone-crowned head with a fervency that rattled the vertebrae tied into her sopping mane, she continued.
"But as de goddess punish, so she forgive! De witch doctor help all loyal to Vespela."
She knew powerful medicine, passed down since the times of Nahane and the sand girl. If they would be but pious, the witch doctor would help them. If not...
...then perish.
***
The Witch Doctor
Its last records will be those of tears and blood also
The Witch Doctor
Its last records will be those of tears and blood also
