Masquerading

23. A Wonderful Vessel

SMILING into the scarred and bearded face of the recently deceased soldier, Leyva watched as it gestured for her to do something. It touched her sword and shook its head it's movements stiff, but somewhat reminiscent of Freesia. Of course, the Nagori would not want her to be armed. Slowly complying, she removed her sword from its scabbard and tossed it aside. As it clattered onto the stairs, Kyden shouted for her to stop.

Following the grimling and the Nagori's lead, she looked at him, frowned and then continued up the steps. Halfway up, the grimling stopped, pushing her gently to the top of the steps.

Standing as well as its bent and twisted body allowed, it reached a hand out for her. "Come to me, Daughter."

Leyva paused, unsure.

"My darling girl," the abrasive voice said in an attempt to sound doting. "You've been gone too long."

"Mother," Leyva sighed happily. "It has. I've missed you."

Its face stretched into a satisfied grin. "Take off that dirty armour and come! Let's have some tea and get you washed up."

Leyva had to admit that the Nagori did a good job of sounding like her mother, at least in the way she spoke. She had hoped she could have held onto her armour, and the blades attached to the straps on the back, but it seemed the creature was aware of them. She would not be able to get close enough to get the Jewel if she didn't do as she was told.

"Oh, I would love that! Will you send for Lady Freesia? I've missed her so." Leyva stalled and fiddled with the buckles on the breastplate. Behind her halfway across the hall, Killi still had an arrow notched, though his aim was relaxed and he watched them slack-jawed. She'd seen his swindle before, so she had the utmost confidence that he was more alert than even she felt. Removing her plates, and the belt of throwing knives she had strapped to her back, she caught his eye.

Her mother's gentle words continued in that horrid voice, attempting to soothe her into believing she was doing the right thing. Dropping everything, she took a deep breath and let out the sigh of relief expected of someone finally free of the weight of armour.

"That's better now isn't it?"

"Much!" Rolling her shoulders, Leyva stepped to the dais and stretched her arms to mirror her imposter mother's offer of a hug.

"No! Leyva! No!" Kyden's raw and shredded voice called to her as the spindly arms of the creature engulfed her.

She'd had no chance to grab the pendant before her arms were trapped at her sides, and now Leyva questioned if she'd made the right choice.

"You'll do nicely, Princess." The Nagori all but cooed at her, rubbing its face to her cheek. "Yes, nicely, indeed."

Leyva realised that while she'd been setting her trap, the thing had been weaving its own. A calm mind that would remain untouched by magic was, in this circumstance, a blessing, but she would have given her left arm to have known what the beast was thinking ahead of time. Now she was trapped wondering what she'd do nicely for.

Enlightenment came quickly as the Nagori sneered. "This body is a bit ragged, don't you think? You would make a wonderful vessel. You have much resolve, and that face of yours will make it easier to bend men to our cause with little effort."

Flaming Nethers!

Leyva had no intention of becoming the Nagori.

She succeeded in putting only a step between them before its hand clasped her throat and held her fast in place, forcing her to face it. Leyva watched in terrified awe as something sticky, the colour of darkened blood crawled out of the Nagori's mouth and latched onto her face. The swampy smell of rot and death suffocated her as the substance forced its way into her mouth.

As she choked on the sickly sweet glop, a scream ripped its way out of her, reverberating through her chest and shredding her throat. Every inch of her skin burned and crawled like an army of fire ants had taken up residence under it. Unable to control herself she felt her fingers begin to claw at her skin.

She could not remember where she was or why she was there. All she knew was the black that permeated every part of her mind, as she tried to shake it off. She saw her father die in front of her at her own hands, and her mother beg for mercy and life. In the void behind her eyes, she saw torture, murder, ravaging and destruction, and the whole time something told her that she enjoyed it. Pleasure travelled up her arms in shivers and kissed her spine.

But, Leyva thought as a face floated in her visions, she loved those people and places. As she watched the brown skinned man with the beautiful black hair die a horrifically bloody death, she cried for him. He had fought at her side. He had fought for her. He'd given everything of himself for her once. As she fought to remember that time, another face, this one more lucid swam before her eyes.

Leathery grey skin sunk and sagged off the face, and white eyes peered into hers and Leyva began to understand that it was the Nagori that had been before she herself had become the Nagori.

But she wasn't. Not yet. She could hear—with clarity that seemed to propel the thick syrupy substance from her body—Kyden shouting for her.

Remember.

Another voice separated from the cacophony she heard, a loud wailing sound that called her attention. She knew that sound. She'd heard it many times before. A war-cry. Killi's war-cry. What was he saying? She struggled to pick the words out, and when she did her eyes dropped from the face in front of hers.

Blinding light emanated from its chest and Leyva could only stare at it transfixed. It was a jewel. The Jewel.

Recognition sparked in Leyva's mind. With a deep breath, silently thanked the feyrie for the gift she'd thought stupid her whole life. It could ravage and torture her body, but the Nagori could never take her mind. Fortunate for everyone she loved, then, that the creature didn't know that. As it poured itself into her, she wondered how she would use the Jewel to destroy it.

Her body would be a temporary vessel, and once spent by the Nagori's strength, she would die. The Jewel of Nagora was meant to be a permanent prison, incapable of being corrupted. Leyva focused her attention on it, wondering if she could do what the creature did and simply pour the magic into it.

With all her might, she tried, feeling the magic burn her as she tried to catch hold of and bend it to her will. The magic, dark and driven by destruction showed her something. It sent a trill of pleasure through her, and she fought to keep control of her emotions before the darkness could consume her again.

She dug her fingers into her skirts, pinching her legs to keep herself tied to the present. In the folds of the fabric she felt the pouch strapped to her thigh, and grasped the blade of dagger hidden it in. She didn't even feel it slice her, and flexed her hand repeatedly till she could be sure she was bleeding. With a scream she drove the knife and the Jewel of Nagora into the Nagori's chest.

Try as she might she could not withdraw her hand—as the swampy glop sucked through her hand and into the Jewel, she was held fast. The magic clawed and scraped through every part of her as it fought to stay within her. Leyva could feel the tears on her face and the way her body shook.

As the unbearably scorching pain ravaged her, she smiled. As she lost grip on her ability to stand, she smiled. As her vision faded and her eyes rolled back, she smiled because she knew she'd won.