Hunter of Midnight

Ch.14 Presence of Death

Ari Dalthus has been in a coma-like state for three days. Bula tends to him, her worried eyes never leaving his body. It is a pain in Bula's heart to see him in such a state. The paleness of his skin is a reminder of what he'd looked like in those initial days, like he was a shade stalking the castle. Ari Dalthus is a good kid, one that reminds Bula of the child she'd lost long ago.

"You shouldn't be so hard on yourself, Bula," Queen Niara says from a lounge in Ari's room. She too has hardly left the room, her magic keeping Ari from starving in his current state.

Bula looks down, averting her gaze from her queen and lifelong friend. "This doesn't feel right, Ara," Bula says softly. "Nothin' about this does. Ka'Jai has lived peacefully on your grounds for two years, why now would he decide to lash out and why at Ari? And those Mávros Naga who attacked right after..."

"I know," Niara sighs softly, "they came so close to the castle..."

In silence, Bula's mind wanders. A thought crosses her mind, and it makes her blood run cold. She turns to her friend. "Ara," she says, her voice hardly above a whisper. "What if he is like them?"

Niara stiffens. It was possible, too possible. "She can't know," Niara says, her own blood running cold at the thought. In disbelief and in fear, the queen shakes her head. "No... no she can't, it's far too early. There's no way she could know more than us."

A rustle and a groan jolts the females from their worries, their gazes turning back to Ari. Ari Dalthus is now writhing in his bed, chest rising and falling quickly. Bula rushes over to hold him still, trying to stop him from hurting himself. Niara stands there wide eyed, waiting and watching.

Then, she sees it. A symbol... her worst fear.

Colored in the darkest of violets, the shape of a new moon takes form just below Ari's collar bone. The image of black, dragon-like wings take form across his clavicles, their clawed tips stopping just as the wings meet his shoulders. With a quick look between them, Bula pulls back the covers so she and Niara can watch as the remainder of the tattoo takes form. In patches of muted mauve, fog was painted across his chest, a line of black stars down his sternum and ending just below his ribs.

"Oh my," Bula softly gasps, slowly tugging the blanket back over Ari's body. By now, his breathing had leveled back out, and he once again became unresponsive. Anxiously, Bula allowed her eyes to drift over to the queen. "You know what this means... don't you?"

Stiffly, Niara nods her head. This tattoo as a whole was a marking of Nyx, Primordial Goddess to the night and all of its creatures. The thought of such a powerful goddess' presence lingering around left Niara feeling sick. One of the twelve Olympians was already too much, but a goddess that Zeus himself fears?

"Ara?" Bula drifts to Queen Niara's side, placing a gentle hand at her friend's back to soothe her. "Tell me," she whispers, "tell me what you're thinking."

Queen Niara stared down at Ari Dalthus, her thoughts racing too fast and her heart pounding too hard. The queen shut her eyes tight. She gave herself a much needed moment; a moment just to breathe. She let herself take another moment to breathe, and then another. A moment turned into a minute, then a minute turned to ten, and eventually Queen Niara was calm enough to speak. With her thoughts rallied and her head clear, she turns to face Bula, her closest friend.

"Gather everyone," Queen Niara says softly. "We must discuss before her arrival. Above all else, I want Ari as far away from her as possible, and I will have no exceptions."

Straightening her back, Bula gives a nod to her queen. "Of course, your majesty. I will let them know at once."

♞