Deadly Night Shade

Chapter 1

    Despite my eyes being swollen shut at this point in the interrogating, I can still tell they are circling around me and pacing closer with each round they make. "This will be the last time we ask, you dull excuse for a fae. What happened in those chambers that led to the drow ambassador falling to his death? The court is up in arms over what happened there and we need to know everything and you were the only one in there consistently." I spit on the dirt floor, watching the slight line of filth cling to my saliva before speaking. "Like I said and will say again, I've no clue. I may've been his guard but not his keeper. I'm not one to argue with an ambassador if he chooses to take his consorts into a separate room, of which he had many during the night. All I knew was that once he stepped out onto the balcony, distressed about how he was overcome by chills and pain causing him to start to become weak as he walked about the room, I followed behind him in hopes I may catch him or be of help. Before I could get close enough, he was letting out blood-curdling cries before tossing himself over the balcony saying the pain was simply unbearable, refusing to wait for me to get the help for him. That shred of fabric in my hand was, as you said, part of his clothing but only because parts of it caught on the balcony before he entirely fell. Is there really no way to look at the body to determine why he was acting as such?" One of the guards scoffs and the other comes closer and I can hear him cautiously approaching me. "Unfortunately for someone in all of this, no. The drows insisted that his remains come back home with them. Do I personally think you pushed him, Nyxif? No, I've known you too long for me to think you would do something so blatantly stupid. Do the drows know that or want to know that? Again, no. They want your head for this and the last thing they want is for you to simply be set free. You have to give us something. You, the name of someone, something. Otherwise, they want your head for this. Especially since you two have such a sorted history with each other." I kick at the dirt under the heel of my foot and scoff myself. "Sorted? I can't give you myself nor the person who did it because it wasn't me. Otherwise, the one who did it is probably wandering these halls as we speak. The only reason there's a 'sorted history' between us is because the boy didn't know when to take no for an answer. You know I earned my place among the guards as any of your men did. That boy saw a noble family's daughter and thought I was owed to him because of it. All I ever did was thwart his advances by telling him the word no. I tell one spoiled brat no and now I'm to be hung for doing my duties even despite that history?" As the last couple words slip from my lips, I can hear the door open briefly before Caimys pulls a chair closer to me and I can hear him sit down in it. I'm taken off guard when I feel him touch my face and begin to rub something over my eyes and I can feel the slight shaking in his hands as he does so. "You ARE one of my men, nothing will change that, Nyxif. You will never be a daughter again and you know I will always honor that. This isn't personal, at least not from our side but, you know what must be done if we cannot find a head to bring forth for this." After he finishes with what I realized was ointment and I could finally open my eyes partially, I nod and lower my head, sighing in defeat. "I know. It's not fair but, I know it has to happen. All I ask is that it's you, Captain." He hesitates for a moment before nodding and waving someone in from outside. I could feel the familiar pressure on my shoulders and back and braced for impact of the puncture through my wings. It was a cruel but necessary way our kind had to be restrained. If the weight did not do something to deter you from flying off and risking them being more likely to just rip from your spine from the weight alone, then the bone stuck through the base of our wings would. This made it where even if you were to fly away, it would be unavoidable to have to also rip your wings to shreds in doing so. The fairies had their own fair share of notorious criminals brought before the Courts. Byrus takes a little too much pleasure in what came next and I could see the visible disgust in Caimys' eyes before he snatched the blade from Byrus. "I-I'm sorry, Nyxif. I'll cut your restraints so that you may cover yourself. I refuse to take your dignity." He cuts the ties on my wrists and I turn for him to cut up the side of my binding armor and I let my tunic fall over my torso loosely, thankfully masking my chest enough still. I knew he hated himself for having to do that and I knew he meant nothing by doing it. It was all part of the set rules we all had to follow. I nod to him and they both escort me out of the room to appear before the Courts for my execution. All I can do to set my mind astray as we shuffle there is take in the sensations of the sun's warmth along my skin and the smells. The smells. I turn abruptly at a sudden smell I recognize but I'm snapped to attention by the surge of pain from my chains and say nothing more of it. Once we reach the Courts, we are made to wait outside the chambers until they are ready for me. One of the many servants from around the castle approached to offer both of them drinks and at first, Caimys shakes his head but reaches for the glass muttering. "If I'm having to kill you, I need all I can get to get through this." It's only once the glass was near his lips that I finally smelled it again and I reacted quicker than I can think and brought my leg up to kick the glass from his grip as Byrus held my hands. This causes Byrus to come down on the chain with an outrageous amount of force and the ripping silences the whole room. It hadn't been much but it was enough to send a chilling scream from my lips as I cried out. "I-I's poison, Caimys. That's the same thing I smelled just before Voltaire died. It's Orbb'st Ssrin. Caimys waves some of his men over and they help him examine the spilled drink and he nods. We are both startled from our tense space when we hear the princess from down the hall. "What in the world is going on here? Why is Nyxif in bindings and practically disrobed and why is there wine everywhere?" She kneels next to me, even on her dress and tries her best to tend to the rip in my wings, just coming back with her tiny hands covered in blood. We'd grown up together and was the first person I had there that truly backed me in being me. We used to joke that if she couldn't pick one of the suitors lined up for her she would just have to marry me because she always looked at me as the only man she could stand. She never looked at me as someone's daughter, even then. "Please, Oryna. You're going to soil your clothes. I'm giving myself to the Courts to pay for Ambassador Voltaire's death. I'm doing my duty to repent for having failed at it in the first pla–'' I'm cut off by a woman's screaming and Caimys pushing Byrus off me before helping Oryna up then me, "We found the one responsible. You were right, he was poisoned and she admitted to all of it. She's delirious and spouting off about taking this kingdom down from within. I'm not sure the Courts will take it but they still want your head for failing to protect the Ambassador." I look at Oryna and she gets a deep, focused look in her eyes before looking at me. "Go in, follow my lead. I have something I'm going to try and I'm not for certain it will work but, I have to try." I look at her, entirely perplexed and a little concerned. When it came to her, her plans could be certified genius or an entire disaster. "O-Ok, after you, M'Lady." She flits off to attend to her plan and I feel Bryrus join Caimys in restraining me as we walk inside the chambers. The room is filled to the brim with noise and arguing that's only split by me showing up, rendering the room silent and every eye in the room to be fixed on me. I continue to disappear into the recesses of my mind as I stand to accept the fate I was inevitably dealt, even as the Court proceeds to argue over said fate. Some wanted death, some wanted exile. I just wanted this to be done and that was to be by any means possible. I only snap to attention when I see Oryna step out behind her father and tap him on the shoulder, leaning in to whisper. He seems to resist at first but sighs and nods, waving her away. I end up holding my breath as I see and hear his gavel hit and everyone turns to him. "I have a proposal for the fate of Nyxif. It is clear that while he was one of my best guards, it would be too much for the kingdom for him to be housed or welcome here. Despite bringing forth the killer of our late Ambassador Voltaire, he did fail in his duties to protect said diplomat and cannot be allowed to stay. I would suggest a form of exile in which he could very much be useful but no longer in the front lines of the kingdom. The Head of the Courts, a high elf named Rygis, turns to him and nods before casting her gaze upon me. She was a kindhearted woman and as much dark and forbidding things she had to do and deal with, you still see the weathering in her face to show she'd been living a happy life. She only made decisions she had to. She'd rightfully earned her lace amongst this carnival of fools they surrounded her with. She waves him over to explain more to her and I can see the thought that's swirling around as she processes what she's hearing. My knees can only shake as I wait and the silence is a heavy, dark net over the room until she waves her hand and speaks. I want these chambers emptied except for the guards and the main Chairs of the Court. This is a slew of chattering and complaining but no one resists and I'm taken off guard when she steps down and approaches me. "I have an offer for you child but do not take this lightly. I take none of what I am about to say lightly myself and I do not offer it without feeling like you will not only accept it but do well at it." I lock eyes with hers and nod without hesitation and glance at Oryna still lingering in the doorway near her father. I look back at Regys and she takes a deep breath before starting. "Therion says you are highly skilled in what you do and I concur from what I have been told. Therion has offered for you to fall into the Court's hands as–well, as something high honor but also a high price. This gift is not one offered lightly to any that accept it but, I'm confident you will do well, like I said." I tilt my head slightly and look at her eagerly for the rest. She looks confused at first but proceeds. "We would like to offer that in the place of death and exile, you could fall into secrecy and become our Blyght." Every remaining head in the room turns to Rygis and a collective silence clings to the room. Blyghts were part of the Immortal Fae race. They were not born that way but, given their gifts and agelessness by the Elders. It required much of them, including a lengthy process in which the fae creature has to die and come back to act as proof that their body can handle the weight of their abilities. Blyghts specifically were closest to what humans depicted as Death. If the Fae were promised something, they were going to get it. The last way you would ever want it to happen was their last resort and that was to send the Blyght after you. They were the last effort to collect the souls, names, whatever was owed and only death followed behind them. No one of the living Fae wanted to be associated with them so it was a lonely existence to say the least, to live without aging and be the scum of the earth to the very people you were protecting. It had been years since the last Blyght had passed. They hardly survived long because they weren't actually immortal, just harder to kill and there were other creatures we had to contend with, including humans. "I'm not sure I'm the one you want for that job, M'Lady. I'm not even for certain that I'd even survive long enough to fulfill that task." She presses her finger on my lips and looks down at me and smiles warmly. "I am sure. Therion agrees with his daughter who also believes in you. It will fix itself either way this way. If you pass in the process, then it's less for the Courts. Your execution will be taken care of and you will of at least gone out in trying to make up for what happened and if you survive, well, you get to prove yourself again." I can feel Caimys tighten his grip on my arm and I glance at him to see a subtle nod in support. "I-I'm scared though." He smiles and squeezes again. "So am I, but I've never been more sure that this might be the right thing in my entire life. I believe you were born to do this and will do amazing at it." I chuckle and shake my head before throwing it back and sighing. "You owe me a tall drink after this if I do." I stand and Caimys releases me as I walk towards Rygis more. I hear him from behind me. "Deal" I look at Rygis and nod. "I accept your offer, M'Lady and it will be my honor to serve you as your Blyght." I weakly bow to her and she gently lifts my chin to stand back up. "Let's remove those chains and get you ready for the ceremony." Without hesitation, she reaches back and removes the bone quickly from my back and I slide the chains off my wings, holding back crying from the pain. I swallow the last of it back and stand straight for her. "After you, M'Lady." She nods and takes my hand as she leads me away from what I'd always known, the people who had known me my whole life. All to face indescribable agony in hopes of becoming a god. I follow her to the deep, damp parts of the corridors beneath the kingdom and hand me off to a group of fairies that tend to get me bandaged and in my best health before I go through this. They even helped me redo my binding armor and give me something to eat and drink. I thank them and go on my way to the next chamber that I'm led to. This room is less built and more naturally made by the land, the pillars made from tightly wound vines and the water below your feet glowing with a pearlescent light that danced along your body while you walked. We finally find Rygis and I'm left with her as the room starts to shift around us to put us out on an island in the water alone and I know what's next for me. I drop to my knees in the soft moss on the stones and watch as she lowers in front of me as she pulls an ornate blade from her robes and holds it out as an unspoken offer to say no one last time. I shake my head and guide the tip to my chest and sigh deeply and nod, praying softly to myself as I let my head fall back. I only maintain consciousness long enough to feel the blade sink into my chest and feel her lower me to the ground before continuing, my mind splitting away from me as my life slipped further away. I don't know why but, I gripped a moment longer than I expected at the end before I dove into the nothingness, welcoming whatever came of me. I was for sure there wasn't going to be anything left of me after some time passed from when I let go and my corpse didn't take in some sharp breath or twitch even slightly but I never did. To my surprise, I surge back to life and feel my body again as I shakily start to lift my hand to look at it. When I finally bring myself into a sitting stance, I look around at the ground and the glow that everything had starts to pulse and I wobble to my feet as I see Rygis walking up to me, arms open and smiling with someone following behind her carrying something. "I knew you would survive and I'm happy to see you did, Nyxif. How do you feel?" I have to think before remembering how to speak and clear my throat. "L-Like a stranger in my own body but alive again. Oddly energetic and like there's lightning in my fingers." She warmly laughs and nods, waving her guest ahead of her. "All completely normal. In fact, that feeling is your abilities manifesting and this is a gift for you to help you channel it. Now, stand tall, child, you're a Blyght now." She turns and walks away as I am handed an ornate spear and it hums to life as my fingers come near it. With a touch, it lifts from their hands and follows mine and I stand the rest of the way up and grab onto it. Forever seems to pass after that day, a century in human years. I'd collected a good gathering of promises and souls during that time and managed to not get killed doing any of it. Rygis and Caimys were right about this coming naturally to me. Even as the human years changed the world around them, I still kept a relative pace alongside them. This morning, I'm called to speak with Rygis again about some affairs needing tending to and doing what I need to prepare. Today another child was promised to the Fae. We weren't needlessly cruel, the child had lived a full life for as short as it was. We were actually coming because he was promised in trade for a little more time when his mother found out he was sick and not going to be getting any better. Fae promises were a fickle game though and if I didn't get there soon, the mother was going to find out the catch which would happen to be that afterwards, his disease would take him more violently than it did the first time. I arrive at the hospital, making good time as I can still hear him giggling in his room from the front counter. I sign in as his mother's "death doula" and she greets me with warm hugs and tired smiles. She didn't know what or who I was, nor did he. To them I was an unassuming stranger involved in all of this and human at that. My abilities glamoured my features away so I looked like the most friendly face if I wanted to. On my way into the room, I scanned the hallway out of habit and wondered briefly what brought the man in the chair at the end next to the boys room. I sigh and tell the mother to take it easy and go get herself something to eat and I sit in the bed next to the boy, listening to the fantastical stories he tells about playing knights and dragons with his mom. I start to feel the swell in my chest that told me it was time to do what I came for and I continue to listen to him and see my fingertips start to turn black and I finally touch his shoulder and he starts to rub his eyes and yawn. "I'm so tired, Mr. Clover. I'm going to lay down right here next to you for a little bi-." Before he could finish he sunk to his pillow and let go, painlessly and before the disease took him. The events of the next few minutes transpired and caused a flurry of everyone rushing to his room and I made my leave, making sure to leave a note at the front counter for a new death doula for the mother, leaving a small sum of human cash for her to hire one if she needed it. When I leave, the man from the hallway is gone and I shrug it off as I leave. As I walked into the crisp, winter air, I gently held the small vial in my hand as his wispy soul glowed in my palm and I gently cradled it. "You're going to be okay now, little one. You're going to get a new try at life." I close my eyes and let the shadows envelope me under the dying street light and I'm home in my dark room beneath the castle and I walk into the hall, bringing the vial to the mages and disappear for the night into the gardens above ground. I lay there in the tangling vines towards the center of the maze and just watched the stars beyond the branches of the trees. I close my eyes for a while until I smell vanilla and ash. "Been practicing your spellwork again, Lady Oryna?" She stomps and pouts. "I just bathed three times to get the smell gone. You have the nose of a hound, Nyx." I plop down to the ground next to me and I chuckle softly as the fabric of her gown gets in my face and I sit up next to her. She looks me over and gestures for me to turn and I do so. Since I'd become a Blyght, she insisted I not disappear and she got to tend to my wounds as they healed. The biggest one still healing was my wings so I let them out and I could feel her still petite hands along them. "The scar tissue is finally forming well along them and this salve should help strengthen that area of your wings and you might be able to fly again soon." I didn't want to get my hopes up for that but, I was a little excited at the thought. All the bandaging, that's something I still haven't gotten back yet. Byrus had marred my wings tremendously that night and none of them knew if I'd recover that part of my body. Oryna had in that time become Queen and her father passed but, she took over responsibility of me but, she chased her passions of being a "useful Queen" as she called it. She wanted to continue to have street smarts as well as book smarts when it came to her magic and spellwork. She had gotten engaged to another fairy noble and was to be married soon but, both had a mutual agreement about whom she was actually bedding with. One of the servant girls had become rather fond of her and likewise. We all knew what was really happening and never uttered a word about it. We had no reason to, she was happy and thriving as queen. Once she patted me on the back to tell me she was done, I carefully closed my wings and turned  back to her and sigh. "More wedding planning today?" She nods and spends the next couple hours telling me everything they had her doing today and we made each other laugh at certain points until we finally both wandered to our respective rooms and let sleep take over. I was plagued with the same nightmares as the last few nights and only slept for a short amount of time before getting up and heading to the Elders and praying with them for a while about what I've been seeing in my dreams. Rygis arrives a while later and I fill her in about the contents of the nightmares, as I had been every night and she lets out a deep sigh tonight. "That's what I need to talk to you about, Nyxif. I have another task to tend to and this one is–a difficult one. This man has been dabbling in magic he doesn't understand for way too long and we have to stop him but, we aren't the only ones after his head. He's been cheating everyone. I want him brought to me." She wasn't typically this grave when giving me my tasks but, I could tell what rested on this was of grave importance. I bow and accept her wishes and leave once again to the human realm. Once I manage to track this man down, I follow him for a while and it brings us to a shed in the middle of the woods and I remain in the treeline in the branches looking down. Rygis was right about him doing all kinds of bizarre and forbidden magic. I get ready to swoop in when another shadow shows up around the side of the shed and I recognize the man from outside of the boy's room from before. His dark hair hid his face from me and all I could make out was the darkly colored suit he wore. I wander along the branches until I'm above him and I watch him closely as he watches our mutual target and I watch him extend his arm our and he conjures an ornate scythe from the shadows around him and I drop onto him and we both crash to the ground and I conjure my spear and press it to his neck to hold him down and whisper. "Who the fuck are you and why are you following this man?" His dark hair falls from his face and I see the features of a skeleton glowing through what feels like a normal, human shape. His voice catches me off guard when he answers. "I could ask you the same. I'm here to collect him, it's his time. He's been escaping death for far too long and I'm going to be the one to bring him down if you don't expose both of us, you idiot." I kick at the ground and vines tightly wrap around his arms and legs and I stand to follow the man closely and make a mocking face at the man on the ground and smirk. I'm within reach of the man when my legs are suddenly yanked from underneath me and I slam forward to the ground and roll over in time to see the skeleton man grab my ankle and drag me towards him until he looks down at me and I flinch as he swings the scythe within a hair of my throat and leans close. "I said he's mine, now learn your place, little boy." I gasp at the insult but freeze, tilting my head and scowling. I wasn't sure if that was an insult necessarily but, I shook my head and kicked his legs from under him, knocking him to the ground and ending up alerting the man we were both following and he ran. He turned quickly and grabbed the collar of my shirt and pulled me close, a low growl escaping him. "Stay out of my way or I will kill you." He looks me in my eyes and tries to intimidate me and my eyes glow back and I smirk, pushing him off me. "Not if I do it first, Mr. Bones." I lift my hand and my spear comes to hover by my side as he lets me up.