Arcane

Chapter One

            I had been out in the crop fields, fighting with the clouds.  I could feel their reluctance to move, hear their complaining voices ringing in my ears.  There was not much progress for they were waddling slowly across the sky, begging to release their pregnant bellies of their heavy burden of water.  Gently, prodding.  Cajoling.  I urged the clouds to move out of the firing range of the crops.  The dense load of water, held within the bellies of clouds, would surely destroy the crops.  I was in the middle of coercing a particularly stubborn cumulous cloud when I heard the shouts.

            Afraid for on of my adopted villagers I ran as fast I could; abandoning the willful clouds in lieu of following the wake of the screams.  The girl’s frantic screams and pleas reached my ears before I found them.

            “Please!  Please stop!  Help!”

            Skidding to a stop I cursed the appearance of a familiar shimmering figure of a fellow god.  That damned Liirton had a village girl trapped within his grasp.  The poor lass was backed up against an orchard tree with her skirts forcibly hiked about her waist.  Liirton was pressed against the girl, his head nuzzled into the crook of her neck.

            “What’s the matter Liirton?”  I sneered his name, pulling him out of his blissful embrace of pleasure.  “Niscirene tired of you as lover?”

            He lifted his head to quizzically stare at me, a hint of boredom shining in his eyes.  Paying no real attention to me, he continued his physical assault on the girl.

            “I realize your frustration.  That does not mean, however, that you can attack one of my people.  Unhand the girl.”  My voice turned flinty.  “She is not for you to use for your pleasure.  Use one of Niscirene’s many pets for that.”

            Liirton titled his head back to laugh, his eyes traveling lazily up and down my figure.

            “And what are you going to do about it?  Little girl,” he taunted as he gave a mocking pelvic thrust.

            The lass whimpered in pain and fear as I cursed my forgetfulness.  I had assumed the appearance of a girl-child to work with the clouds.  I had not wanted to frighten any of the villagers by my god form if one was to stumble upon me working.  They would not have questioned a little child running about the crops and orchard trees.  Taking a deep breath I slammed myself out of the mortal form, transforming into my ethereal, true form of a goddess.

            “Run away child,” I commanded the girl the minute I assumed my original form.

            Liirton dropped his hold on the human.  Whistling impressed, he yanked his pants up.

            “Little Fredonia.  Who knew that you were hidden away within this tiny village,” he laughed again, amused by his thoughts.  “Niscirene would shit bricks if she found out that you were here.  Do you know how many times we’ve passed over this village not even bothering to look for you in it?”

            He titled his head back thinking.  “How about this?  You take up that escaped chit’s spot against the tree and I’ll forget that I saw you.  Right now Niscirene is pissing me off so I’m not too keen on making her happy by bringing you in.  Having her knickers in a twist will do her some good.”

            My lip curled in repugnance at his offer.

            “I’ll not play whore to you Liirton,” I spat.

            The god shrugged with a wolfish grin, expressing that it was my fault not his, for what was about to happen.  He lunged without warning, trying to catch me off guard and unawares.  Dodging neatly to the side, I brought my knee up to smack it into the middle of his stomach.  Anticipating the knee, he grabbed hold of it before using the momentum to flip harmlessly up and over.  His feet lighted briefly on the ground, flicking a superior grin at me, he swept out a leg trying to kick the back of my knee.  Twisting away from the kick I shot an elbow out, smashing it into his throat. 

            Liirton stumbled away coughing and spluttering in pain.  Crimson with fury he charged again, the intent to kill flashing in his eyes.  Raising his right hand he beckoned a lightening bolt from the storm clouds to his aid.  The clouds cried in glee, clamoring to reply to his wish for thunder and lightening.  It was a display of streaking light whilst booming noise, signaling that they were excited that they could relieve themselves of their hindrance.  Taking a chance glance at the clouds, to determine their location, cost me precious reaction time.  Except, I had to make sure the crops would be okay, with out them the villagers would not be able to survive the winter.

            A searing hot pain lanced up my side.  I was too slow to move away.  Gasping at the pain, I tried to blink the tears of pain out of my eyes.  Getting struck by lightening hurt.  The whole left side of my body had gone numb from the electric attack.  Limping I tried to draw Liirton further into the crop fields, closer to the clouds.  Despite the past century of adoring followers, my god powers had yet to be restored.  I would need to be closer to the clouds if I wished to manipulate them.

            Stumbling closer to the clouds I mumbled affectionately to them, coaxing them to release the mountains of water.  The horrid raindrops that burdened them.  Bleeting like happy cattle they boomed joyously as they began the process of relieving themselves.

            Taking a deep breath I stuck a fist into the air, moving it in a gentle circle as I called the falling water drops to me.  Commanding the surrounding air to help their journey, by speeding up the process with its breezes, I sped up the movement of my circling hand.  The skirt of my dress flapped against my legs as the air pressure built around my figure.  Concentrating on gathering the water to my spinning hand, I stopped my forward trek.

            Slowly at first, then faster, the drops began to gather.  Forming themselves into a swirling watery tornado that was being fed by the mother clouds.  Turning slowly towards Liirton, I wove my arm in a complicated circular pattern that caused the swirling vortex to increase even more in speed.  Pinning an icy stare on the man, panic briefly flickered through his eyes.  That patented sneer of his, quickly plastered itself onto his face.  Raising his own hand he called a lightening bolt to his aid.

            Shifting my weight to the balls of my feet, I charged him.  There was no more time for defense.  As Liirton loosened his attack, I swung the watery cyclone in front of me causing the lightening bolt to be swallowed up.  Hissing and fizzing with the electricity running through it I swung my arm again.  This time the watery pillar smacked into the side of Liirton.  The cocky god was sent flying into one of the many orange trees that were situated into neat lines.  It splintered easily upon impact.  Shakily getting to his feet, Liirton glowered at me before spitting a wad of saliva and blood onto the earth.

            “I didn’t expect you to be so strong Fredonia.  My mistake for underestimating your strength.  I would have thought that you would have forgotten the lessons taught to you as a child.”

            Shrugging Liirton planted his heels firmly into the ground.  Raising both arms over his head, he began to call all of the present electricity to him.  Cursing I tightened my fist on the water.  Trying not to panic I concentrated on tightening the watery cyclone into a highly pressurized stream.  Slowly I turned my attention to freezing bits of it into thin razor sharp slivers of ice.  Feeling my powers beginning to wane I threw what I had remaining into swinging the now half frozen column at Liirton.  Caught in the middle of crafting his electric masterpiece, he swore before haphazardously throwing the unfinished attack.  Liirton’s mass of lightening bolts hit me as the make-shift half-frozen water sword bit into his shoulder and slashed its way across his body.  The bolts pierced my frame causing white-hot bolts of pain to take siege.  The pain was excruciating.  Falling to my knees the edges of my sight began to darken.  Struggling towards consciousness I watched Liirton collapse to the ground as blood began to seep from his wounds.