Pantheon of the Dark

And Down Came the Spider

Low country Marshes 1865

They had been running for hours. Carefully, they weeded through willows and jumped over twisted roots and sloshed through the muckiness of the marsh. Until they were long past the small town and the chaos the lynch mob and its hounds had extirpated upon it.

It became apparent as they ambled through tall elms and a worn dirt path, that they were approaching an open road that would lead to another township.

Their pace slowed down now that the immediate danger had past, and she took a moment to glance at her husband.

Gorgeous, with broad strong shoulders he stood tall and alert. Her bronzed Adonis was everything a man should be. Reginald had been a former slave of the Cutler plantation. It was in a small town just south of Macon. He came from a long line of strong Iba warriors. His grandfather was brought to this land after a tribal war ended with him being captured.

Prisoners of war were usually forced into servitude to the king of the tribe they were captured by. Some could marry out of slavery and for others there were specified years they had to serve before they were released. However, with time and colonization things changed and certain tribes became greedy. Some sold off their prisoners to over-sea invaders for traded goods, gold, and guns. To advance their own wealth and extend their territory. What they didn't understand was the white man they sold their prisoners to didn't hold the same rules and values that they did.

Instead, they unknowingly had sentenced those people to unimaginable suffering. Well, the ones that made it across the Atlantic to the slave auction ports.

Because Reginald's grandfather came from what the white folks called "The Rice Coast" he was sold to the LeRoux manor after demonstrating that rice cultivation had been innately passed down to him. The moment she laid eyes on him, Cora knew he was the one for her. Some called it love at first sight and maybe that's exactly what it was, all she cared about was that Esther hadn't disapproved of their union—and they'd been happy ever since.

The snapping of twigs, sounds of approaching footsteps, and barking blood hounds brought her out of her musings. Off in the distance she could see a lynch mob on patrol. Armed with guns and carrying bags filled with things she shuddered to think about. They scouted the area. Looking for any unfortunate soul to string up and torture.

Luckily, they hadn't spotted them yet and for that, Cora breathed a small sigh of relief and pulled herself closer to the coverage of the trees. However, a tall lanky man, grimy and bearded had spotted Reginald who had been just a head of her before she could warn him to take cover.

Grinning maliciously, he shouted. "There's a nigger, over yonder bout ten feet ahead! Let's get that son of a bitch."

Looking back to her and making a desperate decision, Reginald urged. "Cora, run and hide, adding softly. "And whatever you do, don't look back."

With those words, and before she could stop him, he dashed off in the direction of the mob.

◆◆◆

As they walked down the corridor, NamJoon thought he felt a light pull on his power. However, just as quick as it began, it ended. Shaking his head at the absurdity of it, he quickly dismissed the thought. Convinced, he was just tired after all he had been through. Realizing he had slowed his pace, and fallen behind, he quickened his steps to catch up with the others.

"You hear that?" Hoseok asked, turning to NamJoon as he finally caught up with the rest of them.

"Yeah. Voices," NamJoon nodded. Trying to see further down the hall, he leaned forward squinting a bit to get a better look.