The Witching Stars

end of chap 2

Opening the door, the frigid wind makes its appearance, blowing at us in cold anger.  Tapping his weapon against the ground, the light he made, disperses. Dropping into the snow a couple inches, we shovel our way through making our own path through the town. The flickering lights in the windows with the occasional passing shadow make my stomach jump. “Shouldn’t you… you know… Hide your wings?” I mutter under my breath.

Noriel peers about and slowly shakes his head, “No, we will be fine for now; they will just think they are seeing things.” Jumping slightly, I hop into the path he is carving, placing my feet one after the other in his larger footprints. Something catches my attention from the corner of my eye. Quickly looking over, I barely get a glimpse of a curtain being closed. Shaking my head, I hurry to catch up with the lumpy shadow leaving me behind.

“You look like a walking sack of Potatoes!” I laugh, trying to force my sense of dread away with humor. Coming to a stop beside him, I peer up at the building we’ve stopped at.

“Amusing.” He states. Peering at the door, Noriel reaches out and taps the air around it.

“What? You afraid of the door?” I laugh, reaching out to grab the handle, only to pull back in fear as something invisible snaps at my fingers.

“No, just cautious of the demonic enchantments on it.” Swiping his fore finger across the wood, something lets out a hiss and writhes away. He throws the door open and we both peer inside.

“See anything?”  I ask, trying to pick out any shapes in the dark, damp building.

“Yes. A lot of things.” He utters, disgust and a bit of shock in his voice.

“What sort of things?” stepping in, I take a closer look around. “I see nothing.”

“To your eyes.” Noriel inches in, wary of his surroundings. “This place reeks of sin and atrocities.”  Fanning the air with his hand and a slight flap of his wings, the bones and skins that hang on the wall and scatter the floor rustle at the breeze.  Bending down, I lug up the large fox like hounds head and stare at its third eye. Its glossy appearance and blood shot veins seem to make it appear falsely alive. A faint breeze brushes against my legs, along with the feeling of scales and slime. Dropping the head as I jump, my legs work before my mind and I race over to Noriel, hiding myself behind his wings.

“What was that?” I yelp.

“Do not stray in here. Ana has left a few traps to deter a curious visitor. Do not touch anything in here.” He snaps at me. Nodding, I pry myself off his wing and force my legs to stop shaking. I don’t like this… whatever touched my leg wasn’t doing it to say hello.

“I don’t get it… I’ve been here all my life… but now it seems to have taken on a different aspect…” I shiver slightly.

“Ana kept the deceivers at bay. Now that she is dead, they are free to roam. Stay close. These are lesser deceivers, but deceivers none the less. They won’t attack without the upper hand. They fear my Lord whom lives in me, for I am His herald, and my footsteps bring his glory.” The room seemed to quiver, the dust piles on the floor suddenly picked up by a false breeze. The bones and skins coiled up and the thousand candles littered around the room burst into flame. The sensation of a other worldly presence creeps up my spine, sending my skin into goose bumps and my hair to rise along with bile in my throat.

Something’s here… prowling around us… wanting something… but what?

“Flesh.” Comes a voice, it claws at my mind with its seething hatred. “A body to destroy this retched light.”  Something moves behind us. Spinning around, I halt at the sight of the snow covered teen at the door. He stood straight, but fear crept into his eyes and face. His lantern rattled and the flame flickered as he set it down.