Red Twilight the weaver chapter 12

Chapter 12:

Into the Heavenly Valley

Corn and Rodney seem to have at last found a moments peace. The two of them look around to see the scenery has changed: The ground before them is blanketed in a dense white fog that hovers gently around their knees, the hills and dales around them dip periodically over the thick clouds, the lonely spire of Elec mountain has somehow slipped from their view. "I think we might be just a touch off-course." Corn looks at her friend; her voice slightly heaved from fear and excitement.

"Not to threat my dear." Boldly Rodney proclaims "we simply went around the mountain. All we need to do is cut across the valley hear and climb that hill down yonder, and we will be right back where we started."

Corn looks unclearly to her friend "I hope you are right about that."

"Absolutely," Rodney proclaims. "Follow me; I know the way." Without fear or hesitation, he picks a direction and starts walking.

"I think you're a loon." Corn expresses following in behind.

The ground underfoot feels worm, but there is a stiff breeze on the plane that cools them, the fog stays patchy with subtle but frequent changes in elevation which distorted sound making their ears to ring. The flowers on this plane are fluffy and bright in color sometimes even taking on the characteristics of peacock plumage.

"Rodney, tell me again, why would someone with magic like yours turn to pillaging as a way of life?"

"you say it as if forcing myself on others is a way of life. It's not like that. Meredith and I just like… the sweeter things in life, we like armchairs, and books, I like candied nuts, and wine, fireplaces and sweaters, leather and blankets, and these things are hard to find if you have no craft to fall back on."

"You're a wizard!" Corn calls to him "and apparently a packrat."

"but it's not just Meredith and me, you see our mother and father practiced the same trade, my mother cast spell to entertain and my father collected compensation for her trouble."

"Are you and your sister?..."

"let's just say you, and I sing the same songs and leave my love life at that."

"I see."

"what about you lady Corn, have any interest outside your farm…" Rodney's question gets cut off by a scream. He turns to look back only to find Corn has vanished under the fog. "Corn!" he calls searching for her. Rodney searches frantically for his traveling companion. In short order, he finds that a hole has opened under the mist that oozes over with boiling water. A long whip-like tail can be spotted waving side to side, it is not the pink tail of a kobolt but the grease tail of another beast "Selkie?" Rodney whisper a question. He pulls his knife from his hip and bites it as he jumps in to chase them.

Selkie are a mostly isolated lot wanting little to do with other races; they look like otters at first glance with their silky fur and long necks, they have short arms, and their feet are webbed, their tail is hefty and doubles the length of their torso. They are a people interested in little aside from their games and finding a partner, which they cleverly rolled into a lifestyle all it's of own.

** *

The ground gives way under Corn's feet. She falls into the nearly boiling water hidden below the misty fields. Light floods in creating waves of rainbow light, Corn is gripped around the waist by a strange looking Kobolt with a sharp black noise and long neck, the odd beast wraps it's muzzle around Corn's muzzle and breath fresh air onto her body to protect her, as well as a venom that morphs her perceptions.

In the blink of an eye the magical waters have given away to the flower laid valley the wolves called Heaven in her beloved fable of "Wolves Run and the Red Flower" Corn looks around baffled by the glowing blue sky and endless flowers blowing in the wind. She can see a wolf walking towards her with glowing white hair and a scar shaped like a rose entwined around his left eye. She whispers to herself "child of the earth and moon: Hetatsubachi?"

The phantom wolf nods to her sliding his head under her hands encouraging her to rub his neck and back "Yes. Corn the Weaver. I am here."

In a fit of confusion, she tries to pull away. Corn slips over her own feet and falls unto a bed of daffodils. Hetatsubachi stands over her rubbing his nose up her breast and face "have no fear; I am here to give you everything you wish for."

Corn becomes ever-so-slowly more intoxicated; she wrestles with her mind and memories "Hetatsubachi-una: one of the heroes of twilight, born a slave to the king of Dis, risen to the title of Alpha, the survivor of a hundred battles. You died in the battle of Yggdrasil, killed by Harm, the god of blood."

"You know me so well, that is why I came. Now, show me you love me." the wolf licks his nose sliding his head down forcibly kissing the mouse.

Corn's eyes fog over as the fantasy becomes harder to resist. Corn grips her romantic hero by his ears and licks his nose placing her legs up at his sides. But then something goes wrong. Hetatsubachi pulls back, like a confused girl, he pulls away. Corn starts to regain control she lowers her legs back to her sides and looks on in confusion. The white wolf drops his head back to his lover's face offering to start again.

A voice calls from outside the dream to her "Corn!"

** *

Rodney follows the Selkie back to its lair. Rodney is a stout and robust man, by Kobolt standards, but is no match for the magic of a Selkie in water. The Selkie's lair is a nest of drift: plants, wood, and clay piled high to make a dry spot in the underwater channel where it sleeps.

He finds the Otter girl lying atop Corn their mouths intertwined

"Corn!" he calls. The Selkie looks to Rodney, Rodney pulls his knife from his mouth gripping it in both hands startled by the witch looking at him. "Stay back sea-hag. Give me the girl, and you can go."

"Who are you?"

"the Great and Powerful, Rodney"

The Otter child drops Corn, much more interested in the plump field mouse, "How powerful are you?"

Trembling Rodney steps forward, squeezing the handle of his knife "I am the greatest warlock in Winterskiss." He shutters slightly as the Selkie slithers along the ground at him.

"You're that powerful?"

"Behold!" he drops the knife, and it flutters in the air between his hands, he rolls his hands over and under the blade then drops one hand to his side, and the knife dangles two inches beneath his other hand, he nods his wrist and the blade summons back to his grip. Snidely he laughs and points the edge "Now free lady Corn from your spell or face my wraith.

"But if I free the Corn mouse then who will I practice my craft on?" the Otter is less then enticed by the trickery of Rodney. "Will you take her place, you're so much prettier." Rodney backs up slightly out of her reach. "You have no magic, do you? Would you like to see mine?"

Rodney's eyes roll up, "I do have the worst luck in the world don't I" he mumbles to himself. The Selkie leaps at Rodney bearing her fangs, she easily fells the conniving mouse hero thrusting him on his back, and she snaps her head down to bite at him. Rodney brings up one arm to cover his face, the Selkie's maw wraps around his arm, she then lashes from side to side struggling to pierce the hardy fabric of his laired overcoat.

Rodney grips the otter girl in a counter grab rolling her onto her back taking advantage of her uneven center of gravity. But this game is far from one-sided as she flounders her hips and tail flipping Rodney overhead. The dexterous Selkie flips herself about and in a flash is on top the blossoming wizard. The young witch salivates with anticipation of her new toy, her body quivers as her claws puncher the wizard armor, childishly she giggles. Rodney braces both arms to her neck and breast struggling to keep her at bay.

"what is the end of this game!" he demands "If I may be so bold."

"Practice" the physically more powerful witch explains "if I am to be a woman with the coming of the next snow I must be confident in my ability to entertain my mates with my magic." The Selkie's jaws snap, venom drips from her fangs as she gets ever closer as Rodney tires

"And how long does Selkie magic last?"

Corn has awakened from her hypnotic sleep the venom is still thick in her vanes, but she is mostly aware of her surroundings. She sees the fighting between Rodney and the Otter, Corn can see that Rodney cannot win, she gasps silently and takes action. Corn picks up the most enormous Rock she can move and sneaks up to the two of them she brings the Rock overhead then thrust it down on the witch's back "as long as it takes for…" the otter starts to say. with the strike to the back the Selkie falls over melting atop Rodney.

"Not too long it seems." Rodney jokes crawling out from under the dazed Selkie. Drained by the toxin Corn starts to fall over, Rodney braces her and starts to move to the exit dragging her along. "it's been a jolly good time but what do you say we hightail it out of here?"

The two of them find their way back to the surface before there advisory can regain her bearings. After some time, Corn's strength returns "Rodney, you got bit. Are you…"

"I'm dandy, she got nothing but fabric." Rodney lets her go as she tries to walk on her own again "and you."

"I'm sweating, shaking, and my vision is a touch on the loopy side."

"Sounds like you had one too many cups of wine." Rodney makes light of the predicament.

Corn nods "It is a lot like that." She rubs the back of one of her hands and looks down at herself "my tummy hurts, and I feel sensitive. What was it doing?"

"Even if I told you I don't know if it would make any difference… when you were a little girl did you ever kiss someone just to see what it was like?"

"I think everyone did." Corn retorts.

"Well, did you do anything else?"

"That is positively indecent!" Corn protest, Rodney shrugs Corn calms herself as they pick a direction and start on their way again. "Rodney, after we reach Elec Mountain what will you do?"

"Haven't thought that far ahead, I would like to sniff out Meredith again, maybe restart our show." He reminisces.

"Do you have any place to go?"

"What place is there for lost souls? When I left my family, I left everything behind but my name."

Shyly Corn places a hand on his back "maybe you want to come home with me?"

"You are far too kind lady Corn. I fear there is very little of me that you will like or need but give me some time to think it over."

"If you have no life and no family to go home to, so why not share mine?" there is an uneasy silence as the two of them watch each other trying to understand the others motivation.

"Thank you, Mother Corn," Rodney whispers. The silence persists another moment as Corn places her hands on his arms and brings her head up to offer him a kiss. Rodney stop her short "do you have any more of those mixt nuts from earlier?" Corn blushes and nods pulling away awkwardly she nods, and the two of them sit down a moment to divvy out rations.