Night Lords

Part II Chapter 3

Part II Chapter 3

Sir Fortescue quoted us how much we would need to pay for the stone. It seemed that thirteen gold pieces weren't quite enough, but we weren't far off from what we needed. We explained to him we would return the following night as now Max and I were in the middle of a quandary. So, we returned to the little town to speak to that Night Lord.

It was in the early hours of the morning. The moon was now fully out in the black-ink sky, and the dew began to form on the grass and leaves around us.

Skidding to a halt, the Night Lord saw us approach and came to meet us. 'Back again? I take it you found what you were looking for?'

'I need to speak to your elder,' I said to him. 'Forgive me, I am third in command, but currently, I cannot go back without a word from your leader.'

He frowned. 'I take it you've discovered something unpleasant.'

'In a manner, yes,' I confessed.

He sighed. 'Very well. You may see Lowry. I'm Hren. Please, follow me this way.' Hren took us to a small building just out on the outskirts of the town. It was made of stone and wood, but I had odd flashbacks of my own hut when I went inside. It was enough for at least twenty people to lie down in comfortably, but as with most Night Lord dwellings, there were no comforts of a normal house. No bed, no kitchen, no blankets of any sort. Just a table, a couple of chairs and that was it.

Hren introduced Lowry to us, who was a rather handsome Night Lord. With jet black hair, a trimmed beard and standing at least six and a half feet, I sensed Max's disapproval of him.

'This is Petra and Mac.'

'Max,' I corrected him. 'Max is my life partner,' I said proudly.

'How many are in your coven?'

'We call it a coterie-'

Sitting at the table, barely glancing at us, he replied, 'I didn't ask that. How many of you are in your group!'

My eyes went to Hren, who was staring at the wall ahead of him. He hadn't told Lowry he'd met us earlier, and I wondered why. 'Five.'

'And which number are you?' he asked, still not looking at me.

'Three.'

He scoffed. 'Then I do not wish to talk to you. Begone and bring back your second or your leader.'

I stood at my full height, which wasn't a lot. It was rude to be dismissed in such a manner. 'I will not. But I will say this. Those deemons of earth and water you deign to not do anything about are picking off the men at the quarry. Men who are trying to help build houses here and a building to help the sick and dying.' He said nothing. 'As you will do nothing and will not talk to me, I will go and speak with the Deemons and find out for myself what deal you have with them. Come, Max.' I turned on my heel and walked out of the door and back up to the road.

'Well, that didn't go down well,' he said and turned back to the town and bared his teeth. 'Rude man.'

'Don't worry about him. Hren will find us shortly; I can almost guarantee. Anyway, let's go and find some earth deemons to talk to.' Max appeared apprehensive and pulled his knife out. 'No, put it back. We will go in with open arms. We are not a threat and must act as though we are no danger to them. If they attack, then we will defend ourselves. But we will not be the ones to attack first.'

Max and I took off towards the direction of the earth and water deemon nests, and not long after we began our journey, my arms prickled, and I immediately stopped by a large forest to our left. I held my hands in the air and slowly walked into the thick forest of oak and birch trees. When I came into a clearing, my entire body felt little hedgehogs stabbing it. 'Earth Deemons, hear me!' I called out to them.

Max's eyes went wide. 'You are hissing and spitting!'

I nodded. Then I was speaking the right language. 'I wish to speak to you. We come only to talk. I am not here to fight or caught harm.' Though my body continued to prickle, no deemons came out. 'I know of the men in the quarry, and I know you attack them because they have disturbed your earth. I am not a threat to you. I truly only wish to talk.'

The prickling began to ebb, and I sighed and put my arms down.

'What's wrong?' he asked in a panicked tone.

'They have backed away,' I told him. 'I don't know why. Maybe I shocked them?' I shrugged. 'I don't blame them. I don't think any Night Lord has ever just wandered into their territory and asked to talk. They probably thought it was a trap. We can try again tomorrow.'

After heading back to Greatorex, Tasha and Brett a few hours before sun up, to which they had made a little hut for us all to stay in during the day, Max and I explained what we'd discovered, and Greatorex was a little concerned. We barricaded ourselves in, blocking out every iota of the Sun and sat around staring at one another at the situation we were faced with.

'Lowry sounds evil,' Brett said, 'and rude.'

Greatorex sighed, 'Some Night Lords will only speak with a first or second, but sorry, Petra, never anything below that. If you were a wandering Night Lord, he may have spoken with you but probably not. However, I am glad that you have discovered this quarry. It sounds like it would work for us, and the amount of money needed to complete the order sounds quite decent.'

Brett smiled. 'It may be cheaper if we solve their deemon problem for them.'

Tasha shook her head, but Greatorex was nodding. 'It's possible. But yes, that is something I'm sure we can discuss. However, I am... not perturbed as such, that's too strong a word, but I am a little distressed that the Deemons wouldn't speak with you, Petra. Are you sure you said you came in peace?'

'In a manner,' I shrugged. 'I told them I wasn't a threat to them and merely wanted to talk. I did say I will come back and try again. But I do not know deemons very well.'

'Why would you?' Tasha snapped.

'To know your enemy is a great asset,' I told her wisely. 'Maybe they have offerings in which to speak. Although even when Eurmek was speaking with me, he kept his words short.'

Brett scoffed, 'Why do you speak ill of yourself in front of them?' Max narrowed his eyes at him, but I was curious as to what he meant. 'Don't they call us spawn?' I nodded. 'Well, tell them that a lowly spawn, like you, wishes to speak to the highest and strongest deemon. Placate them. It's what I would do.'

Max turned to Tasha, 'I hope he placates you well.'

I started to giggle as Tasha thumped him on the shoulder. 'Shut up!'