literature

Serpent in the Shelter - story

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"…and Maker's gaze is directed towards all of us living under Sun and Moon, in the thick of the forest and on the wide plains, in the deep caverns and in the highest mountains. The human and the dwarf, the wolf and the fox, the cat and the hare, the orc and the elf, and any other creature walking his own way leading to the union with Primary Will. That was predefined since the beginning of time and it will be so until the last days. All the variety, thought-out by Maker illuminates the world. Not the look, not the craft defines our destiny but only the soul. Day comes to Night, Light comes to Dark, all is one before the face of Maker."
"In the name of Maker" – foxes bowed the heads, while images of Protectors where strictly looking at them from their niches.
"Let His Hand shelter us," - Kayran, vulpine priest of the Church of Celestial Sanctuary blessed his parishioners.

The service was over and the citizen began to leave, breaking the former silence. Young Aylin Neydamen was leading her brother, who had his paw out of joint, and at the same time she was looking at town guardian Maynedreg. The priest thought that if the guard will cope with Aylin's irrepressible tongue, then he will be glad to join their paws forever one day.

Shoemaker Dalkian was whispering with his wife, and unpleased Kayran decided to begin the next service with the extracts from St. Prevon's Book about gossips. If some foxes can't live without tittle-tattles, why can't they at least leave it outside these walls?

Alchemist Znegen and his wife Mikaella left the church paw in a paw with each other, while their daughter Lirrena waited until there no one left inside, and after that came up to Kayran. She has been helping the priest to clean up the church for the last three years. The whole town knew her as a merciless heartthrob, incorrigible flirt and frivolous peach. All the male foxes were drooling over her, the vixens felt jealous and talked that "this vile creature" forced her fiancée to commit a suicide. And everyone who saw Lirrena was sure that all it is not far from truth.

However, she was very different while being inside these doors. Lirrena has always been saying almost nothing, she just swept the dust from the altar and statues, but there was some deep connection between her and the priest. What an unhappy lot – Kayran gave a deep sigh – to know more than others about the sin and darkness of the world. By the corner of his eye the old fox noticed how Lirrena lighted the candle in front of statue of Volpes – Protector of Foxes - and began to whisper funeral pray. The priest turned to the altar and began to wipe Sign of the Star. Poor child! Why couldn't all those gossips had left her alone? Everything would have been different now. And Lirrena wouldn't have turned into a relaxed copy of witch Lamgrel' – may Maker forgive him for such comparison. But Kayran still believed in a young vixen, believed in her soul.

"Father! What's happening to the Star?!"

Priest's thoughts were interrupted by Lirrena's frightened exclamation. There was really something scary about the Sign – its surface grew cloudy and began to change colour from the light green to the pink, then – to the light red, and finally – to the color of a fresh blood.

"Interesting. How can you explain this phenomenon?" -  insinuating voice of Berfors sounded above Kayran's ear, - "The Star itself reacts on the presence of a dark power? Or it was I who used my magic to turn it bloody?" – sacred symbol now became a red mirror. Kayran saw a crimson church with a red sunlight falling through the stained-glass windows. And behind his own fugure clothed in a blood-red cassock the was a black silhouette of a not so tall man with a cane in his hand, - "perhaps, you'd feel better if I explained?" – the priest saw Berfors' face behind his left shoulder, - "but I won't. That's the whole point, dear minister of religion, devoted servant of Maker," – Kayran turned his head and caught Berfors's eye. Warlock smiled to him, revealing upper row of his teeth, and disappeared from the priest's view. A second later Kayran heard the footsteps and the clatter of the cane at the stone floor, - "tell me please, who needs the direct answers? They kill any interest! Would you be happy, if someone had told you the ending of a book, you are reading?" – Berfors stopped in front of a candle and brought his left hand nearer. The flame died out, the wick began smoking and the wax itself began to flow, - "the same question," - Warlock turned to Kayran and Lirrena, - "was it I who did it? Or my presence? Or maybe everything is different according to the different cases?" – he looked at Lirrena curiously and moved towards her.

"May Maker protect…" - Kayran tried to collect himself and made a step towards Berfors, - "what have you forgotten here, emissary of the Frozen Abyss?"

"Nothing special, honorable minister of religion. I just wanted to visit native lands of Gedvin Volpent, to meet his friends," – black hood turned to Lirrena, - "and what do we have here?" – the vixen tried to hide behind the column but the cane rested against the stone just in front of her, - "I see," – Warlock looked at Lirrena, and an evil parody on a friendly smile appeared on his lips , - "a little sinner."

"Leave her!" – Kayran drew Sign of the Star in the air. Berfors threw a glance at the priest, while the vixen slipped under the cane and quickly came to another column.

"Really?" – Berfors leisurely followed Lirrena, - "then why is she here? Helping you, my foe, I know. But still," – he stopped at vixen's back, - "why? I see only two variants," – Warlock put his arm on her shoulder, - "she may be saint. A pure, innocent flower, which has devoted  her life to Lord of the Universe," – he passed round Lirrena and appeared behind her left shoulder, - "or… she is a sinner ashamed by herself," – the vixen looked away, - "the sinner which commited something shameful, unforgivable. From her point of view," – Berfors raised his cane so that black wood found itself in front of vixen's eyes, - "yes, I can see that! A disgusting deed, you even can't dare to tell your loving parents about it," – sapphires on the top of the cane were playing, - "and when you decide to tell someone nevertheless … a tragedy occurs. From your point of view," – Berfors floated back away from the hard-breathing girl, - "only holy father in the church knows the truth, but the neighbours suspect something either. Yes, every time you appear on the street, you hear whispers and see glances. They are twisting everything, turning you into something mean and nasty. And you are too scared to accuse them of lies, because you can't admit the true part of their words. Only one thing is left to you in the end – to become what they think you are," – Warlock's soft footsteps faded, he stopped right in front of Lirrena so that his red beard, which reminded wisp of hay, almost touched her muzzle, - "how do I know that? Perhaps I can read souls and minds like and opened book. Or maybe I can feel sins? Or just guessed it? The question is still open."

"Enough! Leave her alone!!!" – Kayran seized Berfors by his shoulder and tried to drag him away from the vixen. The priest plunged his claws into the black robe, but the moment later saw his own cassock in his paw.

"How rude. How predictable. Did I say something wrong?"

"You," – Kayran angrily pointed his finger to Berfors' face, - "have slandered innocent girl!"

"My dear foe," – Warlock sadly shook his head. He was standing in the centre of the hall leaning on a cane, - "you should have known that I never lie. Falsehood is a very primitive instrument which can be easily broken. No, I don't like lie… Oh, and you shouldn't cry, my sweetheart," – he gave trembling Lirrena almost fatherly embrace, - "nothing can be done without a sin. You like to give such logic exercises to the students in your theological seminaries, don't you?" – it was a question for Kayran, but once again Berfors didn't let him answer, - "can Maker create such stone which He won't be able to pick up? Food for thought, my noble enemy."

"Get out!!!"

"Another rudeness," – Warlcok gave a deep sigh, - "do you think I won't leave by my won will? You already know – I'm just bored. That's all," – he began to tap on his cane with the forefinger, - "yes, yes," – Kayran notices that the tap on the sapphire coincide with his heartbeat, - "but you agree that my visit was effective, don't you? So, did the Star turned bloody?" – intervals between taps were becoming longer and longer, - "what is your opinion?" – Berfors raised his red eyebrows. The priest was ready to give an answer to this demon in a human form, when he realized that even though intervals became twice longer they still coincided with his heartbeat. Old fox's head began to swim. Warlock was still looking a him with interest, while his forefinger was moving more and more rarely. The paws couldn't keep the priest anymore, he fell on his knees, seizing his heart and finally sprawled on a floor, - "close air? You must have forgotten to ventilate the room," – Kayran clung to raise his head, - "How curious. Maybe it is just an  autosuggestion? It is a pity to die because of that." – Berfors produced a soft, cold, deep-throat laugh and gazed at the priest. Could it be that these acid green eyes is the last thing he sees in his life? – this thought visited Kayran's dying consciousness. Very soon he saw nothing expect for these scary irides. Cold, poisoned sea of green filled the whole Universe. The fox heard nothing, while acid field before his eyes began to turn pale, becoming more calm and less hostile. Black points of the eye pupils disappeared like a drop of ink in the ocean. Green colour became lusterless, then – a little sparkling. Feeling of his own body was slowly returning to Kayran as well as the realization that he is standing in the altar and looking at the Sign of the Star.

The priest looked around. His neck blew a painful crunch as if he hasn't been moving it for ages. There was no one in the church except Lirrena and himself. Berfors disappeared. Master of Illusion – let his name be damned forever and ever!

"My daughter?"

"Father?"

"Did you see… anything?"

"I don't know," – she was still trembling, - "and are you alright?"

"Yes," – Kayran nodded, - "help me to rake out ashes from the ceremonial stove."

The vixen rushed to do that with great stove. No wonder, she wanted to divert her attention away from the Warlock's speech. Darned demon! Why does he need all this special effects? Why does he create this absurd theatre? May Maker's Will protect us from trouble. He, Who has created the Universe itself watches over us and keeps away from the the crafty designs of Sotorn*. Sun and Moon light our way driving away black shadows and there is no place for death and despair in our souls. Day comes to Night, Light comes to Dark. Fire of life burns forever.

Berfors' theatre… creepy grotesque theatre of pain…


* Sotorn – lord of demons, hater of mortals.
My fourth attempt to write a detailed story in English.

[link] [link] [link] (previous stories)

This translation was not easy, anyway I've finished it. This one is about dark wizard Berfors - arch-nemesis of my heroes Gedvin and Eliza - an old priest Kayran from the church and a young vixen Lirrena.
© 2011 - 2024 Sinaherib
Comments7
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Cajek's avatar
Kayran sounds pretty cool, actually! Not bad Sina, even though I lost you a few times along the way... Still pretty good! I liked the sermon and Kayran the priest the most. Very nice!