tries to run, stop it, Ian.”
“It would be my pleasure.”
Although it had only been minutes, the creature felt like it had been waiting for hours. It was well past sunset which meant it had disobeyed the High Lady’s command to go straight to the Temporal. She had given it a protective cloak that would have allowed it to approach the Temporal in the waning hours of the day. The thought of its disobedience brought both horror and a rebellious sense of liberty. But in the end, it had obeyed. Its fear of the High Lady eventually forced it to correct its direction—albeit much later than she would have wanted.
It was certain that the Temporal knew of its presence. The Temporal had known they were coming before they had arrived the last time, and the High Lady told it they would know this time as well. It was not proper to question her knowledge, and to incite the fearful Temporal was not its desire.
And so, it waited.
It remained stock-still. It knew any sudden move or threatening gesture would result in an immediate death. It calculated its best chance for survival was to wait unarmed and in the open for the Temporal to make their appearance. It was scared. It did not wish to be there, but it had no options.
It had a troublesome shaking in its hands—something that had often happened when nervous as a human. It settled into a lotus position to slow its breathing and calm its mind, something it had learned to do in its past life as a human.
Finally, the door behind it cracked open. It lifted its eyes, but did not turn to face the enemy. A voice boomed out.
“What is it that you want?”
Without moving or even daring to turn to face the voice, the Nephloc said, “Weee come seeking terms of suuurren…darr.”
“The surrender of whom?”
“Usss. Weee seek your meer…cy”
The old man turned to Sam wondering what “us” could mean. Sam shook his head and with a single finger indicated the Nephloc before them was the only one around.
“Stand slowly, creature. Lift your arms and turn around to face us.”
The Nephloc did as commanded.
The old man looked at Sam once more. “There is no other,” was his reply.
Marcus stepped outside and approached the creature with caution. It shivered with an icy fear, but kept its head down and arms up. Marcus circled around, feeling every inch of its cloak.
“Into the house.”
As the creature obeyed, Marcus waved Ian in. A few seconds later, Ian was inside and Marcus closed the door.
Once inside, the creature quickly scuttled over and squatted down behind an antique wing chair. It happened to be in the darkest corner of the front room. Its quick footsteps were silent over the normally creaky floorboards. It had its head bowed and covered with bony arms half exposed by the slack cloak.
“Well, what is it that you wish to tell us? Why were you sent here? What was it that the woman wanted?”
The Nephloc seemed to choke momentarily upon hearing him speak of the woman.
“No. Weee come alone. Surrender. Weee surreender.”
“Then, dark one, if you are surrendering, tell us of your master. What is her goal, and where is she now?”
“Sheee...No, lords. Speeak not of sheee. Wee’s no more than foot soldier. Wee’s know of your compassion with others—with the other three. Wee’s seek this meerrcy, the meerrcy of the other three.”
“In exchange for that mercy, tell me something of interest to us. Tell me of your base. Where do you operate?”
“Wee’s be no more than foot soldier. Wee’s from the earth.” It almost smiled as it remembered the dark, rich soil, moist and earthy. A glorious patch was just outside. It could leave…
Its eyes narrowed. The thought of returning to its mistress in disobedience, however, reinforced its commitment to the mission.
“Then, return to the earth. If you don’t tell us anything, you are no good to us. Just go and never come back.”
“No! Wee’s must surrender. Wee’s surrender.”
The old man
“It would be my pleasure.”
Although it had only been minutes, the creature felt like it had been waiting for hours. It was well past sunset which meant it had disobeyed the High Lady’s command to go straight to the Temporal. She had given it a protective cloak that would have allowed it to approach the Temporal in the waning hours of the day. The thought of its disobedience brought both horror and a rebellious sense of liberty. But in the end, it had obeyed. Its fear of the High Lady eventually forced it to correct its direction—albeit much later than she would have wanted.
It was certain that the Temporal knew of its presence. The Temporal had known they were coming before they had arrived the last time, and the High Lady told it they would know this time as well. It was not proper to question her knowledge, and to incite the fearful Temporal was not its desire.
And so, it waited.
It remained stock-still. It knew any sudden move or threatening gesture would result in an immediate death. It calculated its best chance for survival was to wait unarmed and in the open for the Temporal to make their appearance. It was scared. It did not wish to be there, but it had no options.
It had a troublesome shaking in its hands—something that had often happened when nervous as a human. It settled into a lotus position to slow its breathing and calm its mind, something it had learned to do in its past life as a human.
Finally, the door behind it cracked open. It lifted its eyes, but did not turn to face the enemy. A voice boomed out.
“What is it that you want?”
Without moving or even daring to turn to face the voice, the Nephloc said, “Weee come seeking terms of suuurren…darr.”
“The surrender of whom?”
“Usss. Weee seek your meer…cy”
The old man turned to Sam wondering what “us” could mean. Sam shook his head and with a single finger indicated the Nephloc before them was the only one around.
“Stand slowly, creature. Lift your arms and turn around to face us.”
The Nephloc did as commanded.
The old man looked at Sam once more. “There is no other,” was his reply.
Marcus stepped outside and approached the creature with caution. It shivered with an icy fear, but kept its head down and arms up. Marcus circled around, feeling every inch of its cloak.
“Into the house.”
As the creature obeyed, Marcus waved Ian in. A few seconds later, Ian was inside and Marcus closed the door.
Once inside, the creature quickly scuttled over and squatted down behind an antique wing chair. It happened to be in the darkest corner of the front room. Its quick footsteps were silent over the normally creaky floorboards. It had its head bowed and covered with bony arms half exposed by the slack cloak.
“Well, what is it that you wish to tell us? Why were you sent here? What was it that the woman wanted?”
The Nephloc seemed to choke momentarily upon hearing him speak of the woman.
“No. Weee come alone. Surrender. Weee surreender.”
“Then, dark one, if you are surrendering, tell us of your master. What is her goal, and where is she now?”
“Sheee...No, lords. Speeak not of sheee. Wee’s no more than foot soldier. Wee’s know of your compassion with others—with the other three. Wee’s seek this meerrcy, the meerrcy of the other three.”
“In exchange for that mercy, tell me something of interest to us. Tell me of your base. Where do you operate?”
“Wee’s be no more than foot soldier. Wee’s from the earth.” It almost smiled as it remembered the dark, rich soil, moist and earthy. A glorious patch was just outside. It could leave…
Its eyes narrowed. The thought of returning to its mistress in disobedience, however, reinforced its commitment to the mission.
“Then, return to the earth. If you don’t tell us anything, you are no good to us. Just go and never come back.”
“No! Wee’s must surrender. Wee’s surrender.”
The old man
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