The Fecund's Melancholy Daughter by Hayward Brent

Author:Hayward, Brent [Hayward, Brent]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Horror
ISBN: 9781926851136
Publisher: ChiZine Publications
Published: 2011-05-15T06:00:00+00:00

Anu, the almighty power, trailed by ambassadors, hovered in all his fearsomeness over Pan Renik’s abandoned nest. Beyond the glow from his skin, even the firmament seemed pale by comparison. Ambassadors dove, momentarily lost in his light, then flickered away.

Anu was the size of five huts pushed together.

His roar shifted, lowered.

Hornblower watched fires burst from the mighty loins; along the great back, several sets of wings blurred with heat of their own. Staring up, the padre trembled. His heart thundered. He was close to expiring right there, on the main branch. He wanted to run but was afraid running might attract attention. Even if he tried to run, he doubted his legs would obey.

All other padres on this lip of the world—ironuser, leafjoiner, ropemaker, plus three or four junior leaders whose roles were not fully assigned yet—stood likewise trembling, no doubt in the same awed state.

They had expected the exile to be executed.

That had not happened.

Because Pan Renik jumped.

Now Anu, mighty and fearsome, had arrived.

Were all dreaded things about to come true? Anu—whom hornblower had spoken about so cavalierly his entire life, and whose name he had used so many times to achieve what he wanted, to get what he desired—was real, right here, and no doubt angry.

So easy had it been to interpret and shape words passed down from generation to generation, to visit girls, claiming the visits were on Anu’s behalf, to instruct people, to lead people, but in the power’s glow, hornblower now felt transparent and as mortal and flawed as anyone else in the settlement. Should he stammer an explanation? Beg for forgiveness?

What explanation could there possibly be?

Crazy Pan Renik had jumped into the clouds.

Anu’s hands brushed against the upper branches as he turned. Ranking him, ambassadors zipped frantically, whirrs audible over the thrumming roar of the power. Once clear of the branches, Anu descended, blowing hot air and stirring up leaves, making the padres robes tug and crack like whips.

Of course, Anu knew they were there; he had known all along, despite his blindness. Ambassadors had told him.

The power glowed with a light that was impossible to either look at or look away from, just like the stories had said, just like hornblower’s father had told him in sermons. The light illuminated hornblower’s inner self, his secrets, inside and out—illuminated secrets of all the padres. None could ever look away again.

His eyes watered. The roar was like a throbbing heart. On the power’s long face, the large eyes were cracked and dim. Anu’s fingers, the size of branches, flexed and trembled. Close enough now that hornblower could have hit his flank with a stick, had he been so foolish, Anu slowed.

Ambassadors touched Anu’s skin, lingering there for a second, then darting off. Hornblower saw seams on the body of the great power and a series of darker marks, splayed in streaks toward Anu’s outstretched legs where his smooth skin seemed scarred and dented.

The hum rattled hornblower’s teeth.

Next to him, a padre began a sermon: “Decayed friends and awful neighbours .

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.