Black Briar (12 page)

It usually took time and effort to gain entrance into someone else’s sphere of control, but as Nova guided her through the curtain of vines shrouding the opening’s threshold with a sweep of his hand, she had the sudden impression he’d been there before. When she asked about it, all he had to offer was, “I only found it with a storymaven’s help….”

Roses. Roses everywhere.

Long ago,
Enid
the Hag explained that a rose was a rose no matter the name, because no matter where it lie, no matter how crumbled the grave, how red the pool of blood—it was gorgeous. Pristine. Lush, green, jagged leaves. Velvet petals cradling sparking, sweet dew droplets. And the tower rising through the clearing in the shape of dragon’s head was covered in eternities of red roses.

As she and Nova walked through a rolling meadow, she couldn’t help but feel like she’d been there before, too. But the memory was buried. Half-forgotten in some rusted withering chest of childhood memories. When they came upon the tall cathedral door, it simply opened.

There was no darkness, no shadows, and no spine-chilling hymn to aid her climb up a twisted staircase. Just the faint tweeting and warbling of birds and the sultry grind of a wheel turning. Sybille looked over her shoulder, requesting confirmation from the
gargouille
. He’d opened wings and nurtured the distance between them, eventually landing to stand watch her from a hill, where he could gaze upon her from beneath an ancient cherry blossom tree with a laurel trunk. Her samurai forever.

Star-shaped petals rained on his shoulders and he braced his arms behind his back, and nodded, wordlessly urging her toward the door.

“You still never answer my questions,” she muttered under her breath, gathering her skirt and sweeping through the threshold, half expecting the doors to clang shut behind her, seal her in an early tomb. Nope. The staircase morphed before her eyes, mirage fading.

She took a few steps across the warm oak floors, scanning the cottage’s humble décor. Nothing about the withered old rocking chair or swaying gentle dust pink curtains said menacing. There were butterflies fluttering in jars, all of them different and unique, lining the shelves above the small hearth. Flowers. Cotton candy dandelions, exotic leopard lilies. The occasional beer tankard resting beside a basket of raw almonds.

Certainly, they weren’t worthy of fear, but she halted in her tracks and tossed another look over her shoulder anyways. You know, just in case.

Nova was distracted, busy frowning at the seventy pound hellhound wiggling in his grip. “How did Sasha get here?”

Socrates the Darkling peeked from around the samurai’s leg and waved a crumpet. “Happy birthday, Sybille!”

Oh, piss off.
She snorted and made it two more steps before she halted in her tracks all together, frozen mid step.

The sound. Humming. Sweet and gentle. It filtered through the sheer curtained alcove on her right, each note drawing Sybille’s footsteps nearer. One step. Two. She fisted the heavy fabric, knuckles white. And when she pulled it back…

Beauty.

The woman was haloed in sunshine, warm rays infusing the Golden Fleece curls spilling down her shoulders. Wine red robes were patrician, a gold band cinched beneath her breasts, the sleeves were mahogany wings spilling down her bronzed arms. She was seated on short stool, guiding black wool into the majestic, black onyx spinning wheel’s Nordic spindle. Sunlight consumed the black rungs until to watch her spin was to watch
Saule
the sun goddess blister her way through an eclipse on her hellish chariot. Valkyrie princess.

Thick and full eyelashes fanned over the delicate and smooth curve of her cheeks, lips as red as a rose. Her beauty—it was transcendent. Beyond the true symmetry usually described by such a word. It was beaming out from within. Showering the room with the warmth of a thousand suns as she hummed, eyes closed, reading music only she could see.

That song…

Tears came. Hot and wet. Sybille’s entire body filled with an emotion too severely hopeful, too utterly private to name.

And the humming drifted off, lyrics only half-way sung…

“We’ve met somewhere before, haven’t we?”

Her eyes opened. And it happened like one of those old black and whites. Full eyelashes swept back, revealing the kind of big doe eyes that could set the sun the fire. But hers…

November topaz.

They were gold. The color of wet and glittering island sands. And so warm, there was little doubt in Sybille’s mind that was she was harboring a dragon beneath those beams. And then, she smiled. Mouth curving into a gorgeous crescent. Like Sybille’s, her top front two were square and pretty. “Brynhild. My name is Brynhild, Sybille.” She offered her hand, “Come, let us dream…”

THE END

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Draconel
: (New
Gotham
) Could refer to “The Teachings of Draconel,” a piece of gargoyle culture and the piece of literature from which they pillar their society. (Their version of the bible.) Or it could refer to the native language spoken by gargoyles, draconel. For the purpose of this grimoire, the language of Draconel is a marriage between Latin (French) and Japanese.

Dragon
: (Universal) Is a universal legendary mythical creature with serpentine or reptilian traits. They are often imbued with prophetic ability and powerful magical abilities that are more often than not linked to the natural elements. In New Gotham, “dragon” is a species with many different breeds, i.e. lungs, lindwurms, heraldic, etc. and physical and magical characteristics such as wings and supernatural abilities vary from breed to breed.

Dragonling
: (New
Gotham
) In New Gotham, a term for young dragons. It is also considered a pet name for small, adventurous children of all breeds.

Dream
Crystal
: (New
Gotham
) Is a special type of magical crystal found only in the Fade. Typically, the gem is used for weaponry, given it can be folded and refolded into a diamond sharp edge. Colors vary according to the crystal, and each one has a separate and unique magical property. Often it will adapt over time to best suit its user.

Dreamspinner
: (New
Gotham
) In New Gotham, a term for those with the ability to navigate and create their own realities within the Fade. It is a psychic ability, rather than magic.
 

Dorn
: (Old Norse) Is the Old Norse term for “thorn.”

Fade, the
: (New
Gotham
) In New Gotham, “Fade” is the term for the metaphysical dream world. It is a plane of reality with vastly different rules and laws than the mundane reality, and exists as pockets of “worlds” and realities. To look at the Fade on the map, would be very similar to star gazing and connecting the dots. That is how it works in terms of navigation. Every living thing is said to exist in the Fade at one time in their life as all beings dream. (With the exception of true gargoyles—who do not dream.)

Freybug
: (English/European) Is a monstrous “Black Dog” in English Folklore. It was considered a dire-animal, and had many ghostly characteristics. It was said to wander the moors in search of travelers to attack and devour. On that note, all that remains true in New Gotham.
  

Gargoyle
: (European) In architecture, a gargoyle is a carved stone grotesque with a water spout. That’s it. Any and all other depictions of gargoyles are made up by their creators. In New Gotham, a gargoyle is a mythological creature said to have been formed from stone by dragons and brought to life with their tears. Most have wings, impenetrable skin, and are quite large creatures. Please note, true gargoyles do not have dreamspinner capabilities. Also, there are many breeds of gargoyles, but they do not have a faction in New Gotham. There aren’t enough of them, and given they don’t give a shit, it works out.

Gargouille
: (New
Gotham
) In New Gotham, a gargouille is considered a breed of gargoyle. They are what happens when a “human” mates with a gargoyle. They retain a normal, human appearance until their thirteenth birthday. Afterwards, comes the “casting period” in which their bodies are ravaged a with stone rash until they’re eventually consumed into a full-fledged gargoyle. Until then, they have two forms, half-shifted and full-shifted. Not every gargouille is a dreamspinner.

Hag
: (European) Is usually depicted as a crone, and are often seen as malevolent fey. (Think the witch from Hansel and Gretel, or Baba Yaga) They are shape-shifting sprites. In English and North American folklore, she’s a nightmare spirit. In many myths, she is actually a sexually vampiric deity that is responsible for nightmares. She shares many characteristics with an “incubus.” (See incubus entry for more details.) She also shares many characteristics with “banshees.” In New Gotham, all the above applies, with the exception of “deity.” A hag is a regular monster classified within the New Gotham’s “Court” faction. Do note, there are some hags that have special eyes. These “evil eyes” allow them to see several dimensions and planes at the same time. It makes them almost impossible to outsmart.

Imp
: (Germanic) Is a lesser demon and are often depicted as diminutive in size and rather unattractive. As tricksters, they are often mischievous rather than evil and can function as familiars. As familiars, they act as guides and (mostly) helpful companions. In New Gotham, they are actually a collective species with several types and MUST have a witch’s patronage (i.e. be a witch’s familiar) in order to maintain a corporal presence in the mundane world.
 

For instance, Sybille’s owl, Socrates, is a Demonic sprite, i.e. demon. She killed an owl and magically bound the imp into the carcass so it could live in the real world. The darkling still retains its magic and ability to navigate in-between reality planes because it is a demon. In other stories, there may be a true imp, i.e. an unseelie imp OR an imp with vampiric ties like a batmite. Oh, and remember the Cheshire cat? That flea-bag was DEFINITELY an imp.

Incubus/Succubus
: (Judaism) Is a vampiric sex demon. Its prey includes anyone who is sleeping. They rape individuals in their sleep via sexual intercourse, from which they derive their sustenance in the form of psychic/sensual energy. A succubus is the female counterpart. Sex with an incubus usually results in death, wet dreams, sickness, or pregnancy. (All the “fun” in life, ladies and gentlemen.)

In New Gotham, a true incubus is an androgynous being with the ability to shift between genders, i.e. succubus and incubus. Incubi cannot procreate amongst themselves as they have no reproductive material. An incubus may be driven to procreate and produce offspring with a female partner via the process described in the cambion entry. However, theoretically they could not themselves carry a baby to term.

Koma
: (Japanese) A game piece to the Japanese two-player strategy board game, Shogi.

Lung
: (Chinese/Japanese) Are commonly known as “Oriental Dragons.” However, in folklore, they originate in Chinese mythology and folklore, but were later adapted in Japanese folklore as well. Unlike Western dragons, Lungs do not only have reptilian characteristics, such as scales and short, bracketed legs. They also have animal characteristics as well, such as stag horns, turtle shells, etc. Normally, they are not depicted with wings. They’re serpentine creatures and the number of talons (or toes), whether they have a pearl in their jaws, etc. depends on folklore origin. They are symbols of power, and usually have awesome godlike power over the elements and natural disasters, such as typhoons. In New Gotham, all the above applies. However, they are not solely celestial creatures (though some have astral forms), but a breed of dragon. And like all dragons, they are notoriously hard to find, and hardly welcoming upon being found.

Pixie
: (Celtic) Are the Anglicization of a race of diminutive trooping fairies called piskies. They are believed to be the reincarnated souls of un-baptized children or those good souls who died before Christ’s coming. In New Gotham, pixie is a species with many different breeds, i.e. true pisky, ellylon, etc. and physical characteristics such as wings vary from breed to breed.