Cloak of Shadows (The Netherwalker Series, Book 1)

Umbilical Severing

The creature sat high upon his throne of bone and blood. Hardened marrow, millennia old, was still within the husks of his ancestors’ bones. Petrified arteries of blood wrapped brother to brother, knotted father to son. The creature rested his arm on his grandfather’s skull as tendrils of life essence floated towards him in the heavy, thick atmosphere. He slowly opened his ancient dry cracking mouth and devoured the droplets of human life, plucking them from the air like precious grapes. Human infant was the sweetest of morsels. He would reward his champion pet greatly upon its return. Krimvigos and krimvigars worthy of his affection cowered at his feet, while rabid howling others remained locked in their fire and ash cages. He screeched for their obedient silence.

The Nevra-Hsi stretched out his long paper thin arm and petted each obedient cowering beast in turn with his sharp talons. The krims shivered under his narcotic caresses. They lay at the Hsi’s feet, clawing at his robes in ecstasy. Scraps of onyx fluidic armor tore away, exposing the dehydrated sloughing crust of the eternally dying creature. The beasts murmured and purred in contentment, the drug had assured their continued loyalty and bondage. Caged, unbroken beasts would have to wait. The Hsi needed more life essence, much more.

Tethered to his soldiers on the earth plane, the Hsi stole a glimpse of their progress. He looked through his beast’s vision that had earlier given him the sweet child’s morsels and observed a hunter. No, two hunters. He commanded the krimvigo to sacrifice itself so his brothers would remain hidden. The beast had no choice but to comply or suffer its master’s wrath.

The Nevra-Hsi stood and walked to the caverns precipice to await his beast’s return. Shielding his skin from the triple moons, he scoured the parched inhospitable landscape. His krimvigo streaked through the sky like a falling star, slowed by the multiple, gelatinous frozen atmospheres. Upon impact, the iridescent violet orb shattered into a ring of fire around his slave. Barreling through the wall of fire, the beast ran past erupting ice geysers and the thousand year old dust storm, straight for its master. It was hungry for its treat.