The Undying God by Nathan Wilson Read Free Book Online Page A

voraciously in the dark, reflecting the dim light. It had
never tasted holy blood before.
    The priest stopped as a look of horror
washed over his blanched face.
     
    * * *
     
    Nishka pondered what Arxu had revealed
to her last night. She didn’t understand magick very well; she only
knew it disrupted the balance of nature and resulted in horrible
consequences. The likelihood that it had been manipulated to create
life where there was none was believable.
    “How are you feeling today?” Arxu
looked at her with an emotionless expression, and at once, she
realized how silly her question was. “What did you do when you woke
up?” she asked.
    “I gathered my belongings
and—”
    “No, I mean … after you died.”
Arxu hefted his staff and adjusted the weight on his back. “What
were you doing before my father found you?” All at once, Nishka’s
questions came rushing forth.
    “My father said he found you wandering
on the road. Where were you going? What were you going to do? Have
you been wandering aimlessly ever since your death?” Arxu opened
his mouth to reply but Nishka blurted out one final question. “Why
did you agree to escort me?”
    “Your father approached me. I was doing
nothing, I suppose.” He looked around the placid forest as he
mulled her unanswered questions.
    “I have been wandering the wilderness
for many days now, meditating and gathering herbs. I don’t have a
home to return to. I am drawn to places of power, which are often
found in forests. I was searching for a strong source of magic when
I encountered your father.”
    “Did you find what you were looking
for?” Nishka asked.
    “No...”
    Nishka scanned the forest and imagined
what a place of power must look like. It would be far removed from
society and the intervention of humans. It would almost certainly
overwhelm even the most stoic bystander.
    “Can you show me a place of
power?”
    “If I sense one nearby. They are rare.”
Another question occurred to Nishka that almost didn’t make it past
her lips.
    “Can you tell me, Arxu, have you always
looked that way?”
    “What way?”
    “Your skin is so pale and your hair
is...”
    “I don’t know. I believe I have always
had pale skin, perhaps since my birth. Unfortunately, my death
robbed me of all memory. My unnatural hair color may be a result of
my vocation as a Nightwalker.”
    “It may be?”
    “I cannot remember.”
    “Have you encountered other
Nightwalkers?”
    “No, they are rare. My knowledge
regarding them has faded over time. According to what little I
could learn from my books, each potential Nightwalker undergoes
rituals during their inauguration into the secret sect.” The
mention of a clandestine order hooked Nishka’s
attention.
    “Are Nightwalkers
religious?”
    “No, but we have a great respect for
the moon and night, including nature and all of its
creations.”
    Intrigued by his description, Nishka
asked, “What are these rituals?”
    “There is an obscure sanctuary within
the forests of Eyegad where a man or woman performs ancient
rituals; one is to bathe in a nearby pool beneath the moon. There,
he or she meditates in harmony with the natural surroundings. The
leader of the Nightwalkers, who is always female, judges the
initiates as worthy or unworthy of joining their reclusive order.
Most Nightwalkers don’t stray far from the sanctuary. They aren’t
easily understood, and they are often subjected to harsh treatment
by society and its authorities.
    “One could argue Nightwalkers are not
treated as humans. Many people are hostile or frightened of men and
women endowed with paranormal abilities. Nightwalkers aren’t easily
distinguished from a normal person in appearance, but it is
possible some are quite open about their vocation. Most
Nightwalkers who endure discrimination are exiles, and one who is
exiled from the order is marked.”
    “...How are they marked?”
    “To ensure an outcast is never allowed
to return and that society knows