Pleasant Little Nightmare

W

ith each person he wore a different name, a fae of many faces and desires. As night sky he was Snowy’s changeling child, the boy who curled up next to her with a book while she told him tales about the fae. Shadow was a thief who only cared about filling his own belly and taking whatever prize he wanted from those who couldn’t catch him. The Cu-Sith would be an agent of chaos, a creature of legend who would strike fear into the hearts of people. They were all aspects of Colburn and each fulfilled a need that his true name could not.

Sickness. Mooneyes explained that he was carrying a sickness. He didn’t quite understand how infectious diseases worked, but he recalled the fae sickness. It had afflicted him along with many others, shaving years off his body and leaving him a yearling once more. Colburn hadn’t questioned the sudden change. He believed himself to be an ageless fae so it seemed natural that he would be young again. Snowy’s sickness he’d believed to be a side effect of his curse. It was called the fae sickness after all so it made sense that a fae like him was the source. Again it seemed his body was the host of another sickness. The curse was determined to bring misfortune on those that surrounded him. He’d have to ensure that it didn’t hurt Snowy this time and while he didn’t know Mooneyes well he hoped it left her alone too.

He was not worried about himself. Fae didn’t die so easily after all and neither would the Cu-Sith. ”Nope. I’m not dyin’. I’m the Cu-Sith,” he agreed, giving her a confident grin that matched the certainty he felt within. Once the plan was revealed he tilted his head from left to right and his brow wrinkled. It wasn’t hard work and it was something he could do. He just didn’t like crowds all that much. ”I’ll grant ya wish,” he finally decided, putting aside his distaste for public places and thinking of the rewards he would receive for it.

Already his partnership with Mooneyes was rewarding him. She headed off while he took a moment to rest his aching limbs and returned shortly after with fresh meat. An offering worth of the Cu-Sith. Like a ravenous beast he tore into the meat, blood staining his grimy mud streaked face. He looked over at her shamelessly, despite the mess he’d made, black eyes curious. Are we meetin’ ‘ere again? he asked, wondering what her plans were.

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

Yvaine regarded silently as the orphan devoured his meal. He was quick to agree, she noted, even before I brought him food. Perhaps he was desperate for power…desperate was good. The witch’s face was a smooth palette, her lithe body quite still and her eyes never wavering from the boy’s crunching mouth. There was a gentle grin in the corner of her lips, and her eyebrows were arched ever so slightly. Inside, however, the emotions wrestled. His slurping and sloppiness fostered deep disgust, even disdain…but adoration too. If the Cù-Sìth were only female, like the other melanistic wolf she encountered, then Yvaine would have protected the yearling with her life.


“Yes,” she replied regally. “We’ll meet here again. I’ll be back in two week’s time, and if I’ve heard of sickness spreading in Castle Stuart, I’ll teach you anything you want to know.” The banduri’s macabre grin widened once more. With a brief wink, the woman turned and disappeared into the shadows.

Yvaine exits unless stopped.


@Colburn

T

he meat and bones didn’t last long for a creature of his savage appetite. A burp followed by a greedy slurp and it was gone. It dulled the hunger cramps and swelled within his small stomach leaving him satisfied for the first time in days. Stealing kept him alive, but he didn’t eat daily. His scrawny frame never filled out and he was still a pint size fae no matter how much he ate. It was disappointing, at times, he wanted to be big enough to make anyone regret messing with him. It wouldn’t matter soon though because Mooneyes promised to teach him everything he wanted. If he could control the curse then he didn’t need to be strong to punish his enemies.

Power didn’t have to come from brawn after all. It could come from fear and fear would give him the control he needed to take what he wanted from anyone. Two weeks then. Later, Mooneyes, he called after her, voice more energetic than the sickly boy felt.

Exit Colburn

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck