Night Patrol
“This is all your fault.”
That was the first thing Kesna, Stockpile Maid of the 10th Order, had said since they had been handed two energized lanterns, instructions, and then unceremoniously pushed out of the security hut into the night. The sun had gone down long ago but the moon shone down on them brightly. It gave Blue Blossom Estate a strange, blue-white glow that washed out the colors one would have seen in the daytime. A thin fog clung to the ground around them and as they walked down the manicured path, through the fields and towards the forest, it got thicker.
“Excuse me?” Netu, a Scullery Maid of the 10th Order, shot back, her medium length silver hair swishing from the movement. “I'm not the one who was caught sleeping behind he security crates in the warehouse.”
Kesna crinkled her cute nose at the woman beside her who was wearing the same soft, red tvekel top and skirt that was traditional for House Avernell. Cloth caps were on their heads, pulled down around their ears. It was cool except when the wind blew thanks to a surprise cold front that hit the estate earlier that morning.
“I'm not the one who snuck up to the third floor chasing ghost stories, ” Kesna groused. “You're the one who got put on the pillar and her butt caned.”
It was probably subconscious as it had been two weeks, but Netu reached back unconsciously and rubbed the cheek that had gotten most of the welts.
“You're both at fault.”
Kesna and Netu squeaked in fight and both raised their lanterns giving off a soft orange light. Standing there in front of them at the point where the path went into the woods was the scariest person Kesna had ever met. Tox Utivin had his arms folded across his armored chest, dark cape over a shoulder and one good, brown eye focused on them.
“Primal Utivin,” Kesna said with a quick bow.
Tox stared at both maids for a few moments before gesturing a thumb over his shoulder towards the forest. “You get your instructions?”
“Yes, sir. We're to walk the northern path past the Temple of Ala, take the west circle, and return.”
“There are three structures on the way. The Northern Rest Awning, Temple of Ala, the Temple of Erut, and the fishing hut. You need to go into each to make sure there is no one there that shouldn't be.”
Kesna swallowed, her eyes growing bigger. It was Netu who voiced what they both were thinking. “Do...do we need to go all the way into Erut's temple?”
The temple of Erut was dedicated the God of Night. It was left mostly alone to allow night creatures like Ghostflitters and glowberries. Only the priests from House Ukesa entered the sealed inner chamber once a year. The estate was to allow the creatures of the night and darkness to thrive and live there in honor of the god who created them and loved them. That meant it was a terrifying place to go into.
So many creepy crawlies, Kesna thought to herself.
“You will search both the first floor and the basement up to the Sanctorum at the end to make sure no one is hiding there, waiting for us to let down our guard. Am I clear?”
“Yes, sir,” Both maids said.
“If I find out that you didn't,” Tox said beginning to walk away towards the comforting light of Blue Blossom residence. “You both will not be able to sit down for a month.” Netu's hands instinctively went to cover her bottom.
As soon as the two maids walked a few yards into the forest, the night insects sounds changed. The chirps and night bird calls had shifted into a thick rumble of amphibians and heavier bugs that lived up in the trees. Both Kesna and Netu held their lamps up to cast as much of the safe, orange light in front of them cutting through the inky dark.
Neither of them felt the need to speak as the fog collected around their feet and parted like drops of water into a puddle. There were lights on the path leading to the Temple of Ala. They were spaced about eighteen meters apart and were simple metal poles driven into the ground across to each other and the softly blue glowing light on top was at waste level. It cast a strong enough glow that one spent very little time in the dark between them. It was not going to stay that way.
The Temple of Ala was empty. The pristine, marble floors glimmered in the moonlight as it shone in through the archway. The entire building was marble with patterns inlayed with glistening nistilian ore and the heavy wrought iron doors were left open all year except for the winter months.
A quick walk through the single floor religious building showed nobody was hiding around the pillars or near the empty stone altar. The two bowed quickly in respect to the goddess who owned it and then hurried on out. The hard part was coming next.
The Temple of Ala, the goddess of the rain, was the main attraction and most popular temple. Many times, the citizens of Belentine and the other houses would visit as tourists or pay their respects. It was important for the estate to keep it pristine and well lit. The Temple of Erut was a completely different story. The path to it that continued north was nowhere near maintained as the rest. It thinned out to a path that the two women had to walk single file in parts. The branches were untrimmed and there was a few times that Netu thought a snagged branch would pull off her top or her skirt. Not that she cared about it, but it was getting colder.
In what felt like forever, the path finally opened into a clearing that was surrounded by the tall trees, their thick leaves and branches breaking up the moonlight causing the beams to land haphazardly over it all. Unlike the previous temple, this one was much rougher and larger. The blocks of rock were carved out of granite and basalt giving the entire structure a look of being incomplete. The only marble was the slabs that had been put in front of the archway that was the entrance. There were no doors on this building.
Netu almost came to a complete stop and Kesna ran into her. The two looked at the foreboding building in front of them. The flowering ivy had almost consumed most of the building while some of the building material had fallen and been covered with years of grass growth.
“I...don't want to go in there,” Netu started, her voice strangled as she forced out the words.
“Tox said we had to,” Kesna responded but her voice did not have the conviction that her words did.
“We can just tell him we did?” The other girl offered. “I don't think anyone is brave enough to go in there. You know how many night creatures make the place their home.”
“As Erut would want,” Kesna said with a nod.
“I just don't think it would be respectful to the god if we went trapsing in there looking for people. I wouldn't want to offend him,” Netu offered. Kesna knew she was trying to find any excuse that would get them out of going in and getting in trouble.
Kesna sighed and shook her head. “We've got to. I'm more scared of what Tox will do to us if he finds out we didn't go in and we lied about it.”
The other maid let out a sound that could have been a cross between fear and understanding.
“We got to do it.”
“But I don't want to!”
Maid Kesna gripped the other one's shoulder and forced her to start walking. If she didn't know any better, she could have sworn Netu was digging her heels in like a disobedient gef.
After a few moments of shoving and pushing, the two finally found themselves standing in the archway of the temple looking into the cold darkness. Netu could have sworn it was looking back at them. She let out a whine, but Kesna was not going to stop now. They made it this far; they had to go in.
“Stop it. Let's go.”
Holding their lanterns up as high as they could, they stepped in and immediately the sound around them muffled. Though most of the floor was uncovered, they could see where the moss had taken over and clung tightly. Vines of plants climbed up the inside of the wall, higher up she could make out the soft red and purple glow of the flowers. It would have been gorgeous to look at but she could just feel the creepiness pressing in on her.
“Did you hear that!” Netu squeaked gripping Kesna's arm hard. The all froze but all they could hear was the moan of the wind forcing itself through the cracks where the mortar had given out.
“Hear what?”
“I thought I heard something whisper and giggle.” Goddess, Kesna wanted to punch Netu right there. Did she have to say something like that while they were in the middle of this dark, dank, place.
The lead maid swung her lantern about quickly casting light into the corners and found nothing there. Ahead they could see the moss-covered stairs that led deeper. Taking in a muggy breath, she marched towards it.
“Shall I stay up here just in case?” Netu offered.
“Navi beti ke gmenibike ve!” Get your ass over here!
The other girl squeaked and hurried to her side. With one hand on her lantern and the other gently brushing the wall, Kesna began the descent into the basement, her heart beating so loud she thought the blood would come out of her ears.
'Please don't be any skitters. Please don't be any skitters.'
They were beautiful from a distance, the arachnids that were dark furred except for the exotic patterns that would glow in the dark. There bite wasn't deadly, but it was very painful. They finally reached the bottom and if Kesna didn't think she had claustrophobia, this place would have given it to her. The ceiling was not high, maybe a meter above her, and she could feel the whisps of web and plants brushing against her hair as she walked. The temple walls had been broken through by tree roots that took up large chunks causing Kesna and Netu to climb over a few. A trillipede ran over Netu's hand and the girl gagged back a scream as it climbed up her forearm and then deviated to the wall she had fallen against.
They had to be very careful here and could not risk killing anything no matter how scary it was. Erut was the god of the night, and he prized life that lived when the sun was gone. Killing one of them, especially in his temple would have begged for his anger.
After the bug had gone off on its nocturnal hunt, Netu breathed a sigh of relief and then screeched, scaring the living daylights out of Kesna.
“Be quiet!” Kesna hiss-shouted back.
“Something just pinched me!” Netu said scared reaching around her waist and then her eyes grew wide. “And it stole my skirt!”
In the light, the Stockpile Maid could see the frightened woman standing there, hands covering between her legs and the skirt she was wearing was gone. Shining the light around, the piece of fabric was nowhere to be found.
“I don't want to have demigod babies!” Netu wailed.
The laughter that broke out around them was not Kesna's nor Netu's. It silenced both immediately and they both held the light up to cast in the corner. Crouching down, back against the wall in yellow banded top and bottom wrap sat the pigtailed terror that could only be one person.
“Nizzie!” Kesna snarled. “What are you doing here?”
“Did you hear how loud she shrieked?” Nizzie laughed, waving the other girl's skirt in her hand trying not to choke. “Demigod babies!”
Netu let out a shriek of indignant rage and charged for the girl that had just scared them. Nizzie was much faster than she looked, probably because she spent so much time trying to dodge her senior harvesters. Nizzie was already flying towards the stairs, deftly dodging and leaping over the roots while the other gave chase.
Kesna began to trot after them, stopped, turned, dropped to her knees ignoring the moss and slimy floor, crossed her arms, and bowed her head until her forehead touched the cold floor.
“Great god Erut. I beg your forgiveness for my friends and the treatment of your temple. I pray you enjoy the entertainment they provided and not take offense at their childishness.”
The maid got back to her feet and turned to leave. She wasn't sure if she believed in any of the gods but for a split second, Kesna thought she heard the quietest hum and the basement did not feel oppressive anymore, almost as if it was light and friendly. She took that as a good sign and hurried out.
When Kesna finally cleared the archway into the dazzling moonlight, she found Nizzie and Netu tangled up in the long grass rolling back and forth as they screeched and tore at each other's hair and clothes. Nizzie was barely keeping the irate Netu at bay though she had lost her top and already showed a few scratches and a growing bruise.
The only maid acting her age walked forward and as Nizzie found herself on top of Netu trying to pin her hands, Kesna grabbed the girl by her straw-colored hair and pulled her up.
“Ow! Ow! Ow!” Nizzie cried out trying to pry her hair free.
“Enough! Both of you!” Kesna scolded. “You are both maids of this house. Stop acting like children!”
“She scared me! She stole my skirt!” Netu shrieked furiously.
“It was so funny!”
Netu went to attack again but Kesna pulled Nizzie out of the way eliciting another cry of pain. Finally, they quieted. The harvester maid had stopped laughing and Netu was staring at her sullenly.
“What are you doing out here so late?” Kesna demanded.
Nizzie sighed finally coming down from the adrenalin. “Tox told me to come out here and wait in the temple. He wanted to see if you would obey him. You two have been having obedience issues lately.”
“Look who's talking,” Netu groused back.
“At least you can finish the patrol with us,” Kesna responded warningly and Nizzie nodded.
“More the merrier right?”
“I hope you get eaten,” Netu muttered.
Kesna laughed.