Myth's Legend: Norrix

by Ysobella Black

  “Are you planning to go across the river today?”

  Hadn’t Nabu interrupted him crossing the river? Water still dripped from his clothes! “Yes.”

  “Good. I’m on time then. You’re curious, brave, and ask questions. My Witness will need all those qualities. I’ll give you special abilities and you will travel many worlds, observe events, and report back to me so I can document everything. What do you think?”

  Anni must have a job like this. She always said she had to obey the gods, and that everyone should be respectful and do as the gods said. Maybe Anni would be proud of him and like him more if he did this job for Nabu.

  “I will do the job. I will go everywhere and be the Witness.”

  “Excellent.” Nabu’s fingers touched Norrix’s forehead. A flash of bright agony made him scream. A strange buzzing energy spread over his mind. The pain faded into the same sensation his feet had when he stood in the cold water.

  “Now you should be able to read and write. Come with me. The first thing you Witness will be a volcanic eruption and supernova that starts an ice age and makes several species extinct.”

  What was a volcanic eruption? Or a supernova? An ice age?

  It sounded like the perfect job, but Norrix hadn’t realized at the time what that meant. Flitting from place to place Witnessing inventions, wars, the rise and fall of kings, queens, and civilizations, natural phenomena, on so many worlds, was exciting, and he’d given little thought to his old life. When he returned home, decades had passed. Nothing was familiar, and Göbekli Tepe was gone.

  Too early. He’d be here for hours if he started from that point. He needed another beginning.

  Norrix mumbled as he staggered down a dirt road, trying to repeat everything in a pattern he could remember. ”The war ended. The flood. The queen rose. Comets are omens. The whales died. The library burned. The assassination. The earthquake. The sun exploded. The forest is a desert. She made a new world. The lake is the ocean. The darkness came.”

  Where was he supposed to go? Nabu wanted him to Witness something new, but what? And where?

  He stumbled over a tree root and fell. A sharp pain on his chin and the taste of blood in his mouth jolted him from his reverie. He didn’t bother to get up as he took in his surroundings. Trees everywhere. When had he left the road? It was nice in the forest.

  Forest of Dodona, where talking trees made ships.

  The Cedar Forest, where the guardian Humbaba stopped Gilgamesh.

  Brécheliant Forest, where Morgan and Merlin fought.

  The Fae forest, where they always played tricks.

  Járnviðr Forest, where trolls gave birth to giants and wolves.

  No, no. He was forgetting what he had to remember. It was harder and harder to remember everything. Sometimes he couldn’t remember anything and that was the scariest of all.

  He crawled to a thick trunk and put his back to it. Holding his knees to his chest, he rocked, trying to soothe himself into a rhythm he could chant to. “The war ended. The flood. The queen rose. Comets are omens. The whales died. The library burned. The assassination. The earthquake. The sun exploded. The forest is a desert. She made a new world. The lake is the ocean. The darkness came.”

  People passed by on the road, but he didn’t let them interrupt his monologue. Day turned to night. Night turned to day. He repeated his mantra until his tongue dried in his mouth and his stomach rumbled. Shade left, returned, and departed again. His head. It was going to explode like the sun. He closed his eyes, pressed his brow harder into his knees and chanted faster.

  Footsteps stopped in front of him. “Oh, Norrix. I had no idea things were so bad.” Nabu! The aroma of the spicy oil he used to make his beard shiny was unmistakable. Nabu, the father figure in his life, who had offered Norrix everything he thought he wanted when he was too young to understand what it would cost. Sometimes he hated Nabu, but the next time he saw something he’d never seen before, he forgot his hatred and Witnessed it.

  Nabu knelt, putting a hand on Norrix’s shoulder.

  Norrix let go of his knees, fisted his hands in Nabu’s tunic and talked as fast as he could so he didn’t forget. “The war ended. The flood. The queen rose. Comets are omens. The whales died. The library burned. The assassination. The earthquake. The sun exploded. The forest is a desert. She made a new world. The lake is the ocean. The darkness came.”

  “You did well, Norrix. You always do. Let go of those memories now. Everything is going to be all right.”

  But Norrix couldn’t let go. He’d told Nabu, but not all the details. They whirled through his mind — smells, sights, sounds —

  “Nabu, what have you done to the poor boy?” A woman with lilac-colored eyes and long black hair knelt before them. She shoved Nabu away and wrapped Norrix in her arms. The silver dress she wore was soft and cool under his cheek and she smelled like orchids. Orchids. Orchids.

  “Aphrodite likes orchids. The queen climbed a tree and became an orchid while she waited for her husband. The spirits broke the rainbow and orchids fell from the colors —”

  “Norrix.”

  He stared into purple eyes. His spinning thoughts stopped so suddenly, the momentary silence of his mind left him dizzy. Memories tried to fill the blank space. A trickle turned into a deluge then unto an onslaught. So many. Too many. Had to grab one. The purple eyes. He Witnessed them when they turned that color. Norrix touched the woman’s face. “The sun fell.”

  She put her hand over his. “Yes, it did. I’m Selene. The man with me is Riordan.”

  A man with gold hair and blue eyes knelt beside her. “He’s too young.”

  Nabu snorted. “The boy is older than you.”

  “He doesn't look any older than ten, but if he saw... That would make him thousands of years old.” Selene shook her head. “You couldn't wait for him to grow up?”

  Norrix couldn’t remember the last time he’d been held like this. His mother had cuddled him when he was a boy. Hadn’t she? Mothers did that, but maybe not his. He Witnessed it. Was he still a boy? He craved touch. Human contact. The Witness went unnoticed, only there to observe. He’d become one of the invisible people. He snuggled into Selene's embrace. “I was eight winters.”

  “The boy wasn’t destined to grow up. The day I took him, he was going to leave the protection of the sanctuary and cross the river. Cybele would have found him, driven him insane, and made him castrate himself. Or had a wild boar kill him. Either way, he would have died. With me, he never came to her attention. Zax said he wouldn’t be missed in the timeline.”

  “Well, he’s still mad.” Riordan frowned. “You didn’t stop that. How long has he been like this?”

  “Not castrated,” Norrix mumbled with a shudder. That seemed important.

  Nabu laughed. “That’s the spirit, my boy. I don’t know how long he’s been like this. I didn’t know he was in this shape until I found him just now. He’s been my Witness for thousands of years. He never told me there was a problem.”

  “What has he Witnessed for you?” Riordan’s eyes flashed black. Was he angry at Nabu?

  “Everything.”

  “Nabu!” Selene gave the god a disappointed look that was worse than yelling. “Nonstop? A human mind, especially one so young, isn’t meant to live this long or remember so much. It’s amazing he hasn't gone crazy before now.”

  “He’s not human. That’s why I was supposed to wait until after he died. So his immortality kicked in. But I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t let him die. Can you fix him?” Nabu’s face creased into his worried look. “Apparently I was supposed to resurrect him, not turn him into my Witness while he lived.”

  “Fine print,” Norrix mumbled. “Got to read the fine print, God of Scribes.”

  “You’re right, Norrix.”

  Pain in his head spiked. The memories wanted to get out. “The war ended. The flood. The queen rose. Comets are omens. The whales died. The library burned. The assassination. The earthquake. The sun exploded. T
he forest is a desert. She made a new world. The lake is the ocean. The darkness came.”

  Selene rocked with him. “You told us. We won’t forget.”

  “Zax said you could help him. Please. I don’t like seeing him in pain.” Nabu sounded so sad.

  “Oh. Her.” Riordan didn’t like Zax. Why not?

  Norrix knew that woman with two colors in her eyes. She saved him, but not the day he met Nabu.

  “Where is his family?” Selene asked.

  “I’m his family. His actual parents, well, that’s a bit complicated. His mother is Nana. No father in the picture. Nana was impregnated by an almond that fell in her lap from the tree grown when Agdistis was mutilated . You know how those things go. Agdistis wanted him, even though she was also his mother. A king wanted to marry him off to his daughter. Cybele wanted him for herself. There would have been a lot of strife and arguing over his destiny. He would have had a short, miserable life and been murdered, one way or another. Zax hid him with a priestess in a sanctuary, but even she died thousands of years ago.”

  Had it been so long? Anni wasn’t his mother, but he had two others? Time had stopped meaning anything, and Norrix refused to let humans get close to him anymore. They tended to stay in one place and their lifetimes were so short. In theory, his life would never end, and as humans expanded across the world, creating new civilizations and pantheons, there would always be something new to Witness.

  Norrix shuddered. He’d meant to cross the river that day, in spite of his mother warning him not to. But she wasn't his mother, was she? Wrapping his arms around Selene, he buried his face in her neck. He’d never felt so like the small boy he was that day or missed a mother so much. “Everybody dies. I Witness death all the time.”

  “We’re not human. We won’t age and die like humans,” Selene promised.

  “I can turn him, but I don't know if it will do what you want.” Riordan knelt in front of Norrix, blue eyes turning black as fangs descended. “Have you Witnessed what I am, what I must do to live? Do you want to change? It’s your choice. The process heals physical injuries, makes adjustments to your body. You will grow up, into an adult, but I don’t know if it will fix your mind.”

  Norrix struggled to focus, his grip on the present slipping as hazy memories threatened to take over. “I have Witnessed what blood drinkers do. Will it make things worse?”

  “I don’t think so. You’re dying now. It doesn’t get much worse than that.”

  “What do you mean by adjustments?” Nabu asked.

  “We are meant to fight mages. Our enemies are timeless, ruthless and corrupt. Norrix, you are thousands of years old, but your body is adolescent. If I change you, your body will grow to its full potential. You won’t look like a boy anymore. I’ve never changed anyone at such a young age before. You will grow taller and bulkier. It will hurt.”

  “Can I still be the Witness?” What would Nabu do without him? There was only one Witness.

  “You will be limited as far as direct sunlight. You can only go out during the day if you are fully covered or in shadows, but if you still want to be the Witness, I don’t see why you can’t.”

  “I want to try. I want to be grown up.”

  Riordan bit into Norrix's wrist. His life drained away. Cold. Colorless. Everything so slow...

  On the verge of death, Norrix felt a wrist pressed against his mouth. Riordan’s skin felt cool, but his blood flowed hot. Anticipating a metallic taste, Norrix's first swallow was tentative. The taste and consistency were more like honey, and Norrix's next swallows were eager.

  Magic rushed through him, his blood loud in his ears as it surged. A sharp pain knifed through his brain. His hands pressed against his head, like squeezing his skull would keep it together and stop it from blowing apart. Nabu could Witness that for himself. More pain slashed through him, joints creaking, muscles stretching, skin expanding.

  He groaned, wishing he could scream, but his body wasn’t his. Just something he was stuck in while it did what it wanted.

  Serene held him, her soft voice a balm, taking some of the hurt away. She sang a lullaby, made silver magic dance in the air, and rocked him until everything went dark.

  CHAPTER THIRTY ONE

  FABLE

  “YOUR MOM IS COMING.” Soră put the apple back on the tray and skipped across the room. “We’re going to bust out of this joint.”

  Bust out of this joint? Fable glanced up from her book as Soră climbed back into bed and scooted under the blankets with her. The lights were already out, but Fable didn’t need to see the words to know the story. You say funny things, Soră.

  “I know. I’m learning about so many new things on television and the internet since I woke up.”

  Soră had slept for a thousand years like a fairy tale princess. Did Nantli talk to you?

  “No. Her magic is still stuck.” Soră frowned. “She’s very stubborn.”

  I hear her talking to me.

  Soră winked. “That is because you are a more special girl than me.”

  That couldn’t be right. Soră was magic!

  “I have to go to Pohjola.” Soră flopped back onto the pillows. “Jael is not behaving and Viktoria needs my help. I can’t believe it. What is the world coming to when Stryx is the only changed one who knows how to behave?”

  Who are all those people? Where is Pohjola? Will you tell me a story about them? Soră knew good stories, even when she talked funny.

  “Stryx and Jael are changed ones.”

  Like Norrix?

  “Yes. So you already know that story. Viktoria is a strygoi, and I already told you about them. She’s a new one, just today and has the best shadow magic. Her mom is a scary witch. I’ll tell you about Pohjola. That’s where they live. It’s far away from here, in the north. There’s always snow there.”

  Snow?

  Soră nodded, stuck one leg out of the blankets and lifted her bare foot straight in the air. “It’s cold on my feet and covers all the plants and grass in a blanket so they can stay warm and grow in the springtime. Except in Pohjola, where it’s never springtime. Maybe I can bring you some snow when I come back so you can touch it. That would be fun, right?”

  Fable clapped her hands and smiled. Yes, please!

  “Okay. So here is the story. A long, long time ago, a powerful Goddess of Witchcraft and Death had nine sons. She named them all after yucky diseases and they weren’t very fun, so she had thirteen daughters instead.”

  Thirteen? Did their tahtli love them?

  “Their father was the wind. He never stayed in one place for long, so I don’t think they knew him.”

  Oh. Do you think there are any tahtlis who love their daughters?

  “I know there are.”

  Do you have one? Nantli hadn’t had one either.

  “I don’t remember. I think maybe I did once. Before I was magic.”

  I wish I had one. More than anything, she wanted a tahtli who loved her and Nantli so they could be happy together and never have to see the mean men again. It was her one fairy tale wish, and she held on to it with all her might, even though wishes never came true in Aztlan. Her eyes felt hot and she sniffled.

  “Don’t be sad.” Soră hugged her.

  Silver magic spread over Fable’s skin in warm, fuzzy sparkles that tickled and made her giggle in her mind.

  “Think of how much your mom loves you. More than ten people! I’m not a Djinn but you’re my new bestest friend. I will find you a tahtli. I magic promise.” Soră drew two slanted silver lines crossing in the middle of her chest, then made them float to land on Fable’s. “As soon as we... what did I call it?”

  Bust out of this joint?

  “Right. That.” Soră nodded. “It will happen soon. Do you want to hear some more about Pohjola?”

  Yes.

  “So, all thirteen daughters were beautiful with long silvery hair and blue eyes, which meant princes, heroes and villains all wanted to marry them. But their mom didn’t trust th
ose boys and always gave them special jobs to do. If the boy could do it, she would let him marry one of her daughters. But none of them ever did what she told them. Instead, they tried to be tricky, sneak around, and kidnap the girls.”

  The scary witch didn’t let them, did she? Normally Fable didn’t like the scary witches in stories because they ate children, put curses on them, or gave them poisoned food, but this one didn’t seem so bad. This witch wanted to protect her daughters. Nantli would do that too.

  “No way. She caught the boys every time and kicked them out of Pohjola.”

  Fable frowned. No daughters ever got married? But that wasn’t how the stories were supposed to end.

  “Nope! I think Jael will be the first one the scary witch likes.”

  Nantli says she is outside the window. Fable stared at Soră. How did you know? She wants me to jump down.

  “Okay. I’ll help. You go to your mom and I’ll go to Pohjola. I’ll come see you later and bring some snow.”

  Fable nodded, slid off the bed and put on her dress. At the window, Soră helped reach the top latch, and they opened the shutters The ledge was high above the ground, but she had to be brave.

  It was time to bust out of this joint and find her tahtli.

  CHAPTER THIRTY TWO

  MYTH

  MYTH LEFT A HUGE PART of herself behind with Norrix in the cell, yet felt heavier than ever before as she slid her torch into a bracket and climbed the stairs to the ground floor of the palace. She wandered in the direction she could feel Fable, keeping her head down but eyes sharp.

  The lack of guards was worrying. The palace had never been so empty. Either this was the ideal time to escape, or it was a test. Apan couldn't have seen what she'd done with Norrix, but knew she had disappeared. He must have reported all the time she'd been away from them, and maybe even that Norrix and his friends had touched her. Myth aimed her steps toward the main exit to the street that led up the tree trunk of Aztlan.