Meko and Song

  Meko held a secret to the universe, one that if it fell into the wrong hands could prove the destruction of nations. As a priest of Fluttiny it was her imperative to seek out the secret and claim the artifact it kept, it was after all Fluttiny’s long lost artifact, and surely Fluttiny would approve—she’d been invited to join the Crimson Raconteurs after all.

  Water lapped against her small boat. Somewhere beyond this river lay the path that led to her treasure. Galaxies reflected themselves in the star light, and Meko laid back enjoying the serenity of the night. That was what life was about, enjoying the beauty and dancing to the music of the universe. And the music of tonight demanded respect.

  Cold hands clamped over her mouth. With a yank Meko was dragged into the depths of the starry water. She fought and kicked to little avail. The creature had a firm grip and kept pulling her deeper. Water filled her lungs, and the pressure in her head made everything dark.

  Desperate she pulled out her holy symbol of Fluttiny, the music note with stars gave her peace as the darkness took her.

  ***

  The human died in Song’s grip. She clutched something in her grip and Song strained to claw it open. Surely her parents would accept this as a mark of her independence and power. A symbol of music and stars slipped from the humans’ fingers.

  Oh no, Song thought. This hadn’t been an invader but a bringer of song and dance, a priestess of Fluttiny. Song swum the human to the surface hoping it wasn’t too late. But all laid out on the shore, the corpse looked more dead than before. I can’t let my parents find out about this. A sharp pain stung in her chest. Sure, she was flippant and that was cool, but enough to kill a priestess? A priestess that administered to all including her people, healing and enriching the lives of all indiscriminately.

  No, this was too much. This made her worthless.

  Song’s head shot up. Maybe she could save this. Her parents didn’t have to find out about this. There was a hag in these woods off the river. Her name was Baba Yaga, and she was a fan of making deals to save people's lives.

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  Song sought the witch, struggling to carry the human through the woods. Her feet awkward on the forest floor.

  “Baba Yaga, I seek to make a deal to save the life of this human,” she called out into the misty forest.

  She took a few terse steps forward, her guilt slung over her shoulder. “Please, you have to do something.”

  A little flame sprang to life in front of her. It twisted and her environment melted around her. Next thing she knew she was staring into the flame of a torch.

  “Yeeess child, I’m Baba Yaga and a deal with you I’ll make,” the hag said.

  The hag was tall and lanky with long hands that ended in claw-like fingers. She hunched over a pot of foul smelling stew that appeared, the fire being squashed under it. Baba Yaga stared intently at Song.

  “Umm, hi,” Song said.

  The hag’s smile widened at Song’s discomfort.

  “I will save human. She isn’t gone. But I must ask? What will you

  give?”

  Song had a lot. She had her Noble title, money, friends; but that all seemed little in comparison to the innocent life she’d just slain. She knew it wouldn’t be enough. Cuss, at this point she’d be willing to give her own life if necessary, as long as no one found out that a member of the royal family had killed a priestess of Fluttiny.

  “Anything, I’ll give anything. Please just fix this,” she said.

  The hag cackled, “Excellent!” She grabbed the human off her shoulder and put her on the table, that likewise hadn’t been there a second ago. The hags’ eyes turned a solid oozy black, a blossom of light exploded inside of Song’s brain and then was unconscious.

  A few days later she woke up on the path to a mountain. Then a few weeks later she woke up miles from where she’d slept. At first, she hadn’t known what the hag had down to her, or the human. But after a few weeks it dawned on her. The human and her shared Song’s body. She always tried to take control, but it didn’t seem a function of her willpower. It was confirmed when she woke up with a new earring, in the shape of the holy symbol of Fluttiny, that was the mystery priestess.

  Song didn’t even know the name of the person she shared a body with. She didn’t know who that human was, but she hated them. She couldn’t return home like this, not when the human could bewitch all her friends.