Short story Nyarlathotep’s Journey (the Yadira Chronicles book 1) by C.L. Hart is a Lovecraftian style fantasy romance by C.L. Clark.
BLURB
This story reveals the origins of the ancient cosmic sorceress Yadira Root, daughter of the Outer God Nyarlathotep, and Queen Nathicana of the doomed world of Zaïs. It provides a unique interpretation of Nyarlathotep, the most nuanced and intelligent of H.P. Lovecraft’s Outer Gods.
Excerpt:
“I am Nyarlathotep the traveler, son of Azathoth,” Nyarlathotep revealed, his voice barely louder than the evening breeze.
“I am Nathicana, ruler of this land,” the woman replied in a voice melodious as the tinkling of a thousand small bells. “I sensed you, Nyarlathotep, and I felt your longing. You are rightfully pleased with your strengths, but you walk eternally alone. I know the isolation you feel. O’er all the cosmos I am at once revered and despised. For you see, it is my duty to weave the threads of time and fate into the fabric of the cosmos. I have known more of sorrow and of cruelty than any being should have to.”
“Then allow me to assist you so you no longer need to bear this burden alone,” Nyarlathotep insisted. “I am certain that my abilities can reinforce yours. It will be my honor to work at your side, dear Nathicana, and it is my fervent hope that I can bring comfort to your weary heart.”
“It is my belief that you are the only one who can,” Nathicana stated. “Will you join me in my tower so I can show you the nature of my tasks?”
“I shall follow where you lead, my Queen,” Nyarlathotep replied.
Nyarlathotep followed Nathicana into an imposing black tower and up a narrow, winding staircase into an impressive observatory filled with telescopes, viewing screens, scrying bowls, crystal balls, and globes and maps filled with pushpins and interconnecting threads. Nathicana stood in the middle of the room and closed her eyes.
Stars whirled into blurs outside the observatory dome and threads began to fly up from spindles. As Nyarlathotep watched, scenes from multiple worlds and lifetimes played out on the view screens. The globes spun and a cacophony of pleading voices and distressed wails filled the room.
Nathicana reached out her hands and grabbed a thread. She whirled about, swayed to and fro, and danced to the array of globes and maps. She thrust a large pin into a star chart with a slightly smaller pin beside it, then took up a dozen even smaller pins and thrust each of these into the star chart surrounding the larger pins.
Nathicana sang in an ululating vibrato. The shape of the pins altered, and a new binary star system surrounded by a dozen planets appeared on the star chart. The mournful wailing of the spirits quieted, and as Nyarlathotep watched, millions of sparks of light converged on the star system.
Nathicana opened her eyes and her body wavered. Nyarlathotep guided her to a chair.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
C.L. Hart is a 57-year-old disabled former nurse living in a remote town on the plains of Northeastern Colorado with her adult son and three cats. When not writing gloomy Lovecraftian fantasy or doomy dystopian fiction, Ms. Hart enjoys baking (results may vary) and drawing (admissibly badly.)
Christina Lynn Lambert 