As The Scrolls Unroll -- One

[EllieNeo]

ellie dreamed. at first she thought the dream was a memory, a sweet memory. but it changed… morphed… and was horribly wrong by the time she woke.


after weeks of living with lauri, ellie had passed her temper training. she returned home. she pulled back the curtain door of their hut and stepped in. ava was taking a nap on ellie’s bed, her face buried in her pillow. ellie smiled. ‘she missed me, too.’ ellie put her weapons down on the table as quietly as she could, then sat next to ava on her bed. leaning down, she kissed ava on the back of her neck. ava sighed and rolled over, opening her eyes. the pure joy ellie felt coming from ava only increased the joy she felt herself. ava threw her arms around ellie’s neck and they kissed.

they took a walk through the woods. the sun was beginning to set. ava looked at ellie and smiled. ellie felt the love and pride coming from ava.

“so, you did it.”

ellie nodded.

“i did.”

they walked on in silence for a few moments. ellie hung her head.

“i missed your birthday.”

“i missed yours, too.”

“i… didn’t get you anything.”

ava stopped walking, and ellie looked at her.

“you didn’t need to.”

ava tackled ellie to the ground. they rolled around, kicking up leaves and dirt and acorns. the sun had set, the moon was rising. they were laughing their heads off. when they stopped rolling, ellie had ava pinned to the ground. they kept laughing. then ellie looked deeply into ava’s beautiful deep blue eyes, leaned down, and kissed her passionately.

...suddenly… ava’s eyes changed. they were no longer blue. they glowed bright red. her teeth grew long… she bit into ellie’s neck and laughed. ellie rolled away from her, but ava’s face completely changed as she watched. her voice had an echo in it… it was not her voice at all… it was the voice of a monster! her face was soon unknown to ellie, horns protruded from her head, her eyes glowed even brighter when she spoke.

“ahAhaAhAhhhhaaa…. you thought you could bring ava back that easily, did you….! death doesn’t give up easily…!!! but i won’t let it take me!!!! i am old. my powers are fading. i will take YOURS!!!!!”

the evil laugh that issued from the not-ava-monster… thing… echoed in ellie’s head…[/b]


her waking scream woke the village. the amazons drew their weapons and approached ellie’s hut, thinking their queen was in danger. ilia was the first to reach the hut, and pulled back the curtain to find her sitting on her bed and sobbing into her hands. ilia didn’t even pretend to understand what was going on, but she didn’t want to leave ellie alone, either. she waved to the other amazons behind her, to tell them ellie was ok. she then walked in and sat next to ellie on her bed.

ellie couldn’t shake the images from her mind.

…what… was that…

ellie and ilia sat in silence until ellie had calmed down. ellie then pointed at the wineskin that hung on ilia's belt.

"what's in that?"

ilia blinked before answering.

"mead."

"can i have some?"

ilia tilted her head a bit as she removed the wineskin from her belt and handed it to ellie. ellie felt her confusion, but ignored it.

"you... don't drink."

"you're right. i don't."

ellie chugged what was in the wineskin, and ilia watched, surprised. ellie almost gagged... it had been a very long time since she had tasted alcohol. but she forced it down. when the wineskin was all but empty, she handed it back to ilia. ilia reattached it to her belt and stood. ellie looked at her.

ilia glanced at ellie before she left, then shook her head and walked out, leaving ellie alone with her thoughts. ellie was so pissed off… that hadn’t been a dream… she knew it. that… thing[/i]… was real. it was trying to corrupt her memories... and it wanted her powers. but she’d be damned if she’d just sit by and let it have them.

[Awesome Aphrodite]

We left early the next morning. Whether Lauri had slept or not, I had no idea. She was up before the sun, and had the horses ready to go before I had eaten breakfast. As I mounted my horse, I thought I heard someone in the woods nearby. When I looked, I saw nothing. Lauri, on horseback, appeared in front of me, and nodded. She kicked her horse into a trot, and I did the same. The two of us left the village by the sea, and again the thought crossed my mind that I really hoped she knew where she was going.

[EllieNeo]

ellie was nervous. very nervous. and that dream hadn’t helped. if annabelle succeeded… she would bring ava back to her. if she failed… ellie shook the thought from her head and stood. ugh... chugging that mead had been a bad idea... she suddenly had a splitting headache. after gathering her weapons, she exited the hut. a little bit buzzed from the mead, she forgot to duck, and bonked her head on the door as she exited. she cursed under her breath and rubbed her head. she felt someone's concern and curiosity and looked up. traya stood in front of her, and bowed her head. she spoke to ellie in english, and ellie noticed it was a bit choppy, as if she hadn’t spoken it in awhile.

“queen ellie. i did not want to… disturb you… before,… thought you should see this.”

traya held a dagger in her hand. ellie recognized it as the dagger she had pulled from annabelle’s side after the battle. traya handed the dagger to ellie, and ellie eyed it. she looked up at traya.

“what’s wrong?”

traya shook her head.

“this dagger… belongs to janis.”

ellie's eyes widened. her eyes met traya's.

"bring me aronia."



*note: traya's dialog written by Awesome Aphrodite.

[moonglum]

Vaelan strode down the corridor towards the guest rooms. It had been over a week now since Della returned from her evening excursion, dragging the old soak in tow. Eight days of pandering to the old man’s whines and whims. Eight days and nights of mindless ramblings, threats and denials, while they sobered him up. Well, Vaelan had made up his mind. It ends now, he said to himself as he turned the final corner. He had been patient with his wife, understanding her need for closure. Her need to grieve held in check only by her lack of knowledge, her need to fill in the missing blanks. In that one fateful day, twenty years ago, he had lost his entire family. He had grieved for his sons, sat vigil by his wife’s bedside. Now, by the grace of the gods, Della had been returned to him, hale and with her indomitable spirit intact. He swore to himself that he would not go through that again; he had laid his demons to rest twenty years ago. Now, as he approached the door, his own thoughts echoed in his head. It ends now.

[moonglum]

Vaelan entered the room and looked around. The old man was seated at a small table quietly muttering to himself. As Vaelan walked over and sat down opposite him, the old man turned his head away, as if his eyes were following a ghost across the room. He sighed quietly and slowly returned his gaze to the table top in front of him, studiously avoiding his master’s stare.
“Hello Jared. You and I need to speak.”
“I got nothin’ to say. You’ve got no right doin’ this, keeping me locked up in ere.” Jared’s voice trailed off into silence once more, his head still down.
Vaelan sat quietly for a moment, his hands resting on the table’s edge while he lightly tapped his fingers to an unheard tune. Suddenly he brought the flat of his hand down on the table top with a sharp slap.
“Enough.” Vaelan spoke in a soft, yet authoritative voice; the sound had been enough to catch the old man’s attention. “You led us to believe my sons had been abducted and my wife left for dead. Now I find my wife chasing ghosts and, it appears, she has developed in intense fascination with you, Jared. I dislike playing games old man, especially when I am unsure of the rules. Now, you will tell me the truth of what happened twenty years ago, and why it is my wife cannot sleep at night?”
“Never. I promised she would never…..” Jared’s voice faded, as he realised what he had nearly said.
Vaelan smiled. He sat thoughtfully gazing at the old man for a while, and then he spoke.
“Jared, do you know what diplomacy is?”
“Talking mostly,” Jared laughed.
“There is that to it, yes.” Vaelan continued smiling. “Essentially it is bargaining. Every encounter, be it by chance or design involves a bargain. You have something of value that I need, therefore I must exchange something I have. That is bargaining. The trick is to exchange something of little or no value of mine, whilst making you believe it has much more worth to me. That is the art of the diplomat.” Vaelan sat quietly watching the old man think this through, before continuing. “Now old friend, what is it that you desire most at this minute?”

[EllieNeo]

ellie was sitting on ava’s bed when lauri entered. omri was sound asleep on ellie’s bed, his nose tucked under his tail. ellie held ava’s urn in her hands. lauri walked in and approached ellie. she stood in front of her. she knew better than to sit on ava’s bed. she stood and looked at ellie for several minutes. ellie didn’t acknowledge her presence. finally, ellie looked up at lauri. her face was sad. lauri’s purple eyes met ellie’s when ellie spoke to her.

“she’s been gone three years now.”

“i know.”

“her birthday is in a couple months.”

“i know.”

ellie sighed and stood. walking to the table, she placed ava’s urn on top of the folded parchment that sat there. she reached out and put a hand on ava’s dark green-handled katana in its white scabbard. a tear rolled down her face. ellie turned and looked at lauri. ellie felt the worry coming from lauri. and… a bit of fear. huh…? ellie had not felt fear from lauri since she’d stabbed her with her box cutter, nearly ten years ago. what was wrong? ellie had to know.

“did you see a bad future?”

“i saw a future. there will be a war. that soldier you captured told of the alliance between the romans and the remaining centaur tribes in this area. that was months ago, and queen eglise informed you when the interrogation was successful. what you do not know is that i then went to the clearing. i sat for many hours. i saw a very intense war. many will die. you will have no choice but to kill again. the queen will need the help of every amazon tribe in the area in order to stand a chance against this invasion. ellie, i believe you will fulfill your destiny during this war. i believe you will save the amazons.”

ellie shook her head and stared at lauri in disbelief. there was no way. after being here ten years… if they won this upcoming war… she could go home? but… where was home now? she had lived here so long that she wasn’t sure she wanted to go back. would lauri force her to go back once she fulfilled her destiny? did she want to fulfill her destiny? if it meant killing again… then she wasn’t sure. she hadn’t killed in almost three years. the nightmares of the centaurs she had killed had only recently stopped. she didn’t want to bring them back by killing more.

without a word, ellie gathered her weapons. she exited the hut and whistled. she ran off into the woods, omri close behind. she ran and ran. when she reached the spot she was looking for, she stopped. she bent down to the ground. tears filled her eyes. ava had died here. her best friend. her lover. she’d lost her. right here. in her dreams she kept seeing her faded, glazed over eyes as they closed for the final time. lost in her thoughts, ellie jumped when omri gently licked the back of her hand. she patted the top of his head.

what would she do now? she had run out on lauri. she didn’t want to go back. if fulfilling her destiny meant killing again, she couldn’t. she just couldn’t. without any warning, lauri jumped down from the tree behind ellie. ellie jumped up and spun around, and omri barked in surprise. lauri stared at ellie. she seemed to know what ellie was thinking. her purple eyes narrowed and met ellie’s green eyes.

“what about your destiny?”

ellie shook her head hard. she felt her temper taking over. for the first time in a long time, she let it. she stepped right up to lauri and stood inches from her. she looked down into lauri’s face. their eyes met again. ellie glared at lauri angrily.

“screw my destiny.[/b][/i]”


the memory filled ellie’s mind as traya brought her aronia, the queen's horse. she gathered her supplies, packed them into the saddlebags, and put on an overcoat. ellie didn’t care that it might be seen as abandonment. she had to go after lauri and annabelle. if janis had tried to kill annabelle but had failed, ellie knew that she would try again. but… why?? why was janis after annabelle? were she and that monster from ellie’s nightmare working together? did they want annabelle’s power, too… or did they just want to make sure ava stayed dead? ellie hoped she wasn’t too late.

ellie patted aronia. she had never ridden her, but she had belonged to the queen, and therefore now belonged to ellie. that meant she had every right to ride her now. a friend of queen eglise's, an amazon from another tribe, had given aronia to queen eglise a couple years ago. apparently, her owner had unexpectedly vanished. as ellie thought about it, her eyes widened. the amazon who had given the horse to the queen... her name had been zena. one of the amazons phalon had asked about. that was why the name had sounded vaguely familiar. could aronia be.... ellie shook the thought from her head and kept packing the saddlebags.

ellie rubbed her hand over the saddle and smiled. the saddle was ellie's, and even had her name etched in it, in english on one side, and in greek on the other. it had been a gift from drew. though she had etched the english name in it herself, since drew did not speak english. it was a very fine saddle. ellie was an experienced rider... just not of aronia. aronia was a very gentle-natured horse, and she stood still while ellie loaded the supplies into the saddlebags. when ellie finished loading the supplies, aronia neighed softly, and ellie rubbed her muzzle gently.

"easy, aronia. easy, girl."

at ellie's whistle, omri appeared. ellie put janis’s dagger near omri’s nose. he sniffed it. he growled. he’d never liked janis’s scent. pointing towards the woods, ellie mounted aronia. looking down at omri, she shouted the command over the voices of the objecting amazons.

“SIC EM![/i]”

omri took off like a shot. ellie had to kick aronia into a gallop to keep up. in seconds, she had vanished into the woods, following omri, despite the loud objections of the amazons. as she rode off, she thought she heard the evil laugh following her. she shook the thought off and pushed aronia harder to catch omri, who was running so fast he was almost out of sight. in her haste, she didn't notice the piece of parchment fall out of her back pocket. she screamed at aronia to get her to go faster.

“YAAAAAAAHH!”

[moonglum]

Jason opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling of the cavern. There was no natural light that he could detect, but still, an aura or glow, seemed to emanate from the rock itself. It would seem her volatile outburst had deposited him back here, where Letitia had so recently liberated him.

The beast had followed young Jerek through the portal. Jerek had, in turn, been chasing Jason’s sword. Now he found himself alone with the wounded Jared and his unconscious mother. The old man had proved surprisingly resilient and his wounds appeared to be mainly superficial. Between them they carried Della’s body outside into the clean and fresh air.
“Jared, she must never find this place again. Promise me she will never know the horrors that dwell within that cave.”
“I will try.”
“Swear, Jared. You know who I am, don’t you? Swear on both our lives that she will never see what was done in there again.”
“I swear, young master.”
“Good. Take the horses, ride north to the lake. Leave one of the horses there, and then make a litter to carry her home. Tell them you were waylaid by brigands or some such, near the lake.”
“What of you, and the boy?”
Jason stood and before he turned away he said.
“I will seal the opening and then go after the boy. Hopefully I can return him soon. Farewell old friend, look after her.” Then turning on his heel, Jason returned to the cavern. Shortly afterwards, as he was readying the horses, Jared heard a low rumbling and looking over his shoulder, he saw the side of the hill slide downwards and seal the entrance forever.

As Jason lay there he thought back over those events and slowly shook his head. How naïve he had been. He should have known the powers that dwelt here would attempt to hide themselves away from the prying of the outside world. To heal their wounds until they were ready again. He had hardly passed into the main chamber, when he heard the rocks crashing down behind him. He had looked for the portal and seen, too late, that it was gone. So he had reconciled himself to the thoughts of remaining in this tomb, with just the grotesque caricatures of his brothers to keep him company. He had waited for what seemed like an eternity. Waited for what? He wasn’t really sure; it was the only thing he could do. He found himself sleeping a great deal. Then one day, or night, he felt her presence appear and gladly went with her. Yes, he had been naïve. For now, after all that, he was back in this wretched cave again.

He rolled over, on to his front and was about to stand when, he noticed his body seemed to be sinking into the ground. Ever so slightly and ever so slowly, he could see his forearms and hands slipping below the surface. He quickly stood and stared down at his feet. Yes, imperceptibly, but definitely, sinking! He recoiled from the spot, thinking mire had been created beneath him. But, on closer inspection he could see dust on the ground. He bent down and brushed his hand across the surface and recoiled again when the dust didn’t move. What?

[moonglum]

There was one thing different this time round. Just outside the circle of stones, and near to where the portal had been, lay a pile of old clothes. Well, not so much a pile, more a 'laying out' of clothes. Jason sat there and stared at them. There was something so very familiar about them. He was mesmerised by them, and the thought of what lay inside them. The skull was visible at the collar end of the old faded trench coat and Jason just knew that the rest of the skeleton resided inside. He sat there staring at his remains for a long time. A million questions whirled around in his mind, a million questions with only one answer. He was dead. He must be. You didn't usually get to see all of your bones without something being seriously wrong. You didn't start sinking through the floor, either. The dust hadn't moved under his touch because he was a ghost. He had tried grasping a handful and was amazed when his hands just passed right through it. Scrabbling frantically at the ground, as the truth slowly dawned, Jason believed he was going mad. Now as he sat and stared, his fears were slowly being replaced with anger. He stood up, marched over to his mortal remains and lashed out with his leg. His anger boiled over when his foot passed harmlessly through them, disturbing not a single molecule. He kicked out again and again, finally dropping to his knees and pounding them with his fists. Nothing moved. Not a grain of dust, not a stitch of fabric. His hands just sunk deeper and deeper with each blow.
What? Why? How had this happened? Simple, it hadn’t, it couldn't. Could it? Jason knew he had not died in this cavern, but here, staring back at him, was hard evidence that, apparently, he had.

[Awesome Aphrodite]

“YAAAAAAAHH!”

As Traya watched Ellie ride away, she noticed a piece of parchment fly from the horse's saddle and hit the ground. Kneeling, Traya picked it up and held it in her hand, concealing it from the other Amazons. The three other queens all called Ellie a traitor for running out like this. The Amazons of Traya’s own tribe, upon seeing Ellie leave, began to panic, thinking she may not return. Some feared that her leaving was a sign that the war was going to be lost. Some cried out that Ellie should be branded a traitor. But Traya knew better. Ellie had her reasons for leaving. Ellie was The Chosen One. It was her destiny to save the Amazons. No matter what she did, nothing could change that destiny. Traya stepped up onto the stage and raised her arms, calling the Amazons to attention.

“I will NOT allow this war to be lost! If we stand around debating amongst ourselves whether or not Ellie’s leaving for good, we will make ourselves vulnerable to attack! If no one challenges, I am taking command of this tribe until Ellie returns.”

Traya waited. When no Amazons objected, she continued.

“Prepare all weapons! The Romans and the centaurs could attack at any minute, and we cannot be caught unprepared! Post sentries, and send out small scouting parties. Let’s find out what their plans are so we can defeat them!”

The cheer that rang out was not as loud as Traya expected, but at least no one was arguing with her. Stepping down from the stage, she walked to her hut, sat on her bed, and eyed the piece of parchment Ellie had dropped. Unfolding it, she saw it was written in Ellie's Language, which Traya had always had trouble reading. It was also written in... Ava's... handwriting. It had been years since Traya had seen Ava's handwriting, but even written in a different language, it was very distinctive. Struggling to remember how to read Ellie's Language, her eyes inched down the page very slowly. After she had finished reading it, Traya shook her head and refolded the parchment. This was something that was very important to Ellie. She would have to be sure to not lose it. Standing, she opened the chest that stood at the foot of her bed and carefully put the parchment in it, weighing it down with the old set of sai that occupied the chest.

Sitting back down on her bed, Traya began to sharpen her combat sai. The blanket that lay on the floor caught her eye, and she stared at it for a moment. She had sent Annabelle away two mornings ago, but... where was she now...?? She hadn't seen her following Ellie as Ellie had ridden out of the village. In fact, she hadn't seen her since she'd sent her away. Shaking her head, Traya decided she didn’t have time to worry about it, finished sharpening her sai, and exited her hut.

[Phalon]

Leaving Scrappy and Dixie, Phalon stumbled through the brush to the berry patch where she encountered the rabbit. Untying an empty leather pouch from the belt at her waist, she sniffed the inside, trying to remember which herb or potion it once contained. Finding it free from offensive odors, she shrugged – poison or not, any remnants would probably not be viable anymore. She deemed the pouch safe to use as a container for the berries, and bent to start picking. A handful for the pouch, a handful for herself. The berries were warm from the sun, and perfectly ripe.

The methodical task of picking allowed her time to think. It didn’t make sense that Dixie could be a rabbit, and a rabbit could be a demon. The two seemed related somehow. Two rabbits; one a human who acted like a rabbit, and the other, a rabbit who didn’t act like a rabbit at all. Possession? Something more. Soul switching? It was the only plausible explanation she could come up with.

But something was missing in the equation: Dixie’s soul. If the rabbit and Dixie switched souls, than the rabbit’s soul would be in Dixie’s body, and Dixie would be in the rabbit’s body. And the thing in the rabbit’s body was definitely not Dixie.

She ate another handful of berries. Her fingers were already stained a deep red-purple, and her lips were beginning to take on the same color, evidence that she was eating nearly as many berries as she put in the pouch.

There had to be a third party, then. She thought back to the last time she remembered seeing Dixie. They were sitting around the table in the House of Whoosher's dining room, when Dixie got up inexplicably, and left the room. When she returned, she didn’t seem quite herself. The light in her eyes was gone, and none of her warm personality shone through. Phalon remembered thinking it odd at the time. The possession – the body switch must have occurred then.

If so, what came through the portal was not Dixie at all; her soul remained a victim of the evil in that House. Phalon sighed deeply, saddened by the thought. How many of them were there who lay buried under the rumble? And exactly what, if not Dixie, had followed them through the portal?

As if on cue, a slight breeze caused her to involuntarily shiver. It brought with it the scent of the rabbit stew. It should be pretty close to done now; she’d better hurry, and get back to camp.

“Ouch!!!” Careless in her haste to get a few last berries for the pouch, she’d caught her finger on a bramble thorn.

“Who…who’s there?” a faint voice called out.

Pulling the drawstrings of the leather pouch tight, she stood, trying to determine from what direction the voice came. She could see Scrappy and Dixie through the bush, Scrappy’s hand on Dixie’s wrist. What she could not see was the wild-eyed expression of fear on Dixie’s face, or the images that replayed in Scrappy’s mind that closely followed what Phalon just surmised happened in the house. From Phalon’s vantage point all appeared well; it seemed as if they were finally sharing a tender moment. Phalon smiled. Such a wild imagination she had, thinking Dixie was a rabbit. Scrappy must be right; Dixie just needed a bit of time to readjust after coming through the portal.

“Is s-s-someone out there?”

Turning in the direction of the voice, she unsheathed her sword, and wondered if something else came through the portal after Dixie.

[moonglum]

The singing grew louder and louder as Della walked towards the guest chambers. Who had done this? After all she had gone through to sober him up, some idiot had now given him enough wine to wake the dead. She would have someone's head for this. Rounding the corner Della came face to face with the guard outside Jared's room. He blocked her entrance to the room.
"Stand aside." She shouted at the guard. The man stood his ground and did not move. "If you are responsible for this, I will have you flogged. Now, let me pass."
The guard still blocked the passage. "I'm sorry mistress, but I have strict instructions not to let you in."
"You have what?" Della screamed to be heard above the noise. She raised her hand to strike the man, when the door behind him opened and her husband stood there.
"Let her pass." Vaelan and the guard stood aside and Della stormed into the room. Jared was sprawled on the bed; his singing now had subsided into drunken mumblings and murmurs. As the door closed behind them Della turned on her husband and shouted.
“What have you done? After sobering him up, you………” The fight went out of her; her shoulders sagged as she looked past Vaelan towards the window. There, standing by the wall, the blonde haired ghost extended his arms toward her. He was mouthing words but she could not hear him. She looked at his face, into his eyes. There was something about them. She thought she saw a yearning in them. The longer she looked, however, the more she realised it was a need, a desperate need. As she started towards the spectre, Vaelan caught her arm and said. “What is it? What do you see?”
“He is calling to me, he needs me.” Della turned towards her husband, her hands gripped his and Vaelan saw her face light up. “It’s our son,” she breathed. “It’s Jerek!”

They sat at the table drinking wine and, against the soft snores of the old man, Vaelan told her what he had learned. It was precious little, he knew, but her memory was almost completely blank regarding those events of twenty years ago.
“Apparently Jared swore an oath never to tell us,” he paused, “never to tell you, what happened that day. He said something about a monster, and Jerek saving your life. He also said he carried you to the lake. I find that hard to believe. He was terribly weak when we found him.”
Della continued staring at the wall near the window before speaking. “There was no lake. In my dreams I have seen a dark passageway, a…….cave!”
Vaelan thought for a while before replying. “There are no caves within five days ride of the castle. None that I know of. The nearest ones are on the coast.” He sat in silence for a while longer then, standing up, he walked over to the door and summoned the guard.
“Find Madoc and send him to me,” he told the man.
Vaelan returned to the table. He looked down at his wife. Her gaze had not left the wall and he saw her eyes shining brightly and the smile on her lips. Sitting down next to her, he gently reached up and turned her face towards his. He smiled at her and said. “We will find the truth, I swear.”

[moonglum]

Madoc had worked hard to be where he was. At thirty-two he was the youngest captain ever to attain the position of Castellan and as such he performed his duties with competence and vigour. He liked to think he discharged his offices fairly, but with a firm hand. Having been born the son of a poor, hardworking farming family, Madoc realised early, that a life spent working the land was not to his taste. So, on his sixteenth birthday, he had decided he would leave the farm and seek his fortune bearing arms for Lord Vaelan. However, fate has a way of changing the best laid plans, and his were no exception. On the morning he was to leave, his father asked for help rounding up his young boars. The animals had escaped overnight through a broken fence and now were at large. They represented a substantial loss to the family. The meat would see them through the winter and the litters they produced would be sold at market. Madoc had sighed and thought that there was always tomorrow.
Three hours later, all but one had been returned to their pen and Madoc was back in the wood. As he continued his search he heard voices approaching. The crashing of crashing of horse’s hooves in the undergrowth and then shouting, they were certainly making enough noise. Then everything seemed to happen at once. A rider burst through the forest onto the track ahead of Madoc. At the same time a young boar crashed onto the path at his side and, head lowered, tried to take his legs out from under him. In a flurry of legs, arms and boar, Madoc wrestled the animal to the ground just as the rider halted in front of him.
“Let the pig go, boy. You are ruining our sport.”
Madoc produced a leather thong and deftly bound the animal’s feet. Then, standing up, he faced the rider and replied. “She is not your sport. She belongs to me.”
The rider had dismounted and, hands on hip; he had repeated his earlier statement. Other riders then appeared and formed a circle around the pair. One in particular appeared to be better dressed than the others. The first rider stepped forward, drawing his sword. Madoc bent and snatched up a large stone from the path and, as the man advanced, he threw it at the man’s chest. Madoc was tall for his age and broad shouldered. Years of chopping wood and all the other farm chores, had given him a strong, muscular build. His aim had also been good, the rock hit his opponent squarely and hard, and the man dropped to his knees severely winded. One or two of the other riders went to dismount, but the well-dressed man had raised his hand to stop them.
“The animal obviously means much to you, young man,” he had said, intrigued by the youngsters grit.
“Not to me personally sir, but much to my family.”
“What is your name?” The man had asked.
“Madoc.”
The man had looked him up and down. He had seen the steely nerves, the steady gaze that never left his own face and thought of the boy’s courage at disabling one of his men.
“Well Madoc the farm boy, we will leave you your prize and seek fresh sport.”
Madoc stared straight into the man’s eyes and growled, “I won’t always be a farm boy.”
At this the man burst out laughing and said. “Well then young sir, when you’re ready, come to Castle Vaelan and ask for me.”
Madoc straightened and replied “And who might you be?”
As the man wheeled his horse he called over his shoulder, “Just ask for the Castellan.” He spurred his horse and then he and the other riders disappeared into the forest.
Three days later, Castellan Balor had been awakened by a guard telling him he had a young visitor.

[moonglum]

All that was many years ago now, and as the two men rode side by side across the Plains of Rayni, Madoc glanced across at Lord Vaelan and felt proud that his diligence and hard work had paid off to the point where the man trusted him implicitly. The old Castellan had recognised in Madoc a strong sense of honesty coupled with a courageous spirit and had nurtured this. Together with strenuous training, he had turned Madoc into the man he was today. He became like a second father, and Madoc missed old Balor. As the ground thundered by under their horse’s hooves, Madoc thought about the quest the pair now embarked upon.
A day’s ride across the grasslands brought them to the outer fringes of Wrangwold Wood. Here they turned and followed the edge of the forest northwards. They travelled for a few more leagues and, as evening began to close in, the pair stopped to make camp. As Madoc busied himself with the horses, Vaelan insisted on finding supper. Madoc smiled inwardly, he could not picture his Lord skinning rabbits or picking berries. Still, he supposed, the old man must have done it once or twice in his youth. He made up a fire and settled himself down to await Vaelan’s return. He must have been more tired than he imagined, for, in the early hours of the dawn, he awoke with a start. The fire had long since gone out and there was no sign that Vaelan had returned. Damn you farm boy, he cursed. Entrusted with the security and safety of your Lord, and you fall asleep! Buckling on his sword, he made for the edge of the forest where Vaelan had entered. The ground under the trees was softer and revealed the man’s movements more readily. There was a distinct line of footprints leading off into the wood. Madoc returned to the horses and packed their belongings. Removing all traces of their camp he led the two mounts into the trees in search of Vaelan.
After a while Madoc found leading the horses through the thickening woodland hard going. Judging them to be far enough away from the main track to be noticed, he tethered the mounts and carried on alone. A half-league farther on, Vaelan’s footprints were joined by another set. These second prints were smaller and the impression they left, much shallower. There appeared to be no sign of a struggle, indeed it looked as if the pair had stood for some time as, he could plainly see where his Lord had shifted his weight from one foot to the other. The prints led off together, Madoc followed and after a short while, was baffled when they round a bush and stopped dead at the base of the biggest oak tree he had ever seen. The footprints did not go around the tree in either direction. They did not back-track and, standing back, he scanned the branches and satisfied himself the pair had not climbed aloft either. This was beginning to make no sense. He walked back up to the trunk and was just about to feel for any hidden openings when suddenly a woman stepped out of the tree. She did not appear from any doorway or opening, she just materialised from the very wood itself. Madoc was so startled he jumped backwards and nearly tripped over his own feet. At this, the woman burst out laughing.
“I’m sorry Madoc. It’s been a long time since I’ve been around other people; I had forgotten how amusing you can be.”
“Who…?” Madoc stammered, his hand reaching for his sword. “How do you know me and where is Lord Vaelan?”
She was dressed from head to foot in a long black cloak, the hood of which was up and obscured much of her features. He had the distinct impression she was teasing him, as she replied.
“Fear not Castellan.” She raised her hand and he found he could not draw his sword from its scabbard. “Your Lord is safe and well. If you will accompany me I will take you to him.”
She lowered her hand and held it out to accept his. For some reason he could not fathom, he felt a compelling urge to hold her hand. She took his hand and together they walked into the tree. Madoc instinctively closed his eyes. He expected to bump his head or, at the very least, feel the scrape of wood against his skin. Instead he felt nothing at first, then all at once, the pounding of rain on his skin. He opened his eyes and blinked as the water washed over his face. They were standing hand in hand, in a courtyard, staring up at a grey, stone tower. The woman turned to him and said.
“I am the Lady Lauren of Athersley, and this is my home. Welcome Castellan Madoc, to Laurens Keep.”

[moonglum]

It had taken Jason a while to pluck up enough courage to walk through stone. The thought of doing it made him shudder. At first the wall had yielded slowly then, with practice, his pace quickened. There had been a point some way in, when he had stopped, realised what he was doing and panicked. He screamed inwardly and, in blind terror, had almost run the rest of the way. Finally bursting forth into sunshine, he had collapsed sobbing, onto the grass. Still not fully understanding what was happening to him, he curled into a ball and lay there quivering with fear.
Why had she done this? To return to him after her death, to reawaken his feelings for her, to rekindle the passion they had shared; and then this! It was cruel. He rolled onto his back and screamed silently at the heavens. Finally pure anger had overcome fear and ignorance, and snatched him back from the jaws of madness. He sat up. He knew where he was. He knew who he must find. Jared and his mother knew the truth of what happened. He would find them. He would make them see him, make them hear him. Standing up, he set off for what was once his home.

[moonglum]

Lauren had existed for many centuries and in many forms. For a long time she had been known throughout the Middle Realms as a great Sorceress. She allied herself with the elemental spirits and forces of nature. After the Great Battle between the forces of Light and Chaos, she had hidden herself away from the world. She took no part in the affairs of mortals and she took no sides in the affairs of gods. Shifting the keep into another dimension, she spent her time among the forests of this land, communing with nature and befriending the wildlife. When it came, the call had been unexpected. So long ago, so very long ago, she had all but forgotten the promise she made to his ancestors. During the last days of the battle, she had weakened. Sickened by the sights she saw, she fled the fight and hid among the mortals. A man had found her wandering, injured and dazed, and had taken her in. His family sheltered her, fed and clothed her. Restoring her health and slowly, over time, helping her to realise there was still love in the universe. When it came time for her to leave, she told him that if ever he or his family needed her help, she would be there for them. They need only go to the forest and pray before the large oak, and she pledged an oath to answer their prayer. Now a descendant of that distant ancestor had remembered a story told to him as a boy, a story handed down through countless generations, and decided to test its truth.
It had been a long time since she had assumed human form. Now, however, it pleased the Lady Lauren to assume a more human appearance once more. Divest of her cloak, she stood before them in the great hall of her home wearing a long gown of sky-blue satin. Her long chestnut coloured hair flowed over her shoulders and down her back to her waist. About her throat was a circlet of gold, set in the centre, with a jewel of deep red. The gown matched her blue eyes, which burned with a fire that matched the passion growing inside him. She had a slender elfin face and as Madoc stared at her, he felt intoxicated by her beauty.

[EllieNeo]

omri was circling a small village by the sea. janis must have spent a long time here. he kept circling the same area, then sat and looked up at ellie. she sighed. jumping down from the saddle, she led aronia to a water trough, and aronia drank. ellie patted aronia's neck, then opened her saddlebag. she had packed some deer jerky just for omri, and she pulled a piece out and tossed it to him. he caught it, and gobbled it down hungrily. the wineskin she had packed had water in it, and after taking a swig of it, ellie kneeled and gave some to omri. his tail wagged. shaking her head, ellie looked at the sky. the sun was starting to set… the clouds looked angry… it was going to rain tonight. probably hard. she had to find janis, and hopefully annabelle and lauri, before then. she was glad she had chosen to ride eglise's horse; aronia was the fastest horse in the village.

this village gave ellie the creeps for some reason. there were hardly any people around. the markets were all closed. ellie shuddered. she pulled janis’s dagger from her saddlebag, and held it out to omri again. he sniffed it, then growled. aronia neighed in surprise. ellie remounted aronia, rubbing her mane to calm her. looking down at omri, ellie spoke the command gently.

“sic em.”

omri took off into the woods, and ellie kicked aronia into a gallop behind him.

[vox]

As Jack and Aphemenie walked towards the obelisk, she noticed how quickly Jack was growing. Gone was the little blonde boy she encountered in the remains of the village. In his place stood a young man, still blonde, although the hair was getting longer and looking quite straggly. The facial features were still the same but a little older. The eyes seemed to be slightly darker as if a tormented soul was captured within. Jack’s body had also changed, he appeared more muscular, his clothes stretched tightly across his frame, ripping as he walked, he seemed unaware of his state of dress, of his changing body. He was totally focussed on the obelisk.

Not a word was spoken during the short walk to the middle of the cavern. Aphemenie being naturally talkative could stand the silence no longer, Jack was touching and pressing every part of the surface of the obelisk, “Jack……Jack!, what is it?” “What are you thinking about, how are we going to get out of here?” “Shut up!” he growled. She was so taken aback at how he had spoken to her that she quickly fell silent and decided not to say another word until Jack instigated conversation. This dark, damp cavern seemed to be bringing out a side of Jack that she did not care for.

So Aphemenie was left with her own thoughts, “how is it that Jack seems to be getting older and she herself was not?” What significance did this cavern hold for Jack? So many questions and no answers…………….

[moonglum]

The walk was long but not arduous. In fact it was not tiring at all. Jason sauntered along the paths through the forest, zigzagging here and there until it occurred to him that he could just walk in a straight line. It still made him feel slightly queasy, walking through solid objects; but the more he did it, the less noticeable his discomfort became. It seemed to take an age, and yet at the same time, the journey appeared to pass quickly, for suddenly he was there. He stood on a gently rolling hillside looking down upon Hellenvayle, his family home. The castle stood on a low hillock, its walls rising high above the buildings of the town that lay spread out around it. A moat encircled the castle walls and separated it from the town; however it had not been dredged in centuries and there were places where one could wade across with ease. As Jason approached the outer pikewall, the first line of defence for the town, he absent-mindedly wondered which gate to use, before smiling to himself and then simply walking through the wall.
Jason made his way through the town and finally stood on the edge of the moat, gazing at the walls of his home. Although he was slowly getting used to moving through solid objects, he definitely did not relish moving through water. Making his way around the bank he came to the drawbridge and, to his relief, found it was lowered. As he made his way across, he heard the thunder of hooves and froze. A group of riders rounded the wall and rode across the bridge straight through him. It was the first time anything or anybody had passed through him and it felt disconcerting to say the least. So far no one had acted as though they had seen him. He had waved at people, hailed them, even shouted in their faces. None had reacted at all. Now, men and horses had ridden right through him. If he wasn’t already sure, it reaffirmed the belief that he was definitely a ghost.
He walked on, across the courtyard and into the castle. Navigating his way through the corridors and rooms, until he finally arrived at the door to his parents chambers.

[Awesome Aphrodite]

That was it. That time I was sure I had heard something. And it wasn’t my horse, or Lauri’s. Someone was following us, through the treetops. My guess was it was either that flying thing… or an Amazon. But if it was an Amazon, she wasn’t much of an Amazon, because Amazons are very good at staying undetected. Lauri seemed to hear it, too, and shot me a ‘stay quiet’ look.

We rode on in silence. It began raining. Lightning flashed across the sky and the thunder was ear-shatteringly loud. When we reached the cave, I couldn’t help but shudder. It gave me the creeps. Lauri dismounted her horse and led it into the cave. Dismounting my own horse, I cautiously followed her.

The cave was dry, which I was ok with. What I didn’t like was the fact that it was dark. Very dark. I couldn’t see two inches in front of my face. At least, not in my human form. I was thinking about transforming into my wolf form to see better, when, suddenly, Lauri was holding a lit torch. It had seemed to appear out of nowhere. I raised an eyebrow.

“How did you do that?”

I could see her smile in the dim light of the torch.

“I told you. I can shoot fireballs. I just happened to have an unlit torch here.”

I nodded. I did remember her telling me that.

We walked to the back of the cave. There were logs back here that had obviously been used to tie up horses. We used them for the same purpose. Lauri pulled some kindling from her saddlebag and made a small fire pit, then shot a fireball at it. It lit easily and warmed up the inside of the cave. She sat near it, cross-legged. I sat across from her. Her eyes met mine. I shrugged.

“Now what…?”

Lauri shook her head, and raised a finger to her lips, signaling me to be quiet. From the direction we had come, I heard a footstep. I started to get up, but Lauri shook her head. She spoke to me in a whisper, and the words seemed like a riddle to me.

“Annabelle… what doesn’t bend, breaks.[/i]”

I didn’t understand. I was about to say something when a shadow entered the firelight. I couldn’t tell who it was without turning around, but I could tell they only had one arm. As Lauri and I sat in silence, the red fire in front of us suddenly changed to green. A sound of evil laughter that made my skin crawl filled the cave.

[moonglum]

Madoc was restless and couldn’t sleep. He tossed and turned as the thoughts of the evenings conversation echoed around his mind. Well before dawn he got up and went in search of something to drink. They had eaten and drank their fill the evening before and the banquet was magnificent. The table was laid with fresh fruit, meats seasoned with aromatic herbs, cheese, sweetmeats, bread and spiced wines. Madoc eventually found his way down to the kitchens and was puzzled when he discovered them empty, covered with heavy layers of dust, cobwebbed and obviously unused for many years. Returning to the main hall, he poured himself some wine and sat down to drink when, he heard singing coming from the gardens. Although he did not recognise the tune, the single voice was hauntingly beautiful. Madoc followed the sounds out into the garden and found the Lady Lauren seated in an arbor, the covered walkway providing shelter against the chill breeze of the night. Lauren stopped and turned her head at his arrival.
“You are awake betimes, Castellan.”
“In truth, I spent a restless night and could not sleep, my lady. I am used to rising early and rousting the sentries up upon the castle walls. The sunrise seems to me more personal up there, before its rays find their way down to the people below.”
She laughed at this. “You are a strange man, an enigma, master Madoc.”
He sat down on a low wall opposite her. “How so, my lady?”
“You are a very capable man. I see it in the way you move, the way you hold yourself. Your eyes miss nothing, a born fighter. Yet there is a softer side, an almost boyish naivety which seems at odds with your rank and position.”
“I try not to look at myself too closely.” He smiled at her and changed the subject. “Lord Vaelan tells me you fought in the Great Battle of the Gods, many millennia ago.”
“Indeed, that is true.”
Madoc grinned, teasing her. “He did not say on which side you fought.”
Lady Lauren rose from her seat, gave him a sideways look and replied. “That is because he does not know! I have never spoken to anyone concerning those events.” She turned her head and walked towards the door, leaving Madoc with the distinct impression that the subject was not for discussion.
He caught up with her in the main hall and apologised. “I am sorry my lady, if my clumsy attempts at humour have given offence. You were correct when you described me as a fighting man, I am unused to the ways of court and my manners may leave something to be desired.” He meant every word. Although he had only known her for a few hours, he could not get her out of his mind. Her gentle ways had captivated his heart and her beauty haunted his every waking moment.
She turned to face him and, to his delight and surprise, gently laid a hand upon his cheek. “You need not apologise Castellan. In truth the fault is partly mine. I have long been without the company of humans and I had forgotten that curiosity is one of your many traits.” Her eyes sparkled and her smile threatened to deprive him of the ability to stand.
Lord Vaelan was breaking his fast at the long table and rose to greet their approach. The look the pair exchanged left Madoc in no doubt that they had pondered the previous evening’s discussion and had arrived at a decision. Lauren sat at the head of the table and, as they sat next to her, she said. “Lord Vaelan, I have decided to honour my promise of long ago. I will accompany you back to Hellenvayle; I have a desire to be among humans again. We depart in one hour.” With this, she stood and walked from the hall. Vaelan watched the look on Madoc’s face as she departed.
“You are quite taken with the Lady Lauren, are you not Castellan?”
“She intrigues me, my lord.” Madoc had watched the door close behind her before turning to Vaelan and continuing. “I went exploring earlier. The lower chambers, kitchens and storerooms have been derelict for years. I have seen no signs of any servants. Who supplied all this food, who prepared our rooms?”
Vaelan’s expression hardened. “I do not think it behoves us to pry into the hospitality of our host, Castellan.”
“I meant no disrespect my Lord but, do you not find it strange?”
“I do not think about it at all, Madoc. I suggest you do likewise.” Vaelan rose from the table and, as he walked toward the door, said. “Gather your belongings and meet me in the courtyard.”
Madoc was surprised to find Lauren and Vaelan waiting for him when he arrived. He was even more surprised to find their horses and possessions had been brought here ready for them. Mounting his horse, Madoc turned to Lauren and said. “I thank you for sending servants for our horses, my Lady.”
Lauren lifted her eyes to meet his and, with a smile, replied. “I merely called and they answered, Master Madoc!” Then laughing, she spurred her horse and rode off through the gates and down a tree-lined avenue, into a misty distance. The two men exchanged glances before spurring their mounts and galloping after her.

[moonglum]

She wasn’t strong enough to keep it out. She tried, oh how she tried, but it sucked at her very soul. She knew now, how her sister had succumbed to the silky softness of the dark. The more it caressed her mind and body, the more she wanted it. The more she needed it. After the ecstasy of their lovemaking, she felt even more aroused by the act of murdering him. Like a praying mantis she had devoured of him, first his love and then his life. There was something else, though. She had sensed another presence, a female rival for her lusts. Not here, not with or within her, but close. It had passed by earlier. She had dismissed, and almost forgotten it; but now she remembered and as the beast within surfaced, Letitia howled at the moon. Then, in the deep black of the night, like a spider who has felt the first vibrations on her web, she went in search of new prey.

[moonglum]

The shock at finding his mother in a coma was almost too much to bear. Jason was staggered to learn that she had been like this for over two decades. This was not right. This was not how he remembered his childhood. As a boy, yes, he remembered playing in that cave with his brothers, but nothing had happened there. His brothers had died along with his sisters and parents, much later when Chaos had used the Gothmiri to eliminate all opposition in this realm. That was what had happened. Or was it? Did he die along with the rest of his family? Is this some sort of hell he was living through, or was he just asleep? Had he, in fact, been dreaming all this time? Too many questions and no answers, was making his head swim.
He stood by her bedside looking down at her, while his father and her maidservant discussed his mother’s condition. He tried to get their attention, but try as he might, he could not make himself seen by either of them. After a while, his father and the woman left the room and Jason sat down on the edge of the bed. He reached forward to stroke her cheek and recoiled instantly. He could feel her! Her skin didn’t feel solid and yet, it didn’t feel like the things he had passed through either. It felt like touching feathers. Soft feathers that yielded with a slight tension, almost like a child’s balloon only much, much softer. Jason reached his hand forward again, only this time he let it rest on her cheek and closed his eyes. Della twitched her eyelids and for a fleeting moment Jason saw into her mind. He was standing at the end of a long white corridor and his mother was walking towards him. He held out his arms, then as quick as it came, the vision was gone. Opening his eyes he saw that his mother had a faint smile on her lips, and in that instant he knew that he could reach her.

It didn’t take him long to locate Jared. The man was holding court in the corner of a tavern, regaling his cronies with tales of battles and daring-do. Jason was surprised at the man’s appearance. The last twenty years had not been kind to the old man. Jared had raised his tankard halfway to his mouth when he suddenly froze and stared at Jason. So, the old man could see him! As Jason crossed the room towards their table, Jared’s eyes followed him. He gripped the sleeve of the man sitting next to him and rose from his seat.
“It’s him, look.” He slurred his words and his comrades laughed. “It’s him I tell you,” he raised his arm, as if trying to ward off danger.
“Sit down, you old fool,” one of the others complained.
Jason reached the table and raised his hand up to touch Jared’s lifted arm. The feel was the same as his mother’s skin.
“Jared, can you hear me?” Jason whispered.
“Yes, I can. Now go demon, leave me alone.” With that, Jared threw down his tankard and stumbled toward the door.

[moonglum]

Over the next few months, Jason worked on Jared and his mother. Invading their dreams and following the old man around, haunting his waking moments. When his mother awoke he was overjoyed to find she could see him too. She could not hear him, so he had to try to bring her and Jared together. Getting her to follow him to the tavern had been a slow and painful process, given her condition. Her lack of memory over the events in the cavern was also a stumbling block, but she was strong willed and her determination to find her sons strengthened her like no amount of physic could ever hope to do. Jared’s imprisonment and deprivation of alcohol had the opposite effect from that which Jason needed. The old man’s spirit was broken; he lacked the courage and conviction of old. Jason tried to talk to him but he would not listen, he merely averted his eyes and imagined it all to be an hallucination bought on by his past lifestyle. When his father became involved, Jason knew that progress would be made and his frustration may soon be ended. The ghost of Jason Korde stood at the window and watched his father ride off towards the hills and prayed that he was right.

[moonglum]

Within minutes of setting off, the mist closed in around them until Madoc could no longer see more than a few feet in front of him. This was madness, he felt sure they would blunder into something any second and be unseated. Then suddenly, it was clear. The mist had gone and they were atop the ridge of a hill, looking down upon Hellenvayle. As they reined in their mounts Lord Vaelan smiled and said. “I wish all journeys could be as swift, my Lady.”
Lady Lauren laughed and replied, “I do detest unnecessary delay, my Lord.”
To Madoc, her laughter sounded like a thousand tiny bells, gently shaken by the breeze, while her eyes shone more brightly than the sun itself. She had never looked lovelier to him than at this moment. As they rode off down the hill, he knew in his heart that he would die for her, if she asked him to. They crossed the plain and entered the town, and as they went, a strange thing happened. Madoc was used to the people of the town stopping and bowing to his lord, but this was different. Every person they encountered dropped to one knee and bowed their head. The crowds of people in the market square did it en masse. Madoc was amazed, who was this woman that she could command such respect? How did they know of her and why had he never heard of her before now?
“They seem to recognise you my lady. I confess they are more knowledgeable than I, it would seem.”
“You underestimate yourself Master Madoc, “she smiled her sweet smile at him. “You simply have not recognised me yet. As for the people, I merely called and they answered.”
“Much like the horses, my lady.” Madoc knew when he was being toyed with and, from any other, he would have been offended. Instead he laughed along with her.
“Just so, Castellan,” she replied.
Lord Vaelan had ridden slightly ahead and stopped. Now, as they caught him up, he turned and said to Madoc. “Castellan, if you will ride on to the castle and begin preparations for our guest, I will escort Lady Lauren to the main hall.”
Madoc’s heart sank at the thought of parting from her company for even a moment. “Of course my Lord.” He turned towards her and found himself bowing, and then he straightened and rode off towards the castle.
Lady Lauren watched him ride off and turning towards Lord Vaelan, she asked. “Has the Castellan been with you very long, my lord?”
“He came to the castle as a boy. Old Balor, my previous Castellan took him under his wing and supervised his training. He said he saw something in the boy, something special.” Vaelan saw her eyes shine as she watched the figure disappearing through the crowds.
“Balor was not wrong Lord Vaelan. He does indeed possess something special.”

[moonglum]

The pair crossed over the drawbridge and entered the outer bailey. After dismounting and allowing their horses to be led away, they walked through the gateway into the inner courtyard. Making their way across toward the main door, Lauren glanced up at the windows and caught a glimpse of a face staring down at them.
“It would seem our arrival has been observed my lord,” she turned to Vaelan.
Lord Vaelan scanned the upper windows. “I see no one my lady.”
Lady Lauren looked back at the face staring down and smiled. “Perhaps I was mistaken,” she whispered, before continuing onward.
They entered the main hall and found Della, Madoc and Jared waiting for them. Madoc stepped forward and offered Lauren a chair at the table while Della embraced her husband.
“You found her?” Della whispered in his ear.
Lord Vaelan stepped back from his wife and said. “Della, Jared, allow me to introduce the Lady Lauren of Athersley; wife to King Marcus, once ruler over these lands.” Then, to everyone’s amazement, Vaelan dropped to one knee and bowed his head.
Lauren was clearly embarrassed by this and reached forward to take his hand. “Rise, my lord. That was a very long time ago. This is no longer my home and I am no longer your queen. Your people owe me no allegiance.”
Vaelan stood and with a slight nod of his head, replied. “As you wish my lady.”
Looking around the hall, Laurens attention was caught by a figure which had appeared near the doorway at the far end of the hall. Jared, who had been quiet all this time, snorted. “Hah, she sees him too.”
Lauren rose from her chair and walked slowly towards the man. As she approached, she could see the haunted look in his eyes. Standing before him, she raised her hand to touch his cheek, and found there was nothing there. Her hand passed through him and, as it did, Lauren felt an overwhelming sense of sadness flow through her. She pulled back her hand and shuddered. Turning to the others, she looked directly at Della and said. “I cannot help you. He has been claimed by another.”
“No!” Della walked up to Lauren and stared her in the eye. “No, Jerek is my son. I claim him, by maternal right.” With this, she raised her hand and, like Lauren had, laid it upon his cheek. Lauren was the only person in the room who witnessed the glow which emanated from the wraithlike figure and surround Della’s hand.
Lauren lowered her head and was thoughtful for a moment. Looking up and staring Della in the eye, she said. “This man is no longer the child you seek, but it may yet be possible to save them both.” Then, turning to Vaelan. “We must return to this cavern you have mentioned.”
Vaelan looked at his wife and she said. “I know not where it is.”
They all turned to look at Jared and the old man slumped back into his chair. Staring at the table top, he sighed and said. “I made a promise, and while I thought him a hallucination, I was determined to honour it. It would seem most of you can see him now, so I can’t be imagining him. I will lead you to the cavern.” He looked up at his master and continued. “We will need tools, picks and shovels. The entrance is buried.”
The following morning the party, along with a company of men, left the castle and headed southwest. In the back of a wagon, the ghost of Jason Korde lay among the provisions and smiled. At last he was going back.

[Awesome Aphrodite]

I don’t know what hit me. I don’t know how long I was out. When I awoke, I was hanging upside-down by my ankles. Below me, I saw Lauri, laying on her stomach near the fire. Whether she was alive or not was impossible to tell. My vision was blurry. My whole body hurt. I squinted, trying to see anything useful. Something hit me in the back of the head, and I cried out in pain. A woman’s voice echoed in the small cave.

“Well, Well, Well. What have we here? Why, if it isn’t a werewolf who can raise the dead. It’s not every day you come across one of those.”

Being in as much pain as I was, I barely knew what she was saying. When she stepped in front of me, I recognized her. It was the dark-skinned, one armed Amazon who had fought with Ellie outside the clearing. It was her who had tried to kill Ellie by stabbing her in the back, but had been stopped by Omri. The katana she had worn that day was probably still on the riverbed, but she now wore a longsword on her back. What could she possibly want with me?

As my vision began to return to normal, I looked around. The fire still burned that creepy green. Lauri, though unconscious, was still breathing. I breathed a sigh of relief. The Amazon put her face directly in front of mine, and grinned. Her longest teeth seemed slightly pointed, like mine. I wondered if she was a werewolf. My eyes met hers. What I saw made my blood run cold.

Her eyes were glowing red.

[Awesome Aphrodite]

Her eyes seemed to bore into my soul. I tried to blink, tried to turn away, but found I wasn’t able to do either. Her grin became more sinister. Her voice, when she spoke again, seemed to change. It became deeper as she spoke, until it sounded like The Devil herself (for I always thought The Devil must be female) was speaking.

“I cannot allow you to bring her back to life.”

I shook my head. ‘What the hell is she on about?’ I wondered. I said nothing. I began to try to transform into my wolf form, and was very upset when I found that I couldn’t.

She seemed to know what I was thinking. Her grin grew wider as her eyes stayed locked on mine.

“Very disconcerting, isn’t it, to be stuck in one shape? You haven’t been stuck in one shape since that river snake bit you, have you? How long was that? Three days? This rope will hold you in your human form for as long as you're tied up. And my new powers will prevent you from moving. Very useful, wouldn't you say?”

I glared at her. I wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction of hearing me say how much I hated being locked in one form. Those red eyes… they seemed so unnatural. Was she possessed…??

Again, she seemed to read my thoughts.

“I am not possessed so much as I am a…” she paused, and looked at her hand. “…willing helper. A very powerful Roman sorcerer needed new powers. I knew where he could get powers. I’m going to help him get them. In return, he’s agreed to give me back my arm. But first…” her grin, already almost as wide as could be imagined, somehow grew wider. She reached up, and placed her hand on my face. I tried to pull away, but found I could not move. Again her eyes met mine. I shuddered. She took her hand away, then knelt and picked something up off the ground in front of me. She lifted her hand up, and I saw that she held… Queen Eglise’s head!!! Her voice sounded like a monster’s when she spoke again. It echoed and her eyes glowed brighter. “…time to bait the trap.”

[EllieNeo]

it had started raining. omri was getting harder and harder to see through the rain. the sun had set, and the only light was the occasional flash of lightning. suddenly, ellie could hear omri growling. she pulled aronia to a stop and dismounted. pulling her saddlebags down behind her, but leaving the saddle, she whispered into aronia's ear.

"aronia, go home."

aronia turned, and ellie watched her trot off in the direction they had come. she knew aronia had been trained to return to her village. and she didn't want to risk her being killed.

omri had found janis.

…what was she holding…?

[Awesome Aphrodite]

The Amazon with the glowing eyes turned and left the cave, leaving me and Lauri alone. Why would she do that…? Was it part of her plan? I didn’t know. But I wasn’t about to hang here and wait for her to come back. I flexed my fingers. Apparently, her leaving the cave released her power over me, because I could move again. Noticing she hadn’t disarmed me, I pulled one sai from my belt with my left hand. I put it in my mouth. I swung myself up to the rope that held me. I grabbed it with both hands and held onto it tightly. Glad I had had the foresight to always keep one edge of my each of my sai sharpened; I leaned forward and cut the rope. I fell roughly to the ground. The noise I made as I hit the ground caught Lauri’s attention, and she opened her eyes and looked at me. I expected her to get up, but she didn’t. Removing the rope from my ankles, I stood and walked over to her, kneeling beside her.

“Come on, we have to get out of here.”

Her eyes met mine. They looked sad.

“I can’t. I don’t know what she did, but I can’t move.”

I looked at her more closely. Her back was bleeding, right in the middle. It didn’t look bad, but it apparently was. I shook my head. Great. How was I supposed to get past that monster alone? Without thinking, I picked Lauri up and started to walk. She moaned. Her voice stopped me.

“Annabelle. Stop. Listen to me.”

I sat her up against the cave wall, being sure that her wound was not touching it. Our eyes met.

“In my bag. Ava’s urn. Get it.”

I nodded. I remembered where she had put it. I found it quickly and brought it to her. Placing it on the ground near her, I sat, and again our eyes met. I heard Lauri’s voice again, but her lips weren’t moving. It was a language I didn’t know, and I didn’t understand a word of it. It seemed to be the same language she had spoken when Ellie had put on that mask. When her voice faded, Ava’s urn was glowing red. When I looked at Lauri, her eyes were also glowing, but they were glowing purple, like her eyes. She spoke just above a whisper.

“Put it in the fire…”

My eyes widened. Was she crazy!? Ellie would kill me… and the fire…
When I looked, I noticed the fire was no longer burning green, but it was burning its natural color. I shook my head. I wasn’t going to do it. Lauri raised her voice.

“DO IT!”

…I did it.

[Awesome Aphrodite]

Note: This post contains nudity.


The second I put the urn in the fire, the world seemed to spin. My hands were in the fire, still holding onto the urn. But I couldn’t feel the heat of the fire. In fact, it felt cold. The urn beneath my fingers seemed to be pulsating. It was still glowing; brighter than the fire that surrounded it. Lauri’s voice in my head startled me. Again, it was that strange language. She told me to repeat what she said, and though I at first didn’t understand a word of it, I did as I was told.

As I spoke the strange words, they seemed to become etched into my mind, as if I had always known them. I knew what they meant, though I did not know how I knew.

The second the words had left my mouth, the urn in my hands exploded loudly, sending me flying backwards into the cave wall next to Lauri. When the dust cleared, a woman lay next to the still-burning fire. She was lying on her side, panting, and naked.

Scared that the explosion might have attracted the attention of the one-armed Amazon with the glowing red eyes, I scrambled to my feet and drew my sai. Lauri spoke again, but she wasn’t speaking to me.

“Ava?”

Ava mumbled and rolled over. She sat up. Realizing she was naked, she stood and retreated behind my horse, trying to cover herself. From behind the horse, she replied to Lauri’s inquiry, and asked questions of her own… in English.

“Lauri…? Where’s Ellie? Where am I? Why am I not dead…? And why… am I naked…?”

Lauri opened her mouth to respond, but closed it again when she heard a commotion outside. Someone other than that Amazon was here. But… who…? I looked down at Lauri, and then at the horse that Ava was hiding behind.

“You two stay here. I’m going to see what’s going on.”

Putting my sai back on my belt, I transformed into my wolf form and bolted for the cave entrance.