As The Scrolls Unroll -- One

[EllieNeo]

ava’s eyes widened when the woman she didn’t know transformed into a wolf and bolted out of the cave. she felt weird, and it wasn’t just because she was alive… or because she was naked. she rummaged through a saddlebag that was on the horse in front of her, and pulled out a blanket, wrapping it around herself. she then walked over to lauri and sat next to her. their eyes met.

“lauri… i… i feel… weird.”

lauri seemed like she was trying to nod, but was unable to move. her voice sounded very weak.

“ava, listen to me. you’ve been dead for over three years now… and you were pregnant when you died.”

ava didn’t understand. suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her belly, and cried out. pulling the blanket back, she looked at where the pain was. her eyes widened. she was much more than three months pregnant now! she looked at lauri, and the panic could be heard in her voice.

“lauri, what’s happening…!? where’s… ellie…”

another sharp pain made ava cry out again.

“this is part of the power that ren and her daughter have. ren brought your mother back to life when she was pregnant with you. she had been dead for a year. when she was brought back, she aged a year within an hour. which meant she had to give birth to you. you also aged. i believe this is a side effect of being brought back to life… your body must age to catch up with time.”

ava shook her head, hard. she knew all that about her mother, and about her birth, but… this couldn’t be happening…! she remembered dying! she remembered being in the amazon underworld! such a paradise. yet… she was unhappy there… she was always waiting for ellie to arrive, and she never did. but her mother had… right before…

another pain forced ava to lie on the ground. she lay on her right side, her back against the wall. it hurt so much….!!! in her pain, she shouted the first thing that came to her mind, as loudly as she could.

“ELLIE!!!!![/i][/b]”

[Awesome Aphrodite]

Outside the cave, the one-armed Amazon was holding Queen Eglise’s head up to Ellie’s face. It was still raining, and lightning was the only thing that occasionally lit up the night sky. If I had been in human form, I wouldn’t have been able to see the look on Ellie’s face from where I stood, in the entranceway to the cave. But in wolf form, I could see it quite clearly. She was absolutely horrified, and enraged.

“You… YOU killed the queen?”

The one-armed Amazon nodded. Ellie shook her head, and drew her sai from her boots.

“Why?[/i] It wasn't too long ago that you stood beside me in battle.”

The one-armed Amazon tilted her head a bit.

"It wasn't too[/i] long ago that I had a left arm. Queen Eglise never really punished you for taking my arm. She should have. But she never did. So, I punished her[/i][/font]."

Ellie narrowed her eyes.

"You... traitor![/i]"

She lunged at the one-armed Amazon, forcing her to drop Queen Eglise’s head and roll out of the way. When the one-armed Amazon stood, she was facing my direction. I could see her eyes were still glowing… and were looking directly at me. She shouted at me.

“HOW DID YOU GET OUT[/b] OF THAT!?[/font]”

Her shouting at me distracted her just enough. Ellie tackled her to the ground, and held her sai to her throat. Ellie growled, and it sounded very similar to my own growl. She then whistled. Omri came seemingly out of nowhere, and stood growling at the one-armed Amazon Ellie had pinned to the muddy ground.

“WHY, Janis?”

Ah, so that was the monster’s name. Or… so I thought. Then she spoke, her voice changing.

“Janis isn’t here right now.”

There was that monster’s voice again. Even from where I stood, I could see Ellie’s eyes widen.

“YOU. What the bloody HELL do you want with me!?”

The Janis-monster thing shook her head, and then started to reach up to Ellie’s face with her arm. An arm that was glowing very brightly.

“Nothing… just your powers.”

Without even realizing I was doing it, I bolted at her. My teeth wrapped around her wrist, and I pulled. Ellie jumped up and rolled away in surprise. I lost my grip on the monster’s arm as I felt myself forced into my human form. What the…

I hit the ground hard, and watched in horror as the monster that had been Janis transformed into a three-legged wolf. My head hurt badly… I felt myself losing consciousness. The last thing I heard before everything went black was a voice echoing from inside the cave.

“ELLIE!!!!![/i][/b]”



*Note: This post was written jointly by Awesome Aphrodite and EllieNeo.

[EllieNeo]

ellie could not believe what she had just seen. annabelle, appearing out of nowhere, had kept janis from touching her… and had apparently given janis her powers instead. and even though she assumed the form of a three-legged wolf, rather than a regular wolf, that didn’t make it any less freaky. the janis-wolf’s eyes were still glowing red, like they had been before she had transformed. annabelle lay on her left side, and ellie couldn’t tell if she was alive or not. janis started to go for annabelle, growling, her teeth bared.

as janis lunged at the un-moving body of annabelle, omri leapt at her. he grabbed her, and pulled her away from annabelle. they viciously fought, growling and snarling. a sudden voice from the cave behind her caught ellie’s attention.

“ELLIE!!!!![/i][/u]”

ellie knew that voice anywhere… it was ava!! her eyes darted between the cave, annabelle, and the two wolves who were still fighting. damnit…! putting her sai back in the holders on the sides of her boots, ellie hurried to annabelle's side. she placed two fingers against the side of her neck. good. she was still alive. the rain was coming down in buckets now, and ellie could no longer see omri and janis. she could hear them, and knew they were nearby, but she could only see vague shadows between lightning flashes. she quickly picked annabelle up in a fireman’s carry, and ran for the cave entrance.

[EllieNeo]

ava was having contractions now. very powerful contractions. her cries of pain echoed around the cave. she kept her eyes squeezed shut, trying to wake herself from what had to be a dream. she didn’t hear lauri’s voice trying to calm her… she couldn’t hear the footsteps approaching. what she did hear echoing in the cave around her quickly made her open her eyes.

“ava…?!?!?”

that… was ellie’s voice…

“ellie….!?” again ava cried out in pain.

“ava, i hear you…! where are you?!”

ava tried to respond, but the pain was too much. again she squeezed her eyes shut. she cried out in agony, and the cries echoed. she didn’t hear the footsteps getting closer, couldn’t hear the body placed on the ground nearby. she suddenly felt a hand wrapping around hers, and her eyes flew open. what she saw made her forget her pain… for a moment.

“ellie…”

ellie held ava’s hand tightly, then raised it to her lips and kissed it.

“shhhh…. i’m here, ava. i’m here.”

[EllieNeo]

tears of joy streamed down ellie’s face. ava smiled… ellie was a sight for sore eyes…

the pain overtook her again, and she cried out. ellie gently eased ava from her side onto her back. ripping off a bit of the blanket ava had wrapped herself in, she wiped the sweat from ava’s forehead. she then removed her overcoat and tossed it next to the fire to dry.

“ava, listen, you have to slow your breathing down.”

ava could barely hear ellie, she was in so much pain. but she tried to slow her breathing down. as she did, the pain seemed to ease a little… then it completely stopped. she looked, and she saw ellie had her hands on her belly, and they were glowing green. ava could still feel the baby moving… but she was no longer in any pain. how….??

“ellie…”

“shh…. ava…. relax. i… have to concentrate.”

ava was amazed… ellie’s powers could overcome birthing pains…!? she felt as relaxed as if she was sleeping. she felt no pain. she watched... ellie's nose began to bleed... the glow got brighter.

"ellie..."

ellie’s voice was gentle.

“ava, push.”

she did, and soon after, she heard the unmistakable sound of a baby crying. when ava looked again, she saw ellie holding a tiny baby in her arms. she had a very big smile on her face when her eyes met ava’s.

“it’s a girl!”

ava chuckled as she watched ellie dry the baby off. ellie reached behind her and grabbed her overcoat, which had dried quickly thanks to the fire nearby, and wrapped the baby in it. ava sat up against the cave wall, and ellie handed the baby to her. with the back of her left hand, ellie wiped the blood from her nose. ava smiled as she looked down at the baby in her arms. she then lifted her head and looked at ellie. their eyes met. she smiled. she couldn’t remember ever having been so happy.

“hi.”

ellie’s smile faded, but she answered.

“hi.”

[moonglum]

The cavern was just as Jared remembered it. It had taken the soldiers two days to dig their way through the rubble, then, using flaming brands to light their way, the party entered the chamber. Jared walked across to the dust-covered remains of the stranger, aware that the ghost walked by his side. The rest of the party watched in silence as the old man approached the corpse. Jared bent down and pulled back the rotted fabric to reveal the skeleton beneath.
"Touch nothing!" Lauren's voice rang out with an authority that broke the spell. "Nothing must be disturbed.
She turned to Della and continued. "Della, you and Jared must assume the positions that you occupied at the exact moment the stranger materialised." Then she faced the ghost of Jason Korde and smiling, she said. "You my friend have the unenviable task of lying in your own grave." The ghost that was Jason, laughed and went to do her bidding. Turning to the rest, she said, "You should all move back near the entrance. No matter what happens, no matter what you see or hear, I urge you not to do or say anything."
Jared and Della took up their positions and Lauren crossed to the centre of the stone circle. From the pack she carried, she took out three small wrapped parcels. She unwrapped them to reveal three pots, each containing a small tree. Arranging them in a triangle around her, she then retrieved a flat blue stone and laid it in the centre. Lauren looked around at the others and then beckoned for Jason to join her.
Taking a deep breath, Lauren raised her arms as a bright blue light emanated from the stone and enveloped her body. A breeze sprang from nowhere and, just before the torches were extinguished, the onlookers saw the three trees start to grow at an alarming rate. By the light of Lauren's body, they saw the trees shoot up to the roof of the cavern and swell in size. The branches sprang outwards as foliage began to fill the chamber. Then three of the branches, one from each tree, twisted and turned in their flight and, one after the other, they speared the skeleton, Jared and Della. The wind, which earlier had been no more than a breeze, now began to build in momentum swirling around the cavern and building inexorably into a full vortex. The sound building, louder and louder.
Madoc and the others felt themselves slowly penned in by branches and foliage until they were unable to move or see. The screaming from the vortex reached such a pitch that he held his hands to his ears to try to lessen the pain in his head. Suddenly it stopped. Madoc hadn't realised that he'd screwed his eyes shut, until he opened them again. A strange image lay before him. The trees had vanished, in the cavern the central figures remained, only this time they were shrouded in a blueish mist. Madoc tried to move, but he and the others were held in place. He tried to shout, but heard nothing. As he watched, a portal appeared off to one side. It looked like a window into another chamber. Through it, Madoc saw a young woman and a boy holding a black sword.
The Lady Lauren slowly held out her arms towards the portal and the boy began walking slowly forward. Madoc could see the young woman trying to restrain the boy, trying to prevent him from going near the opening, but the boy seemed to shrug her hand away and carried on.
Just as the boy reached the portal, Madoc saw a figure appear in the background and advance on the child. The young woman was knocked roughly to one side and appeared to strike her head on something, for she lay sprawled on the ground and did not rise. Now Madoc sensed movement to his left and turned his head to see the dust and bones of the corpse swirl up from the ground and stream through the portal. On the other side, they coalesed into the figure of a tall, gaunt-looking man, with long flowing white hair.

[EllieNeo]

ellie had been overjoyed when she saw ava. but after she delivered the baby, doubt crept into her mind. ava had been only three months pregnant when she had died. why, then, was she giving birth now…? and in such close proximity to that monster…? were the two connected? was ava actually the monster…? like in ellie’s dream? she didn’t know… but she knew how to find out if the woman in front of her, holding the newborn baby, was actually ava.

she stood, and looked down at ava. ellie could feel the surprise coming from ava. ava looked up at her.

“ellie… what’s the matter…?”

ellie raised a hand.

“i need to… make sure you’re actually ava.”

ellie felt that ava was confused, which she took to be a good sign. the baby was still crying, and ava raised its lips to her breast to feed it.

“ellie… i just gave birth to our daughter… who else could i be…?”

ellie shook her head.

“i dunno… i… don’t know… but i have to make sure. ok?”

ava simply nodded. ellie walked over to one of the horses, and pulled some clothes from one of the saddlebags. she tossed them in ava’s direction. ava looked at them, but didn’t move.

“ok. first… what’s our daughter’s name…? we decided on one together… what is it?”

ava smiled. that was easy. she looked down at the baby, who was contentedly nursing.

“her name is nela.”

ellie relaxed a bit… but anyone could have guessed that. she had to ask her something else. but… what…? ellie thought hard. there had to be a conversation they had had when she was certain that no one else was around… something no one from this time period could guess at… she smiled.

“ok. one more thing…”

“ellie….”

“one more thing. what does the walrus say…?”

ava’s smile widened, and she chuckled a little.

“the walrus says ‘goo-goo-g’joob.’”

ellie laughed out loud, and hurried to ava’s side. she wrapped an arm around her, and their eyes met.

“i’m sorry. but i had to be sure.”

ava simply smiled, and leaned in to kiss ellie for the first time in over three years. after a moment, they pulled apart from each other. their eyes met for a moment. they smiled at each other. the joy ellie felt coming from ava was almost overwhelming. ellie looked down at the baby’s face, then back at ava. she smiled.

“she has your eyes.”

[moonglum]

The last vestige of Letitia was finally swallowed by the power of the beast. The reincarnation of her soul was to be her salvation. Restoring the one thing the gods could not strip from her. But the loss of her powers, her choice to assume mortality, had made her vulnerable to the dark influence of the creature. The last piece, her remaining fragile grip on that last straw of hope, was finally swept away by her act of murder upon the man she had once loved. Now with her soul condemned forever, she could only stare out through the beast's eyes, like a voyeur in a tall window, unable to affect the lives of the tiny people in that imaginary street far below her. Unable to feel and no longer willing to care.
The beast breathed in, long and slow. At first she had sensed the spirit. A kindred spirit? No, not kindred, more powerful, aloof and proud. An entity beholden to no one. Her own master. Her, yes it was a she! The beast had followed her senses, now she could smell it, almost taste the power. It was here, behind that waterfall, inside the cave beyond. The beast/goddess lumbered forward, parting the curtain of falling water and entered the hidden cavern.

[moonglum]

"Ahhhhh." The breath escaped from Jason's lips in a long, drawn-out sigh. He was conscious of being able to breathe again. Hell, he was conscious of just being, again! To be able to feel the hard ground beneath his feet, the breeze against his skin and even his heart beating in his chest, was pure ecstasy. The fingers of his right hand flexed again and again, as if trying to grasp an elusive wisp of smoke. He felt, no, he knew something was missing. Even as the beast entered, Jason's eyes scanned the cavern until he saw it. It's blackness almost hidden in the half-light, the large grip exaggerated in the young boys hand. He saw it and time slowed down.
The young boy was crossing the cavern towards the portal, Jason watched as the beast lumbered after the child. He saw Aphemonie move towards the creature and his heart skipped a beat as she was knocked sideways into the wall. As she slumped to the ground he instinctively knew she wasn't seriously hurt. He could feel her lifeforce, strong and vibrant still.
Jerek stopped in front of Jason and looked up. He was not afraid, something in the man's eyes made him feel safe. Something told him this man was family. Jason extended his arm and Soulrazor flew from the boy's grasp, and settled firmly in his hand. In one fluid movement, Jason pushed the boy behind him and moved forward to face the beast advancing them. He felt Soulrazor begin to vibrate in his palm. She hungered for blood and her soft murmuring told him she would sing for this supper. As he felt her warmth working it's way up his arm, time resumed its normal pace.
Jason called over his shoulder to the boy. "Step through the portal."
He glanced quickly behind and saw the boy was frozen with fear. "Jerek, do it. Do it now."
Instinct came to his rescue as he turned to face the creature once more. He sidestepped a crashing blow from the beast's huge arm and, as he did so, he gripped his sword in both hands and swung at the creatures leg. The beast let out a loud howl of pain and Jason's body was flooded with energy as his blade quenched it's thirst. He jumped backwards and, grabbing the boy by his collar, he threw Jerek through the shimmering opening.
“Jason. Help me.”
The voice chilled him to the core. As Jason turned slowly back to face the beast, the sight that greeted him, drained him of all the strength he'd just been given.

[moonglum]

The beasts body lumbered forward, hands outstretched toward Jason. “Give me the blade!”
Jason stood transfixed. The deep resonant voice of the beast issued forth from the lips of the woman he loved. Her head topped the green, scaled torso which slowly advanced toward him.
“Jason, end this. Please.” Letitia's voice this time, sweet and pleading. He could not move, just stare in disbelief at the scene before him. The creature swung a fist and the blow sent Jason crashing sideways to the ground. The impact knocked the wind from his lungs and at last, restored his senses. He rolled across the floor to gain some separation from the beast and rose to his feet. The beast turned towards him once more, green blood still pumping from the deep gash in it's leg.
“Arrghh. Give me the sword.......Help me, Jason.......No, it's mine I want it.........Kill me please, do it!”
The voice changing back and forth, like hearing only one side of two different arguments. Jason shook his head to clear it.
“Enough.” Jason shouted aloud. “This ends now.” With that, he ran at the beast, leapt high in the air and swung Soulrazor downwards, cleaving his lovers head in two.

[EllieNeo]

ellie held nela while ava got dressed. once dressed, ava took nela back, and noticed she had grown quite a bit in the few minutes ellie had held her. she was starting to grow black hair on her head. ellie noticed, too, and didn’t understand. before she could ask ava what was going on, lauri’s voice caught her attention. ellie had not even noticed that lauri was there until she heard her voice.

“ellie…”

lauri didn’t need to finish her sentence. ellie, no longer distracted by ava giving birth, could feel the pain in lauri’s back. she hurried to her, and put her hand in the middle of lauri’s back. lauri sighed, then stood and stretched. a look of horror suddenly appeared on ellie's face, and before anyone could say anything else, she leapt to her feet and took off running, toward the cave entrance. ava called after her.

“ellie, where are you going…!?!?”

ellie’s voice echoed around the cave.

“i’ve got to help omri!!!”

[moonglum]

As his sword sliced on down through the beasts chest, Jason felt the life force of the demon coursing through his arms and flooding his body. As the green viscous blood of the monster showered over him, he felt his muscles growing stronger, every sinew tightening like steel cords and the rictus of a feral grin setting firm on his face. His eyes slowly turned black to match his blade and he tipped back his head as he howled for more.

Lauren looked through the still open portal, the boy held fast against her, as she watched the scene unfold in that other world. Then, with a wave of her hand, the portal collapsed in on itself and the trees and their foliage, faded away into motes of dust. Taking Jerek by the hand, she led him over towards his mother and whispered.
“I think it is time we left this place in peace.”
Outside, Lauren turned to Lord Vaelan and, glancing briefly towards the opening in the rocks, said.
“Seal the opening, forever.”
With that, she turned and walked from the clearing, leaving both Vaelan and Madoc to wonder if they would ever see her again.

[Scrappy Amazon]

Scrappy stood with her arm outstretched, her gun aimed point blank at the thing that wasn't Dixie. Her hand began to shake from uncertainty. Sweat rolled down the back of her shirt as she replayed every moment they had spent together in her head.

"Am I really about to do this?" Scrappy asked herself.

Suddenly out of the corner of her eye a blue blur came flying at her knocking her to the ground.

"Scrappy! NO!" Phalon screamed as she tackled her paralyzed friend.

The Dixie creature scrambled out of sight into the bushes ti hide. Scrappy and Phalon rolled to a stop, all arms and legs and tangled blue robe. Phalon managed to pin Scrappy's arms to her side, the gun now dislodged and flung haphazardly into the bushes.

"Scrappy! What are you doing?!"

"You saw....what she was! She can't stay that way!" Tears began to form. Quieter now, "She can't stay that way...."

"Oh Scrappy! Why is it always your first reaction to shoot!?"

"But YOU saw! You knew....you know what she is! Or at least you suspect."

"Sometimes you are so....SO.......so THICK!" Phalon stood and offered a hand. "Get up. Go find your gun, and then help me find her. I have a plan but I'm not going to explain until we are all around the campfire safe and sound. AND CALM!"

Scrappy looked heart broken and dejected. She took the offered hand and stood. "Yes ma'am." was all she could muster in response.

[Phalon]

“I have a plan…” Did I really say that, Phalon wondered. What plan? Yesterday she had a plan – to go home, to see her family. Just a short time ago, she had a plan – to relax for a change, and eat some rabbit stew. Both plans though, had been – at least temporarily - shot to Tartarus. At least she had the sense to tell Scrappy she’d explain the plan later, once they found Dixie.

It’d been quite easy to bring the rabbit-woman back to camp. A rabbit bolting from fear would have been difficult to find; a soul of a rabbit in a woman’s body wasn’t so easily hidden. They’d found her hunched down in the underbrush, and enticed her with the berries Phalon had gathered earlier.

She sat on her haunches in front of them, eating the rest of the berries now. Phalon ladled some of the hot rabbit stew into a wooden bowl, and handed it to Scrappy. “Eat”, she said when Scrappy shook her head, declining the stew. “It’ll make you feel better while we think things through, and who knows when our next hot meal will be.” Scrappy reluctantly took the bowl, and Phalon ladled some for herself. To Dixie, she offered none – Dixie eating rabbit stew seemed somehow cannibalistic.

Phalon sat next to Scrappy on the fallen log that served as a bench, and watched Dixie finish off the berries, then move on to a patch of tender grass growing at their feet. What were they going to do with her? They couldn’t just let her go off on her own; it’d be like turning her loose to the wolves. Had Scrappy’s intent been right? Would the woman who was formerly Dixie be better off dead?

Phalon didn’t believe so. Killing the body would not spare Dixie any pain. The body is just an earthbound vessel for a soul, and Dixie’s soul had long since left its vessel. The soul that occupied it now had no realization of what it once was. Its thoughts and actions were purely instinct; it did not despair, feel wronged, or judge itself to be anything other than what it was – a rabbit.

They had to suspend judgment too, to separate feelings from truth. Phalon knew though, how difficult it was when the emotion expressed in the face of the person you cared about belonged to someone else’s soul. Wasn’t it just last night she’d discovered the horror of the final moments of Guru’s life….and that she’d played a part in it? She wanted to spare Scrappy the same type of role. The truth here was no trace of Dixie remained but her outer shell, and the rabbit that inhabited it didn’t ask for this any more than Dixie did. Dixie’s soul had moved on to her place. Isn’t that what was most important – that a soul be released to pass on to wherever one’s beliefs took it?

Guru’s soul met with Yana’s; it was his wish, he was trapped in the physical world while longing to be with his wife in the next. Although it was true, she knew she was rationalizing to relieve her guilt. There’d be no such rationalizing for Scrappy though, if she’d killed Dixie. Only guilt. Phalon had killed a man whose mind and body were being taken over by an unstoppable demon; he’d realized the danger of it, and asked her to take his life, seeing it as the only solution to prevent him from killing them all. Scrappy would have killed the body of a woman whose soul was replaced by an innocent creature. There was no evil in that body, just an innocent soul whose only worries seemed to be how to scratch the itch behind its ear….

The rabbit-woman seemed to be having a difficult time trying to reach its ear with its foot, and Phalon reached down and scratched it for her. Scrappy quickly looked away with tears in her eyes, suddenly interested in intently studying the contents of the bowl on her lap.

“You’re not eating your stew”, Phalon said.

“I’m not hungry, Phalon!! How can I just sit here and do nothing, while she’s…”

“Quit arguing, and eat!” Phalon replied out of frustration at their situation.

‘By the gods’, Phalon thought to herself, ‘I’m starting to sound like my mother.’ And Scrappy complied, although reluctantly, by taking a bite of stew just as a scolded child might. This was unexpected. For the second time Scrappy uncharacteristically listened without protest, without retort, or even as much as an eye-roll. When Scrappy “yes ma’am-ed” Phalon earlier, Phalon had expected there to be some wisecrack to follow, a sarcastic remark about her age, most likely, as she had done many times in the past.

She realized Scrappy was reacting to Phalon as if she was her mother. Scrappy needed someone to make her feel better, someone to make her feel safe. She needed someone to fix this, to comfort her and tell her everything would be alright. Hadn’t Phalon wished for the same thing many times herself? Nothing is as strong as a mother’s bond with her child, and though Phalon didn’t know if she’d ever see Kaisa again, she had hope. Scrappy had no such hope; her mother was dead, and Phalon was the only thing she had.

She put her hand on her dispirited friend’s shoulder, and squeezed in a gesture of comfort. Scrappy managed a weak smile in return, then turned her attention back to the bowl, absentmindedly pushing its contents around with the eating utensil while deep in her own thoughts.

Phalon watched and wished she could think of something to say to ease her sadness – to be the mother Scrappy seemed to need now. She began to think in terms of what mothers represent: love, warmth, stability, and safety – exactly what Dixie needed too! It’d be impossible for them to provide those things, though. They’d been thrown into one ordeal after the next during the short time they’d been in Greece, and there was no telling what they’d encounter next.

Phalon’s mother? Although Phalon had no doubt Kaisa would accept Dixie into the family without question, taking her there presented a number of problems. It was a couple of days’ journey, at least, and travelling without the woman-rabbit continually trying to bolt seemed like an impossibility. Then there was the fact Phalon wasn’t even sure she had any family left.

No, no, no – they needed somewhere close; somewhere Dixie would be cared for and safe…

“That’s it!” she said aloud. Scrappy startled, nearly dumping her barely half-eaten stew into the fire. The rabbit-woman froze. “It’s alright. Everything is going to be okay now”, she said to each of them – to herself, to Scrappy, the frightened Dixie, and to someone the other two were unaware was waiting nearby.

She switched to speaking Greek. “Come, come”, she motioned, looking toward the far edge of the clearing. Cautiously, a woman rose from her hiding place, crouched low in the bushes. “Come on”, Phalon said, coaxing her into the clearing. “It’s okay now. Sit down. Have some stew. Isn’t that what you told me brought you to these woods – a rabbit for stew. Well, here it is, already made, and nice and hot.”

The woman looked at Phalon suspiciously – the same way Scrappy looked at the woman. "This is really going to be okay”, Phalon repeated in Greek for the woman’s benefit, and perhaps her own.

Scrappy now eyed Phalon suspiciously. “I found her hanging around in the trees”, Phalon explained. “Quite literally hanging…hanging upside down, as a matter of fact.”

“This is…” She started making introductions, but realized the woman still hadn’t told her name except to say “I am not Joxcenia” when they met in the marketplace yesterday. “This…”, Phalon started again, with a chuckle, “is Not Joxie”. And really, it was going to be alright.

Because she might not be Joxie, but she was Phalon’s plan.

[Joxcenia]

In a tree yet again, but this time she didn’t lose her memory, not that she had much memory to lose. Would she lose it if dropped on her head? Or would memory return? And would returned memory bring her joy or despair?

Trenna flashed through these thoughts as she kept an eye on the approaching rabbit. Thankfully it was just the one now, and he had shrunk down to normal size. Where did it get its powers? Were those powers limitless? Or had he drained them chasing her about the woods willy-nilly?

If he had no more powers, perhaps he was now just a helpless rabbit. Well, until his powers grew back to full strengths, and then she’d be the helpless one.

Just a few more hops closer and maybe she could grab hold and break his back or neck.

Hop . . . hop . . . hop . . .

Yes, come closer. Almost there. Closer. Closer.

“Ouch!!!” A cry came from their lefts.

Trenna froze. The rabbit backed up and turned in the direction the cry had come from. Oh no! She had to save this person so that they could rescue her in return. Should they be a good person. No! One bad event was enough for one day. Her good deed to feed a dying woman had gone straight to Tartarus, but surely she would be rewarded for trying. Please? Whoever might be watching. Athena?

The rabbit darted a look at Trenna. “Is an Amazon in the tree worth two in the bush?” His eyes flickered upwards, towards the rope around her ankles, and he grinned wickedly. “It is when the one in the tree isn’t going anywhere. Wish me luck.”

She had to do something. Maybe at least let whoever cried out know they’re not alone. “Who . . . who’s there?” Her voice so light she wondered if she had been heard at all. “Is s-s-someone out there?”

The rabbit kicked dirt up in her face as it hopped happily after new prey. Trenna said a quick prayer for the poor souls as she spat out debris from her mouth and tried to blow it from her nostrils. Thankfully, her hands were free, so she was able to wipe most of the crud from her eyes and other orifices. She could hear soft murmurings and wondered what the rabbit must be saying to his next victims.

Great, no one was coming to rescue her once these frightened souls spread word of the woods being haunted. She would need to save herself. Knife! She felt to see if it was still in place. Yes! Now she would learn just how limber she really was. “Oomph!” Trenna wiggled and wobbled and did her best to climb down – umm – up her body toward her feet. Just a little more and maybe her knife could manage the rest of the distance.

Whoosh! A blur flew overhead, at her feet, and sliced through the rope with one quick swipe.

“Humph!” Trenna hit the ground and saw nothing but stars.

“Sorry. No time. Gotta run. I’ll leave a trail for you to follow.”

Trenna lay there and listened to the sounds of shuffling feet . . . or a dragging branch.

“Rabbit!” She managed to croak out.

The noise stopped. “Don’t worry about him . . . he’s going to be stew.”

“I never want rabbit stew ever again, for as long as I live!” Trenna rolled over onto her stomach and tried to rise, but everything spun . . . while her tummy churned.

Soft chuckling was soon drowned out by a scraping noise . . . or shuffling feet. Then all was quiet as the noise faded to nothing.

[Joxcenia]

Trenna lay still, waiting for the world around her to do the same. Every noise made her jerk with fright, but nothing came for her, and her heartbeat slowed to normal. So, the rabbit was going to be stew, was he? Were his powers in his flesh? If so, would eating him bestow the diner of those powers? Or was his powers in the blood . . . brain . . . guts? If the parts that contain the powers are discarded, will the animals that feed on it gain those powers? Would more animals attack those who hunt them for food? Would the woods soon be populated with demented animals?

Trenna pushed up onto her knees and stayed there a few moments before standing. The trail left for her would have been obvious to a blind person. Apparently her rescuer perceived her as not having tracking skills. Well, why would they when they had found her in an exposed trap.

Traps. She couldn’t leave them. She’d have to take them down. Part of her hoped they’d all be empty, and part of her hoped she had enough rabbits to make the dying woman her last stew. If the demonic rabbit was dead and being boiled in a pot at this very moment, none of the rabbits in her traps could be it. So she had nothing at all to fear.

Trenna took a deep breath and went about the business of removing the traps, even though they hadn’t been up for very long. (Although it seemed to her like she had hung upside down in that tree for over a year.) This would be her last time in these woods. She would leave this area as soon as she completed her promised duties at the hospice. It was time to move on, and fast, before she ran into another animal out for vengeance. She probably wouldn’t survive a second encounter.

Three rabbits might not feed the whole hospice, but it would be more than enough for one dying woman. But before she made the trip back she’d stop off and thank her rescuer. She hadn’t gotten a good look at her, and her voice had seemed familiar. She had heard it recently, she was sure of that. She couldn’t place where though.

As Trenna followed the trail left for her, she began hearing voices. At first they were murmurings, but as she walked on the louder the voices became. It seemed to be a conversation, but she didn’t understand anything that was being said. The one voice she recognized, but not from where. As she drew near, Trenna decided to observe them from a hidden area before making her presence known. She might just decide to scurry away and not drop in for a visit.

Hiding turned out to be a wise thing to do, as the one woman was the old crone that accosted her at the market. She was rumored to be a witch, which would explain how she managed to kill a rabbit with powers of its own. That was probably why she was cooking a stew with it; she wanted to ingest his magic. Maybe that was where she got her powers from, but where did the animals get their powers? A spring? A plant? Fruit from a tree or bush? Where didn’t really matter, not to her anyways. She wanted no part of it or these three.

Trenna observed enough to see that two of them were comrades, and the third seemed to be a captive. The third jumped at every loud noise and appeared ready to bolt at any moment. No, this was not where she wanted to be. She needed to leave before she was discovered.

“Come, come.” Finally, words she understood. And the old crone was looking in her direction, and moving her hand as though Trenna needed coaxing to approach them. Which she did, considering she wanted nothing more than to flee in the opposite direction. Well, she had been spotted, so she might as well take her chances. Maybe they were happy with the one captive and didn’t need the hassle of another one.

Trenna slowly stood and cautiously stepped out into the open. All eyes on her froze her to the spot.

“Come on. It’s okay now.”

Hmmm . . . she was being treated like she was as mindless as their captive. Should she play that game or show them she was no easy target? Was that what happened? The third one was frightened out of her mind by the rabbit, which had made her an easy target? What was their plan? Trenna eyed the two more closely as she took a few steps closer.

“Sit down. Have some stew. Isn’t that what you told me brought you to these woods – a rabbit for stew? Well, here it is, already made, and nice and hot.”

Trenna took a step back, replaying everything in her head. Had she told this woman why she was hanging out in the woods, or had the old crone read her mind? Well, she had been hanging from a trap. Hmmm, but that wasn’t one of her traps. Her traps weren’t big enough to hold up a human. Not even one as small as her. Why did that just now occur to her? Must be from hanging upside down. Or the old crone had put a spell on her too.

"This is really going to be okay,” the woman cooed, as though Trenna could be comforted by her soothing voice. When she didn’t respond the woman spoke to her comrade. Her words made no sense. As the woman glanced from the comrade to her and back, one word caught her attention: “Joxie.”

“My name is Trenna.”

[moonglum]

The wind howled with a galeforce persistence that shreiked in the ears and the cold driving rain numbed the skin. Both riders huddled down further into their cloaks and pulled the hoods futher down over their faces, as they made their way slowly across the desolate plain. After an hour the rain eased to a drizzle, before finally giving up altogether. The skies began clearing to reveal a still bright evening, and the hope of shelter offered by the edge of a forest looming in the distance.
A further few leagues brought them to the treeline and they began to weave a path through the trees. The smaller of the two riders led her horse deep into the forest until, at last, they came to a clearing offering enough shelter from the elements by the tangled canopy above their heads. They reined in the horses and the taller rider dismounted without a word. He sat down with his back against the bole of a huge oak and within seconds was fast asleep.
Aphemenie tethered the horses, removed their packs and settled herself down next to Jason's sleeping body. As she drifted into slumber she thought of the past week and wondered if his nightmares would return this night.

[moonglum]

Aphemenie need not have wondered. The nightmares did return to resume their relentless assault on her attempts at sleep. During the days, since they had left the cave, Jason had not uttered a single word, but the nights were a whole different story. In his sleep, he howled, he growled, he shouted and at times he spoke quite lucidly; but in different voices. It was as if a battle raged within him while he slept. His face contorted, his body distorted and his eyes bulged. Aphemenie thought that something within him was trying to escape.
Sometime during the night she must have fallen asleep, for she suddenly awoke with a start, to find it was mid-morning. The sun was high in the sky and its warmth filtered down through the leaves, welcoming her to the day.
“Good morning.” She turned her head to find Jason busying himself with a pot on a small fire.
He smiled before continuing. “I trust you slept well?”
“Yes. Well enough, thank you,” she replied warily. This was a total change. His demeanour and indeed, his appearance to some extent, had changed. No longer silent and sullen, now he was bright and smiling. He was washed and shaven, his clothes fresh, she was envious and felt a strong desire to scrub herself clean.
“Where did you...........How did you?” She stammered, gesturing at him.
“Ah. I found a stream back there through the trees.” He indicated with his thumb over his right shoulder. “The water is cold, but it's fresh.”
She retrieved her pack and went in search of the stream. By the time she returned, refreshed and ready for the day, Jason had prepared breakfast. She sat down under the oak and he brought her a trencher filled with wild mushrooms, tomatoes and beans. A small bowl filled with a broth made from roots completed a meal that, to her, seemed like a feast.
“One of the advantages in stealling well provisioned horses from tavern stables.” He grinned as he sat down next to her.
Indeed, until the previous morning, they had travelled on foot. Six days walking and living off hedgerow berries and roots. They came upon the tavern, on the outskirts of a small village, quite by chance, just as a party of travellers arrived on horseback. They had waited until the stableman went inside for his lunch and then made off with two of the horses. Aphemenie was surprised he remembered, such was his state of mind at the time.
Between mouthfuls of food, they talked.
“I owe you an apology,” he said.
“What for?” She asked.
“I've had rather a lot on my mind since we left the cave. I don't know what that thing was back there, but it's spirit was very strong.” He nodded towards his food. “Like a big meal, it takes longer to digest,” he laughed out loud. Aphemenie looked sideways at him and thought she detected an almost manic edge to his laughter.

[moonglum]

They packed the horses and prepared to set off. As she mounted her horse, Aphemenie looked across at Jason and said.
“Where are we going?” Now he was lucid, she felt it only fair to ask the question.
He stood on the ground, staring across his saddle at her and said.
“That thing you did in the tavern, what was that?”
“What thing?” She replied warily.
“The locust thing, that's what. I have slaughtered hellhounds for less!”
Aphemenie adjusted her feet in the stirrups and looked at him. She had seen that look in his eyes before. That tenacity she knew, would never let up, would never let go. She sighed and said.
“It was a witchdream.”
“ A what?” Jason replied.
Aphemenie gripped her reins tighter, and lowered her head.
“ A vision. I made you believe that what you saw was real, when in fact it wasn't.”
“That's quite a trick,” Jason said as they rode slowly through the wood.
Aphemenie shrugged and glanced across at him. “You never answered my question.”
“What question was that?”
“Where are we going?”
He stared ahead, and after what felt like an eternity, he said. “In search of a house.”
“And what house would that be?”
Jason continued to stare into the distance and said. “Why, 'the' house of course.”

[moonglum]

Early afternoon saw the forest give way to flat grassland, and the pair found themselves cantering across an open plain that sloped gently downhill. As the evening began to close in they halted by a stream which wound it's way through a valley. After dismounting, Jason watered the horses and tethered them to a clump of nearby bushes. Laying out his bedroll, he sat down and watched as Aphemenie made a meal over a fire. This woman puzzled him. She had wings, she could fly. She had the ability to cast visions! Where had she and her people come from? Jason had been here before, he knew. He had fought for and against the invading Roman armies here. He had helped and hunted the peoples of this land, many times through the centuries of his exile by the gods. He had never though, ever seen or heard of Aphemenie's people before. And this bothered him.
“So, what's so special about this house and why are we going there?”
It took a moment before Jason realised she had spoken. Looking up from his daydream, he said.
“In another time, in another place, it was my house! I go there to find my freedom.” He glanced sideways at her and smiled. “You coming?”

[Awesome Aphrodite]

A voice woke me up. It echoed.

“I’ve got to help Omri!!!”

My eyes darted open. Omri… was in trouble…? Someone had moved me. I was back in the cave. Why was I back in the cave? I pushed myself up onto my knees and looked around. Lauri was standing nearby, and next to her stood Ava, who was now clothed, and holding a baby who looked to be about a year old. I blinked. Wow… what kind of weird dream was this…? I stood, and the two women looked at me. Lauri smiled, but I could see the concern on her face.

“Annabelle. Are you alright?”

I nodded, but I was unsure. I looked at my hand. I tried to transform into my wolf form… but found I couldn’t.

“Lauri, I think… she took my powers.”

I suddenly felt lost. Trapped. I hated being locked in one shape. I looked at Lauri. Our eyes met. Lauri’s purple eyes seemed to calm me. Then I remembered what had woken me.

“Omri….! Is he ok…? What happened?”

Lauri shook her head.

“I wish I knew.”

Enraged and scared for Omri, I took off toward the entrance to the cave. I thought I heard Lauri’s voice, calling me back. But I ignored it. I had to help Omri!

[moonglum]

Night had drawn in and the pair were lying by the fire enjoying a late supper before they slept.
Jason watched her through the dancing flames and continued to be puzzled.
“How long have you and your people lived here?” He asked.
He watched a tiny rivulet of fat run down her chin as she sank her teeth into the hot rabbit flesh. Her arm snaked lazily upwards as she wiped it away with the back of her hand, before she answered. “Where?”
“Here, in this country. On this continent.” Jason replied. He watched her face, searching for any hint of hesitation, any trace of deceit. When she answered him, he saw only truthfulness in her eyes and smiled at the whimsy in her voice.
“My people have always been here. Where else would we be?”
“I just wondered.” He lay his head back and closed his eyes. He could feel sleep whispering his name in the distance, but he was determined to unravel this enigma. There were posibilities, he knew. This world could be a 'shadow'. A world on a plane of existance which is masked slightly, by an adjacent plane. A world which could easily be 'missed', while hopping from one to another. That felt like the most plausible explanation. Then again, he might just be wrong.
“Where is this house of yours?” Aphemenie asked. The suddeness of her question roused him from his thoughts.
“It exists on all planes, at most times. It stands on the bedrock which supports the Arch of Time.” Jason replied.
“Is it a big house, like one of those roman villas?”
Jason smiled. “Bigger. More like a palace or a large mansion house.”
“Man-shun? I don't know that word.” Aphemenie replied with a puzzled frown.
“It's a big house,” said Jason with a sigh. He was feeling tired and sleep was now beginning to claw at the back of his eyelids. As he pulled his blanket around his shoulders he whispered, “Tomorrow. We will talk tomorrow.”

[moonglum]

Jason woke with a start. All around him was blackness and, as he waited for his eyes to become attuned to the dark, he had an uneasy feeling that something was not right. He sat up and waited. His eyes remained blind. Holding his hand up to his face, he could just make out the outline of his fingers in the gloom. The blackness slowly began to thicken around him.It felt cloying and he started to sweat. The air brushed.... no, it caressed his skin, like the warm breath of a lover. He shuddered as wisps of darkness slid through his hair like fingers walking across his scalp. Anxiety began to build as panic closed its hands around his throat. He couldn't breathe, he still couldn't see. Jason tried to stand, but felt his legs give way beneath him and he collapsed to his knees.
The sound of Jason's laboured breathing awoke Aphemenie with a start. She looked across and saw him kneeling by the remains of the fire, his hands clawing at the neck of his shirt. Rising to her feet she quickly moved to help him. She covered half the distance before she was abruptly slowed, by what felt like an invisible curtain of......something. She could breathe, but it felt as if she were walking, completely submerged, through water. She struggled onwards towards him and at the last minute, threw herself on him.
Jason tried to gulp in air but his tongue had swollen and was now blocking his airway. He felt something strike him in the back and, as he pitched forward, his eyes began to clear and he saw, in the sand, a childs doll. The face of which had been burnt and melted in on itself. Just before unconciousness claimed him he thought he heard the doll laugh.

[moonglum]

Whether Jason heard her call out his name, or not, she couldn't tell. Aphemenie watched him fall forwards to the earth as her arms closed around, and then through him. She felt herself tumbling, spinning end over end through the darkness. She thought to herself that surely she should have struck the ground by now, when suddenly, she did. The impact knocked the wind from her lungs and she lay on her back gulping in deep breaths, as slowly she watched the sky above her brighten. The darkness gradually receded until it formed a circle around her, so that she was enclosed in the centre of a cylinder of light. Slowly rising to her feet, Aphemenie blinked and suddenly, she was no longer alone. An old man with white hair and a long white beard, dressed in a long white robe, stood in front of her.
“Hello Aphemenie. I trust your journey was not too uncomfortable!”
Reality suddenly kicked in and Aphemenie started. She spun around, looking for Jason.
“Where is he,” she snapped facing the stranger again. “And who are you?”
“Just a friend.” He replied. “If by 'He', you mean Jason, then he will be arriving a little later.”
Aphemenie began to take stock of her situation. She was standing on a flat surface of fine gravel which, seemed to be stuck down. It did not move when she scuffed it with her foot. Apart from the floor, the black walls, the stranger and the circular sky; that was it. There was nothing else!
Turning back to the stranger, she asked. “Where am I, and what do you want?”
“Ah questions, questions. Always questions. There are so many of them, don't you think? And so very few answers. I sometimes wish I had opted for a more quieter existence.” He became thoughtful for a moment before shrugging his shoulders and continuing. “You are in a state of limbo, at the moment, neither in one place nor another. A brief halt on your journey. A journey, I must assure you, that I had no part in instigating. I have taken the liberty of arranging this diversion in order to tell you, or perhaps warn would be a better word. Yes, warn, I think. You must excuse me my dear, but it has been so long since I was in the company of mortals that I'm afraid I've rather lost touch with their little ways. Would you like to sit down, by the way.”
Aphemenie almost missed his question. So amazed was she by this old man, that she jumped when a white bench appeared by her side. Sitting down she said.
“You do seem to favour white, don't you?”
“Yes,” he grinned. “It's not very original I grant you. Mind you, you should see the oppositions colour scheme.” At this remark he began to laugh.
Aphemenie shook her head in quiet disbelief. He reminded her of the old men of her village. Spending their days playing brag-a-bones whilst reliving their youth with exaggerated stories.
“You were about to tell me what I am doing here.” She said, hoping he would get to the point.
“Yes, well, this fellow you are with has upset some very powerful beings, you know. Killed a few as well. How he expected it to go unnoticed is beyond me, it really is. On some worlds they are even calling him Godslayer! Can you imagine? It really will upset things.”
She looked at him, silent for a while. He seemed genuine enough, if a little vague. She made a decision.
“Jason hasn't told me much of his past. I know it has been troubled, but I don't believe he deserves the things that have happened to him of late.”
The old man looked up at her and exclaimed, “Of late? My dear this has been going on for centuries. They have toyed with him for millenia, and since he destroyed the Balance things have been getting worse. Up until then we had a sort of truce, but now.......well, let us just say that one or two of the opposition hold grudges and want to play a last and more permanent game.”
Aphemenie looked him in the eyes and said, “Can you not help him?”
“Me, oh no. I am afraid I am not nearly powerful enough to face them. No, I can offer you some advice now and again, warn you here and there; but direct help! No, definitely not.”
She caught the hint in his voice. “Then you want me to help him, you are on our side?”
“Now, I think I've said enough. Time for you to continue your journey. I am sorry but we have been here longer than I intended and I'm not really sure whether you will arrive before or after Jason Korde. Oh well, here goes,” and he made a gesture with his hand.
“No......wait!” She cried out too late. The darkness enveloped her once more and she tumbled on her way.

[Scrappy Amazon]

It had been at least a day since they had left the Dixie creature with the not Joxie. Whatever that meant. Scrappy and Phalon had moved on, heading towards Phalon’s parents house. Scrappy however was still having trouble accepting the situation. She drove her bike with a recklessness that scared Phalon. As a result, they spent a lot of time walking and pushing the bike. Mostly because the terrain they were traveling through made it difficult for the bike to maneuver but also because Phalon was just plain frightened of Scrappy’s inattention.

At one particularly frustrating point, Phalon watched as Scrappy attempted to push her bike through some undergrowth while swearing and kicking at stumps. After Scrappy had actually injured herself by grabbing thorny vine Phalon put her hand on Scrappy’s shoulder and stopped her.

“She’ll be taken care of at the Hospice.”

“I know. I can’t help but feel like I let her down.”

“That wasn’t her. You know that. You were sent here, away from her, against your will. There was nothing you could do for her. You need to start accepting that.”

For the first time since Phalon had known her Scrappy showed just exactly how tired, angry, and vulnerable she was.

Tears formed in her eyes as she turned away from Phalon and began clearing more of the path. “Help me with this so we can get out of here. How we got so tangled up I’ll never figure out.”

She let Scrappy change the subject for a change. She didn’t feel it necessary to poke a sleeping chimera so to speak. “We are less than a day from my family home now. If we camp somewhere around here for the night we should make it there by tomorrow afternoon.” She looked up at Scrappy’s back and mumbled under her breath, “Providing we can stay out of the bushes.” She sighed and began helping to clear the path to a clearing.

[EllieNeo]

ava watched in disbelief as ellie stood and ran off. the sound of her voice echoing around the cave seemed to wake the woman that had turned into a wolf awhile ago. upon hearing omri needed help, ava watched as this woman also ran off. nela seemed to be growing by the minute, and ava took her and sat against the wall with her. ava looked at lauri.

“who’s omri?”

lauri walked over and sat next to ava.

“omri is ellie’s wolf.”

ava blinked. she put nela on the ground and watched her crawl a few feet. nela giggled, then stood, and walked the two steps back to her mother, sitting in her lap. ava hugged nela and smiled, then looked back at lauri.

“ellie’s…. what…??”

lauri chuckled.

“don’t worry, ava, i’m sure ellie will fill you in with everything that you’ve missed… when she gets back. right now, you and nela ought to rest. by the time ellie gets back, maybe the two of you will have caught up with time.”

[Awesome Aphrodite]

As I neared the entrance to the cave, I could tell that the storm had gotten worse. I splashed through large puddles of water and ran past soaking-wet saddlebags as I exited the cave. Wait… saddlebags…? Those hadn’t been there before. I shook the thought off.

Ellie, to my surprise, was standing at the entrance, not moving. I stepped up next to her. She glanced over at me, and then whistled.

We waited.

She whistled again.

We waited.

I whispered to her. I had to know.

"What happened?"

She glanced at me, briefly, then her eyes returned to the forest in front of her.

"Janis tried to kill you. Omri stopped her."

I was stunned into silence. Why would he have done that...

Ellie sighed, and started to whistle again, when we heard a loud whimper. She took off running towards it, and I followed her.

[EllieNeo]

ellie had taken her saddlebags into the cave, and left them near the entrance. she returned to the entrance, and stood in the pouring rain. she couldn’t see anything. she whistled. out of the corner of her eye, she saw annabelle emerge from the cave and stand next to her. she whistled again. nothing. third time’s the charm? she whistled. still nothing.

annabelle's whisper broke the silence.

"what happened?"

ellie glanced at annabelle, briefly, then her eyes returned to the forest in front of her.

"janis tried to kill you. omri stopped her."

ellie sighed, and started to whistle again, then stopped herself. wait… there!

ellie took off running toward the sound she had heard. she knew omri’s whimper anywhere. as she was running, she whistled again. the whimper grew louder.

she almost tripped over him. he was laying on his side, in a pool of blood, next to the headless body of a three-legged wolf. ellie gasped. omri… had killed janis.

[moonglum]

The darkness, around the dying embers of the camp fire, remained. Actually, to say it, merely remained, was doing it an injustice. It was always there,somewhere. Francis Bacon said, 'For the light to be able to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present'. This darkness was certainly present. In fact, it was obstinately present. It just hung in the air, the way that bricks don't. It did nothing, but just by looking at it, you knew that when it did do something, it would really do something. It didn't roil, it didn't moil, and it certainly didn't boil. It just stayed, like a servant who had served dinner and was waiting patiently in the hope of being able to serve further. Confident in the knowledge that, when asked, it would perform it's duties without question.

(my thanks, as always, to Douglas Adams for the 'bricks' line).

[moonglum]

The darkness did nothing. Then, in the blink of an eye, it did something. It swirled, once. Apparently satisfied with it's newfound sense of movement, it swirled a second time. Then, it began to rotate. Slowly at first, then, drawing in it's edges and the farthest wisps of it's extremities, it gradually solidified and gained momentum until it was a whirling vortex of pure energy. When it's speed reached it's peak, it erupted into an incandescent, fiery black cylinder which, had anybody been there to witness this event, would surely have damaged their eyes and peeled the skin from their body with it's intense heat.
Almost as suddenly as it began, it stopped, then collapsed into the ground, leaving nothing but a fiery ring of burning grass. In the centre of this circle, curled in a foetal position, lay the naked body of a young woman.