The House Of Whoosher... ;-)

[moonglum]

He was roughly halfway back to the house when the ground opened up under his feet; and Jason Korde fell, like a stone down a well. His arms flailed around, looking for handholds and he found a tree root. His grip slipped off this and he found another, then another. Using the roots he managed to slow his descent until, finally he felt the shaft sloping away towards the horizontal. He let go of the roots and used the remaining few metres to slide to the bottom. He could see a dim light rushing up towards him and then, he was rolling across the floor of a cellar.
Jason came up from the floor in a crouch and scanned the room. Empty, just a door set in the wall opposite. As he stood up he looked at the hole through which he had entered and saw that, already, it was filling with earth from above. The earth seemed to be moving into the cellar with the fluidity of a liquid. He moved closer and in the low light he saw it was mud. It didn’t stop, it kept coming. It was oozing out across the floor now and slowly getting deeper. Jason turned back towards the door and, as he did so, he thought he saw a faint movement in the corner of the room. He moved closer to what he now realised was a pile of sacking, heaped hastily against the walls. Poking out from under the edge, he saw a human hand. The hand was twitching and faintly slapping the floor. Jason pulled the sacking away and saw the body of a young girl lying there. She had blonde hair, tied in a pony tail and the bluest eyes he had ever seen.

Jason looked at the girl and realised her head seemed to be at a strange angle. Also her eyelids were twitching faintly in tune with her hand. He grasped her hand and as he did so, opened his mind to hers.
‘HELP ME’.
The words thundered through his mind like gunshots. Sweet Letitia, he thought, she must have a guardian angel. It looked like her neck had been broken, and yet she lived. Only just, but she was alive. Looking at her face, he realised she was in the dining room earlier, no, that wasn’t quite right. The shape-shifter was there, looking like her. How long then, had she been down here? Jason looked back at the mud oozing into the room and saw it was rapidly piling up. He had to get her out of here, but looking at her neck, he didn’t want to risk moving her. He knelt down next to her in the pooling mud and took her face in his hands. Her eyes slowly lost their fixed stare as she focused on him and he saw them widen.
“It’s alright,” he said softly, “I won’t hurt you,” and summoned the best smile he could manage. Jason slowly lowered his head until the jewel in his forehead rested against hers, and closed his eyes. He entered her mind and he could feel her mentally squirming. Slowly, calmly, he let his mind’s eye travel through her nervous system as he examined the nerves and muscles around the base of her neck. He was no physician, but they appeared to be intact, not damaged, just strained and weak. Ever so gently he began turning her head back to a more natural position. As he did so the jewel in his skull began to glow brighter and brighter.

Part of his mind continually watched the wall of mud behind them. The ceiling in that half of the room had fallen in and the mud was moving much faster now. Part of the door was also covered. Jason straightened up and looked at the girl’s face; she looked back at him and smiled.
“Look, we’ve got to get out of here,” he told her. “I’m going to carry you. Try not to speak or move your head too much.”
Her voice was a strained whisper as she replied, “Ok.”
Jason took one of his guns out of its holster and tucked it behind him, in his belt. Then, carefully lifting the girl up, he let her arms encircle his neck. Laying her head gently on to his shoulder, he said “This is going to be loud”. Before she could answer, he retrieved his gun and fired an explosive dart at the doorway. The blast would have knocked them off their feet, had it not been for the fact that the mud was now rapidly crawling up their legs. Jason was moving, slowly, but moving, towards the door before the smoke had cleared. It was hard going but eventually as the mud reached waist height, they waded free, and found themselves in a corridor. Jason stopped and as they rested against the far wall, the rest of the ceiling collapsed behind them. He moved off once more, carrying her down the passage and, when they were a safe distance away, he stopped and gently propped her in a sitting position against the wall. Sitting down next to her in the dim light, Jason felt a wave of weariness wash over him and he started to doze.

He awoke with a start. The girl was tugging at his sleeve. As he lifted his chin off his chest, she pointed down the passageway, in the direction they would be travelling. He turned to look and heard footsteps. Then, just as he was about to get up, the sounds started to die away again. There must be an intersection up ahead, he thought. Looking at the girl’s face he saw the cracked, dry lips and knew he needed to find water. He could survive for quite a while on his drugs but he doubted they would do her much good.
“Listen, Dixie, I need……….”
“How do you know my name,” she whispered.
“I read your mind,” he answered, softly. Jason watched as she closed her eyes and he saw the slight shudder.
“Look Dixie, I need to find us some water. You’ll be safe here for a while. The tunnel behind us is blocked, so anything coming after us will have to come by me first.”
Dixie nodded and croaked, “Who are you, anyway?”
“My name is Jason; I’m…..a friend. I won’t be long, I promise.”

Jason stood up and turned away down the tunnel. Sooner than he expected, he did indeed come to an intersection. There was a light streaming from an open doorway to his left, while the right hand passage was in darkness. He turned left and moved slowly towards the light. As he did so, he eased his pistol out and thumbed the selector wheel. He could hear voices now, arguing over cards, he thought. Suddenly a soldier stepped from the room and turned down the passage away from Jason. The soldier took a few steps then stopped and started to relieve himself against the wall. Jason was about two thirds of the way to the door and he froze. He knew the soldier would see him the moment he turned back. In one fluid movement, Jason raised his weapon, aimed and fired. The dart caught the soldier in the jugular and the venom ensured he was dead before he hit the floor. The sound of the soldier hitting the floor told Jason he had lost the element of surprise; so walking briskly up to the door, he entered and shot dead the remaining two soldiers as they were rising to investigate the noise. Looking around the room Jason grabbed a wineskin from the table and tucked it in his coat. Stepping back into the passage, he dragged the first soldier into the room and then, closing the door behind him, he hurried back the way he had come.

Dixie was still sitting against the wall. She turned her head at his approach and Jason heard the sharp intake of breath as the pain sliced through her neck.
“Easy, it’s only me,” he said.
“Uhh, damn, that hurt,” she cursed.
Jason sat down next to her and pulled the wineskin from his coat.
“All I could find, I’m afraid,” he said, handing it over.
Dixie drank thirstily and gagged. The harsh wine tasted foul at first, but then slowly began to warm her mouth and throat. It tasted faintly spiced with something she could not identify. She drank more as the wine began to warm her chest and finally her belly.
“Take it slowly,” said Jason, “we may have to walk a distance yet.”
“You could have just gone upstairs to the kitchen and got me water,” she giggled.
Oh, great! He thought, as he watched her take another long pull on the wineskin.
“It’s not quite as simple as that,” Jason replied. “There may not be an upstairs in this dimension.”
“What do you mean?” she slurred her speech. The wine was evidently a lot stronger than she was used to.
“This house of yours stands on a very ancient spot, a ‘node’, for want of a better word. It’s a place where many of the planes of the multiverse bisect each other. Let me ask you a question Dixie. How long have you been down here?”
“Oh, days and days, I don’t know, why?” she replied.
“Well, I doubt if more than a few hours have passed in your house,” continued Jason. He stood up and, taking her arm, helped her up too. She linked her arm through his and rested her head gingerly on his shoulder.
“I feel sleepy,” she mumbled.
“Not yet Dixie, we’ve got to find a way out of here.” Jason started off down the tunnel, half carrying and half dragging her along with him.

They reached the intersection and stumbled off to the right. One way was as good as any other, thought Jason. They walked for a while and Jason heard her drink from the wineskin from time to time. He was about to tell her to ease up, when; he felt the world around him seem to slow down. His heart stopped beating so fast and he felt his spirit calm itself. Then he saw a pin-point of light, just behind his eyes, blossom into a cosmos. Jason stopped in mid-stride and blinked. Turning his head, he saw the passage behind them had disappeared. In its place, a set of stone stairs descended away into darkness. Turning back he found they were standing on a landing, with more stairs in front of them, leading upwards. The light from a burning brand set in the wall made this feel familiar.
“It seems we both, may have a guardian angel,” he muttered and they started up the steps.

[moonglum]

They staggered up the stairs for what seemed like hours. Jason had wrestled the wineskin free from Dixie’s grasp a number of times. However, whenever he needed a drink, it always seemed to be back in her hands again. Now, though, it was not; and he realised she must have dropped it. He was carrying her now and had given up any pretence at stealth. Dixie’s snoring would have wakened the dead, let alone any living thing they might run into.
They reached yet another landing and appeared to be at the top of the stairs. A doorway in front opened out into a large, well-lit cavern. This then, was not where Jason had hoped they would emerge. Moreover, the cavern contained six soldiers. Soldiers, who were now stirring, and looking towards the intruders. The sounds of steel scraping steel cried out, as the soldiers unsheathed their swords and began advancing on the pair. Jason dropped Dixie, unceremoniously, against the wall and turned to face their attackers.
“Time to feed,” said Jason as he drew out Soulrazor and closed with the first of the men. Whilst he parried with the man, he drew out a pistol with his left hand and shot dead two more. The flicker of distraction in his opponent’s eyes, was enough for Jason to slip inside the man’s sword thrust, and despatch him through the heart. Soulrazor sang as she changed to black and fed her master with energy. One of the soldiers had turned to flee, possibly to raise the alarm thought Jason, as he shot him in the back. The remaining two hesitated and Soulrazor fed on their souls. He sheathed his sword and turned to find Dixie standing behind him, glaring. She slapped him hard across the face and raised her hand to do it again. Grabbing her wrist Jason said menacingly.
“What the f… was that for?”
“They were going to surrender.” She shouted.
“No, they were waiting for me to lower my guard and then, they would have killed us.”
“How do you know that? Read their minds I suppose?” Dixie hissed.
Jason looked at her, then, with a smile said. “No. I was a soldier once. It’s what I would have done. The rules are simple Dixie. If we’re going to get out of here alive, it’s them or us. No prisoners.”
She sighed, a sign of resignation. He was right, she knew it. Still it rankled, it didn’t make it right. It wasn’t her way. As she relaxed, he let go of her wrist. She lowered her eyes and mumbled.
“Don’t suppose you’ve got any aspirin, have you?”
“Any what!” he said.
“Headache,” she murmured.
Jason rummaged in his coat pocket and pulled out a small pouch fastened with a drawstring. From the pouch he withdrew a piece of root. Dixie thought it had a strange shape, almost like a body without the head. Jason broke off a small portion and handed it to her.
“What am I supposed to do with this?” she asked.
“Chew it and swallow the juices.”
“Yeah, right. What is it anyway?”
“It’s Mandrake root, it’s a mild sedative and it relieves pain.” He replied.
This was a distraction he could do without. He looked around the cavern. There were numerous doors leading off it. This must be a meeting place of sorts, maybe a mustering hall where the captains issued daily duties to their troops. He heard her cough and spit next to him.
“God this tastes foul.” She spluttered.
“It’s your headache.” He answered, and walked off to begin checking the doors for a way out.

[moonglum]

“Do they know what is coming?”
“At the moment, no,” Letitia prowled the Pinnacle. She was restless, impatient, and eager for the coming battle. The feelings that had lain dormant within her, were now rising to the surface. The anger at the death of her father, the loathing she felt at her sister’s betrayal, the love she felt for Jason; all moiling towards the surface and threatening to smother her reason. Turning, she drew in a deep breath and looked at her mother. “They are in disarray. They squabble among themselves, and are being manipulated.”

Eren stroked the hilt of Wraithslayer and watched her daughter pace back and forth.
“What of Jason?”
Letitia stopped and looked at her mother. “He is no longer in this Realm.” She replied.

[moonglum]

The third door he tried gave a breeze of fresh air against his face. He turned and called back to her.
“This way Dixie.”
She walked over to him and felt the change in air. Well, he seemed to know what he was doing, she thought. He was strange though. He reminded her of someone. One of those, ‘Oh god what was that guy in; you know, that film about….,’ moments. She hated that; it would drive her mad now until she remembered it.

They walked down a corridor and as they walked, Jason felt the familiar effects of translation. A doorway materialised in front of them and he led them through into a courtyard. The courtyard contained soldiers; on horseback. Soldiers, readying for battle!
Jason stopped in his tracks; and smiled. He turned back towards Dixie and said.
“It seems we do indeed have angels to watch over us.” And with that, he walked out amongst them. Dixie was horrified; she tried to catch his sleeve as he moved away. She caught hold of his arm just as the world disappeared, or so it seemed to her. They were still in the courtyard, but now it was empty of people. Just the two of them, plus, in the centre, a large mirror fixed in an ornate wooden frame.

He held the girl back with his arm as his right hand began to draw his sword.
“Where did everybody go? What’s going on Jason,” asked a wide-eyed Dixie.
“We are being toyed with. Someone has manipulated events to bring us here. To this point in the multiverse. Before you ask, no, I don’t know why, but I’ll wager it’s not going to be good.”
Dixie shook free of his arm and began to walk towards the mirror, almost as if she were mesmerised.
“It’s a beautiful mirror,” she said.
“Don’t go too close.” Jason replied, catching her arm again and pulling her back.
“Why, it’s just a mirror.”
“Nobody would put that out here to dress by. It’s not right somehow,” he said softly.
“Perhaps it is being delivered,” suggested Dixie.
“Or perhaps it was used to entertain the troops!” The voice came from the glass itself.

Jason took a few steps back, yanking Dixie’s arm as he pulled her along with him.
The surface of the mirror shimmered and a tall woman stepped through. She wore a long black dress, low-cut to expose a black crucifix, suspended upside-down from a silver chain around her neck.
“Hello Jerek, it has been a long time.”
Jason stared at her. Now that Eren had told him the truth, he realised his doubts had never been misplaced. He knew who she was, but he no longer recognised her. The lover and mother of their child had, long ago, been lost to the woman who now stood before him.
“You’ve changed somewhat too.” Jason replied.
“Who’s Jerek?” Dixie whispered.
Elysha looked at Dixie and laughed. “I see you’ve found a little friend. Have you told her how you murdered your own son? Our son.”
Elysha started to circle the pair, all the time keeping her eyes fixed on Jason. He, in turn, began backing away from her, dragging Dixie with him. The last translation point was somewhere just behind them, if they could find it, they stood a chance. He could feel by her reluctance, that Dixie was wary of him now. He tightened his grip on her arm and kept moving backwards. They were almost at the door and still, nothing had happened.
“Ever the hopeful one, Jerek. It’s not there any more.” Elysha smiled menacingly.
Jason stopped and looked around him. He caught a slight movement from the corner of his eye as, to his left, a short line appeared in the sand. He let go of Dixie's arm and shoved her roughly over the line. As she disappeared, Jason turned back towards Elysha, just as an energy blast struck him full on and launched him backwards into the wall.

[moonglum]

Eren materialised from a second portal close to Elysha. She stepped through quickly, her sword arm scything down, Wraithslayer cutting the very air itself. The blade separated Elysha’s elbow from her forearm and carried on downwards and round. As Eren pivoted, she swung the sword upwards at her daughter’s neck.


Jason was aware of everything that was happening. From the battle in front of him, he looked down at the glow emanating from his chest. When he lifted his eyes again, he found himself seated in a crude amphitheatre. His immediate circumstances were now reminiscent of a scene from a play, a slow-motion tableau, acted out for his benefit below. There was no-one else occupying the seats, he was quite alone. His gaze was drawn back to the centre of the small arena; all movement had stopped now, as if time were suspended. He looked at his own body, suspended just above the foot of the wall and willed himself to move, to twitch, to cough; anything. Nothing happened.
“Do you believe yourself to be dead?”
Jason jumped. So intense had his concentration been he hadn’t noticed the figure appear next to him.
“That is what you were wondering, is it not?”
He looked at the woman without knowing who she was at first. Someone ….. Somewhere ….. A tree ……. On the road …… A garden …… A strange language ……. The Healer!
“It did cross my mind, yes.” He replied.
She grinned at him. “Life, death; which of us knows the truth? You see, you hear and you feel; no?” She pointed at the figures below. “Yet, there you lie. This may all be just a dream Soul-Taker.”
“Then I have slept for a long, long time,” Jason said sarcastically.
“A distinct possibility,” she laughed.
“We've met before,” he continued.
“Yes, we have. Many times.”
Jason turned back to look at the scene below. The figures were still frozen in their grotesque dance of death. He gently tried to probe her mind, there was nothing but darkness. It was as if she didn't exist.
“Who are you and, what do you want with me?” Jason made to rise from his seat, but the woman stayed his arm.
“Ah, you have not then, regained all of your memories! I see”
“You see nothing! I remember everything, and more. Now, who are you?” Jason was becoming angry with her cryptic remarks.
Now it was the woman's turn to stare ahead for a while. She sat brooding for a few moments and then, appeared to reach a decision. She turned her head to face him once more.
“You obviously do not remember me! Tell me Jerek Courdes, who were you in your previous incarnation, or the one before that, or ….. shall I continue? In truth, I had not expected to see you again so soon. In the realm you have recently left I am a seer, a prophetess, a healer called Eurayle. I am also, on occasions, a messenger.”

[moonglum]

As she spoke, Jason realised this woman knew much about him, that he did not. He remembered again, seeing her on the road to the house. She stood behind three others, shepherding them along like lost sheep. The three in front were all present in the house, all apparently, ghosts from his past. How was he connected to them? He had no idea.
“When we met before, you spoke to me in a strange language,” he said.
Eurayle drew a deep breath before replying.
“I assumed, wrongly in that instance, you would remember your previous incarnation. I assumed you would recognize my words.”
“I did recognize them. I did not remember how, or you, though!”
“I see that now.” She hesitated and stared at the frozen scene in front of them, before continuing.
“How much do you remember Jerek?”
“I prefer Jason!” he said. “I remember everything of my life back to my childhood and my family.”
“Strange. For some reason the Balance has chosen to stray from the norm this time,” she replied.
“What has this to do with the Balance?”
“You are the Champion of Fate, Jason. When either Law or Chaos tips the scale, you are resurrected to fight for the opposite side. To redress the Balance, if you will. However, this time it seems your role is a much more permanent one.”
Jason stared ahead for a while, before saying.
“Then I am a puppet, you are saying I have no free will.”
Eurayle sighed. “Rarely. Then again, who among us truly has that luxury?”
Jason snorted, “I don’t believe in fate. You create your own choices; you make your own luck.”
Eurayle laughed out loud. “You are more arrogant than I recall, Jason Korde.”
“And you implied you had a message, healer!”
“Indeed I did. You are to stop Eren from killing her daughter. You are to save Elysha!”

[moonglum]

Jason looked at Eurayle with a degree of amusement.
“Now what makes you think I’d willingly want to come between those two? Even if I could, it looks as if it’s almost over for Elysha. When this charade ends, that sword will sever Elysha’s head from her shoulders.”
“Nevertheless, you will do it Jason.”
"I think not. My feelings for Elysha are not what they were, she merits whatever justice Eren sees fit to dole out." As he spoke the words, Jason examined his conscience. He really didn't feel anything for her anymore. After what he'd learned from Eren, he knew Elysha deserved everything that was coming to her. She could go back to hell, as far as he was concerned.
He felt Eurayle rest her hand on his arm as she said.
"You really have no choice in this Jason!"
Standing up, he shrugged her hand free and walked down towards the centre of the amphitheatre. At the edge of the circle he stopped and, turning to look up at the healer, he said.
“This was no message. This sounded more like a command. Now who gave this order Eurayle, who told you to tell me this?”
When she didn't answer, Jason turned back and stepped forward into the circle.
As time danced it's weird and wonderful convolution, Eurayle whispered. “Why, you did Jason. You told me!”

[moonglum]

The wind howled across the frozen steppe, hurling shards of razor-sharp ice crystals like javelins, before it. In the shelter of the cave, the man took the pot from the edge of the fire and knelt beside the dying figure. The ice in the pot had melted now and was warm to his touch. He gently raised her head and let the warm water moisten first her lips, and then ease its way down her throat.
She coughed weakly.
“Takke du, Herak.”
Herak laid the woman’s head back onto the pile of furs, and replied.
“Du ar kaerkommen, aeldre kamerat.”
She was indeed an old comrade. Between them they had existed for many millennia, the Eternal Warrior and his friend. Soon though, this life would end for her. She had lost too much blood from the gaping wound in her side.
“You frown so, Herak. You have not slept for days now. Are you still troubled by visions in your sleep?”
“I still see her, Thiron. She sends me messages now. She tells me I am to save a woman, Elissha, she called her.”
Thiron laughed, and then coughed again. “Women, always women with you isn’t it.”
A tiny rivulet of blood ran from the corner of her mouth as she continued.
“Do you know this Elissha?”
“No, not in this life anyway,” replied Herak and listened as the ice-storm outside increased to a polar blizzard.
When he next looked down at her face, he saw she had slipped into death as quietly and as effectively, as she had once entered into his life. The winter on this world would worsen and last for a few more months yet. So Herak settled down and waited until he met with his ‘aeldre kamerat’, once more.

[leara]

KNOCK! KNOCK!! KNOCK!!!!

The gray of the sky does nothing to reveal what time it is but, I have awakened from a drunken stupor in a strange corner of a Tavern. Nothing unusual about this really I have gotten used to awakening in strange places I mean that is the lot of a wandering gambling drunk.

I have been on quite the bender after the last shake up in my life, the family and my world was completely turned upside down. I had hoped that some time away at the bottom of some bottle or bottles would some how make it go away. Unfortunately it only seems to land me deeper into trouble or should I more tactfully say interestingly strange situations. Now would be one of those times.

Each step out of town and closer to the supposed haunted house called 'The House of Whoosher' makes me wonder what the hell was I thinking. I mean why didn't I just pass out or take the truth instead of the dare. I wish that last night was not so fuzzy and that I could actually remember just what went on. According to the locals I have accepted a dare to spend three days in the creepiest haunted house around, boldly declaring that "I fear nothing and noone." Some how my common sense, logic and rationality get all mixed up with stupidity and foolish pride like the frozen concoctions I was pounding down last night. I can't really weasel out of it either too many witnesses and my word is my bond the one true thing any of really own in this life.

I try with my most convincing voice "It is only three days that I have to spend there. I have enough provisions, intoxicating drink and weapons. Besides I have been in worse places I mean the wrath of a spirit or whatever inhabits it can be no worse than the ancient gods of long ago. You know in the time before legend and all that stuff." These words do nothing for the pounding in my chest and the uneasiness knotted in my gut. I really have no idea what to expect behind the doors to the House of Whoosher. I'm sure they told stories about the inhabitants and those who had gone in and never returned but being drunk tends to leave large gaping holes in ones memory much like swiss cheese

The closer I come to the door the thirstier I become I should have a stiff drink before knocking but, that would be bad manners to arrive with liquor on my breath; bad enough being uninvited. The house does not look that terrible from the outside just the usual creepy.

Finally the stairs to the front door quite the impressive palace there must be many many rooms inside to explore. I imagine at one time in its heyday it bustled and moved at a fast pace. It was likely the best manicured and well maintained grounds for miles. Time has not been kind to the old structure. Every minute I spend standing here is only putting off what has to be done. Besides I have not been on a decent adventure in a long time.

Step by step I climb to the front porch with a magestic double, carved, wooden doors. Adventure, yes that is what this shall be and a short one at that a mere three days. I'm not quite sure just how long I spent standing there admiring the carvings wondering just what they meant. There is an unnaturally strong wind that gusts across the porch as if to sweep it clean as if somehow it knows that I am here and my intention of staying. I keep thinking this will be fun; this is an adventure.

I reach for the cold and heavy brass knocker and bang it loudly against the door CLANG! CLANG!! CLANG!!! The brass vibrates in my hand as I let it rest back against the door. I laugh softly that was loud enough to wake the dead. The deed was done I had issued the summons now was the worst part waiting. I hate waiting time has done nothing to improve my disposition about waiting and never mind the questions that now come to mind.

What do you say to whatever opens the door? Who or what will open the door? How long is it proper custom to wait before knocking again or walking in instead? How long before checking the door to see if it is really locked? Why would a door to a haunted house be locked any way? (Normal, sane folks would not bother to enter anyway and the unsavory characters usually would be kept away by fear and superstition.) Is it time to knock again? Maybe nobody or spirit heard the first one? (Yeah right it was loud enough to wake the dead and even the undead.) How long do I stand here waiting? Is it proper to sit and wait? Is anyone coming?

Is it time to knock again or ...............

[moonglum]

As he stepped into the circle, Jason’s heart stopped. He gasped as the air was knocked from his lungs, and wondered why the world looked horizontal. His body then hit the ground at the base of the wall and he groaned, loudly. Noise hit him like a tidal wave.
Elysha screamed as the blood poured from her upper arm, and made to move backwards; but she was too late. Jason watched, mesmerised as, a fraction of a second after her severed arm hit the ground, the tip of Eren’s sword sliced through her jugular. Elysha slumped to her knees and with blood gushing from her throat; she turned her cold eyes on her mother as she fell dead in the sand.
Eren stared down at the body on the ground, the body of her daughter. Elysha had murdered her own father and betrayed the faith of the gods. Eren felt nothing for her as she sighed, sheathed her sword and walked over to where Jason lay, gasping for breath.
“Are you injured Jason,” she asked, dispassionately.
“No, just winded. However, I have the strongest feeling that, you should not have done that,” he replied.
“What you think matters little to me, at the moment.” She snapped.
Jason looked into her mind and found it barred. She had learnt to shield herself from him, remarkably quickly, but then, grief has its own shrouds to wrap around itself.
“What of the girl who accompanied me?” He said.
“She is safe with Letitia for now. However she must be returned soon or she will become ‘stuck’ between the planes for the rest of her life. She is not like us Jason; you were a fool to take her along with you.”
“As I recall, I did not have much choice in the matter. Had I left her there, she surely would not be alive now. May I say, Eren, your journeying has done little to improve your disposition,” Jason replied sarcastically.
Eren snarled and reached for her sword, then stopped. Soulrazor slid swiftly from its scabbard and hovered, mere inches from Eren’s throat.
“I wouldn’t,” said Jason, easing himself up into a sitting position. “Believe me, you’d lose.”
“Pah!” Eren turned away and walked towards the portal. “We’ve no time for this! Come.”

The hall was brightly lit with flaming brands, set in the walls. The long banqueting table looked huge and out of place, with just two people seated at one end.
Dixie regarded Letitia, and all of this, with suspicion. It was surreal, dreamlike even. She tried to deal with her feelings, but found events were changing them too fast. Her neck, for instance. One minute it was nearly broken, then; in a matter of a few hours, it felt as if nothing had happened to it. Then, there was her saviour. One minute a hero; the next ….. What? A child murderer? People appearing from mirrors; while she was disappearing into thin air? And then, there was this place. It looked like something from an Errol Flynn movie.
“It is natural for you to be confused.” Letitia smiled at her.
“Confused, well that’s one word for it I suppose!” Dixie replied. “What is this place and where are we?”
“The what; is simple. It is called Sanctuary. Its very name conveys its purpose, I believe. The where, however, would require an answer much more complex than I can give you? It is enough to say that, we are between times.”

Dixie looked at the two huge mirrors, standing away from the table. One showed the body of the woman in black. The other mirror showed Jason and the Amazon-like woman. They appeared to be arguing. She saw Jason’s sword hovering in the air, as the woman turned on her heel and disappeared from view. The next moment, Dixie jumped, as the woman appeared in the image of the first mirror and stepped straight through the glass and into the room. Without a word to either of them, she strode the length of the hall and exited through the door.
Letitia stared after her, as Jason also materialised in the room. She rose from her chair and went to each mirror in turn. Touching the frames, she murmured a few words and the images returned to normal. Then she covered each mirror with a heavy cloth, before returning to her seat. She smiled up at Jason and said.
“You do seem to make a habit out of antagonising people, Jason.”
Jason looked into her eyes and saw the playful glint, which danced there. Letitia seemed different to him. More alive, more vibrant and …… Why, he thought, hadn’t he noticed how beautiful she was, until now? He let his mind wander around the edge of her consciousness and felt her respond to him. She, in turn, traced a light, delicate touch in his mind. She hadn’t noticed that she was now standing again and her hands had found his.
“Ahem!” Dixie said, aloud, whilst silently wishing they would get a room.
“Would one of you please tell me what I am doing here?”

[Scrappy Amazon]

Scrappy slid her boots off the table as if waking up from a long hibernation. Shaking off what must have been a sleep born of total exhaustion she looked around the dining hall to find it empty. Even her beloved witch had abandoned her to snore at the table. The now cold dinner congealing where it sat.

“Man I know I have bad manners but, falling asleep mid conversation is bad. Get a grip Scrappy.”

She must have told herself that a dozen times since entering the house. And how long had it been? A day? Two? It felt like years. And the tired was starting to wear on her nerves. She was getting cranky and taking things way too personally.

Scrappy brushed her hands across her face as if she were washing it in an effort wipe the sleep from her eyes. “I need to find that old hag and make things right. She has things to teach me if we are ever going to get the hell out of here.”

Listening to her knees pop Scrappy got up from the table and exited the dining hall in search of her new teacher. It would be hard to swallow her pride and distrust but she would do it.

[moonglum]

They all sat at one end of the table again and listened as Letitia and Eren told the story of the Eternal Warrior. Dixie listened, still waiting to discover what all this had to do with her.

Jerek Courdes had killed a god, or rather a goddess. He had slain the demon Araemia and, indeed, there was a price to pay. He incurred the wrath of the Lords of Chaos. Chaos, in turn, engineered the events leading up to the death of Jerek’s son. From the depths of his despair, they reached down and plucked his mind. And, in that moment, he was theirs. A harbinger of death, he became the grimmest of reapers. However, he was not alone in his deeds. Somewhere along the way, he acquired a companion. She sought to temper his dark side and occasionally, when Chaos became too bold, they struck a blow or two for good. Thus they lurched from one existence, one world, one time; on to the next. Their names and faces changed from time to time, but they always met and, even as strangers, they invariably fought side by side. Sometimes they even died together. The Gods would let neither rest, however, and resurrected the pair to battle their way through the centuries.
Until one day, Letitia found him again. She was surprised to find another woman with him and set about keeping them apart. Like fresh clay, she took his skills and moulded them into a tool fit for her purpose. A warrior worthy to the spirits of the Linjaldrage. In doing so, she discovered a direct bloodline between him and the Dragon Rulers. A bloodline shared by all those now inhabiting the house where she would send him.

Dixie was surprised, to say the least. Her impression of the man had changed since they first met, and now however distantly related they were, they changed again.

[Joxcenia]

Joxcee sat through yet another boring info dump meeting and wondered what it had to do with her. She wasn’t a part of all those other worlds, she only lived in one. She only cared about the one. The others could go take a flying leap for all she cared. “Yada, yada, yada . . . blah, blah, blah . . . yak, yak, yak . . . yip, yip, yip . . .” Utter snooze-ville as far as she was concerned. Her only duty was to stay and see which of the Whooshites would be the last to remain . . . all others having been run off by the hauntings. If not for that, she’d have been long gone by now. Kym so owed her big time for doing this in her stead.

Staring out the window as her mind wandered, Joxcee drowned out the conversations going on around her with a crow cawing in her head. That’s what usually happened in a scary movie when someone glanced out a window. Some dumb crow would caw like a banshee and fly into the pane and break its neck. A warning of the dangers to come, alerting a brief chance to flee before all hell breaks loose. And of course the idiots just scratch their heads and ignore it like it was a stupid random act.

Not Joxcee though. If she ever sees a crow cawing like a banshee and breaking its neck on the window pane, she’ll be gone before anyone could say, “Boo!”

[Mini Mia]

Mia helped bring in yet another meal as she surveyed the room. It seemed they were having yet another meeting. She prayed that this time someone would figure out how to save them all. Time was running out. The ghostly crows cawing and slamming into the window panes gave testament to that. Only Joxcenia seemed to notice them.

“Hurry up you morons,” Mia softly muttered under her breath as she left the room to retrieve more food.

[moonglum]

“What are you doing here? You are being rescued and returned to the company of your kin.”
Letitia looked first at Dixie, then at the others, before continuing.
“The balance has shifted enough now, to allow me to accompany you, so we leave soon. This place has served it's purpose. It will soon be consumed along with all else, unless we are successful.

The four emerged in one of the cellars beneath the house. Dixie shuddered as she was reminded of her last visit below stairs. Letitia produced a small mirror from the folds of her cloak and, passing her hand over it, bathed the room in a bluish light. She led the way to a staircase and began the climb upwards. They entered a passageway leading to the hall. As they approached the doors to the dining room, Jason noticed the main door was now back in place, its frame intact, as if nothing had happened to it. They reached the dining room and Jason put his hand on Letitia's arm, gently moving her behind him. He drew Soulrazor and listened for a moment, then he turned the handle and pushed the doors open wide.
The room was deserted. The whole house seemed silent. Jason and Eren looked at each other and then towards Letitia. Dixie began to say something and trailed off, as they heard the house echo with the sound of someone pounding on the front door. Moving swiftly with sword still in hand, Jason reached the door and yanked it open. He found himself confronted by a woman, a woman slightly the worse for wear, he thought.

[LMV's Old Account]

Sita looked about the shed and picked a few random things off the shelf and concealed them within her attire… She then grabbed a few throwing knives and slid them into her boots, straightened herself up and walked out of the shed and walked up to the house..
“Hmm” she wondered to herself.
“Why is it that I always end up in these situations?” She said out loud as she examined the bricks around a side door… “Ho hum” she grumbled…
Sita then jiggled the door knob realising it was open so she opened it and walked into the house and crept down the hallway….
“Now where the hell did I end up this time?.. This is beginning to get on my nerves... That and I need to find a human being or something of the sort”
“Hello?” Sita said loud enough that it echoed through the house.
“I said Hello... God damn it... I need a drink."
Sita moved further down the hallway and opened the door into a large room where people were sitting quietly discussing things....
"Oh at last I found some people... How uhh, refreshing" She said as she glanced about at her surroundings and walked further into the room....
"You!" she said abruptly while looking at a woman who was at the other end of the room, the woman was shorter than Sita remembered but then again she was a lot younger back then.. She smiled the woman still had the same long gorgeous sunstreaked light brown hair and intense green eyes… God it had been at least nine years since she had last laid eyes on Phalon…
“How are you my dear?” Sita asked.
“That and what the hell am I doing here?.. This is not my time and it is neither yours so I believe there is one of those issues going on…”
Sita had grown up a lot since she last saw Phalon and a lot of things had happened...
What interesting circumstances to meet again under.

[moonglum]

The woman had passed out at the sight of Jason, framed in the open doorway, sword in hand. He reached down and, lifting her up he looked out across the grounds. Just beyond the tree line lay darkness. A blackness so dense he could see nothing moving within it. Turning his head, he saw that it encircled the front of the house. Kicking the door shut behind him, Jason carried the woman into the dining room and set her down in a chair.
"It begins," he said.
Letitia and Eren moved to the windows and looked out for a few moments.
"It doesn't appear to be moving any closer," Eren remarked.
"Do not be fooled." Letitia stared at the blackness before turning back to look at the woman Jason had brought in. "You do seem to have this knack of returning with rather more than when you departed, Jason."
"I'm just lucky, I guess,” he replied, smiling.
They all fell silent as the woman in the chair stirred and slowly opened her eyes.

[moonglum]

The darkness moved imperceptibly closer. The movement so small, as not to disturb even the grass over which it passed. It had travelled far and carried within itself, a burden of lost and tormented souls. Their muted howling tore at the fabric that constrained them, as they sought freedom. Some people believed that darkness itself could be a force, a physical manifestation of pure evil.

Some people were right!

[moonglum]

They stared through the window and watched, as the wall of darkness slowly closed its icy grip around the house. For long hours now, Letitia had tried to conjure a way out for them all; but to no avail. The pathways were closed to her. The Conjunction had passed, and with it, their means of escape.

The voices they had first heard as whispers, now deafened each of them. Dixie and the stranger sat huddled in a corner, hands clasped tightly over their ears. Eren stood in the middle of the dining-room, demented screams and laughter filled her head to bursting point. She held her sword tightly in both hands and, as she squeezed harder, the blood ran down her left arm as the blade bit deeper into her flesh. With her eyes bulging in their sockets, she slowly turned towards Letitia.
“Meddlesome fools, you have brought us to this! I have slain a daughter, and for what?”
Jason watched her warily, as Eren haltingly stepped closer and closer. He could not connect with her mentally and, looking at the expression on her face, he knew she was possessed.

The darkness was in the room now. Fingers of black, creeping from the shadows towards them. Jason glanced over towards the corner and saw that Dixie and the stranger were both gone, swallowed by the wall of madness surrounding them all.
“Jason!” He started at the shout, side-stepped and turned as Erens sword scythed through the air towards his head. He Heard Letitia shout again as he came round to face Eren, Soulrazor now in his hand. She was slow, in her possessed state she was no match for him and, without a second thought, he plunged his sword into her stomach. Jason watched the look on her face change from demonic to bewilderment and, as he felt her life-force flow through his body, finally to fear.
“No!”
Jason heard Letitia scream again and, turning towards her, he felt the dagger enter his shoulder and bury itself up to the hilt. He staggered back slightly and was powerless to prevent Soulrazor from wrenching itself free from his grasp. The sword circled the air around them and plunged its length in her back.

He drew the dagger from his shoulder and pulled back his coat and shirt from the wound. As he watched, the bleeding stopped and the skin slowly healed, until all that remained was a small scar. Looking down at her body, he pulled his sword free and, laughing, Jason Korde waited for the darkness to envelop him.

[moonglum]

They trudged onward through the darkness. A dim light in the distance guided their progress. What started out as an inky blackness had eventually morphed into a cavernous tunnel, cut through solid rock, and stretching into infinity. He had started out alone, but soon felt her presence growing ever stronger as she drew nearer to him. At a fork in the tunnel, she joined him. They stared at each other briefly and in silence, set off down the tunnel. As they walked he became more reassured by her presence, and she in turn, purred her contentment as only a dragon could.

After what seemed to be an eternity, the tunnel opened onto a huge amphitheatre. Jason looked up at the millions of bright stars burning in the blackness of the night. In the centre of the floor, stood a large bench of stone. Seated at this were five robed and hooded figures. Above their magisterial heads, hung The Cosmic Balance. A huge set of scales suspended in mid-air. The perpendicular column was a giant sword; while the cross beam was formed from two serpents. One silvery white and the other, black. From their jaws hung sets of chains, as thick as tree trunks, and from these were suspended giant pans of gold. Jason saw the balance was tilted slightly in favour of the black serpent.

[moonglum]

Jason walked from the tunnel alone. As he crossed the floor he noticed the low wall which encircled this place, was topped with statues. Hundreds of them, all seeming to crowd in on him. He could feel their eyes staring at him. As he drew nearer to the centre, he began to realise the statues were all familiar. People he’d known, people he’d met, women he’d loved and men he’d killed. He scanned the faces and noted the missing figures.
‘So, they are fallible’, Jason thought.

[moonglum]

Leaning forward, the central figure hissed at Jason.
"You dare come here without being summoned. You offend us".

Jason shifted his weight slightly and drew Soulrazor from beneath his coat. Holding it two-handed in front of him, he replied.
"I tire of this manipulation. I'm sick of being your marionette".

"You will play your part or we will destroy you", one of the other figures snarled back.

Raising his sword, Jason briefly touched the jewel in his forehead with the blade, then continued the movement upwards until it was held above his head.
"I think not", he whispered. As if an invisible hand parted the curtain fabric of the very air itself, two figures stepped forward from nothing. On either side of Jason, Letitia and Eren raised their sword tips to meet the one already held aloft. At the same instant, a beam of blue light emanated from Jason's forehead and bathed the figures in an eerie glow. As one, the five figures rose from their seats and, laughing, began to raise their hands.

'Now would be a good time old friend', thought Jason. Mervina flew from the tunnel mouth, fire erupting from her snout. The fire touched the conjoined sword points and detonated. The ensuing wall of searing heat blasted all in it's path, instantly immolating the dias in front of it and all who stood there. As the inferno hurtled forward, so the shockwave knocked Jason and his companions backwards.

[moonglum]

As Jason lay there on the edge of conciousness,he saw the Balance melt and dissolve into nothing. His universe fragmented, as shards of reality came crashing down around him, then finally as his eyes closed, he felt the earth tilt.

[moonglum]

The first thing he saw on regaining conciousness, was a pointed face with small beady eyes staring at him. He moved his head slowly and watched the rat scurry away out of sight. Rolling onto his back, he disturbed the thick layer of dust that covered both him and the bed on which he lay. He tried to lift his head from the covers, then slumped back again as the ache in his forehead turned to raw pain. It felt as if someone had buried a knife in his skull and his hand slowly explored the area above his eyes. Nothing! He sighed with relief, but still, he felt a sense of loss and didn't know why. Something was nagging at the back of his mind. Something he should remember. What? He couldn't remember. Slowly he sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. Good, plan A accomplished, now for plan B. He slowly stood. His legs felt weak and his head spun. Holding his hand against the wall for support, he took a few short steps towards a dressing table. He leaned forward and wiped the dust from the surface of a large mirror. Staring at the face looking back at him, he wondered how he came to be here, and more importantly, who was he?

[moonglum]

His pockets revealed little in the way of clues. Apart from a formidable looking sword and two pistols under his arms, there was no hint as to who he was, or where he came from. He toyed with a birthday card he’d picked up from the floor, while staring at his reflection in the mirror. Mirror……….mirror…………mirror………..why did that word seem strange? He reached out and touched it with his hand. When his fingers disappeared into the glass up to the knuckles, he recoiled in confusion. What the..?

[moonglum]

What the....?

As his fingers left the surface of the mirror, the reflection changed back again. For a second he thought he saw...............!

He reached forward a second time, this time resting his fingertips on the yielding image. It changed. He found himself looking at a forest scene showing a woman lying, impaled on a branch. A strange machine lay nearby, steaming and shimmering. Lifting his hand, the scene faded back to reality.

[moonglum]

Magic, he thought. A cheap parlour trick meant to confuse him. This was time-wasting, he had to find answers. Looking around the room once more confirmed his belief that he would learn nothing by staying here. Time to explore he thought.

The door opened out onto a small landing with a flight of stairs leading downwards. He started down, comforted by the feel of the sword against his hip. The next landing was much larger, with six doors and a window at one end. He began checking each room and found nothing but dust. It looked as if the house had been deserted long ago. Opening the last door, he stopped and looked at the body on the bed. Walking over to her, he saw she was breathing. As he reached a hand towards her, she opened her eyes and smiled at him.

[moonglum]

"Jason", she murmured.

Well, that was something, he thought. He now had a name. Pulling a chair across to the bed, he sat down and looked deep into her eyes. There was a vague recollection in his mind, but no, he couldn't honestly say he recognised her.

"Where are we," she said. Raising herself up on her elbows, she opened her mouth to speak again, and then stopped. Staring at the frown on his face, she swung her legs off the edge of the bed and asked. "What's wrong and what happened to your forehead?"

His hand automatically reached up to his head. There was nothing there, apart from the pain. This was crazy, thought Jason. She obviously knew him well, yet he had no idea who she was.

“Nothing is wrong”, he lied. Turning away from her stare, he continued, “I’m not sure where we are, I’ve only just come round myself.” He felt her hand on his cheek pulling his head back round to face her. She whispered, “You don’t know me, do you?”

He lowered his eyes, ashamed to look at her. “No. I didn’t even know my name until you spoke it just now!” Jason stood up and walked to the window. He looked out on a driveway overgrown with weeds and shrubs. Bushes had sprouted up through the paving and briars ensnared everything. “Some sort of disused mansion, by the look of it”, he said. “Why did you ask about my forehead?” When she didn’t answer, he turned to face her and saw tears in her eyes.

He crossed back to the bed and sat down next to her. “I’m guessing that we knew each other once”, he said clumsily.

[moonglum]

Letitia wiped the back of her hand across her eyes and, lifting her head, she replied “Yes we did”.
“Were we……,” he faltered, not sure how she would react. “Were we very close?” Hell, he didn’t even know her name and, judging by what she had just said, he’d feel embarrassed asking her for it. He stopped thinking for a moment and looked at her. She was beautiful. Her eyes shone in the light from the window, and widened as they met his. His heartbeat began to quicken, matching hers. “Le…,” he began, but she pressed a finger to his lips. “Ssshh”, she whispered as the realisation of her name died on his tongue. Pushing him backwards onto the covers she brought her lips down to his and kissed him.
Later, as they lay under his trench coat for warmth, Jason stroked her hair while she slept. He stared up at the ceiling and let his mind roam. Her name was Letitia, she was an immortal. The daughter of……….. No, it was no use; he could remember no more than that.
Letitia lay with her head on his chest and her eyes closed. She wasn’t sleeping but, like Jason, she was deep in thought. There were holes in her memory too, large ones. She remembered him, knew her love for him was strong. She remembered how they had fooled the gods into thinking he was alone and then destroyed them. Most of her past had gone; she could recall none of it, other than the most recent events. She remembered someone saying he would pay a price. Perhaps this was it, the price being a blank page and a fresh start.
She sighed and felt him tense up for a second. He stopped stroking her hair. “Sorry, did I disturb you?”
“No,” she replied. “I was just day-dreaming.”
“Same here. Tell me, why did you ask about my forehead?”
“You had a gem, a Dragonstone, embedded in your forehead.”
Jason stared at her. She wasn’t smiling or laughing. She looked him straight in the eye.
“You’re serious, aren’t you? No wonder my head aches.”
She took a deep breath and said, “There is more!”

[moonglum]

They lay in each others arms and talked for hours. She talked about him. They talked about her and eventually about others they had known. She told him all she remembered. Well, not all. She left out all mention of Jason’s son. She couldn’t burden him with guilt like that. Not now. Not now that they had finally found and revelled in their passion for each other.
“Do you think it’s over, could we really have defeated gods?” His question brought her up from the depth of her thoughts and back to the warmth of his body. Her fingers traced a pattern on his chest as she replied. “I hope so, I really do.”

Much later, they went in search of food. The house was completely deserted and looked as if it had been for many years. Letitia told him it was the same house they had been in when the darkness came. He went back to the top of the house, found the highest window he could and climbed out onto a flat roof. After scanning the horizon all around, he came back down.
“Well it seems someone is using the fields, if not the house. There are horses nearby. Also there is smoke not too far to the north. We could reach it in a few hours. It will, hopefully, be better than this place,” he laughed.
“Be careful what you wish for Jason!”

The undergrowth down to the gate was heavily overgrown. Jason hacked his way through it as if it were paper. At first he thrilled at the feel of Soulrazor in his hand. Then, with each cut, it sent a shiver through his body, a shiver that left him longing for something that was missing. They reached the gate and found it open. The road leading up to it, although overgrown, had a path that led a short distance before turning off across the fields. Jason sheathed his sword and together they set off down the narrow track. They eventually came to a gate which opened onto a meadow with horses running free. As they passed through the gate the horses cantered towards them. They were beautiful animals, not everyday farm horses, nor were they heavy warhorses. These were more like Arabians. Bred for poise, beauty and speed. One caught Jason’s eye, he was slightly heavier than the others and jet black. The horse pushed its way between the others and stood facing Jason.
Letitia laughed and said, “It seems to have chosen you. I feel I should question the beast’s good taste.”
Jason grimaced at her, then, smiled. “See if you can do better.”
He watched her inspecting the others until; with a triumphant stride she walked over to a chestnut mare and swung herself up onto its back. Turning to him she said, “I think I just may have!”
Laughing, they galloped off across the meadow. They hadn’t gone far, when suddenly, they both felt it. The light seemed to dim slightly and the world appeared to slow down. Jason felt his spirit calm itself and then, a pinpoint of light, just behind his eyes, blossomed into a cosmos……………………..