by Karen Binnie
Chapter 31
At first I thought the flash of light had blinded me as I stood in the darkness, I can smell the damp fousty air around me and hear the slow trickle of water on the cold rock. I reach out with my hands and feel the cold wet stone, somehow I have managed to get inside the rock. Perhaps I leant against some kind of magic portal. I do not want to die now, I wonder if I’ll go to heaven, I would see Tadge maybe, he will not be pleased knowing I have defied his wishes. I don’t intend to die, I shall stay alert, the Ferimiah are in here somewhere and no doubt aware of my arrival.
As I allow my eyes to adjust to the surroundings, I sense I am not alone, “who's there?” I call into the black void.
My awareness of the presence grows as a small aperture of hazy light radiates out across the room, growing steady, illuminating my surroundings. The cave is a perfect oval, the dank grey stone glistens with the trickling water, the crystallised stalactites hover overhead like razor sharp teeth ready to clamp down on any intruder.
I stand and watch the haze grow in the centre of the room, the tortured soul within confused and angry, intrigued and welcoming, eager and apprehensive, the split personality beginning to take shape. The grey shape within the glow shakes violently until the edges came together with more clarity, from the shadow steps a young man, extremely tall, much taller than Al'ice, his features are sunken and grey like the void he has stepped from. Holding out his long spiny fingers to shake my hand he bows his head a fraction, I shake his hand firmly, the greeting cold and clammy.
“Greetings Jannes Ore Luissen, the Ferimiah at your service,” he coughs into a blue polka dot handkerchief then stamps his foot beside the other like an officer of the army, “I should re-phrase, you serve the Ferimiah, do you not?”
I’m staring into those cold eyes of his trying desperately not to show any fear, so this is the famous Ferimiah who could not be trusted, I will need to keep my wits about me, “I serve no-one, I believe I have something you desire?”
The man steps backwards as if surprised at my resolve, he moves awkwardly and looks pale and sickly, a thin veil of black greasy hair clings to his scalp, his long dark cloak hiding his emaciated frame.
I follow his gaze to my wrist, the blue gems of my cascelet twinkling in the half light sending a diamond pattern across the walls.
I am startled by a sudden break in the tension, “Get on with it!” comes a voice from behind, I crane my neck but cannot find the source.
The man stiffens at the sudden comment and bends forwards to stare into my eyes, his own appear black and lifeless. “Think back to your younger years, to a time when you were most afraid, think back” he commands.
My mind begins to fog, I feel my body sway as I struggle to focus on the situation, is he hypnotising me?
“What are you doing brother? Take the Elaich's power, we promised Eldeen we would not harm her.”
“Be quiet sister, there is much to gain from her, I can sense a deeper power within, I must know what it is.”
“Control yourself then brother, you always lose the subject when reading their minds, she must not be harmed!”
The man sniggers at his own private joke, he already knows his pact is no-more, he had watched the demise of Eldeen with great interest within the All Seeing Eye.
The voices distance themselves and I find myself detached. I am picking my way through grass as tall as me on a nature trip with dad and Chris, the memory plucked from a distant recess of my brain. I look at dad full of admiration as he talks excitedly about the different plants and trees, calling them by strange names. I am fascinated as he explains the tiniest detail of each one, I don’t know what he’s talking about, I’m only three but revel in his dulcet tones. Chris had lost interest long ago and skips on ahead playing war games, shooting enemy soldiers with his semi automatic broken twig.
Our peace is shattered when a loud crack comes from behind, the sound deafening as it arcs across the sky above. The ground begins to shake as the rumble approaches, the swiftness of the movement sending the grass swaying to and fro but as if time has slowed. I turn my tiny body in the direction of the noise, fascinated not frightened at what it could be, a herd of deer are approaching and fast. Suddenly I find myself hoisted high up in the air by dad, he’s shouting at Chris to watch out as the herd races past, he is shouting but I can’t hear his words. The deer are racing, in such a hurry and do not care for anything in their way. As one passes it skids to a halt and looks up at me in dads arms, the brown eyes of the doe, portray panic and fear, it’s trying to communicate with me, I cock my head to one side and listen as the scene fades to grey.
I’m an adult now, running as fast as my legs will carry me, running alongside the doe. We are running for our lives as two more cracks penetrate the air around us, my feet buckle from under me as I watch the deer race off into the distance.
I must have blacked out, I’m coming to and raising my tiny head, I’m three again. Dad rushes ahead to my brother’s limp body on the ground, a blot of red pouring from his leg. I don’t know what’s happened but the agonising scream from Chris's mouth breaks the silence, I remember, he was shot.
I gag on the pain as my mouth fills with foam, the tremors take over my body, the second time in a week I have fitted. It is hard to tell if this fit is for real or just a figment of my imagination as the memory bursts forward released from its hiding place. I used to have fits when I was little, they stopped at the age of five but for now I am reliving the day when fear came to me for the very first time.
Once the calm returns, I open my eyes to the hard granite beneath my body, I am slumped on the floor, my hip smarts from the pain of falling. My arm has grazed across the rough stone, the blood pricks at the wound from my elbow to my wrist. I am vulnerable to attack, what has he done to me?
I am struggling to quell the fear welling inside as the man stoops over me and makes a grab for the triquetra, I punch his hand away as I grab the pendent with my other hand, my defiance returning at last.
“Stop it!” comes the woman's voice, “let me speak with the girl.”
The man glares at me with hatred in his eyes, caressing his wounded pride, he is so frail he could snap in two, it might come to that, I inwardly shudder at the thought. He is muttering angrily to himself as he stands, I am trapped in a cave with a schizophrenic.
I pull myself to my knees, ready to stand as I look around for the kinder voice to reveal its location. To my amazement the man turns his back on me and between the folds on the back of his cloak sits an abomination, a haggard female form hunched and deformed and stuck to his back, they must be conjoined twins.
She had witnessed the vision her brother had commanded, for he, the larger of the two was at last becoming frail and unable to mask his talents. “You are a remarkable girl, before your powers began to manifest inside, your inner beast had already revealed itself, the glow within is strong, you are the spirit of gwenhwyfar, the hunted white deer, until now but a legend.”
During the vision the woman had entered her brothers mind and only now realised the true potential of the power of Elaich. The power was not to separate them from a lifetime of pain as he had promised but to suck the life from her, his sister and destroy her once and for all. They had been together for hundreds of years, cursed from birth they had grown accustomed to one other, loathing and hatred festering within. Always the stronger of the two, he had at last become weak as she sucked at his life force, no brother she thought, it is my time to shine.
I am confused by her words, Al’ices words in my head telling me not to trust them, I ask the female, “I don't understand, what do you mean?”
“I wanted to touch it, take the power from within.” spits the younger voice from behind.
“Shut up!” she commands, “your charade has weakened you, I shall deal with this.”
I take a step backwards; the twins are arguing over me, I listen carefully to their words. Although weak, I can sense the
taller one wanted to kill his sibling, but she is now growing in strength before my very eyes, I must be wary as she doesn’t seem so kind anymore.
“It was no accident, you were hunted as a child, somehow for all these years you have been protected, just a legend but now the shadow hunts gwenhwyfar once again. You are in danger child, the darkness is hunting you.”
Does she mean the demon which is hunting me, is that why? I look at the Ferimiah before me and wonder which are the lesser of two evils?
The wall found me as I kept edging backwards, the cold water wetting my cloak, I am supposed to bring them the power of the Elaich but now they are arguing. The grotesque two headed figure in front of me is moving around jerkily, there is no escape.
The ground beneath my feet starts to shake, between us rises a stone pedestal through the floor of the cave, it has a large glass globe at its head, almost like a crystal ball of some sort I guess.
The Ferimiah fight for position, they stand sideways both heads facing me as they announce in unison, “You will give us the power of the Elaich.”
My heart is pounding inside my chest. I will have to relinquish the triquetra if I value my life. It’s just a pendent after all, even if it is a treasured possession from my great, great grandfather. I hold it tight in my fist as I eye up my opponents, I bring the pendent to my lips and notice for the first time since my dream how its shape has changed, I had not been dreaming after all. With a gentle kiss of goodbye I pull the chain over my head, perhaps I will hand it to the frail one, given the chance I may be able to wrestle it from his hand. I approached the hideous form in front of me and turn towards the man, raising my arm slowly to hand over my gift. He makes a grab for it and screams as the metal glows white hot burning his flesh.
“What have you done to it?” he hisses.
I am staring at the metal in my hand, my skin untouched, it’s hard to believe, only a slight tingle had passed across my palm, the power of the Elaich was impressive, he could not have wanted his gift to be passed on.
The swift movement of the female’s tiny hand sends a reflexive action to my own, dispelling the lightning bolt which she shot towards my heart. My hand so quick I surprise myself but the jolt has weakened me, I cannot fight them forever. My thoughts turn to Al'ice, I don’t want him or his people harmed, what can I do? It is clear now I cannot just hand them the gift.
The man begins muttering again, I think he is conjuring a spell, fearing another attack I speak quickly, “look I don't know why it will not let me give you the power, have you got something I can transfer the power into?”
They both glare at me as if astounded I even dare to speak, but they do not move, they are plotting, planning their next move, I have to think fast, get rid of this power before they kill me for it.
I step closer to the globe, they watch me silently, if I can transfer the power somehow to that and be done with it.
“Nooooooo!” they both shout as I place the triquetra on the glass. This time I can feel the intense heat and snatch away my hand. My pendent is glowing white hot as the chain dangles down either side of the globe, shining with the intense heat.
The female makes a grab for it but she too pulls her hand away in pain, all three of us watch as the silver light spreads across the room, too intense I shield my eyes from the blinding light.
Kroil had found the cross bow among the ruins of Clarintor's chamber, there had been no sign of her presence and he wondered what could have happened. The place lay in ruin, many of her precious potions had exploded or fell into the deep chasm which split the chamber. Once he had located his preferred weapon it was time to follow Tadge's instructions, if correct he would rid himself of the evil witch once and for all.
At last he found the protruding flat rock at the side of the mountain as predicted by Tadge, he could see no entrance ahead, it did not matter he would find a way, the need to rid himself of his demoness master drove him on. Kroil surveyed the rock from below, when from the corner of his eye he saw movement to his left, something dark and fast was heading towards him, he stepped in to a crevice to conceal himself.
He watched as the huge cat approached, every muscle in its body could be seen undulating under the sleek black fur as it moved, Kroil was not sure if this was a rare occurrence in ancient Scotland, he had been unaware of the creatures that roamed the land. The beast stopped a few metres in front of him, sweat poured from its head yet it did not appear tired, the alertness of the beast startled him along with the long white fangs protruding from its mouth. The cat leapt upon the flat rock above his head, he heard the huge paw scrape at the rock and then nothing.
Curiosity got the better of Kroil as he stepped from his hiding place and looked at the protruding slab, dark magic was at work here for the beast had vanished.
Kroil leapt effortlessly on to the rock above, glancing at the granite before him he saw a mark where the beasts claw scraped the rock, he touched the stone and an entrance way appeared before him. On his guard, he stepped inside and into a long dark tunnel, at the corner ahead, a figure disappeared from sight, he placed his hand around the bulb from the khlandra plant in his pocket and drawing the crossbow from beneath his jacket he pierced the bulb onto the copper barb of the arrowhead, it began to seep a silver liquid. Kroil had been guarded enough to wear gloves, Tadge had warned him it was the liquid silver that would kill a demon, he followed the path ahead careful not to make a sound.
Jez followed the path of the tunnel anxious of what he might find at the end, he had tried to connect with Jol but he found the wall she had erected in place but crumbling, her power was weakening and that could only mean one thing, she was under attack. Why she had erected the wall had puzzled him unless contact from the outside only served as a distraction, he worried about what tortures she had to endure.
The darkness closed in behind him as he edged forward, the hairs pricked at the back of his neck, there was evil in this place, he felt as if he had left it behind at the entrance but this could not be, for he sensed he knew they had Jol within their lair.
He used his new found power to find his way forward in the tunnel the extra sensory catlike ability an asset at this time. Up ahead a bright light stabbed at the bend, he would need to be ready for anything as he rounded that corner, he changed back into his human form so as not to frighten Jol but now wondered if that would be the worst of her troubles as he stepped forward into the light.
I step back to the sanctity of the cold rock against my back, the light so intense it burns through my eyelids like paper, holding up my hands to protect my sight I had no idea where the Ferimiah were. If they were controlling the light they seemed as afraid of it as I was, had I done a foolish act in a moment of panic not knowing if I would live or die.
I try to concentrate on protecting myself, erecting an invisible bubble around my body much like the night before when I was cold but this time I concentrate on blocking out pain, I project an image of Al'ice in my mind to keep me sane, if I am to die then he must be my last memory.
I did not hear the voice from behind, the voice that had entered the cave the same way as I, until strong hands grab at my arms from the shadows behind breaking my delirium.
When the light breached the woven silk, Pete took his chance and slid from the garment, landing with an un-ceremonial bump against the stone, pain shooting through his side he slid along the slimy wetness and into the shadows. Pete felt weak and useless, he had no idea where the man had brought him, but the room buzzed with excitement and electricity, he winced at the bruise which grew rapidly across his torso as his human form returned, his bones crunching as they repositioned themselves, the others blinded by the light, oblivious to his presence.
He sat hunched, cold and naked in the shadows watching the light show erupt before his eyes, burning them but not enough to blind him, he already walked alongside the shadow of death, his eyes burned of their soul long ago.
I feel the warmth encase my body
and wash over it with a golden calm as strong hands hold down my arms from behind, the silken voice penetrating my mind, “You are safe Julianne, did I not warn you of the dangerous company you keep? Did you not promise to stay put until my return?”
“Tadge.” I relax against his grip, relief at the sound of his voice, drinking in the sweet smell of lavender.
“Do not turn round, you can lower your hands, your eyes will not be harmed, we must face this together.”
I am so glad to have him there to save the day and then as a double present I look up and see Jez, high above the Ferimiah in a recessed tunnel I had not seen before.
Jez looked over and winked before lowering himself over the edge to drop down behind them unseen, with my two protectors surrounding the enemy, nothing could go wrong.
The scene had been very different the last time Tadge was here, the day he thought he had fulfilled his task of eradicating the Ferimiah but failed. On this day he had attacked and rid the world of a great evil, the Ferimiah, little did he realise that the brother had taken the full force of the blast and beneath the trashed cloak that remained still beat the heart of his sister, too small to detect under the folds of cloth. When the Great Tadge had left, she drew strength from the life force of her brother that entered her body when his own disintegrated. Crawling from beneath the cloak she dragged her body across the rough stone and over to the hidden pedestal, she recalled the eye from its granite depths, absorbing the power from within, several days later she had woken with a new and pristine physique.
History was not to be messed with, no matter what happened in the past there was no going back to change it, the ordered rule from above, a rule that would be broken today to save his granddaughter. His trial had taken less time than before and after a short deliberation his fate had been agreed, now history was about to be repeated his redemption to be rescinded as quickly as it had been granted for the sake of the ones he loved. Tadge had no regrets, he had not been granted his greatest wish at the trial, a request that he dare not broach, if changing history in some twisted way gave him his desires and fulfilled his task from all those years ago then it was a sacrifice he was willing to take, if only Kroil would hurry up, he could not do this alone.
The Ferimiah were transfixed on the power of the globe, their All Seeing Eye absorbing the power from the triquetra, sucking it from the precious metal, they had never seen it glow so brightly. The brother grew strength from this, as the only twin able to command the All Seeing Eye, his sister would never take his soul and he could suck the life from her forever, the only fly in the ointment stood across from him now, the Great Tadge, famous eradicator of evil.
Kroil had watched the beast transform into a man who disappeared from the entrance to the chamber below. He moved forward to the space the man had occupied, he had no idea who the man was but for now his primary target was to be Clarintor.
Across the room he saw Tadge holding a young woman, his granddaughter he guessed, he checked the tension on the crossbow, the arrow head was primed and ready with another set to fire if the first failed. He caught the gaze of Tadge and they both nodded in agreement it was now or never to execute their plan.
Tadge whispered into my ear, “ready, take my hand and we will rid the land of this evil once and for all.”
He lifts my hand and interlocks our fingers, he could not chance allowing the bubble around us to burst in case I am harmed but needs my extra strength to send forth the final blow to the Ferimiah. Together we raise our hands and point them in the direction of the twins, a lightning bolt shoots from our fingers towards them. My arm shudders with the force but Tadge holds me steady, the brother takes the full force of the bolt, his eyes wide with terror as it hits him in the chest, within seconds he crumples to the floor and evaporates in a pile of dust.
An arrowhead from a crossbow comes from the corner of my vision, penetrating the crumpled cloak on the floor, much to my surprise, as a hiss comes from beneath followed by a burning hole.
Jez who had seen the hideous twin attached to the taller one, pounces forward to withdraw the cloth, anxious to be sure they have both been destroyed. The bolt from the crossbow protrudes from Clarintor’s chest as she pulls the shaft from its cavity. Kroil re-loads a second arrow ready to shoot.
She stands, independent of her twin, all two feet tall of her in her hideously tortured frame, fear etched on her face as she looks to the one who has exposed her. The hole in her body burns as she thrusts aside the poisonous bolt. Raising her hands, she points muttering her final words, “deatherun pantherus.”
Jez shuddered at her words, even he knew they were meant for him, he watched as she shrivelled first and then burst into a cloud of dust.
Pete had heard all that was going on around him but never even saw the demise of his mistress, his eyes had stayed transfixed on the glowing amulet, watching as the power ebbed from the metal into the All Seeing Eye, the large dragons eye, the eyelid slowly opened and began to glow from the power. From the first death the eye had begun to retreat into its hiding place in the ground, no-longer controlled by its master, Pete drew strength from the glowing power and did not want it to end, he stepped forward into the light his grubby arm outstretched for the amulet.
Jez knew he should act, Jol loved that necklace, it was her inheritance but Tadge still held her firm on the other side of the room, he would save it for her, he charged forward at the same time Pete’s naked body emerged from the shadows, his arm outstretched, grasping at the triquetra.
Kroil watched the scene unfold before him, Pete who he thought he had lost forever emerged from the shadows, dirty and naked as he leapt onto the globe, chased down from behind by the man Kroil had followed into the cave. He would not lose him now, now that he knew Pete was alive he would not allow him to be taken from him again, he raised the crossbow and took aim at Pete's attacker.
Tadge had used all of his reserves combined with mine for the attack, he had just enough to maintain our protective bubble, long enough to witness Clarintor’s demise and the seconds that followed.
I lie limp in his arms from the exertion and watch in horror as a second arrowhead shoots towards Jez and the boy, unable to comprehend, who is the boy? Jez is going to die, where is Al'ice? I swear I feel my heart breaking as the sense of loss washes over me.
Jez enters my mind, sensing my fear as he falls forward. The full force of his own body, falling onto the boy. He stares in horror as he witness’s my own vision, the arrowhead seconds from impact, “Al'ice will find you,” his last silent message.
The chamber erupted, dust and debris filling the void, followed by an implosion which sucked all life away. Kroil lay face down in the tunnel entrance, he lifted his face warily his brain still shaking beneath his skull. Slowly as the walls came into focus he turned to the empty chamber, nothing remained only motes of dust floating in the half light from a newly formed crack across the back wall. In those last few seconds hope had arisen only to be sucked away, his pupils burned as his anger erupted, where had Pete been taken with the others, to safety or the cloak of death? Pete already walked deaths fine line, perhaps there was hope after all, he doubted very much that Tadge had met with his maker for the final time but the others he could not be sure. If Pete had died he would never forgive the man who attacked him, better for his soul to die than be hunted by Kroil.
The globe remained, protruding from the ground as he sprang from his perch and wrenched the globe free from its pedestal, inside the globe a swirl of fluffy white clouds surrounding a huge dragons eye, the skin around it golden and coarse, he shook the eye but it did not open. Kroil had finished Clarintor once and for all and lost Pete once again in the process, he would discover the truth, he would find someone to read the eye for him and lead him to Pete.
Jez had waited all day, and what a long day it had been as he was poked and prodded, it became increasingly difficult to not alert the doctor to his present state.
The half li
ght of night eventually came and no sign of his angel, he began to wonder if she had been only in his mind.
Jez carefully undid the clip on the monitor, not the one that monitored his heartbeat, but the other one, the one the doctor had revealed would detect muscle movement. He placed it gingerly on the bed sheet anticipating the alarm to go off, it did not. The nurse was busy reading a magazine at her station, her back to him as he leant over the side of the bed and fumbled with the door to his locker. Inside he found his jacket folded on top of his clothes and boots, he took the jacket and felt for the pockets, inside his ring, yes he still had the ring, proof that his dreams were real.
He searched quickly through the other pockets, where was the book, where was his cascelet?
The nurse checked her watch and placed her magazine on the desk, she rose to begin the 2am check of her patients.