by Bob Dattolo
He nodded, “I did. I don’t know where they are now, but they’re still out there. There are so few of us left alive after the purges these many years. Then again, they need to be purged. They fell prey to the negative press and went with it. We were never what the magical world depicts us as. Or, most of us weren’t. Maybe with you back, we can grow again without fear.”
None of that made sense. The very words had started to fade just a little, losing their weight and the connection in my brain with meaning. The shifting space inside of me sucked at my attention like a magnet at steel, and it continued to pull at me, remorselessly yanking me away from the world.
His faint, “Oh, would you look at that, midnight,” didn’t have any meaning to me other than sounds reaching my ears. Then even that sound was lost as my entire being was consumed by molten hellfire raining down on me in a titanic pillar of black plasma. I could see it all around me and knew it was a shaft many feet across extending up into the heavens. The pain scorched my soul, and I screamed, bellowing in pain, arms thrown back as I couldn’t even think about escaping the onslaught of agony.
The pain grew and grew as the massive space inside of me quivered for long centuries, then that same click I’d been experiencing since this started happened, and the unending stream of power rocketed into me. With that click, the pain short-circuited into pleasure, and I began to laugh as the space inside of me filled and filled. Slowly at first, yet the influx of power was such that even such a large space started filling faster and faster. I expected the space to fill and to then explode, but that didn’t happen. When it reached the top, a burning stretch feeling wrecked me and the space grew once more, bulging and growing and bulging and growing until it finally stopped, leaving me in the same pillar of black plasma as I laughed and laughed.
Then it cut off, leaving me standing in a circular space that exactly matched the footprint of the shaft of power I’d been hit with.
My friends stood nearby with tears in their eyes, staring at me in shock, but it’s the vampire that is probably older than I ever expected kneeling in front of me that drew my attention.
“My Lady!”
I felt his supplication. Somehow, I felt it inside, like a clarion call requesting my attention. Without meaning to, I went to the connection and felt through it. Mr. Reynolds is old. Ancient. Not as old as Mom, but nearly 4,000 years old. He’s powerful beyond belief. He’s also a necromancer. I’m not sure how I knew that, but I could tell. What’s more, he’s devout in his worship.
His worship of me.
That thought had me smiling, and I sent a nudge towards the connection to him and felt it go live just before it started glowing a bright burnished gold that appeared as a ray of light from my hands, bringing him to tears as he felt it.
“Thank you, My Lady.”
His voice had me pulling back, staring at my hands in just a bit of shock, “Umm, you’re welcome, Mr. Reynolds. Not that I understand what that’s about.”
His response was lost as my magic went haywire. The spell I put on Mom to alert me to her being attacked was letting me know that something bad was happening. Something very, very bad.
I cast my hand out and a portal opened, but it wasn’t clear. For the first time ever, it came in hazy and distorted, and I had to shovel power at it to remain open. “Mom? Mom!”
She fought some sort of monsters, spinning and whirling in a huge room filled with fey. With fey and black fog and monsters the likes of which I’ve never even dreamed of before.
“Daughter-mine! We are under attack!”
“I’m coming!” Pushing more power at the portal didn’t get it any bigger, so I tried to reach through, finding that I couldn’t. Whatever was fighting me was stopping it from getting large enough…and for me to make it through.
“They’re too powerful! You need to come to us! Follow the lights. You’ll need fast travel here as well.”
“I don’t know how to find you! You’re between!”
She whirled through more attacks, taking my breath away as I prayed that she’d be able to fight them and hold them off. Without warning, she seemed to gain power, and she laughed hard as she killed two of the monsters before launching herself into the next, “Thank you, daughter-mine. I have waited for more than 7,000 years for this day. Please hurry, I don’t know that I can hold them…”
Fear washed over me as I trembled. Between my worries of her and the rage building inside, the conflicting emotions nearly destroyed me. It’s the uncoiling blackness inside of me spreading out from the cubby hole that it then destroyed behind it that saved me. The act of destroying its resting place let me know that I’d never put it away again. It’s here to stay. It’s me. Now if I want to hold off drinking someone’s blood, it’s on me. I won’t be able to carve a portion of my personality away to stop it.
So be it.
The fear washed away as the rage came on even stronger than before, and I roared, sending unexpected waves of magic all around me. My senses came alive as sounds and sights I’ve never seen before came to me. As did the cold tendrils of fire earmarking the nearby vampires. As well as others farther away.
It wasn’t until I paid attention below my feet that I laughed and laughed. I swear as I looked down, I could see through the earth at my feet. All around me I had seen tendrils and flares of power and life, with the vampires standing out stronger to me. Off in the distance, I had picked up various smaller things.
But below me? Below me is a veritable army of white flares of power just waiting for me. One in particular stood out to the side, and I knew I’d need her. My magic flared out and dove into the ground and I raised my hands to the side as I had to shove power into the earth beneath me. More than 100 feet down, I felt the magic connect with my find, and it poured into it. Somewhere off in the distance, I felt a strange connection as something flittered into my mind that made me smile.
Who?
“My name is Ceri.” I spoke out loud, not even sure I’m really speaking to someone. “I need transportation to the between lands. My mother is being attacked. Their kingdom is being attacked.”
Resting.
I could feel it. The overwhelming feeling of peace flowed back through the connection. “I know. I’m sorry. I don’t have much to offer you other than my friendship. Please. I need you.”
I could feel light fingers touching my mind in various places and then there was a sudden tug on the line of power I had pushed out there.
I come.
I laughed more and this time the earth shuddered as I shoved my hands at the ground, pulling at my find and dragging it through the rock and debris of year upon year. I felt the mind connect with my find, and the pull became stronger as it aided my efforts, until the earth bulged up in front of me. It wasn’t until a bone paw shot up from the ground that my laughter stopped. Birth, or even rebirth, is a time of celebration, but not laughter.
My rings burned in my hand and I didn’t even realize I had every multiplier ring that I could fit on my fingers in place until I grunted and shot out a ray of red light that pulsed around the bulging earth. It sat there for the briefest moment before it flared and sank deep. I swear the very wind stilled for a hairsbreadth, before the bulge of dirt exploded out, revealing a massive skeleton, shaking itself like casting off water. Except it was stone and dirt.
The colossal cat reared back as its jaws opened, further highlighting the eight-inch-long dagger fangs as a prehistoric roar failed to send fear through us.
I smiled at that as my magic dove deep, digging into the bones in front of me. I wasn’t directing it any longer, but I knew what I needed. As the first strap of muscle began to grow, I laughed again and raised my hands, “I name you Sumi!” More power shot out of me, rocking the huge cat on its paws, and the muscle came on quicker and quicker, until skin began to grow, followed by fur. Eyes formed in the massive skull, and a tongue darted out, tasting the air.
I here. We go?
“Thank you, Sumi. I need yo
u.”
The huge sabre-tooth tiger turned sideways, and I jumped up, perching on a reborn cat standing more than five feet high at the shoulder. This time when she threw her head back, the air reverberated with her roar.
My friends stood to the side with an absolute look of terror on their faces, staring up at me on my new friend. “I’m sorry…I need to go.”
None of them made a sound as Sumi dug her claws into the grass and we catapulted towards the flickering light that I only just realized was there. I could feel Rasphael in it. I could feel her. My mother.
I could also feel that she’s in pain and desperate for help.
Wracking my brain didn’t help with much. I can send spells to her, but spells directly on someone have a tendency to not be as helpful as you’d think. I can cast the stronger vampire spell on Rachel, but it won’t last. It’ll fade and disappear in short order. At least typically. Spells have a short life, which is why charms are so wonderful. Or even potions. What lasts are the types of spells that have an immediate effect. Want to kill someone? Bingo. Want them to be able to fly? Iffy. Or, it’ll work short term. Maybe. Want them to grow hair? They can do that. But if you don’t cure their baldness, they’ll lose it again.
That made me purr as I shot out magic to heal her, hoping a sudden easing of her pain would help her. It’s short term, but it can have long-lasting effect.
Where go? Sumi asked.
“Follow the light. I’m not sure how far. We have to find the way to the between lands to help my mother.”
I run.
Sure enough, she did. She was. I have no idea how fast she was running, but she actually passed a car on the road. I had a brief glimpse of a shocked face before we were pulling away, disappearing into the darkness and then darting into a huge field. We passed mile after mile as my magic failed again and again to open a portal. Thankfully, I felt her healing from my repeated heal spells, so that made me feel good.
Which then made me yank at one of my unused rings and shovel magic into it. I made a fey strength ring on the fly, using pieces of the vampire and shifter spells and then throwing everything else I could think of against the wall.
Actually, I made five of them.
I figured, why not? If it takes me 10 minutes to create one and 10 to create five, why mess around?
I pulled my way out of the magic just as the light darting ahead of us stopped and hovered before spreading out, seemingly identifying a doorway.
I’ve never gone between. I’ve never met anyone that has gone. Well, other than Mom. I don’t know how to do it. Can we just pass through it? Or do we do a spell?
Fuck it.
Magic spread out from me as I desperately wanted to find Mom. Sumi kept up her speed, roaring as she lowered her head and plowed into the scintillating doorway. I expected to continue on across the field, leaving the doorway behind us, but there was a weird feeling of tension across my skin before we suddenly found ourselves in a new world.
Between.
We’re between.
My roar didn’t quite match Sumi’s as she sped up again, following the darting light. My connection with her let me know that she’s feeling wonderful. Even though we’ve run mile after mile, she’s feeling strong and vibrant. She may be alive, but she has some of my power behind her. She’s a force to be reckoned with.
After maybe 10 minutes of speeding through a forest unlike anything I’ve ever seen, a castle that looked larger than Disneyland appeared ahead of us. I don’t mean like it’s larger than the castle at Disney. I mean it’s larger than the park. The entire park. Hotels included. Parking lots included.
It’s freaking massive.
It’s also under attack.
Monsters abounded that I couldn’t even begin to describe. The very idea of even trying fizzled before I could start. All I came up with is that they’re huge, muscular, mostly black, and they seem to hate the between lands.
I tried the portal once more, but it failed to connect yet again. Rage far surpassing anything I’ve ever felt before crested, and black wavering rays of light scattered out from me. Where they dug into the earth, I felt it latch onto skeletons and bodies, and I roared again as magic bubbled off, pulling at my waiting forces.
The welling mass of black attackers didn’t seem to hear me coming. But they felt it.
We crashed into the back of their line like a juggernaut. Whatever it is about me that hurt the smotherer hurt these bastards as well, and they blew back from us until we crashed to a halt, with me being thrown clear as Sumi tumbled.
She came up swiping and biting, tearing into the attackers, while I came up watching a massive cut on my arm heal in a moment as more magic pooled out of me. Monsters attacked from every side, crushing and breaking and stabbing and tearing, sending my blood out in sprays that painted the corpses mounded around me.
Every drop spilled spiked my power outlay. Every drop let me feel the bodies around me.
Let me feel them.
And let me call them.
As I saw a former attacker in front of me twitch, I laughed again, giddy with excitement that ended when a huge claw I hadn’t even seen coming speared me through the chest. I saw the point for a moment before it flung me over its head, sending me into a mass of them. From my vantage point in the air, I could see them below me, eagerly waiting for me to land. All around us on the plain outside the castle, I could feel a waiting force that was trying to answer my desperate call.
Inside the castle, Mom was back to agony as she fought these invaders, trying to save herself and her kingdom.
I could practically see her as she fought. She’s amazing. Strong. Graceful. In command. She almost always does exactly the right thing when she needs to do it.
The distance between me and the ground decreased as my brain fizzled. In command. She’s in command.
Mr. Reynold’s response to me flashed up hot and bright. I felt him reaching out to me. I felt him react to my response. Almost as if he were praying to me.
Jesus…something I read in one of the magical creatures books came back about the old gods. They weren’t really gods, but almost. They had powers focused in various areas. Such as my connection with…well, with death. With the dead. Mom mentioned that necromancers lost their backer about 2500 years ago and were killed.
And now I’m here and feeling that connection with him. The connection with Sumi.
Sweet Jesus. What I was meant to be? Is…is it a goddess of some sort? Mom even said that I’m not human. Is that it? Am I a goddess of death? If so, does that mean that Mom is a goddess of battle or something like that?
Connections flared through my mind at that, putting pieces of things together that she’s said. That Mr. Reynolds said. Things I read. Things I feel inside.
All of that disappeared in a wave of pain from my mom that made me miss the world for a flash of time.
When I came back, I was done. Done fucking around. Done with this. With it all.
Black monsters raised claws and fangs and bladed weapons up to catch me, but I wanted no part of it. Let’s see, if I’m really what I’m starting to think I am, then I should be able to play.
As the first blade pierced me, magic avalanched out of me, riding my blood and filling me with unimaginable amounts of strength. Everything I gave to Rachel hit me hard as my blood carried the spell to me and me alone.
The second blade came in from the side and I had enough time due to my ramped-up senses to pluck it away, but I let it hit…where it bounced away before shattering.
The waving rays of black spreading from me like my very own corona hit the waiting monsters, and they screamed as I pulled at them. If I’m really a goddess of death, let’s get this party started.
“You attacked my mother!” Their strength flowed into me, riding the tendrils back as I pushed my way up from the ground, sliding the huge sword free to let it clatter to the ground. Around me in a spread of at least 50 feet, the monsters screamed and bellowed…and died.
/> Then my magic latched onto them and they began to twitch.
As they did, I sent another spell back at my mother, healing her in a wash of power, and then doing something I didn’t think was possible. I passed over command of my new friends to her.
And I do have friends.
Extending nearly two miles behind me, I could feel them rising, with those farther back already risen. Thousands upon thousands of what I can only say are zombies rose to my call. They’re not like Sumi, with a soul there, but they’re still fighters. Still capable of slaughtering our enemies.
I felt Mom’s glee at the new connection that she felt even as those monsters around me wheeled and turned, moving against their own in an explosion of blood and gore that allowed me to suck up more and more power. And more and more followers.
That started a slog across the battleground around me as I slaughtered with abandon. I happened to find a beautiful sword in the mess and hit it with a charm spell that I didn’t even know would work. A spell to teach me how to fight with it.
It freaking worked.
Enemies began to fall faster as my power really began to go to town. Every injured follower healed, but it did pull power from me. Every raising pulled a little more. Yet every drop of blood from every monster that I killed helped to pull in more to replenish my well.
A feeling of victory came from Mom, and I looked up to find her standing on top of a huge wall of the castle. Rays of golden light cast out from her like the dawning of a sun, and I saw her in all her glory.
Goddess of battle.
“Please, Rasphael, Mom, aid us as we follow you!” My prayer made the ground around me tremble, and her laughter brought a slight pause in the sounds of battle all around us that shouldn’t have been possible. She cast a ray of light out at me and I felt her love and support and I basked in it for the longest time before pulling myself back out. We have enemies to kill and people to save.
Most importantly, my mother. Today’s my 17th birthday, and she’s no longer my mother in spirit. She’s my mother in truth. Rasphael the fey. Goddess of battle. Mother to Ceri, goddess of death. Unless I’m crazy? No…no, I need to believe that I’m not.