by Wendy Owens
“Whatever you hear, Gabe, do not get up! Do you understand?” Gabe nodded. With that, Uri shoved Gabe’s head down further, completely out of sight.
Gabe listened. He heard both doors open with a creak and then slam close. He heard footsteps along both sides of the car. Then nothing except the occasional soft grinding of gravel. He imagined it was someone pivoting in the dirt.
Gabe gave a hysterical laugh at the absurdity of the situation he was in. He found himself hiding on the damp and dingy floor of an old car. He was hiding at the whim of two strangers and what they called ‘auguries.’
The silence seemed to go on forever. A nauseating sulfur smell filled Gabe’s nostrils as he heard something that sounded like metal unsheathing around him. Then the metal ringing faded into silence.
Gabe held his breath trying not to make a single sound. He was terrified by what might be happening around him. Who did these people think he was? What was this prophecy? He had never asked for this life. Why did trouble always seem to follow him?
As the silence continued, Gabe considered poking his head up to take a quick peak but decided, for the moment, to stay hidden as Uri had instructed. Gabe wasn’t even sure why he was putting his trust in a complete stranger. He did get the distinct feeling that Uri wanted to keep him safe at least.
“Soph,” Gabe heard Uri’s muffled voice outside the car. “There are three. I think all skyward.”
Three what? Gabe wondered. What the heck did Uri mean by skyward? The curiosity to peek was starting to overwhelm Gabe. Then he heard a blood curdling shriek that pierced right into his soul. Gabe put his hands over his ears as quick as he could and curled up tighter into a ball. The scream was so agonizing that it made him tense up to the point where his muscles were burning like fire.
A dull white noise filled his ears, drowning out all the sound except his racing heartbeat. For what seemed like hours, Gabe laid there unaware of anything around him. As sounds came seeping back in, he heard something he thought might be steel striking against stone. A loud jarring sound jolted him back to reality. He wanted to stay hidden but Gabe began to wonder. “What if Uri and Sophie were over powered? Should I helplessly wait here until these foes succeed in defeating these people I am with and perhaps take me as their reward?”
Gabe’s curiosity was getting the better of him, despite all the clanging and clashing going on outside the car. He decided he had to see; he had to make sure Uri and Sophie were OK. If they were not, he would need to figure out how to escape.
Gabe needed to get some answers, like who Uri and Sophie were fighting and why they wanted to take him. He tried to muster the courage to inch up to the window, but found himself paralyzed with fear. Sophie was grunting just feet away. Gabe cringed at the thought she may get hurt while trying to protect him. As he sat there, debating what to do, he heard the gruesome sound of blade tearing through flesh.
“Sophie!” Uri shouted.
Without warning, Gabe’s fear evaporated and he regained use of his limbs. He popped his head up just in time to see Uri swinging a sword wildly. The sword glimmered in the moonlight. It looked as if it were glowing green. As Uri wielded the sword, he reminded Gabe of a mighty gladiator in battle, fierce and agile.
Gabe craned his neck a little more, hoping to catch a glimpse of Uri’s opponent.
Just as Gabe caught sight of the beast, it saw him. It lifted its head to the sky, letting out an ear-piercing screech. Gabe’s eyes locked with the creatures. The eye was oversized, bulging from its head. The whole eye was like one large pupil, a dark onyx. There were glimmers of red that flickered around the edges.
Gabe watched as the beast’s face contorted into what could best be described as a smile, but he thought it looked more like a snarl. Its grey lips pulled upward, exposing its sharp dagger-like teeth. Thick grey saliva dripped from its mouth.
As the creature towered over Uri, Gabe noticed the creature’s entire body was a deep midnight blue and shimmered as if wet. It appeared as though its body was a mixture of muscles intertwining with one another. A thin mucus covered skin was pulled tightly over them. The legs were jointed backwards as if it were a bird about to take flight. However, it stood upright like a man, with massive shoulders, its arms hanging low at its sides.
Gabe squinted out the window. It appeared the beast was holding a weapon of some kind, but Gabe couldn’t make out what it was. As he continued studying the creature, he realized it wasn’t carrying a weapon at all. The small, jagged looking swords were actually claws protruding from the monsters gigantic hands.
As the horrifying figure turned to face Gabe, another swooped down and landed next to it. Gabe was able to see the leathery wings they carried on their backs; tattered and worn, but massive. Now both creatures stared at Gabe. He was frozen with fear once again. He heard Uri shouting for him to get down. Gabe was unable to move no matter how much he willed himself to.
“Soph! You have to, now!” Uri shouted.
“I’m kinda busy over here.” Sophie replied. Gabe could hear her grunts and huffs on the other side of the car.
“Remember what you and Michael have been working on?” Uri shouted back.
“I can’t, Uri,” Gabe heard fear for the first time in Sophie’s voice.
“You can,” Uri insisted. “I know you’re ready. You have to be. Now, Soph! Now!”
With that, Uri dove for the nearby ditch and tumbled out of sight. As Gabe watched him disappear, he felt more alone and terrified than he ever had before in his life.
When Gabe heard Sophie’s voice call out to him from the other side of the car, he felt a small sense of relief knowing he was not completely alone.
“Gabe! Close your eyes now!” Sophie shouted. He closed them instantly. A second later he heard her voice again. It sounded different, though, deep and smooth. He didn’t understand the words she was speaking.
“Penitus lux lucis,” she cried out.
Gabe sat with his eyes squeezed shut. He heard a thunderous cracking noise; even with his eyes clenched tightly shut, he could sense the bright light flooding out all around him. The car rocked back and forth, and then settled. Gabe heard gravel from the road blowing against it. A second later, he heard what sounded like a body fall to the ground and little bits of something showering down.
Gabe wasn’t sure if he should open his eyes. In the darkness of his mind, he was imagining the beasts closing in on him, ready to pounce. Not able to handle the unknown any longer, he decided to look.
He was about to look, when he heard Uri cry out, “Soph!” Gabe quickly opened his eyes in time to see Uri climbing from the ditch and dashing around the back of the car. Gabe searched frantically with his eyes, but the creatures were nowhere to be seen. Gabe looked back to the side where Sophie had been. There was no sign of her.
Feeling confident the danger had passed, Gabe climbed up onto the seat. He pulled the handle, pushing the heavy door open with his feet. On the ground in front of him, he saw Uri on his knees clutching an unconscious Sophie. Nearby, there was a small mountain of ash.
“Is she...” Gabe paused, unsure what to even ask. None of what had just happened made any sense.
“Help me get her in the back.” Uri said with a strained voice, motioning to him.
Gabe quickly ran to Uri’s side and swung around to hold her feet. Uri climbed in first, pulling Sophie in behind him as Gabe guided her feet. Gabe thought about how he had admired her boot clad feet when he first saw her. He wished with everything in him that she would be alright.
“Gabe, you come around this side and hold her head.” Uri beckoned.
Gabe made sure Sophie’s feet were clear and closed the door as gently as he could. He rushed to the other side of the car to take Uri’s place. As he came around the back, he saw two more piles of ash where the creatures that were looking at him had been.
He hesitated for a moment and then opened the rear door. Uri stepped out. Gabe slid into his place, cradling Sophie’s head in his l
ap. Even lifeless, she was beautiful, Gabe thought. Her skin was so pale; it had a gorgeous alabaster quality to it. He wasn’t sure how, but he knew she had saved him.
Uri jumped quickly behind the wheel and searched frantically for the keys. Gabe saw they were still dangling from the ignition. He leaned forward placing a hand on Uri’s shoulder. Uri looked back at him; Gabe could see the worry in his eyes. Gabe motioned Uri towards the keys, slightly clearing his throat. Uri looked down and with a sigh started the car. He pulled back out onto the deserted road. Minutes passed by with Uri frantically checking over his shoulder every few moments.
“How is she?” he finally asked Gabe.
Gabe looked at Sophie’s body, lying there, unsure how to even answer that question.
“Seems to be the same.” he responded honestly. “I don’t understand. What happened to her?”
Uri stared at the road.
“There’s a lot you don’t understand right now, Gabe,” Uri replied, clearly not wanting to answer a bunch of questions at the moment. “All you need to know is Soph used every ounce of power she had to save us.”
Gabe was fine not asking too many questions considering the circumstances. He leaned forward and noticed Uri had increased their speed to just over one hundred miles per hour, Gabe thought it prudent to say something.
“Uri, what if we get pulled over speeding? Might be hard to explain.” Gabe had dealt with the cops enough in his life. He knew what it would be like trying to explain a half dead girl in the back seat.
“Right, right.” Uri responded without changing speed.
“Caecus.” Uri said in a powerful voice.
“What?” Gabe asked.
“Oh,” Uri responded realizing Gabe had no idea what was happening. As they sped down the street, Uri searched for the words.
“Look, Gabe, I really want Michael to explain everything to you, but part of what we are taught at the manor are what some might call spells.”
“Like magic?” Gabe asked.
“Well, I suppose, but it’s the source behind our magic that makes it work. It’s a divine power.” Uri explained, increasing his speed even more. “I promise, if you have any questions after talking to Michael, I will answer them for you. He’s the best one to explain all of this. I put an incantation on the car so it’s invisible.”
“Yeah, right, we’re invisible.” Gabe said in disbelief, but then suddenly remembered back to the Subway and how the officers seemed to not even notice them. “Wait, like you did in the city, with all those police officers?”
Uri glanced back at Gabe, his worry giving way for a moment to an impressed stare. “Exactly, I used a distraction spell on them allowing us to sneak by cloaked.”
“So that scream wasn’t real?” Gabe asked. Uri nodded his head affirmatively.
Gabe’s head felt like it was spinning. Monsters. Magic. He had always worried about the evils he had known in the world. Now it appeared there were unknowns that he always thought of as make believe to worry about, too. What was he doing here?
Gabe leaned back and looked at Sophie’s face, as he did, his thoughts seemed to calm. He began to stroke her auburn hair, admiring how soft it was. Gabe was so captivated by Sophie, he didn’t realize his hands had begun to burn. He heard Uri’s muffled voice and as he looked up at him, he felt an overwhelming feeling of nausea and realized everything had become blurry.
Uri was turned, looking at him, shouting something, but at that point, Gabe couldn’t hear him. A moment later, Gabe felt like the car was spinning uncontrollably. The nausea overcame him. He seriously thought he might be sick. He looked down at Sophie to make sure she was still alright. His hands were holding her head gently, but they no longer seemed like his hands. There was a glowing, blue light coming from his palms. He began to hyperventilate. Everything went black.
Chaprter Four
Gabe awoke, surrounded by a room that was quite foreign and looked like it was straight out of the pages of a Dracula novel. Tapestries hung all around on the stone walls in what was a meager attempt to warm up the room. The four-poster bed he was lying in had carvings on all four posts that were incredibly intricate.
Gabe pulled back the heavy blankets and made his way down to the end of the bed to get a better look. Glancing down, he realized he had been redressed and was wearing what he would best describe as a gown. Gabe blushed at the thought of someone seeing him undressed, or worse, seeing him in this get up.
Stepping off from the end of the bed he cringed as his skin touched the bitter, cold, stone floor. Gabe looked at the post and studied the carvings of warriors and chariots across the upper half; the carvings almost seemed to tell a story. His admiration of the work, however, was short lived as he panned down the post. Gabe was horrified by the images of dark and monstrous creatures on the bottom. The creatures had long claws and horns. For a quick moment, he had a flash of the haunting figures from the night before.
As Gabe stared at the images, he lifted one foot and then the other to help lessen the discomfort of the cold on his bare feet. He began to hop with both feet as the pain worsened. It felt like needles were pricking his soles over and over. The cold of the ancient, bare, stone floors was just too much to tolerate any longer. He looked around frantically for a rug to stand on.
Much to his delight, Gabe discovered just feet away were a pair of crisp, clean slippers. Gabe bolted to the nearby shoes and slid them on; amazed they fit. As Gabe stood there, curling his toes and admiring the perfectness of the fit, he heard a throat clearing cough across the room.
Gabe glanced up. Near the glowing fire were two high back chairs. In one sat Sophie, leaned back with her leg casually draped over the side, staring at him with a slight smile. Gabe was stunned by how Sophie looked in the glow from the fire.
She looked downward sheepishly and said, “I think there should be a robe on the chest at the foot of your bed.”
Gabe quickly looked down and remembered his dress-like gown situation. In a panic, he covered his important areas with his hands, hoping the fire had not revealed too much and darted for the end of the bed. Sliding on the robe and quickly securing it, he took a deep breath to regain his composure.
Though he was incredibly embarrassed, Gabe was also absolutely thrilled that Sophie was here, sitting, smiling, laughing and most importantly, well. As quickly as the thought popped into his mind, another pushed it out. Gabe was baffled by the idea that he could come to care so much for someone so quickly. Who was this girl and why did he feel so compelled to make sure she was safe?
“Would you like me to leave?” Sophie asked, clearly unsure if she had upset him with her presence.
Gabe wasted no time in his response.
“Of course not.” He walked over to where she sat and took a seat directly across from her, after making sure his robe was closed. “I’m just a little shaken up. The last thing I remember is... well...” he looked away from her, not wanting her to realize how scared he had been. “And now I wake up here, wherever here is.”
Gabe looked around the room once more. This time he noticed the arched ceilings and wood beams crisscrossing them. Though cold and quite massive, it really was an extraordinary old room. Gabe wondered what the rest of the grounds must look like.
“Here?” Sophie began, “You mean Rampart?”
“What?” Gabe asked confused. “What is Rampart?”
“Uri told you about the manor, right?” Sophie asked, concerned by how much had apparently been kept from Gabe.
“Oh. Yes,” Gabe confirmed, things suddenly becoming a little clearer. “He just never told me it had a name…” Gabe continued, thinking about the odd name. “Why is it called Rampart Manor?”
“I don’t know,” Sophie continued in a short and dismissive way, “I suppose because we are set up like a fortress.” Without a moment’s hesitation, Sophie continued into the topic she really wanted to be discussing. “Uri said you blacked out,” Sophie explained. “He brought you here to rest. Hea
ling can be quite draining. I assume the quarters are acceptable?”
“Wait, go back,” Gabe interjected. He had been thinking about the fortress comment until he heard the last part of Sophie’s statement. “Healing?” he asked.
Sophie realized Gabe had no idea what had transpired in the car. “Gabe, you healed me. Uri said you were amazing. He said you didn’t even need to say anything, you simply began to heal me... you saved me.”
Gabe truly loved the way Sophie was looking at him, so much so that he regretted having to tell her the truth.
“Look, I’m not sure what Uri thought he saw, but I never healed you, Sophie. The last thing I remember is holding you in my lap. You weren’t moving and then I blacked out.”
“Right.” Sophie responded with a beaming grin. He could see she was still confident in her version of the evening’s events.
“Really, I am not being humble or anything. I have no idea what you are talking about.” Gabe insisted.
“OK, whatever you say.” Sophie said as she continued to grin. She stood and moved to the side of the chair, motioning towards the far end of the room.
“You should find clean clothes in there that will fit you. Choose anything you like. Uri will be here soon to take you to meet Michael.” Sophie turned to walk away and then stopped suddenly, turning around slowly to face Gabe. She hesitated for a moment and then added, “I mean if you’re up for it.”
Excited at the thought of meeting the man with the answers, Gabe jumped to his feet and headed towards the wardrobe.
“Of course,” He said with enthusiasm.
Sophie smiled once more and proceeded to the big wooden door, pulling it open with both hands.
“Great, I’ll see you soon then.” Sophie stepped into the hall and as she pulled the door shut, she added “And thanks again, Gabe.”
Before Gabe could process what she had said, she was gone. He smiled and laughed at how certain she was that he was some kind of hero. If she only knew what a coward I am, he thought.