by Laura Hawks
Finding an alcove, she dove into it. Huddled and shivering, curled into a fetal position, she felt like a frightened child. The lightning bolt of pain stopped and soon so did the pain from the razor blade whips. She refused to come out of the alcove, refused to venture into that corridor of pain again. Instead, Clarissa closed her eyes and wrapped her body into a small ball, hiding. Her strength diminished, her stubbornness gone, her fight no longer existent. Instead she thought of the one thing that brought her a semblance of peace, the feel of Mel’s kisses and how he held her. In this dream or venue of death was where she would stay safe.
It was so quiet she was scared to move. Hearing something, she held her breath afraid it would find her and drag her out. She might have dosed lightly once or twice. She didn’t know where she was or how to get out. For that matter, she wasn’t sure how she got there to being with. The last thing she remembered was climbing into bed, still angry over being pushed aside by Azamel. However, she was too scared to figure everything out. All she knew was she was somewhere she shouldn’t be. Reluctantly, she closed her eyes, exhaustion finally overtaking her. Images of Mel appeared and she tried to reach him. She wanted to ask his forgiveness for her rashness and accusations. She longed for his teachings so she could learn to do her job. More than anything, she mentally called to him to help her out of this dark place of horrors she had suddenly found herself in.
Mel knew it was late. He had gotten absolutely no work done after Clarissa left his office, not that he was getting much done before she came. As he retired to his own quarters to sleep, he found all he could do pace back and forth. He wanted to keep Clarissa with him, despite what was safer for the universe. Fuck the universe. Couldn’t he be happy just once in his entire existence? Without thinking, he found himself standing outside of her quarters. Opening the door gently, he peeked in. She was sleeping. He should shut the door and leave but he sadly realized she would soon be gone and he would have no way to continue to see her or have the opportunity to just gaze upon her beauty. Silently, he moved over to her and gazed down at her exquisite figure.
Tracing the back of his fingers over her soft cheek, a wistful expression lit on his face. With a last glance at her still form, he left the room and closed the door behind him. Retiring to his reception room, he stretched out on the couch in front of the fire. The flames captivated him and he felt his eyes droop. The day was long and much had happened. Arguing with Clarissa over something he agreed with her on was exhausting to say the least. Within a few seconds, weariness took over and he allowed himself to sink into a deep slumber. It was as if the centuries of exhaustion hit him all at once. The sleep was dreamless, for even Archanidou and her servants were afraid to venture into the unconscious mind of Azamel.
However, his blissful repose was suddenly interrupted by Clarissa. She appeared in his mind, her image faint. It seemed as if she was reaching out to him, calling him. Using his powers he tried to go to her in the dream but every time he approached, she became more distant and out of his reach.
Images of her continued to flash in and out of his thoughts. It seemed far too real to be just a mirage. Looking around, Azamel found himself standing in the middle of a barren, desolate landscape. Grey tones of varying hues decorated the scene. Creatures from which horror movies were made roamed the area. They didn’t appear to see or sense him, yet Mel’s past experiences taught him that didn’t mean he was safe from whatever called this place home.
An image of Clarissa in a deep, dark hole flashed through his mind. Then the vision shimmered and changed, showing her on the run. Mel turned his head in the direction towards a row of mountains where caves and hollows marred the surface of the peak, housing who knew what. He opened his senses allowing his mind to reach for her. “Clarissa?”
Peacefulness and quiet lasted for a bit and Clarissa was sure she had dosed a tad longer this time. She saw Azamel as she slept and tried to reach for him, call to him but he kept eluding her every time she approached. Hearing something, she snapped awake. Peeking, she saw some of the Whippers passing by with their rawhides snapping in the air as their wrists flicked them back and forth. As the group approached, she ducked back into the hole for cover but she knew she couldn’t stay there forever. Once they moved past, she quickly and quietly snuck out and ran in the opposite direction from whence they came. Not sure where she was or how she got there or even how to get back, she instinctively knew she had to keep moving and dodging those creatures.
She attempted to use her magic and materialize a sword but her abilities were weak. At first, she got nothing. Trying again, she produced a small spark so she knew she wielded something. Again she endeavored, concentrating only to get a rubber ball. Useless! That’s what she was, what her powers were. Stopping, she hid again, trying to protect herself from the creatures who seemed to be looking specifically for her. Although she wanted to stand and fight, her wounds still bled from the beating she had taken when she first arrived.
The area stank of sulfur, a rotten egg smell that churned her stomach. Clarissa wished she could flash on clean clothes but with little magic, almost no magic, she figured she best stick with the tattered shreds of material that clung to her blood-soaked body than appear in nothing at all. Again, she heard the Whippers come by, attempting to sense her hidden location. She froze. There were too many of them to fight bare handed and she was already weak from blood loss. As she crouched low, she hoped they wouldn’t see or sense her as she held her breath, watching and waiting. Clarissa could have sworn a voice called to her in her head that sounded like Azamel. Was she imagining it? Did she wish for his help so much that she now heard him speak to her telepathically? She felt like he was there, calling to her. Was it a trick? However, she felt his presence and felt his senses reach out to her. She figured, ‘what the hell?’ Responding, she hoped it was the right thing to do, “Mel?”
Azamel’s head snapped up as he heard her voice reverberate within his mind. Quieting his thoughts and relaxing his body, he responded mentally to her words, “I’m here. Where are you?”
Clarissa tilted head as she watched the Whippers stop and look around as if sensing her. Even her mental response was soft so as not to attract their attention, “Here? Where here?”
Tracing her soft response, Mel finally managed to get a location on where she was hiding. He materialized behind her, dumbfounded at her condition.
“What the?” Concern knit his face as he knelt next to her. “What happened? How are we here? Do you even know where we are?”
She pulled him down to a crouch, worriedly looking around to see if the Whippers spotted them. ‘Gods he is going to kill us both.’
Putting her finger against her lips in a shh motion, she then pointed to the group that paused, snapping their barbed whips in the air, searching for them.
The creatures looked up as if sensing their presence. Mel was unsure if the Whippers saw them or not, since up to this point nobody in here appeared to perceive him. Deciding not to risk it, Azamel stayed low and remained out of their line of vision. He hadn’t tested his powers here but realized he needed to comprehend what he had to fight with. Dislodging a large boulder from a point halfway up the mountain, he watched as it rolled down the slope to crash onto the ground. Using the distraction, he grabbed her hand and pulled her into the small cavern to the left of their current hiding spot.
Clarissa allowed him lead her into the cave, still amazed yet unsure if he was a dream until he touched her. Slightly uncertain, after all did she just wish this so much that he was here? Once in the darkened aperture she couldn’t resist knowing.
“How did you find me? Why are you here? How are you here? Can you get us out?” Satisfied the Whippers passed by them, Mel turned to her and sat her down on a large boulder, leaning against the dark wall. Kneeling by her side, he lightly gripped her shoulder, allowing a flow of energy into her body- healing her as the power flowed throughout her entire being. Once she was whole, he flashed her into some new cloth
ing.
“I was asleep on the couch and you invaded my dreams. You called out to me. I couldn’t deny your plea. As for how I got here, I honestly don’t know. I can only assume that I subconsciously followed your call and ended up wherever here is.”
Her head hung in shame. “I didn’t call out to you on purpose. I dreamt of you too. I must have called you from within my dreams. I don’t seem to be able to manage my magic here as well as you appear to do. Thank you for healing me and for the clothes.”
Mel touched her shoulder and tried to teleport them out only to have them disappear and reappear in the same spot.
“Mine seem to be mostly intact, well other than getting us out of here that is.” He lifted her chin with his finger. “I’m glad you called.” He gave her an intense look.
Clarissa looked up into his icy, pale blue eyes that suddenly seemed to hold a bit of warmth in them or was she mistaken and just wishful. The profound look he gave her caught her breath. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from his.
“You were right. I’m not prepared for this destiny that has been thrust upon me.” Her eyes searched his for a moment before looking down at his hand still tucked her under her chin.
“I have failed at every turn and now I have no powers or very little here.” She held out the rubber ball. “This was supposed to be a sword.”
The look of utter defeat on her face touched a very cold and foreign part of his heart. Not knowing what else to do, he bent his head and very lightly kissed her soft, slightly parted lips. It was a kiss of comfort and reassurance, wanting her to know that she wasn’t the failure she thought herself to be. After countless moments, he reluctantly lifted his head and spoke in a voice huskier and lower than Mel would have liked or preferred, “You survived and lived to fight another day. I’ll help you. You’re strong and your powers are too. You need focus and train but then that’s an old discussion.” He dragged the back of his fingers down her cheek, needing the contact of her skin.
Raising her eyes to meet his, she couldn’t help notice the look on his face. The softness in his eyes betrayed him while everything else was stoically cold. A gentleness that belied his wanting her to leave him forever once her education was completed.
“I’m sorry for not believing you, for mistrusting you. My visions showed me something different from you. A path you could of chosen and didn’t.”
A loud screech came from within the cave and Clarissa jumped. Looking at the rubber ball, she tried again to flash in a sword only to be rewarded with a piece of red licorice whip candy. Frowning, she took a bite of the crimson candy as she pondered over their predicament.
Mel motioned for her to keep quiet as he masked their presence and hoped it would work. A loud scuffling noise could be heard from deep within the cave, becoming louder as the creature approached. He pushed Clarissa further up on the boulder, climbing up onto it after her. No sooner did they climb up than a huge lizard-like creature came shuffling from within the dark depths. His large tongue flicked in and out of his mouth, his scaly body smelled like a sewer and glistened in the dull light.
When the creature neared to their boulder, he stopped and moved his head around before it continued outside. Mel gazed toward the interior of the cave, attempting to sense more life and wasn’t surprised to find a colony of the creatures. As he ran his hand through his hair, he felt they were truly and utterly fucked.
After the lizard departed, she whispered softly, “What hellish place are we in? How did I get here? Or better yet, how do we get out of here?”
“I have no idea. We seem to be in some sort of hell realm but one I don’t control nor am familiar with. Keep your eyes open. There’re more creatures deep inside. My masking our presence seems to have worked for the moment. Though for how long and on which creatures it will work is still debatable. We need to move from here and fast.”
She looked past him outside the cave. The lizard ambled towards the Whippers. Wondering what they would do, she watched as the Whippers just stood still and let the lizard creature pass. Moving around Mel, she hopped off the boulder and slowly made her way to the mouth of the cave, staying within the shadows. She nibbled at the licorice whip she had conjured as she tried to determine where they would go. Motioning to Mel, she pointed to an out cropping a short distance away. It looked like there might be a building there but whether or not it was safe had yet to be foreseen. However, it couldn’t be any worse than staying here between lizard creatures and Whippers. He looked to where she pointed.
“My powers seem to be working when teleporting within this realm, so it’s worth a try to materialize there.”
Taking her hand, he flashed them to a small over hang on the mountain side behind the small wooden cabin they had noticed. The area would provide sufficient protection while they could get a look of the land from their new position.
“I can’t sense anything but I think we should make sure just to be safe.”
Clarissa felt odd when he flashed her to the rock protrusion and put her hand on the wall alongside to steady herself.
“I would try and materialize infrared binoculars but the way my magic has been in this realm I’m sure I would only get bubble gum or something.”
Closing her eyes she breathed deep, which made her choking and cough.
“Okay, not doing that again anytime soon. All I smelled was rotten eggs.”
“Wait here.”
He transported himself to the cabin in a ghostly shadow form, solidifying when he was satisfied there were no creatures about. Checking the surroundings, he realized it would provide them with a temporary reprieve and immediately returned to her.
“We can use that as shelter, for now at any rate,” he spoke softly as he held his hand out to her.
Putting her hand in his, she felt that electric current run through her and pushed it back. Even fighting for her life she was worried about how her body reacted to him? ‘Great, just great.’
“I hope the occupants will stay away for a while then.”
Mel closed his hand over hers and flashed them into the one room cabin. It only held the basics but it was shelter and that was what they desperately needed now.
“You need to rest.” He pointed to the large bed in the corner. “I’ll take first watch while I try and figure out where we are.”
The demon judge blasted a fire into the hearth and moved around the cabin to ward it against unwanted guests. It would provide them with enough protection for at least a little while or so he hoped. He gazed back at the Guardian as she grabbed a blanket and threw it in front of the fire, lying down on top of it. It was the first chance she really had to rest in a while and she was going to take advantage of it but she wouldn’t invade someone else’s bed.
“Thank you, Mel.” She watched him under half shut lids, the way his body moved, how his muscles flexed, even when all he did was run his fingers through his hair. Yet she could feel his alertness, his determination. Suddenly, her eyes became too heavy, even with the delectable eye candy in front of her. Yawning, she rolled over. She would never sleep if all she did was watch him. Closing her emerald green orbs, she fell into a fitful sleep.
Mel watched her for a long time before he moved to sit down on a chair by the fire. He dropped his head into his palms and rested for a moment. His senses were wide open, attuned to any and all sounds around them. Scenarios ran though his head as he tried to ascertain where they were and how to get out of this place. Lifting his head, he gazed at his hands. They appeared corporeal, yet he could feel part of his essence absent, missing. Her powers were also unstable in this realm and that hinted at something sinister. He looked over towards her as she twitched slightly in her sleep. Even in repose, she wasn’t at rest. Touching her mind lightly, he knew she was searching for answers in her dreams as she tried to comprehend where she was and how she got here.
Mel leaned over slightly and touched her shoulder as he sent a calm wash through her. She finally calmed down but her rest was sho
rt lived. His head snapped up as a noise at the door drew his attention.
‘How did I miss that? I must be slipping.’
The executioner jumped up and took a fighting stance between her and the intruders. He watched as the knob turned slowly and the door creaked open.
Chapter Five
Clarissa’s ears caught the foreign sound and a feeling washed over her to be prepared for danger. Rolling to her feet, it took a moment to figure out where she was and that Mel was with her. She was no longer alone. He was protecting her, standing in defense of any oncoming attack. Grabbing the poker stick, she felt better knowing she could defend herself and moved to stand alongside him waiting for the creatures to enter.
Azamel held his arm out to keep her back slightly as he tried to materialize a sword, unsure if it would work or not. To his surprise, a sword appeared in his hand just as the door opened to reveal two of the smallest, ugliest goblins he had ever seen. The female carried a basket of produce while berating the male for something or other. The ludicrousness of the scene had Mel laughing and he let the tip of the sword immediately drop to the floor as he rested on the hilt. The female dropped the basket in shock as she spotted them and hid behind the male, fear evident in her eyes. The male’s shocked face mirrored his wife’s as he stopped and quickly shielded her.
Mel held his hand out in a placating manner and spoke in a soft, soothing voice, “My apologies for the intrusion, dear folk. We are but two lone travelers that seek shelter from the creatures roaming this plane. This is my friend, Clarissa, and she was hurt. She needed to recuperate and heal.”
He dropped the sword and pushed it towards them with his foot.