Title: Stepping Into The Moonlight
Chapter One: Intruders in the night
The night was an inky black with air as thick and rich as dark chocolate. A bright full moon hung lopsided in the sky, casting its milky light that made the clouds turn silver. Not a single star sparkled, which gave an eerie feeling to the forest that lay below. Trees of every type grew tall and trembled like cat whiskers in the passing breeze. Leaves rustled and branches rattled by the chilling wind.
Suddenly, there was a noise. it was like the pitter-patter of little feet. Slowly, the sound grew louder as two figures appeared from the forest. The sound was being produced from the figure's horses, which neighed softly.
The two figures were cloaked, but their faces were glowing in the pale moonlight. One of the riders was taller than the other and had long raven-black hair that curled just below its shoulders. The dark-haired rider's dark eyes darted to the moon which was reflected in the figure's pupils. The second rider, the shorter of the two, turned its head towards the other figure. The shorter figure had messy blonde hair that was poorly tucked away in its hood.
"Come sister," the blonde spoke, placing a pale hand on the dark-haired rider's arm. "We are almost there."
The taller figure made herself look away from the captivating moon. She was in some trance, lost in its beams. She turned her attention forward to the vast field that stretched out before them. Then, clicking her heels into her horse's side and trotted after her sister.
She didn't fully understand why she had come on this trip with her blonde-haired sister. But she had told her that it was most important for later use. Again, she didn't understand what was so important to come out in scenic nowhere.
"Morgause," she piped up, her voice cracking in the process. She watched the other figure stop her own horse and turned to face her. When she fell in step with the blonde, the blonde's facial expression changed dramatically.
"What's wrong, Morgana?" The blonde's voice was full of worry. Her blue eyes glistened and her brows were scrunched in concern.
"I was wondering," Morgana looked away from her sister and at her horse's mane. "I don't understand... What's so important out here? Why are we even this far from Camelot?"
"Patience," Morgause murmured in a hushed voice that had a chilling edge to it. "Once we arrive, I will be at your mercy and will reveal everything." And with a smirk, Morgause bounded ahead. Morgana watched her accelerate with a confused look etched upon her face. She then dug her heels harder into her horse's side and forced it to gallop as Morgause's shape began to disappear above a wide hill.
Morgause's face began to scrunch up in thought as her dark eyes were fixed on Morgause. Was it just her or was Morgause acting different? Usually Morgause doesn't keep things bunched up and locked away from her for this long. But for Morgana, Morgause tries to find out everything that went on in her mind. But for the past few days, Morgause's visits have been less frequent and it seems that she has been giving Morgana some space. Morgana was beginning to dislike this new Morgause. She wanted the old Morgause back, and have her be the caring sister she was to Morgana. This new Morgause was probably triggered by the eagerness to get this "important" thing that she needed to find. After that was found, Morgause would be back to normal and be by her side again, Morgana was sure of it.
"Sister!" Morgause's cry broke into Morgana's thoughts. Morgana shook her head, clearing her min and letting her hood fall back.
Morgana had stopped at the top of a hill and watch Morgana trot up the side of it. Morgause's devilish grin grew as she turned her attention to the land below. She murmured something to Morgana didn't catch, probably just a prayer of relief.
Morgana's head peered part her sister and her facial expression immediately fell at what she saw. It looked as though some mighty castle had been built there. But now, only ruins stood there, slowly crumbling away as the days wore on. You could barely make out which rooms that the castle contained by the places of the ruins. It wasn't much to look at. While Morgause looked admiringly at the scene below, Morgana wrinkled up her nose in disgust.
"This..., Is the kingdom Lux Aeterna." Morgause beamed, spreading her arms out wide as if to embrace it.
Morgana's face still did not change. Why name a castle "Eternal Light" if it gets destroyed anyway. Isn't the whole purpose of "eternal" was to stay forever? she thought, pursing her lips. What was so special about coming to a broken down castle? There were other ruins closer to Camelot, why did Morgause want to come here? What was so valuable that Morgause had to travel all the way out here? Hopefully she will keep her promise and spill it.
Before long, the two of them had reached the bottom of the hill and were level with the bits and pieces of the castle. Morgause was the first to dismount, Morgana followed her example. The blonde rider began walking swiftly through the ruins, obviously looking for something. Her black cloak billowed behind her as Morgana hurriedly tried to keep up.
It wasn't before long that Morgause stopped in her tracks. She had peered down a damaged passageway before giving out a rather loud gasp of alarm. Morgana who was observing a completely different part of the castle, came tripping over to Morgause, expecting to see something extravagant. But once again, her face fell in disbelief.
What stood before them down the broken corridor was just in fact a pile of stones. The stones were placed in an odd way that they made some sort of archway. Morgause began walking quickly towards the stone archway. But Morgana walked hesitantly behind, careful as if not to trigger some form of trap, if there was one.
Once Morgause stood gazing up at its structure, she carefully made her hand emerge from the folds of her cloak and gently placed a hand on one of the stones. But as soon as her palm touched the stone, she quickly drew her hand back, making Morgana jump in surprise. Cursing under her breath, Morgause shook her hand back and forth, trying to make the pain stop. She then stopped and snapped her head up.
"Of course," she said quietly. "I cant believe I forgot that part," She then turned towards Morgana and raised her voice. "You still have that dagger with you, don't you sister?" she asked in a hopeful voice.
Morgana nodded and reluctantly withdrew the dagger that Arthur had given her and handed it to Morgause. After Morgause had unsheathed and examined the blade, she then made a small cut in the palm of her hand. Morgana winced as she saw Morgause grit her teeth as the blade moved swiftly across her hand. The cut opened and a scarlet red liquid began trickling out like a small waterfall.
Once blood began oozing out, Morgause placed her palm against the stone again. Instead of jumping back in terror, Morgause's shoulders began to relax as a cooling sensation crept up her arm. Once Morgause brought her hand back at her side, her cut had healed back to normal. Morgana saw the blood of Morgause left on the stone. In fact, Morgana saw dried up blood stains of other people. A sickening feeling sat at the bottom of Morgana's stomach.
Morgana nearly jumped out of her own skin as Morgause began to yell out something in Latin, she presumed. "Spiritus ultra, audite me. Veni in auxilium tuum." (Spirts from beyond, hear me. I have come for your assistance.) Morgause exclaimed, raising her arms up towards the archway. She stood like that for a moment, her eyes closed. Morgana looked around, seeing if anything change or will change.
Suddenly, smoke began to issue from the archway. The smoke began to make a hallway that seemed to stretch out endlessly. Morgana peered around the back of the archway, only to find trees. She then resumed her spot and noticed a dark figure walking down the smoky hallway. As the figure grew closer, a chilling breeze seemed to exhale from the hallway. And then, just like that, the figure stood beneath the stone archway.
The figure was tall, taller than Morgana, and was dressed in tattered dark maroon robes with a black cloak. The hood was over its head and drooped down, completely covering its face. Think branched horns came from its head out from its hood. It had pure white hands made from bone that gripped a slender pole with a hooked blade. Morgana could feel this creature's hot breath and its horrid rotting smell filled her nostrils.
Suddenly, out of the depths of monstrous creature came a loud screech. "MORTALS!" the beast bellowed out, and Morgana and Morgause were almost blown backwards. "How DARE you open this portal to the Beyond!" it hissed, bringing his hooded head closer to the sisters, probably to glare at them from beneath the cloth covering its face. Once its "gaze" went on Morgana, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up and her blood run cold.
"Please," Morgause approached the figure. "I am Morgause, and I am here for your assistance. I need it desperately."
The figure seemed to not move, seemed not even to breath. But then spoke, less angrily this time. "What is in it for mer?" it growled like a hungry wolf.
"If you help us," Morgause said, tentatively. She started to slowly circle the creature. "I can give you about as many souls as you can imagine. If you help us, Camelot will fall and with everyone in it. And one by one, they will become yours." Morgause then drew close. "Even the king's." When she said that, Morgana saw what looked like the creature froze up in shock.
When Morgause stood back next to Morgana, the hooded figure spoke. "What is it that you require?" Its bony hands gripped hard around its scythe that it held.
A smirk grew on Morgause's lips. "What I need is a soul," she began in a chilling voice. "And I need it to have a body of a woman. That is all I require from you."
The creature seemed shocked by her request, but merely nodded in agreement. The figure stepped out onto the grass and out from the archway so the hallway was visible again. Morgana and Morgause crept close to the beginning of the archway and peered inside.
Another figure was walking along the path, but this figure was completely different from the one that stood on the grass. She had light blue skin with glowing green eyes. She had tangled dark blue hair that had flower petals stuck in it. She had on a flowing white gown that had no sleeved. There was a hole in her dress and skin that showed some of her ribs. All of her left arm, from fingertips to shoulder, was just bones. As she continued walking, it was noticeable that her right leg had been bones as well.
The corpse woman stared blankly at the hooded figure, completely ignoring the other two. She had stopped at the edge of the smoky hallway, looking as if she will go no further.
"Will this one do?" the horned figure asked, but it seemed to not want an answer.
Morgause, pleasantly surprised by this corpse's appearance, agreed. "But," she said immediately. "We asked for one with a body not one with," Morgause gestured towards the corpse woman, unable to finish her sentence.
Seeming to understand, the horned figure reached beneath his robes. There was a sickening snap that made Morgana and even Morgause flinch. Out from the robes, the horned figure bent the rib into a circle and grabbed the corpse woman by the wrist. Again, the ghastly lady stared blankly as the rib was slide onto her wrist.
The moment the rib touched her skin, she crumbled to the grass onto her knees. Shakily, she looked up and met the eyes of the two sisters. No longer was she the blank-staring corpse, she was now a real person. A real, living and breathing person.
Her hair was no longer that dark blue mass, but straightened blonde with streaks of glittering silver. Her skin was no longer a light blue, but now fair with the lightest tint of pink herself up, fixing her white dress so it fitted properly as she stood.
"The bracelet," the horned figure growled, holding up the woman's arm that had the rib on it. "will allow her to be alive and normal. But when she takes the bracelet off," Its bony hand grabbed her thin wrist again, making her wince in pain. The bracelet came off and the woman immediately turned back into the corpse. "back she goes."
The horned figure waved a bony hand over the woman's head. Immediately, she fell to the ground, her eyes closed. But before her head touched the ground, Morgause had caught her in her arms. Morgana fell to her knees next to her sister and placed a hand on the now human woman. Morgana felt a surge of warmth run up her arm from that touch.
"I have given what you desire," the horned figure spoke up cunningly. "Now you must keep your side of the deal. Bring me Uther Pendragon's soul, as well as the others." And just like that, it vanished. It vanished into nothing as well as the smokey hallway, so now the trees were visible through the stone archway.
Morgause's eyes went to that of the woman in her arms. "Camelot will fall," she began. "and she will lead us to that destiny."
Hello lovelies! Thank you so much for reading my first story. I hope you liked it! I am also open to constructive criticism. Chapter 2 will be up about tomorrow! Thanks again for reading, from Spirit Morgan.