I could've ended it there. Killed myself and the Winchesters within a blink of an eye. But my extended senses had already felt it's presence. Magic always left a trace, even the smallest of spells left a spark.
I knew that the whole 'cabin fever' effect was just to make people run far away. But it was strong. It had effected me. Even Sam fell under the enchantment, and he'd gone further from sanity than anyone I had ever met. I guess a strong mental resilience doesn't mean a thing.
I felt the energy buzzing around me. Now that I was aware of it, the magic was hard to ignore. I instinctively shielded myself and extended it. No spell or telepathic being could get into any of our minds now.
Sam stood, not needing support but his face wore a breathless look. Dean was hunched over, his palm held to his forehead. I continued, not saying a word. But even I, with my extended senses, magical powers and aeons of experience, didn't see what was on the walls until I felt Sam's reaction. I looked up and saw for myself the wonder.
"What the hell?" Dean exclaimed with a bewildered tone. I could tell he was confused. But he should be used to seeing sights like this by now. Right?
From the outside, the cabin had looked small, but from in here it was minuscule.
The walls were rotten and scratched, but over that were strange makings. Markings to ward off every single supernatural thing to have ever existed. Even defensive signs for creatures older than agriculture...
There was one door across the room from us. That's all the cabin was inside. A room with no upstairs. The door most likely led to a cellar.
"What are they?" Sam asked at the same time as Dean reached the closest wall to him to touch the mysterious markings. His finger tips touched the wall gently, with precaution. But the effect was strong. It shocked Dean with a high enough voltage that he jumped back a metre. It didn't hurt him. Who(or what)ever made this place didn't want it littered with corpses, their intention was to stop people from getting into it. To deter them from going any further than the front porch.
"They're protection symbols for pretty much every single supernatural creature in existence. There are signs to repel demons, angels, vampires, sirens, and much more besides. Hell, I can see three signs right now that repel creatures that went extinct four and a half century's ago..." I was in genuine awe. "I've never seen such a collection. Not in all my time..."
"And I'm guessing all the other enchantments and stuff is to scare away humans?" Dean asked in hushed tones. It was clear that he'd seldom seen a sight such as this either.
"Yeah, nothing would be able to go through there." I gestured towards the door.
"We going through there?" Sam asked.
"Looks like." I replied.
"Then lets go." Dean took charge of our trio. I needed to keep him safe. I needed him. The Winchesters were essential.
We walked down the rotten stairs, Dean first, followed by me and then Sam. All taking extra precaution now that we knew that something was in here but that something was unknown to us all. I couldn't be in here, no spirit demon or other creature could be here.
"Hey, wait a second." Sam had stopped half way down the stairs but Dean and I were at the bottom looking up, I in confusion and he in defensiveness. "I've seen this before."
He indicated to a shape in red paint. It was an upside-down triangle with three V shapes coming out of each side but all meeting in the centre. I knew what it was but I let Sam tell Dean. "It binds a witch's powers making them mortal." I felt their confusion run deep.
"So how come you can still make with the magic?" Dean asked, suspicion raising in voice and betrayal flaring in his eyes.
"Because I have no doubt that whatever set this up doesn't know about me or my people." Or maybe they did and wanted me to get me alone.
"We don't exactly know everything about you." Sam said cynically.
Even though I could destroy both of them without even breaking a sweat. Hell, without even blinking, I still felt threatened by the fact that I was surrounded by Winchesters. "You know enough about me to trust me right?"
"All we know is that your a mighty powerful hunter who seems to know a hell of a lot about the game and who's saved our life countless times over the past month." Dean's eyes were on his brother trying to convince him that I was trustworthy. I blushed at his kind compliment but Sam's comment brought me back to reality.
"With what happened with Ruby, we have to be a little on our guard." His eyes we on dean but as he ended his explanation he looked towards me.
"Naturally." Was all I could say. I managed a kind smile and at that, felt them both relax. But only a little.
"But if you turn out to not be on our side, I'll rip your head off." Dean was emotionless and his threat genuine yet I still couldn't help but notice a glimmer in his eye.
I couldn't work out what Dean was feeling inside, all I could feel was that it felt warm but firm; protective. A noise from the centre of the small, dusty, dirty cellar caught the attention of our little group.
The dust and dirt that had covered the floor was forming a column. The column began bending, changing shape. Forming into the creature we'd had a sneak peak of when we were outside.
It stood, hunched to it's left, breathing heavily. The body was decaying and all it had to cover it was a dirt ridden, torn rag. It was hard to tell it's gender but I guessed male.
"Who are you?" I asked, moving past Dean, commanding tones in my voice showed the thing that I meant business. My body pressed close to the hunter's and I could feel his pule raise just slightly. My hand skimmed across his and I felt a tingle that ran from my fingers all the way to the back of my neck. I couldn't focus on that now, I had to focus on the task at hand.
"I am the guardian..." The thing said, its decaying jaw moving slowly and the words coming out as dry sounds. It looked as though a guy had just simply aged and decayed but not died. Dry and dirty-grey hair, or rather the few strands that where still clinging to it's head, fell as a thin curtain between it's eyes and mine.
"The guardian to what?" I asked, moving forward, trying to gain eye contact.. But when it remained silent, I thought of changing my tactic a little. "What are you? Where do you come from?"
"I do not exist..." It sounded emotionless. Bleak.
"But how can you not exist?"
"I do not exist..." It repeated.
Confusion pressed to take control. It was difficult to keep the inner peace, protect the brothers from the 'cabin fever' spell and think of what to do with this unknown thing that stood in my way.
Sam spoke from behind me. He had joined Dean at the bottom of the stairs. "Why are you here?"
"To guard the gate from all but one..." came the reply.
"Is that one me?" I whispered.
Silence.
"Is that one me?" I said again. When there was no reply, I repeated my question but louder.
"Yes..."
"Who sent you? How long have you been waiting here?" Dean's questioned the creature.
"I am not of one but of many..." It answered first and then after a pause, it continued slowly "I have waited here since.. the creation of this optical illusion... of great magnitude..."
"Illusion?" I murmured. Realisation overtook confusion and shone like a light in the darkest of dark places. I rose my hands in front of me and focused the energy around me into the spot in the centre. The scenery flicked a little and then it was gone. The cabin had disappeared and left the four of us, Dean, Sam and I along with the unnamed creature, in a ditch at the top of the hill. There was a small hole now visible in the bright light of the cloudy day. It was behind the creature and looked the size of a small manhole cover.
I released the enchantment back into action and turned smiling to the other two.
"Don't you see? It's just a trick. All of it. Just to cover up that," I said to their unsettled expressions, indicating to behind the creature. A sudden thought struck...
What if?
I extended my index finger of my right hand to the centre of the creature's chest. I allowed the energy around me to be channelled through to my finger and out. It was pure, unseen power but it's effect was very visible.
It was as though the creature was composed of ash and dust, which I guess it was, due to the way it formed earlier. But my energy had created a pathway through the creatures chest. The dust swirled and twisted as if caught in a breeze and a few short seconds later filled with what sounded like distant whispers, the breaking of a spell I was sure, the creature was gone.
Sam, Dean and I stood there in the dismal, cold cellar. The hole was letting a dim orange-yellow light out into the cave-like place where we stood, illuminating the darkness.
"What the fuck was that?" Dean said, alarm ringing in his voice but his expression was as bold and strong-hearted as ever.
"Another little trick to ward off any enterers. Just something to answer the questions of those who were strong enough to make it this far." I informed him.
"And if all these are spells, who cast them?" Dean was walking closer to me and had become more comfortable now that I had explained the situation we were in. The tingling was back, but a little lighter than before. Just a bizarre prickle now.
"I think the answer is down there..." Sam was trying to look down the oversized rabbit hole but was unsuccessful as there was another spell upon the entrance into the unknown place to distort the view of any on lookers. This 'cabin' was full of them.
"We have to go down!" Dean more exclaimed than asked.
"Yeah, and whatever lies down there, I can pretty much guarantee that it ain't good." I was only slightly nervous of what was to come, the other two were more scared. Again, Dean more than Sam. They'd had a lot to deal with and so many fears they had faced but right now, they were absolutely terrified.
"Down we go." Sam said, leading the way. I followed and Dean was last. I wish we had stayed above ground and figured another way to stop the Master. I don't know whether or not the prize was worth the fight...
