Four
Padded feet made their way around still ponds, the surfaces clear cut glass, through which you could see right to the swirly patterned ground. The sound on water dropping now and then cut through the eerie silence. Numerous stalactites hung, suspended from stony ceilings in various forms and sizes, some could be mistaken for human forms others were simply shaped like icicles.
Richter didn't like to come down here when it could be avoided. The magnitude of the caverns always filled him with a sense of, not dread, but a sort of uneasiness which could not be explained, though he'd rather bite his tongue than admit to that. Today he did not have a choice, for the being he wanted to speak to happened to be down here at this moment. The waters of these caverns contained magical properties, allowing, since times forgotten, those skilled in divination to interpret past and future.
"What brings you down here, Richter?" a melodic voice enquired. Clear blue eyes regarded him from a pale face framed by long blond hair that hung straight down nearly touching the floor. She knelt by large silver bowl set in the ground, her cloak of light gold shimmering as she moved.
'The heir is awakening much more rapidly than we anticipated, Gabriel. She is already shifting in and out, not consciously I might add, and she was fully awake.'
"This is very unusual." Silver brows furrowed and the kneeling figure straightened. "It's too early for her powers to manifest. I was sure we still had time. Have my calculations been wrong?" Her long fingers played with edge of her mantle as she took two steps forward and then swirled around to gaze intently at the waters in the bowl. "No this will not due...,"she muttered. "Cryptic at most, possibly vague. I need clear answers." She turned around and hastened around familiar paths out in the open. "I need to consult the books."
She stepped onto the sleigh waiting for her at the mouth of the caverns and twisted the leather reins around her hands. "We need to find a way to keep an eye on her my, friend", she said to the wolf that had not left her side. "There might be danger."
Richter inclined his head.
"Home, Firr". The white deer sprang forth.
The audience clapped wildly in approval as the actors bowed on stage and the dark velvet curtains drew closed. Lights went on illuminating the auditorium right down to every nook and cranny, shaking of the last vestiges of mystery and thrill, as whispered conversations increased in volume.
"Now, that was a marvellous performance don't you think, Sarah?" asked Elisa as they weaved their way out towards the exit.
"Mmm, it was wonderful," agreed the young dark haired woman blinking slightly at the sudden intrusion of brightness. She was fully content after having immersed herself completely in the show. It was dark out now and Auntie's car was parked a couple of streets further down so they would have to walk for a bit but Sarah didn't mind. She welcomed the stroll in the brisk cold on a starlit night like this. After the warmth of the theatre, feeling the cool wind upon her face was quite refreshing. A muttered curse cut through her enjoyment.
"Auntie?"
"I'm sorry, dear. I've left my scarf on the seat. You go on ahead, here are the keys. I will meet you where the car's parked at."
Sarah eyes followed as Elisa's figure hurried on. She shook her head with an amused smile and stuffing the keys into her navy jacket pocket, walked on.
After a few meters she realised that she could only hear the sound of her own heels clacking away on the pavement. The long road she turned into was in a residential area, all the houses were dark. Not even one window was lit. Strange, it's not even midnight yet. Not a single car passed through and there were no other pedestrians. At the very least there should be a couple of people tumbling home from the nearby pub. She felt a shiver going down her spine. Her breath came out in smoky puffs and she noted it was suddenly much colder. She hastened her steps. It was irrational but right now she wanted nothing more than get into the car, lock the doors and turn on the light and heater.
Suddenly she felt the hair on her neck raise. Someone was watching her. She stopped and turned around abruptly. Nothing, but the sense of something shadowing her got stronger. The lonely street light further down the road started to flicker. There, some movement in the corner of her eye. Her heart beat loudly in her throat, she could physically feel the pulsing. Wrapping her arms around her midsection she slowly turned her head, ready to run at a moment's notice. Dear God. What is going on here? A dark smoky shape hung in the air changing spreading and then collapsing onto itself. Wispy black tendrils grew out of the centre the consistency of spider yarn, stretching and sinister. Sarah was rooted to the spot, staring at the strange mass in horrified fascination unable to look away, unable to run. The tendrils multiplied grew and formed a four legged creature crouching, fragile, spindly and malevolent.
Run.
She turned but in the rush crossed her ankles and fell against a parked car. The sudden shrill of the alarm pierced her ears and she covered her ears in protection.
"Sarah, what's going on?"
The creature was gone.
When the chief physician entered the library he was awarded with the sight of an unusually dishevelled Gabriel treading a pathway into the thick carpet all the while muttering to herself. The old dwarf sat down silently into one of the chairs not sure if he should interrupt her or wait until she finished walking in loops. He mildly wondered if she had finally lost her marbles. Since the passing of the Lady Winter some moons ago, all the responsibilities have been laid on Gabriel's shoulders and with the added workload of preparing for the coming of the heir, well it seems it finally took its toll on her. Poor Gabriel, who was always so proper and studious with nought a hair out of place, reduced to this.
"Brimbalt."
The dwarf flinched.
"We have to hasten the arrangements then. The ceremony... time is of essence now, Brimbalt. Vulnerable as she is now..."
"Gabriel."
"Gabriel," he called louder since she had not heard him. "Slow down, lass. I don't understand a word of what you are saying." He stood up and took her hands into his own, leading her towards a chair. Once she had sat down he poured her glass of wine from the cabinet and handed it to her.
Gabriel took a deep breath and drank deeply while she arranged her thoughts. "The heir is awakening, Brimbalt. I have been trying to find out why her powers are manifesting so early, but I cannot find anything. I have gone through every scrap of paper that foretold her ascension and even the waters have not given me the slightest warning." She gradually got louder, her voice slightly hysterical. "This is madness. I am not even halfway through the preparations for her arrival."
"Now, now Gabriel, the last Lady Winter, bless her soul, left you with this task for a reason. Not everything goes always to plan, you know that. The most important mission at hand is the safety of the heir. Everything else can be dealt with after. "
The words having the same effect as being dunked in ice cold water, Gabriel slowly straightened herself, her eyes filled with purpose. "I am sorry, of course you are right. The safety of the heir, above all else, is most important. I will call the three immediately. The heir must be summoned to Caras Mahe immediately."
It was hungry, so incredibly hungry. It had been floating in the wind when It sensed something very delicious. The largest meal it had ever encountered. It was not angry for having lost it, for being distracted by the harsh, ear splitting noise. An easy prey, leaking so delightfully. So simple to trace.
When Sarah awoke it was pitch black. She peered at the digital numbers glowing in the dark. Three in the morning. After what happened last night she expected to lie awake till morning but exhaustion took her. Now fully conscious it all came back to her. She gripped her bed sheets tightly. Of course she hasn't told Elisa anything. She tripped and fell that's all.
She felt tears gathering in her eyes and tried very hard to keep back the sobs that were threatening to escape her mouth. First her memories of the labyrinth had returned and then this. All these strange things that were happening lately and the visions she was seeing made no sense and worst of all she had no one to turn to, lest she'll be put in the loony bin. Hoggle, Ludo, Sir Didymus, oh how I wish... She bit her lips. She would not call upon them. It would make matters worse. She would not put Toby in danger, or even place herself under His power. Not after the disastrous way they had parted. She was not a teenager anymore filled with romantic notions and happy endings. Fairytales originally were darker and much more brutal as she had found out. There were hidden dangers, sadness and sacrifice. Like in the tale of the mermaid princess who turned into sea foam when the man she loved married another.
She shivered. The temperature had dropped. Although comfortably wrapped in bed sheets she felt the cold on her very skin.
Deep in the caverns of Caras Mahe three figures sat cross-legged around a circle. Autumn, Summer and Spring chanted eyes closed drawing on the magic within themselves, while Gabriel drew runes around them enclosing them into the enchantment. The lowly spoken words echoed in the caverns, multiplying, the addition strengthening the spell further. Static built in the air above. Not long now. Gabriel waited with baited breath while the gateway assembled.
She looked to her right and gasped. It was black, where the windows should have been. No moon and no stars, no reflections whatsoever. She could hear her own breathing but nothing else.
Something was in the room with her.
She felt blinded and helpless.
Forcing down her horror and breathing steadily she slowly inched her shaking fingers towards the nightlight.
A crashing sound where the lamp fell and then an inhuman hiss.
Sarah screamed as a sticky web like net enveloped her, tightening around her despite her thrashing, burning where it touched.