Sheeva sat up, wide-eyed, trembling and gasping as she snapped out of her nightmare. She glanced behind her as she calmed down, checking to see if Draco or Blaise had woken up. To her relief, they hadn't. She slowly crept out of bed, and grabbed her bathrobe and threw it on, putting up her shield so that she didn't have to look at herself in the mirror as she passed it. She already knew that she had broken into a sweat, as she felt some of it on her forehead.
She made her way to the kitchen and turned on the small burner, setting the kettle on it. She kept her mind preoccupied by unwrapping two bags of her favorite tea, orange spice. She set them in the cup, wrapped the strings around the handle, and waited, crossing her arms and staring blankly at the kettle.
She snatched the kettle off of the stove as steam started hissing out of the hole in the spout, and poured the freshly heated water in her cup. She took it to the couch, sitting down and taking a sip. It soothed her, but her stomach still felt queasy.
When she brought it away from her lips, she frowned as she realized that she was still trembling. She set it down a little harder than she'd intended to, and it clinked loudly. She winced, and looked to the bedroom. She didn't want to wake them up, as they all needed sleep.
How could she sleep, though, knowing what she needed to do?
She crossed one leg over the other and sat back, biting her lip and thinking. She stared at the wall where her weapons lay ready, sparkling in the dim light. She'd spent hours sharpening them, channeling energy into her wedding ring, trying as much as she could to mentally prepare herself.
She grabbed her satchel that she'd left on the couch, and rummaged through it, double checking to ensure she had what she might need. She took out the healing potions, blood-replenishing, and nutrient potions, arranging them on the coffee table in an almost OCD order. She even had a med kit that she'd assembled herself.
This calmed her somewhat, as she knew that this was really all she needed, other than the courage to go through with her frightening task. She began to repack the bag, and had just finished tying off the opening when her son's voice rang out into the room, causing her to jump and let out a startled "Oh!" of surprise.
"Mommy, what are you doing up?" He asked, wiping the sleep away from his eyes. His blonde-brown hair swished back and forth as he walked over to her, crawling into her lap. She hugged him tightly, and set aside her bag.
"Did you have a nightmare, Jeffrey?" She asked, worried. After Nayeli's recent confession of her nightmares, she couldn't help but wonder what Jeffrey's were about. She hoped that they weren't as bad. Just a ghost chasing after him, or being lost in the giant castle. Those were peaceful compared to the dreams Nayeli was experiencing.
"No, I just had to pee." He announced, proud of himself. She smiled. He really had gotten much better at waking up to use the bathroom, and they were wondering if he would be completely potty-trained before Severus had been.
"You are doing such a good job, Jeffrey. I am so proud of you!" She complimented, reaching over him to take another drink of her tea. She was still shaking, and Jeffrey noticed.
"Mommy, you're shaking. Are you scared? Did you have a bad dream?" He asked. Slowly, Sheeva nodded. She could be honest with him for the time being.
"Yes, I did. Grown-ups get nightmares too. And yes, I am very scared." She replied, hugging him tightly, rocking him back and forth. She didn't know how long it would be until she got back, as her target could be anywhere. They hardly had any intel on him at this point, and probably wouldn't for a while. He was laying low, biding his time, she figured.
She sighed, blinking away tears. She'd been the one to teach him to fight. He had a knack for strategy, as well as an immense amount of patience. This was merely a waiting game for him.
"You're awake now. Was there a big, black dog?" He asked. Sheeva looked down at him, slightly shocked.
"What?" She asked. Jeffrey turned around in her lap to look at his mother better.
"I keep dreaming about this giant black dog. It's so big, it's as big as a troll!" He blurted in his timid voice. She looked out at the table, lost in thought, her stomach tying itself up.
"Have you been seeing it in your nightmares, Jeffrey?" She asked sternly. To her dismay, he nodded.
"It can run really, really fast, and jump really high! There was one time I was dreaming that I was in the Astronomy Tower, and it leaped up in the air from the ground all the way to the top of the tower! When I looked in its eyes, they were scary red!" He said excitedly. She felt her breathing catch in her chest, and she knew that her eyes were wide. She'd dreamt about it, too, but not in a very, very long time. Not since before the Kadessa-Mayfil war that had claimed her first husband.
It was a legendary beast, almost a myth. There was a great, big, black dog, the size of a small bear cub, with abnormal strength and agility. It could crush logs with its bite, and break down stone doors with its front paws. Rumor had it that if a person came across this black dog, a bad omen was heading their way.
Even worse? The color of its eyes conveyed the manner of the omen. Yellow eyes supposedly meant that the omen was merely a stroke of "bad luck", something that Sheeva didn't believe in. "Luck" was merely "coincidence" in her book. She'd stopped believing in "luck" a long time ago. Red eyes, however, brought death along with it, and oftentimes, the "prophecy" was correct. If a person were to see a red-eyed dog, he or she, or someone close to them, would most likely die.
This terrifying creature was titled the Bunghee Dog, and as she remembered its name, she shuddered. Jeffrey noticed, and shook her a little bit.
"What's wrong?" He asked. She took a deep breath and looked at him.
"You've seen the Bunghee dog?" She asked, looking in his brown eyes. He nodded, and she knew that he wasn't lying.
"It has a name?" He asked, shivering. She nodded.
"Yes, Jeffrey. Do not worry. It will be alright. It is only a dream." She said, stroking his hair and placing a kiss on his forehead. He smiled, and hugged her again.
"Jeffrey, listen to me." She started. He moved away to look at her.
"Yes, Mommy?" He asked. She smiled sadly at him. She would really miss him. Hell, she'd miss all of them. Who wouldn't?
She took his face in her hands, and sighed.
"While I am gone, if your fathers or older siblings tell you to run and hide, you do it. Do not leave until they or Kathryn come to find you, understand, honey? There are some bad guys out there, and I do not want them to hurt you." She explained, leaving it at that. Jeffrey gasped, and his eyes widened.
"Really? Who are they?" He asked nervously, scared. She shook her head, and hugged him tightly.
"Do not worry about that. I am going to stop them before they can even try to hurt my family. That is where I am going, sweetie. To keep the bad guys far away from you and our family." She stated, her resolve replenished. Jeffrey nodded.
"Okay, Mommy, I promise." He said, closing his eyes and curling up in her lap. She smiled and lay down on the couch, hugging her son close, stroking his hair, and singing him a small lullabye.
Eventually he fell asleep, and so did she. She didn't wake when Blaise covered the both of them with her white blanket that Draco had given her many years ago. She hardly felt his lips brush her cheek in a loving kiss, already in a deep and heavy sleep. It would probably be her last moment of comfort for quite a while.
Sheeva stood facing the statue of the gargoyle, clutching a letter addressed to Neville with very specific instructions concerning a few other letters she'd written and a diary that she kept. She wanted to deliver them herself, ensuring their arrival.
"Excuse me." She muttered to the gargoyle. It opened a groggy eye, not used to being woken up this early in the morning. It glared down at her.
"I need to deliver this letter. It has very important and specific instructions, vital to the safety of my family, as well as everyone in this castle. Please, let me through." She explained. The gargoyle looked at her, and finally recognized her face in the dim light. If she had been wearing one of her dresses, he might have recognized her immediately.
However, he felt intimidated when he saw that she had her wings shown and her two swords strapped to her back, a satchel clipped to her black pants. The legs were tucked into her boots, where she had a spare knife attached to the side. Her black leather coat was hanging open, and her grey t-shirt hung loosely from her shoulders.
The gargoyle nodded, and stepped aside, allowing the stairs to rise. After she'd climbed up, he followed, sitting back down and resetting the stone steps.
She stared at the walls littered with portraits, a twinge of pain aching in her chest at seeing Albus and Severus' faces. They smiled back at her, and Severus frowned slightly as he saw how she was dressed.
"Where are you going, Sheeva?" He asked. She stared back at him sadly, and then dropped her head in shame, staring at the floor. She shook her head to clear it. She couldn't allow herself any more moments of weakness.
"There is someone threatening my family, Sev… I am going to kill him." She said bluntly. Severus nodded, and said nothing else. He had faith in her still, and knew that she would try her best.
Neville had thrown on his bathrobe, and was standing by his desk, scowling, but then blinked as she announced her intent. He cleared his throat to announce his presence. She snapped her head to him, and muttered an apology.
"I am sorry for waking you at this hour, but I have something that I need you to do. In the library, there is a room with a mirror. That mirror is a portal to a very dangerous world. I need you to seal that room off to students by any means necessary, including my children and my husbands. Where I am going, I do not want them to follow. Should they be captured…" She trailed off, her gut clenching. She cleared her throat and looked back at him.
"Should they be captured, they will be killed without mercy." She finished, trying again to seal away her emotions. It was the only way that she felt she would be able to complete this task. Otherwise, her heart might give in, and she would take pity. All throughout history, tyrants would rule and innocents would die due to "pity", because "they should be given a chance".
Neville stared at her, and slowly nodded, remembering his first encounter with one of their kind. Even though she'd been there to protect them, he shivered at the thought of her not being there this time.
"People like Zarkas?" He asked, slightly fearful. She frowned at the mention of the name.
"Worse than Zarkas." She replied, handing him the stack of letters. She also reached behind her and gave him a blue notebook.
"If I do not return in two weeks, give the notebook to Severus. I want Nayeli and Severus to read it, the entire thing, and train. I have given specific detail, so there should not be any problem. Severus and Nayeli are smart. They can figure it all out." She explained, crossing her arms and leaning against the large wooden desk.
"And the letters?" He asked, holding them up. The top one was addressed to him. She remained silent for a few minutes, trying to find her voice.
"Should I die, I want you to follow the instructions in your letter. Promise me that you will. If you could make an unbreakable vow with me, I would make you do it." She stated. He stared at her, and paled. He glanced down at the letters in his hand.
"What exactly—
-I am expecting the best, but prepared for the worst. Should I fail, if they invade, you and your kind will be annihilated." She hissed, glaring daggers at him for questioning her actions. He gulped and nodded slowly. She took a deep breath, and glanced around the room once more. She stared at Fawkes as she saw him, and smiled. He was still there, although he was looking absolutely dreadful.
"Do you have a spare vial? I would like to take some Phoenix tears with me, should I run into trouble." She asked. Neville nodded and retrieved one from the cupboard with the pensieve in it, and handed it to her.
"Depends on if he'll give them to you. He's been looking awful." He muttered. The bird had been rather stubborn for him, and had been looking ill for weeks now. He'd tried everything that he could think of from tonics to potions, and nothing seemed to help him.
"Are you not familiar with the Phoenix? They burst into flames once every year, and are reborn from their ashes. There are only a few left in this world now." She explained, stroking its breast feathers kindly. It looked at her, and seemed to smile, glancing at the vial that she held.
"Fawkes, I have a task to do. May I have some of your tears?" She asked. It cocked its head to the side, and cried into the vial, managing a few drops with the last of its energy. She stoppered it, and placed it in the satchel at her side carefully.
The bird cooed at her, and spread its red wings, and burst into flames. She smiled. It really was an amazing sight to behold. Neville screamed and backed away, shielding his eyes.
A few minutes later, a baby bird popped its head out from the embers, and cried out at them.
"You see? In death, there is always a form of rebirth." She muttered wisely before turning on her heel and striding out of the office.
Hastily she made her way to the library and to the back room. She was stunned slightly when she saw that the sheet that had originally covered it was removed, lying in a pile on the floor. She glanced around, and noticed a feather on the floor. She picked it up and examined it closely. It wasn't hers, nor was it Kagure's.
That only meant one of two things. Her kids had found this room, or someone else had already entered through the portal. She forced herself to believe that it was the former rather than the latter. As she went to set the feather on the window sill, she noticed the shawl that Kathryn had been wearing last night folded neatly on the sill. She smiled, greatly relieved.
She took a deep breath and faced the mirror again, walking up to it.
According to Kagure, the mirror was supposed to take her to his office, which was heavily guarded at all times by people that he could trust with his life. Skeptically, she grabbed Okami ni kama and held it at the ready, making a few seals and tossing a ray of black energy at the mirror.
It hit, and spread out. The portal opened with a boom, wind rushing every which way as the portal sucked the wind in. Her hair whipped in front of her face, and she closed her eyes as she ran through it fearlessly.
She felt the gravitational shifts and felt like her muscles were being pushed and pulled in all directions, and she briefly opened her eyes. She wished she hadn't, as all she saw were billions of stars, spinning around her at such a pace it made her queasy.
She tucked her knees into her chest, curling herself up into a ball as she floated, biding her time until she arrived at the other side.
She hit the ground rather hard, and grunted as she rolled over to alleviate the pain. She pushed herself up and stood, looking around.
Much to her horror and surprise, she'd made it. Kagure sat at his desk, pushing papers. He looked up at her through his wolf mask, and smiled at her, though she couldn't see it. She looked back at him, the horror evident on her face. She'd really made it.
Her legs shook, and she forced herself to walk over to the nearest chair and sit down in it before they collapsed on her.
"You made it." He started. She hardly heard him, the blood pounding in her head. She looked around at his office. It seemed that it hadn't changed much in the time that she'd been gone. Pictures of his success and a few of his family hung crookedly on the wall, knocked askew from her entrance. Twelve years, had it been?
She looked at him, still stunned. He stared back at her, and chuckled.
"Senator Bakhrieva." She muttered. She stood, and walked up to him. He nodded, leaning back in his chair and spreading his arms.
"Yep, it's me. I'm right here." He stated. She sighed, and put Okami ni kama back in its sheath, and sat down in the chair in front of his desk. She folded her fingers together and rested them in her lap.
"Anything new that I should know about?" She asked. Kagure shook his head.
"We last saw him in Tryptic Village, but that is all that we know. Are you sure you can do this?" He asked, worried. He hadn't seen her in years, and the last he'd seen, she was barely able to fend off a few warriors.
She snapped her head up to look him in the eye, glaring at him.
"Yes. I have to." She hissed. He nodded.
He looked at her. She was determined, he'd give her that. But she still looked scared, nervous. She looked around, and stood to leave.
"If you do not mind, I am going to get going. I want to be through with this as soon as possible." She announced, beginning to walk away. He stopped her.
"You should probably take a team with you." He suggested. She turned her head back to look at him, scowling.
"They will only hold me back. I will do this on my own." She huffed, reaching for the door.
"He's got an army, you know. You really should take a team with you. They can take care of the army, you can take care of Tazaro." He suggested again. Her chest hurt at the mention of her dead husband's name. Twelve thousand years, and it still hurt her to think of it, let alone hear it.
She took a deep breath and turned back around.
"Where do I go, then?" She asked. He smiled at her again, and handed her a file.
"I've already assembled a team for you." He explained. She opened it, and flipped through it. Not a single woman was on this team, and she frowned. Things really hadn't changed at all. She snapped the file shut and tucked it under her arm.
"Do they know that I will be leading them?" She asked. He nodded his head, and for that, she was thankful. Perhaps it wouldn't be as much of a pain in the ass as she'd originally thought.
"Are they waiting for me?" She asked. He checked the clock, and nodded. Where there were twelve hours in the human's realm, here there were fifteen. The corners of her mouth turned up in a smile as she realized that she could still read it. 13:45.
"They should be in the lobby by now. I had them meet here for convenience." He explained. She nodded, and turned back around, heading for the door again. She stopped when he grabbed his red cloak and threw it on his shoulders.
"What are you doing?" She asked. He chuckled.
"I'm going with you, obviously." He stated, opening the door. She glared at him.
"They are just men, Kagure. I do not need a bodyguard. I could kick their ass in five seconds." She growled confidently. He laughed at her comment and shut the door behind him, locking it with a wave of his hand and a drop of his energy. No one would be able to enter this room now but him, a useful strategy that he'd developed for himself.
"Of that I have no doubt, but I still want to see their faces." He admitted, somewhat excited. She rolled her eyes and began to walk down the hallway. The tiles on the floor irritated her. They alternated white and blue, like a chess board.
As they landed on the first floor, Sheeva looked around, and then looked up at the chandelier that illuminated the room. Once a pretty sight, she dreaded it now, as it only reminded her that this was real. She followed Kagure as he walked up to a group of men.
Two of them were sitting in the couch, one reading a book and the other picking at his fingernails with his knife. One was leaning against the wall, arms crossed and staring at the ground, deep in thought. He merely glanced at Kagure and Sheeva as they approached, tutted to himself, and averted his gaze to the floor again. Another was relaxing in a chair, his legs propped over the arm of it and his back resting against the other.
The one reading the book had curly black hair that covered his ears, and the edges of them framed his forehead and the tops of his cheekbones. He had a goatee, and his eyes were alight with emotion at the book he was reading. She read the title, and didn't recognize the book. It must have been written after she left, she guessed. As he looked up at them, she noticed that his irises were red.
The one that was fiddling with the knife had his straight long black hair pulled back into a ponytail at the base of his neck, and it fell over his shoulder as he looked up. He cut himself on accident, and hardly flinched. He brought his middle finger to his mouth and sucked away the blood, licking at the cut. It healed itself instantly. This man's irises were a light teal color, and shimmered in the dim light.
She turned her head to the man that had tutted at them a second ago, and lightly nodded her head in recognition. Judging by his stance and demeanor, he didn't much care for the current arrangement, nor the current situation. She took a deep breath, thinking that he would give her the most grief on this mission. His irises were grey, and his brow furrowed in thought. He had light blue hair, and a tattoo on his neck. What it was, she didn't know. She didn't care, either.
The one that was relaxing in the chair shot her an arrogant smirk, and shot a small dagger at her direction, aiming for her face. She swiftly caught it and shot it back at him, and it embedded itself in the back of the chair where his head had just been. He sneered again, chuckling.
"Well, you're better than I thought you'd be." He stated. She shot him a look. He had long red hair and blue eyes, something that she'd rather not see at this moment. He reminded her much of Zarkas. However, he had a green headband on that lifted his bangs out of his face. Whether it was there for that reason, or if he was hiding something, Sheeva wasn't sure, but she felt that it was both.
"Putting me to the test already?" She asked. The man smirked again, and nodded slightly.
"Of course. It's not every day you get pushed around by a woman." He commented. His voice was deep, and taunting her. She gave him a look.
"I am not here to push you around like children. You have your task. I have mine." She explained. She really didn't want to cause an argument, but felt that it might end up happening anyway. The man that was leaning against the wall arched an eyebrow. This comment had surprised him slightly.
"We're to understand that you will be fighting your husband, correct? And, we're to take care of the army?" He asked, checking to make sure. She looked him dead in the eye and nodded.
"That is correct. However, the man I am after is not my husband. This man is an imposter." She explained. The corners of his lips curled in a smile. What a wonderful twist of events. He thought.
"We can't come running if you get into trouble, you know." The arrogant red-haired male stated, jeering at her. She scowled at him.
"I can take care of myself. I have been living for twelve-thousand years in a world far more vile than this one." She hissed. Already, she didn't like two out of four of them. The ponytail on the couch sat up and crossed his arms and legs. At her comment, he'd gained a shred of respect for her, not ashamed to throw away the dignity of being a male in doing so.
"I'm Artix Gilleppe." He introduced himself, also having a deep voice, tilting his head at her slightly. She calmed somewhat, pleased that he'd actually taken the time to introduce himself. She nodded back at him respectfully.
"Sheeva Zabini-Malfoy." She introduced herself. The curly black haired man looked up, confused.
"On your file, it says Sheeva Chorea." He stated. His voice wasn't as deep as the others, perhaps an octave higher. She nodded.
"I abandoned that name years ago. Please keep in mind that file that you have is extremely outdated." She explained. The man nodded, and dog-eared his book, and closed it. As she saw this, she suddenly felt her heart ache for Blaise, but she bit her tongue and blinked, closing her emotions away. She couldn't allow herself to become emotional whatsoever in front of these men, as they were probably (unfortunately, she would say) her only chance of even getting close to killing Tazaro.
"Kalas Kanites." He introduced himself. She nodded at him too.
"Zabini-Malfoy, huh? Are you telling us you married one of those creatures?" The arrogant one asked, shooting a disapproving look in her direction. She scowled, and he smirked at her, pleased with himself for breaking her bearing. She took a deep, calming breath, and looked away, staring at something in the distance, trying not to think of her husbands and children.
"Where hate has boundaries, Love is boundless. It is in everyone, whether it be a love of men, women, both… even in torture and murder there is love. It is impossible to 'hate' everything." She stated. She crossed her arms and checked the clock on the wall. To her, they'd already wasted ten minutes.
"Your name, Mr. Arrogant?" She asked, crossing her arms and staring at him coldly. He smirked, a glint in his eye as his seemingly new pet name.
"Joseph Cowles." He stated. She merely nodded, and looked at the man still leaning against the wall, staring at the floor. He didn't look up at her. She shrugged and turned around, figuring that he wouldn't bother saying it, or even attempt at introducing himself. No matter. The less she knew these men, the better off they'd be. Still, she flipped through the file until she'd found his papers. Zakkari Lotte.
"We should get going. If he is in Tryptic, he is not far away from here. I must admit, I am surprised that he has not attacked Raynak yet, Senator Bakhrieva. Be on your guard." She ordered, shrinking the file with a spell she'd created herself and tucking it away in her coat pocket.
The four men stood and followed her, Joseph grumbling, irate at the current situation. Atrix and Kalas walked side by side, Kalas immersed yet again in his book. Zakkari stayed to the back, watching the crowd around them cautiously from behind his bangs, hands in his pockets.
They stood at the gate of Raynak, Sheeva finding herself hesitating slightly. She looked up at the large wooden doors, protective seals and signets carved into them. The last time she'd seen them, her life had been fucked over.
"Scared, woman?" Joseph jeered, trying again to get an angered rise out of her. She let her gaze fall to the smaller door that allowed for small groups to pass through. Slowly, she nodded, admitting her fear.
"Yes, Cowles. However, it is not about me. There is another world also at stake." She stated. Cowles stood up straight, examining her. Even though she admitted to being scared, she sure as hell didn't look it. He blinked, and stroked his chin.
She was lost in her thoughts, oblivious to the other men who were staring at her, somewhat amazed. Not even half an hour, and she'd said things that had gotten them thinking: Maybe their 'traditions' were wrong.
"Well, then, what are you waiting for? Lead us the way, Sheeva Zabini-Malfoy." Kalas said behind her. She nodded, and reached out a steady, confident hand, opening the door.
Well, it will take me a while to get the other chapters out, as i'm picking up extra hours at work, and school is always trying to kick my butt. :)
Hooray for energy!
Please review! I know that this was a long chapter...
