Chapter Ten
In the winding Hallways of Causa Mortis, not a soul could be seen. Everyone who worked here- the demons who usually crawled up and down these intricate walkways- were else-where. If you watched the torches loosely as they sat, mounted on the wall, you could see the flames flicker in time to the load echo's that came from somewhere far off in the castle. Somewhere.
Suddenly, blue orbs intruded the darkness. Chris, Prue, Bas, Phoebe and Paige suddenly stood in the gothic hallway, drinking in it's eerie atmosphere, slowly growing more and more nervous from it.
"What'd I tell you. The spell worked a treat! Through the orbing barrier, no problem!" Bas said proudly.
"And it only took you three days to whip up!" Chris praised sarcastically, earning a whack on the arm for this efforts.
The gang stepped appart from their huddle, eyeing the walls: the festering mould that crept up them; the mounted torches and the eerie light they cast. Everyone noted how they air was stiflingly thick in reality, when the mere memory in the Bank had smelt rather pleasant.
Chris was shaking slightly, but taking deep breaths to calm his nerves. He wasn't the weak kid he'd been when he was here all those years ago. This time was different. The map, on which he'd scrawled the way to the portal room, shook in his pale hand.
"Wow." Paige muttered, her eyes scanning the rough walls as if they might bite her, "we're actually here. It looks different from this view-point. Not quite as creepy."
"Really?" Chris said, eyebrow raised.
Paige gulped. Answered in a high pitched, nervous voice, "No. Not really. It's still creepy as hell."
Phoebe's eyes suddenly locked on the shuddering flames. She frowned.
"Guys, shhh..." She ordered. They all obliged.
The flames shuddered again, a result of the loud cheering noise rebounding off of the walls; hundreds of voices, mostly male, whooping and clapping.
"Did you here that?" Phoebe asked.
"Yep. Must be coming from the stadium." Chris said, anger becoming evident in his voice. "It means something bad is happening to someone. Could be a forced fight to the death."
Phoebe and Paige recoiled slightly with shock.
"That's horrible!" Phoebe exclaimed, imagining two innocents, thrust into a stadium with deadly weapons, knowing it was kill or be killed. Once again, she was struck with pity and disbelief at the cruelty of Chris' world; the cruelty of this place.
"At least it means there will be hardly anyone hanging around while we get on with our mission." Prue said, trying to lift everyone's mood, including her own. "It'll be a lot easier if we can do this job quietly."
Prue walked over to the door they'd orbed close to. Intentionally. Wyatt's office. Paige and Phoebe began to follow.
"Wait." Chris said suddenly. He'd hung back, a brooding expression on his face.
"What?" Prue said, not liking what she thought Chris was probably thinking. She shot him a knowing look that said, no way.
Phoebe clocked on to the look exchange. "What is it?" She asked wearily.
"Just about every demon who works in this place will be in a stadium. That's a given. They treat this place like a holiday park for the evil; everyone will be there for a show." Chris spoke fast, excitement fizzing in his stomach.
"I don't like where this is going..." Prue said, shaking her head.
"Prue, this is the perfect oppertunity to do it! What other chance will we get? We always say we'll do it, but no-one ever plucks up the courage! Well, today's the day!" Chris said with conviction.
"What's he talking about..." Paige asked Prue, who looked ashen.
"He's talking about shutting down Causa Mortis for good. Killing the demons..."
"And setting the prisoners free." Chris finished. He was feeling rather dizzy, thinking about the suffering they could prevent. Suffering like his. And Rosie's. It would give Chris great pleasure to extract revenge on all those demons who had hurt her.
"What? How can we do that?" Phoebe yelled. Prue 'shhhed' her dramatically. Phoebe settled for quietly hissing. "How can we do that?"
Chris thought for a second. Checked his nerve. Nodded. "I think I can. With Bas' help, of course."
She whacked him playfully. "I'm your right-hand gal, as always."
Chris and Bas both looked at Prue, their eyes pleading.
"No! No way in hell! You can't... Wyatt will be there!" Prue argued. Chris and Bas continued to stare. "And demons! Hundreds and hundreds of demons! And we'll be too busy with finding Leo and the portal room and..." Prue's resolve began to crumble.
Chris jumped at the opportunity as soon as he saw Prue's eyes look sad. "Prue, we have to do this, otherwise nothing will ever get better- for anyone!" Chris put a hand on his anties shoulder. "Anyway, we'll be in and out in a second. Right Bas?"
"Right." She agreed.
Prue looked at her sisters. They were nodding, and Prue could guess that they were thinking about the innocents who had suffered here. And would continue to suffer, unless someone did something about it.
"Oh, alright. Gimme the map." Prue snached the map sulkily from Chris' hand. "Hurry back." She smiled a little as Chris gave her a swift peak on the cheek. Together, he and Bas disappeared behind a sharp twist in the corridor.
"Kid's today are so wreakless." Paige tutted. She looked at Prue's worried face. "But selfless, too, and smart. They'll be fine."
Paige felt she should be the one worried for Bastina's safety- she was her mother! But she would have to come to terms with the fact that Prue and Chris had taken over that important role. Paige sighed inwardly, and told herself that, if she got the chance to start again with the triplets, she would change that fact.
"C'mon, let's get this over with. Sooner we get this done the better. Leo needs us. And Piper needs us back home. I wonder how she's been getting on." Phoebe mused whilst Prue opened up the map.
"With only fifteen minutes of worry to our week of trouble? I bet she's doing just fine. She drew the long straw as far as I'm concerned." Paige chuckled wryly.
Phoebe giggled, rolling her eyes, and Prue smiled. The three sisters then, in true Charmed One fashion, set their minds on the task ahead.
Xx
Bas and Chris had no other lead to where they were heading than the trail of sound they were following. Every minute or so, there was an eruption of applause and rowdy laughter, and Chris, who was leading, would zip down the path which he supposed led to the source. So far, he guessed he hadn't gone wrong, because the cheering was getting louder and more distinct every time it sounded.
Eventually, after running through countless dark corridors, each one no different than the next, they came to a large open doorway, that led to the open battlements outside. Chris and Bas raced into the open air like they'd been starved of it. In truth, it was so musky inside the castle that fresh air was a blessing. Even though it was a little biting. In fact, more than a little. Soon, their throats were burning and their faces felt tight with cold.
From this height, the real might of Causa Mortis could be felt. They were high up in snowy, jagged mountains, which were spread out before their eyes before they became lost in clear, white fog; a perfectly threatening setting for the cold, daunting building which inhabited it.
"You know, it almost looks elegant from up here." Bas commented, her gaze faraway, lost in the snow.
Chris found it hard to dissagree, what with the beautiful brickwork, and the way the black of the castle contrasted the scenery so dramatically. The long streach of the castle was curved, and Chris and Bas had a perfect view of the front in it's entirety- truly, the castle was undeniably attractive. However, Chris wasn't fooled. He'd lived here.
Chris looked out at the long battlement, and the open entrance back into the castle it lead to. There, a hell of a lot of noise suddenly erupted. Cheering and banterish yelling, much louder than they'd originally heard it.
"I'm thinking it's that way." Bas said, reigning her wide eyes back in. "Just a hunch."
Chris smiled, and began to slowly walk towards the entrance- a stone doorway with engravings of patterned dragons curling around it. Chris did feel like he was entering the dragons den.
Coming from the freezing cold air of the outside, their sences were brutally assulted when they came back inside to the overpowering stench of animal, manure and straw. Smacking her hand over her nose and mouth, Bas gave Chris a disgusted look, which he returned. Together, they looked over, from a height into the stadium. The massive stadium. It made Bas dizzy to sit above it. They were in one of the entrance booths, looking down on the masses of hyper, screaming demons and warlocks who made up the writhing crowd. The demons were seated (although most had leapt from their seats in excitement) in the huge circled area overlooking the arena, and everyone's attention was captivated by what was going on down there. Soon, Chris and Bas were captivated, too. And horrified.
In the middle of the dusty arena, Leo stood, shuffling on his feet nervously. He was visibly shaking, and constantly running sweaty palms through his hair. In the other hand, he held both a red cape stretched over a wooden dowel, and a sword, though he held them uncommitally. He seemed to be muttering to himself, his eyes closed, probably trying to block out the hellish cacophony around him.
"Demons and Warlocks... creatures of darkness..." announced a loud voice. Chris and Bas followed the sound. It was Wyatt.
Wyatt sat in a thrown in a master-booth away from the heaving masses, speaking to the audiance as if he were the headline act at this show. He stood tall, and spoke.
"This will be our final round of the day- and a very extrordinary day it has been, too! This Novillada has been a memorable one indeed! "Wyatt yelled, and the audiance screamed in agreement, screaming and thrashing wildly. "We've had to replace our novillero once again, due to another fatality, but no matter. The last round will commence regardless, and with a worthy novillero on the scene! My father." Wyatt sneered. The crowd applauded. " Let the Tercio de Muerte begin!"
Chris and Bas found they were both holding their breaths. Bas could feel her heartbeat thumping in her ears. She and Chris watched in horror as gates at the far end of the arena were flung open, and a young bull hurtled out, skidding madly, leaving a trail of dust flaring up behind it. It's eyes were unlike any bull Bas had ever seen. They were oddly... human.
"Chris..." Bas began, panicking.
"I know." Chris said, fuming. He watched the helpless innocent, who'd been transformed by magic into a witless animal, as he or she ran around wildly. It made him sick.
Eventually, the bull came to a standstill in the centre of the arena. It stood, it's entire body heaving as it panted. Poor Leo was rooted to the ground in fear.
A few other men and women, who, by their sorry state, were obviously inmates, too, ran around, flinging capes in front of the animal, destracting it. It soon became aggravated, snorting with aggression. Then, with a push from a demon in the crowd, an ill looking middle aged man with a limp hopped near the bull and quickly sank two long barbs into the animals shoulder.
Bas eyes went wide, and the scream that she went to cry was muffled by Chris' hand.
The bloody animal stamped and thrashed, and Leo- with more than a little unwillingness and obvious disgust- took his oppertunity. The forced bullfighter approached the bull with his cape, flourishing it before him. The bull clocked it. He charged for Leo as he stood, trembling. Showing no signs of moving.
"Move!" Yelled Chris. Screams and jeers overpowered his voice. "Come on, Dad, move!"
At the last minute, Leo swerved unsteadily, landing on his bottom in the dust as the bull raced past. The crowd went wild.
Xx
"Alright, here we go." Prue said, holding out her hands for her sisters to take. She smiled. "Feels like the power of three."
Phoebe and Paige smiled back, both feeling their hearts warm. They both took one of Prue's open hands.
"Remember the spell?" Prue checked.
Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Yes, worry guts, for the last time- we're all set! Now, let's do this."
They all set their sights on the portal that swilred before them. The portal that they knew led to somewhere in their own time. It'd been relatively easy finding it. All they'd had to do was run for fifteen minutes and fight five demons to the death. Or vanquish. Now, finally, the task they'd set themselves a week ago (a week accurate to their current time!) was almost met.
Together, they all began to chant, their voices mixing harmoniously, as if they were meant to be spoken as one:
"Magic portal that transports back,
Leave this place, and never come back!"
As the words were spoken, the portal began to bubble. It spat and foamed, as if it were boiling, until, finally, it evaporated into multi-coloured steam.
The sisters beheld their word with pride.
"Hu. Well that was easy." Paige scoffed. Prue nodded happily.
Phoebe let out a sigh of relief. "Yep. Gladly so. And, if the spell works right, it should be blocked. Wyatt won't be able to re-open it." She said.
"Awesome. Ladies, our work here is done." Paige said, offering high-fives.
Her mood deflated as, suddenly, voices began to fill the air. Triumphant, grateful voices; cries, sobs...
The sisters ran to the open doorway to see a flood of prisoners rushing down the corridor, whizzing past the sisters spellbound faces. They can't have had any idea where they were going, but they ran regardless, clinging to the shred of hope that potentially meant freedom.
"Oh God. Chris and Bastina." Prue muttered, watching the desperate people rush past.
Paige shook her head in awe. Then frowned as a thought popped up. "Does anyone know where the fire exit is?"
Xx
If this bullfight were done proffecionally, the kill would've been swift, with the sword penetrating the heart from an entrance between the shoulders. But this was a barbaric re-enactment of the Spanish tournament. And Leo wasn't a good aim.
The bull raced uncontrolabbly around the arena, it's trail now not only dust, but blood. Leo's sword stuck out from the bulls shoulders, piercing it's neck at an awkward angle. The poor animal- once a human- bellowed in agony over and over again as it waited for death.
"Chris, we've got to do something!" Bas screamed over the deafening noise of the bloodthirsty crowd.
Chris nodded numbly. It was time for his brothers sick game to end. He raised his hands.
"I'm not so good at this..." Chris muttered. Bas didn't hear.
"Go!" She yelled, watching the weak, battered Leo attempt to taunt the bull, who was becoming just as exhausted, saliva hanging from it's mouth.
"GO!" She sobbed. "NOW!
"Leo!" Chris yelled.
He heard the audience go quiet.
The man himself appeared behind Chris and Bas in a shower of blue lights. He blinked, bewildered.
"Chris!" He exclaimed, eyes wide and gratefull. Then, he collapsed to the floor. Bas rushed to his side.
"What's your plan, exactly?" She said nervously as the crowd began to get rowdy, looking at the empty space where their bullfighter had been. Wyatt himself was baffled.
"First step, getting all innocents out of here." Chris said.
Bas watched the arena as, one by one, the innocents floating around the edges in confusion, looking for Leo, began to disappear in orbs. And she watched as, one by one, they appeared, weak and shivering, at her side.
"Get them out of here!" Chris stage-whispered to Bas. "And everyone else. Evacuate the building!"
"Easier said than done!" She complained, but gestured to the innocents to follow anyway, with Leo hanging on her shoulder. One man helped Bas carry him, even though he looked weak enough to drop himself. Suffering hadn't made these people any less kind.
As they picked themselves up and followed, one blurry eyed woman turned back to Chris.
"Thank you." She said horsely. Then, she hurried to catch up with Bas and her followers.
Chris could feel tears brimming, but he didn't let them escape. He was a grown man, for God's sakes. And one that was about to take down this hellish place with style.
By now, the crowd was up in arms. Completely enraged. Wyatt was pacing back and forth in his booth, screaming at the demons who tried to calm him; watching this, Chris smiled. Things were only going to get worse for his brother. Chris would personally make sure of that.
Xx
Bas raced along the corridor, the flood of people already overtaking her. They may not have had her strength, but their sheer will was enough to get them stumbling at top speed down the dark, winding paths, which were a flurry of activity.
Using the exploding potions she had pocketed before they arrived (just in case...),Bas had already released hundreds of prisoners. Their energy eventually caught up with Bas, and she screamed, enjoying the sense of unity.
"Come on! We're getting out of here!" She yelled, exasperated. "Trample every demon you see!" The prisoners screamed their agreement. Most of the screams sounded more like sobs. But sobs of joy and relief were far better than sobs of pain and suffering.
"Hey!" Bas heard someone call. Prue.
She looked over the sea of heads to see the sisters, stood in awe at the escapees rampage. They looked flustered, and were clearly wondering how this simple mission had taken such a complicated turn.
"Guys, quick, start running and releasing! We got Leo, now let's go!" She was becoming out of breath. "We've got to get out of here... before Chris goes nuts!" Bas cried, zooming past the sisters.
She looked back, huffing and puffing, and saw the three jump into the rushing river of bodies. They were instantly swept along with the force.
"What's he gonna do?" Paige called, leaping to make her voice heard.
"No idea. But I think it's gonna be big." Bas cried, imagining Chris' locked up anger, and the force with witch he'd unleash it. The crowd hear her words. They cheered wildly. They had a lot of locked up anger, too.