Authors Notes: There is MATURE content in this chapter!
^.^
I wouldn't dare admit this, but having Jack around again made me feel safe - more in control.
With him back, it felt like we could get through anything, and it would be okay.
Night fell upon us as we went back inside and I was surprised at the extensive damage done to the small base room. Our monitors looked fine, but the book cases had all fallen over and there were scratch marks carved into the wood - as if something was desperately trying to get in.
"Ah, nothin' to worry about, just some minor backlash," Bunny was sitting in the small base room, leaning back in his seat. I let out a shaky, relieved laugh; seeing that Bunny was in good spirits after the attack made me feel relieved, but couldn't he clean up a little bit?
"I see you've come to 'ur senses, mate," he addressed Jack, who grinned.
"Glad to hear my absence was a punishment." He gave me a sidelong glance, his feline eyes were brimming with amusement. I preferred this Jack - the fun loving one - to the serious, poised mask he loved to wear.
"Any ideas on what's goin' on here?" Bunny stood up and followed us out of the room. We rounded the corner to the living room, Merida was pacing in the middle of it.
"How could it have gotten this bad?" She shook her head.
"I think we all agree that something has taken over Hiro," Jack said to the group, taking a seat on the couch and I joined him. Bunny took a seat across from us.
"Don't 'cha find it strange? This kind of possession happen outta of nowhere. The family has owned the home for over twelve years. Surely, if there was something here, it would have acted earlier." Merida commented.
"It must be from an outside source then," Bunny said, shifting over and letting Merida sit down.
"What do you think, boss?" She said and we all looked at Jack, watching as his brows pulled together.
"I did some research on this home, there isn't any paranormal history behind it. The structure is solid. I think you're right, Bunny, it could be an outside source. Something influencing Hiro, or that came into contact with him after Tadashi's death. At least, that's when Tasha and Mark noticed his change."
"How would we figure that? Anyone, or thing, could have made contact with him in that time," Bunny said. How could we know if he was being influenced on from the outside?
"Could it be a curse?" I suggested.
"Perhaps," Jack mused, crossing his arms. "We need to figure every angle. Since everyone is gone, Bunny, can cleanse the house again? This time, we should keep barrier charms around the entrances. Also, make a salt barrier - once this house is clean, I want it to stay that way."
Bunny nodded as Jack paused, pursing his lips in thought. "Merida, can you prep this room? Move the furniture as far from the center and leave one of your Da'a here. If Hiro is possessed, the spirit won't take to us lightly. We should also set up a camera in this room."
"A-are ya' going to perform an exorcism?" Merida asked, shocked.
"If it comes down to that, I have someone on call to do it," Jack answered.
"You don't think it'll come down to that?" I was curious to know what he thought would happen.
Jack leaned forward on his knees and slowly stood up before walking over to the window. Outside was now dark and we watched as he gazed into the night.
"I have a good feeling that we won't be needing the exorcism." Jack turned around and looked at me directly.
"We don't have much time, since we don't know how long Hiro will be gone for. Hiccup, set up the cameras in here. And, I hate to ask, but can you do one more thing for me?" I swallowed, nervously. I hoped he wouldn't ask me to rely on using that dark power, because I wasn't entirely in control of it yet.
"I need you to go into the spirit realm and see if you can't find anything out."
"Bloody-hell, Jack," Merida snapped, standing up. "Are you out of your -"
"He's our only chance at possibly getting some answers. I don't like it any more than you do, but we all know he can access that world by astral projection." Jack said firmly, then our eyes locked.
"It's up to you, Hic. You have a unique gift. If you were to, it would make finding help for Hiro a lot easier. If you don't, we can come up with a different plan."
Now, they all looked at me. To let me choose - always, it was always my choice with Jack. I gnawed on my lower lip, waiting to feel any kernel of fear or emotion. I hadn't minded this afternoon, but now, it seemed like something far more sinister lay in that realm. And, somehow it knew I was a one-way ticket to the Gate. Could I risk it?
"Can't you ever just ask a normal favor, once in a while?"
Bunny chuckled and Merida settled back down into the couch cushions.
Only Jack, it seemed, understood that I hadn't entirely been joking. His face was tight. Like he precisely knew how nervous I was to set foot into the other side.
I would do it though; face the unknown to help Hiro and his family.
Content washed over me; settling deep within my core as the others conversed quietly around me. If there was anything to risk, it was here.
^.^
I set the camera up, exactly how he asked. And, I also thought it was a good idea to set one up outside the front porch, to see if Hiro was out there or would show up.
Bunny was dressed in his robes again, cleaning the home. We all moved throughout the rooms with him, listening carefully to his enchantments. The prayers were calming and he spoke in the religions' tongue so fluently, I forgot he was an aussie.
At the end of it, he stuck two of his barrier charms on branches of the peach tree outside the home Two charms for the front and two for the back.
As he finished up, I walked into the living room and sat down on the couch. Once we were finished up, Jack would brief us all on what's to happen throughout the night, then we would get to work. Merida, who moved the furniture around, was now setting up her inner circle.
She used her hands, lacing them together and creating a triangle. In a deeply drawn breath, she began chanting an incantation. Nothing happened at first, until the candles she had laid around the center of the circle lit up.
A ball of white light - like a white flame, hovered above it before dispersing. I felt the presence of the orb and squinted to try to see it again. It was faint, but I could sense it was here.
"That is my Da'a," Merida walked over to me after setting up a charm of her own near the lit candle.
"I remember you said that once, on our first case. What is that?" I watched the flaming white light hovering near the charm. I was tempted to go over to it and inspect it, but my senses told me not too. That part of me that belonged to the other realm screamed at me not to go near that shimmering ball of light.
"Once I've defeated a spirit, I can make it work for me. They can protect me from other types of spirits." She explained, plopping down onto the sofa with me.
"How many of those do you have?"
"Five, each one takes a certain amount of energy to control. Not to mention the power it takes to defeat a spirit. But, aren't you suppose to go to bed now?" She grinned, teasingly and I made a face. Then I remembered something Jack had told me earlier tonight.
"Do you think you can teach me? Some kind of protection spell, or something?"
"Hiccup," she sighed. "I really don't think I should - it becomes dangerous when someone who hasn't used defensive spells, suddenly tries and then can't control it."
"Please, Merida," I scooted closer to her, "I just don't want my only option to be to be running."
"Runnin'," Bunny cut in, "kept you safe today." He went to examine the shrine Merida had just cast, whistling lowly at it.
"Impressive, Priestess," he said.
I ignored him, focusing on Merida, "I want to learn. Please, Merida."
She was quiet for several moments, before giving me a small smile.
"I'll teach 'ya one; but I haven't the ingredients for it right now."
I nodded, enthusiastically, "thank you, Merida." And I meant it too. I really did want to learn other ways of protecting myself - so I didn't have to rely on my own power. So that, if I couldn't get over my panic, I would have an alternative.
"Alright, guys, everything looks great and we're ready to go," Jack strode into the room, a laptop in hand that he set on the coffee table and took a seat on the couch across from us. His eyes lifted from the screen to met mine.
"You ready, Hic?"
I licked my lips, nodding. He leaned back into the cushions.
"Where do you want to -"
"Can you really project?" Merida asked, quietly, cutting in. Jack closed his mouth, but kept his eyes on me and I saw a knowing sparkle behind them.
"I see everything as if I were still awake - as if... I was still sitting here with all of you. But, I'm on the other side, with the spirits." I didn't bother mentioning the other realm that I had access to.
"What's it like?" Merida pushed, lightly.
"The truth is, it's sad - I don't see many souls, just the ones that find me. Or if I'm looking for a particular soul, I can will it to me. They communicate to me like that and it's like they're living again - like I'm their tether to this life. I'm their voice."
I didn't look up throughout the entire time I spoke. The room was uncomfortably quiet, the first person to speak was Jack.
"So it's settled. Hiccup will find as many answers as he can there. Where do you want to do this, Hic?" he asked, again.
I didn't want to be alone again, this time. So I said, "here is fine. Just don't all stare at me okay? It gets a little weird."
Blindly, wildly, I lunged into that world. I sent my power lashing down that bond between myself and the other side.
It was strange this time, however, like something was expecting me to come back. There was a dark, colossal sense of a presence on the other side. My bond went taut, the thing under my skin was pulsing and -
A mental barricade blocked my path. The shield went on forever, the product of being afraid of this darkness for years. I brushed a mental hand against that wall.
It arched into my touch - purring and then relaxed. That other world opened for me. But, unlike all the other times where I had woken near my body, this time I was in the woods - like my soul was being drawn here by something.
I could see the tall, steel structure of the University from the treelines when a figure appeared in the darkness.
"You came back," Oliver said, approaching me.
"Did you bring me here?"
"No, I assume what brought you here, also brought me here." He frowned and my eyebrows dropped.
There was a screeching from behind him and I moved out of the way of a buzzing white-light. It passed through me in one motion and turned into a silhouette of a woman. There was another light that slowly floated over to us, a spirit of an elderly man. More and more spirits, in the sky and on land, went by us. They all moved in a similar motion, deeper into the woods.
"What's happening?" I looked back at Oliver, his nostrils flared and a part of his composure looked flawed - almost feral.
"This is dangerous, you need to get out of here. The ritual is calling on all the power of the dead," he explained. That was what all the spirits were doing - following the call.
I tried not to bump into any of the floating lights. "You mean, someone is going to use all these spirits?"
"Yes, and if that's the case, you need to wake up, Hiccup."
I tried to revert this world back into couch I had left my body in. Tried to imagine the smell of the lit candles and the feel of my clothes scratching my skin. This world hadn't even budged as I felt a shutter on my mind and yelped when I slammed into another inner shield. The reverberations echoing in me as if I had hit something with my body. I was trapped here.
"Try. Harder." Oliver hissed, grabbing my wrist, tugging us off the beaten path and out of the way of the oncoming ghosts.
I tried again - harder this time. Imagining that world and it slipped from my consciousness. Suddenly, there was a pounding on my skull. My nostrils flared as I clenched my eyes shut - a blurry white light flashed behind my eyes and made the world spin. Oliver grabbed me, steadying me as the nausea passed.
"I can't connect to my body," I stared around us, this had never happened before. I didn't understand. "What's happening?"
Fear rose in my gut - I was going to be stuck here. Maybe, if I had listened to my father this would have never happened. Maybe, if I had listened to my gut, I wouldn't be here. Was there a time limit a living soul could stay here? A shiver shuttered through my spine.
"Shh. It's the ritual - it's blocking the connection. Stay close to me for now," Oliver tugged on my wrist, lowering his hand in mine and we began walking out on the trail again. More spirits moved in front of us and I tried not to stare or draw too much attention to myself. I just looked straight ahead down the dark path of the woods. We walked deeper and deeper, the tree's blocking out all of the light and creating darker shadows on the path.
That's when I heard it - a sweet, lovely voice, beautiful like sunlight on a stream. It was enticing and enchanting and seemed to call to me. I felt Oliver struggle against the sound too, gripping my hand and I gave him a firm squeeze. The honeyed voice seemed to get louder as we got closer to the source. The words of the sweet melody becoming clear now:
Spirits of fire come to us: We will kindle fire,
Dance with magic, sacred circle,
To raise the cone of pow'r.
To bring what we desire,
Fire, fire fire; kindle our spirits higher.
In thy flame naught remains,
But fire, fire, fire.
The song felt ancient and horrible. In the darkness, we approached a coven; five hooded figures stood on a five-pointed pentagram. In the middle, was a shimmering, golden, soft light. A voice said, atop the lovely, cruel melody.
"Spirits; we call upon you this evening - ancestors, lend us your powers," one of the hooded figures raised a goblet as they stood over a makeshift shrine.
Oliver stopped walking, his features froze and I tugged on his hand, weaving us out of the way of oncoming spirits. I took refuge behind a large tree and some shrubs, but that call kept singing in my veins - calling me into that light. It was a battle to try and ignore it. And I could tell from the dark look on Oliver's face, it was the same inner battle for him.
"It's a portal," Oliver said in a hasty breathe.
"A portal to where?" I looked back at the hooded figures and their chanting increased in power. I squinted at one of the ghost figures approaching the portal; I had seen him somewhere, but couldn't put my fingers on it. The ghost had the same dark hair and exotic features as Hiro…
Tadashi. I recognized him from the pictures at Tasha's and Marks.
"No," I breathed aloud, stepping towards him. Oliver jerked me back.
"A portal to a vessel - Hiccup don't!" he growled at me as I tried to pull away from him, shoving against him.
"Tadashi!" I yelled out, instead. Desperate to get the ghost' attention.
Suddenly, the light stopped - the welcoming sound stopped and the enticed spirits dispersed wildly around the small clearing. Tadashi was the first to vanish and I watched as one of the coven members stepped towards the portal, which I now noticed was a live goat. It was tied to a post and was making terrible noises of distress. I didn't notice, but as I squinted in the dark, I could see the gash across the beast's neck. Both of us watched as, what seemed to be the leader, walked over to the dying creature with the goblet and drew the blood from the open wound of the goat.
Then, with a long dagger, they cut into the chest of the goat. It gurgled a painful cry into the woods as the heart of the beast was extracted from it's chest.
"Let us feast upon the life of the beast, infused with the power of the spirits." The hooded figure said, holding up the heart and the goblet, then turning to the nearest hooded figure. All at once, they withdrew their hoods and were all a blur of faces. All except one. Hiro.
The leader beckoned him to step forward into the pentagram. I wanted to shout out for him to get out of there but found myself unable to speak - unable to move.
Fear - undiluted, broken fear - slammed into me, and I remembered. I remembered what it was like being afraid and helpless and weak. I felt Hiro, my strange power latching on to him, to another living soul trapped here. These were his feelings, I realized. He remembered what it was to want to fight and live, to be willing to do anything to stay breathing -
But, that was because of Tadashi. And, now Tadashi was gone. He was gone forever.
He did not want him to die.
But, now all Hiro could think about was how he did not want to die. He did not want to be eaten. He did not want to go into that sweet darkness. They made him - cornered him when he was weak with the whispers of seeing Tadashi again, purring in his ear.
Out - he had to get out. But every time he tried, they were there.
And now -
"Passenger of this boy - brought back from the power of our coven, feast upon the living that has been infused with the souls of the dead!" The leader, a tall, colored woman, handed him the goblet.
Black panic crushed in - my mind, my soul connecting with his. He couldn't breathe and I kicked against that mental wall between us.
No, no, no, no, no-
"Drink Hiro, and you will be reunited with your brother," the woman moved the goblet towards him.
No. Stop, stop, stop.
I mouthed it.
You are strong, don't let them do this to you. I slammed my fists against the channel between us. Please, please - you are not weak, or helpless. You are not broken.
A cruel power lashed around us and crunched down, twisting. Hiro screamed but the power froze him in place - so much power, so easily controlled, roiling around him. I felt a glimmer of contemplation within it, if it should end his existence like an asp surveying a mouse.
The power snapped the bones and tendons in his hand and he screamed again. Tears of agony ran down his face -
Like a pair of scissors through a taut ribbon, the scene was severed, the shield keeping me here fell through and I gasped, blinking in the real world.
A chill went down my spine at the sight of what I had just witnessed. I was panting heavily, shaking from my core and a cold sweat covered my body.
Jack and Merida were at my side in an instant and I grabbed his arm, tears threatening to spill.
"The woods," I blurted. "Hiro's being held in the woods!"
Bunny, Merida and Jack all looked at each other, while I continued.
"There's a ritual happening there, behind the university. There's a shrine and Hiro is there, they're keeping him because he's carrying a passenger." I had no idea what that meant. I didn't care.
All I cared about was getting to Hiro before something awful happened.
None of them moved and I pushed away from them; standing up. "Why are we just standing here!"
Darkness roiled around me. I wanted to move - wanted to go and help him. The last memory of that scene…. Hiro was suffering so much.
"How far into the woods?" Merida asked, swiftly.
"There's a path from the university - the shrine is just off that path."
"Jack -"
"Go. Both of you," Jack's icy-blue eyes flickered to Bunny who jumped up. Merida and him left in one fast movement. Jack was already pulling on my arm as he fluidly stood up, heading for the door.
"Me and you will take the car."
I let him lead me outside where we ran to his Mercedes parked on the road. The SUV was already gone and there were no signs of it down the block. I tried to touch my magic again, to make sure it was still intact after being so close to such a dangerous ceremony. A dark glimmer responded to my touch and I settled into the seat. Bile rose in my gut and I hoped and prayed we would make it in time.
"What happened to Hiro?" Jack asked as we sped down the street. He was easily going twice the speed limit. I didn't care.
"These people, they approached Hiro when Tadashi had died. They must have promised him they could bring him back - or something. But, he was standing on the shrine and -"
"It's okay," Jack cooed, taking a hand off the wheel to grab my shaking one. I hadn't realized I began trembling again. I let myself reel in his smooth, cool touch.
"We need to get to him, Jack." I squeezed his hand, closing my eyes.
I didn't dare go into the darkness, or push myself back into that world. I simply welcomed the calling darkness in the back of my mind - finding that I could finally feel the protection of Toothless nearby. Even though I didn't summon him .
My fear had been my downfall, making it nearly impossible to summon my protector. But, sitting here, hand in hand with Jack, I felt safe.
"I feel safe around you," I admitted quietly. It was barley a whisper and I hadn't thought he heard it until he replied several moments later.
"You'll always be safe with me."
^.^
Authors Notes:
This was a really fun chapter to write - I love that Hiccup is getting use to his projection. But, he has to be more careful. I think he's getting a little ahead of himself and going past his boundaries.
Another thing I loved about this chapter was Hiccup connecting with Hiro through his fear - can anyone name the darkness? :)
I'm really happy with how this chapter turned out; I had three different drafts for it and (oddly) this was not one of them. But, I found this one would take the story into an interesting direction! And, we can build the bond between Jack and Hiccup some more (HEARTS!). Plus, we get some more Oliver time. We still need to figure out just what he's up to and why he's sticking around :/
Nonetheless, thank you for reading! I look forward to your comments and questions and criticisms (constructive).
OH! And as a note to some PM's I got: I do update Saturdays! So keep an eye out for me amounts those other amazing fanfics.
As always: FOLLOW and REVIEW
And, stay awesome!
