Ok, so this has got to be the LONGEST chapter I've written so far. Sorry about the long period of absence but I should have some time now. I'm a college graduate at this point (only undergrad meaning another two years of school for grad, but I am taking a break). Hopefully this will make up for my lousy updating habits. I almost kept going but decided to split this into two chapters instead of one, given the length this adventure was taking on. I did not mean to make this as elaborate as I did but it didn't seem right to make this simple. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter and the next one will be out as soon as I can get it finished.
Illusinia
Chapter 30
Grey and white spread out across the ground, as far as the eye could see. Grey and white, held in striking contrast against the deep blue sky. Valleys dipped out of sight only to appear minutes later and disappear as quickly. A virtual labyrinth of rock, snow, and ice lay across the ground beneath their feet.
Pansy's eyes swept across the barren landscape, seeking any hint of their destination. Many rumors had floated about for centuries concerning their destination but no one knew exactly where in the maze of valleys, cliffs, mountains, and cavernous tunnels that the small pin-prick of civilization, hidden away in the unforgiving landscape, could be found.
"Are you sure we're heading in the right direction Pansy?" asked Greg uncertainly. They'd been flying in the same direction for hours, watching as the sea gave way to green grasslands, cities, forests, and finally mountain. It had been nearly two hours now since they'd turned into the mountain range and started gliding along the air streams criss-crossing the peaks around them.
"Yes," murmured Pansy, her eyes glued to the snowy expanse rushing by beneath their feet. "I remember, Harmony told me about this place once. Its the place where sorcery was literally born."
"Literally born?" asked Vincent, who was flying right beside Greg's broom. "How is a magic form 'literally born'?"
Pansy just shook her head. "I mean, the founder of sorcery, a woman known as Mari-Sahalia, was born within the walls of the place we are going to. Very few non-sorcerer's know about this place. All sorcerer's know the story though."
Greg and Vince both looked at Pansy expectantly for a few moments before she realized they were waiting for her to say something more. "What?"
"Are you going to tell us the story?" prodded Greg.
Pansy raised an eyebrow at him uncertainly. "I suppose I could tell you. I don't know the story very well though, and its been years since I hear- THERE!" Pansy's sudden change in topic and gesture towards the ground startled both boys, so much so that almost fell from their brooms trying to stop.
"What, what is it?" asked Greg as he looked around sharply for any signs of danger or trouble. Given that Pansy was essentially a passenger on his broom, Greg felt the need to be extremely weary of their surroundings.
"Down there!" exclaimed Pansy excitedly as she pointed towards a shallow valley below.
The ground of the valley was nothing more than a white sheet, looking remarkably like every other snow-filled valley they had passed in the last two hours. Yet, something had clearly excited Pansy about THIS particular valley somehow, leading the boys to wonder if they were missing something...or if Pansy was hallucinating due to the nearly endless expanses of snow that they had passed by.
"What is down there?" repeated Vincent, who felt as confused as Greg looked at the moment.
Pansy shot Vincent a 'you're kidding right?' look before elaborating. "Thats where we need to go. Our destination. The place we've been looking for since we left the forests two hours ago!"
Greg and Vincent shared a look with one another, communicating in the silent way that twins often did. After a moment, Greg turned his attention back to Pansy, who was looking exceedingly annoyed. "Well, what are you waiting for?"
"Uh, Pansy, are you SURE this is where we need to be?" asked Vincent cautiously.
Pansy shot him an incredulous look, which quickly morphed into a acid-filled glare. "You don't even know where we're going, yet you're questioning me if this is the right place when I know where we're going?"
Vincent winced and sighed. Greg shot his brother a pitting look. Pansy's temper at school was known to be vicious and, while not as easily roused in real life as she pretended to allow it to be, when she really was angry the person on the other end of her anger often got burnt. Even smoldering embers burned.
"Where should we land?" asked Greg as he began to descend towards the valley floor.
Pansy's eyes scanned across the ground before she pointed towards the largest of the peaks in the valley. The mountain was strangely shaped with tall spikes rising off the ground curving towards the peak of the mountain. The whole thing looked somewhat like a porcupine with a cone-shaped mohawk. However, as they neared the mountain, details not visible from farther away began to stick out, revealing to Vincent and Greg what Pansy had seen from so far away.
What from far away had looked like large, jagged rocks from far away was revealed to be spikes of dark ice, likely centuries old. The ice had been shaped into spines which, when they drew closer, began to resemble more the spikes one might find on a dragon's back. They were not randomly spaced either, but rather moved in a coiling line around the mountain itself. The path was carved with scale-shaped steps, likely to provide traction for anyone climbing up around the outside of the mountain between the cavern entrances which were spattered across the sides of the mountains.
The real eye-catcher, however, was a series of statues carved into the face of the cliff at the bottom, beside an outcropping which resembled the head of a serpentine creature and the likely inspiration for the rest of the carvings up the side of the mountain. Six figures rested over head in all, though each one clearly embodied the spirit of a different clan. Five of the carvings appeared to have been carved at different times and all of them faced the oldest of the carvings, that of a woman, wrapped in a cloak, bearing a open book in her hands. From within the books pages, a single symbol was carved as if rising from the book itself. And the statue of the woman was definitely what caught the eye.
"Who is that statue of?" asked Greg, his eyes moving to Pansy and then the ground as their brooms came to land on the ground before the statue. Ground which was surprisingly hard. It took them a moment to realize that what they had above believed to be snow was in fact stone, white in color, and treated in such a way that it sparked like the snow in the surrounding valley.
"The woman?" asked Pansy as she slid from the broom handle while the broom still hovered a few inches from the ground.
"Yes."
"That is Mari-Sahalia," replied Pansy. "The founder of sorcery. This mountain was her home, was the home of the first sorcerer's. Its a sacred place for them."
"Some home," muttered Greg as they moved towards a large arch-way carved into the mountain itself which held two doors of wood, easily twelve feet high.
Reaching forward, Pansy lay her hand upon the doors and knocked, hard. The sound carried surprisingly well, as it could be heard echoing about inside the mountain itself. For several minutes nothing happened. Then, a sound came from beyond the doors, like someone lifting a heavy object aside. However, instead of the two doors opening, a section of stone beside the doors was pushed outward and a young man stepped from inside.
His hair was nearly raven black, with only a tint of blue keeping it from rivaling the night sky in darkness. His skin was the same color as the snow, creating a contrast that was normally shocking, if sorcery clan members were not your normal fare in terms of human contact. Given that many of them came from lines based in the darkness of night, it was in no way surprising to see another who looked as if the sun was foreign to them. His eyes were the catcher however, and almost immediately identified him as a member of the Demoupe clan. Very few people outside of the Demoupe clan had red eyes, though the color was extremely common among the half and full vampire clan members. His face was built much like that of a man from the Mediterranean with almost classical Grecian looks. Pansy could not help but idly wonder if one of his parents was actually a classical Grecian.
Heavy-looking robes were wrapped around his body, moonlight white in color, and tied in such a way that his build was clearly visible. His body was lean in build, likely from training aimed towards moving carefully as would be necessary in this world of ice and snow.
"May I help you?" The senscar held a slight hiss to it, as if the air were trying to move around larger than normal teeth, though it was very light in nature, reaffirming the three's observation that he was of the Demoupe clan.
Pansy nodded as she stepped forwards. "Yes, I believe so. We have been sent here by order of Harmony Slythen-Claw to retrieve a little girl by the name of Melody Slythen-Claw."
The young man's face bunched up in confusion. "I am afraid I can not help you, as I do not know anyone by that name within these walls. However, you are more than welcome to speak with our master, as he may know where you can find this young charge of yours."
Greg and Vincent shot each other suspicious looks, but before either could say a word, Pansy had accepted the mans offer and stepped into the mountain fortress.
The entrance cavern was surprisingly bright, given the fact that the walls were made of stone that must have been twenty feet thick at a minimum. Sunlight streamed into the room through some type of window positioned strategically behind the statue of the woman seen from the outside. The bright light filled a room in which a large garden was spread out. That such life could exist in this seemingly barren world surprised Pansy, Greg, and Vincent immensely.
"This garden is beautiful," whispered Pansy in awe as she took in the variety of plants spread out across the floor, all bathing in the sunlight and warmth of the room.
The man who had allowed them entrance chucked slightly. "I will be sure to pass on your compliments to Master Zerinth."
Greg, Vincent, and Pansy all looked at each other in confusion for a moment before Greg spoke up. "Who is Master Zerinth?"
Their current host blinked at them for a moment before replying, sounding somewhat uncertain of the situation at hand. "He's the Master of the monastery."
Now, it was Greg and Vincents turn to look unsettled.
"THIS is a monastery?" questioned Greg as he looked around the hall they stood in again. "This whole mountain?"
Red-eye raised a dark eyebrow. "This surprises you?"
Greg and Vincent could only nodded dumbly.
"Now now, Dasenel, you must remember that not every group of living creatures on the planet builds such structures as that which we live in." An older man stood behind their young host, now identified as Dasenel. His hair was silver in color, though he did not look older than mid to late 40's. His body was built slim, likely from the same lifestyle as Dasenel, and wrapped in the same snowy robe. His eyes were deep brown in color, framed by a sandy brown hair feathery in nature, and tanned skin. However, his words held the note of harmony so well known as a mark of the Harper clan.
"Master Zerinth," replied Dasenel, who bowed at the waist in respect to the man in front of him.
Master Zerinth smiled gently and nodded towards where Pansy, Greg, and Vincent stood. "Who are our young guests?"
Dasenel righted himself and nodded towards the three young wizards. "They claim to be here under order from Mistara Slythen-Claw to collect a young woman named Melody."
The Master's eyebrows shot up at the name Melody before he turned appraising eyes onto the three wizards, namely Pansy. Beneath the Master's stare, she tried not to wither. Without her charms, her veela blood shone like a lighthouse on a stormy night. And she knew that it was now being used to judge her.
Sorcerer views on other creatures tended to be very open minded. They saw all living creatures as equal, though wizards were often seen as less simply because their attitudes were considered "backwards". If a wizard proved themselves different, however, they were openly accepted by sorcerer's. Pansy, Greg, and Vincent had all passed that test years ago, but none of them knew if that would hold up, given how much time had passed. However, Zerinth simply made a motion to Dasenel, to which the young man bowed again and left the hall. When he had departed, Zerinth turned back to Pansy, Greg, and Vincent, indicating they should follow him. All three exchanged a look before they followed the Master deeper into the garden.
As they moved deeper into the garden, the foliage became taller and more concealing as bushes covered in beautiful flowers and strangely colored fungi such as the cobalt blue mushrooms began to take over where the lower laying ground-hugging plants had been. Though the change was different, it was none the less beautiful and Pansy felt herself lost in the beauty of the place.
Greg and Vincent, on the other hand, had their eyes glued firmly on their host as he led the on. Sorcerer-Wizard cooperations were very rare; the one that Greg, Vincent, Pansy, and Draco were in was one of only four known cooperative actions. Amon was in another as the head guard of Azkaban. The other two were in the Shampires and Harper clan. Rumors said there was one in the Nemacry clan too, but no one knew if this was accurate.
Both boys had a greater concern though, and that was connected to their being fully human. No sorcerer clan contained purely normal humans, not even the smallest of the clans. Each one had something distinguishable about it that generally applied to all its members, a trait or appearance element that marked them as clearly mixed in blood. Thus, pure humans were sometimes looked upon as worth less because they were all one race. Though very, very few sorcerer's held this opinion, a few did. It was considered unthinkable that anyone would ever act on such thoughts, but being in a remote mountain monastery surrounded by sorcerer's who may never have even seen a full-blooded human meant that Greg and Vincent might actually witness for the first time in their lives someone act in a discriminatory manner towards them. Pansy would be fine with her half-veela blood as long as her wizard's blood did not anger anyone, but they had no other blood than human coursing though their veins which put them in a decidedly more precarious position. All their thoughts were interrupted, however, when the Master cleared his throat and drew their attention back to him.
He stood just within a wooden door way, an elegant office spread out behind him. Pansy, Greg, and Vincent exchanged looks before Greg lay a hand on Pansy's shoulder.
"Pansy, I think its better if you go in and Vincent and I remain out here," Greg told her gently.
A confused look crossed Pansy's face, but before she could argue, Vincent spoke up.
"Greg's right Pan, by sorcerer standards you are a more suitable person to interact with and, especially in a place as isolated as this, this whole meeting will likely go much smoother and more comfortably than if Greg and I were in there with you," explained Vincent. He risked a glance as Master Zerinth who resembled a block of stone, though his shoulders did drop a little more into a relaxed position.
"But..." started Pansy before Master Zerinth spoke up.
"This meeting is best held in private Miss," he confirmed, nodding his head towards Greg and Vincent in an almost thankful manner, "and, while I'm certain that you're friends are fully privy to the information we will exchange, it is best that as few people as possible are in attendance to make the flow of information smoother."
Seeming to realize that she was not going to win, Pansy nodded in response and turned to Greg and Vincent. "You too will wait out here, right? Immediately outside the door?"
Both brothers nodded, which seemed to help Pansy relax a little more before she turned and followed Master Zerinth into his office.
The office was simple in design but still somehow absolutely magnificent. A carved wooden desk sat near the back wall and many wooden bookshelves lined the walls of the space. Stone statues and metal floor-standing candelabras were spaced between the shelves. Light fell from candles and small balls that rather resembled what she thought frozen balls of water would if there was a way to transplant a miniature sun in the center of said ball. These were scattered across the desk, hanging in small slings formed from knotted ropes, and were set in metal stands around the room. The whole place was beautiful and surprisingly bright.
Master Zerinth moved to sit on a shortened version of what looked like a fainting couch without the curve in the arm of the chair and with a high back running along one side. The soft-looking fabric which covered the piece of furniture was moss-green with stone-gray pillows added to the back. A second piece of furniture stood near by, resembling a large stone in appearance, but with only minimal support in the back and base, instead the majority of the shape being the result of the soft filling inside the massive cushion of the chair. Pansy slid into this second chair, keeping an eye on Master Zerinth the whole time. When she was settled he began to speak.
"Now, please Miss..."
"I prefer Guard Parkinson if you don't mind."
Zerinth looked a little surprised but agreed none the less. "Well then Guard Parkinson, what brings you here?"
"I was asked to retrieve the youngest of the Slyten-Claw head family, a girl named Melody who was placed here for her own safety."
"And what is your reason for wanting to remove her now from the care she has been placed in?"
Pansy was quiet for a moment, unsure how much to tell this man, but remembering the rules of hierarchy in sorcery, specifically the rules concerning Masters. "Her eldest sister, Harmony, has been killed. We fear for her safety and wish to bring her to a location where a better eye can be kept on her. My leader, Captain Malfoy, assigned me the task."
aaZerinth's eyebrows shot up. "Captain Draco Malfoy?"
Pansy nodded.
Silence reigned supreme in the room for several moments before Zerinth stood and turned towards a small bowl which contained several of the glowing balls. "What has happened exactly."
Pansy paused for a moment and took a breath, before she began to recount everything she knew about the current situation from the basilisk being released into the school to the witnessing of Harmony's body being carried into the Ministry. She told him what she knew and then fell silent again, waiting on Zerinth to make the next move.
Several minutes passed before he rose and gave one command. "Come with me."
Vincent and Greg found themselves fidgeting almost immediately after Pansy entered Zerinth's office. Though trust was something they should have been able to place in this man, entrusted to guard one of the most precious treasures their friend had, the found themselves doubtful of him. Though it probably had something to do with him being a member of the Harper clan. They hadn't met many members of that clan and found themselves often doubtful of members of clans they knew little about. They hadn't felt a great deal of trust towards Harmony when they'd first met her either, and look what had come to grow between them!
The sound of a person clearing their throat near by brought both boys back to attention. A young woman stood before them, though she didn't look like she belonged anywhere near the monastery.
She couldn't have been more than 5'6" tall or older than sixteen. Her skin was the color of powered silica tinted with silver, hair as pale as white-sand beaches pulled towards her back with her long bangs left framing her face. The only color that adorned her natural body was her eyes which shown a ruby red color, even in the darkness of the cave, and set in a face with features that looked as delicate as crystal. Robes did not adorn her body, instead being replaced with a high-necked ice-blue dress which hugged her body to her waist where the fabric loosened and fell simply around her legs. Sleeves covered her arms to the wrist, clinging to her lean muscles though the fabric looked flexible and not restraining. Her hands were free, leaving her long fingers to move about as they pleased. A glint of pale-blue could be seen near her wrists, where her hands and arms met, though the dress covered it for the most part. The truly shocking element of her body was her wings. She had wings folded against her back, skin stretching over the bony edges and spanning the distance between finger-like protrusions which covered the distance between the wings edge and what they guessed must be her back.
A second person stood beside her, a man who looked well into his twenties versus her teens. He stood at nearly six feet, with a body built like a rock and colored nearly the same way. Deep gray skin covered his body, revealed in far more places than the girl beside him was. Where she was covered from nearly head to toe, he wore only pants and a trench coat-style jacket, leaving much of his torso bare. Pure muscle rippled across his stomach and chest, with nearly midnight colored scales creating patches of darkness along his sides, disappearing around the back of his body. Unlike the girl, who's skin held almost no color, the mans was deeply colored, creating almost a shadow of the girl he stood with. His hair was the color of wet stone and was cut short, though it stuck up in all directions. His eyes were a strange color though, almost an acid green and seemed to nearly glow in the cave, creating a strange effect across his hard features that left them looking shadowed.
"Excuse me, do you know where Master Zerinth is?" The girls senscar was tainted by a hiss, similar to the one Harmony had, only somehow different. The sound was deeper than Harmony's ever got to be, as if the hiss belonged to a much larger creature than the snake one of the Slythen-Claw clan.
"Yes, he is," replied Vincent, making sure the hiss of the Slythen-Claw clan carried on his own senscar words. "He is speaking with another at the moment though. Is it possible for you to wait to speak with him?"
The man behind this young woman raised an eyebrow for a moment before his eyes narrowed and a faint growl escaped his throat, tainting the words that followed. "I'm sure any business a couple of wizards brings is far less important than the news that we bring."
"Garth!" exclaimed the woman harshly as she turned to glare up at the man behind her in warning before turning back to Vincent. "Please, excuse him. He does not the most patient of people." Pausing for a second, the woman extended her hand in a friendly manner. "I'm Gwyn."
Vincent nodded at her and took her hand, shaking it gently. "Vincent and this is my brother, Gregory."
Gwyn nodded to Greg who was still pacing about nervously. "Its a pleasure to meet you."
"As it is to meet you," confirmed Vincent.
Gwyn withdrew her hand and seemed uncertain for a moment before opting to speak again. "So, may I ask what brings you to Sensanticancia?"
Vincent stiffened notably. "Nothing good, unfortunately. We are actually here under orders by our Captain to retrieve something stashed here."
Gwyn's eyes widened. "What has happened to Mistara Slythen-Claw?"
Confusion crossed Vincent's face and Greg stopped his pacing, also shooting a confused look at Gwyn. They had heard Dasenel use the same name earlier but they did not know its meaning.
"I'll assume you are referring to Harmony Slythen-Claw, but why does everyone keep calling her Mistara?"
Gwyn colored slightly realizing the confusion and nodded. "I'm sorry, I forgot that most people don't use Mistara any more. The name simply means Master, though its use indicates someone of far greater power than a mere master."
Greg and Vincent exchanged looked of confusion again before looking back at Gwyn.
"She's stronger than a master?" Vincents voice belayed his surprise. He'd know that Harmony was strong, even by sorcerer standards, but he hadn't realized she was THAT strong.
Gwyn nodded in a sage-like manner. "Yes, she is quite strong, that is why I am so worried about what has happened to her. If you are here, that means something very bad must have happened."
Vincent raised an eyebrow. "What do you know about Harmony and our business here?"
Gwyn paused for a moment, glancing around before dropping her voice. "If you are here, you must be looking for the little one, correct?"
Greg and Vincent gaped at her in surprise.
"Don't look so surprised," added Gwyn quietly. "I've known Harmony for ages. We are of similar circumstance and thus have between us a unique trust and understanding. When she asked that her youngest sibling be allowed sanctuary within the Master's clan walls, I pushed to allow it."
Confusion crossed both boys faces as they turned to look at each other.
"If her sister is with another clan..." started Vincent.
"...then why did Pansy think this was the right place?" wondered Greg.
Gwyn shot them both worried looks. "You mean, she thinks that the little one is here?"
Greg nodded. "Yes, she's inside talking with Master Zerinth now about her."
Sever curses began to fall from Gwyn's tongue as she turned towards the door to the office and muttered some words, light flashed under her dress as a flash flew from her fingers, a ball of ice striking the door and blowing it in. Behind the door, an empty office was all that remained.
Please review and let me know what you think!