Trail of Secrets
Chapter 24
Harry floated through the darkness that was Herpo's insides. Whatever it was made of ate through his barrier, cold seeped through his protection, covering his bare skin in a layer of frost.
Each movement was a struggle it felt like ice had frozen his joins together.
His eyes flicked from side to side, searching for his target.
Snowflakes fell off his eyelashes.
Allowing his eyes to drift closed, he reached out with his senses.
The last of his barrier faded away.
A blast of cold slammed into his body feeling like knives stabbing into his lungs.
In his mind's eye, he could see a small flickering bead of light.
Raising his right hand, he reached for it while opening his eyes.
The world before his hand seem to shimmer, a bullet shaped ball of light appearing inches in front of his palm. His fingers began to curl around it.
Suddenly, a pale hand shot out from the darkness, clamping around his wrist.
Dark eyes opened in the blackness, "Hello nephew."
– XX –
Bellatrix lay on the ground. Soft grass sprouted beneath her as Eldridge power whipped around Morgan.
She stared at the woman's back. Morgan Le Fay had been a hero of the family since its founding. Her mastery of magic was something every Black strove for. Her hand curled around the newly grown grass. Now she lay here bleeding so that woman could live.
No, she was a Black, and Blacks were not sacrificial lambs for others.
She took a deep breath, drawing in the emotion that saturated the air. Every living thing left in other world felt fear and she drew it all in.
Energy flooded her body, giving her strength and healing her wound.
Slowly, she pushed herself to her feet wincing as the new skin around her wound pulled.
Energy whipped out from the small plot of grass Morgan had created leaving a trail in the grey ash that was now the ground of Otherworld.
A grim smile split Morgan's face as ash swirled around Herpo's legs, transforming into giant chains that bound him in place. Her hands glowed as she poured more power into the magic.
The chains began to snake their way up Herpo's body trapping him in a metal net.
Herpo roared, lashing his body against his metal bindings.
Morgan winced feeling the drain on her reserves as they plummeted in order to keep Herpo bound. Beads of sweat popped out on her brow as her reserves got lower, her hands began to tremble.
"Seems like you could use some help."
"You're alive," Morgan said without turning around, "impressive."
"I should kill you."
"But you won't."
Bella's hands curled into fists, "You're right, I won't. Your magic is the only thing that seems to be affecting Herpo right now. Granted, his very presence is death, so all he has to do is wait."
"Otherworld's mind to rule," Morgan snarled, "I refuse to be beaten by an overgrown lizard."
Bellatrix wanted to ask what about the people of Otherworld and how they were being affected. From the emotions she was pulling in there were only a few thousand left and that number was getting smaller by the second, but instead she placed her hand on Morgan shoulder.
Pushing her magic into Morgan, she felt it mix with the woman's potent magic, becoming more powerful as it was pushed outward into Morgan spell.
Along the links of the chain two-foot-long spikes exploded inwards puncturing Herpo's body.
Dark blood ran in giant rivulets down his massive body from the puncture wounds.
Herpo thrashed around, chains being pulled taut as he tried to rear up on his hind legs.
Three sets of yellow eyes locked onto the duo as Herpo slammed back down, sending both women swaying on their feet.
"I was content," Herpo bellowed, "to ignore you until my aura drained you to ash like the rest of this world, but now you have hurt me."
His body glowed as it began to shrink, the corrupting power of his aura diminished, it spreads slowing as his body took on a more humanoid form.
With a flick of her hands, Morgan dismissed the chains, re-absorbing the magical energy.
Slapping her hands together, she pulled them apart magical energy in between them crackling as a Persian style sword appeared. Grabbing the handle of the blade in her left hand, she spun it.
"Get ready."
Herpo the foul exploded forward, black scales glistening along his body as he moved. His slitted yellow eyes locked onto Morgan Le Fay.
Bellatrix took a step back, exhaling slowly.
Her body expanded, the velvet fabric of her dress stretching taut as the muscles bulged.
Herpo closed the distance between himself and Morgan, his left hand making complicated signs.
A small spell circle appeared around the tips of his fingers, a black snake exploding from its center.
Morgan spun, chopping down with her sword, while extending her right hand outward.
Her blade cleaved through the snake's head, dark blood spurting on the air.
A blast of wind spiraled from her open palm.
Herpo twisted out of the way, his mouth unhinging as he released a gout of fire.
Cursing Morgan dropped low trying to get underneath the flames.
A shadow blocked her vision, Bellatrix stepped in the way, a black aura outlining her skin. She thrust her fist forward, her bicep exploding from the sleeve of her dress.
The aura around her arm pushed the flames to either side of them.
Her fists slammed into Herpo's face, sending him bouncing across the ground, blood streaming from his now broken nose.
–XX –
On instinct, Harry's power exploded outwards, creating a small realm of normality inside the darkness. He dropped down as if he was standing on the floor, water running off his body as the ice that had coated his frame melted.
The figure holding his hand flinch backwards, releasing his wrists.
Harry backed away, getting his first good look at the man as he put some distance between them.
He was tall with a square jaw, short black hair, and high cheekbones. A black leather corset stood out against his paper white skin.
"Who are you?"
The figure raised his large hand, using slender fingers to shield his dark eyes, "I am Desire."
"The Desire that promise to kill the other endless because they sent his evil lover to hell?"
Desire sighed, "The very same."
Folding his arms behind his back, Harry leaned forward, "How did you end up here?"
Desire moved back into the shadows, "I knew my sister had escaped with you into this universe. I wasn't going to allow her to be happy. However, unlike my sister I didn't have another aspect in the universe that I could connect to."
"So, I focused on my domain, pushing it into this multi-verse, I found three beings that desire matched my goal. The darkness from my home universe sought to consume all. The goblin force of this one wanted to be the only power.
Herpo the foul wanted to show the world his genius, so with a little push I brought them together."
"Using the desire that bound them all together to enter Herpo's body at the point of merging."
He shook his head, "I never expected to find myself so weak from traveling to another universe that I would be nothing but a passenger in this body, my power consumed to fuel the small portions of the entity that became locked together during the merger."
Harry moved forward swinging one leg in front of the other, "You turned Herpo into the monster he is so that you could have a body to kill my mother?"
"A foolish desire I now admit, but at the time I was so consumed by rage. Now all I want to do is leave here and make up for my wrongs."
Harry moved forward, stretching out his left hand, "Well if you want to leave, I'm going to need that," he nodded to the bullet floating close to Desire.
"Of course," with the force of will, desire sent the small object floating towards Harry.
Reaching out his right hand, Harry wrapped it around the bullet shaped spark.
It glowed brighter, it's light shining between his fingers.
Flipping over his left hand, Harry curled his fingers. "If you want to leave, take my hand."
Desire reached out, intertwining his fingers with his nephew.
In the blink of an eye, Harry lunged forward, driving a dagger of purifying energy into Desire's heart. Twisting it, he poured his power of purification through the blade, using desires own energy to amplify his power.
Desire fell to his knees, "Why?" He gasped.
"You are an abstract entity given form. It is impossible for you to fight your very nature. I could smell your future betrayal a mile away."
Twisting his hips, he brought a curved blade around, decapitating his uncle.
The dagger in his chest exploded in a massive release of purifying energy.
–XX –
Herpo rolled to his feet coming up in a crouch, raising his arms in a boxer's stance, he blurred across the ground.
Sliding 1 foot back, Bellatrix raised her own hands, the black aura that outlined her body flickering as she burned through the emotions she absorbed. She inhaled again, but only a small trickle flowed into her body.
Turning her body to dodge Herpo's punch, she brought her right arm screaming towards his gut.
Herpo gagged, the punch to the gut knocking the wind out of him.
Placing both hands on Bellatrix's extended arm, he vaulted over her body, launching a kick towards the back of her head that sent her stumbling forward.
Bellatrix fell onto her hands and knees her vision blurring.
Morgan phased into existence on Herpo's left, swinging her curved blade at his head.
Catching the blade between two fingers, he delivered a palm strike to her chest that sent her skidding backwards.
"Is this all you have? Is this the power of the mighty Morgan Le Fay."
Jumping up on her hands, Bellatrix spun her legs around in a kick.
Catching her legs, Herpo spun her around, tossing her into Morgan.
The two hit the ground in a tangle of limbs.
"This isn't going well," Bellatrix said lifting herself off Morgan.
"You think."
Herpo raised two fingers, a black ball of energy appearing at the tips, "This has been fun, but my consumption of this realm is almost complete. Once it is, there will be more worlds for me to devour."
"That's your plan," Morgan sneered, "to devour all of existence, and here I thought you had more ambition than that."
Herpo's yellow slitted eyes narrowed, "Just die."
The energy on his finger suddenly died away, he raised his hand to stare at his fingers as scales began to peel off his body and lifted into the air. "What's happening!"
Bellatrix smirked, "Maybe it was something you ate."
Herpo's head fell back in a scream, white energy pouring out of his eyes and mouth.
Harry materialized six feet in the air above them, roiling white clouds with bolts of blue electricity dancing between them appeared above him.
Herpo fell backwards, his muscular form withering away into nothing more than skin and bones, his sunken yellow eyes stared up at the roiling energy above him.
Harry drifted towards the ground.
The moment he touched down Bellatrix wrapped him in a hug.
Pulling away, she kissed him hard.
On instinct, Harry wrapped his arms around her pulling her close.
They broke apart panting, Bellatrix resting her forehead against his.
"Took you long enough."
"I ran into a little issue."
Bellatrix pulled back, staring at him with a raised eyebrow.
Too tired to explain but enjoying the warmth of her body after the cold of Herpo's insides, he pressed a kiss to her forehead, transferring his memories of what happened inside Herpo to her.
"Your uncle was behind all this," she looked around.
"It appears so."
"What's going to happen now that he's dead?"
"That's a good…"
Harry was cut off as the energy in the sky swirled around, shooting down in three streams and into Bellatrix.
Bellatrix gasped as the energy filled her, she lifted into the air, pure white light shining from her body. Her wounds healed. Her torn gown transformed into one of pure silk outlined with silver.
Slowly, she drifted towards the ground her eyes fluttering open to reveal glowing purple irises.
"What happened?" She asked in a breathless voice.
Harry stared at her, his eyes wide, "I think you just became the new aspect of desire."
"Why me?"
"With Desire being in a universe different from his own, the rules of Ascension where he is reincarnated would not apply. However, for there to be a balance in my mother's home universe there has to be a desire, so the power has to go somewhere," he gestured to her.
"That still doesn't explain why I was chosen instead of someone else," she glanced at Morgan.
Harry followed her gaze, "Oh you mean her," he gestured around them, "look at what she did to this place, would you trust her with that kind of power?"
Morgan stomped forward, "I will not stand here and be insulted."
Harry looked at her, "Then don't."
Turning back to Bellatrix, he continued, "I think it had something to do with your empathic abilities. Since desire is a human emotion, I think you were the best candidate."
"Okay."
Harry grabbed her hands, "Don't worry, we'll figure this out together."
A small smile spread across his face, "After all, I haven't been an aspect for very long either."
Bellatrix let her eyes sweep over the endless expanse of ash that was now Otherworld, "There must be something we can do for this place, Otherworld is an important place of power for this universe."
Harry tapped his chin, "There is one thing we could try, but it would require us combining our powers," He looked at Morgan, "and the three of us working together."
Morgan opened her mouth to say something, but Bellatrix cut her off.
"What is it?"
"You are the aspect of desire, I am the aspect of rebirth, if you focus on Morgan's desire of what other world is, I should be able to push my power of rebirth through that desire and restore at least a semblance of Otherworld."
Bellatrix looked at Morgan, "But doing this would most likely make Morgan the undisputed Queen of Otherworld." she looked back at Harry. "After everything she's done, I don't think she deserves that type of reward."
"You have a better idea?"
Bellatrix looked up in thought, "What about the souls of the people of Otherworld you absorbed during the battle? What about their desire?"
Harry nodded, "That would work, but it will require more energy from both of us."
Bellatrix glanced at Morgan, "better than leaving this monster as Queen."
"No," Morgan launched forward, "you will make me Queen."
Harry raised a hand, freezing her in place, "No we will not," he looked her over, "However, since you did help us in the battle against Herpo, I suppose you do deserve a reward."
Inhaling sharply, he pulled Morgan's soul from her body absorbing it into his own.
Her body crumpled to the floor and ashen grey color.
"May you do better in your next life."
"Are you ready?" He asked turning to Bellatrix.
Bellatrix stared at him lust burning in her eyes, "I am so hot for you right now."
His lips curled upwards in a smirk, "Later."
Wrapping their arms around one another, they held each other close as a wave of bluish white energy exploded from them washing over the realm of Otherworld.
The light of rebirth, reflected in Herpo's yellow eyes as his body crumbled into nothing but a skeleton, his flesh joining the ash of the world he had destroyed.
