1.1 Chapter III
1.2 The Arrival
"They're here, I tell you they are! I saw them fall from the great twist! You've got to believe me!" Pleaded a cowering figure. It seemed truthful, but it was impossible to say really.
"Through him to the Jackabes. Now!" Ordered a sickening voice, and the hideous beasts obeyd his command.
"He couldn't be telling the truth, could he Daniel?" The same, disgusting creature asked.
"You do not ask me questions!" thundered a normally smooth voice, the owner unseen. "Now leave me, beast!"
* * * * *
"Come Shaxzan, you must practice! Otherwise you will not pass your initiation test tomorrow, and there's no need to tell you what that would mean, and then there's the fact that I can retire, go back to living in the mortal realm. I can retire!" came an old voice from a nearby room. We sneaked past, keeping low, and listened from the shadows, as far as we knew, hidden. I felt a presence near us, and shrunk back to the furthest of the darkness. It passed. The door to the room from which the voices had come opened slowly, but no being was seen.
We heard whispering from within, but I couldn't make out what was being said.
"Quick!" I hissed. Then I grabbed De's arm, and yanked it hard. We silently sped down the corridor, and through an open door that led us into a still place, but not a room.
"Morgan! Morgan, where are we?" De pleaded. "Look behind you! Why did we move anyway?"
"De, we left 'cause, just 'cause there was someone there ok? And what is it? I'm looking out for anyone who could be coming." But as I looked round, I realised what the problem was.
We were on some kind of balcony, but the astonishing thing was what it stood over: an enormous cave, perfectly dome shaped, and located in the centre was a cauldron, surrounded by around 40 women, each holding a herb, standing in the form of a star.
"Morgan! Morgan, what if they see us? We've got to move again!" De begged, she seemed desperate, but why?
"Chill De, we can't help anything by panicking, there just more likely to notice us if we make a fuss! Now crouch low, and try to keep a look out, k? I think they know we're here now, I think they're searching us out." As my petrified, but slightly calmer, friend turned towards the only way on and off the balcony, my eyes gazed back to the fascinating scene below. They were performing a spell, so I listened hard. All I could make out were a few words: Guntrard! Guide us, find, the chosen something, the girls of light. Though I can't guarantee they even said any of that.
I looked away from the wiccan group, and back to the silver-grey walls of the domain. A single candle, that's all I could see. I focused on it, unblinking. My eyes were locked. All of my fears vanished as I heard a voice, unheard by all others.
It spoke "You are of the three, you have been brought here, whether by evil or good, but you must overcome all obstacles, or all is lost; in the hands of time, forever. Go now, walk to the candle, and place over it your hand. Then you, and whom ever else you wish it upon shall be invisible, to all but yourselves.
"Be warned child, for your path to the others will not be easy. Your companion is an innocent, and she is also important. The way is filled with evil, so reach into the wall, just below the candle, and you will find a guide. Good luck to you!"
Entranced, I walked to the candle, no one noticed. I plunged my hand into the flickering flame. No one saw. Then I was gone, invisible to all, but the other three, should they be around. I knew that somehow, as if I'd always known. I walked through the solid wall, a strange sensation being all that I felt. It was there, just as the power had proclaimed.
1.2 The Arrival
"They're here, I tell you they are! I saw them fall from the great twist! You've got to believe me!" Pleaded a cowering figure. It seemed truthful, but it was impossible to say really.
"Through him to the Jackabes. Now!" Ordered a sickening voice, and the hideous beasts obeyd his command.
"He couldn't be telling the truth, could he Daniel?" The same, disgusting creature asked.
"You do not ask me questions!" thundered a normally smooth voice, the owner unseen. "Now leave me, beast!"
* * * * *
"Come Shaxzan, you must practice! Otherwise you will not pass your initiation test tomorrow, and there's no need to tell you what that would mean, and then there's the fact that I can retire, go back to living in the mortal realm. I can retire!" came an old voice from a nearby room. We sneaked past, keeping low, and listened from the shadows, as far as we knew, hidden. I felt a presence near us, and shrunk back to the furthest of the darkness. It passed. The door to the room from which the voices had come opened slowly, but no being was seen.
We heard whispering from within, but I couldn't make out what was being said.
"Quick!" I hissed. Then I grabbed De's arm, and yanked it hard. We silently sped down the corridor, and through an open door that led us into a still place, but not a room.
"Morgan! Morgan, where are we?" De pleaded. "Look behind you! Why did we move anyway?"
"De, we left 'cause, just 'cause there was someone there ok? And what is it? I'm looking out for anyone who could be coming." But as I looked round, I realised what the problem was.
We were on some kind of balcony, but the astonishing thing was what it stood over: an enormous cave, perfectly dome shaped, and located in the centre was a cauldron, surrounded by around 40 women, each holding a herb, standing in the form of a star.
"Morgan! Morgan, what if they see us? We've got to move again!" De begged, she seemed desperate, but why?
"Chill De, we can't help anything by panicking, there just more likely to notice us if we make a fuss! Now crouch low, and try to keep a look out, k? I think they know we're here now, I think they're searching us out." As my petrified, but slightly calmer, friend turned towards the only way on and off the balcony, my eyes gazed back to the fascinating scene below. They were performing a spell, so I listened hard. All I could make out were a few words: Guntrard! Guide us, find, the chosen something, the girls of light. Though I can't guarantee they even said any of that.
I looked away from the wiccan group, and back to the silver-grey walls of the domain. A single candle, that's all I could see. I focused on it, unblinking. My eyes were locked. All of my fears vanished as I heard a voice, unheard by all others.
It spoke "You are of the three, you have been brought here, whether by evil or good, but you must overcome all obstacles, or all is lost; in the hands of time, forever. Go now, walk to the candle, and place over it your hand. Then you, and whom ever else you wish it upon shall be invisible, to all but yourselves.
"Be warned child, for your path to the others will not be easy. Your companion is an innocent, and she is also important. The way is filled with evil, so reach into the wall, just below the candle, and you will find a guide. Good luck to you!"
Entranced, I walked to the candle, no one noticed. I plunged my hand into the flickering flame. No one saw. Then I was gone, invisible to all, but the other three, should they be around. I knew that somehow, as if I'd always known. I walked through the solid wall, a strange sensation being all that I felt. It was there, just as the power had proclaimed.