Disclaimer: TopCow owns the Witchblade. The rituals and social practices represented in this story are purely imaginary. The cavern does exist (without the cave paintings) - Kartchner Caverns in Arizona.
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Ian surveyed the nighttime battlefield from his hiding place. The attackers had arrived in darkness. Apparently they weren't all of the same group because they fought among themselves even as they approached the ruins. It had been 2 hours since Lasar and Sara descended into the earth. Ian hoped they would be back soon so they could break out of this trap. The ruined keep was not a place he would wait out a siege if he had a choice.
His mind ticked along as he watched combatants and predicted their movements. Nothing out of the ordinary here but he just didn't get much practice at this sort of engagement. If he were to stop and think about it he would realize he was enjoying this, flexing strategic muscles as well as physical. His battle fugue was tempered by the need to remember what he was protecting.
Edward Dougherty's men seemed dependable and competent. For a second Ian felt like he was back with the Black Dragons. The thought passed quickly - he would never fight beside the Black Dragons again. That door was closed, the bridge burnt.
He had stationed himself as close to the hole that marked the entrance to the tunnel as he could. His assignment was to hold off anyone that would stumble across it if they got closer. At least for now the attackers didn't know about it - didn't know that their quarry was underground.
A figure walked out of the shadows toward the hole. Ian quickly fired off a few rounds to stop or discourage this new threat. But there was no reaction. The figure acted as if none of the bullets had hit even though Ian was sure of his aim. Whoever this was was a phantom. Phantom? The stranger wore an overcoat and his hair was black, lank, and long. Ian recognized him - Danny.
It occurred to Ian to worry about Sara - seeing Danny was not a good sign. Danny looked at him and motioned, beckoning for Ian to come to the hole. Then Danny jumped in.
Ian grabbed Seanain who was near by. "Cover me. I have to go below. Don't let anyone approach the tunnel." Seanain nodded his understanding as he kept his eyes on the action.
Ian crawled to the hole and slid in - staying as low as possible in hopes that he wouldn't draw attention to where he was going. Danny was in the little chamber. He motioned towards the tunnel. It seemed obvious he was signaling Ian to go down - Ian took that to mean he was needed below. He had a tiny penlight - one of the things he carried as standard equipment. Using that he set out to descend into the tunnel.
~~~~~~~~~
Sara knelt across the small fire from Lasar. He had made the fire with kindling he bought along in his backpack. He told her to remove her coat and shirt, leaving her in a t-shirt. The cavern was cool and she shivered. The little fire was only big enough to give off some light but not warmth.
Lasar asked her to give him the First Blade. She took the little metal box out of her coat pocket and handed it to him. He set it on the ground in front of him. From his backpack he brought the bottle of water, and a leather roll which opened up to reveal a raven feather, a goose feather, and some charcoal.
"This water comes from the spring that rises here at Connemara. It is thrice-blessed, in shamanistic times, in druidic times, and in Christian times. Drink." Sara took a mouthful of water and gave the bottle back. Then Lasar motioned for Sara to set her left arm on the stained rock and poured some of the water on her wrist. He gave her the raven feather to hold in her right hand, the wild goose feather in her left. Then he crushed the charcoal into a powder and sprinkled it on her wrist. Sara gulped.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Ian came into the cavern where he could see the faint glow of the fire and made his way towards it. When he got there he saw Sara sitting on her heels and Lasar sitting cross-legged. Sara's face was pale. Her left wrist was perched on a rock and blood and charcoal ran off her wrist onto the rock. Sara seemed to be in a trance.
Lasar called out to Ian "Come, sit beside Sara." He indicated the spot to Sara's right.
"Ian, Sara is not now aware of your presence. The link between Sara and Irons is severed. Now you must choose. Do you continue your bondage to Irons or do you fulfill your destiny as Sara's Guardian."
"If you stay with Irons you can continue to accept his orders without question. You need not take responsibility for your actions. The moral stain is on Irons. If you choose to align with Sara you must learn to make your own moral judgements. Sara will not accept unquestioning obedience. She will judge you by your decisions and deeds."
"Whichever choice you make will not be known to her until you reveal it. However, once made the decision cannot be undone. This question must be answered now. How do you choose?"
"Sara."
"Very well. Sara, give me the Witchblade." Sara held out her right arm and Lasar removed the Witchblade from her wrist. The red stone sparkled while he held it. "Ian, hold out your right arm." Ian did so and Lasar placed the Witchblade on Ian's wrist.
Ian's stomach tied up in a knot. He held his breath as he waited for the Witchblade to exact it's revenge for being put on a man's wrist.
Would the price of guarding Sara be his right hand?
The gauntlet unfolded and the sword extended. Ian was given the privilege of feeling the living Witchblade in action, if not by his will. He felt the power that was the Witchblade. He tasted it.
Then the gauntlet began to warm. It got hot and hotter. The pain was unbearable. He sucked in air to scream. At that instant the gauntlet retracted and the bracelet fell from his wrist. His scream turned into a groan and he clutched his right wrist with his left hand. On the back of his right hand was a brand - three interlinked circles forming a triangle.
Sara felt pain on her chest - in the area of the 2 interlocked circles. Compared to the pain in her left arm it was nothing. Lasar returned the Witchblade to her right arm.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Irons writhed on the floor. He hit the medic alert to get Dr. Immo to his side nearly instantly. What the Doctor found was Irons clutching his right hand. An angry red welt - a jagged line - cut across the two interlocking circles there.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Seanain felt pain sear his right hand. He dropped his gun but found he could still use the hand so he picked the gun up again. Must have been grazed by a bullet, he thought.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ian surveyed the nighttime battlefield from his hiding place. The attackers had arrived in darkness. Apparently they weren't all of the same group because they fought among themselves even as they approached the ruins. It had been 2 hours since Lasar and Sara descended into the earth. Ian hoped they would be back soon so they could break out of this trap. The ruined keep was not a place he would wait out a siege if he had a choice.
His mind ticked along as he watched combatants and predicted their movements. Nothing out of the ordinary here but he just didn't get much practice at this sort of engagement. If he were to stop and think about it he would realize he was enjoying this, flexing strategic muscles as well as physical. His battle fugue was tempered by the need to remember what he was protecting.
Edward Dougherty's men seemed dependable and competent. For a second Ian felt like he was back with the Black Dragons. The thought passed quickly - he would never fight beside the Black Dragons again. That door was closed, the bridge burnt.
He had stationed himself as close to the hole that marked the entrance to the tunnel as he could. His assignment was to hold off anyone that would stumble across it if they got closer. At least for now the attackers didn't know about it - didn't know that their quarry was underground.
A figure walked out of the shadows toward the hole. Ian quickly fired off a few rounds to stop or discourage this new threat. But there was no reaction. The figure acted as if none of the bullets had hit even though Ian was sure of his aim. Whoever this was was a phantom. Phantom? The stranger wore an overcoat and his hair was black, lank, and long. Ian recognized him - Danny.
It occurred to Ian to worry about Sara - seeing Danny was not a good sign. Danny looked at him and motioned, beckoning for Ian to come to the hole. Then Danny jumped in.
Ian grabbed Seanain who was near by. "Cover me. I have to go below. Don't let anyone approach the tunnel." Seanain nodded his understanding as he kept his eyes on the action.
Ian crawled to the hole and slid in - staying as low as possible in hopes that he wouldn't draw attention to where he was going. Danny was in the little chamber. He motioned towards the tunnel. It seemed obvious he was signaling Ian to go down - Ian took that to mean he was needed below. He had a tiny penlight - one of the things he carried as standard equipment. Using that he set out to descend into the tunnel.
~~~~~~~~~
Sara knelt across the small fire from Lasar. He had made the fire with kindling he bought along in his backpack. He told her to remove her coat and shirt, leaving her in a t-shirt. The cavern was cool and she shivered. The little fire was only big enough to give off some light but not warmth.
Lasar asked her to give him the First Blade. She took the little metal box out of her coat pocket and handed it to him. He set it on the ground in front of him. From his backpack he brought the bottle of water, and a leather roll which opened up to reveal a raven feather, a goose feather, and some charcoal.
"This water comes from the spring that rises here at Connemara. It is thrice-blessed, in shamanistic times, in druidic times, and in Christian times. Drink." Sara took a mouthful of water and gave the bottle back. Then Lasar motioned for Sara to set her left arm on the stained rock and poured some of the water on her wrist. He gave her the raven feather to hold in her right hand, the wild goose feather in her left. Then he crushed the charcoal into a powder and sprinkled it on her wrist. Sara gulped.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Ian came into the cavern where he could see the faint glow of the fire and made his way towards it. When he got there he saw Sara sitting on her heels and Lasar sitting cross-legged. Sara's face was pale. Her left wrist was perched on a rock and blood and charcoal ran off her wrist onto the rock. Sara seemed to be in a trance.
Lasar called out to Ian "Come, sit beside Sara." He indicated the spot to Sara's right.
"Ian, Sara is not now aware of your presence. The link between Sara and Irons is severed. Now you must choose. Do you continue your bondage to Irons or do you fulfill your destiny as Sara's Guardian."
"If you stay with Irons you can continue to accept his orders without question. You need not take responsibility for your actions. The moral stain is on Irons. If you choose to align with Sara you must learn to make your own moral judgements. Sara will not accept unquestioning obedience. She will judge you by your decisions and deeds."
"Whichever choice you make will not be known to her until you reveal it. However, once made the decision cannot be undone. This question must be answered now. How do you choose?"
"Sara."
"Very well. Sara, give me the Witchblade." Sara held out her right arm and Lasar removed the Witchblade from her wrist. The red stone sparkled while he held it. "Ian, hold out your right arm." Ian did so and Lasar placed the Witchblade on Ian's wrist.
Ian's stomach tied up in a knot. He held his breath as he waited for the Witchblade to exact it's revenge for being put on a man's wrist.
Would the price of guarding Sara be his right hand?
The gauntlet unfolded and the sword extended. Ian was given the privilege of feeling the living Witchblade in action, if not by his will. He felt the power that was the Witchblade. He tasted it.
Then the gauntlet began to warm. It got hot and hotter. The pain was unbearable. He sucked in air to scream. At that instant the gauntlet retracted and the bracelet fell from his wrist. His scream turned into a groan and he clutched his right wrist with his left hand. On the back of his right hand was a brand - three interlinked circles forming a triangle.
Sara felt pain on her chest - in the area of the 2 interlocked circles. Compared to the pain in her left arm it was nothing. Lasar returned the Witchblade to her right arm.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Irons writhed on the floor. He hit the medic alert to get Dr. Immo to his side nearly instantly. What the Doctor found was Irons clutching his right hand. An angry red welt - a jagged line - cut across the two interlocking circles there.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Seanain felt pain sear his right hand. He dropped his gun but found he could still use the hand so he picked the gun up again. Must have been grazed by a bullet, he thought.
~~~~~~~~~~~~