they he gotten out of Jova. Meanwhile, with Coller's help, Gen managed to help more people with much more discretion than the first time they had met. Within a year they had become more than friends or colleagues. They were lovers. Everyone felt the change in the atmosphere. They were rarely apart and the family was glad to see Gen so happy. Indeed, with Coller at her side she became more confident with herself. In the years after joined the family, Gen's powers grew. The elders of the family saw this as a sign that she was fulfilling the destiny that was hers, being that she was the first woman to lead their family in over a hundred years. The year is now 1844, and Gen has fallen under a fever. For the past four years Coller has slept peacefully alongside the love of his life. Now he once again stays awake for days at a time cradling his love in his arms trying to soothe her sickness. Some nights she screams, wails, and moans in tears. Even then Coller remains with her. Stays with her waiting for those brief moments when she is
herself again. But the moments grow shorter and shorter. The spirits of the whole family grows weaker and weaker each day. For three days they have been camped out in the swamps and woods of Dora. Coller sits next to Gen and holds her hand. He has been staring at the same piece of floor all night. It is only until he hears the voice of Kristoff calling his name that he looks away.
"Coller!"
He lets go of Gen's hand for the first time in what seems like
days and makes his way out of the
wagon. He covers his eyes from the bright sun, which he has hid from
for days. "What is it Kristoff?" Coller asks.
"We found something. In the swamps, there is a marsh with a trail
of stones that lead to some
kind of small island made from stone. And on the stone island is a
single cave. From what I can see it leads to under the marsh. It's a devilish
place and yet there is a light inside."
"A light? Show me." And so Coller, together with Kristoff and
four other men strong not only in
body but in magic went to this marsh. But before leaving Coller asked
the forgiveness of his love, for he put on a belt that he had taken off
and put away four years ago, hoping to never again to need his creations.
When they arrived, Coller took in the sight of the hellish area.
It was indeed like Kristoff
described. It was a marsh with a trail of stones that led from the
shore and went across the black liquid which no man could tell if it was
black water or just a dark mud, or both, or worse. In the middle was the
island. It looked like it was a huge stone that grew out of the black surface.
It was covered with moss and had a single entrance from which Coller could
see the ominous light. He turned to give everyone his commands.
"Kristoff, you and the other will stay here."
"If you think I'm letting you go in there alone…"
"It might be dangerous."
"All the more reason!"
"Lissen to me blacksmith! Ever since we entered these Dora swamps Gen has fallen ill. We have nay been able to find our way out of here! If someone lives there then they might know the way out or God willing, might have something to cure Gen. Now I'm going in alone. If I don't come out, then you go back and you take the wagon train on a course straight away. Just keep on going until you find a way out. If Gen wakes up, you just tell her that I love her and I always will, wherever I end up. Do you hear?"
"Damn you Coller. Good luck and be careful."
Coller made his way to the cave, carefully jumping from one stone
to another. All around him,
the stench of death was unmistakable. By the time Coller reached the
entrance to the cave, not one bird chirped, nor a snake hissed. Coller
stood on the last stone before the cave. He kneeled and poked at the ground
the cave sat on. It seemed solid but very damp. Coller stepped on to it
and looked ahead to see where the cave led. The inside of the cave sloped
downwards under the marsh. It was from within the cave that the light shone.
The flicker of light meant that it was a fire. Coller judged that the slope
was a gentle one, but when he placed on foot on it, he slipped and slid
downwards. Lucky for him, the slope was not long, nevertheless he hit his
head on a rock that lay at its base. Coller cursed as he rubbed the spot
where his head hurt. He got up again and saw that the rest of the cave
led into a corridor made of stone. Hanging on the damp walls of the corridor
was a row of lit torches. These were the source of the light and the final
proof that someone lived here. Coller took one of the torches off the wall
and began walking down the
corridor. Suddenly a gust of wind emerged from nowhere and blew out
all the torches save the one in Coller's hand. A chill ran down Coller's
spine as he looked ahead and into the dark and seemingly endless corridor.
He then pulled back the hammer on his pistol. He stood still for a moment.
The only sound was of his own breathing, and that of the flame. He thought
of Gen, lying half-dead and suddenly felt his determination replenished.
Coller walked for several minutes until finally the corridor widened out into a room of sorts. The room was circular. In the center was a boiling pot. Inside he could not tell what liquid was producing so much smoke. On the walls were shelves with jars of various sizes. Beyond Coller could see that the cave had more openings which led deeper and deeper. Coller thought for a moment that this cave perhaps led to the center of the world.
"Who are you?" A voice came from the darkness.
"My name is Coller. Who are you? How is it that you can live in such a place as this?"
"It is my home. Like that little island is yours."
"What do you know about me?"
"I know many things."
"Show yourself!"
Then from one of the darkened corridors that lay beyond came a
small and frail figure. It was an
old woman dressed in an old gray cloak that covered her from head to
toe. Coller couldn't even see if she had feet. Her voice was the only give
away as to what her sex was. It wasn't until she came closer and into the
light of Coller's torch that he could see her face.
"You haven't answered me old woman. Who are you?"
"Why do you trouble yourself with questions like that? Why don't
you tell me what you want? I
might be able to help," said the old woman. Her voice was soft and
gentle. It reminded Coller too much of the voice of a proper English lady.
All of this was wrong thought Coller. This old woman living here and the
contents of this cave, it all added up to one thing, witchcraft.
"You can't help me you old hag."
"Be you so sure!"
Coller nearly fell onto the ground at the suddenness of her reply.
Which, at the same time of her
reply, her face came into full view. Her pale wrinkled face was common
enough to see in a woman of her apparent age, but her eyes hid something
else. Her eyes were like those of a creature more ancient than time itself,
and black like no blackness that Coller had ever seen.
"Coller," a voice said from behind him. Coller quickly turned
around to see whose it was. The
voice belonged to Kristoff who now stood several feet behind him. The
other two men from the caravan stood with their muskets aimed at the old
woman.
"Who is this woman?" Asked Kristoff.
"She has nay told me Kristoff. An we will not stay to find out!"
Coller then turned to the old
woman. "We are leaving now. Don't try anything to stop us."
"Gen," she said simply as Coller turned to leave. The sound of
his love's name sent the tip of
Coller's pistol into contact with the crone's nose.
"What do you know crone? An you better be quick about it or I'll
make another hole in your
head."
The woman smiled and ran a single finger down the barrel of Coller's
pistol. "Bring her to me. I
will restore her to her rightful state."
"Never!"
"That's for the elder's to decide, Coller," said one if the men from the caravan.
"Marco is right Coller. The elder's must decide whether to take
this woman's offer. It's their way and you know it," Kristoff added.
"Entrust her to this hag! I won't have it!"
"It's not yours to decide."
Coller looked at Kristoff. He knew he was right. Coller, Kristoff, and his wife and daughter were family in every way but one to the Fernandez. They were not blood-related or married to any of them.
Therefore they could not make a decision that can effect the whole family on their own. They must, according to their own laws, bring this woman's offer before the family elders and they must decide.
"Very well." Coller turned to speak to the crone. "Know this hag,
you won't touch a hair on my
Gen's head if I have anything to do with it. And if by some chance
you do, I'll turn you into hagus and eat you for dinner."
They woman merely smiled and licked her lips. Then she turned and began stirring whatever it is she was cooking in her pot. After they all left and she was alone she dipped her finger into the liquid in the pot. She licked her finger and laughed in delight.
"Hagus made from humans. How interesting."
Coller was feeling very angry and betrayed. When he had arrived
back at camp, the first thing he
did was to inform the elder's of what he had found in the stone cave.
He stressed as much as he could the fact that his instincts told him that
they were dealing with a witch. Nevertheless, the elder's ruled in favor
of the woman's offer.
"Damn all your trusting hearts! You haven't met this bitch! You
haven't looked into her eyes and
seen the evil in them. She's a witch I tell you."
"I will remind you Coller, we have been accused of being witches for a hundred years. Good and powerful magic can sometimes come under the guise of witchery."
"Aye, and the reverse is true also."
The oldest of the three elders ran his fingers down his long beard.
The other two elders, one on
either side of the oldest, were whispering into the ear of the oldest.
Finally he put up both of his hands to signal that he had heard enough.
"It is my decision, that we should trust this woman."
Coller stared in disbelief at the lead elder. To add to that,
the other two elders stared as well.
Their disbelief was suddenly thwarted by a few harsh stares from the
lead elders. But it would take more than a stare to calm Coller's rage.
Before Coller could even speak, the elder raised his hand to stop him.
"I know what you are thinking Coller. That is why I wish you could
understand, unfortunately I
cannot explain to you."
"Explain what? That you want to kill one of your own by sending her to some witch."
"Coller, I want you to take her. I also want you to take whoever
else you think will be necessary
to guard Gen."
"I'd rather not take her at all. But if she is to go…I suppose
I will take the same group as I did
before. Kristoff, Luis, and Marco."
"Not Marco," the elder said. Coller looked at him puzzled.
"Coller, I am very old and as such have been able to develop my
powers as much as I could. I
have developed them enough so that I can feel the currents of destiny
as I would the current of the sea. I am feeling the currents now Coller.
They tell me although there is much danger, this is the path we must take.
I also know that Marco is not to go with you."
"He's a good man. Powerful too. I could use him if things don't
go right, so I must know why
I'm weakening my ranks."
"He has a daughter, Carrie. She is young and I do not wish to
risk her growing up without a
father."
"Many of these people have daughter's. You have never been shy about risking their lives."
The elder placed a hand on Coller's shoulder, "trust in me Coller,
this is how it should be."
Coller looked back into the elder's eyes and saw them speak him without
any words, "you will not succeed."
And so Coller gathered up six men from the caravan to take Gen
to the woman. Coller, together
with Kristoff, carried Gen on a stretcher. With three men on either
side of them, they made their way back to the cave. Very carefully Coller
and Kristoff carried Gen over the marsh. They were even more careful when
taking her down the slope, which oddly enough, was no longer slippery.
The torches that the wind had blown out were lit once again. Although the
corridor was now lit, and the cave no longer seemed as damp, the cave seemed
more ominous as ever. When they reached the crone's chamber she was still
hunched over the boiling pot. Although Coller couldn't see it, he knew
that there was a smile on the woman's face as she welcomed them back.
"I knew you would return. It is your destiny."
"Just get it over with hag. Remember that I am watching you."
"Of course. This way, come this way," she said as she beckoned
the group to follow her. She led them to an interior chamber deep in the
cave. Inside, the chamber was circular with only a stone slab in the center.
The old woman instructed them to place Gen on the slab. It was then that
Coller noticed that she had in her hand a gold staff. On the staff, was
an image of a bird with a long beak sitting on a blue crystal. After placing
Gen on the slab she gestured for everyone to back away. They all did including
Coller who only backed away slightly. He was the closest to Gen and had
no intent on moving back any further. He felt his pistol, making sure that
the hammer on both was correctly pulled all the way back. He had not fired
the pistols in years, he hoped they were still in good condition. The old
woman began simply to wave her staff in a circular motion over Gen. She
did not utter one word, satanic or otherwise. It was the quietest form
of witchcraft that Coller had ever seen. For a moment he actually hope
that perhaps the witch was helping her. Behind Coller, Kristoff allowed
himself to drop against the wall. A cloud of dust
came from the walls. He turned and saw that under the dust on the stone
wall, an image of a pentagram was drawn on it.
"It is done. She is now as she should be…"
Lights began to shine from the wall. Kristoff could see that encircling
the wall were images of
the pentagram that were now glowing red. The entire room was filled
with a red glow.
"…a child of darkness. A servant of he who will bring a new order to this world…"
"Coller!" Kristoff yelled over the sudden sound of the earth shaking.
Dust began to fall from the
ceiling of the chamber. All around the dust collected itself into a
tornado encircling Gen. The old woman laughed insanely pointing all time
at Gen. Coller stared in disbelief as he saw a sudden change come over
Gen. Her skin turned to a pale green as did some of her clothes. Coller
watched as she turned into a dark version of herself. "The eyes," Coller
thought to himself. The eyes that he loved and that were so alive now had
the look of death in them. Suddenly, Gen not only rose from the slab, she
floated above it. With the tornado still circling her, Gen outstretched
her arms with her hands closed in a fist. When she opened them her hands,
the tornado of dust turned into a wave, which sent everyone in the chamber
hitting the walls of the chamber.
"Gen…" Coller muttered from the ground. Kristoff was the first
up. With his musket loaded and
ready, he fired at the witch who was still standing, laughing maniacally.
The musket fire had no affect. Coller finally stirred and rose with both
pistols blazing. But once again bullets had no affect on the witch.
"You bitch! You old god forsaken bitch! I'll murder you!" Coller
yelled at the witch. Then he
turned to Gen who now hovered close to Coller. "Please Gen, come back
to me, this isn't you," Coller said pleading to her. Her face remained
expressionless, and then for a moment, her face seemed puzzled. Gen acted
as though a cloud had been put over her mind and she did not know whom
she was attacking. Without a word and with only a gesture of the hand,
she sent Coller flying out of the chamber and into wall of another. While
Kristoff reloaded his musket, the six men from the caravan clapped their
hands together in different ways but all ending with the same hand gesture.
The effect of these hand gestures was the summons of all the magical energy
they could muster from within themselves and channeled into a lightning
bolt of magic energy aimed at Gen. The bolt of energy sent seemingly electrical
surges of energy racing all over her body. But any form of pain or weakness
that the bolts might have caused were hidden behind Gen's expressionless
face. The six men, all blood relatives whom had grown up with Gen, stood
motionless as balls of flame formed at her hands. Luis, her eldest
cousin looked into her eyes, "Gen, don't!"
"I love you Hannah," Kristoff said just before Gen released the
fireball at them all. The witch
stood smiling over Coller's battered body. She used her staff to turn
him face up to see her.
"…will…kill you."
The woman smiled and glowed at the same time. She glowed with
a blue light that almost
blinded Coller. When the light receded, a different woman stood above,
or so it seemed. The wrinkles on the face were gone and the cloak was now
a fancy dress fit for a proper English lady. The hair was thin and white.
On it sat an equally fancy hat. The pale face brought out the redness of
her lips. In her hand was the very same staff the witch had held a moment
ago. The empty and evil eyes that had stared at him from behind the wrinkled
old face now stared at him from this new one. Behind the witch Gen hovered.
"What do you think of your love now? A little too feisty perhaps?"
"er…"
"She isn't the one I had hoped for though. I apparently miscalculated
the years. She isn't the one
at all, but she will do nicely." The witched turned to the charred
remains of the others; "she will do quite nicely." She looked down at Coller
again. "Still wondering who I am? I am Actrise. I am the arch-nemesis of
the Belmudes! Now after more than a hundred years I not only take my revenge,
but I take a descendant of that ungrateful cur!" Then she slammed the end
of her staff on Coller's chest. Coller groaned in pain.
"I imagine you wish to take your revenge on me. In fact you made
promise to me. You said you
would make a hagus out of me. I should just kill you. Better still,
I should let the woman you love kill you. But I think that things would
be so much more interesting with you alive. I shall therefore give you
a clue to how you might save your love. We will be leaving now to finish
off the rest of the caravan, but if you want your chance to save her, follow
us to the foggy lake where the castle of my dark lord sits. Follow us Coller,
if you dare."
Actrise and Gen were suddenly faded from Coller's sight. He did
not know if it was due to him
barely being conscious or from more magical causes. Coller struggled
to get himself up from the floor. He had to warn the caravan. Somehow he
had to reach them before Actrise and his bewitched love. Coller couldn't
but stop for a moment to think on what he had just seen. The woman he loved
was cursed, under a spell of some sorts. He had to save her somehow. Half
dragging himself, he made his way out of the cave as quickly as his injuries
allowed him. He prayed that it be fast enough.
Jose` stroked the thin hairs of his gray beard. He pondered on
his decision to let Gen be taken to
that witch. It was a terrible and wrong decision and yet he knew somehow,
it was what he was meant to do. He had told Coller the truth. The magical
ability that he had developed the most was the ability to know which paths
to take on the road of life. It was just that this was the first time that
he was afraid of what his instincts told him. It is such a dark path that
he has set out for his family. The sound of the first explosion did not
make him feel any better. He immediately ran out of his tent to see the
cause. What he saw he could not believe. Gen Fernandez, a girl that he
had watched grow into a beautiful woman, was now hovering over the ground
summoning up all her magical power to create balls of fire. Men and women
all around camp attempted to fend her off while families ran into the woods,
but it was to no avail.
She was more powerful than anyone in the camp was. All around Jose` watched as good people, family, run for cover from the onslaught of one of their own. Suddenly, Jose` saw Gen take aim at Luis, who was desperately trying to lead his wife and baby away from the onslaught. Instantly Jose` gave every ounce of magical strength into the bolt of energy that he fired into Gen's back. Slowly, Gen turned around to see who had struck her from behind. For a spilt second Jose` shot a glance at Luis who in turn mouthed the words, "thank you." Then Jose` looked defiantly at Gen. She hovered menacingly above Jose` with a look of hate in her eyes that he had never before seen in them.
"Mi angelito. I forgive you for what you have done. I hope you
will forgive me for what I did to
you."
Gen fired another fireball without remorse. Jose` was burnt into ashes which blew away with the wind. Gen looked around with a cold stare. She felt absolutely nothing. On the outside it seemed like she had no idea that she had done anything at all. But inside, Gen Fernandez was screaming. "You have done well. Let us leave and prepare for our master's return," Actrise said from behind. Then, as before, together they slowly faded from sight.
Before Coller even reached the caravan, he stumbled upon Luis,
his wife and child, and Hannah
and her child hiding in the woods not far from camp. He asked them
what had happened. Coller scarcely could believe what they told him. His
Gen had killed more than half of her own family. The survivors, if there
were any, were scattered and running scared.
Chapter 10: The Villa De Rais