Paige lay on her untidy bed, sleeping of the effects of the healing.
Through her open window came a yellow, foul smelling fog. It collected in
the corner, rose and solidified into John, dressed in a black cloak. He
walked quietly around the sleeping Paige, heading to the glass of water on
her bedside table. He took out a packet from a fold in his cloak, and
emptied the contents into the glass. It turned red and fizzed, before
returning to its original clear colour. He glanced at the sleeping witch.
How could someone who looked so weak be part of the most powerful triad
that ever existed? As he crept back towards the window, Paige moaned and
opened her eyes. Who's there?" she asked heavily, eyes bleary. "Don't
worry. Sleep now." He used his magic to enforce the last sentence, hoping
she didn't realize he was using magic on her. She closed her eyes and slept
again. He breathed a sigh of relief as he slowly evaporated into the yellow
fog and drifted out the window.
* * * Deep under the Halliwell Manor, John materialized in front of the great blue fire in the centre. The two other Sorcerers were gazing into the fire, faces in shadow. He nodded to them as he walked forward. "I have tainted the water of the Pale Witch. She will drink it when she awakes. Only the one who loves the demon will remain." The two figures lowered their hoods. There was the deathly white Sorceress Clarissa, and the brown skinned Yvonne. John spoke Clarissa "I don't see why we can't just poison them." Clarissa sighed in exasperation. They'd been through this before. "If we did poison them, we would have to do it all at once; otherwise they would know they were being attacked. If we poisoned them all at once, their whitelighter would come and heal them, for he would risk exposure to save his wife and charges, and they would know they were being attacked. If we go after them by force, we risk death. This way, they will be unable to stop it, and we get to drain them of their powers." "But so what if they knew they were being attacked? The charmed ones would be finished." John retorted. "Don't you remember when Shax killed the oldest? The pale one absorbed the power. A distant cousin would do the same, for all we know. We can't risk it." Clarissa looked at the cages, where the strange animals sat, watching her. She smiled cruelly "Besides, this way we will get revenge for all the demons they killed or lamed. Eternal imprisonment by their enemies is as close as they'll get to hell, don't you agree?"
* * * In a large torch lit cave, a gathering of a score of demons was taking place. Cole hid behind an outcrop of rock, listening in to the whispered gossip. "The source is going to kill the charmed ones?" "The source says they will be defeated?" "Yes. Be he won't tell us when. Hydias checked today. He hasn't come back, so the must still be alive and powerful." "I heard that he called on the Triad of Sorcerers to kill them" "They don't exist anymore. No ones seen'm for at least a millennium." "You exaggerate, Kilfard. It was only three centuries. As I recall, I believe it was the source who last spoke to them." "Who'd you hear it from?" "Frejack. He took Shax's place as the right hand man." "Him! He's got the I.Q of a glass of water!" Cole had heard gruff laughter following this statement. It suddenly went quiet. Peeking around the outcrop, he saw a tall, mottled green demon in the doorway of the chamber. He walked forward into the flickering light, and Cole recoiled slightly. He had to be the most hideous demon Cole had ever seen- and considering the competition, that was pretty ugly. The demon stopped, and began addressing the gathering of demons. "For those of you who don't know who I am," he looked at the demon that had made the joke about his I.Q "I am Frejack, the loyal servant of the Source of All Evil. I have been sent to tell you that in three days, there will be three mass attacks. One" he raised a finger "Shall be the home of the cursed Charmed ones. They will be considerably weaker than normal, which is the only reason we're risking this attack. Two," he raised another finger "an underground sanctuary for magical creatures. If we destroy this place and capture all who are there, we will have a bounty of power to use against our foes. And three" he smiled craftily as he lifted the third finger "The dwelling of the three sorcerers. Any questions?" A demon mockingly put a hand, like a child in school "What about Balthazar?" he sneered. Cole sunk lower behind the stone "He still hangs around with one of the witches, doesn't he?" Frejack scowled at the arrogant tone "He is somewhere in the underworld at the moment, so we have sealed of all entry and exit be shimmering. He will not be there to warn or help the witches. Any other questions?" another demon stepped forward, but Cole didn't dare peek to see who it was. "By sorcerers do you mean the ones that the source took as allies?" Frejack looked down his lumpy nose at him "Of course." There was silence then the demons started talking all at once. "That's suicide!" "Don't you remember the stories?! The one named Clarissa turns demons into animals!" "Yes, and John can call the weather to do his bidding! I'm not going, if anyone else is, their mad!' "What about Yvonne? She can see things in fire. Watch them plot against her! She might be watching us all now!" "SILENCE!!!" roared Frejack. There was an immediate hush. "This cave has been protected be magic. No one can see into it- the Seer has proved it. Now, go ad tell all your friends of the attack. In two days, we'll meet in the great hall, and divide up into three groups. Go!" some demons flamed out; a few seemed to pop out of existence. But the rest walked out on foot. Then Cole remembered; they had blocked shimmering in the underworld. He was trapped.
* * * Yvonne watched the hidden demon try to shimmer out. She snorted in laughter as his face screwed up "Try as hard as you like, you won't get through that barrier." She looked away from the fire. The cavern was empty of the other two sorcerers. They had gone to taint the third witch. She looked into the fire again. It was the pale witch. She had woken up. She was drinking the water from beside her bed. "Two down." Smiled Yvonne.
* * * Deep under the Halliwell Manor, John materialized in front of the great blue fire in the centre. The two other Sorcerers were gazing into the fire, faces in shadow. He nodded to them as he walked forward. "I have tainted the water of the Pale Witch. She will drink it when she awakes. Only the one who loves the demon will remain." The two figures lowered their hoods. There was the deathly white Sorceress Clarissa, and the brown skinned Yvonne. John spoke Clarissa "I don't see why we can't just poison them." Clarissa sighed in exasperation. They'd been through this before. "If we did poison them, we would have to do it all at once; otherwise they would know they were being attacked. If we poisoned them all at once, their whitelighter would come and heal them, for he would risk exposure to save his wife and charges, and they would know they were being attacked. If we go after them by force, we risk death. This way, they will be unable to stop it, and we get to drain them of their powers." "But so what if they knew they were being attacked? The charmed ones would be finished." John retorted. "Don't you remember when Shax killed the oldest? The pale one absorbed the power. A distant cousin would do the same, for all we know. We can't risk it." Clarissa looked at the cages, where the strange animals sat, watching her. She smiled cruelly "Besides, this way we will get revenge for all the demons they killed or lamed. Eternal imprisonment by their enemies is as close as they'll get to hell, don't you agree?"
* * * In a large torch lit cave, a gathering of a score of demons was taking place. Cole hid behind an outcrop of rock, listening in to the whispered gossip. "The source is going to kill the charmed ones?" "The source says they will be defeated?" "Yes. Be he won't tell us when. Hydias checked today. He hasn't come back, so the must still be alive and powerful." "I heard that he called on the Triad of Sorcerers to kill them" "They don't exist anymore. No ones seen'm for at least a millennium." "You exaggerate, Kilfard. It was only three centuries. As I recall, I believe it was the source who last spoke to them." "Who'd you hear it from?" "Frejack. He took Shax's place as the right hand man." "Him! He's got the I.Q of a glass of water!" Cole had heard gruff laughter following this statement. It suddenly went quiet. Peeking around the outcrop, he saw a tall, mottled green demon in the doorway of the chamber. He walked forward into the flickering light, and Cole recoiled slightly. He had to be the most hideous demon Cole had ever seen- and considering the competition, that was pretty ugly. The demon stopped, and began addressing the gathering of demons. "For those of you who don't know who I am," he looked at the demon that had made the joke about his I.Q "I am Frejack, the loyal servant of the Source of All Evil. I have been sent to tell you that in three days, there will be three mass attacks. One" he raised a finger "Shall be the home of the cursed Charmed ones. They will be considerably weaker than normal, which is the only reason we're risking this attack. Two," he raised another finger "an underground sanctuary for magical creatures. If we destroy this place and capture all who are there, we will have a bounty of power to use against our foes. And three" he smiled craftily as he lifted the third finger "The dwelling of the three sorcerers. Any questions?" A demon mockingly put a hand, like a child in school "What about Balthazar?" he sneered. Cole sunk lower behind the stone "He still hangs around with one of the witches, doesn't he?" Frejack scowled at the arrogant tone "He is somewhere in the underworld at the moment, so we have sealed of all entry and exit be shimmering. He will not be there to warn or help the witches. Any other questions?" another demon stepped forward, but Cole didn't dare peek to see who it was. "By sorcerers do you mean the ones that the source took as allies?" Frejack looked down his lumpy nose at him "Of course." There was silence then the demons started talking all at once. "That's suicide!" "Don't you remember the stories?! The one named Clarissa turns demons into animals!" "Yes, and John can call the weather to do his bidding! I'm not going, if anyone else is, their mad!' "What about Yvonne? She can see things in fire. Watch them plot against her! She might be watching us all now!" "SILENCE!!!" roared Frejack. There was an immediate hush. "This cave has been protected be magic. No one can see into it- the Seer has proved it. Now, go ad tell all your friends of the attack. In two days, we'll meet in the great hall, and divide up into three groups. Go!" some demons flamed out; a few seemed to pop out of existence. But the rest walked out on foot. Then Cole remembered; they had blocked shimmering in the underworld. He was trapped.
* * * Yvonne watched the hidden demon try to shimmer out. She snorted in laughter as his face screwed up "Try as hard as you like, you won't get through that barrier." She looked away from the fire. The cavern was empty of the other two sorcerers. They had gone to taint the third witch. She looked into the fire again. It was the pale witch. She had woken up. She was drinking the water from beside her bed. "Two down." Smiled Yvonne.