Chapter 6
The actual choice of paths had been easy enough. She had just walked the way she had felt the strongest attraction to. Though it was the dark energy hovering over the gloomy, and grave like road that pulled her soul.
Glancing down the dark stones, dead rose bushes and skeletal trees, Tiani fished out her pack of cigarettes from the leg of her boot, and by the time it had reached her lips it was already aglow. Blowing out the smoke, the eventual observer would see that it became more compact, adapted a silvery sheen, and got the shape of a small serpent like dragon (AN: Think of the Chinese one, but with a European head). Inhaling once more, the small creature settled on her shoulder, before they both wandered on.
Although the whole place was filled with a dreary gloom that seemed to suck the sap out of any thing living, Tiani walked on in her own flowing pace, eyes firmly on the castle up affront. She ignored the cold, gleaming eyes that shone out between the dark crevices. She walked past the mangled bodies and clawed hands that reached out for her like a dead soul reaching for a light they couldn't capture. For she was like that in their eyes: A shining beacon in a sea of nothing. She was an angel wandering in the wastelands of demons aware, but still ignorant to their presence..
As the deformed hands grasped for the hem of her coat, only to find it snatched away by an nonexistent breeze, they felt an need to follow this new person. They didn't really know why, but it felt important. Like she would be the saviour from an existence that had been there for a longer time than what they could remember. So slowly a shadow of peering eyes began gathering in her wake.
If she noticed what was going on behind her back, she didn't show. She only continued to suck on her cigarette, and gave the smoke to the creature floating in the air around her.
'Mistress.' a misty voice called in the back of her mind. She didn't acknowledge the presence in any way in her posture, nor did she falter a step.
'Vaer,' was all her mind echoed. The only sign of a reply, 'are they still following us?'
The serpent like dragon had grown considerably after being fed from his mistress's breath mingled with the smoke. It had begun as the size of a small adder, but had gained the body of an anaconda, and blinked with its glowing ember eyes.
'You know they have since you created me mistress,' the dragon swirled around her to ward off those who got too close. Snapping at their hungry hands.
'Stop that Vaer. You know they mean no harm. They are only curious of what is happening.'
The voice in the dragons mind wasn't harsh, nor was it scolding in any way. But the creature came back to the side of its mistress.
'I beg of forgiveness my creator, but if not for protection, why did you make me? Why give me a body of my own, if I can not use it for your protection?' the dragon asked, concerned eyes glancing over at his mistress, uncertain of why it had been brought to existence.
Glancing over at the worried creature by her side, Tiani couldn't help but to smile.
'I didn't bring you here, sweet Vaer. The smoke I exhaled gathered into you by a will of its own.' The smile faded as she resumed staring at the castle, which seemed to be farther away than ever, yet she hadn't turned a corner or anything. 'Though I am glad that you are here my friend. If not for protection, then for the company..'
Her thoughts were cur short as her eyes spotted a small figure in front of her. It was larger than the dwarf, Hoggle, and reached her slightly above the hip. It would have gone unnoticed as a part of the stone if it hadn't been moving, because of the clothes it wore.
As the creature got closer Tiani and Vaer could see that it was an old man. Not the typical old, but ancient, and he radiated of something unexplainable.
"Well. what have we here.." The man began, as he somehow had gotten right in front of her. "Ah. I see you have gotten far enough. But I believe you might have to take a little detour before you can get to the castle in itself." The man smiled apologetically, as if he was the one to blame for the extra way, and continued on his way down the path she had been walking.
Looking with some minor bewilderment after the small man as he disappeared in to the shadows once again, Tiani looked at the dragon on her side and shrugged before continuing on her way. But what she didn't notice was that Vaer lingered behind and looked intently at the place where the man was supposed to be. Only there was none. It was as if the walls had swallowed him. Giving an involuntarily shudder the dragon floated on to his mistresses side.
~
Back in the beginning of the Labyrinth Hoggle had recovered from the shock of finding the dark path open. He had begun pacing around in front of the main gate, unaware of the appearing eyes in the dead stones and the movements of the gargoyles. Even the malicious fairies had settled down and observed him with interest. Staring off to nowhere, Hoggle found himself standing in the doorway facing the golden fields outside.
"I have to warn the king.." Was all he said from time to time in a grave voice, but still not doing anything else than walking in circles.
Suddenly he heard a shuffling sound from behind him. Blinking a couple of times he noticed only now where he was standing, and turned around to face the dark path.
"Who.. who are you!?" he called out to the shadows "I.. I expect the King to come any minute now, so you'd better not do any harm!" Hoggle knew that his voice didn't have the power and authority he had wanted it to have, but sounded instead small and frightened.
"There is no need for such a things old friend," the voice was old and cracked, and reminded more of old wood than of anything the dwarf had heard so far. Backing up towards the stonewall Hoggle raised his hand to his chest, still clutching the pendant he had gotten from the dark lady.
"Who are you?" though spoken lowly, the question still echoed uncomfortably in between the stonewalls.
"But Hoggle.. Don't you recognise your old friend?" A shadow had detached from the mass and was walking on old legs towards the dwarf. As the shape entered the light Hoggle saw it to be an old man, taller than him, but still shorter than an average man, dressed in old fashioned clothing. Closing in on him he saw a kind smile on the dry lips and a friendly glint in those deep grey eyes. "I'm the one you have guarded and taken care for in such a long time. I'm the Labyrinth.."
The actual choice of paths had been easy enough. She had just walked the way she had felt the strongest attraction to. Though it was the dark energy hovering over the gloomy, and grave like road that pulled her soul.
Glancing down the dark stones, dead rose bushes and skeletal trees, Tiani fished out her pack of cigarettes from the leg of her boot, and by the time it had reached her lips it was already aglow. Blowing out the smoke, the eventual observer would see that it became more compact, adapted a silvery sheen, and got the shape of a small serpent like dragon (AN: Think of the Chinese one, but with a European head). Inhaling once more, the small creature settled on her shoulder, before they both wandered on.
Although the whole place was filled with a dreary gloom that seemed to suck the sap out of any thing living, Tiani walked on in her own flowing pace, eyes firmly on the castle up affront. She ignored the cold, gleaming eyes that shone out between the dark crevices. She walked past the mangled bodies and clawed hands that reached out for her like a dead soul reaching for a light they couldn't capture. For she was like that in their eyes: A shining beacon in a sea of nothing. She was an angel wandering in the wastelands of demons aware, but still ignorant to their presence..
As the deformed hands grasped for the hem of her coat, only to find it snatched away by an nonexistent breeze, they felt an need to follow this new person. They didn't really know why, but it felt important. Like she would be the saviour from an existence that had been there for a longer time than what they could remember. So slowly a shadow of peering eyes began gathering in her wake.
If she noticed what was going on behind her back, she didn't show. She only continued to suck on her cigarette, and gave the smoke to the creature floating in the air around her.
'Mistress.' a misty voice called in the back of her mind. She didn't acknowledge the presence in any way in her posture, nor did she falter a step.
'Vaer,' was all her mind echoed. The only sign of a reply, 'are they still following us?'
The serpent like dragon had grown considerably after being fed from his mistress's breath mingled with the smoke. It had begun as the size of a small adder, but had gained the body of an anaconda, and blinked with its glowing ember eyes.
'You know they have since you created me mistress,' the dragon swirled around her to ward off those who got too close. Snapping at their hungry hands.
'Stop that Vaer. You know they mean no harm. They are only curious of what is happening.'
The voice in the dragons mind wasn't harsh, nor was it scolding in any way. But the creature came back to the side of its mistress.
'I beg of forgiveness my creator, but if not for protection, why did you make me? Why give me a body of my own, if I can not use it for your protection?' the dragon asked, concerned eyes glancing over at his mistress, uncertain of why it had been brought to existence.
Glancing over at the worried creature by her side, Tiani couldn't help but to smile.
'I didn't bring you here, sweet Vaer. The smoke I exhaled gathered into you by a will of its own.' The smile faded as she resumed staring at the castle, which seemed to be farther away than ever, yet she hadn't turned a corner or anything. 'Though I am glad that you are here my friend. If not for protection, then for the company..'
Her thoughts were cur short as her eyes spotted a small figure in front of her. It was larger than the dwarf, Hoggle, and reached her slightly above the hip. It would have gone unnoticed as a part of the stone if it hadn't been moving, because of the clothes it wore.
As the creature got closer Tiani and Vaer could see that it was an old man. Not the typical old, but ancient, and he radiated of something unexplainable.
"Well. what have we here.." The man began, as he somehow had gotten right in front of her. "Ah. I see you have gotten far enough. But I believe you might have to take a little detour before you can get to the castle in itself." The man smiled apologetically, as if he was the one to blame for the extra way, and continued on his way down the path she had been walking.
Looking with some minor bewilderment after the small man as he disappeared in to the shadows once again, Tiani looked at the dragon on her side and shrugged before continuing on her way. But what she didn't notice was that Vaer lingered behind and looked intently at the place where the man was supposed to be. Only there was none. It was as if the walls had swallowed him. Giving an involuntarily shudder the dragon floated on to his mistresses side.
~
Back in the beginning of the Labyrinth Hoggle had recovered from the shock of finding the dark path open. He had begun pacing around in front of the main gate, unaware of the appearing eyes in the dead stones and the movements of the gargoyles. Even the malicious fairies had settled down and observed him with interest. Staring off to nowhere, Hoggle found himself standing in the doorway facing the golden fields outside.
"I have to warn the king.." Was all he said from time to time in a grave voice, but still not doing anything else than walking in circles.
Suddenly he heard a shuffling sound from behind him. Blinking a couple of times he noticed only now where he was standing, and turned around to face the dark path.
"Who.. who are you!?" he called out to the shadows "I.. I expect the King to come any minute now, so you'd better not do any harm!" Hoggle knew that his voice didn't have the power and authority he had wanted it to have, but sounded instead small and frightened.
"There is no need for such a things old friend," the voice was old and cracked, and reminded more of old wood than of anything the dwarf had heard so far. Backing up towards the stonewall Hoggle raised his hand to his chest, still clutching the pendant he had gotten from the dark lady.
"Who are you?" though spoken lowly, the question still echoed uncomfortably in between the stonewalls.
"But Hoggle.. Don't you recognise your old friend?" A shadow had detached from the mass and was walking on old legs towards the dwarf. As the shape entered the light Hoggle saw it to be an old man, taller than him, but still shorter than an average man, dressed in old fashioned clothing. Closing in on him he saw a kind smile on the dry lips and a friendly glint in those deep grey eyes. "I'm the one you have guarded and taken care for in such a long time. I'm the Labyrinth.."