Rubber Duck: Fine question, but I can think up an answer. If Will is
related to Devic's family through his mother and she married down, his
family wouldn't be noble necessarily, although still highly regarded. It's
all right, these are things that I need to think about. Besides, at this
point, you're the only person reviewing, so I would answer almost any
questions you have!
A/N: Sorry this has taken so long! I apologize!
No one got any sleep that night. Their tents blew over, the wind only growing stronger as the light faded below the horizon, and their fire was also extinguished. The cold air forced them all to huddle together for warmth, pressed against the backside of a boulder to shield the blustery wind. Alex had his arms wrapped around Devic (y), holding him close to his chest and Phi clutched Luke tightly, resting her head on Alex's shoulder. Devic (o) was sitting next to her, his arms crossed and cloak pulled up around his neck and Will ended the line with his knees pulled tightly to his chest, his face buried up against his breeches.
Devic (o) stared straight ahead, glowering pensively. Alex adjusted Devic's (y) weight on his lap and sighed, "This sucks..."
Luke sniffled and Phi rubbed his back, "Don't worry Luke, it'll be morning soon..."
Will turned his head to look at them, "Aren't the little ones asleep?"
Phi frowned, "They sleep off and on. I think Devic's napping right now."
Alex grimaced, "He sure feels like he is..."
Devic (o) snorted and muttered under his breath, "And I wonder where Trycos is...probably in some quiet grove just a few more paces down the hill relaxing and listening to the wind howl above the tree-tops."
Will shook his head, nestling it back into the fabric on his knees, "Do not start that again cousin, you have been saying such things all night..."
Luke let out a little snore, signaling that he had fallen into unconsciousness, and Phi smiled wearily, "Finally...they're both asleep. At least they won't be grumpy tomorrow..."
Alex looked over his shoulder, "You mean today. Look, the sky over there is lightening...The sun's coming up."
Devic stood up, peering over the boulder towards the east, "It is about bloody time that thing came up! Mithros, it feels as if we have been sitting here for a week!"
Will yanked Devic back down by his cloak, mumbling, "Goddess bless Devic, sit down. You are giving me a headache..."
"And I thought that was my job..." A voice echoed up at them from seemingly nowhere. It was Trycos.
Devic (o) sneered, "Have a good rest?"
"Actually, yes. Now, since you are all awake, this is a decent time to start. Walk down the hill into the grove of trees. Devic, keep your senses keen and be on the lookout for traps. From now on, nothing is what it seems to be and you are to trust no one. Not even the children. My enemy has a great many powers and one of his favorites is making illusions. Be cautious, he might have Luke stab you in the back...Why didn't I think of that sooner? Such a great joke..." He let out a dry laugh that was carried out by the wind, echoing in their minds.
Phi pulled Luke tighter and looked around nervously, "Can we leave them behind?"
Alex nodded, "That may be for the best..." He shook Devic (y) awake, "Hey, we have to go with Trycos now, okay? But we want you to stay here and protect yourself and your brother."
Devic blinked, his face drawn into one with a mix of anxiousness and fear, "But what if something happens?!"
Phi touched his arm, "We'll come back. I promise. But whatever happens, do not follow us. We'll come back to get you, but if you move around, we won't be able to find you again, understand?"
The boy nodded, biting his lip, and Phi woke Luke, "You're going to stay here with your brother while we go down and help Trycos with some business. Listen to Devic, all right? He knows what to do." She kissed the small boy on his forehead and lifted him off her lap before staggering to her feet. She wobbled a bit, from a lack of circulation, then righted herself and helped Alex rise to his feet. Both parents gave Devic (y) a quick kiss and an affectionate hug before turned to Devic (o) and Will as the two men stood and gazed towards the thicket below them.
Devic (o) glanced back at them, "As soon as you both are ready, we should head down. The faster we get this ordeal over and done with the faster we can stop being under Trycos' influence."
Alex nodded, "Right...Come on Phi..."
Phi pursed her lips, but followed the men as they began to head down the hill, gazing back at Devic (y) and Luke. Devic (y) was clutching Luke's hand, and the little boy waved good-bye, "Bye mommy! Bye daddy!"
Phi smiled weakly, raising her hand in reply before hurrying to catch up with Alex. For some reason, she had a bad feeling about leaving her sons. When she caught up with him, Alex saw her worried expression and reached out and grabbed her hand, "Don't worry, we'll be back before you know it..."
Will turned his head, frowned thoughtfully, and then added softly, "They will be much safer out here and away from any conflict that may arise..."
Phi nodded silently, but squeezed Alex's hand tightly as they passed underneath the first few trees and entered the thicket.
As soon as they entered, they knew that something was different. The air grew thicker, but cold, as if the very air itself was thick with an icy mist. Will glanced around anxiously, his fingers tensing around his bowstring. As they passed deeper into the trees, the tree trunks seemed to grow thin and scraggly, yet grown so close together that they filled up all the space on either side of the small dirt path they walked down. The sun, already partially blocked from passing clouds, was extinguished altogether, and the space was surrounded by an unnatural, perpetual darkness. Devic (o) narrowed his eyes, trying to force his sight to penetrate the light haze that drifted on the ground, reaching out with his Gift to try and sense any magical traps, his sword drawn. Phi pulled closer to Alex, wishing that they had found another sword as Alex clutched his blade close at his side.
They walked on into the shadows, the haze growing indefinitely thicker and colder, until the trees looked like nothing more than the ghosts of black lines drawn into the air. The four of them drew closer together instinctively, all four spotting the gate at the same moment.
A gate stood out of place, suddenly appearing on the path. The gate was huge, nearly eight feet tall, and made of black wrought iron; the metal bars twisted into gothic style spearheads along the top. Stretching off on either side of the gate lay what looked like miles of the eight-foot tall fence, disappearing into the fog. Will turned to Devic, "Now what?"
Devic frowned, walked up to the gate and rattled it. It was as solid as stone. He scowled, back up a few steps, examining the bars for any sort of lock then, finding none, jumped up and down a few times experimentally just to see if he would be able to make it over the fence. Deciding against the idea, he turned back to the group, "I have no idea..."
Alex gazed around, "Well, I vote that we go back, tell Trycos that he's full of shit and demand he take us back to our world..."
Phi nodded, "I second that idea...Let's go."
They all turned around and were about to head back when they heard the sound of creaking metal as rusty hinges swing open and whipped around to find that the gate was now standing wide open and Trycos' voice echoed through the trees, "Oh no, you will not get off that easily...Come inside, I will be waiting for you at the top of the stairs..."
Phi frowned, "The top of what stairs? Trycos?"
But his voice had faded away, leaving her question unanswered.
She glanced around, anxious and annoyed, and Devic began to walk back towards the gate, "I guess we will find out on our own. Come, it seems that Trycos is fixed on having you work for your passage out and we might as well get it over with so that we can be free of his influence..."
Will nodded, "Good idea...Shall I go first, or would you like to?"
Devic glanced at the road ahead, then back at his younger cousin, "I suppose I will go first. Will, cover our backs, and Alex and Phi, keep an eye out for any attacks from the woods. With this damned fog, it is nearly impossible to see fifteen feet in..."
Will grinned dryly, "Watch your language Devic...In this place, we cannot be sure of just who is watching us..."
Phi laughed mirthlessly, "You mean Trycos?"
Will glanced at her, "Well, I suppose that is true, but I was referring to the gods."
Alex grimaced, "In this place, Trycos is like a god..."
Devic shot a quick look back, "Except he is still mortal, which means that he can die."
Alex smiled, "Good point..."
The path widened, and as they shuffled further down, Will noted that they were now treading on blocks of marble instead of dirt, "We must be getting closer to our destination..." The trees still remained just as thick and impenetrable, and the fog just grew thicker, the temperature dropping by fractions of a degree.
Suddenly, there was a blinding flash of white light and the next thing they knew they were standing outside a long, flat building, decorated in ornate marble columns and surrounded and overgrown with the skeleton trees, dead vines intertwining down the sides of the stone exterior so thickly that you could hardly see the original carvings that lines the sides of the building. Devic glanced around frantically, "How did we get here?!"
Will scanned the area, then pointed at the front of the gray-white building, "Look! A set of stairs!" Leading up to a large, open doorway there lay a staircase, gently leading up to the slightly raised opening.
Alex turned towards Devic and Phi, "Who wants to bet that's where we'll find Trycos?"
"Such a bright lad..." Trycos' voice came again, but this time they recognized his silhouette as he appeared at the top of the stairs from out of a explosion of smoke, "Very good...Now that you are finally here-"
"Finally?" Devic interrupted Trycos, shooting him a glare that would melt stone, "Finally?! A lot of good you did to help us get here! I know; how about you finally tell us who we are going up against instead of keeping us in the dark?"
Trycos smiled dryly, "Oh, I am not keeping you in the dark, that is his job. The man I have asked you to eliminate is not quite awake yet, and I am afraid he will do a much better job explaining himself than even I ever could hope to manage."
Phi crossed her arms over her chest, "Then why don't you wake him up?"
Trycos grinned at her slyly, "You read my mind Phiona...Very well..." He turned around so that he was facing the marble structure and raised his hands into the air. The air and mist around his outstretched fingers began to quiver and ripple, and suddenly a huge noise erupted from Trycos like a sonic blast, blowing away the silence of the forest. Will and Phi clapped their hands over their ears and Alex winced. Devic remained still, watching carefully as the sound waves subsided and kept his eyes riveted on his enemy as his friends tentatively uncovered their ears.
Alex scowled, "You could have warned us!"
Trycos replied without even glancing back, "That is funny, I thought I did. Now be silent, he approaches..."
"Does he have a name?"
"Shh!"
Alex was about to reply, but Phi clapped a hand over his mouth, giving him a stern this-is-not-the-right-time glare before removing it. Alex looked down at her, then back up at the staircase and waited.
The air grew still, the fog falling heavier onto the ground until it became like a thick blanket of snow that buried the group up to their ankles. The space grew colder, and the silence weighed down on them as the shadows beyond the trees seemed to take on a new eeriness and abnormality that they hadn't noticed moments before. Trycos turned and walked calmly and calculatedly back onto the ground and stood beside Will as another lone figure appeared at the top of the stairs.
This time, it was very thin and skeletal, hunched over and shuffling. As it drew closer, they could hear a tapping as the figure used a cane to inch forward until they were able to peer out into the clearing.
Alex glanced quickly at Trycos, who was scowling, and back towards the figure as they came into focus. It was an old man; practically bald with bushy eyebrows and many wrinkles. He was hunched over, using a simple wooden walking stick to get around and wore a long gray robe that brushed against the ground as he stepped forward. He was obviously skinny and by his appearance had probably been very handsome in his youth, but now he looked to be nearly ninety years old. But the most noticeable thing was his eyes. They were a sharp electric blue that seemed to pierce straight into their hearts when he cast his glance upon each of them in turn.
Suddenly, a strong voice echoed through the clearing, a stranger's voice, this man's voice, although he did not move his lips, "Why have you come?"
Trycos sneered, "Why do you think I have come old man?"
The voice paused for a moment, then let out a long, robust laugh, "Who may appear to be younger than me, but only a fool would believe that you were...Why have you come?"
"To eliminate you."
"You fool...You have no power here..."
"I know, that is why I have brought them." Trycos motioned behind him to Phi and Alex.
The old man stared straight ahead, unnervingly unblinking, "What can they, but two simple mortals due against our kind?"
"We shall see, will we not?"
"It seems that we shall..."
Another laugh filled the clearing, this time more sinister and the old man disappeared from his perch at the top of the stairs, dissolving into the fog.
No one got any sleep that night. Their tents blew over, the wind only growing stronger as the light faded below the horizon, and their fire was also extinguished. The cold air forced them all to huddle together for warmth, pressed against the backside of a boulder to shield the blustery wind. Alex had his arms wrapped around Devic (y), holding him close to his chest and Phi clutched Luke tightly, resting her head on Alex's shoulder. Devic (o) was sitting next to her, his arms crossed and cloak pulled up around his neck and Will ended the line with his knees pulled tightly to his chest, his face buried up against his breeches.
Devic (o) stared straight ahead, glowering pensively. Alex adjusted Devic's (y) weight on his lap and sighed, "This sucks..."
Luke sniffled and Phi rubbed his back, "Don't worry Luke, it'll be morning soon..."
Will turned his head to look at them, "Aren't the little ones asleep?"
Phi frowned, "They sleep off and on. I think Devic's napping right now."
Alex grimaced, "He sure feels like he is..."
Devic (o) snorted and muttered under his breath, "And I wonder where Trycos is...probably in some quiet grove just a few more paces down the hill relaxing and listening to the wind howl above the tree-tops."
Will shook his head, nestling it back into the fabric on his knees, "Do not start that again cousin, you have been saying such things all night..."
Luke let out a little snore, signaling that he had fallen into unconsciousness, and Phi smiled wearily, "Finally...they're both asleep. At least they won't be grumpy tomorrow..."
Alex looked over his shoulder, "You mean today. Look, the sky over there is lightening...The sun's coming up."
Devic stood up, peering over the boulder towards the east, "It is about bloody time that thing came up! Mithros, it feels as if we have been sitting here for a week!"
Will yanked Devic back down by his cloak, mumbling, "Goddess bless Devic, sit down. You are giving me a headache..."
"And I thought that was my job..." A voice echoed up at them from seemingly nowhere. It was Trycos.
Devic (o) sneered, "Have a good rest?"
"Actually, yes. Now, since you are all awake, this is a decent time to start. Walk down the hill into the grove of trees. Devic, keep your senses keen and be on the lookout for traps. From now on, nothing is what it seems to be and you are to trust no one. Not even the children. My enemy has a great many powers and one of his favorites is making illusions. Be cautious, he might have Luke stab you in the back...Why didn't I think of that sooner? Such a great joke..." He let out a dry laugh that was carried out by the wind, echoing in their minds.
Phi pulled Luke tighter and looked around nervously, "Can we leave them behind?"
Alex nodded, "That may be for the best..." He shook Devic (y) awake, "Hey, we have to go with Trycos now, okay? But we want you to stay here and protect yourself and your brother."
Devic blinked, his face drawn into one with a mix of anxiousness and fear, "But what if something happens?!"
Phi touched his arm, "We'll come back. I promise. But whatever happens, do not follow us. We'll come back to get you, but if you move around, we won't be able to find you again, understand?"
The boy nodded, biting his lip, and Phi woke Luke, "You're going to stay here with your brother while we go down and help Trycos with some business. Listen to Devic, all right? He knows what to do." She kissed the small boy on his forehead and lifted him off her lap before staggering to her feet. She wobbled a bit, from a lack of circulation, then righted herself and helped Alex rise to his feet. Both parents gave Devic (y) a quick kiss and an affectionate hug before turned to Devic (o) and Will as the two men stood and gazed towards the thicket below them.
Devic (o) glanced back at them, "As soon as you both are ready, we should head down. The faster we get this ordeal over and done with the faster we can stop being under Trycos' influence."
Alex nodded, "Right...Come on Phi..."
Phi pursed her lips, but followed the men as they began to head down the hill, gazing back at Devic (y) and Luke. Devic (y) was clutching Luke's hand, and the little boy waved good-bye, "Bye mommy! Bye daddy!"
Phi smiled weakly, raising her hand in reply before hurrying to catch up with Alex. For some reason, she had a bad feeling about leaving her sons. When she caught up with him, Alex saw her worried expression and reached out and grabbed her hand, "Don't worry, we'll be back before you know it..."
Will turned his head, frowned thoughtfully, and then added softly, "They will be much safer out here and away from any conflict that may arise..."
Phi nodded silently, but squeezed Alex's hand tightly as they passed underneath the first few trees and entered the thicket.
As soon as they entered, they knew that something was different. The air grew thicker, but cold, as if the very air itself was thick with an icy mist. Will glanced around anxiously, his fingers tensing around his bowstring. As they passed deeper into the trees, the tree trunks seemed to grow thin and scraggly, yet grown so close together that they filled up all the space on either side of the small dirt path they walked down. The sun, already partially blocked from passing clouds, was extinguished altogether, and the space was surrounded by an unnatural, perpetual darkness. Devic (o) narrowed his eyes, trying to force his sight to penetrate the light haze that drifted on the ground, reaching out with his Gift to try and sense any magical traps, his sword drawn. Phi pulled closer to Alex, wishing that they had found another sword as Alex clutched his blade close at his side.
They walked on into the shadows, the haze growing indefinitely thicker and colder, until the trees looked like nothing more than the ghosts of black lines drawn into the air. The four of them drew closer together instinctively, all four spotting the gate at the same moment.
A gate stood out of place, suddenly appearing on the path. The gate was huge, nearly eight feet tall, and made of black wrought iron; the metal bars twisted into gothic style spearheads along the top. Stretching off on either side of the gate lay what looked like miles of the eight-foot tall fence, disappearing into the fog. Will turned to Devic, "Now what?"
Devic frowned, walked up to the gate and rattled it. It was as solid as stone. He scowled, back up a few steps, examining the bars for any sort of lock then, finding none, jumped up and down a few times experimentally just to see if he would be able to make it over the fence. Deciding against the idea, he turned back to the group, "I have no idea..."
Alex gazed around, "Well, I vote that we go back, tell Trycos that he's full of shit and demand he take us back to our world..."
Phi nodded, "I second that idea...Let's go."
They all turned around and were about to head back when they heard the sound of creaking metal as rusty hinges swing open and whipped around to find that the gate was now standing wide open and Trycos' voice echoed through the trees, "Oh no, you will not get off that easily...Come inside, I will be waiting for you at the top of the stairs..."
Phi frowned, "The top of what stairs? Trycos?"
But his voice had faded away, leaving her question unanswered.
She glanced around, anxious and annoyed, and Devic began to walk back towards the gate, "I guess we will find out on our own. Come, it seems that Trycos is fixed on having you work for your passage out and we might as well get it over with so that we can be free of his influence..."
Will nodded, "Good idea...Shall I go first, or would you like to?"
Devic glanced at the road ahead, then back at his younger cousin, "I suppose I will go first. Will, cover our backs, and Alex and Phi, keep an eye out for any attacks from the woods. With this damned fog, it is nearly impossible to see fifteen feet in..."
Will grinned dryly, "Watch your language Devic...In this place, we cannot be sure of just who is watching us..."
Phi laughed mirthlessly, "You mean Trycos?"
Will glanced at her, "Well, I suppose that is true, but I was referring to the gods."
Alex grimaced, "In this place, Trycos is like a god..."
Devic shot a quick look back, "Except he is still mortal, which means that he can die."
Alex smiled, "Good point..."
The path widened, and as they shuffled further down, Will noted that they were now treading on blocks of marble instead of dirt, "We must be getting closer to our destination..." The trees still remained just as thick and impenetrable, and the fog just grew thicker, the temperature dropping by fractions of a degree.
Suddenly, there was a blinding flash of white light and the next thing they knew they were standing outside a long, flat building, decorated in ornate marble columns and surrounded and overgrown with the skeleton trees, dead vines intertwining down the sides of the stone exterior so thickly that you could hardly see the original carvings that lines the sides of the building. Devic glanced around frantically, "How did we get here?!"
Will scanned the area, then pointed at the front of the gray-white building, "Look! A set of stairs!" Leading up to a large, open doorway there lay a staircase, gently leading up to the slightly raised opening.
Alex turned towards Devic and Phi, "Who wants to bet that's where we'll find Trycos?"
"Such a bright lad..." Trycos' voice came again, but this time they recognized his silhouette as he appeared at the top of the stairs from out of a explosion of smoke, "Very good...Now that you are finally here-"
"Finally?" Devic interrupted Trycos, shooting him a glare that would melt stone, "Finally?! A lot of good you did to help us get here! I know; how about you finally tell us who we are going up against instead of keeping us in the dark?"
Trycos smiled dryly, "Oh, I am not keeping you in the dark, that is his job. The man I have asked you to eliminate is not quite awake yet, and I am afraid he will do a much better job explaining himself than even I ever could hope to manage."
Phi crossed her arms over her chest, "Then why don't you wake him up?"
Trycos grinned at her slyly, "You read my mind Phiona...Very well..." He turned around so that he was facing the marble structure and raised his hands into the air. The air and mist around his outstretched fingers began to quiver and ripple, and suddenly a huge noise erupted from Trycos like a sonic blast, blowing away the silence of the forest. Will and Phi clapped their hands over their ears and Alex winced. Devic remained still, watching carefully as the sound waves subsided and kept his eyes riveted on his enemy as his friends tentatively uncovered their ears.
Alex scowled, "You could have warned us!"
Trycos replied without even glancing back, "That is funny, I thought I did. Now be silent, he approaches..."
"Does he have a name?"
"Shh!"
Alex was about to reply, but Phi clapped a hand over his mouth, giving him a stern this-is-not-the-right-time glare before removing it. Alex looked down at her, then back up at the staircase and waited.
The air grew still, the fog falling heavier onto the ground until it became like a thick blanket of snow that buried the group up to their ankles. The space grew colder, and the silence weighed down on them as the shadows beyond the trees seemed to take on a new eeriness and abnormality that they hadn't noticed moments before. Trycos turned and walked calmly and calculatedly back onto the ground and stood beside Will as another lone figure appeared at the top of the stairs.
This time, it was very thin and skeletal, hunched over and shuffling. As it drew closer, they could hear a tapping as the figure used a cane to inch forward until they were able to peer out into the clearing.
Alex glanced quickly at Trycos, who was scowling, and back towards the figure as they came into focus. It was an old man; practically bald with bushy eyebrows and many wrinkles. He was hunched over, using a simple wooden walking stick to get around and wore a long gray robe that brushed against the ground as he stepped forward. He was obviously skinny and by his appearance had probably been very handsome in his youth, but now he looked to be nearly ninety years old. But the most noticeable thing was his eyes. They were a sharp electric blue that seemed to pierce straight into their hearts when he cast his glance upon each of them in turn.
Suddenly, a strong voice echoed through the clearing, a stranger's voice, this man's voice, although he did not move his lips, "Why have you come?"
Trycos sneered, "Why do you think I have come old man?"
The voice paused for a moment, then let out a long, robust laugh, "Who may appear to be younger than me, but only a fool would believe that you were...Why have you come?"
"To eliminate you."
"You fool...You have no power here..."
"I know, that is why I have brought them." Trycos motioned behind him to Phi and Alex.
The old man stared straight ahead, unnervingly unblinking, "What can they, but two simple mortals due against our kind?"
"We shall see, will we not?"
"It seems that we shall..."
Another laugh filled the clearing, this time more sinister and the old man disappeared from his perch at the top of the stairs, dissolving into the fog.