SIXTEEN
The group moved north for three days. They were able to find plenty to eat with Margaret locating fruits, nuts, roots, and berries for them. The few villages they did come across proved to be as subservient as the one where Stennish was. All Cole had to do was say he was demon and the villagers couldn't do enough for them.
As they traveled, Margaret told them what she knew about the Oracle, which was precious little. In the past, the Oracle had helped the villages a great deal. It seemed there was no question she couldn't answer. And her wisdom was legendary. In the past few decades, however, the Oracle had become more and more reclusive. Many of the villagers had even begun to believe it might not even exist, just a legend made up by the older, more superstitious demonis.
She also warned them again that there were also legends of powerful guardians who protected the Oracle. Some of those that had gone to see the Oracle had never returned. It was one of the reasons that no one had gone to the Oracle in the past few decades.
"It's a risk we have to take," said Piper. "We have no idea where Gastion or Phoebe are. It could take weeks or months to find them. God only knows what can happen between now and then. I can't even bring myself to think what may have all ready happened."
"Probably not much," said Cole. "It wasn't just human women Gastion was fascinated with. He was also fascinated with a lot of human traditions. Specifically courting rituals. He would want to totally convince Phoebe that they were courting before she lost her memory. So that she would willingly consent to marry him."
"How long would this courting go on?" Paige questioned.
"That would depend on the female," said Cole. "At least a couple of weeks. I'm pretty sure he's still in that phase right now. Once he has her thoroughly convinced, he'll marry her. So you don't need to worry about anything happening between them yet."
"I hope you're right," said Piper. "If he's done anything to her. . ."
"Piper, don't work yourself up," said Leo, sitting on a log next to her. "You know Cole isn't about to let anything happen to her if he can help it."
"So it's really true?" Margaret asked. "You and Phoebe were really married?"
"That's right," said Cole. "But I guess it just wasn't meant to be. She was a Charmed One and I was half demon. Just too large an obstacle to overcome. But we had some good times."
"Yeah, before you tried to kill us," said Piper.
"That wasn't totally me," said Cole. "Most of it was the Source who had possessed me."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," said Piper. "The fact is you still tried to kill us and Phoebe had to vanquish you to protect us."
"Okay, that's ancient history," said Cole. "We're here now to find and save Phoebe. Can we just let the past remain in the past?"
"That sounds fair to me," said Paige, trying to change the subject. "Margaret, what about you? You said you were working on a spell when you got sucked into this world. Is your coven in San Francisco?"
"Yes," said Margaret. "They probably think I was killed. My daughter was part of the coven. She'd be about your age now. I'm sure she's moved on with her life by now."
"Then she'll be glad to have you back," said Piper. "When we get back we'll help you locate your coven and your daughter."
"If we get back," said Cole. "We still don't know how to get out of this realm."
"I'm sure if we can find the place where I arrived here we'll be able to get back that way," said Margaret. "We just have to find the portal that brought me here and use it to get back."
"Well, I'm sure this Oracle can tell us how to get back," said Piper. "From what you've told us it seems to know everything there is to know about this place."
"If it will help us," said Margaret. "There's no guarantee it will."
"We'll just have to convince it to help," said Piper.
Alone in the dark the small figure that had been following the group turned and headed north. The group would reach the Oracle the next day. The Oracle would need to be informed of them. It should reach the mountain where the Oracle resided before morning.
"Are you sure?" questioned a figure in the shadows of a mountain just north of where Piper and the others were camping.
"Very sure," said the small figure. "I have watched them for several days. They come seeking you out. They are not natural."
"Inform the guardians," said the shadowy figure. "These may be the ones I have waited for all these years. Tell the guardians these beings must be tested. If they pass the test they may enter. If they fail, they are to be destroyed."
"Understood," said the small figure that then turned and left the chamber.
Alone in the dark the Oracle stood waiting for the party to reach it. For three decades it had waited for those who would be able to do what it needed done. Perhaps these five were those who could accomplish that task. Silently the Oracle waited to see if they would be strong enough to pass the test that was required to gain admittance to the it.
It was just past noon when the party sighted the mountain that legend held the Oracle inhabited. It seemed small for a mountain. And it seemed to be nearly impassable. From a distance there appeared no way to the cavern they could see near the top of the mountain.
"There's supposed to be a path that leads up to the cave," said Margaret. "It's very treacherous and hard to negotiate. I don't know how long it will take to get up the mountain. Like I said, the last person who went to the Oracle was more than thirty years ago. And he never returned."
"I'll go first," said Leo. "As a spirit there shouldn't be anything up there that can harm me. And I can warn you of any dangers that might be ahead."
"Good idea," said Cole. "Well, I suggest we get started. The sooner we get up there the quicker we can find Phoebe and get out of here."
Slowly the party made their way up the mountain. Just as Margaret had said, it was very difficult going. They had to backtrack several times to bypass obstacles that were impassable. They had to climb over fallen trees, move around deep gorges, and claw their way through overgrown brush.
There were even a few encounters with the denizens of the mountain. Spiders, scorpions, and other equally dangerous creatures. Leo was able to warn the party of the infestations and they were able to avoid most of them. Finally they stood only a few feet from the entrance to the cavern.
"Well, I'm glad that's over," said Piper, sitting down to rest. "I'm not looking forward to going back through that when we leave."
"No choice," said Cole. "It seems to be the only way up or down the mountain. But at least we know what to expect on the way down. Now all we have to do is get in there and see if this Oracle will help us."
"I'm afraid that isn't going to happen," said a voice behind them. "Unfortunately for you, your quest ends here."
Everyone turned to see who had spoken. All except Margaret recognized the figure instantly. It wore gray colored robes but didn't have the hood drawn. Its face was covered in tribal markings similar to those that Belthazor had. One side of its face was marked and disfigured by what must have been a horrible accident.
But it was no accident that had disfigured this creature. It had been disfigured when it had won its bid to replace the former ruler of its kind. They all stood facing a creature that couldn't possible exist. They were facing the Source of all Evil.
The group moved north for three days. They were able to find plenty to eat with Margaret locating fruits, nuts, roots, and berries for them. The few villages they did come across proved to be as subservient as the one where Stennish was. All Cole had to do was say he was demon and the villagers couldn't do enough for them.
As they traveled, Margaret told them what she knew about the Oracle, which was precious little. In the past, the Oracle had helped the villages a great deal. It seemed there was no question she couldn't answer. And her wisdom was legendary. In the past few decades, however, the Oracle had become more and more reclusive. Many of the villagers had even begun to believe it might not even exist, just a legend made up by the older, more superstitious demonis.
She also warned them again that there were also legends of powerful guardians who protected the Oracle. Some of those that had gone to see the Oracle had never returned. It was one of the reasons that no one had gone to the Oracle in the past few decades.
"It's a risk we have to take," said Piper. "We have no idea where Gastion or Phoebe are. It could take weeks or months to find them. God only knows what can happen between now and then. I can't even bring myself to think what may have all ready happened."
"Probably not much," said Cole. "It wasn't just human women Gastion was fascinated with. He was also fascinated with a lot of human traditions. Specifically courting rituals. He would want to totally convince Phoebe that they were courting before she lost her memory. So that she would willingly consent to marry him."
"How long would this courting go on?" Paige questioned.
"That would depend on the female," said Cole. "At least a couple of weeks. I'm pretty sure he's still in that phase right now. Once he has her thoroughly convinced, he'll marry her. So you don't need to worry about anything happening between them yet."
"I hope you're right," said Piper. "If he's done anything to her. . ."
"Piper, don't work yourself up," said Leo, sitting on a log next to her. "You know Cole isn't about to let anything happen to her if he can help it."
"So it's really true?" Margaret asked. "You and Phoebe were really married?"
"That's right," said Cole. "But I guess it just wasn't meant to be. She was a Charmed One and I was half demon. Just too large an obstacle to overcome. But we had some good times."
"Yeah, before you tried to kill us," said Piper.
"That wasn't totally me," said Cole. "Most of it was the Source who had possessed me."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," said Piper. "The fact is you still tried to kill us and Phoebe had to vanquish you to protect us."
"Okay, that's ancient history," said Cole. "We're here now to find and save Phoebe. Can we just let the past remain in the past?"
"That sounds fair to me," said Paige, trying to change the subject. "Margaret, what about you? You said you were working on a spell when you got sucked into this world. Is your coven in San Francisco?"
"Yes," said Margaret. "They probably think I was killed. My daughter was part of the coven. She'd be about your age now. I'm sure she's moved on with her life by now."
"Then she'll be glad to have you back," said Piper. "When we get back we'll help you locate your coven and your daughter."
"If we get back," said Cole. "We still don't know how to get out of this realm."
"I'm sure if we can find the place where I arrived here we'll be able to get back that way," said Margaret. "We just have to find the portal that brought me here and use it to get back."
"Well, I'm sure this Oracle can tell us how to get back," said Piper. "From what you've told us it seems to know everything there is to know about this place."
"If it will help us," said Margaret. "There's no guarantee it will."
"We'll just have to convince it to help," said Piper.
Alone in the dark the small figure that had been following the group turned and headed north. The group would reach the Oracle the next day. The Oracle would need to be informed of them. It should reach the mountain where the Oracle resided before morning.
"Are you sure?" questioned a figure in the shadows of a mountain just north of where Piper and the others were camping.
"Very sure," said the small figure. "I have watched them for several days. They come seeking you out. They are not natural."
"Inform the guardians," said the shadowy figure. "These may be the ones I have waited for all these years. Tell the guardians these beings must be tested. If they pass the test they may enter. If they fail, they are to be destroyed."
"Understood," said the small figure that then turned and left the chamber.
Alone in the dark the Oracle stood waiting for the party to reach it. For three decades it had waited for those who would be able to do what it needed done. Perhaps these five were those who could accomplish that task. Silently the Oracle waited to see if they would be strong enough to pass the test that was required to gain admittance to the it.
It was just past noon when the party sighted the mountain that legend held the Oracle inhabited. It seemed small for a mountain. And it seemed to be nearly impassable. From a distance there appeared no way to the cavern they could see near the top of the mountain.
"There's supposed to be a path that leads up to the cave," said Margaret. "It's very treacherous and hard to negotiate. I don't know how long it will take to get up the mountain. Like I said, the last person who went to the Oracle was more than thirty years ago. And he never returned."
"I'll go first," said Leo. "As a spirit there shouldn't be anything up there that can harm me. And I can warn you of any dangers that might be ahead."
"Good idea," said Cole. "Well, I suggest we get started. The sooner we get up there the quicker we can find Phoebe and get out of here."
Slowly the party made their way up the mountain. Just as Margaret had said, it was very difficult going. They had to backtrack several times to bypass obstacles that were impassable. They had to climb over fallen trees, move around deep gorges, and claw their way through overgrown brush.
There were even a few encounters with the denizens of the mountain. Spiders, scorpions, and other equally dangerous creatures. Leo was able to warn the party of the infestations and they were able to avoid most of them. Finally they stood only a few feet from the entrance to the cavern.
"Well, I'm glad that's over," said Piper, sitting down to rest. "I'm not looking forward to going back through that when we leave."
"No choice," said Cole. "It seems to be the only way up or down the mountain. But at least we know what to expect on the way down. Now all we have to do is get in there and see if this Oracle will help us."
"I'm afraid that isn't going to happen," said a voice behind them. "Unfortunately for you, your quest ends here."
Everyone turned to see who had spoken. All except Margaret recognized the figure instantly. It wore gray colored robes but didn't have the hood drawn. Its face was covered in tribal markings similar to those that Belthazor had. One side of its face was marked and disfigured by what must have been a horrible accident.
But it was no accident that had disfigured this creature. It had been disfigured when it had won its bid to replace the former ruler of its kind. They all stood facing a creature that couldn't possible exist. They were facing the Source of all Evil.