Eclipse XXI: Destiny
.
I have a bad feeling about this. I felt the fires of the earth burn as the moon moved against her will. The sensations I got were like... Hell, I can't even describe it. Searing pain and sorrowful agony? It was much more than that.
Much more.
Luna, Sophia and I traveled by portkey towards the Stonehenge ruins. I really hated that kind of transportation. And of all mode of transportation, this one makes me nauseous. Do they a name for this? Like portkey sickness?
Whatever it was called, we landed about five hundred meters from the ruins. It would be hell on earth when we just popped up in the middle of Stonehenge. And besides, we were assigned as recon.
In short: watch, do not mingle.
Luna and Sophia left their clothes at Hogwarts and donned themselves a couple of the school's robes. But I must admit that even in her robes Luna looked gorgeous. I just blurted that out didn't I?
Oh well...
As we arrived at the designated spot, I took a few moments to collect my self. I swear, I think my guts are still back at Hogwarts.
"Are you okay, Sol?" Luna asked worried as she caressed my back. I felt a jolt of electricity from her touch that took my mind off my nausea. Silently, I took great pleasure in her touch.
"Just queasy," I said as I tried a smile. "Isn't there another way to get here without using that damnable portkey?" Luna, despite my obvious annoyance, laughed. Her musical laughter was far better than any lullaby that relaxed me. I could hear her laugh for eternity and I wouldn't get tired.
And only one other could laugh like that... Diana.
"They are watching," Sophia whispered as she knelt down to hide herself. "Yet they do not know we are here." Always the hunter.
"Not yet," I said as I took a deep breath and smiled at Luna. "But we must reach the ruins before they could notice us." I needed to check my things. I took out my backpack and laid its contents on the ground. And as I did, I felt Luna's eyes on me.
"What are those?" she asked as I wore a set of holsters.
"Guns," I said simply but I saw her confusion. On the ground lay my choice of weapons, but I must explain them for you to understand.
I have two pistols, heavily modified for demon assaults. One is called the Ivory, it's a silver automatic pistol about 390 mm long and uses silver explosive 13 mm .454 Casul rounds. Perfect for ghouls and vampires. The other is its twin, Ebony, the black pistol uses blessed quicksilver rounds and powerful enough to stop ANY monster.
The Vampire, ironically called, is a double barreled shotgun that uses a range of bullets from silver shots to incendiary rounds. Normally, I just use it to open doors.
"Why do you need guns?" Luna asked as I holstered the weapons.
"Precautions," I told her softly. Truthfully, the thought of wizards getting me with their magic was... daunting.
"Shall we?" I smiled and walked towards the direction of the ruins.
"Where's Sophia?" Luna asked as she scanned the darkness.
"She went on ahead to scout."
"Are you two always like this?" I saw the curiousness in her eyes as she asked the question. She deserved nothing but the truth. I owe her that.
"Every time we go on a treasure hunt. Sophia and I went through a lot together."
"I'll bet," she sighed. "And all you have found you place it in the vault?"
"Only the most valuable and dangerous."
"The rest you give to the museum," she smirked and I felt there was a reprimand behind it. "But you gave the Eyes of Anubis to the museum." There it was, but her voice was a bit softer that I had expected. I took a deep breath and let it out in one huff to calm myself.
It didn't work.
"Dumbledore gave me a list of artifacts if I have ever come across I should add to the vault. I checked the list twice and didn't find the artifact in it. So I turned it over to the museum."
"You didn't tell him about it?" Luna asked.
"I couldn't," I must have sighed for Luna was looking at me with such compassion that it made me feel guilty. "He never left a forwarding address. He never told, I never asked. I was still shocked by the great responsibility he gave me then." I paused and looked at the fullness of the moon.
"I was a babe, Luna. A mere child to anyone's standards. A child who had his heart broken and his hope lost into eternity." I looked into her eyes and saw... sympathy. Her look was tearing me. How I wish to hear her laugh.
"We all lose hope at one time or another but then we find something to bring us back to hope," she was wise. A beautiful woman who had everything. Compassion, wisdom... beauty.
"Luna, Dumbledore chose me to be the keeper of that vault for one reason and one reason only."
"Which is?" she asked expectantly.
"I had nothing to lose."
"And you think you're here is because you're expendable?" she asked rather curtly. She was beginning to be irritated by my pessimism. Who wouldn't? But that was the truth. And I know my answer will irritate her more.
"Yes." Her growl assured my suspicions.
"So it does not matter to you if you fail?" she said in irritation. Hmmm. She's rather cute when she gets irritated.
"It matters to me greatly for it is my only purpose in life."
"I can't believe you," Luna huffed and continued on. "Are you willing to give up on life so easily."
"I gave up on life a long time ago, Luna."
"So why are you still alive?" she challenged. A minx with claws. I tried to hid a smile that threatened to show.
"Because if I killed myself I couldn't join her in paradise," I smirked as I looked in her eyes. All I could see, was life.
"Do you still feel the same?" she asked as she looked away.
"If I can change my destiny it would be for something I truly believe," I said softly as I started walking again. "And I believe in you, Luna Lovegood. You are my savior when I fall."
I can't see her expression or any indication that she heard me. But I didn't have time to make sure for Sophia was already beside me with a sullen look.
"What is it Sophia?" I asked.
"We need to hurry," she said as she started towards the ruins. "They seemed to be ready."
"For what?" Luna asked, avoiding my gaze. I need to make up with he as soon as this is finished. But what Sophia said made me doubt that I would even see the light of day.
"They're ready to raise the dead."
.
end of 21
A/n: Sorry for the delay.
.
I have a bad feeling about this. I felt the fires of the earth burn as the moon moved against her will. The sensations I got were like... Hell, I can't even describe it. Searing pain and sorrowful agony? It was much more than that.
Much more.
Luna, Sophia and I traveled by portkey towards the Stonehenge ruins. I really hated that kind of transportation. And of all mode of transportation, this one makes me nauseous. Do they a name for this? Like portkey sickness?
Whatever it was called, we landed about five hundred meters from the ruins. It would be hell on earth when we just popped up in the middle of Stonehenge. And besides, we were assigned as recon.
In short: watch, do not mingle.
Luna and Sophia left their clothes at Hogwarts and donned themselves a couple of the school's robes. But I must admit that even in her robes Luna looked gorgeous. I just blurted that out didn't I?
Oh well...
As we arrived at the designated spot, I took a few moments to collect my self. I swear, I think my guts are still back at Hogwarts.
"Are you okay, Sol?" Luna asked worried as she caressed my back. I felt a jolt of electricity from her touch that took my mind off my nausea. Silently, I took great pleasure in her touch.
"Just queasy," I said as I tried a smile. "Isn't there another way to get here without using that damnable portkey?" Luna, despite my obvious annoyance, laughed. Her musical laughter was far better than any lullaby that relaxed me. I could hear her laugh for eternity and I wouldn't get tired.
And only one other could laugh like that... Diana.
"They are watching," Sophia whispered as she knelt down to hide herself. "Yet they do not know we are here." Always the hunter.
"Not yet," I said as I took a deep breath and smiled at Luna. "But we must reach the ruins before they could notice us." I needed to check my things. I took out my backpack and laid its contents on the ground. And as I did, I felt Luna's eyes on me.
"What are those?" she asked as I wore a set of holsters.
"Guns," I said simply but I saw her confusion. On the ground lay my choice of weapons, but I must explain them for you to understand.
I have two pistols, heavily modified for demon assaults. One is called the Ivory, it's a silver automatic pistol about 390 mm long and uses silver explosive 13 mm .454 Casul rounds. Perfect for ghouls and vampires. The other is its twin, Ebony, the black pistol uses blessed quicksilver rounds and powerful enough to stop ANY monster.
The Vampire, ironically called, is a double barreled shotgun that uses a range of bullets from silver shots to incendiary rounds. Normally, I just use it to open doors.
"Why do you need guns?" Luna asked as I holstered the weapons.
"Precautions," I told her softly. Truthfully, the thought of wizards getting me with their magic was... daunting.
"Shall we?" I smiled and walked towards the direction of the ruins.
"Where's Sophia?" Luna asked as she scanned the darkness.
"She went on ahead to scout."
"Are you two always like this?" I saw the curiousness in her eyes as she asked the question. She deserved nothing but the truth. I owe her that.
"Every time we go on a treasure hunt. Sophia and I went through a lot together."
"I'll bet," she sighed. "And all you have found you place it in the vault?"
"Only the most valuable and dangerous."
"The rest you give to the museum," she smirked and I felt there was a reprimand behind it. "But you gave the Eyes of Anubis to the museum." There it was, but her voice was a bit softer that I had expected. I took a deep breath and let it out in one huff to calm myself.
It didn't work.
"Dumbledore gave me a list of artifacts if I have ever come across I should add to the vault. I checked the list twice and didn't find the artifact in it. So I turned it over to the museum."
"You didn't tell him about it?" Luna asked.
"I couldn't," I must have sighed for Luna was looking at me with such compassion that it made me feel guilty. "He never left a forwarding address. He never told, I never asked. I was still shocked by the great responsibility he gave me then." I paused and looked at the fullness of the moon.
"I was a babe, Luna. A mere child to anyone's standards. A child who had his heart broken and his hope lost into eternity." I looked into her eyes and saw... sympathy. Her look was tearing me. How I wish to hear her laugh.
"We all lose hope at one time or another but then we find something to bring us back to hope," she was wise. A beautiful woman who had everything. Compassion, wisdom... beauty.
"Luna, Dumbledore chose me to be the keeper of that vault for one reason and one reason only."
"Which is?" she asked expectantly.
"I had nothing to lose."
"And you think you're here is because you're expendable?" she asked rather curtly. She was beginning to be irritated by my pessimism. Who wouldn't? But that was the truth. And I know my answer will irritate her more.
"Yes." Her growl assured my suspicions.
"So it does not matter to you if you fail?" she said in irritation. Hmmm. She's rather cute when she gets irritated.
"It matters to me greatly for it is my only purpose in life."
"I can't believe you," Luna huffed and continued on. "Are you willing to give up on life so easily."
"I gave up on life a long time ago, Luna."
"So why are you still alive?" she challenged. A minx with claws. I tried to hid a smile that threatened to show.
"Because if I killed myself I couldn't join her in paradise," I smirked as I looked in her eyes. All I could see, was life.
"Do you still feel the same?" she asked as she looked away.
"If I can change my destiny it would be for something I truly believe," I said softly as I started walking again. "And I believe in you, Luna Lovegood. You are my savior when I fall."
I can't see her expression or any indication that she heard me. But I didn't have time to make sure for Sophia was already beside me with a sullen look.
"What is it Sophia?" I asked.
"We need to hurry," she said as she started towards the ruins. "They seemed to be ready."
"For what?" Luna asked, avoiding my gaze. I need to make up with he as soon as this is finished. But what Sophia said made me doubt that I would even see the light of day.
"They're ready to raise the dead."
.
end of 21
A/n: Sorry for the delay.