Lost Soul
Disclaimer: It's been 15 chapters and you think I own them??? Funny, real funny. ((sniffles)) I want my own Elfy!!! ((wails and throws tantrum))
Chapter 14: Twists"Danin is dead. He killed himself barely a century ago."
Dead.
Dead.
Dead.
The dreaded word pounded in Estel's ears as he felt himself sinking into a void. Their only hope was shattered?
"By the Valar," he whispered, "This can't be true."
The Lamia rose and uttered a few words. Immediately, the people filling the place began to file out, leaving the Lamia, Zykon, Hectrix and Firga behind with the captives, who were too stunned to notice what was happening.
After a long silence, Firga spoke gently, "I'm sorry. I wish things did not have to turn out this way."
"No one knows what the Fates decree, save the Fates alone," Hectrix murmured as she watched the fire dance. "Such is Life, that we are only puppets on their strings."
"Tell us more," the Lamia urged as she leant forward. "Perhaps we might be able to help you."
Elladan sighed as he began to recount the tale of Legolas, and what Mithrandir had told them, to his eager audience.
X.x.X.x.X.x.X.x.X"You are saying that he used his blood in the spell?" Zykon asked in disbelief. He snorted when the Elves and Human nodded in response. "That is impossible."
"Why?" Estel asked.
"Blood magic is forbidden, even among ourselves," the Lamia explained. "To use it is punishable by death, unless the situation calls for it, and only then, it is used as a last resort." She turned her eyes on the confused Human and smiled slightly. She gestured to all of them to sit down before continuing with her explanation. "Blood magic is as dangerous to the user as to the target, perhaps more so. Because it involves the very essence of life, it can be very destructive. If the spell backfires on the caster, the consequences are dire. The worst case ever recorded in its usage caused an entire village, which was under the attack of Orcs, to be decimated by a fledgling mage."
Hectrix flinched.
"The mage in question was gifted with the ability to wield fire, but she was not yet powerful enough to achieve the effect needed to destroy the Orcs. She invoked the rites of blood magic and used it to multiply her power, but she lost control of the resulting flames. What was supposed to be a wave of fire meant to burn only the Orcs became an inferno that consumed the entire village and left nothing in its wake. She died with the rest of the villagers."
"I see," Elladan mused thoughtfully. "But, one thing I don't understand is... How did Danin manage to cast this spell on our friend, when he did not go through the proper rites and incantations?"
"That I can explain." Firga smiled bitterly. "Danin was related to the mage who came up with blood magic, so his powers in that field are greater than others. In very rare cases, the desires of the mage are able to override the barriers that lead to a spell being cast. Under normal circumstances, these barriers can only be breached by the suitable incantation. From what you have said, it seems that Danin was very obsessed with your friend. Coupled together with his powers, it would have been a rather easy task for him to cast the spell without going through the normal procedures."
"Then, how are we supposed to break the spell?"
Firga sighed and shook her head. "You need his blood in order to do that. And it is impossible for you to obtain it now."
"What?! Then, what was the point in telling us all that?!" Estel almost leapt up in his agitation, but his brothers quickly caught his arms and forced him to remain in his seat.
Zykon glared at the Human and snapped, "Mother only speaks what is necessary."
The Lamia laid a hand on her son's shoulder and said, calmly, "Just as some diseases have more than one cure, so do some spells. Perhaps there is another way to free your friend's soul. But for now, Zykon, take them back to their quarters. It is late, and they need some rest."
"But -!" Estel protested.
The Lamia silenced him with a look. "This is not your realm, I suggest you not argue with me. Sleep well, may tomorrow be a brighter day for you." She waved a hand and dismissed them.
X.x.X.x.X.x.X.x.X
Estel glared furiously at the Human who had herded them out of the hut. He was not in the best of moods after being scratched by the thorns, bashed by a rock-face, cut by a few dozen threads, and now told that there was no way they could save Legolas. He was tempted to hit something. Something that bore a resemblance to the smirking Zykon, who simply ignored the seething Human and led them back to the hut they had woken up in.
Zykon pulled back the flap and mockingly gestured for them to enter the dark hut. "After you, my Lords."
Had it not been for his brothers restraining him, Estel would have probably gouged out those amber eyes that taunted him.
"You should try to enjoy your stay here," Zykon purred. "It will not last very long, I am sure."
"What do you mean?" Elrohir asked, trying to clamp down the panic that rose within him.
Zykon closed his eyes and muttered something. Immediately, a fire sprang up on the pile of sticks arranged in the middle of the room. He turned to leave, saying, "It gets rather chilly at night here, wouldn't want our precious guests to catch a cold, do we?"
Elladan grabbed his arm and asked coldly, "What do you mean?"
Zykon shrugged off the Elf's hand and snarled, "Each time a stranger enters our village something bad happens. I don't know why Mother chooses to help you, but if it were up to me, I'd burn all of you at stake!" With that, he whirled and stalked out of the hut.
Estel ran after him, but found was flung backwards by a force field when he tried to exit the hut.
"Estel!" The twins immediately rushed to his side. "Are you alright?"
The Human winced slightly as he felt his headache come back in full-force. "I'm fine." He looked up at his brothers and grinned wryly. "Looks like we're stuck in this place whether we like it or not... So, what do we do now?"
Elladan sighed. "I'm not looking forward to telling King Thranduil that we can't save Legolas."
Estel shook his head violently. "No! I refuse to believe that Legolas is going to die just like that. There has to be a way to save him, right? Otherwise, Zykon wouldn't have said the Lamia was going to help us!" His grey eyes pleaded with his brothers to tell him that there was still hope for the Prince.
Elrohir turned away, not daring to meet his brother's desperate gaze. "In such a situation, Estel, it is best not to hope for too much."
Elladan grasped his brother's shoulder sympathetically and echoed the Lamia's words. "Get some rest, Estel. Hopefully, tomorrow will bring hope to us... and to Legolas."
X.x.X.x.X.x.X.x.X
When Zykon had led the unwilling captives from the hut, the Lamia turned her attention back to the Elf and Human who had remained with her.
"What do you think?"
Firga inclined her head slightly. "I do not think you should have given them false hope by saying there is another way to break Danin's spell. Only the blood of the caster can break this spell. There is no other way."
The Lamia chuckled slightly. "Spoken as a true Head of the Fire Mages. I had quite forgotten that you know more than others about such magic. After all, you were the younger sister of the mage who burnt down your village by mistake."
Firga frowned. "I was merely stating a fact, my Lady. I see no hope in their situation."
"It is true that only blood can reverse this spell. But it is my belief that it is not necessary that we use his blood only."
"That's impossible," Firga shook her head adamantly. "All spells have a fixed and standard pattern to casting and undoing them. There is no way something like this can be undone."
"But there is." Hectrix stood up and walked towards the Elf. "I remember back then, I cast the spell out of desperation. If I had gone through the full ritual learnt by the present mages, I would have been dismembered by the Orcs even before I was halfway through the incantation."
"It was different then. You had no choice." Firga laid a hand on Hectrix's shoulder. "You did it to save our village, and you died as a result."
"No, Firga. Don't you see? I was the one who started the order of blood magic users. If it weren't for me, Sister, none of this would have happened. I was desperate. And inexperienced. I don't know what came over me, but the spell I used was not born of a specific procedure. It was a spell born of desire."
"What are you trying to tell me, Hectrix? That in actual truth there is no such thing as blood magic?" Firga's voice rose as she challenged the Human incarnation of the sister she had lost an eternity ago. "If that is so, then tell me, what did you die for? And what was it that our cousin used to steal the Soul of one of our Kindred??
"So you've finally acknowledged Danin as your cousin," the Lamia commented quietly, preferring to watch the exchange from the sidelines.
"I only disowned him after I found out what he had done to the Prince," Firga snapped at the Lamia before turning her attention back to the Human. "But now that you're finally talking to me about the past, Hectrix, I demand the truth about this blood magic."
Hectrix lowered her eyes and stared at the flames for a long time as the irate Elf fumed. "The truth is that..."
She lifted her gaze and stared into the timeless eyes of the Elf and the Lamia.
"There is no such thing as blood magic."
X.x.X.x.X.x.X.x.X
TBC
Author's notes:
Hmm... Anyone getting confused here? ((evil laughter)) I love cliffies. I think I'm repressed, 'cos I've read so many fics with cliffies that now? it is my turn to do the cliffie-ing! ((thunderclap)) Incidentally, this is the chapter where I started making major changes to my story. So you could say this is the literal turning point of my story, because I changed about 3 chapters worth of stuff to get a different ending. What that ending was? Well, you'll just have to wait for the end of the story (not that far off? about? 5 chapters and an epilogue left) to find out!
I forgot to mention the origins of Firga's name in my previous chapter... but let's do this the trivia way. Firga is the head of the FIRE mages? I play lots of Final Fantasy. Any guesses how I named her? ((wink))
And, is it just my computer that's screwed, or are there missing chapters in my story??? I was clicking the links just now and I seem to be missing at least 5 chapters? O.o Someone help me double-check, please? So I can repost the chapters if necessary? (stupid FFnet!)
I got more than 200 reviews for this story!!! ((bounces happily)) Thank you soooo much to all the nice people who reviewed, you guys really made my day! Let's see, my 200th reviewer is Sielge! ((fireworks and balloons)) For that, you get? ((scrutinizes the cast)) Ah! You get a limited edition Elfy Plushie! That comes complete with the Dense Ranger Plushie, which is so dense it can double as a paperweight. XD Ahem. More insanity below...
Spanishgoddess86: Unfortunately, Danin did kill himself. Not a very smart thing to do when there are people after his blood (literally) but I love complicating matters. ((evil laugh)) And Estel just has to work harder too! hehehehe...
Marbienl: Yup, the mages are reasonable... sort of.... but they're not eating any of them anytime soon so I supposed you could say the mages are good people. XD I won't be getting my essay back (thank goodness) It's for some accommodation interview thingy (which is very long-winded) so hopefully the waffling is impressive enough. ((wink)) And I'm not from Japan, but I wish I understood Japanese... you're close though, it's in the same region... sort of? ((tries to recall map of Asia)) ((goes cross-eyed)) Anyway, Legolas coming up soon, AND worried Thranduil too. Hehe, not bad, your powers of guessing are pretty good. The transparent part is pretty close ((whistles)) I shall be my evil self and leave you to ponder to possibilities! XDXD
Sielge: ((waves)) Well, you could say the first 10 chapters were the introduction? Sort of. Considering that the main part of the story has only just started and is going to end soon. Hehehe? ((sheepish grin))
The-Serious-Padfoot: Wow, such brilliance, to sit on the floor and read. ((applause)) And? ((rofl) your comment about the "Bad Dude to take blood from" made me think of doctors waving big needles going around taking blood samples! Ahem. Update on Legolas' condition is coming in the next chapter, so sit tight! ; D
Empath89: Haha, never mind about the reviewing, I'm a very bad reviewer myself so... ((whistles innocently)) Hope your computer is behaving! It sounds vaguely like mine... there was a point of time when it kept going nuts on me, and my friends and I dubbed it "Psycho Compy from Hell". XD
Tmelange: Thank you! ((bounces happily and waves sugar wand))
Grumpy: Hehe, thanks! Well, first, they are going to sit and complain, then they are going to angst, then Estel is going to hit his head hard on the wall and angst more. XD Nah, it'll sort itself out, you'll see. ((wink))
Losing Grip: Ah, the big question everyone's asking... How's Legolas going to be saved if Danin's dead? The answer is... Not. Telling. Yet. XD But there?s a hint in this chapter. Sort of. And... are you sure you like the way I think? ((cue Elrond's eyebrow of doom)) I tend to scare people and even myself. XD
Gissela: Yup, Danin is dead, and he just screwed their lives up. Woohoo! Ahem. They'll break the spell, no worries, after all, everyone want Legolas to live happily ever after with Estel, right? ((bounces))
Someone Stupid: ((rofl)) Thank you for the... err... parting words at the end of the review. XD Yup, there'll be slashy stuff soon, and the fill-in-the-blank moment is basically a jump in my timelines where they can be doing anything from having a cuppa tea to 'spontaneous love-making' in the readers mind. XD Btw, your review came very close to what the original plot was. (hint: the PotC line) And, no, Danin didn't pickle his blood and leave it behind. That's gross... ((turns green)) Hehe, ah well, till next time!
Goldmund: Nope, no blood left! I never heard of Elves with anti-clotting factors before. : P And it?s FUN to torture Legolas! ((evil laughter)) but he's got Estel to comfort him when I'm done with my Elfy torture so I guess he doesn't mind? XD
Child of Magick: Hehehe, I love being evil, I think everyone wants to kill me for killing Danin off? Mwahahahah! Don't worry, the ending is coming up soon. And oh!!! Kingdom Hearts!!! ((bounces)) When I saw Riku for the first time, I thought he was young Sephiroth! And I swear that they modelled Ansem after Sephiroth too! It just goes to show he's the BEST villain ever! XD Can't wait for Kingdom Hearts 2 and FF7:Advent Children to come out.
ShadowedDarkness: Thank you! ((is a happy fangirl, I mean, author))
Dawn: Yup, yup! The plot thickens to the consistency of caramel! Oh... sugar... ahem. Glad you like my writing, I think I tend to get a little long-winded sometimes. Maybe that's why I always go waypast the word limits for my summary questions in English exams. Hehe Well, now that I'm done with this, I'll be going back to my original genre of anime/manga. Trying my hand at writing a humour fic for the "Prince of Tennis" series. Haven't written humour in ages (about 3? 4? years) because I've only been able to write serious stuff even though all my author's notes and stuff sound like I'm high on crack.
Crazyrabidfangirl01: Err... I didn't know eating chocolate cookie dough could turn a person into Smeagol... ((eyes cookie dough)) ((pulls out a bar of chocolate instead)) And it's GOOD to be crazy about Elves and Rangers! Especially if they are slashed together!!! Join the club! ((crazy laughter))
KeshieShimmer: Hmm... nope, no bringing Danin back from the dead. He'd cause too much havoc for me to handle. BUT, they?ll be meeting Danin. ((wink)) How? Well, keep reading and reviewing!
And that's all for the previous chapter! FFnet is being spaz and not letting me log in, so apologies for the late post! Gr, and now it's turning all my " "and '...' into questions marks! ((shakes fist at FFnet)) Thanks for reading and reviewing!