Heh heh, er, don't kill me for this one, but it may be a bit before I update since I have an abstract, exams AND a dissertation to do, but I am working on the next chapter as I post this, Honest!!!! Any way, thanks for all the reviews, they really helped!!!
Disclaimer: I do not own Van Helsing, although if I did the possibilities are endless, I am merely borrowing him. Any OC are mine, and any likeness to other stories is totally unintentional. Oh, and I am making absolutely zip from writing this, just aching fingers.
Chapter Seven - Power Always Comes With A Price.
The chamber was huge and appeared to bleed into the darkness as if it went on forever and wasn't really there at all. In the centre was a tomb, intricately carved and surrounded by candles and a large circle of salt and blood. Looking around the chamber, Van Helsing resisted the feeling of death and power trying to roll through his senses, and focussed on the people around the tomb he had almost missed in the darkness. Tarja, Kellan and Tyris were stood awaiting their arrival and had turned to watch their entrance. All three were wearing dark cloaks, giving them the appearance of having formed from the darkness itself.
"Is it me or is it creepy in here?" Carl whispered to Van Helsing as he too looked around.
"It's just you, Carl," Van Helsing replied, smiling as the friar jumped. He had not noticed how close Van Helsing had been and had managed to frighten himself.
"You have no reason to fear this place Carl. This is in fact, one of the safest places for you to be. Whilst here, Mercer cannot send anything to attack us, supernatural or otherwise, he does not know this chamber even exists." Tarja stood forward and gestured for them to walk forwards. "I have called you here to act as anchors for me in a Calling of the Spirits. It is a very ancient custom and no one before outside of the coven has ever been part of one, not even Nico."
"What we are about to do is very dangerous, for Tarja and us." A third man, wearing beige leather with long curly black hair had also stepped forward, a bowl in his hands. "In order for us to begin we need the final seal, a combination of all of the anchor's blood. We will be the shield that will prevent anything from entering or leaving this sacred place during the ceremony. Place your right hand over the bowl, palm upwards."
Van Helsing, understanding what was being asked immediately stretched out his hand and placed his palm upwards over the bowl. The man, taking a knife from a pocket in his robe, made a small cut across his palm. Tilting his hand slightly, Van Helsing allowed the blood to trickle into the bowl. "Who are you?" he asked looking at the man. No matter how many times he got injured, he never really liked the sight of his own blood.
"I am known by many names, but you can call me Cecaise. It is what I am called by the Coven," the man replied, green eyes serious.
Placing a small bandage in Van Helsing's hand, Cecaise moved onwards to Carl, repeating the process. Having collected the last of the blood, he walked back to the tomb and placed the bowl on the top.
Van Helsing followed; tying the bandage he had been given tightly around his palm. The cut was only small, but it was true that the smaller ones always hurt the most. He did not notice that some had dripped on the floor.
Suddenly without warning, they felt the power level in the room ratchet up another level, raising hairs on the back of their necks.
"What was that?" Carl asked.
"There has been an increase in power from somewhere. It feels 'good' for want of a better descriptor, although I cannot place where it has come from," Kellan replied, eyes closed with a look of concentration on his face.
Cade, who had been stood behind them all, had noticed the blood and the power level increase. Moving forward, he stepped between Carl and Van Helsing and walked to where Tarja and Tyris stood. "We should begin, we do not have time to investigate. You said yourself that Mercer grows stronger with every moment, and the longer we take, the harder the ceremony will be."
"You are right, we must begin." Tarja turned and walked back towards the tomb. "You will notice in the floor there is a pentagram carved out of stone within the circle of blood and salt, I need you to stand at one of the points. At no time during the ceremony are you to leave the circle, otherwise you will put everyone insides life at risk. Do you understand?" She had directed the question at not only Van Helsing and Carl, but also towards Cade. "I know that you are highly trained Cade, but you have never been part of this type of summoning before, I need to know that understand."
At his curt nod she walked to the back of the tomb where some steps were, unseen until then and walked onto the top of the tomb, while everyone took their places at the points of the pentagram. Sitting cross-legged, she nodded at Cecaise, who took the bowl into his hands once again.
"In the name of the goddess, I pray that you know what you are doing," he said placing a mark on either cheek and on her forehead.
"So do I," she whispered.
Continuing round the circle he repeated the markings on the others, before marking himself and placing the bowl on the floor beside the tomb, then walking to the remaining place on the pentagram.
"During the ceremony you will have a sense of being grounded, this is nothing to worry about," she said, looking at the hunter and the friar. "When this is over I will know how to stop Mercer." Settling herself she closed her eyes and began to chant in the same language she had used before, voice lilting in an increasing tempo.
Van Helsing had seen a great many wonders in his travels, but nothing quite prepared him for what happened next. As Tarja's chanting grew in volume it seemed as if the darkness began to encroach on the light, candles growing dimmer, even though they appeared to be burning normally. Then, without warning, the room was plunged into darkness as the chanting changed, becoming softer and more soothing. Ignoring the sudden unease he felt at being plunged into the darkness, he began to feel a sense of peace and stillness fill him. Allowing the feeling to wash over him, he became aware of a faint glow emanating from the tomb.
He had never seen a ghost before, demons and monsters, but never a ghost. Wisps of dust that glowed floated upwards from the tomb and coalesced into the form of a woman, who floated towards where he could see Tarja, eyes closed and chanting. Every now and then, the form would change, becoming more translucent or more skeletal, as it floated closer towards her. Watching in fascination, he gazed on, as the figure seemed to merge with the chanting woman on the tomb.
He fought the urge to step backwards as the chanting stopped and she opened her eyes, to reveal a black starry scape through them, which shined like captured distant starlight on a cloudless night. "Who has called me from my sleep?" the woman asked in what was clearly not Tarja's voice, but another's.
Looking around the circle at the others, Gabriel was beginning to get the idea that this was not normal. Cecaise was the one to break the stunned silence that had permeated the room. "We, the leaders of this Coven have called you from your sleep, though we do not know who you are or how," he spoke, confusion etched on his face.
"I am the being of the crossways, Guardian of the parting of the ways, you may know me as Hecate. Why have you called me forth?" Tarja had risen from her position and had stood facing Cecaise.
Van Helsing, stood next to him, was resisting the urge to grab a weapon at this unexpected event, he could not feel evil coming from this being, but he could not sense good either.
"We did not call you intentionally, we were trying to call upon the spirit of our fallen leader, to aid us in this time of need-" Cecaise began only to be cut off.
"You called me forward when you tampered with the safeguards between this realm and the others, where is the token of protection, the keystone to the barriers?" Her eyes began to grow brighter and the sense of peace in the room had turned to a foreboding pressure.
"We have not tampered with the keystone, we are searching for a way to prevent it being unlocked," Van Helsing spoke up.
Turning to look upon the hunter, the being smiled, regarding him. "I know now whose power called me here, Left hand of God. Your presence alone makes me trust that it is not you who have upset the balance and sent the realms into chaos."
"No, but we seek a way to set right the balance which has been tipped. Will you help us?" the hunter asked.
"I cannot give you anything that you do not already have, although I can bestow power upon one here whom you trust. Through them you will have a chance at returning the correct balance and natural order of things, but it will come at a price. Who do you choose?"
Without hesitation he replied, "Tarja Balfour, the woman whose body you are inhabiting."
"Very well, but I must warn all of you of the consequences and she must choose of her own free will." Tarja's eyes began to glow at an even brighter intensity as the wisps of light began to leave her body and form into a woman before them.
Opening her eyes, Tarja gazed upon the image of Andala, her oldest friend and mentor. "Andala?"
"No my child, I am the Guardian of the parting of the ways, and I come to you with a gift of power. I can see a well of strength inside you child, but I also see rage and anger. Know this, if I were to give you this gift of power it comes at a great price. Your powers will increase, but so will the rage. You must be strong enough to overcome that rage, or it will destroy you and those you hold dear to your heart." The image of Andala raised its hand to her face. "The key must be destroyed, only then will the barriers return to how they were, to do this you must-"
"NO!!! I will not allow this to continue!!! My master will not allow you to destroy the Cross of Rhade!!" Cade, knife in hand, leapt from his position at one of the peaks of the pentagram towards where Tarja and the being were. "You shall die before I allow you to know the secret to stopping him!!!"
Van Helsing, having trained reflexes from constant contact with the unexpected, ran forwards and intercepted Cade before he could reach the tomb. Grabbing his arm, Van Helsing swung him around and down onto the floor with a resounding thud.
"You must not break the circle!!" Kellan shouted. He along with the others still in position had felt the increase in strain from the removal of two points of the circle. "No one move or the seals will break!!"
"My child, it appears that we do not have much time, I must depart before the seals are broken or all of you within them will be killed by the backlash. Do you accept the gift?" the being asked, a faint sense of urgency in her voice.
"I do. With it I will destroy Mercer and the cross, I swear it with my life, even if it takes my dying breath." Tarja answered with total conviction.
"Very well, but know this, you will be the most powerful necromancer that has ever been and the power will be passed down, in the wrong hands it can destroy worlds, guard it wisely." Raising its hands, the Guardian of the parting of the ways gently took her head in its hands and placed its forehead to hers.
On the floor, Cade looked up in horror at what was unfolding. Face contorted into a mask of fury and hate he leapt up again knife in hand and slashed at Van Helsing, who had been distracted by what the being had said.
Seeing the flash of the blade out of the corner of his eye, Van Helsing was able to partially block the blow, feeling the blade bite into his right side. Ignoring the pain, he grasped Cade's hand and twisted violently upwards and back, hearing the satisfying snap of bone.
With a howl of pain, Cade pulled back and staggered to his feet. Reaching behind with his good hand, he pulled a gladius sword from an unseen back sheath and swung it towards Van Helsing in a downwards-sweeping motion.
Already having a blade in hand, Van Helsing inverted it into a stabbing position and blocked the downwards-sweeping stroke, allowing it to glance off and away. Before Cade could bring the sword around again for another attack the room filled with light, which blazed like the sun, blinding all in the room. Then disappeared with a sensation of sudden pressure change.
As soon as the light disappeared, Van Helsing instantly searched for the next attack, barely dodging the low swing that would have severed his leg. Jumping backwards, he parried another attack grabbing Cade's arm and slamming his elbow into his face.
Hearing the satisfying crunch of bone, Van Helsing grinned wolfishly and let go of the man's arm as he slid to the floor, clutching his face and dropping the sword. Turning to gaze at the tomb where Tarja and the being were, he was surprised to see that only Tarja remained and that the Guardian had departed.
"The Guardian Hecate has gone, but left me with a gift of power and the knowledge we need to stop your master Cade." Tarja said, voice cold as the arctic tundra. "How many of us have you betrayed to Mercer? How many of us have you helped to kill?"
"Today, or since the day you took me in?" Cade asked, hatred lacing his every word. "Wiccan scum, you should all be destroyed!! I personally ended Calvell's life, you know, he never even saw it coming. That was how the undead breached the Coven walls!!" He began to laugh at the looks of shock and horror on their faces. "I've been working for Mercer since I came here, that day you found me in the woods, injured? It was all a ploy for this very day!!"
"You may have helped Mercer attack this Coven, but you made one mistake Cade. I am far stronger than Andala was and I will destroy Mercer and the Cross. You failed, I know how to stop you and your master!" She said, eyes hardening. "You will not see his destruction though, you won't leave this place alive. I can see it, that is part of my new power, and with it I'm going to make Mercer suffer."
"Never!!" Realising that he would only get one chance, he lunged at her with a knife, only to be halted in mid air.
Tarja, eyes blazing had her left hand held up in a fist. "Do you know why this chamber is so sacred Cade? Because it has the bones of every leader of this coven buried beneath it. And within it, they are in the very air of this place, and I can call their spirits to my aid whenever I want. They will not allow you to harm me here, but they will allow me to harm you…"
Realisation dawned on Cade's face as he realised the consequences of his actions. "No, please, I take it all back!! I can show you how to get into the castle, how to get to the chamber where the cross is, how to free Nico!"
"I don't need you to Cade. I already know." Tarja said, voice cold, face impassive. "You knew the laws of this Coven and the penalties, Cade. For the betrayal of this Coven to our enemies, the murder of your fellow elite and for crimes against every living thing in this world you are to be judged by the spirits of this Coven that you have added to in your treachery, they will most likely chose the death penalty."
"You cannot kill me, you don't have the stomach for it." Cade mocked.
Van Helsing, who had been silent throughout the entire exchange, saw the look in Tarja's face. He had not known her long, but knew that in order to save those she loved and the entirety of existence she would kill. The question was; would she enjoy doing it? No, she wasn't a cold-blooded killer; she only killed when necessary, like Balfour and himself.
"I'm not the one who decides, I will only give them a conduit to dispense justice through, and it appears that they have chosen for you to join them." She looked him in the eye and said, "Goodbye Cade, may your spirit rest in peace, after I send it to hell with your master."
What followed next would stay with Van Helsing for the rest of his life. With a dispassionate face, Tarja opened her left hand, and then the horror began. Huge rips began to appear in the man's flesh as if he was being ripped apart by an unseen foe. However, Van Helsing knew what was doing this, knew that the spirits in this chamber were taking revenge on an enemy of the Coven, who had caused death and destruction to their own, and betrayed them. He looked away as Cade began to scream in agony, entrails being ripped from his body with a wet tearing sound.
He noticed that Carl was stood with his eyes shut, reciting a prayer, and had a slightly greenish hue to his complexion. Carl had most likely never seen anything like this before, having never been out of the abbey, unless with himself. He knew that this would stay with the friar too. Pressing a hand to his side to try and stop the blood, which was steadily oozing from his side making him feel dizzy, he turned back to the gory scene in from of him when the screaming stopped; to see the remains drop to the floor.
Tarja still had a dispassionate face as she turned to look at them all. "His remains shall be removed from this place and buried outside of the Coven, never to return. For now we must see to the rest of the wounded and make plans. The Guardian was kind enough to tell me how to destroy the cross and even gave me all the knowledge I needed from Andala." She turned to look at Van Helsing who was looking pale and swaying slightly on his feet. "She also had a message for you, Gabriel. She told me to tell you that 'whatever happens, trust your instincts'. I think that you and I need to have a talk."
"Yes, we do…" he began to say, but found that he was unable to get anything further out as the world dissolved into blackness.
Heh heh, evil cliffie, well blame M N Talbert for the cliffies, I get them all the time. It did seem to be a good place to leave though; otherwise it would be a monster chapter.
Major thank you goes out to Toto3 for the best review in ages. And I really mean that, I was going to jack this story in after chapter three so it is nice to know that my stubbornness is appreciated. I did some polishing, hope you liked the gore although it may have been a bit OTT, but what can I say? I was really annoyed, Gabriel and Cade suffered. oh, i now have my e-mail posted.
Thankyou's also go to: island-surfer and the anonymous person, and paul i know it doesn't hurt to press the blue button, cheers!!!!
Anyway, let me know what you think!
Fen