"I'm not sure how I feel about this," Bo said pacing through the well-worn path she had made.
The succubus, the Valkyrie and the sylph had been waiting for the gargoyle for well over an hour. His promise to appear shortly before dusk had not happened and the three fae were beginning to wonder if they had been stood up.
"No doubt he is simply waylaid by something insignificant mistress. No need to worry," Stanley reassured as he patted Tamsin's shoulder.
Tamsin just looked at the small man and shook her head. The importance of their quest was too great and if somehow the only person who could guide them had disappeared they were in effect screwed.
"If he doesn't come, is there any way we can find this path Stanley? There has to be another fae capable of tracking it," Tamsin said finally sitting on a fallen tree log.
"I'm sure there are but the odds of finding one currently in Russia? Not so sure," Stanley said looking sheepish as he sat beside her.
"Don't worry Stan, I'm not mad at you. This whole situation is just..."
"Fucked up?" Bo offered with a smirk.
Tamsin laughed and shook her head. Bo had become a veritable wealth of support since that morning. All she kept doing was making jokes, rubbing Tamsin's back and letting her know she was there for her. It was such a drastic change from the last few weeks that Tamsin still wasn't sure if it was all an act or not. The Valkyrie was startled out of her thoughts by the sound of branches being crushed underfoot. She placed her finger to her lips to signal Bo and Stanley to be quiet.
She figured out the direction of the noise and slowly made her way over. She crouched by a bush and waited for whoever or whatever was going to come out. A figure appeared shortly after and Tamsin jumped up to grab whoever it was from behind. She loosened her choke hold when she recognized Viktor.
"Sorry about that Viktor, can't be too careful." Tamsin swatted him on the arm and offered a smile.
Viktor rubbed his neck and waved her off,' "It's cool. Sorry I'm so late, there was traffic."
"Seriously? You didn't just fly over here?" Bo asked with a grin.
"No, drove. Less likely to scare the humans."
Stanley dug inside of his bag and handed Viktor an orb, "Brought the item you asked for. "
Viktor nodded and took the orb. He bounced it in his hand as if he was weighing it. "This one is very well made, where did you get it?"
"Actually it belongs to me, obtained many years ago from an elf. Never had much use for it until now," Stanley said with a shrug.
Tamsin looked between them waiting to see if they would say what it was. "Okay, I'm intrigued. What is it?"
"It's used to show paths created by magic but it can only be activated by specific Fae. Viktor being a gargoyle means he can use this particular one as it was created to find runes used by his kind," Stanley explained.
Bo pursed her lips in confusion, "What do runes have to do with where we are going?"
"The cave is being protected by runes I need. They allow the cave to be invisible to the naked eye and would allow me to go out in the sunlight. I would be unseen but it's better than being frozen during the day." Viktor continued talking as he began drawing strange markings on the orb. "My ancestors made some kind of bargain to create these runes for those that wanted the cave hidden and in turn received unimaginable riches. Unfortunately they became more focused on wealth than continuing the old ways and the art of making them was lost. If I can get my hands on them I can once again learn that magic."
Viktor placed the orb on the ground and began to chant an incantation in a language unknown to Tamsin. She followed his line of sight as he focused on the object on the ground seemingly willing it to move. Within a few minutes it began to shake and then suddenly jerked into the air. It was glowing an eerie bright blue color that lit up the darkening forest. Slowly a line began to form on the ground that looked like a path. Viktor began to walk it and indicated for them to follow.
After walking for what felt like miles Viktor finally put his hand up for everyone to stop. He again began to recite some words and slowly out of the darkness the shape of a cave entrance began to appear. Once it finally came into view everyone gasped at how large it was.
Bo shook her head in awe, "This humongous thing has been hidden for centuries right here and no one knew? That's amazing."
"Indeed it is. I've been searching for this for a very long time," Viktor said rubbing his hands on the outer ridges. "You two are going to need something before you go inside."
Viktor dropped to the floor and searched in his duffle bag. He pulled out two glowing stones the color of amber. He requested Tamsin's gun and Bo's weapon of choice an ax. He placed the stones on each and said yet another incantation. The weapons began to glow themselves and when he was done the stones had been absorbed into them.
"I have used special runes on your weapons that will give them the strength of fire. Should you encounter creatures inside they will most likely have some type of ice abilities, these will neutralize them and allow you to destroy them.'
"What on earth are you expecting us to find in there?" Tamsin said with concern in her voice.
Viktor bounced on his heels, an uncomfortable look on his face. "Not of earth, from somewhere else. But I can't say for sure because my people were not privy to the machinations of the old Gods and what exactly they were hiding in there. Just be careful and remember that they went to great lengths to hide this item, it won't be easy to retrieve."
Bo smirked and picked up her weapon, "Good thing you have me for backup. Let's get it done Valkyrie."
"Right on it Succuslut," Tamsin said with a chuckle.
The two women playfully pushed each other. Bo went over to Viktor to ask a few more questions as Tamsin snatched up her gun and placed it back in the holster. Stanley summoned her over and placed a bag in her hand.
"These are the tools you might need to get to the vessel. And remember, nothing is what it seems in there. The Ancients were known to employ some nasty tricks to keep beings away from their treasures."
"Thank you Stan, for everything. I mean that."
Stanley stammered and looked away. "I appreciate that Tamsin, thank you for treating me like a person and a friend."
"Ha, look at you calling me by my name," Tamsin joked as she gave him a quick hug.
The two women finally began to make their way into the cave. There was a steep incline down so they used the sides of the cave walls to steady themselves. It took several minutes but eventually they made it down to the bottom. The darkness was vast but dimly lit by an unusual flower that glowed blue and seemed to have grown all over the cave floor.
"Well, at least it isn't completely dark. So which way do we go," Bo said indicating the diverging paths in front of them.
"We damn sure aren't separating so we're about to play a mean game of eenie meenie miney mo," Tamsin said putting out her hand.
"Holy shit, look," Bo said pointing to the entrance on the left.
A line of what looked to be undead soldiers were making their way to the middle of the cave. They suddenly stopped and formed a barrier between the two women and the other entrances. Their armor looked formidable and had an eerie glow the same as the flowers, an ice like blue. Despite being obviously no longer alive their bodies were large and muscled. Still trying to figure out what they were seeing, neither woman noticed until too late the soldiers that were hurtling towards them from the side. Both were knocked back, their weapons clanging to the floor. They jumped up and began battling with the creatures.
"What the hell are these?" Bo yelled as she kicked at one of them and sent it flying into a wall only for it to disintegrate and then reassemble immediately after. "Oh fuck me," the succubus screamed as it came hurtling back in her direction.
Tamsin swung the found sword in a wide arc and sliced one of them in half all the while searching the floors for her gun. The clang of the metal separating reverberated off the walls of the cave but just as quickly as it broke apart it came back together. Tamsin spotted the glint of fire coming from her gun and dove for it. She jumped up, spun around and began firing. She destroyed the two creatures that were nearest to her and Bo giving the succubus a chance to collect her own enchanted weapon.
Tamsin watched as Bo picked up her ax and began swinging into the fray of the creatures. Between her ax handling and Tamsin's shooting they were able to kill all of the guardians within minutes.
Bo placed her hands on her knees and bent over to catch her breath. "Okay now can you tell me what those things are?"
"They're called revenants, soldiers who served the old Gods. They were banished eventually when they began to be too much for the Gods to handle. But their souls continued to live in some type of elemental plane and so some of the Gods were able to use them as otherworldly guardians. They only come out when whatever they are protecting is threatened. These particular ones use ice so they can be destroyed by..."
"Magic using fire," Bo said with a nod. "Do you think there are more?"
Tamsin put more ammo in her gun. "Probably further on, so stay close to me."
"Well that's never a problem," Bo said with a smile.
Tamsin found herself grinning too as she slowly led the way further into the cave.
"Feels like we've been walking forever. How big could this place possibly be?" Bo stopped and dropped to sit down. "I just need to catch my breath for a sec. I've never told anyone this but I have a slight case of claustrophobia."
Tamsin dropped down next to her and leaned her head against the wall behind her. "I used to have that too. Being buried alive cured me of it."
Bo looked over at her with an incredulous look on her face. "Seriously, you were buried alive? That's crazy. What happened?"
"A warrior didn't like the outcome of his war campaign, put me into a coma using a special mixture poisonous to Valkyries and I woke up buried in a box. Was there long enough to overcome it. Came out and decimated him and his whole army. The end."
Bo laughed out loud and the sound echoed over the cave. "You and I know you're a better storyteller than that. When we get out of here, you're going to give me all the dirt Blondie."
Tamsin smiled as Bo laid her head on her shoulder. "This would be so much better if we were doing this on a beach somewhere."
"Agreed... Damn I feel like I really need to close my eyes right about now. Do you mind, just for a few," Bo said her voice drifting.
"Sure, I'll watch over you," Tamsin responded as she laid her head against Bo's. "Just like I always do."
"What the hell." Tamsin jumped awake and blinked her eyes trying to acclimate once again to the dim lighting of the cave. Her heart was racing from the dream she had just awakened from. It featured her and Bo fighting against a horde of undead. An unusual dream that felt more like a prophecy. Shaking off sleep she realized that Bo wasn't next to her.
"Bo? Bo where are you?" Tamsin called out as she stood up.
She began to walk further into the cave. A light that resembled a fire place seemed to light the path ahead. She kept walking towards it and suddenly the cave turned into a very familiar room. Within seconds the cave transformed into Tamsin's old cottage, a place she hadn't seen in centuries.
"Hello Tamsin, "said a familiar voice from behind the Valkyrie.
Tamsin turned and upon seeing who it was she instantly began taking steps backwards which caused her to stumble and fall. "Mikael?"
"There you are my love, I've been waiting for you. Waiting for so long."
Tamsin shook her head back and forth, not wanting to believe her eyes. "No, this isn't right. You're dead."
"I suppose you though my death meant we were finished? Girl, I'm done with you when I say," Mikael said lunging forward.
Tamsin pushed her body back to get distance between herself and her former husband but he was able to grab ahold of her feet. He pulled her to him bringing her close until her legs were practically wrapped around his waist.
"Mmm, I've missed you wife," Mikael said bringing her to him and sniffing her hair. "Missed your smell, always the scent of flowers on you. A Valkyrie perk perhaps?"
Tamsin yanked her head back and sneered at him, "I haven't missed you husband."
Mikael chuckled, "Always so defiant. It was one of the things I loved about you."
"Love? You never loved me. You used me to become the monster you died as."
"Oh my dear Tamsin, it seems you've forgotten who created that monster," Mikael said lifting her off the floor with him.
He turned her around but kept his arms wrapped around her. Out of the air images began flickering in front of them. Tamsin recognized their former homeland. She saw herself and Mikael as they once were, the acts they committed, the destruction.
"You told your little friends about me, but did you tell them how things really were with us? Or did you make yourself the victim," Mikael whispered in her ear.
"Fuck you Mikael," Tamsin said trying to hide the tremble in her voice.
"Oh the times we had. You killed with me, you fucked those women with me, and you thirsted for blood just as I did. And when your conscious couldn't take it you reached out to daddy Odin to save you. Pathetic," Mikael yelled as he pushed her away from him. "Now you want to be a savior. Well I for one know what you are capable of girl, your heart is just as black as mine was."
"No, I did all that for you. I never..."
"You never what Tamsin? You never liked it? I think we both know that isn't true," Mikael chuckled lasciviously. "Be honest with yourself, were you ever really afraid of the new Bo or were you afraid that you liked her more the way she's become? "
Tamsin searched the floor for the gun she dropped and leaped towards it once she located it. She picked it up and aimed towards Mikael.
"Enough of this reunion shit. I know what you are trying to do and it won't work," Tamsin yelled out into the cave.
"Who are you talking to?" Mikael said as he began to circle her.
"Whoever used their magic to bring you here."
Mikael laughed again, the sounds echoing over them. "Oh it isn't that kind of magic that has me here."
"I don't understand, then how..."
"Do you remember that young woman named Dasha we liked? Young, supple, jet black hair and the most amazing green eyes. You liked her even more than me I used to think. I knew through my watchers that you would meet up with her when I was gone and I was never jealous but I did think it unfair that you wouldn't share. So I began to have my way with her when you weren't around. Then you caught us, do you remember that?"
Tamsin let the gun fall from her hands and dropped to her knees, "No, please don't..."
"You were so angry that I had defiled this girl who was so precious to you and that she let me. You said nothing and that night you went to see her. Made love to her I'm sure because you wanted that one last time. I wonder was it before or after you mutilated her body. Defiled her with that sword just as I had with my member. That was cruel even to me wife. Was she still alive when you did it, did her screams haunt your dreams? Maybe that is what finally drove you to submit to Odin again."
Tamsin put her hands over her ears and tried to drown out Mikael's voice but it was still crystal clear. Her face slick with tears she looked up at him and pleaded, "No more please. I can't hear anymore."
"You can't hear the truth? I only tell you what was my love. There is no magic here, only you. These caves project your thoughts, your subconscious. And only those who are worthy may acquire the vessel. You are not worthy and never will be. You're a monster just like me," Mikael hissed at her. "You can change the narrative to keep the love of your friends and your girlfriend but what was will always remain."
Tamsin wept as she remembered Dasha, the first woman she had ever loved. But the corruption of who she was at the time didn't leave room for love, only anger and hate and violence. Who was she to think that she could suddenly redeem herself? Mikael spoke the truth, she was and would never be worthy to be anyone's savior, not in her current lifetime. Her eyes dropped down to her gun on the floor and she realized what she needed to do.
"Tamsin, no."
\ Tamsin looked up to see the cave back to its normal state. She had the gun pressed against her temple and watched Bo as walked towards her.
"I followed you in here when you woke up and couldn't see me. I heard what you said but not what Mikael was telling you. Whatever it was baby, it wasn't your fault."
"You don't understand Bo, none of you do. I lied. I was just as bad maybe worse than Mikael..."
"And you have suffered. Lived centuries alone and with the burden of having lost the one place you felt you belonged. Finding us, finding me wasn't an accident." Bo continued walking towards her, tears swimming in her eyes. "It's this place confusing you, trying to make you doubt yourself."
Bo stopped in front of Tamsin and placed her hand against her cheek. Tamsin leaned into her palm and began to drop the gun pressed to her temple. The warmth from Bo's words and hand put Tamsin at ease and cleared her muddled thoughts.
"Thank you Isabeau, I needed to hear that. This place is seriously fucking with me," Tamsin said as she rose to her feet but refused to look Bo in the eyes.
Bo kept her hand on her cheek and leaned in. Her lips grazed Tamsin's at first then pressed softly eliciting a sigh from them both. It was a sweet, simple gesture but to the Valkyrie it felt as if life had been breathed into her.
"What do you say we go find what we came for," Tamsin said finally looking in Bo's eyes. Whereas before the blue flecked brown eyes had caused fear, this time she felt nothing but love.
"Yeah, let's do that." Bo gestured for Tamsin to go ahead of her and the duo made their way towards the eerie darkness that awaited them.
Thanks to those who continue reading my story and those who might have just discovered it. It's been awhile but I plan on seeing this through to the end. Hope you all continue on this ride with me. - Girlblue