The Crystal Rainbow
An Alternate Universe – Phantom of the Opera Story
Nyasia A. Maire
© 2007
DISCLAIMER: I do not hold the rights nor did I create any characters found in The Phantom of the Opera or Phantom, nor have I received monetary compensation for writing this story.
Leshii Basajaun, Master of Wood, Forest Lord, is a woodland spirit.
Magician and Shapeshifter, all must beware, his fingers hold the tickle of death.
A Fool's Book of Wisdom
Chapter Fifteen – Leshii
Her piercing scream penetrated every nook, crevice and hollow of the forest. Then, her eyes rolled up, leaving only the whites visible and she slumped to the ground as the extremely tall, extremely male form continued to tickle her twitching body. A ruddy face glanced up toward the moon and the pale light glistened off a set of large teeth. The moss green eyes closed and he sang in a voice like a sibilant sigh.
"Christine …. Christine …. Chris … tine …."
◊ ○ ◊ ○ ◊
"What the fuck was that?" Cried Helen.
The words burst from her mouth before the echoes of the scream ended.
"It was Christine! Merde!"
Erik swung around, clamped his hands onto the old woman's shoulder in a vise-like grip and hissed.
"Fuck! I knew that I should not have allowed her to go out into the evening and gather firewood alone. What was I thinking? I am an imbecile!"
He shook his head and returned his attention to Helen.
"Catch up with me when you can! She needs me!"
Erik ran into the kitchen. His hand stretched out towards the doorknob when he suddenly flew backwards across the room and landed sprawled on his backside. He swung viciously around to face Helen.
"Why the hell did you do that? You heard her scream! She is in trouble! She needs help! Let me go!"
The tall, lean young man leapt to his feet and froze as he heard the sounds of doors locking and windows bolting. He whirled to face the old woman.
"How dare you stop me? Do you not care for her? She is the daughter of your twin! The precious heir for which you have sought for so many years. Madame, you had best tell me why you seem to abandon her or you had better move out of my way. Your enchantments will not hold me for long. Think carefully. Do you wish to have me as an enemy?"
Helen sighed and shook her head wearily.
"Garçon, think with the head on your shoulders and not with the little one between your thighs! You need to be calm. I can find her. You know I can. Let me do what I do best then we can know who or what it is that threatens Christine and I can lead you to her."
Erik grumbled for a moment and ran a hand through his thick dark hair.
"Come, Madame, what is in the forest that would be a danger to Christine? Nothing has ever bothered me, or you for that matter, so what would want Christine? So, tell me what lies in wait for a beautiful young woman in this forest." He shook his head and changed his tact. "Very well, use your power and find her! You are right. I know you can." His voice dropped an octave and took on a pleading tone. "Helen, please! If something were to happen to Christine, I do not think I would survive it."
Moving with a swiftness that still startled the old woman, Erik roughly took hold of her shoulders. He shook the seemingly stunned old woman once sharply in an attempt to focus her attention upon him. When she did not answer him and continued to stare blankly at him, he barked at her sharply.
"Damnez-le! Woman! We do not have time for this! Answer me! Where is she?"
She turned her glazed eyes to him. She blinked slowly. After a moment, her eyes cleared and focused upon Erik. Looking into the young man's eyes, she frowned, nodded her consent, took a deep breath, let it out slowly and allowed her eyes to flutter closed once more. A blast of power began to radiate from the old woman's limp form and a sudden invisible fire engulfed Erik's hands. He quickly released his hold on the old woman, unconsciously shaking his hands as if to extinguish the flames from them. He eyed her impatiently, but cautiously, well aware of the power contained within the woman. After what seemed an eternity to Erik, Helen's eyes snapped open and she groaned. Her hands clutched the sides of her head and she gingerly massaged her temples.
"Merde! Leshii! Damnez-le! It is Leshii Basajaun! He is a spirit of the woods. He considers himself Lord of the Forest, but I have never encountered him here before now. This is not his customary domain, although, as a keeper and teacher of magic, he does occasionally travel when he feels the call. Christine's power most likely drew him here. I do not believe she is in any danger, but I think it would be best if I speak with him and not you, Erik. Like most of the fae, he revels in half-truths and half-lies. If you do not word your query in precisely the proper manner, well, let me just say that things could go quite poorly for us all. Not to mention, Leshii shall be greatly entertained and highly amused."
"Poorly?" The young man sputtered, fury darkened his normally pale skin. "Poorly? And, things are going so well now? Are they? I think not! Come, Madame! I cannot bear the thoughts racing through my mind, thoughts of what this Leshii intends to do with her."
The distracted woman blinked and looked up at the distraught man.
"Do with her?" She echoed numbly.
"Yes, Helen. What does this 'spirit' intend to do with her? I think that after what happened to you at the gypsies' carnival, you need not ask that question. Christine is a beautiful, young woman and I am not ignorant in the ways of the fae. I am well aware of their lusts and of their predilection for pretty, young human females. I read your books about them …. What am I doing? This pointless conversation must cease. You must lead me to her! Now!"
He threw his arms up in the air then grabbed one of Helen's hands and pulled her with him towards the kitchen door, pausing only long enough to grab both of their cloaks and a lantern.
"Come! We need to find her … not stand around talking about her! Please, Helen! Let us go now!"
◊ ○ ◊ ○ ◊
The first thing the young woman noticed as awareness crept back into her mind was a sound. It was a familiar sound. A comforting sound, but it took her throbbing head several moments to identify it and then place a name to the sound.
"Fire. That crackling and popping sound is a fire burning. Wait! A fire? Where the hell am I? Did I faint? Perhaps, Erik found me and brought me back to the cottage. He must have found the firewood as well … that fire feels lovely."
The young woman sighed and moved to stretch her arms. She frowned as she found her arms refused to move from her sides. Ignoring the pounding, which lay behind her closed eyelids, she opened her eyes. Confusion surged through every fiber of her being as her eyes focused upon the rough earth and stone that made up the ceiling and walls of the room in which she found herself. When she attempted to move her head to take in more of her surroundings and discovered she could not move any part of her body, blind panic began to take hold of her mind at the realization of her worst fear.
"I cannot move! I am completely helpless. No! No! This cannot be! No man has the right to truss me in this manner. I swore upon my papa's grave that no man would make me feel this helpless ever again. And, I will not! No!"
Anger flared through Christine. The absolute purity of her rage burned deep within her, sparking a strange feeling of power deep within the young woman. Her mind instinctively grabbed hold of the power and she screamed.
"Whoever you are that binds me here, release me now or I warn you, I shall not be responsible for my actions. Do you hear me?"
A soft, deep masculine chuckle filled the chamber and it served only to further infuriate the young woman.
"You find me amusing, do you? Very well! Do not say that I did not give you warning."
She closed her eyes and concentrated on the fire of her rage, her thoughts changing it and directing it. Her mind moved the heat from deep within her soul and allowed it to rise to encase her body in a burning sheath of flame.
"I am beholden to no male unless I wish it. I cast off your bindings and bid you to laugh at me no more!"
Slowly, she arose from a bed of fresh lichen, her entire body consumed in a brilliant white blaze. With narrowed eyes, she searched the otherwise barren cave for a sign of her erstwhile captor. As she intently studied her surroundings, she found that other than the small fire in the corner, the only other thing in the cave to draw her attention was a pale tan mushroom, which seemed tenuously to cling to life as it grew from a crack between two boulders in the cave wall. It seemed so incongruous with the rest of the lifeless warren that Christine felt the hairs at the nape of her neck prickle and stand on end. And, then she sensed it. The power hidden within the guise of the fungus. She allowed her rage to cool and pushed the fires back into the depths of her soul.
"Ah! So, she can control herself! Most surprising in one so young and in one with no teaching. You may be a worthy student, girl."
The source of the rumbling, taunting, egotistical bass was as Christine suspected. It was the small mushroom.
"And, who is it that believes I require a teacher? Better yet, who says I want you as a teacher?"
Christine returned with a cold, regal haughtiness that belied her years and a complete lack of fear.
"Hmmm … the child has spirit, too. Most interesting. I have not been this pleasantly entertained by a mortal in many a year. Tell me, child, do you honestly believe your uncontrolled magiks can rival mine? I am Leshii Basajaun, Lord of the Forest. I am Shapeshifter, Magician and Teacher. You would do well to be impressed and honored that I deign to act as your tutor. You will learn from me or you will suffer the consequences of your refusal and die."
Christine's eyes narrowed and flames seemed to kindle once more in their depths. She crossed her arms over her breasts and stared intently at the innocent fungus clinging to the cave wall. She opened her mouth to speak, but a clap of thunder and an enraged female voice interrupted her.
"You dare threaten one of the bloodline of Diamanté, Master Fae? I think not! Your woodland magiks are insignificant and unnecessary to her. You shall allow her to leave this place and return to her proper teacher or you shall answer to me. Do you wish to cross my will, Spirit? Again, I think not! Leave off and suffer this place with your presence no more, if you cannot act appropriately. Her training is not for the likes of you to attempt. No male is worthy as well you know. I shall defer to your small place of power this one time, but consider well before you take this any further, Master of the Forest."
Diamanté's voice echoed through the cave, her angry voice dripping with disdain as she spoke her final words.
The pale mushroom trembled and then popped off the cave wall. It tumbled to the dirt floor and rolled, stopping in the center of the cave entrance. Christine silently watched with growing horror as the bit of fungus began to bulge and writhe, growing larger and changing from pale tan to dark brown. The stubby form elongated and began to take on the shape of an incredibly tall man with skin that resembled dark brown pine bark. A long face stretched into shape, framed with hair, eyebrows and a beard of bright green moss and eyes of blackest pitch. His clothes appeared unkempt and tattered, but upon closer inspection, Christine discovered they were made of leaves. His fingers and toes were long root-like appendages, wrinkled and gnarled, as was his nose. She found his appearance neither revolting nor appealing. She simply wished to return to the cottage in the wood. Her head still ached and she missed Erik, and Helen, very much. Her musing ceased and she frowned as she realized that the being's position prevented her from leaving the cave.
"Really, sir. Do you not think that the wisest course of action would be to allow me to leave here? If you allow me to return to my friends, I might consider one day accepting you as my tutor. Of course, I must complete my instructions with Madame Helen and Diamanté and fulfill a dream of my papa's before I would be free to begin learning from you. While I do appreciate that you do not offer to take on pupils often, I have prior obligations. I hope you understand that I must act responsibly in regards to my heritage and the wishes of my papa. So, will you allow me to pass, sir?"
The tree-like man shifted out of the cave entrance, his limbs sounded like branches creaking in the wind and he again chuckled, but this time softly. His voice gentle and amused.
"Well spoken, child. You are indeed a worthy pupil and I shall wait the time when you seek me out to learn of the fae magiks. You may pass and return to those who urgently seek for you."
He gave one last soft chuckle. Then, with a flash, transformed into a wolf and bounded away into the forest.
The young woman's shoulders sagged and her head bowed. She gingerly touched the back of her head and winced as her fingers found a large knot caked with dried blood.
"Well, that explains the headache, but why do my ribs hurt?"
She sighed and cautiously walked out of the cave. At the edge of the trees, she paused. Looking back at the cave entrance, she realized that the fire no longer burned within the cave.
"Wonderful! No more fire, so I cannot make a torch to light my way. Not that a torch would do much good as I have no idea where I am. I see no path and even if I did, I would not know if it would take me to the cottage. Hmmm … well, since Diamanté spoke to Leshii, I can only hope that means she knows where I am. I think I shall stay right here and hope she leads Erik and Helen to me."
An amused smirk crossed the young woman's tired features.
"Diamanté certainly has quite a temper and has no qualms about making her feelings known. What a character she is. I do believe that my life has taken quite an unexpected turn. Who would have thought that a lowly servant would receive this much attention? Hmmm … indeed, my life seems to be taking quite an unexpected path, but I am not complaining in the least. After all, this path brought Erik to me. Just thinking of him makes me feel less cold. In fact, thoughts of him make me feel rather warm. I do believe I shall take a seat under that tree and wait for my rescuers to find me. I wonder if Erik will be disappointed that he will not need to save me."
A slight giggle escaped her lips and settling comfortably against the tree trunk, Christine drifted off to sleep.