The Return of Maeve 9
Bryn's Unknown
Bryn wasn't so sure about doing this.
So far, no one had discussed just what they had been through, for fearing this Turok would hear and kill Maeve anyways; but she really wanted to know so she would have at least some idea of what her test would be.
Would she have to test some unknown portion of her past, or will she simply have to give her life for an innocent?
Worse, it seemed, Caipra seemed to know exactly what they were getting themselves into.
Bryn was conflicted.
She wasn't sure what to think of the old sorceress.
Caipra was old and wise and seemed to know everything. Which, according to Sinbad, was where her powers lay; with knowing things.
This also seemed to indicate that Caipra knew about her and her hidden past, and wasn't telling her.
She was upset yet relieved at the same time by that fact.
She wanted to know her past and yet a tiny part of her that feared what she had been before the storm and her bracelet didn't want to know anything. That part of her wanted to simply remain Bryn, a crewmember on the Nomad, and to hell with her past.
But, she also knew that somehow and someday, she'd remember, and perhaps with Caipra's help it would lessen the blow?
She was sitting cross-legged on a hand weaved matted rug and tried to control her breathing. For some reason, this calming exercise she used worked all the time, and it was as if she had done it hundreds if not thousands of times before.
Perhaps, it was another hint to her unknown past.
After an hour of silence that wasn't uncomfortable but calming, for all were friends there, Caipra said, "I am ready."
Bryn took a deep breath to settle her nerves and laid down in the white candled pentangle, and as she crossed the lines of the star, she felt warmth enter her heart and soul.
She gasped in surprise.
Sinbad immediately asked, "Are you all right Bryn?"
Bryn raised her head towards him and with a great, beautiful smile on her face said, "I'm fine, the star, the pentangle, and it just gives me such a warming and comforting feeling…like it means something wonderful to me."
Caipra placed her hand on the younger sorceress shoulder and said, "Come…"
As she lay down in the white star, she closed his eyes and almost immediately felt warm and comfortable as Caipra conjured,
"From this hour until your return,
this candle of hope I will let burn.
My lord and lady, watch over you.
Keep you safe, from harms view.
From now until you return to me.
This is my will, so mote it be."
With a flash of white light Bryn's body lay still and only the soft up and down motions of her chest gave way to the fact that she was alive and not dead.
Bryn was shocked to actually feel her soul leave her body and raised upwards towards the ceiling. Instinctively she began to thrash around and try to stop her soul from leaving the room she was in, when she distantly heard a female's voice, (Caipra's?) soothingly say, "Relax Bryn, it will not harm you."
The voices were so familiar to her. As if it was ingrained in her very psyche. She knew she could trust it, and so she calmed down and knew nothing more….
"I'm sorry, my child." Whispered two voices simultaneously, different from the first one because they couldn't prevent what Rumina, Scratch, and Turok were going to put her through.
Tiny drops of water repeatedly fell in a hypnotizing rhythm that sent shocking bolts of twitches through his body.
His current hiding place was not a preferable one.
He knew his daughter and the evil yet sporting goat were around here, somewhere dryer, but he didn't care at the moment.
His gaze was locked onto the scene being revealed to him in his seeing pool.
Inside the pool was a young woman with red hair sleeping peacefully; content in her knowledge that her Master's spell of protection, which shimmered green in his eyes, was working fine and no darkness could reach her.
Enraged by DimDim's ingenuity, Turok raised his long black clawed hand and yelled.
Dozens of black lightning arched from his slightly charred fingertips and slammed into the woman's visage in the pool.
Unfortunately, just as it seemed as if DimDim's green protection spell would waiver and disperse another younger power joined DimDim's and encircled the red head.
This power was a light yellowish white; a sure sign of the sorcerers' strength and endurance.
He had a sinking feeling he knew whose power it was too. Even though she was unconscious, Maeve's inherent powers, blessedly given to her by the Goddess she worshipped, were supporting DimDim's attempts at protecting her.
And to his disgust, she was succeeding.
He abruptly stood up, and yelled, "RUMINA!"
As Bryn opened her eyes, she felt the wonderful warm feelings fade away like the mists in the sun. Instead, slow gut wrenching jolts of fear slammed into her and caused her to falter in her steps, which at first, had been strong and confident.
All she could see was a gray mist that swirled around her; all she could sense was a male's presence all around her; watching her….
…teasing her as they lightly brushed up against her like tiny fingers running through her hair or lightly running up and down her arms and legs.
She crossed her arms and slammed her legs together in an attempt to defend herself from this, for it felt like a malevolent presence.
There was no light source of any kind, and yet, she could see the mists around her perfectly.
She could also feel solid ground beneath her feet.
It was a feeling of security.
A hollow one though, for though solid, it made her quiver in fear because she could hear the hollow void just under her feet like she was walking on a sheet of glass.
To further her fear, she could hear echoing footsteps getting louder and louder.
This person, who was not her, was getting closer and closer as his steps got louder and louder.
She knew she had to do something, but she was unsure of where to go.
Hesitantly, she called out, "Hello?"
Her voice echoed through the fog, yet no one answered her.
Just those annoyingly, frightening foot steps.
Then, just as panic began to set in and regret for undertaking this test began to grow in her mind, a sound, a sound that didn't belong in this mist, caught her attention.
Hopeful to get out of this as quickly as possible, she ran towards the sounds of people talking and swords clashing.
Even if she had to go into a war zone; it was better than this.
She hadn't realized that the mists were parting to make a pathway for her to run through.
She ran for a few miles it seemed, and then she spotted it.
The sound wasn't from people per se, but from a bubble about 10 centimeters wide and ten centimeters long. (5 inches wide and 5 inches long)
Bryn bent closer to it and saw tiny figures on the soft color twirling surface of the bubble. Without thinking about it, she placed her finger on the surface and like it was water her finger sank beneath the bubbles soft round orb.
There in her minds' eye ghostly, faded figures were fighting.
One was her, maybe a few years younger than now, and she appeared to be fighting a dark hared man in finely made clothes. Both her past self and the man had a royal standing even as they fought furiously with swords.
Bryn's consciousness was yanked back into itself by a harsh hand.
With a terrified scream, for she could see no one around her; she only felt that male's presence; she again, spied a bubble harmlessly floating behind her.
Mocking her with both knowledge of her past and the pain it put her through.
She bit her lip.
Did she really want to know?
She snorted and added, "Do I really have a choice?"
Cautiously though, she poked her finger through the bubble's surface.
Unlike before where she and an older man were fighting furiously with one another, they were now standing in richly, courtly clothes hugging each other close.
Once again, though this time was painless, she was pulled out of the bubble.
So bothered and so excited by this find she hadn't even realized that there was no sound aside from the first sounds she had heard which lead her here.
Who was this man?
He was older than she.
The wrinkles on his brow and around his eyes and his gray hair were evidence of that.
But were they enemies or allies?
Were they friends or foes?
Were they family or lovers?
That last one caused her to shake in revulsion.
Somehow she knew, deep within her soul, that this man was NOT her lover.
So involve with her thoughts, she didn't even acknowledge the male's presence as it swirled around her angrily.
It didn't like being ignored.
Especially by a young know-nothing sorceress.
Turok glared at the brunette and grinned.
It was almost time to confront his wife's past.
The gray mists were swirling around her once more leading her through the chaotic place she found herself in.
After what felt like another few miles, she found bubble number three.
She paused.
Would this one be painful or painless?
Would this show her the man from before or someone else?
Would she be shown as a good person or an evil one?
The last two bubbles showed two aspects of herself.
She had been fighting the same man she had later hugged. Was this in chronological order or was it mixed up to disorient her?
Just what was this test about?
She sighed and touched the bubble.
She and _ were laughing gaily.
She had just revealed to _ that Tsar had tripped over his own two feet into a mud puddle, thoroughly embarrassing himself in from of his newest beau, and the two of them were laughing out loud with more spectacle than they had laughed in a long time.
_ gave her a mischievous look and wiggled her fingers.
She gasped aloud with shock and cheer. Fire, reddish orange in hue danced around her happily echoing what the summoner felt.
With a grin of her own, ghost-like-Bryn, waved her hand and a head sized granite rock floated into the air.
_ laughed and waved her hand too.
The fire swirled and danced around her rock.
As she was pulled out painlessly, Bryn smiled. She was almost positive that this proved that she was a good person. She and the other girl appeared to be friends and seemed to be practicing their magic together.
She had a feeling that she knew this girl very well too. In fact, that girl gave her a feeling of friendship, family, and love.
She felt her heartbeat rise in alarm though as a fourth bubble floated into her line of vision.
This one, would it cause her pain? She had experienced one with pain and two that didn't. She had a feeling that this one would be pain filled on the pull out and she couldn't do a thing about it.
Why hadn't her magic done something when the first one had hurt her? Magic was with her all the time and she knew that her magic was with her still in this place. She could feel in under her skin just itching to do something; but something was holding it back.
She placed her finger in the bubble and gasped.
There she was, she had no idea where she was, but she was fighting a woman with red hair, different and older from the first one. Behind her was a village burning to the ground.
People were screaming.
Smoke was coating her lungs as she laughed with perverted glee.
The mud that coated her boots was tinged with a reddish hue.
Blood.
Bryn felt herself get sick, as the her in the dream bubble, laughed at the blood, dead bodies, and destroyed village.
She (the she in the bubble) laughed as the red head, dressed in a white, flowing dress, threw a brown colored spell at her. She batted it aside like it was nothing and said something to the red head.
The red head screamed something back and while she was distracted by a man, with raven hair and looked a little like her, with a sword coming at her, threw another spell that hit her and threw her into a large granite rock.
Bryn felt the pain as her dream-like self hit the two ton boulder head first.
Bryn cried out in pain as she fell to her knees.
Tears of sorrow and guilt fell from her eyes unchecked.
She didn't care about this unknown man seeing her weakness.
How could she do that?
How could she laugh at innocents and their pain?
What had happened between the first dream bubble and the one she just looked at?
What had caused her to travel down such a dark path?
As she shivered and cried, a person spoke to her in a monotone voice, "You now have a choice. You have seen memories of yourself both good and evil. Which is true of your particular pedigree?"
Bryn's shocked face was greeted by Scratch himself.
The goat demon hadn't changed since the last time she had seen him. His horns still carved up from his forehead and his beard still jutted out from his chin.
His lower half looked more like the myths of the Fauns than a goat, but that didn't mean anything to her at the moment.
She was pissed!
Who was he to mess around with her emotions like this for?
Like she was stupid enough to fall for one of his tricks!
He was obviously doing this to confuse her and destroy their chances of finding and rescuing Maeve!
She then felt a wonderful tickle in her eyes.
She smiled.
Scratch, who had seen Bryn's eyes start to gain a golden gleam in them, raised a hand and said in his scratchy goat-like voice, "Now, now, Bryn, a girl of your pedigree shouldn't fight against those who are on your side."
Before she could ask what he meant, a twister of gigantic proportions and power appeared beside the demon and sent Bryn flying through the air once more.
She wondered if she'd hit a rock like she had in the last dream, but unfortunately, all she hit was the glass-like solid floor.
When the twister vanished, a man with inky black hair appeared.
His skin was pale as snow and his eyes darker than the darkest night.
As she stared at him, those dark eyes seemed to drawl her into their nothingness.
She gasped and shut her eyes.
Those eyes were empty.
There was nothing there.
No emotion.
No self-being.
No magic, though she knew he had it.
And most importantly, no soul.
But, he had magic, so he must have a soul; dark and ghostly unseen as it was apparently, for magic existed in the soul.
As her eyes shot down towards the ground they stood on, she saw his nails. They were six centimeters long and sharp. (3 inches long) She hoped she didn't let him get close enough to harm her with them.
Then she grew defensive.
He was the presence she had felt all this time!
With her eyes threatening the shoot bolts, for lightning was beginning to grow from them, she demanded, "What is going on?"
Scratch and Turok stared at her and Turok said with a black nail pointed at her, "This is your test. Who are you?"
Bryn's eyes sizzled out in her shock.
They couldn't be serious, could they?
Like she was going to fall for this trickery?
She was obviously a good person!
They are conjured those evil versions of her to get her to fall for their schemes.
She raised her head and said easily and confidently, "I'm a practitioner of white magic! Those other images were tricks demons!"
Scratch threw back his head and laughed.
Turok sighed and shook his head at her like she was an ignorant child; like she didn't understand the consequences of her actions.
Before they could continue, reluctantly for this was one of the requirements of the spell Turok had cast, a bright green glow blinded them all.
When they could see once more, they saw a ghostly image of DimDim hovering above the ground.
Bryn felt relief flood her system.
Even though she had never met the man, she could recognize his power.
He was powerful.
"DIMDIM! How are you here?" roared Turok as he backed away from the image in his shock.
He would protect her.
DimDim image shimmered as he stared at Bryn solemnly and said apologetically, "Bryn, the memories you saw…all of them were true."
Bryn's legs collapsed under her.
Devastation threatened to drown her soul.
She didn't want to believe it.
But why would the old Master lie to her?
Distantly, she heard Scratch and Turok were pleased at her pain.
Bryn's eyes, which stared unseeingly up at the old magician, revealed all that she was feeling.
Confused: why was this happening to her?
Scared: what would become of her now that she had sins of evil upon her soul?
Bryn's breath heaved in her chest. Her hands trembled with panic and adrenaline flowing through her veins; sweat tickling down her temple and splashed into her eyes as her eyes twitched in nerves.
In an attempt to regain some control, Bryn chuckled uncomfortably and asked, "Wha…?"
Scratch laughed at her pain and demanded once more, "Who are you little girl? Who are you?"
Bryn closed her eyes and raised her hands to her ears to block them all out.
She didn't want to do this anymore!
This wasn't a test.
This was torture!
But, she couldn't escape from here until it was over…
And, the others had faced their fears…
Suddenly, determination overcame her.
The other did it; so could she!
All she had to do was believe in herself!
She turned her attention back into herself and let herself remember the four memories she saw.
Two were good.
Two were bad.
Is she good?
Or is she bad?
Bryn really wanted to believe that she was a good person.
She truly did.
But she wasn't sure if she was.
Two of those memories were of her doing bad or evil things.
So, she sat and thought and ignored the other three.
Scratch harrumphed.
Turok glared and his fingers drew blood as they punctured his tensing fist.
They couldn't punish her because the spell prevented them from doing so directly.
They could cause whatever mayhem they could, but only indirectly as they were right now.
Curse Poseidon and his love of the Nomad crew!
DimDim simply smiled and waited.
Bryn could tell he was getting weak.
She was thankful he was here.
It gave her the piece of mind she desperately needed to complete her test.
She wasn't sure if he was really here or if it was the test itself.
But she was thankful all the same.
She took a deep breath and tried to pull forth more memories. After all, four had come to her. Why shouldn't others?
After second, minutes, hours, she didn't know which, Bryn could see herself and a red head, the same from the first memory, laughing and giggling.
It looked like the same memory as a rock was floating and fire was dancing, but instead of stopping; it continued.
A woman, a beautiful older woman with blond curly hair, walked up to her younger self and the red head and said something to them.
Bryn pouted.
She was hoping to be able to hear the memory too, but she could not.
She could only guess.
It didn't look like an evil her though.
Here she was laughing and having fun.
The blond woman was smiling lovingly at her and the red head, her friend, her cousin, her sister, she wasn't sure; but it looked happy to her.
So, this meant what exactly?
That she was good?
The memory continued…
Her younger self and the red head clasped hands, picked up a side of their long white gowns so they wouldn't trip, and raced off to a beautiful white marble building standing proudly over the garden they were in…
Bryn's eyes popped open and resolve filled her.
She turned towards the three and announced proudly, "I AM Bryn! I AM GOOD! I am NOT EVIL!"
She waved towards Scratch and Turok and said as a golden arch of magic flew from her fingers and hit them squarely on the chests, "Be gone Devil Spawns!"
DimDim smiled at her as white light surrounded her soul.
When she opened her eyes, she smiled.
There was Caipra's beautiful, wise face above her.
She was back.
She was whole.
And she didn't fear her past anymore.
She turned to the others, who were watching her with concerned eyes, and said, "I'm fine."
She added because Sinbad didn't look convinced, "I am, truly."
She gripped his left hand with hers and said as their bracelets glowed, "Truly, I am."
He nodded and stared at Caipra.
Bryn knew it was either him or Dermott now.
In the darkness, Turok growled as he tenderly touched his still smoking chest.
He had underestimated the teachers of his wife's past.
"Daddy! Are you all right!" cried out Rumina as she fell to her knees at her father's side.
Turok pushed his daughter aside impatiently and said, "Get me some wine you insolent girl!"
Rumina glared at him but did as she was ordered.
She wasn't a servant dammit!
She was a sorceress of great power!
How dare he order her as if she was a common servant girl!
Like she was some common wench!
As she brought the pitcher of wine, she turned and spied her father's seeing pool.
Inside its watery depths, were Sinbad and Dermott staring at one another.
And she grinned maliciously yet cleverly.