Breaking the window: Expedition to Hyperborea
Chapter 30: A mask is torn off…
"When you step into the unknown there are certain expectations. When we imagined the great lost city of Hyperborea, we did not do so blindly. Eleanor had done decades of painstaking research on the city. The city itself has been part of our myths and legends of wizarding cultures all over the world. As such there are hundreds of depictions in art and stories. Almost all of these speak of the city with great wonder. A city of splendours. A city of awe. Well… what we found was something none of us had ever expected. And none of these many depictions was even remotely close to the truth."
- Bellatrix Black, Expedition to Hyperborea, published 2006
Bellatrix was more than a little annoyed that she hadn't been allowed to take one of the brooms up into the air to look for Hermione. Kirk had flat-out told her that he was fully expecting her to just zoom off on her own. And, well, while he might be right about that, it was still rude to just point it out.
So, Bellatrix stayed on the ground, with Daelia and Eliam up in the air to scout the skies. With both their eyesight, surely they could spot a girl in a brown parka amid the endless wending white. The accursed weather was acting up again, the fog laden clouds and fog rolling in far quicker than she would have liked. It would make spotting Hermione in the distance frustratingly difficult.
As Bellatrix walked over the snow, trying not to worry, she felt Zipper shift underneath her parka. Opting to keep him close for comfort, the wasp was snuggly fit in between parka and jumper. Though having her zip pulled a little down let in quite a bit of cold, it meant her waspy friend could poke his head out every so often to see where they were going.
And where they was going was quite the destination. The moment they got close enough to the mountain in the distance, the clearer it became that something was off about it. It was far too steep and far too high, like a rock-spike jutting out of the ice. It was as if an angry giant in the center of the earth and smashed his spear at the earth's crust and had gotten it stuck through the ceiling. The crew around her became ever more nervous, undoubtedly wondering if this location would even provide them the shelter they so desperately needed. Still, Bellatrix wasn't as tired as them: she couldn't afford to be.
Another person not tired was Eleanor. The elderly witch whose skin had now gone completely pale, staggered in front of the group, eager to set foot in her precious lost city. Well, fuck her, Bellatrix thought bitterly, disgusted with herself that she had once looked up to this woman, devoured her books with glee and admittedly had a little crush on her.
Never meet your heroes indeed.
As the group stood gathered at the steep foot of the mountain, shouts from the sky enthusiastically announced they had found some sort of entrance on the other side. The group made their way around the mountain where there was indeed a hole in the ice leading downward.
"Enchanted ice," said Tahki as she knelt down right in front of it. "Even feels warm. Jesus, the magic is so strong here it's almost overwhelming."
"Need a moment, Tak?" said Nymphadora.
"No, I'm fine, Nymph," said Tahki. "Eager to get out of this bullshit snow, in fact. Let's go."
"Wait a moment," said Kirk. "We have no idea what's down there."
"Warmth is down there, captain!" Copperhead announced while vainly attempting to rub himself warm over his parka.
Sunniva and her jomsvikingr stepped forward, axe at the ready. "Alfheim is not to be trifled with, warm or not. We shall be your vanguard."
"Aye," said Beodul. "Let the scabrous half-naked heavily armed women go in first."
Svari smirked at the goblin. "You are far harder to hit, small one. Perhaps you should be our vanguard, no?"
The goblin sputtered a little, looking up to try to intimidate the far taller Neo-Viking warrior woman. "Now look here, ye scabrous bint and wipe that bloody smile of yer face or I'll swear I'll bite off your kneecaps!"
Banter ensued, but Bellatrix didn't pay attention to that. Her eyes fell on a stacked pile of rocks, about a meter high with a flat stone on top. It was put together fairly recently it seemed, judging from the fact that was not a flake of snow on top of it. A small corner of paper stuck out from underneath the flat rock. While Beodul and Svari were engaged in a verbal battle of wits and less-than-classy-yet-good-natured insults, Bellatrix rushed forward to the cairn and knocked the flat rock to the ground.
"Shut up a moment!" said Bellatrix as she unfolded the note. "Hermie made this cairn!"
She unfolded the note and started reading the note. "To my lovely Trix. I'm sorry to have undoubtedly worried you so much. I was compelled to go here. But now that I am here, I will try my best to guide the way for you. I love you, now and always. Your Hermie."
"Ah," said Copperhead. "She's down there then. Hopefully not inside the stomach of a giant ice-spider."
"Nah, it's Hermione," said Irrena. "If there was a giant ice-spider down there, she's probably now riding it around like a mount."
Bellatrix clutched the note and sighed a breath of relief. Instantly, Zipper popped up from her parka, grabbed the note with his mandibles and disappeared back into his warm nest of fabric. Apparently, the paper had some of Hermione's scent on it. For the first time in half a day, relief washed over her like a hot shower on a cold morning.
"There's a steep incline," said Kirk. "Eliam, you think we can fit the boards in there or do we have to leave them here? I'd rather not leave all the food out where the polar bears can get into it."
Eliam studied the passage and nodded briefly. "Tricky, but I think we'll manage as long as there won't be too many turns down there. We'll have to drag the boats in one by one single file."
"Do it," said Kirk.
"Wait," responded Eleanor as she drew her wand. "Rule one of ancient ruin exploration: assume traps and curses around every corner. I shall join the Neo-Vikings. And, how unfortunate it might be, there will a good chance we will come upon poor Hermione's body down in those tunnels. The sad truth is that she has no experience traversing magical ruins."
In that moment, Bellatrix had nothing but utterly seething hatred for the witch she once admired. Her crassness meant that Bellatrix wasn't the only one to do so.
"Jesus!" Tahki exclaimed just as Daelia, Kirk and Haema scoffed. Others muttered curses under their breath. Hermione, it seemed, was a lot more popular than Eleanor was. With the Neo-Viking women joined by Eleanor up front, axes at the ready, Bellatrix joined Beodul and Kirk right behind them. Others followed with the laden longboats. Though the boats scraped their hulls over the ice due to the incline, they made it into the tunnel easily.
The Neo-Vikings were nervous yet stoic, axes at the ready for about anything that could jump out of the dark tunnels ahead while Eleanor roved her wand ahead of them all. They made slow progress forward, but it wasn't until Bellatrix looked around in this warren of tunnels when she noticed an arrow crudely etched into the enchanted ice.
"Look!" she pointed out. "Hermie is pointing the way!"
"Bless Hermione," said Engrim. "I ain't feeling like getting lost in these tunnels and then dying on the ice."
So far, Eleanor had yet to detect any traps while Hermione was saving the day for them all when she wasn't even present. Some explorer Eleanor turned out to be. Bellatrix smiled again when she spotted another arrow. The longboats did prove to be a problem as it was often hard to swing them around some of the more tighter turns. But, with some pushing and some application of lubricant oil producing spells, they managed to squeeze all their precious supplies through the tunnels. It was then that they came to some sort of door. A portal set in a wall made from some sort of metallic compound.
"What the hell is this?" Oswald knocked on the metal. "It seems like aluminium, but it feels a lot tougher."
"I'm far more interested in what lies beyond," said Eleanor, awe in her voice. This was her moment. The lost city of Hyperborea, the city she'd been looking for for about thirty years, was only a few footsteps before her. The door in the wall had been opened, undoubtedly by Hermione. It tickled Bellatrix in a rather petty way that a girl who was younger than Eleanor's long search had managed to beat her to the punch. Eleanor herself took a deep breath, roved her wand looking for traps and finding none… and stepped inside.
The others followed, axes and wands at the ready. Curiously enough, they found themselves stood in a grand hall with sterile white metal walls and smooth organic forms. Certainly not what Bellatrix at least had expected. Lights above turned on the moment Eleanor walked ahead of them, revealing more of the cavernous room. Odd symbols lined the walls. There was a corridor moving further into the complex and something which looked like a platform in the back over a shaft leading down. A far cry from an ancient ruin.
"What the bloody fuck…" muttered Eliam. "Is this the Lost City of Hyperborea? Looks more like the Lost Parking Garage of East-London."
"Well, you're the expert, Eleanor. With all the research stuff you did and all that " added Irrena. "Tell us what this place is, then?"
Eleanor swallowed hard, her eyes filled with confusion and surprise. "I… I… This place is… not what I expected."
"That's just a nice way of saying you're just as much in the dark as we are, yeah?" Nymphadora snorted.
Bellatrix stepped forward and yelled. "Hermie?! Are you here?! Hermie?!"
No answer. Her voice echoed back to her through endless stark white hallways. Now being slightly worried again, Bellatrix noticed for the first time that this hall was rather nicely warm. To a point that her parka was starting to feel a bit stifling. She undid the front a little more, also giving Zipper some more freedom to move about. The wasp peeked his head out with curiosity, but didn't take flight.
"Regardless," said Kirk. "We have found our shelter and I'm not saying no to the nice warmth. Let's bring the boats in and park them in this room while we explore our new home."
Eleanor simply stood there, confused as she regarded the room. "Air… is not stale. Fresh. After thousands of years. Lights. This… this is not…" Bellatrix ignored her in favour of helping out the crew. As the crew went about to bring the boats in, Goneril stepped up to the front with Nymphadora to help secure their supplies. Bellatrix grunted impatiently, wanting nothing more than to get underway and join up with Hermione once more. All she needed to know that her precious girl was safe and sound. She paced around in frustration and almost didn't hear Goneril when she spoke.
"What's that?" asked Goneril.
"What's what then?" asked Nymphadora.
"Those symbols on the wall," said Goneril. "Over there, near that platform."
Bellatrix followed her gaze, as did Nymphadora. Right above the platform and the shaft a symbol was etched. Two cubes against each other, angled 90 degrees with two open triangles flanking either side. Curious.
"I swear I've seen that symbol somewhere before," said Goneril.
"So have I," Nymphadora added, closing her eyes and trying to think. "But I just can't remember where."
Bellatrix stepped forward to take a closer look at the symbol, though she could not place where she had seen it before either. Behind her, the boats were being parked at the edge of the space opposite to the door. The three ship's wasps emerged from under the tarps keeping the supplies in place and took flight. Several crew members were taking off their parkas to enjoy the much warmer air. Meanwhile, Bellatrix was close enough to the platform to get a good look. The symbol was embossed in the metal itself, with red inner highlights and black outer highlights. One step further and she almost jumped out of her skin when there was a short and loud blare. Immediately, a red light shone briefly while a voice… or something she thought was a voice… produced some incomprehensible scrambled hissing sounds. A red magical field formed around the platform, causing Bellatrix to take a few steps back.
Every head turned towards the platform which was now completely inaccessible.
"Bellatrix!" admonished Eleanor. "Do not touch anything!"
"I didn't!" Bellatrix shot back angrily, but still feeling a bit embarrassed.
"No way she could have known," said Kirk. "Regardless, we're definitely not going that way."
Tahki approached the field and closed her eyes. "Jesus," she muttered. "We really aren't. Sheer amount of magic pumped through that field… no. It's an interlaced magical field, three separate ones woven together. Anything we'd be able to throw at it would be like trying to smash open a safe with a wet noodle. I wonder what's behind there which needs that level of security."
"Right," said Kirk. "Per Eleanor's suggestion, we'll explore the corridor. Oswald, Engrim, Haema. Stay here and guard the supplies. The rest of us are going to see what we can find down there. Perhaps a good place to set up a proper camp for our stay."
"There's magic everywhere," said Tahki. "But I feel nothing nearly as strong as that field further down."
"Even so, we must remain vigilant!" Eleanor pressed.
With no sheer amount of trepedation, the remaining crew made their way into the corridor. Again with Eleanor and the Neo-Vikings up front with Bellatrix and Kirk following suit closely. Nymphadora and Tahki behind them, Goneril holding Nymphadora by the arm. The poor girl was frightened. Bellatrix herself certainly was not. In fact, exploring this strange unexpectedly looking locale would have been right up her alley… if she'd have Hermione by her side and wouldn't be worried sick due to her absence.
The tunnel had a slight incline, headed deeper into the complex, straight down. It was getting warmer as the minutes passed. As they stepped forward, lights in the walls turned on, only to be turned off again when no person was near. They should not see far in front of them, nor far behind them. On and on the tunnel went, the situation becoming more and more unnerving with every step taken. What the bloody hell kind of place was this? Bellatrix and her family had been on vacation and had visited many an old remnant from ancient wizarding civilisations. The stone pyramids of Cusco, the spires of the Spartan battlemages, the tower of Herpo the Foul, the ancient island of Buyan. Nothing she had seen or imagined looked or felt anything like this.
They all travelled in awkward almost deafening silence, as if speaking or making a noise would be bound to bring death upon them. Behind them at the very end of the procession, were Chandra and Chiputec. Chandra seemed rather introspective, the buxom woman having hardly spoken a word since leaving camp this morning. Chiputec seemed to be more excited. Perhaps he was more like Bellatrix was: eager to explore this strange place.
There was absolute relief when there was finally light at the end of the tunnel. Despite Eleanor insisting on scanning for traps, everybody started to walk a little faster to finally be out of this ever more stifling tunnel. The tunnel led to a massive construction. It was a large and round artificial cavern. When Bellatrix examined her surroundings, she saw that it was a multi-tiered tower-like construction. Circular floors ran along the outside of the shaft, some six meters in width. Many cubbies of some two meter depths ran across the wall, most of them containing remnants of rusted metal furniture. There was a railing surrounding the floors and, beyond the railing, a steep drop down. In the center of the shaft, far beyond the reach from the floors themselves, was a tall obsidian column. The shaft was dark as night, so that they were only able to see a few of the floors above and below. There was no way of knowing just how many floors there were.
The gathered crew looked around in awe. Even their lumosed wands couldn't fully light this massive place.
"Okay," said Copperhead, his voice breaking the silence starting just about everyone. "Why do I get the feeling I just stepped right into Wormwood Scrubs?"
"Wormwood Scrubs?" asked Goneril.
"Prison in London," said Daelia. "Think Azkaban for muggles."
"Oh."
Tahki stepped forward and gave the spire a good look. "No, not a prison. A Panopticon."
"A what?" asked Nymphadora. "Is that some sort of native thing? Is that a new thing I can make fun of you for?"
"No, you dumbass!" Tahki shot back. "Take a look at that spire. I bet you can see anything going on at the floors from there."
"Aye," said Chiputec as he joined them at the railing. "I think our Tahki is on to something here. I bet that spire is hollow and that is some sort of one-way glass or just some magical obscufation. It'd take only a few people to see everything and anything happening on these floors. And because they can't see when they're being watched…"
"… people will always be on their best behaviour because they don't know for certain when someone might be watching or not," said Tahki. "A Panopticon is all about psychological control."
"Great," muttered Beodul. "Just fantastic. We found not a lost city, but a lost fucking prison!"
Heads turned to Eleanor, who was pacing back and forth. The elderly witch looked to be going through some sort of existential crisis and, honestly, in this light she looked even more unhealthy than before. "No. No, this is… this is not what the ancient wizards described. No! This… this is all wrong. It's all wrong! Where is the splendour? Where are the glories of wizardkind?! Where…"
"Maybe your research was just pants," Bellatrix muttered under her breath.
"We're not sure what this prison was meant for," said Daelia. "Maybe this prison was meant for muggles?"
Nymphadora bit her lip. "That, uhm, doesn't really paint a much better picture of our ancestors, Daelia."
Kirk shook his head. "I think we'll be doing us all a favour if we don't set up camp here and just head back up. If the looks on your faces are any indication, nobody's going to sleep easily in this Panopticon thing, even if the people that used to guard this place are long dead."
"This doesn't fit. How… I… I don't understand!" Eleanor exclaimed. Kirk was upon her and grabbed her by the shoulders.
"Eleanor, you've been walking all day," he said. "We'll set up camp near the entrance, get Haema started on cooking meals. Food and rest should clear your head a little. You're still our most knowledgable person on this place, whatever it is. Tomorrow you'll feel better and we'll need you to have a clear head."
Bellatrix rolled her eyes at this pathetic display and turned away from her former hero with disgust. Bellatrix was not going to wait for tomorrow. "No," she said. "I'm not going back up. Hermione is still around here someone and I have to find her."
"I'm with Bellatrix on this one," said Chandra. "We don't have to go back up right away. It won't hurt to look around a bit more."
Bellatrix gave the buxom woman a grateful nod. Though the mood was one of general unease, the group elected to stay with Bellatrix to help her look for Hermione. Something Bellatrix very much appreciated. They decided to look around the floor they were on. Poking their noses in the cubbies they found metal beds and tables that had barely survived the ages. Others had cribs or closets.
"This is where the dökkálfar keep their prisoners, no doubt," said Svari, her voice indicating she clearly nervous. "We must be careful. They might be lurking around very corner."
Bellatrix shook her head. "Doubtful," she said. "Doesn't seem like anyone has been here for an age and a half. We haven't found any remains either. No bones at all. No sign of life."
"The dökkálfar are Lokispawn known for their trickery," said Gudrun as she gripped her axe a little tighter and glanced around skittishly. All the Neo-Viking women had been on edge ever since setting foot in this 'city'.
Nymphadora put a hand to her chin. "What does a dökkálfar even look like?" she asked.
Svari gave her an odd look. "Like… a dökkálfar."
Nymphadora snorted. "You know, that actually doesn't help much, yeah?"
"Svari," said Sunniva. "These are outsiders who are not familiar with all the old sagas. Excuse Svari. The dökkálfar are Lokispawn, trickster spirits. They trick humans for unknown nefarious purposes, kidnap them from their homes to take them as thralls. They corrupt the hearts of the most honourable for sport or their filthy mind-games. As for what they look like? It differs per saga. They can don the guise of a human as easily as they don the guise of an animal. They can be as small as a squirrel or large as a bear. They spread disease to people and cattle and can possess bodies living or dead and alter them at will. Snorri Eriksson is said to have faced one of their lords in the Hallormsstaðaskógur Forest two hundred years ago, described in his saga. It had supposedly had taken the guise of a tall, undead lanky bear stood on two legs and sporting massive antlers. Dispatched after an epic fight at Snorri's, naturally."
It was only now that they noticed that Tahki had stopped in her tracks. She merely stood there for a moment, her breath quickening as she stood staring at the ground. When she raised her head again, her eyes darted from shadow to shadow for a moment before she regained her composure.
"Pocahontas?" Nymphadora asked. "You alright, Tak? You look like you've seen a bloody ghost, yeah?"
"Sæta?" asked Sunniva. She put her axe to her said and gently placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. Tahki jumped a little, but relaxed knowing Sunniva was close to her. "What is the matter?"
"It's, uhm… it may be nothing, but…" Tahki sighed heavily. "From your description… I… I… just hope to god I'm wrong."
Kirk stepped forward. "Enough with the ghost stories, please! People are nervous enough already without you lot spreading more terror. Save it for the fire when we've set up our camp, secured it and you have your bellies full, alright?"
"Yes, captain," Nymphadora said. "Sorry captain."
Not surprising, the addition of that horror story inside an already creepy cavernous dead prison caused the group to huddle closer together as they continued their path on the circular causeway leading back to the tunnel they had come from. The sounds of their footsteps echoing through the oppressive silence. Even Bellatrix was on edge and when the entrance of the tunnel leading up finally came in sight again, a wash of relief came over her. Undoubtedly the crew felt the same.
It was by pure happenstance that her eyes left the tunnel ahead and darted around for one last time. She noticed that both Chandra and Chiputec had left the group. Curious: they had been quite close-by and still had managed to fall behind in a room that was impossibly quiet. The two of them seemed to be stood close to some sort of incline in the wall near what looked to be one of the elevators going up to another causeway. Just as Bellatrix looked, the incline burst to life. A red… something. Some sort of light. It emerged and shone right across Chandra's face, until the beam narrowed and focused on her eyes.
It made a noise then. An impossible noise. A noise which hurt her head the longer she listened to it. The incline remained lit up as Chandra and Chiputec had their gaze turned away from the group.
"Stop, what are you doing?!" demanded Eleanor. Apparently, Bellatrix hadn't been the only one whom had borne witness to this strange event. "Don't touch anything in this place."
What happened next sent chills down Bellatrix' spine.
The posture of both Chiputec and Chandra changed. And then both of them turned their heads. It wasn't that which filled Bellatrix with such dread that she had to take a step back, oh no. It was the fact that both of them turned their heads towards the group in complete and total unison on such a mechanically perfect level as to be utterly impossible. There were wide mocking unnatural grins on both their faces, eyes missing any semblance of soulful humanity.
The fear that filled Bellatrix was primordial. Overwhelming. Even though she had no idea why, it was as if some sort of genetic memory or something dragged up from the very depths of the collective unconscious all humans shared. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, her chest heaved and her hands trembled. Every instinct was screaming at her run, to flee, to put as much distance between whatever these two were and herself. And yet she was too frozen, too stunned, to do much of anything.
Around her, others were equally disturbed. The Neo-Vikings all gripped their axes, looking to be ready for a fight to the death. Copperhead looked wide-eyed and terrified. Kirk balled his fists, doing his best to be brave. So far, Beodul seemed to be completely unaffected, undoubtedly wondering what the hell was going on. The wasps were equally puzzled by the behaviour of their human friends. It was a stalemate, finally to be broken by Tahki when she sank to her knees, covered her face with her hands and started sobbing. "No. Nonononononononononononono….", her cousin muttered before scambling away from the two… things… in front of them.
Chandra finally spoke. It sounded like Chandra, certainly. But the cadence was all off. The tone was different. And her body's entire posture had changed to be far more menacing. "Ah," she said, words full of venom and spite. "Now I no longer have to keep up this ridiculous and demeaning charade."
"That goes double for me," said Chiputec, sporting a now malicious grin on far too large for his face.
"You have all played your parts perfectly," said Chandra. "But now its finally time for your epic journey to reach its tragic conclusion."
Without any regard or ever acknowledgement, Chandra started walking towards the tunnel. She motioned to Eleanor. "You. Follow. Dispose of the others," she droned. For a moment, Eleanor seemed uncertain, until she closed her eyes and simply did as she was told.
With the creature now further away, Bellatrix grit her teeth and once again found her courage. "WHERE IS HERMIONE!?" she demanded.
Chandra didn't answer. She and Eleanor merely kept walking towards the tunnel ahead. Meanwhile, Chiputec or… whatever it was… was the one who would provide her with an answer. "Oh, she is here," said the man with an almost sadistic tone of knowing mirth. "And she is doing exactly what we expected her to do."
Bellatrix felt elation and dread in equal measure: Hermione was here and now outside in the snow. And yet… had these creatures put her under their thrall? She was ever more determined to find her.
Svari let out a war-cry, surprising everyone. "The dökkálfar have been walking among us!" she roared. "Foul creature! We will not fall for your lies! We will slaughter you like you were slaughtered in the epics of old! TODAY WE WRITE AN EPIC OF OUR OWN!"
Bellatrix closed her eyes: Svari was brave, but not exactly the smartest of people. These things were literal unknowns and yet here she was challenging it for a duel. This wouldn't end well, she feared.
"Quiet!" Kirk demanded. But it was too late.
"As you wish," replied Chiputec, snapping his fingers. "And take from me a valuable life-lesson: don't believe everything you read."
At the snap of his fingers, large black flashes appeared. Tears in reality itself. For but a moment, Bellatrix could stare into an endless void. Voids that were replaced by the misshapen forms of slathering beasts.
No.
Not beasts.
People.
Or rather, things that had once been people. The naked, misshapen forms of muscular and tall mockeries of humanity. Some had two heads. Some had far too many arms. Another only had one arm, elongated and ending in a massive four-pronged claw. Every one of these creatures was unique, crudely mutilated and created by stitching together bodies and body-parts. How some of these things were alive or could even more was beyond Bellatrix. People of all kind, all ages, all races… molded together into these monstrosities.
And before long, pandemonium broke out. The creatures shot forward, one of them tearing into Kirk while Nymphadora screamed. Almost on instinct, Bellatrix shot her wand-arm to the side and caught one of the creatures with a fireball. The horrifying smell of burned flesh hit her nostrils. The creature itself barely noticed being on fire and advanced, only to be stopped when Gudrun lopped off its head with one single swing of her axe. Though the monster was momentarily confused by the sudden lack of sensory input, it was far from dead.
Bellatrix looked around her, being glad that the Neo-Vikings were here: if not of them, their small group would have been overwhelmed already. Beodul and Nymphadora were dragging an obviously injured Kirk away while Sunniva was keeping no less than three of the creatures at bay. Copperhead was actually punching one, for Merlin's sake.
By now, Chandra had already reached the tunnel. Eleanor gave the group a last mournful look before following her wordlessly into the darkness.
Bitch!
Bellatrix raised her wand and flitted arcs of pure lightning into two of the creatures, keeping them away from Nymphadora and Beodul. She twisted around her axis and unleashed a bombarda. The explosion rattled the entire panopticon and sent one of the creatures screaming into the dark abyss as it flew over the railing, proving that at least these things couldn't fly. Wasps were buzzing around now, harrassing the creatures as best they could while avoiding swipes of their claws.
Bellatrix was faced with a dilemma. She was a good fighter with great casting skill. If she went after Chandra in an attempt to find Hermione, she would have to abandon her friends and family. Could they even manage without her? With the window of opportunity fast closing, she had to make a decision.
"Mortal Valkyrie!" sounded Svari as she and Gudrun flanked her. "This is your saga! This serpent is yours to slay! We shall pave the way to your victory!"
That was all the encouragement Bellatrix needed. With Beodul, Sunniva and Nymphadora now on their feet, they looked to be managing the threat on their side. Bellatrix turned to Svari and nodded just as another wave of creatures bore down upon them; it would at least take the heat off the others. Zipper, ever the loyal friend, landed on her shoulder and swiftly found himself inside her coat.
The three of them started running towards the tunnel, with creatures barreling towards them. Bellatrix yelped as she dove forward, doing a roll and scrambling back to her feet just as a massive claw swiped overhead. A claw which would have taken her head clean off if she hadn't dodged it. The young witch held her wand and flitted back and forth, effectively slaloming around the creatures. The tunnel was within reach.
"GO!" yelled Svari just as she swung her axe in a sidewards arc and buried it into the ribcage of one of those slathering fiends. Gudrun jumped in to slam her axe down and split its torso in two, finishing off the creature.
"We will make sure nothing follows you up!" Gudrun added.
Bellatrix nodded and ran into the tunnel leading back up to the entrance as fast as her legs could carry her. With the sounds of heavy fighting behind her and pure darkness ahead as the lights turned on in front of her she knew she had to pick up the pace. She folded one arm around Zipper nestled into her coat and waved her wand to speed up her own movement. Bellatrix shot forward like a rocket from a bottle. It didn't take long for her to see the light at the end of the tunnel and she managed to slow herself down right before she would shoot right into a wall and break every bone in her body. When she skidded to a halt, she saw she had indeed reached the entrance.
The two longboats holding their precious supplies were smashed and on fire, taking most of their food with it in the mindless destruction. Worse yet, the three unmoving bodies of Haema, Oswald and Engrim were even more alarming. They looked as if they were still alive, but it was hard to tell. And there were no way to check since there was a far more immediate danger in the room.
Eleanor was sat next to the platform leading down further into the complex, cowering while Chandra stood with her back turned to Bellatrix. The woman raised her hands and the magical field preventing their access to the platform fluttered out of existence.
"Ah," said Chandra as she turned around to face her. "The prodigal child has come up to play."
There was still no sign of the jovial, if somewhat aloof, buxom intellectual woman she had been. The sneer on Chandra's face was ever disdainful and menacing. It was as if the person stood in front of her was a completely different individual. Or perhaps Chandra had simply been a good actor. The woman was sizing up Bellatrix as if she was a piece of meat and found her wanting.
"Chandra, please…" pleaded Eleanor.
"SILENCE," Chandra roared. "You are only alive because I still have a use for you. But as for this prodigal girl-child…"
Chandra took a step forward while Bellatrix held out her wand. Zipper teleported to sit on top of her head and she felt his weight shift. The wasp had taken on an attack posture and had his stinger fully unsheathed, only waiting for the right moment to shoot forward and sting Chandra right between the eyes.
"Tell me, for whom do you fight?" Chandra told as she stood there, pacing a little from left to right.
What? What the hell kind of question was that anyway? A stupid question deserved nothing more than a stupid answer.
"For whom do I fight?" replied Bellatrix. "Maybe I just want to curse you right in the face for the betterment of all wizardkind! Did you ever think of that?"
Chandra didn't seem the least bit amused. "Hmpf, how very glib. And do you believe in wizardkind?"
Before Bellatrix could even consider this, Chandra simply continued. "Wizardkind is forged on falsehoods and built on deceit. And its faith is an instrument of deception. It is naught but a cobweb of lies. To believe in wizardkind is to believe in nothing!"
Chandra continued pacing, chuckling to herself every so often. "In this world, wizards and witches look up to the 'ancient wizards of old'. Being of grand power over the very laws of nature itself. Yet wizards and witches hide and cower before beings far lesser than themselves. Which is strange, is it not?"
"Are your grand 'magical' powers otherwise engaged? I was given to understand you were masters of this world. Wizardkind is no different from the beasts – lesser beings, animals, every one! Nor is this unknown to your masters. Which prompts the question: why do they cling to these false deities? What drives even men of learning - even the 'great' Grindelwald - to grovel at their feet?" Chandra's eyes shone dangerously. "The answer? Your masters lack the strength to do otherwise!"
She raised her wand in a tightened fist. "For the world to mean anything, man must own the world. To this end, he hath fought ever to raise himself through conflict - to grow rich through conquest. And when the dust of battle settles, it is ever the strong who dictate the fate of the weak."
Chandra locked eyes filled with hatred with Bellatrix. "Come, champion of wizardkind, face me! Your defeat shall serve of proof of my readiness to rule! It is only right that I should take your world. For none among you has the power to stop me!"
Bellatrix blinked and even Zipper on top of her head seemed confused. "That, uhm, sounded rather rehearsed."
The response Chandra gave was a ball of fire which promptly exploded right at Bellatrix' feet. With a yelp, she managed to block the incoming blast of fire right before it would fry her and Zipper to a crisp. One thing was certain: Chandra wasn't messing around. Bellatrix managed to raise a protego just in time to prevent a piece of longboat hurled at her with bone-crushing speed. Well, two could play at that game. Bellatrix grit her teeth and waved her wand; a sideways rain of smaller debris from the boat, splinters and pieces of burning wood, bombarded Chandra from the side. Chandra yelped and raised a shield, but not quick enough to prevent herself from being pelted by the initial barrage.
First blood had gone to Bellatrix, which only further enraged Chandra. The witch raised her arms and swung her wand. Magic that Bellatrix had never seen before was taking shape: Six phantasmal clones of Chandra took position next to her, their own phantasmal wands ready to strike in forward columns all aimed directly at her. Whatever it was they were casting, Bellatrix knew it wasn't good.
Zipper hadn't been quiet in all this. The wasp buzzed forward, ignoring the phantasms and headed straight toward the real Chandra. The enraged witch sent bolts of energy to the wasp, but the fast flying insect was nimble enough deftly avoid all of them. Chandra yelled out in ago when a sting was delivered to the side of her neck. That could have been lethal, but unfortunately was only a nick. A second sting was delivered to her back. A third to her wand-arm.
Bellatrix dove to one side when massive columns of pure magic came rushing towards her. She barely had time to use her own magic to flit sideways and even then one of the columns nicked her side. Agony shot through her body as her insides scrambled and she fell to the ground on her stomach, wailing in agony. She coughed up blood, the disruptive magics having shot through one of her lungs. But through the pain, she grit her teeth. This had only made her more determined. Any lower and that wave of magic could have hit her baby. She'd have to end this and quickly.
Zipper disengaged and teleported back to check on her. She heard him buzzing right next to her ear. Good. Not only did it give her comfort, it pulled the wasp out of the line of fire. An idea started to form in Bellatrix' head. If only she could distract Chandra long enough…
"And so it ends," said Chandra, chuckling cruelly. "Not in a cry of victory but in a torrent of pain in defeat. Not more of a champion… are you?"
"I admit…" spoke Bellatrix in a raspy pained voice as she tried to raise herself off the ground. "I made an error of judgment… Fighting you and your creatures down that tunnel… was just too much for me."
"Wisdom in defeat," snarled Chandra. "Too bad it will not save your li…"
Chandra's words were cut off when a massive crate slammed right against the side of her head and slammed her into the wall with the speed of an oncoming freight train. The crate slammed against the wall and Chandra's body was caught in the middle. A cry of pure anger mixed with agony.
"HAH!" Bellatrix lied and jumped to her feet, wand in hand. "Now we fight like ladies! And men! And ladies who dress like men!"
Chandra let out a guttural scream as she staggered forward. She looked to be bad shape to a point that it surprised Bellatrix she was still able to stand. Blood was running down her face and her left sided cheek appeared to be crushed. Pieces of shattered bone pierced the skin of her leg and arm. She stumbled and staggered, snarling at Chandra. Merlin, the woman should be in unbelievable pain and yet she stood.
"You… filthy… disgusting… primate…" Chandra hissed.
Not it was time to go in for the kill. Bellatrix grasped her wand and shot forward, propelling herself right into Chandra, shoulder first. It knocked the both of them onto the platform. Chandra yelled out when her back smashed against the raised panel in the middle of the platform. Bellatrix landed on her feet the moment the platform started its descent to whatever location below. Tubes, floors and pipes for whatever construction lay beyond started zipping by just as Chandra staggered to her feet.
Time to finish this.
Bellatrix flicked her wand and a massive explosion engulfed Chandra. If that wouldn't kill her outright, she hoped it would at least slow her down. Unfortunately, Bellatrix was about to learn that using a bombarda spell in an enclosed space on top of a moving platform was not the brightest of ideas she had had in her short lifetime. Under her feet, the platform groaned and buckled. Sparks started to fly from all sides as the now broken platform was starting to descend with an alarming rate. The platform was dropping faster and faster and she felt her body becoming lighter.
Just as Chandra turned her attention back to Bellatrix, a third person came into view. Eleanor. The elderly witch grabbed hold of Chandra with an iron, magically enhanced grip. "What are you doing?!" hissed Chandra.
"What I should have done months ago!" sounded Eleanor. Gone was the frailty, the sickly quality to her voice. This was Eleanor as she had been in her younger years. Brave, determined and strong. "Bellatrix!" she shouted. "Finish her!"
Thinking quickly, Bellatrix grabbed Zipper with one arm and aimed her wand at the console in the middle.
"ACCIO!" she shouted and the magic propelled her towards Chandra, knocking her and Eleanor out of the way. The older witches were set flying outward and upwards. Bellatrix grabbed hold of the console with her one free arm and held on dear life with magically enhanced strength. Above her, Chandra didn't even scream as she slammed into the sides of the shaft again and again as if she was a pinball remaining higher up in the shaft as the falling platform gained momentum. Until she couldn't see or hear her anymore. Nor Eleanor.
Bellatrix knew she wasn't in for a soft landing, so she whispered a cushioning charm around herself and Zipper and hoped it would be enough.
It was indeed, far from a soft landing.
Kirk grunted in agony as he was being lain on one of the metal beds, Nymphadora looked over his wounds, but even in the dark she could see it was severe. Kirk's chest was sliced to ribbons, to a point that she could see every rib exposed. Blood was pooling on and off the table, and had left a trail all the way back to where he had fallen. He was pale and it looked at if every tug of breath hurt.
"Shit," Nymphadora muttered, trying to find a place to press a rag down in a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding. But any attempt was useless. There were simply too many wounds to even start. "Shit, shit, shit, shit!"
"Where's that scabrous vampire at?!" Beodul yelled. "BIG-MOUTH! CAPTAIN NEEDS YE!"
"Forget it," Kirk rasped. "He's working on Eliam and Daelia."
"Beodul," said Nymphadora and moved to pick Kirk up. "Help me carry him. We'll bring him to the doctor ourselves!"
"Aye!"
Nymphadora got ready to run. The sounds and screams of her friends mixed in with the shrill cries of whatever monsters those two bastards had summoned upon them. The air was heavy with magic and ozone from the ionisation of magical energy. So far they were holding their own, but for how long? These creatures were picking them off one by one.
"No," said Kirk. "Get the others back to the surface. That's an order."
"Cap'n," Beodul said.
"We can't…"
"That's an order!" hissed Kirk. He coughed, blood spurting out of his mouth as he did so. "I'm as good as dead. You both know this. Pity… I really would have preferred to die at sea."
He chuckled at his own wry joke, then turned to Nymphadora. He grabbed her hand with surprising strength and squeezed. "Nymphadora," he said. "Go to my quarters and find the safe. The combination is '1701'. Yes. Captain Kirk joke, haha," he coughed wryly. "The ownership papers are in there. Just press your thumb on the seal and it'll transfer. If she survives, the Kingfisher is yours."
Nymphadora blinked. "Me?"
"You have it in you be a captain and a leader," Kirk coughed. "Rise to the occassion. Save your friends. Save the Kingfisher. You can do it. Don't underestimate yourself. You're not a sponge. Become the woman you were meant to be."
"Captain…" Nymphadora whispered. "C-captain?"
Kirk wasn't moving anymore. Nor was he breathing. Nymphadora let out a foul curse and felt tears run over her cheeks. A torrent of emotions washed over her. Fear. Anger. Sadness. And hope.
The goblin Beodul looked up at her, his grizzled face etched with grim determination. "What do we do?" asked Beodul, his voice uncharacteristically soft. "Cap'n?"
In that moment, it was as if a switch had been thrown inside of her brain. Gone were the doubts, the fear, the regret: she couldn't afford it. Nymphadora stepped out from the cubby and took in the situation. The crew was divided in three groups. She was closest to Sunniva's group. Though Irrena and Copperhead were helping her fight the monsters, it was easy to see that the large axe-wielding Neo-Viking was the sole reason they were still alive. Sunniva fought with zeal and abandon, swinging axe and lightning with equal strength. Tahki was near her, hugging herself as she huddled at the railing. Further along, near another cubby, Big-Mouth was working on stablizing Daelia while Rilly was helping to treat Eliam. The three ships' wasps were guarding them. Further along, near the tunnels, Svari and Gudrun were fighting for their lives to keep monsters from pursuing Bellatrix into the tunnel.
That was where they had to go. And she knew what to do.
Nymphadora grit her teeth and pumped her wand out in an arc. Admittedly, she was not the best witch around, but her sheer determination sent an arc of power forward, colliding with two of the multi-limbed monsters and sent the both of them screaming over the railing. She and Beodul rushed to join Sunniva's group. While Beodul moved to join Copperhead and Irrena to help with the defense, Nymphadora knelt at Tahki's side.
"They know our names… they know our names… don't look at them… don't look at them…" Tahki wailed to herself while rocking back and forth. Nymphadora had always know her to be a hanging-tough capable lady who was as quick with her wand as she was with her wits. To see her reduced to this…. Nymphadora raised her hand and smacked her across the cheek as hard as she could. Tahki looked at her incredously, a red hand-shaped welt starting to form on her cheek just as the Native-American Black started to come out of her panicked stupour.
"Snap out of it, Pocahontas!" said Nymphadora. "We need you!"
"It's… it's hopeless," Tahki sniffed.
"You're just going to let them take you?! WON'T YOU FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE, YEAH?!" Nymphadora shouted in her face. Tahki looked at her, then at Sunniva, then back at her. She gritted her teeth and nodded. Nymphadora clasped her forearm and yanked her to her feet.
"RIGHT!" shouted Nymphadora. "WE MAKE FOR THE TUNNEL AND RUN THE FUCK BACK UP IT! Irrena, Copperhead, Beodul! Form a protego shield to keep the monsters out! Just like you did when that Ur-dragon attacked, yeah?! Sunniva, Tahki! Join Svari and Gudrun to secure the tunnel and cover our retreat!"
The three sailors raised their wands and raised a small protego wall, big enough to cover the platform from wall to railing. The monsters hurled themselves upon it, shrieking and clawing in an attempt to break through. But it held. Sweet fucking Merlin, it held. Sunniva and Tahki ran towards the tunnel while Nymphadora joined Big-Mouth and the others. The vampire doctor was strong enough to carry the wounded Eliam on his own. Daelia, now stable enough to be carried, was supported by both Goneril and Nymphadora as they rushed towards the tunnel, guarded by the three wasps to repel incoming beasts.
Sunniva snarled and let out a fierce warcry as she jumped forward and rammed her shoulder into one of the monsters. Covered in blood and gore, most of it not her own, she slammed her axe into the downed creature repeatedly. She then twirled around her axis, sending out waves of lighting as she swung out her axe and downed more of the creatures. Anything to at least slow them down. By then, most of the crew had arrived at the tunnel and the three sailors whom had kept the shield up rushed into the tunnel. Without feeding it further magic, it was only a matter of time before it would fail and the monsters would swarm upon them. Nymphadora was inside the tunnel when she heard Tahki yell for Sunniva to join them.
They were making good progress getting back to the surface, but in Nymphadora's mind it was still agonisingly slow, especially when she heard the grunts and distorted screams coming from further down the tunnel.
"Alright!" Nymphadora shouted. "Get your wands ready. Bombardas when we're all out! AND ONLY WHEN WE'RE ALL OUT!"
Faster.
FASTER!
The monsters cried out for blood behind them, sounding even closer now. But there was light at the end of the tunnel. The crew almost threw themselves out of the mouth for the tunnel and the moment Sunniva was out, every witch and wizard still standing shouted that magical word Bombarda. Magical energy shot down the tunnel, the Earth shook as cascading explosions fed into each other. A groan came from the tunnel in its death cry. Rocks and stone came down falling, effectively sealing the mouth of the tunnel and hopefully beyond.
They were safe. For now. And Nymphadora could finally let out a sigh of relief.
A sigh of relief which turned into a concerned groan when she saw the state of their supplies and, worse, the state of the three friends they had left to guard them.
"They're alive," said Big-Mouth. Good. There was that at least.
"Everyone, salvage what you can and set up a field hospital," said Nymphadora. "Fuck me, this is turning out to be a day I should have stayed in bed, yeah?"
As the crew started to get to work, it was Goneril who walked up to her and threw her arms around her. "That was amazing," she said, kissing her on the lips. Nymphadora quickly kissed her wife back with full fervour. Though they weren't out of the woods yet, they were safe for now.
"I…" Nymphadora muttered. "Fuck, I just wish Kirk could be here with us."
A hand clapped on her shoulders. She turned her head to see Copperhead smiling at her. "I sailed with him for many years and I knew him well enough so say this: Where ever he is now, he's proud of you, kid. Uhm, captain."
Nymphadora nodded. Near her, she found Tahki behind held by Sunniva. There was as much love there as there was between her and Rilly. Tahki opened her eyes and smiled at Nymphadora. "Thanks for snapping me out of it."
Nymphadora chuckled. "Any time, Sacajawea."
Tahki snorted and shook her head. "Fuck you," she laughed heartily. "Fuck you, you britbong, crooked-teeth limey scone-scarfing shitbitch."
"That's Captain Shitbitch to you!" Nymphadora winked.
Finally, she could breathe easily. Though that breathing became decidedly less easy when she stole another look at the collapses tunnel and heard the muffled distorted grunts behind that wall of rock. With claws like that, those creatures could undoubtedly dig. They were still on borrowed time.
Bellatrix' entire body hurt as she drifted in and out of consciousness. A blanket of haze hung over her mind. She felt something cold underneath her and warm near her. Her eyes opened briefly, showing her rubble and small fires, before her eyes closed again and that blanket of haze covered her once more.
She felt something pushed against her cheek. And again. And again. Then nothing. And then a sharp pinch.
"Aaaah…" Bellatrix hissed as her eyes shot open from the sudden sting. Next to her face sat Zipper, his mandibles still pinching her cheek. The moment Bellatrix showed signs of laboured movement, Zipper let go and pressed his face against hers. With a groan, Bellatrix painfully pushed herself off the ground and grunted when the wasp jumped into her arms for a hug. Her brain and her body felt scrambled as she got to her feet. The cushion charm she had cast upon herself at the last moment has protected both her and Zipper, though just barely it seemed.
She took a few painful steps forward to get her footing back while Zipper teleport to perch on her head. She was… somewhere else. It looked to be another living area, but unlike the panopticon she had first encountered, this place looked to be far larger and far more luxurious. Perhaps Hermione had passed through here? She'd only know if she'd explore.
Her eyes turned back to the platform, now utterly destroyed. The shaft above was looming, foreboding and unnavigable. There'd be no way to go back up there without a broom, that much was certain. She rather hoped she'd be able to find some other way out. Then, she saw it. Almost missing it amid the debris. An arm could be seen from just behind the remnants of the platform console. Thinking this was Chandra, she immediately pulled her wand out and started inching towards the body: if she could have survived the fall, so could Chandra after all.
But when she finally got a good look at the broken body, she noticed a very different build and silver hair. She gasped in horror and sadness as she say that before he lay the mangled and shattered body of Eleanor Snowbell. In the heat of battle, Eleanor had given Bellatrix an opportunity to strike back at Chandra. Bellatrix had angry with Eleanor, but now that she gazed upon the dead body of the woman whom had once been her greatest hero, she felt nothing but sadness and loss. The grand explorer, the hero she had once been, deserved better than to die at the bottom shaft of a glorified elevator. She looked for something to cover the body with, but found nothing. In the end, she knelt by the side of the corpse, her own body groaning in protest, to simply close both her eyelids as a sign of respect.
"Rest well," whispered Bellatrix as she stood up again. With grim determination, she prepared to set out to explore this strange terraced living area. But before she could take more than a few steps, a bright blue translucent light appeared above Eleanor's corpse. She whirled around and came face to face with… the ghost of Eleanor Snowbell. Ironically, the woman looked to be far more healthy and hale in her state of death than she had been in life. In a way she looked… happier.
"Eleanor?" asked Bellatrix.
"Bellatrix," smiled the ghostly woman, sounding somewhat far away, though her voice carried more like it had the first time they had met in that pub. Something that seemed so long ago. "I died," she said.
"Yes," said Bellatrix. "I'm sorry. I could have… I should have…"
"No," said the ghost, an odd warmth in her translucent eyes. "You misunderstand. I died months ago, shortly after we first met."
Bellatrix blinked. "What… no," she replied. "That's impossible."
"I died shortly before our expedition started," said Eleanor. "I knew I was running out of time, but I had no idea my body would succumb that quickly. I couldn't move on. Not while my life's greatest work was left unfinished. As I floated above my corpse dead in my bed, Chandra was there. It was as if she knew I was going to die and, in retrospect, I should have known better than to trust her. She said she knew a forbidden technique she had learned during her days as an unspeakable. I pleaded with her to use it, so that I could as least see the expedition through. Chandra reanimated my body and forced my ghost back inside. It's… not the same as living. I drove my own body like it was a carriage. Or a marionette, while Chandra injected me with potion to halt the process of decay. It was still running on bought time."
"That's why you started to look so sickly," said Bellatrix, putting her hand to her chin. "That's why you became so beliggerant. And it also explains the smell."
Eleanor snorted. "It was turning into a mummy," said Eleanor. "My own body became a prison of flesh for an increasingly unwilling spirit inside. Chandra had me under her complete control. Bellatrix, be careful. She isn't what she seems, I think. I doubt Chandra Raywood is still Chandra Raywood. Something else inhabits her. Something that really doesn't care much for wizardkind."
"What will you do now?" asked Bellatrix.
Eleanor smiled and looked up at the shaft. "Explore," she smiled. "I have all eternity now to search the world and uncover its mysteries. That's all I ever wanted to do before I became caught up in the vagaries of fame and fortune and the obsession for clout became my downfall. There is still so much more to see. And, Bellatrix, I'm sorry."
"For what?" she replied.
"I'm sorry I couldn't be the witch you expected me to be," Eleanor's spirit spoke with sad sincerity.
Bellatrix thought a moment. On how Eleanor had been such of an example to her in her youth and how she had inspired her to be the best she could be. Perhaps she had put her on too much of a pedestal. In the end she was human, after all. But still. She had owed Eleanor so much. "You are," Bellatrix said softly and gave a genuine smile. The ghost accepted this flattering apology and gently floated above the body a moment more before fading away, ready to explore the world as her eternal leisure.
Bellatrix closed her eyes for a moment and felt happy for Eleanor. Whatever spell she had been under, whatever coercion she had suffered, she was now free of it. Though what remained of her was an echo of her former self, the spirit of Eleanor Snowbell would be free to do what she loved most. And perhaps, she would continue to inspire young girls much like herself to seek out greatness for themselves.
Zipper hovered next to her and the two shared a look. "Come on, Zip," said Bellatrix, full of determination. "Let's go find Hermione."
Together, girl and wasp stepped into the unknown.