Author's Note: Hello my lovely readers! Hands up if you believed this author would never post again. I know, I didn't believe it myself. Now, you might wonder, "What happened?"
Let me start by saying that I was thinking about the story. Every. Single. Day. In the last 4 years. And it broke my heart, because I really thought I wouldn't be able to finish telling Butler's and Sofia's story.
In my defence, I had terrible writer's block. On exactly two scenes. The story was actually at around 90% and it was those two damned scenes that broke me. Don't worry, I'll point them out for your entertainment.
At the time I also read a lot of Lovecraft and thought, you know what?, that's what my next story should have. Cosmic Horror. I'm sure I can write it. Haha. No. I cannot.
Anyway, if you are still with me, after all this time, thank you! It means the world to me. It really does. And since you had to wait so long, you don't just get one chapter but two today!
Oh, I also made a human which stopped me from picking up the pencil for a while. It's not the wee one's fault but if it'll get me some brownie points, I'll take it. Okay, enough with the blabbering. Let's start the story.
Many thanks to my amazing beta readers loquesea, sinekathrent and Aculos.
Disclaimer: Eoin Colfer owns all the characters from Artemis Fowl, I only own my imagination and the characters I have created.
The Chellah Conundrum
Prologue
Liliana brushed her new doll's hair. Her daddy had come back from his trip and had been really nice to her. He never brought her any gifts. Until today, Liliana had been sure her daddy didn't want her. Because she was a girl. She hugged her new best friend.
"Let's show daddy how pretty I made you," she told her doll and got off the bed. Running down the corridor, she stopped in front of the huge dark door of her daddy's room. It was where he was working. She wasn't allowed to enter without his permission. Looking at her doll, Liliana swallowed.
"Shall we knock?" she asked, flinching when the door opened suddenly. Her father loomed over her.
Liliana tried a shy smile and held up her doll.
"We played."
The man looked at the doll for a second before his eyes settled on her. Liliana waited for a sign of approval. It never came. Instead, she had the feeling that her father was about to quiz her on something hard. Like maths.
Suddenly, he smiled. It sent a shiver down her spine.
"Splendid. Come, girl. Let's play a game."
He held out his hand, and Liliana tentatively put hers in his. He pulled her forward.
"Is it a fun game?" she asked.
"A lot of fun," he said with a sour smile and walked swiftly down the stairs and towards the cellar. Once Liliana realised where they were headed, she tried to pull her hand free.
"I don't want to go to the cellar. It's scary."
Her father didn't let go.
"Not this time. I promise," he murmured and pulled her forward. Liliana dropped her doll and pushed at his hand.
"No, Daddy. Please, I don't want to play. Please."
Ignoring her pleads, her father dragged her down the stairs of the damp cellar. Liliana started crying.
"Please, Daddy," she sobbed, "I'll be good."
Her father pushed open a door, pulled her in, and locked the door behind them. Finally, he released her hand. Liliana ran to the door, pushing the handle down. When the door didn't open, she turned to her father, who had walked over to a table and was bending over a jar.
"Daddy, I want to leave," she said, tugging at his pullover. He ignored her. Liliana pressed herself against her father's legs, hiding her face from the room that was illuminated by countless candles and dominated by a large, white chalk circle on the ground.
After a moment, her father pushed her away and towards the circle. Liliana shook her head, whimpering.
"I'm scared," she cried. "I want to go."
Rolling his eyes, the man pushed his glasses higher up his nose and held her in place. Lifting her over the circle, he dropped her inside it. Liliana screamed, trying to run back to her father. But while she had easily crossed the circle before, an invisible wall kept her inside now.
Flavian Colvert Sherwood watched his daughter's tantrum with clinical interest. He rolled the sleeves of his shirt up and took an old scroll from the table, skimming over the text before stepping closer to the chalk circle, checking that Liliana hadn't smudged any of the symbols on the floor.
Once satisfied, the man returned his attention to the scroll and began reciting the words on the scroll. He read them with a steady voice, ignoring the little girl's screeches. Reaching the end of the scroll, he stopped. The cellar had turned eerily quiet. Liliana's screams had seized and so had she.
"Who calls me?" a bodiless voice asked, its words coming from different directions. Above, below, from the side. A dark veil morphed inside the circle, floating towards him. When it tried to cross the circle, however, the shadow was held back.
Sherwood smiled, not in the least anxious.
"It is I, Flavian Colvert Sherwood," he said loud and clear. "And I 've brought you a sacrifice."
"What is it you desire, Flavian?" the voice asked.
Sherwood's mouth quipped into a small smile. "Power."
The voice within the shadow chuckled, and the air crackled. "As you wish. Free me of my shackles and I will aid you in your small request."
Sherwood frowned. "Was my sacrifice not enough?"
"It is enough for me to leave you a token of my appreciation. But for me to step from my prison into your universe, you need more energy. Find another source. A stronger one and I will grant your wish," the voice seemed to float around in a circle as it spoke.
Sherwood nodded. He lifted his hand, ready to cast the spirit back from where it had come.
"Do you even realise who I am?" the voice suddenly asked.
Sherwood paused. "You're Nyarlathotep, Crawling Chaos, God of a Thousand Forms, Stalker among the Stars, Black Pharaoh, Faceless God, Messenger of the Outer Gods."
The voice laughed, its cruel bark echoing long after Sherwood had intonated the spells to dismiss him. Sherwood was about to turn away when his gaze fell on the dagger within the circle. Stepping closer, he picked it up, studying it in the dim candlelight.
He smiled and went to work.
A/N: Omg, I haven't posted in so long, it took me forever to put in all the categories, and characters, and extra stuff, and the description. Anyway, quick! Continue reading. I promise, the real stars are just around the corner, haha.