THE HUNTER, THE HUNTED
A Cardcaptor Sakura Fanfic
Written by Miyu, Vampire Princess
With Assists from Rinnako-chan and Hawking
Paid for by contributions made to this station...And by Viewers like you.
Prologue - A Thief on Avalon
Emphera squinted her eyes against the morning sun. It was far too early as
far
as she was concerned. Groaning her objection, she rolled over on her bed,
pulling the thin, silk sheets tighter around her tall, slim form. Her waist
length ebony hair fell in front of her face, hiding her eyes from the morning
sunshine.
But the sun peeked through her open window, not to be put off. It lightly
caressed her bed with its rays, nudging her awake. The birds were singing
outside, chirping happily for the new morning. The hefty smell of grass and
fresh flowers also wafted through her open window. They invaded her other
senses, aiding the sun in rousing her awake.
She muttered something incoherent before her eyes flitted open. The green
orbs
stared blankly into space. Her view was hazy at first -- a blend of soft white,
yellow and blue. Then, as her vision cleared, she realized that it wasn't an
ordinary blend of colors. They took shape quickly and she nearly jumped in
response.
"Good morning, cousin!"
Emphera was suddenly awake as the face of her cousin, Daphne, came into
view.
She was bent over the bed, her face mere inches from Emphera. The younger girl
was cheerful as always, smiling happily. Emphera wasn't sure if it was just her
disposition in life, or the large amounts of sugar she consumed on a daily basis
that made her so cheerful. But her smile was always contagious, making the
older girl smile in response.
"Good morning, Daphne."
The younger girl stood, stepping away from the bed. Her smile quickly
turned
into a frown. "We've got a problem."
Emphera sat up in bed, rubbing the last of the sleep from her eyes. "Problem?"
Daphne nodded, skipping...yes, it wasn't very noticeable but it was
skipping...to the foot of her cousin's bed. She stood, clasping her hands
behind her. The motion served to make her look thinner than she already was,
her blue gown accenting her figure. She shrugged nonchalantly, the frown still
in place.
"Something's happened to the book."
Emphera stared wide-eyed at Daphne. "The Grimorum Arcamornem?"
She stood from
her bed quickly, reaching for her robe. "What has happened?"
Daphne's frown turned serious. It was a look very uncommon for her, but it
mirrored the seriousness of the situation. "It's gone."
Emphera's head snapped up. "What do you mean 'gone'? It couldn't
possibly
sprout legs and run away."
"It's a book of magic. It could very well do that cousin,"
Daphne stated
simply, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. At Emphera's frustrated sigh she
responded, "Grandfather is in the monument checking it for clues."
"I shall go assist him then," Emphera stated.
"Soleice is already with him," Daphne told her. "She's the
one that found the
book missing."
Emphera nodded. "It was her turn to look in on the book this morning.
How long
ago was it found missing?"
"Not even an hour."
"I'll join Soleice and grandfather in their search, then."
"After breakfast," Daphne added, her happy smile returning. It
had been her
morning to cook breakfast.
Emphera smiled at her cousin. "After breakfast then."
* * * * *C*A*R*D*C*A*P*T*O*R*S* * * * *
The Cave of Miracles sat on the southern most tip of the isle of Avalon.
Surrounded by rolling hills of green, the cave was a large hole deep within a
mountain. The walls of the cavern were lined in sparkling diamond, ruby and
jade. The floor was mostly sand, mixed with a handful of dirt. It was one of
the most exquisite sights on the island.
Deep with the cave was a large room, with a ceiling as high as any great
hall of
the day. The room was brightly lit by floating orbs of flame. A single table
sat in the center of the room. A round table encompassed by twelve ornate
chairs.
The Arthurian round table.
Along the far wall, intricately carved into the mountain, was an idle. To
the
human eye it looked like a sword. Only the inhabitants of Avalon knew that the
idle was a replica of the sword Excaliber. There were even tales that the Lady
of the Lake had placed it there for safe keeping after Arthur's death. But the
idle served as protector to a small glass enclosed ledge, barely three feet off
the floor.
The room normally would've looked magnificent, lit and decorated as if it
were
meant to be a dream. But today it was shrouded in gray as Merlin, one of the
greatest magicians of all time, paced back and forth in front of the idle where
the glass casing was now empty.
"Grandfather if you keep pacing like that you'll wear a hole into the floor."
The old magician looked up, gray eyes returning from far away. His white
hair
was tied back at the nape of his neck, but several smaller hairs found their way
into his face. His expression was one of worry, yet he managed a smile.
"Soleice, you always worry too much," Merlin replied.
Soleice sighed, shaking her head. "Someone has to, grandfather,"
the young
woman replied. She joined the older magician in pacing.
Merlin nodded, glancing sideways at his great-granddaughter as she joined
him.
She was the second youngest of his great-granddaughters. Emphera was the oldest,
Daphne the youngest. She was dressed in the appropriate robes for a priestess
of Avalon - a deep burgundy color that accentuated her medium length auburn
hair. Her violet eyes were just as worried as his were. She bit her bottom
lip, eyes averted to the ground. Her position mimicked his own as they walked.
"What do you think happened?"
Soleice stopped pacing and stared at Merlin. "You are asking my
opinion,
grandfather?"
Merlin nodded. It was rare that he would ask the opinion of his great-
granddaughters, except perhaps Emphera. He did not want to admit that he was at
a loss, but...he was out of options. He smiled at Soleice.
"You are not an imbecile, granddaughter," he replied. "You
may someday be faced
with a similar situation. You must use your head." He paused. "Now,
what do
you think happened?"
Soleice was indeed surprised. But she knew she shouldn't have been. He was
turning it into a lesson, as he always did. She bit her bottom lip again before
turning to look at the empty glass encasement.
"The spell on the casing was cast by you, grandfather," she
began, uncertain.
"It would take either an extremely talented magician to break it, or a very
crafty magician to work around it."
Merlin nodded his agreement, allowing her to continue.
"There are only five of us here on Avalon with even a hint of the
capability
this job would've taken," Soleice said. "But there is no way to prove
what
happened, by who and why."
"At least not yet," Merlin added with a sigh. It was true that
there were only
five people on Avalon with the power to even cast such a spell. Three of them
were still in training. The fourth was a hopeless case.
He was the fifth.
Emphera entered the cave with Daphne in tow. The oldest of the three
girls,
Emphera simply exuded power the moment she walked into a room. Her presence was
very commanding, even to Merlin himself. But that was as it should be, the old
magician told himself. She will be the next Lady of the Lake after all.
Daphne's presence was commanding as well, but in a different manner of the
word.
It commanded attention, not power. The girl's smile would brighten a room even
in the darkest depths of the island. Her cheerfulness was contagious. Even
Merlin had to smile when she entered a room. She was also the most talkative of
his three great-granddaughters.
Soleice was a good mix between the two. Most likely because she had spent
a
great deal of time with them as children. All three had spent their childhood
together, inseparable. They were cousins, not sisters, Merlin often had to
remind himself. But sisters they always appeared to be.
"Have you found any clues, grandfather?" Emphera asked,
approaching the encased
table.
Merlin turned to Soleice. "Have we?"
Soleice stood, still pondering the previous question. She shook her head
sadly.
"There are only five people on Avalon that could relinquish that
spell," the
girl repeated her earlier answer. "Four of us are in this room."
"The fifth being Mosely," Daphne added, hopping over to stand beside Soleice.
"No manner of creature could've broken this seal without first
breaking the
spell placed upon it," Emphera said, examining the broken glass curiously.
"And
even if they had, they would've had to use their hand...or paw...and there would
be blood."
"Unless they came in with a large stone," Daphne said. "Use
it to break through
the glass."
"They would've had to be awfully strong," Soleice commented
seriously. "The
stone would've been blocked by the spell to begin with."
"And none of the creatures on this island would be interested in the
book,"
Emphera stated.
"What about Oberon?" Daphne asked. "Or Titania?"
"Oberon may be a boast, but he is not as foolish as he seems,"
Emphera said,
shaking her head.
"Titania is the same," Merlin added. "And as fey, they
would have no need for
the book."
Soleice sighed. "That brings us back to square one."
All four magicians glanced sadly at the broken encasement and sighed.
"Where's Mosely?" Emphera suddenly asked.
Merlin shrugged. "He does not take his studies as seriously as the
three of
you. I would wager he is at the ruins, reading another of those outlandish
books."
"They are not so outlandish, grandfather," Soleice tried to
defend her brother.
She had read a few of those books and found them very enlightening if not
fantastic. "They allow us to gather information on the real world, where we
cannot."
"But they are not always true," Merlin replied with a smile.
"That may be true," Soleice said with a nod. "Even still...."
"I will go look for Mosely," Emphera stated. "I will return
for my studies when
I am finished, grandfather."
"Very well," Merlin said with a sigh. "Soleice, please stay
behind and see if
there is anything else you can find. I will start with Daphne's training this
morning."
The youngest girl smiled happily, bouncing up and down and clapping her
hands
like a five-year-old. "I can use the practice," she said.
Merlin nodded. He let Emphera lead the way out of the cave, glancing back
only
once to see Soleice concentrating on a spell. She was cleaning up the mess left
behind. It was just as well. The missing book would be a mystery for quite a
while. There was no sense in leaving a mess.
* * * * *C*A*R*D*C*A*P*T*O*R*S* * * * *
As the sun began to fall behind the tallest mountain peak on Avalon, a
young man
wondered into the old druid ruins. He hid in the shadows, eyes glancing around
him at all times. Dressed in dark red robes, he blending in well with the
stones and darkness. His arms were wrapped around himself as he walked
carefully through the ruins to his main destination.
The Looking Pool was a seeing pond the original Lady of the Lake had
created.
It allowed her to see into the world around Avalon. The real world, as Merlin
often referred to it. The young man smiled, leaning over the pool's edge to
gaze into the water.
His reflection stared back at him for what seemed like minutes. His light
brown
hair was tussled by the winds. They howled as they passed, whipping through his
medium length hair, pulling it from its binding at his nape.
Did they know what he had done?
Did they know what he was going to do?
'Of course not,' he told himself with a satisfied smile. His cousins, even
his
own sister, didn't know what had happened. They had spent most of the day
trying to figure it out, look for clues. But the young man knew what he was
doing. He had spent months planning in preparation. Merlin may have thought
him a dunce. This would definitely change his mind.
Yet, in the back of his mind, there was something pulling at him. His
conscience he supposed. He knew what he was about to do was wrong. That it
could quite possibly unleash the worst of storms on human kind.
'No matter,' the young man thought. 'What's done is done.' A devilish grin
distorted his features. 'I will be known for all time.'
Slowly the water began to stir. His reflection disappeared in swirls of
color
as another reflection began to take shape. Pale skin formed a face inside th
pond that was not his own. Blonde hair lay neatly combed, surrounding the face.
Blue eyes blazed in response, dancing with delight.
"Do you have it, Mosely?" the new reflection asked.
The young man nodded. Unfolding his robes, he held out a small,
leather-bound
book for the other man to see. The book was thick, close to 1000 pages. A
symbol was etched on the leather cover. A sign for protection in the old druid
religion.
"Do we have a bargain?" Mosely asked.
The reflection in the pool nodded. "We do. I will meet you at the
usual spot
at the appointed hour."
Mosely nodded, replacing the book into the folds of his robes. Eyes darted
around quickly. He was certain he was being watched, but he could neither see,
nor sense anyone close by. He convinced himself he was being paranoid and let
well enough alone.
"I will be there," Mosely replied.
He took a single step back from the pool. The water stirred again, the
reflection disappearing in swirls of color before disappearing all together.
The water returned to its normal state, Mosely's reflection barely visible from
his current position.
Taking one last look around, the young man walked back towards the main
house.
He continued to glance through the ruins as he walked, holding the book tightly
to his chest.
Soleice had to stifle a gasp as she watched her brother walk away from the
Looking Pool. She gawked at his back, eyes wide. She just couldn't believe her
eyes. Mosely. Her own brother. How could he?! She clamped a hand over her
mouth to stifle a squeal of anguish, which was followed by another hand.
Daphne's hand.
"I told you he had the book," Daphne commented as soon as Mosely
was out of
earshot.
Both girls settled back against one of the large stones in the ruins.
Daphne
watched Soleice carefully, idly adjusting her robes for comfort. The older girl
didn't want to believe her. Daphne hadn't wanted to believe it either. But
after she had found Mosely that afternoon, talked to him and seen his uneasy
manner, she knew the boy wasn't himself.
"Maybe he's possessed?" Daphne suggested, hoping her cousin
would say something
in response.
"I doubt it," Soleice replied, still in shock. "I wish it were that simple."
Daphne looked at her curiously. "Then what do you think, cousin?"
Soleice sighed, closing her eyes. She tried to focus the thoughts running
rampant in her mind, coming to a logical explanation. But there wasn't one.
"He's been holding back," Soleice stated. "That's the only
way he could have
enough power to break into the encasement and steal the book." She frowned.
"But why steal it? He could've looked at the book any time he wished. Even
grandfather can not forbid him that."
Daphne shrugged. "What about the guy he was speaking to?" She
scratched her
head then sighed. "At least, I think it was a guy."
"Are you suggesting he stole the book for profit?" Soleice
asked, eyebrows
raised curiously. "What would he need money for?"
"Maybe it's something he read in one of his magazines," Daphne suggested.
"Or perhaps it's something entirely different," Soleice said.
She stood from
her spot, offering a hand down to Daphne. She helped the younger girl to her
feet then offered her a brief smile.
"Let's tell grandfather what we've found," she said, maintaining
her handhold on
Daphne as they made their way through the ruins. "We'll let him handle it.
The
Lady only knows that I don't want to think any more about it tonight."
Daphne smiled in return, following her cousin's lead. "My eldest
cousin is a
thief." She shrugged. "Who would have thought?"
* * * * *C*A*R*D*C*A*P*T*O*R*S* * * * *
Emphera stifled a yawn, one hand over her mouth while the other relaxed on
the
armrest of her chair. It was unusually late, past midnight she was certain.
But Merlin had been most insistent he speak with her and her cousins. Climb out
of bed she did, only grabbing her robe before leaving her bedroom.
Daphne was still in her robes, probably dozing off before getting a chance
to
change. Emphera was still at a loss as to how the younger girl could do such a
thing. Then again, Daphne did pretty much what she pleased. She was a free
spirit of Avalon, much like the fey that resided there. Her mother had been
half-fey. Perhaps that is where she got it. But she looked so peaceful curled
up in her chair, legs tucked under her as she rested her head against the back
of the chair.
Soleice entered, also stifling a yawn. She had just crawled into bed when
she
received her summons. She truly wished her grandfather would knock on her door
like everyone else, but he was no ordinary man so...why should he?
Merlin appeared in the room, walking through the shadows of the room
before
stepping in front of the three young women. He wore a grave expression on his
face. Indeed, this was a grave situation.
Soleice and Daphne had reported their findings to the wizard shortly after
returning. Merlin was both astonished and angered. Mosely had been one of his
poorest students. Had the boy been acting for three hundred years? Or was he
just bored?
Probably bored, Merlin had mused. But the amusement didn't last long as
the
effects of what had transpired began to fall upon him. The Grimorum had been
taken from its resting place. If it were to fall into mortal hands, the results
could be catastrophic. The magician had stormed to his great-grandson's room
shortly after talking to the girls.
But it was empty.
And the book was nowhere to be found.
That was the reason for his great-granddaughters' presence. He smiled at
the
sight of their tired faces, feeling sorry for calling them so late. But this
was a matter of utmost importance.
"Mosely is missing," he announced.
All three girls were suddenly wide awake.
"What?"
"Where could he have gone?"
"He should still be on the island."
Merlin raised a hand to silence his granddaughters' outbursts. "Mosely
was not
in his room when I went to check on him this evening." He sighed. "I
have no
choice but to believe the statements made by Daphne and Soleice earlier this
evening. Mosely has stolen the book."
Emphera stood from chair, her waist length black hair trailing behind her
like a
veil. "How could he do such a thing? Doesn't he know how dangerous
releasing
that book can be?"
"Apparently not," Soleice answered with a frown.
Emphera just glowered at her. "What will he do with the book?"
"He was talking to someone at the Looking Pool," Daphne said,
sitting up
straight in her chair.
"He may have been a mortal," Soleice added.
Emphera raised an eyebrow, looking from her cousins to her
great-grandfather
curiously. "He wouldn't be so foolish--?"
"I do not know how foolish he can be, my dear," Merlin answered
sadly. "I never
thought him capable of stealing the book let alone something this well
planned."
He sighed, shaking his head. "Apparently he's fooled us all."
Emphera sighed as well, sitting back down in her chair. "Well then,
what are we
supposed to do?"
"I have consulted the Looking Pool myself," Merlin said.
"As previously
thought, he is now in the mortal world."
Soleice shook her head. "He's moving so fast. What does he have planned?"
"That is what the three of you are going to find out," Merlin
stated with a
small smile.
Emphera blinked in surprise. "You're sending us to the mortal world?"
"We've never been to the mortal world," Soleice added. "How would we fit in?"
"I get to wear something other than robes!" Daphne exclaimed.
Merlin chuckled. "The three of you will go undercover as
mortals." At his
great-granddaughters' look of utter shock he added, "You will not lose all
of
your powers. You will have enough to deal with Mosely, and the mortal if you
must."
"You do not want us to attack the mortal responsible for all
this?" Emphera
asked.
"We do not know if it was the mortal's doing, or Mosely's,"
Merlin stated with a
shake of his head. "I will not harm innocents, you know that."
"Of course," Emphera said with a nod.
"But what if he's already opened the book?" Daphne asked,
standing from her
chair then sitting down again. She was getting restless, excited about going to
the real world.
Emphera, Soleice and Merlin stared at each other.
What if, indeed?
"Let's hope that hasn't happened yet," Soleice answered.
"I want the three of you to go as soon as possible," Merlin
said. "I know you
are all tired right now, so I will allow you to rest until sunrise. I will send
for you then."
"Yes, grandfather," Emphera and Soleice replied in unison,
thankful for a little
sleep.
"All right!" Daphne exclaimed happily. She stood from her chair,
wide-eyed and
cheery. "Real world here we come!"
TO BE CONTINUED. . . .