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.
Chapter Two - Welcome to the Mortal World
A gust of wind nearly blew the young man down the hillside. It was a windy
night, much cooler than predicted. But the young man held fast to his spot near
a park bench. He closed his eyes to a new gust of wind, allowing it to blow
over him, tussling his already unkempt brown hair.
Mosely breathed in the air deeply. It felt good coursing through his blood.
The air of the mortal world was vastly different from that of Avalon. The air
in Avalon was always pure, fresh, clean. The air in the mortal world was
tainted, if only a little, carrying scents that his senses could not explain.
He'd only been in the park for ten minutes. Thankfully it was still early
enough in the evening that his presence didn't evoke suspicion. He was dressed
like any other man, in a pair of blue jeans, a heavy, brown sweater and a long,
leather jacket. He knew enough about the mortal world to know how one dressed.
Unlike his sister and his cousins, Mosely had been to the mortal world many
times in the past year alone. He rather enjoyed the stench in the air, the
noise of the cities and the bustle of people during the day. He loved the books
and magazines the mortals had as well. The cars. The motorcycles. The homes.
He wanted to be a part of it.
And now was his chance.
Mosely carefully clutched the Grimorum Arcamornem under his long jacket. It
was
a terrible crime he had committed against Avalon. A crime that was punishable
by death if the Lady of the Lake so chose.
Good thing there was no Lady of the Lake at present. It would be another
hundred years before Emphera could assume the role.
'Grandfather can add it to my accumulating list of offenses,' he thought
miserably as he sat down on the park bench.
Merlin had never been pleased with him. He knit-picked over every little
thing.
If Mosely forgot one simple spell, one ingredient, broke one rule, Merlin was
all over him like a rabid dog. Sure the old man thought he was being of help to
his grandson. Mosely simply thought of him as a hindrance.
Besides, what was he compared to his sister and his cousins? The girls could
do
no wrong, even in Merlin's eyes. It made the young man jealous. He would never
be Lady of the Lake. It just wasn't a man's job. So what good was it for him
to study magic?
Then he met a young mortal man. Young by mortal standards -- only eighteen --
but he seemed to know exactly how Mosely felt. Repressed. Secluded. Of no use
to anyone. Unpopular with his peers. The mortal even knew a bit of magic.
This intrigued Mosely to no end. The two had become good friends. The mortal
would give him book and magazines and Mosely would transcribe spells. It was no
surprise when the young mortal asked to see the legendary Grimorum. Mosely's
conscious had been strongly against it at first. Even he knew what could happen
if it fell into the wrong hands.
'Could,' he reminded himself. 'Not would. Could.'
But the mortal made Mosely an offer he could not refuse. Bring me the book
and
I'll help you become a mortal, he'd said. That thought alone had snared Mosely
into this evil plot. He cared not what his cousins, his sister, or grandfather
thought. Besides it would be a chance to show off some of his powers. Even
without many lessons from his grandfather, Mosely was still a talented wizard.
"Have you brought it?"
Mosely blinked. He had not sensed the presence of another. Glancing upward,
he
saw a young man standing before him. He was slightly shorter, dressed in
similar attire. The collar of his coat was turned up to protect against the
wind. His hair looked pasted to his head, a tail of blonde flowing behind him.
The moonlight seemed to add a spark to the young man's blue eyes as he smiled
down at Mosely.
"Have you brought it?" he repeated.
"Of course, Doran," Mosely said, standing from the bench. He opened
his jacket,
revealing the book. It glowed ominously in the moonlight.
Doran's eyes lit up in excitement. 'No other mortal has ever seen this book,'
he thought with an inward smile. 'I am the first.'
The book was old, yet well preserved. Even he could feel the magic it
contained, spilling forth from its enforced confinement. Resisting the urge to
reach out and grab it -- which would've been rude -- he clasped the material
inside his jacket pockets. His nerves danced with excitement and he had to
suppress a shiver.
"Did you have any trouble...bringing it here?" Doran asked
Mosely shook his head. "Not a one. I think me sister and cousins caught
on
there in the end. But Merlin will never allow them to come to the mortal world
to get it back."
This intrigued Doran. "Knowing the potential of this book? How odd."
"But I can't guarantee anything where Merlin's concerned," Mosely
warned. "The
old goat may come for the book himself...if he can survive the jump to the
mortal world."
His smile was more like an evil leer. "No interference will make things
much
easier."
"Aye, that it will."
Doran held out his hands for the book. Mosely stared at it one last time
before
handing it over. There was a jolt of electricity as both men held the book. A
small roll of thunder sounded, but there was not a single cloud in sight.
Surprised, Mosely relinquished the book, his hands falling to his sides.
Doran had also been surprised. Apparently there was one final spell on the
book
that would have to be broken before it could be opened. It mattered little to
him. He would crack it before the sun set again.
"So, are you ready to see your new home?" he asked Mosely.
"Of course," Mosely replied with an emphatic nod. "Were you
able to find one by
the river?"
"Not a problem," Doran replied. "It's a little empty now, but
the rest should
be delivered in the morning."
"Thank you. And the rest of our deal...?"
The young mortal raised a hand to silence the older wizard. He wrapped one
arm
around Mosely's shoulders in a show of trust, clutching the book under his other
arm. The two started walking towards town.
"Now, let me buy you some dinner. THEN we'll talk about the deal. Tell
me,
have you ever had a hamburger before?"
* * * * *C*A*R*D*C*A*P*T*O*R*S* * * * *
It was seven o'clock, just after dawn. The streets of London were mostly
vacant, save for the last minute drinkers and late night workers. As the sun
peaked over the horizon, the city started to come alive.
In an alley not far from the Parliament building, a small ball of light
appeared. It was no bigger than a golf ball, but grew in size. Eventually it
encompassed the width of the alley, glowing even more brightly. It was
certainly no everyday occurrence.
Thankfully there was no one present when it happened.
As the light dimmed, three young ladies emerged. The first was tall and
slender, wearing a casual, dark green pantsuit, jacket and a pair of dress
shoes. Her dark hair was tied back at the nape of her neck. She looked very
professional. Then again, she was there on business.
The second was shorter in height, but just as slim. Her auburn hair fell just
past her shoulders. The deep red blouse and black jeans accented her hair, and
her figure. Her boots clicked against the concrete as she walked forward. She
sound was strange even to her. She walked behind the first woman, stepping from
the dim haze.
The third girl giggled as she emerged. She stepped past the second girl to
stand beside the first. The light blue sundress she wore blew in the gentle
wind that swept the alley. Her blond hair had been tied back as well, the tail
hanging well past her waist. She paused briefly, sucking in a deep breath.
Then she smiled.
"Ah, cousins, smell the air! It's so...so...."
"Tainted."
The blond frowned. "Emphera, that wasn't nice."
The raven-haired woman turned, frowning. "Daphne, we're here to collect
the
book. Not smell the air."
"I know," Daphne replied with a sigh. "But that doesn't mean
we can't enjoy
ourselves a little." Slowly a smile formed on her lips again. "This IS
the
mortal world after all. Right, Soleice?"
The auburn haired woman nodded. "There will be time enough for both
business
and pleasure," she assured them. "First we must get acquainted with
this world.
Then we must find some sign of Mosely and the Grimorum."
"We can not waste time," Emphera stated, stepping forward. She
walked from the
alley and onto the sidewalk. The sight that greeted her was fascinating. The
buildings, the trees, the people, the cars. Everything like nothing she'd seen
in her lifetime. She may have looked 21, but she was truly well over 120 years
old.
"By the goddess...."
Soleice stepped forward as well, her youthful appearance of 18 glowing in the
new dawn. The sights did not fascinate her so much as the sounds. She'd spent
the last 115 years reading books and scanning pictures of the mortal world. But
she had never heard the engine of a car, or the horn on a bicycle. She smiled
taking in a deep breath of air.
Daphne followed behind her. Her teenage-like eyes scanned the area. Although
she appeared to be no older than 16, her eyes were keen from over 100 years of
training. She skipped onto the sidewalk, her eyes taking in the sights and
smells.
One smell caught her attention immediately. It smelled of sweetness and
sugar.
Her nose would know it anywhere. She smiled happily clasping her hands together
under her chin in excitement.
"I love the mortal world," she said. "I can smell sweets. I love sweets."
"This is London, England," Soleice said taking another whiff of the
air. She
smiled, pulling a piece of paper from her pocket. The same sheet of paper
Merlin had given them before their journey. It contained instructions on what
they were to do once they arrived.
She unfolded the paper carefully. "At least that's what grandfather told
us.
These are his instructions."
"'Once you are in London you will need a change of clothes. I have
already
selected those for you. You may use your magic to change them into anything
else you'd like, but please, be sensible,'" Emphera read over Soleice's
shoulder. She huffed, staring down at her outfit. Then she turned her glance to
Soleice and Daphne. "Not bad choices I suppose. Strange clothes these
mortals
have...."
"It continues," Soleice said with a wave of her hand. "'While
you are in the
mortal world you may only use your magic to find the Grimorum Arcamornem. Your
powers will be somewhat limited, but still strong enough to find Mosely and/or
the book. You are not to interfere in any mortal affairs. The consequences for
such actions are harsh and I will see them through if I must.'"
"Doesn't fool around, does he," Emphera asked sarcastically.
"But that doesn't mean we can't still have some fun," Daphne stated.
"True," Soleice replied. "Grandfather says, 'Lastly, enjoy
your stay in the
mortal realm. I will check on your progress.'"
"Yay!" Daphne shouted, bouncing up and down happily.
Emphera shook her head. "Let's find someplace where we can gather some
information." She frowned. "We'll need a place to sleep as well."
"And money," Soleice added.
"Money?" Daphne and Emphera asked in unison.
Soleice nodded. "Yes. Money. It's a form of paper trade that mortals use."
"Paper? How strange," Emphera said. "What about gold...and silver?"
"Apparently the resources of the earth can not produce enough to make
the amount
of currency needed to survive," Soleice replied. She glanced back at the
letter. "But I think grandfather has taken care of that as well."
Emphera, Soleice and Daphne stared at Soleice's hands. Where the letter had
once been held, there was now a small pile of paper bills. Numbers were printed
on them -- odd numbers, even numbers, all sorts of numbers. They hoped it would
be enough to get them through their trip. Emphera supposed they could make more
of their own if need be.
"Well then, let's get started," Emphera stated. She looked down the
street on
her left, then her right. People were walking the streets. Some eyed them
strangely as they passed. Others didn't even acknowledge their presence.
"Where should we start?" Soleice asked, hiding some of the money in
her pant
pockets and the rest in Emphera's jacket.
"This way!" Daphne shouted. She was already a block away, standing
on a street
corner. She was giggling, waving happily to her cousins. "The sweets are
THIS
WAY!"
Soleice and Emphera eyed each other.
"Sweets?"
"Emphera, we'll have to eat in this world too. No harm in starting now I
suppose," Soleice said.
"I know," Emphera replied. "But should we really...?"
"It's a start," Soleice tried to reason, walking towards the corner
where her
cousin stood. "Do you have a better idea?"
Emphera sadly shook her head, following behind Soleice. Her shoes gave her
some
trouble as she walked. She was unaccustomed to walking in two-inch heels.
"Unfortunately," she muttered, "No."
* * * * *C*A*R*D*C*A*P*T*O*R*S* * * * *
Sakura groaned as the morning sun poured through the window. The rays lightly
caressed the bed, moving upward to caress the girl's cheeks. She flinched as
the sun hit her eyes and rolled over, pulling the covers over her head. She
groaned again as something soft hit her in the head.
"Sakura! WAKE UP!"
"Just a few more minutes, Kero," she muttered, snuggling into the pillow.
"A few more minutes and you'll be late for breakfast," Kero
replied, hands on
his hips. He floated in the air above the bed, just out of Sakura's range if
she felt the urge to swing at him. "Get up, Sakura. Get...UP!"
'And I though this was supposed to be a vacation,' Sakura thought sleepily as
she rolled over onto her back. She pulled the covers down from her face and
looked up at Kero through half-open eyes.
"What time is it?"
"Just after eight I think," Kero said. "I haven't quite
adjusted to the new
time zone. It's giving me quite the headache."
"It's called jetlag, Kero," Sakura said, wondering if she was
feeling the same
for the same reason. She had never felt so tired in her life. 'Maybe I'll feel
better once I've showered.'
"Still feels like a headache," Kero replied, rubbing his head with
one hand, his
stomach with another. "But hurry up. Hurry hurry. I can smell breakfast
from
here!"
Sakura giggled, sitting up. "Why don't you go downstairs ahead of me?
I'll be
down soon."
"I was hoping you'd say that," Kero said with a smile. His wings
fluttered as
he floated towards the half-open door. "But you'd better hurry or I'll eat
your
share."
"Yeah, yeah, go on," Sakura said, waving a hand and giggling again.
Stretching her arms over her head, Sakura looked out the window. It was sunny
now, but Eriol had guaranteed it would be cloudy by lunchtime. That was how the
weather was in London, he told them the night before. If it wasn't raining, it
was cloudy. Everyday. Without fail.
Smiling, Sakura crawled out of bed and walked over to her suitcase. She
unzipped the bag, tossing the top backward to inspect the contents. She hadn't
really planned on what to wear. Instead, she'd just tossed in clothing she
thought would look good together. Pulling a pair of jeans and a button-down
blouse out of the suitcase, she gathered her bathroom belongings and headed for
the bathroom connecting hers and Tomoyo's rooms.
Apparently her friend was already up and dressed. The shower stall was still
damp, and there was a damp towel neatly hung over the back of the opposite door.
Neat and orderly. That was Tomoyo. No doubt the girl had packed an outfit for
everyday they would be in town, and a few other things just in case. Tomoyo
liked to be prepared for every occasion.
Sakura showered and dressed. As she was tying her sneakers, Sakura could feel
her stomach growl. Her stomach was beginning to agree with Kero. Hurry hurry
hurry! Taking one last look at herself in the full-length mirror, Sakura winked
at her reflection and skipped to the bedroom door.
A clock in the hallway struck the hour of nine.
Tomoyo and Li were standing in the dinning room when Sakura arrived, staring
out
a large glass window. Kero was sitting on Li's shoulder. It was a strange
relationship the two had now. They rarely fought anymore, Sakura recalled,
unless it had to do with her. She was glad to see that the two were getting
along...and prayed that it would last the entire trip.
Eriol's house was more like a castle. There were so many hallways and rooms.
She'd gotten sidetracked twice on her way downstairs, but was glad she wasn't
the last to arrive. She smiled happily, waving to her friends.
"Ohayo," she called.
"Ohayo, Sakura-chan," Tomoyo said, turning away from the window.
She smiled
happily to her friend. "Did you sleep well?"
Sakura nodded, even though that had not truly been the case. Oh, she slept
well
enough. But she kept having this dream, where her cards started disappearing.
It was impossible, she told herself. They were her cards now. And nothing was
going to happen while they were on vacation.
Li stared at Sakura skeptically. Something had bothered her, if even for an
instant. Asking would do no good, he knew. Besides, it could've been a silly
dream. She had them all the time. Absolutely nothing to worry about.
"Ohayo," he said, stepping away from the window and walking over to
Sakura. He
greeted her with a kiss on the cheek and a quick hug. It wasn't that Li found
it difficult to express his emotions, he just didn't do a lot of it in front of
their friends.
"Ohayo," Sakura said with a giggle. She hugged him back, keeping
one arm around
his waist as he pulled away. "Where are Meilin and Eriol?"
"Walking in the garden," Li said, motioning to the window.
"They're on their
way inside."
A blur of yellow and black sped past Sakura and Li, barely missing them by
inches. It whizzed around the room quickly, doing all sorts of twists and
loops. Then it stopped.
"I do believe that I won."
"You did not! I beat you fair and square."
"Can't you be a good loser for once?"
"No!"
Sakura giggled. Another of Kero's challenges, and apparently another loss.
The
yellow guardian just couldn't seem to win against Spinal Sun, or rather, Suppi.
But that didn't stop him from trying. They'd competed in everything from cards
to video games.
"Good morning," Eriol's voice echoed in the dinning room.
He smiled to his friends as they turned to greet him. Meilin followed
discreetly behind him. She smiled as well, waving to Sakura and the others.
"Great, now we can eat," Kero said happily.
"Kero," both Sakura and Tomoyo admonished.
Eriol waved a hand. "It's quite all right. I'm rather famished myself.
I'm
not accustomed to eating this late, but I didn't want to wake any of you. I
know how grueling overseas travel can be." He paused, motioning towards the
table. "Please have a seat."
As if on cue, two servants entered the room. Both of them carried large
platters, covered with shiny sliver lids. Two more followed, carrying plates
and silverware. In a matter of minutes the table was set and the food was
displayed.
Eggs, potatoes, sausage, pancakes, waffles, cereal...it looked like a tiny
feast
spread across the table. Sakura gawked at all the food, doubting the five of
them could eat it all. Even with Kero's and Suppi's help, there would still be
leftovers.
'Well, maybe not,' she thought, watching Kero tear into his second pancake.
"Have you decided what you'd like to do today," Eriol asked.
Everyone started talking at once.
"I'd like to see Big Ben and the Tower of London," Meilin stated.
"I was hoping to see Madame Tussauds. Or maybe the British Museum," Li said.
"I want to go to that book store you mentioned over the phone,"
Sakura said, her
mouth half full with pancakes.
"I would like to see the British Museum as well. Plus Kensington Gardens
and
the London Zoo," Tomoyo stated with a polite smile. "And shopping, of
course."
"Of course," Sakura and Meilin chimed in happily.
Eriol put his napkin to his mouth, stifling a chuckle. He knew from their
phone
conversations that Sakura and her friends were excited about their trip abroad.
None of them had been to Europe before, including Tomoyo. He was beginning to
think that telling Sakura they could do whatever they wanted was a bit much.
"Let's start out with some of the local tourist attractions, like Big
Ben,"
Eriol suggested, placing his napkin back onto the table. He picked up his glass
of milk and took a sip.
"Then we can move on to London Zoo and the British Museum. It has been a
while
since I've been to either place myself." He took another sip of his milk,
smiling. "And there's always time for shopping."
"Great!" "Yeah." "Sounds good."
"Then it's settled," Eriol said definitively. "Besides you
don't want to do
everything in just one day."
"But we can try, right?" Sakura said happily.
Eriol finally let out the chuckle he'd been holding back. "Yes, Sakura.
You
may certainly try."
* * * * *C*A*R*D*C*A*P*T*O*R*S* * * * *
"This is the third sweet shop we've been in since we arrived. How much
more do
we have to take?"
Emphera eyed her cousin. "But Soleice, we have to learn more about
this...place," she replied dryly. Then she smiled. "But you do have a
point.
"If I eat any more of this...chocolate, I think I'm going to be sick."
Soleice nodded. "I suppose you're right. *sigh* And Daphne doesn't seem
to
mind it one bit. Of course, she lives off of the stuff."
Daphne smiled to her two cousins. They had been in the shop for nearly an
hour.
Four hours of their time had already been taken up just by window shopping and
eating candy. But they were still no farther than they were when they arrived.
They still knew very little about the city.
And Mosely was nowhere to be found.
"As soon as Daphne's finished," Emphera stated, "We'll head
back out. Is there
anything on grandfather's map that will help us out?"
Soleice had discovered that there was a map of the city in one of Daphne's
pockets. She had to tackle the girl to get it from her, but then they had used
it to find the sweet shops. They had been highlighted in red, glowing
ominously.
"Let's see." Soleice removed the map from her pocket and laid it on
the table.
There were three new locations marked on the map, these three highlighted in
blue. "I have no idea what these are. I just hope they're not candy
stores."
"What's wrong with candy stores, cousin?" Daphne asked with a frown.
"Nothing, dear," Emphera answered for Soleice. "It's just that
we need to find
Mosely. We can eat at some more shops later."
"Oh." Daphne's frown immediately turned into a smile. "So,
where should we go
next?"
"This appears to be closest," Soleice said, pointing to a park not
far from
their current location. "Let's start there and see what we can find."
"Agreed." Emphera stood, looking down at Daphne. "Are you ready?"
The blond gathered up several bags. Two contained gummy substances shaped
like
bears. Another contained more chocolate shaped like pretzels. There was also a
bag of a chewy, fruity candy and some chocolate covered peanuts called
M&M's.
It was the only candy all three could agree upon. Once all the bags were
gathered in the girl's arms, she nodded to her cousins, smiling widely.
"Let's go," she told them, hopping...yes, hopping...towards the door.
They followed the map to their first location. The park was about two miles
west of the last candy shop. Emphera led the way with Soleice and Daphne
pulling up behind. Both girls were so taken by the sights and sounds of the
city, while their cousin stayed focused on their objective.
Soleice insisted on stopping at one store. A book store. Daphne followed her
inside. Emphera grudgingly followed as well. They emerged a few minutes later,
Soleice proudly carrying a small paper bag with a book inside. She'd also
purchased a tour guide of the city and surrounding areas.
"It will help us where grandfather's map cannot," she told her
cousins. Not
entirely true they all new, but no one argued.
Not two blocks away Daphne ran inside another store. Emphera and Soleice
almost
lost sight of her. They followed her inside, only to be greeted by a large,
brown bear. Not a normal bear, they noted, but a teddy bear. He was wearing a
large green bow tie and carrying balloons. He waved to them as they entered,
motioning for them to step further into the store.
Daphne was in heaven. Toys and gadgets of every kind. Things she'd never seen
or heard of before. And they all looked like so much fun. She was depressed
when Soleice and Emphera practically dragged her from the store. But they
assured her that they would come back after they found Mosely.
Finally they reached the park. It was the middle of the day, and the streets
were getting crowded. People walked through the park in small groups. Some sat
on benches, eating their lunch. Others gathered in the shade of the trees. It
seemed this park was very popular.
"He was here," Emphera said. She stood near an empty park bench,
her eyes
closed in concentration. Normal humans couldn't see the yellow glow that
encompassed her. She was using her magic to track Mosely. His signature wasn't
strong, indicating that it had been some time since he'd been there. But it was
still a glimmer of hope.
Soleice and Daphne mimicked their cousin. They stood to either side of her,
one
in front and the other behind the bench. If the crowd around them thought their
behavior strange, they gave no indication. Daphne glowed a faint blue while
Soleice glowed a light red. All three opened their eyes at the same time.
"He was definitely here," Daphne said, wrinkling her nose. "I
think I can still
smell him."
"Actually I think that's the smoke from that gentlemen's...umm...well
that,"
Soleice said, nodding to a middle-aged man who had seated himself on the bench
while they were working. He ignored them, reading his newspaper while smoking a
cigar.
"Horrible smell that," Daphne said, waving a hand in front of her
nose and
stepping away from the bench.
"Well we know he was here," Soleice said, turning to Emphera.
"Can you pick up
a trail?"
Emphera nodded. "I did, but it stops at the edge of the park." She
raised a
hand, pointing to her left. "It goes this way."
"What does the map say?" Daphne asked.
Soleice opened the map once again. The park that had once been marked was no
longer marked. There were only two places left.
"I suppose we go to the left," she told the others. "The next
mark is in that
direction. Looks like a building of some kind."
They headed towards the second spot, but again came up short. Mosely had been
there too, but there was no trail to follow. Either he had been diligent in
covering his tracks, or someone was helping him. The latter seemed impossible,
but then so was the idea of Mosely stealing the Grimorum Arcamornem.
The last spot marked on the map turned out to be another bookstore. Or
rather,
a library. They split up, using their magic to search each isle. But there was
no sign of Mosely or the book.
Giving up for the moment, they returned to the park. It was emptier now, the
people having returned to work. They sat on a bench, exhausted.
"So what now?" Soleice asked.
"We keep looking," Emphera insisted. "We know for sure he's
here. And he can't
be far. There are many more places to look. Let me see the map."
Soleice handed her the map, sighing. "Why don't we find some food?"
she
suggested. "I could use a little sustenance."
"There's another candy store nearby," Daphne said, smiling happily.
"Perhaps we can try something a little different," Emphera said,
smiling at
Daphne. "I believe there was something called a restaurant just around the
corner. Let us try there."
Daphne frowned, but only for an instant. She knew she'd be able to go to a
candy store later. Besides, the idea of any kind of food sounded really good.
Quickly she stood from the bench, turning to her cousins with a huge smile.
"Well then, let's go."
* * * * *C*A*R*D*C*A*P*T*O*R*S* * * * *
Doran Hawthorn stared at the Grimorum Arcamornem angrily. He had been staring
at it for the past two hours. Blue eyes wide, he was afraid that if he blinked,
he'd miss something.
Mosely sat across from Doran at a large table in the Hawthorn home. Doran's
parents were both business people, away on a small vacation to South America.
He had been uncomfortable at first. The Hawthorn home was grander than even he
could imagine. And much more...oh, what was the word, he thought...decorated,
than Doran had told him.
It was the first time he'd seen the mansion. All the times he and Doran had
met
in the mortal world, they had chosen secret locales. Neither of them wanted to
get caught. From Doran's descriptions, the place was supposed to be modest.
But there was nothing modest about the Hawthorn mansion.
Covering nearly two city blocks and standing three stories high, Hawthorn
Mansion appeared to belong to royalty. It was built from concrete bricks and
wood. The windows were high on the first two floors while the windows on the
third floor were smaller. A lawn of green stretched for acres around the
residence from the street, all the way to the woods behind the home. Flowers
littered the edges of the driveway and walkways while sculpted bushes stood out
in the center of the front yard.
The inside was just as grand. The large entranceway was nearly the size of
the
Cave of Miracles. Mosely stared, wide-eyed, at all the flowers and paintings
strewn throughout the house. Even the furniture was plush and expensive. With
all this luxury, Mosely wondered, why did Doran need the Grimorum? Surely he
had everything he could possibly want. And then some!
But Mosely kept his questions to himself. He knew deep down that Doran didn't
want the book for personal property. He was also a student of the arts,
practiced magic. And he was very good...for a mortal.
But it was the power Doran wanted. The spells that were contained within the
book were said to be some of the most powerful in the world. It took two
sorcerers to seal the book. Two very powerful sorcerers. Merlin included.
They had been working on the final seal on the book for what seemed like
days.
Mosely had his eyes closed in concentration. He was, in fact, staring at the
book through his closed eyelids. He focused his powers into the book, hoping to
simply shatter the lock. When that didn't work, he went about some magical lock
picking. That too was a failure.
"This is more difficult than I thought," Mosely muttered, opening
his eyes. He
glowered at the book then looked to Doran. "I've tried every spell I can
think
of to unlock the book. None of them are working."
"There has to be a way," Doran said, pounding his fists onto the
tabletop.
"Perhaps there was a key...?"
Mosely shook his head. "I checked on that. There is no physical key. The
book
must be unlocked with magic."
Doran ran a hand through his short blond hair. Standing to his full height of
5'10", the young man began to pace in front of the table. His brow furrowed
in
deep thought.
"Was there no lesson on this kind of magic on Avalon?"
"Several," Mosely answered somewhat indignantly. He sat back in his
chair, arms
crossed over his chest. "And I've tried everything but the most basic of
spells
to open this book.
The boy finally blinked. "Well of course, Merlin wouldn't use a simple
spell to
seal the book. That would be too easy."
Or would it, Mosely's mind asked. He'd shown Doran a lot of power in just
trying to open the book. But perhaps the mortal had given him a clue on how to
open the book. He'd used every complicated spell he could think of to open the
book. Only the most rudimentary spells were left. Indeed it seemed far too
easy.
But it was also the most unlikely.
Mosely sat up straight again, closing his eyes. He held one hand over the
book,
the other hand on the table for support. In his mind he focused on the lock,
pictured the gears and parts turning in his mind. He muttered one spell, the
very first unlocking spell he'd ever learned.
A loud click made the wizard open his eyes. He smiled as he noticed that the
latched seal had popped open, sticking upward into the air. His eyes traveled
to Doran, who had stopped pacing.
"You did it," Doran said, his eyes lighting up. He slowly walked
towards the
table, sitting down in the chair he vacated. His smile was pure ecstasy. And
it was growing by the minute. With one shaky hand, he reached for the book.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Mosely knew he had asked the
question a
hundred times since he brought the book to the mortal world. But there was
something about the book now. The magical field around the book had changed
just from unlocking the seal. There was a terrible feel to the magic inside.
The coldness of it made him shiver.
The clock chimed the hour of twelve. Mosely eyed Doran, earnestly wanting him
to reconsider. "Doran, are you absolutely CERTAIN...?"
Doran's only response was a nod. His smile was plastered now, from one ear to
the other. He leaned into the table, using his free hand for support. His eyes
were glazed over, the dull blue now more brilliant in the light of the book. His
smile grew impossibly wider as he licked his lips in anticipation.
Fingers lightly caressing the cover, Doran opened the book.
~~TO BE CONTINUED~~