BY: Crystal
Disclaimer: I own nothing, everybody and everything belong to other people including myself. This is just for your enjoyment and there is no money being made off of it.
Richard had driven in silence down a long winding road. The darkness
and the silence calmed my frazzled nerves. The head lights were
putting off a faint glow along the highway. The lights were so shallow
that you couldn't even see the outlines of trees, that graced the
side of the forest. We had left the tamed city behind about a half
hour ago and were now driving miles down into the wild country. My
mind was so absorbed with the case, that I hadn't realized we had
pulled into Richard's driveway, until the car stopped. I glanced over
to see him push a remote on the dashboard and a garage door opened. He
pulled in beside another vehicle, cut the engine, and got out. I
followed him to the trunk to retrieve my bags. Jamil and Shang-Da had
gotten out of the car just as Richard popped the trunk of the vehicle.
I had pulled out the first of my bags, when something moved through
me. It felt like a cold hand reaching inside my body, chilling me to
the bone. My hair stood on end, while my vision swirled with darkness.
A humming sound started in the back of my mind, then grew into a
vibration. The tremors got worse and the power was weighing me down
like a boat's anchor. I dropped the luggage, grabbing my temples, when
an explosion took me to my knees. I heard a voice calling to me, but
couldn't find its source. Finally I could no longer hear what was
going on around me. My sight had gone from the present into the future
as my sensitivity to dark magic took affect.
When my sight cleared, I was no longer in the garage. I was standing
in the middle of someone's living room. The floors were covered in a
forest green carpet, with walls of a pale yellow. Cartoon lithographs
were along the far wall, while a wooden entertainment center stood
against the near wall. There was a large-screen TV standing beside the
center and a stereo system setting on a self of the entertainment
center. Above the TV and covering the rest of the walls, were shelves
of books. A large couch, a heavy wood coffee table, and a small
antique armoire, that sat against the far wall completed the room.
The couch was done in a green and brown, patterned with a yellow
afghan thrown across it and the coffee table was laying up against the
wall near the kitchen door.
As my spirit began to move around the room, I felt the power of a dark
lord rise up around me like a shadow. It got stronger as I moved to
the center of the living room. Whoever it was, had been here recently,
because the holding spell was still warm and their power stunk up the
room. The spell was set up between the couch and the entertainment
center. It was holding something or someone in, keeping it from
attacking until the magic was disperesed. All you had to do was touch
the force field, to set it off. Something or someone was pulling me
toward the center of power and I had lost all control over my mind and
feet. I felt like a zombie going to the call of its master. My
spiritual being was carrying me toward the shield of magic while my
mind was screaming no. I didn't know if I had the strength to keep it
from exploding in my face. Somehow the invisible power was slowly
leading me into the spell's core to find an opening between the
planes. I was pulled through without triggering the holding spell.
From my world I could see mountains that reach the sky, with peaks
covered in snow. The trees were of a dark hunter green and you could
hear them talk among themselves through the air. The forest floor was
covered in a rich greenish brown soil that could be used to harvest
crops. When I stepped through the portal to the other side, I could
feel Old Man Winter in the air and there were signs of an earlier snow
fall. Some parts of the ground were covered in the white lace. I
looked up at the trees that seem to reach the sky with their long
arms. Around me the silence swirled like a cloud of mist and there
wasn't an animal in sight. The scenery was breathtaking and beautiful.
Despite the winter chill, I've never seen a forest so green. I was so
enthralled by the scene that I hadn't realized that a deer-drawn
chariot had rode out from the trees. Upon it rode a woman who was
dressed from head to toe in green. She was tall and her frame was
small. Her face was an oval shaped with high cheek bones and slanted
eyes. The irises of her eye's were a hunter green, while her hair,
blown around her face, was a forest green. Her skin had a greenish
tint to it, but underneath you could see the faint glow of a white
light. You could have said she was carved out of alabaster.
She moved from the chariot to stand in front of me. I was in awe at
her beauty and had the urge to bow before her glory. She stopped me
with a hand. "Do not, we do not have time. Do you know who I am?" She
asked.
"No, I do not," I replied.
"I am the goddess Flidais. The ruler of the forest and wild creatures
that roam these parts. The beasts of this island are in great danger
from the dark ones who seek to control the people of these mountains
once again. They are forcing a few of them to do their bidding, by
holding their loved ones prisoners in your world. You must stop them
or both our worlds will be destroyed. I brought you safely through the
portal to show you what will happen if that shield is broken and not
reversed," she said.
"So you're the source that was pulling me through against my will," I said.
"I am," she said calmly. She continued, "I helped you through because
I knew you would not have made it through on your own without setting
the spell off, then you would be trapped here forever and your friends
would have been killed. I wanted to show you what you're up against
and what kind of power the dark one holds," she stated.
"What do you mean by that?" I asked.
"Turn around and all will be revealed," she answered.
I started to say 'What', but she was gone before I could say it. A
loud grunt came to me upon the wind from behind and I swirled around
to see what made the noise. There along the side of the gateway were
two wolf-goyles. They stood tall on hind legs like a human. Their
height reaching almost seven feet, while their heads were shaped like
a wolf. Their bodies were covered in fur, one brown, one black, and
they had huge bat wings spreading out from their backs to reach the
skies above. They were tearing down their camp while watching my world
through the eye of the portal. They looked like they were preparing
for battle and something didn't set right with me. They began to talk,
but it was in the old Norwegian language. I never learned the old
tongue, but knew it was an old world language. My grandfather spoke it
a lot when he was having his tantrums. I couldn't understand their
language, however I knew of another way to extract the information.
Praying that they were not mind readers also, I slowly moved toward
them dropping my shields to merge my mind with him first. I needed to
know what the hell is going on and why the goddess Flidias is helping
me with my investigation.
The warrior was carrying a grave secret. One that will forever haunt
him. I traveled down his path of memories to discover that he was the
leader of his people. They called him Sven and his people were once
proud warriors of the old Vikings race. The Falcore Mountains were
their home, since they were exiled from their home in Norway around
the 13th century.
The Falcore Mountains were located on a mysterious island off of
Greenland. Not many people knew about the island and those who did
are dead, but for one. Following Sven's thoughts I learned how
peaceful the island was until the day the dark one came to his home.
Sven went to dispose of the treat to his people, not knowing that he
sealed his peoples faith. The dark one was known as Ladner, the most
feared and dangerous dark lord in this time. Ladner learned of Sven's
plot to kill him and in returned for their leader's bravery turned
the people of The Falcore Mountains into beasts of shadows.
To hide the island from adventurers and scientists, Ladner hid the
island with a strange and powerful mist called Ladner's Fog. His loved
ones were captured and taken prisoners by a black clothed figure and
her shadow spawns. He tried to follow them but lost them, when the
portal of travels closed behind the monsters. Later the dark one
called upon him, revealing who they were and what they wanted from
him. The dark one was a female, who was called the dark lady Vesamis,
she was the granddaughter of Ladner. Rumor had it that Ladner were
dead, but he knew that to be false. Sven believes Ladner is still
alive and is buying his time, so that one day he might return into
this world. Vesamis was an immortal who never grew old. Her age was
over 300 years old and she ruled a group of people known as the Red
Vulture's Coven. Her hair was long, straight, and black as the night.
Her eyes were the color of dark grey. She was thin and tall with very
few features. Her appearance reminded him of a crow, that had come
back from the dead. Vesamis wanted his service to take out an annoying
Wolf King and a pesky white witch, in return for the safety of his
loved ones. She had told him that his wife and children would be
returned only if he succeeds in bringing her the head of the white
witch and the heart of the Wolf King.
It was clear now, why I had been brought here by the goddess. Both
Richard and I were in danger and the only hope of keeping the
wolf-goyles from coming through was to reverse the spell, making sure
no one touches it before the ritual is complete. The goddess gave me
another reason why she brought me here. She wanted to show me who the
dark one was and why she had invaded St. Louis. Something was not
right about Vesamis. She might be more than what she seems. I can't be
sure until I look further into the matter, but I do know is she's
highly dangerous to anyone who crosses her path.
I pulled back from his mind and found the goddess standing once again
beside me. Without looking at me she said, "You now know why I have
brought you here and why I seek your help in destroying the dark one.
It is bad enough that her grandfather turned them into creatures of
the mountains, but to use them as slaves is beyond humanity. I will
send you back with my blessings that you overcome this evil. You're
their only hope in surviving this dark and bloody war." With those
final words spoken, she sent me back into my own world.
With the help of the goddess Flidais I had the information I needed
to start my search for The Black Water Society and the dark lady. Or
should I say the Red Vulture's Coven. I realized after searching
Sven's mind why no one could find him. He had changed the name of his
clan to cover his tracks, so that he may serve his new master, or
should I say mistress. I traveled back to my true form, while sorting
out the new information. I need to call Anita and Dolph about this.
Upon entering my body, I heard someone yelling my name and shaking me
lightly. My eyes were glazed over like a sheet of ice and could only
see things in blue. The ice was soon melted by the fire that was
raging in the pit of my stomach. Once focused I found the source of
the commands, it was Richard and he was hovering over me with a
worried look on his face. I glanced over him to find Jamil and
Shang-Da standing over him, staring down at me. All expression had
gone out of their faces, leaving a stone cold neutrality to their
aurra's. I mumbled something and tried to move, but Richard held me
down with the weight on his body.
"Stay still, you're in shock," he commanded.
"I'm fine," I grumbled.
"You are not fine. Blood started coming out of you mouth and nose when
you hit the cement. Your eyes got all glassy and you passed out on me.
It took me fifteen minutes to revive you. Now you are burning up and
have what looks to be hives forming and you're going to lie there and
tell me your fine. I don't think so," He retorted.
I glared at him and said, "I am to fine, just need my allergy shot."
His eyebrows shot up and I though he was going to flip, "Allergy shot.
What the hell?"
"You heard me. I have a very high sensitivity to dark magic, causing it
to set of my allergies. So there for I need my allergy shot. What
part of that don't you understand?" I croaked.
"You've got to be kidding me," He wailed.
"No, I'm not and don't anyone go into the house," I stated.
Richard snorted then glared at me, while trying to stay calm as
possible, "What do you mean by don't anyone go into the house?"
I glanced at him from my position below him and tried to shake my
head. "Oh alright let me rephrase that. Don't go into the living room,
there's a trap waiting for you in there. I have to disperse it before
you can enter your living room, " I stated.
He glared at me for a minute, then said, "What bag is you medicine in?"
"It's in the green one," I answered.
He grabbed the green one and rummaged through it until he found my
allergy medicine. He pulled out the needle and syrup. Without looking
at me he asked, "How much do you need?"
"Eight cc's should do it," I stated.
He filled the needle with the medication and put the needle in the
upper part of my arm. Within minutes I was feeling better and my hives
were starting to disappear. He put the kit back into my bag, then
helped me sit up. He got up and started to move toward the front of
the car. I grabbed for his leg and asked, "Where do you think your are
going?"
"I'm going to go get the cell phone out of my car, so I can call Dr.
Lillian. You need to be looked at again and I'm going to see if she'll
make a house call," he said, while trying to pull his leg out of my hands.
"You can't do that. She'll be in danger if you bring her here," I
stated holding on tighter.
He stopped where he was and glared down at me, then kneeled so our
faces where inches apart. "What's got you so upset Alexandra?" He asked.
I glanced at him, sighed, and began to tell him what had happened. I
watched his face as I told him of the ambush, what was going on here
in St. Louis, and why he was being framed for everything. He was not
too happy and it showed on his face as it turned from soft, caring,
loving, worried to hard cold steel. Once I finished, he got up and
went to the driver side of the car. He reached in the window and
pulled out his cell phone. He made two phone calls, one to Dr. Lillian
and one to Anita to let them both now what had happened. He had
finished his conversation with Anita, then threw the phone back into
the car. He walked over and lifted me into his arms, turning to face
his bodyguards.
"Jamil, Shang-Da grab Alexandra's bags. Well stay in the kitchen until
the mess in my living room is cleaned up. I told both Dr. Lillian and
Anita to come through the kitchen. They will be here shortly, so lets
go get something to eat while we wait. I'm starving," He ordered.
The guards did what Richard told them to do and grabbed my bags.
Richard had started toward the kitchen door with me in his arms. I
normally complain when a guy tries to carry me after an incident, but
this time something wouldn't allow me to do it. It left me wondering
why it had to be him that I didn't mind having to carry me out of
danger.