Patreon LogoYour support makes Blue Moon possible (Patreon)

Shadows in the Light: Prologue

Alvis Alendran

Alvis Alendran

Supporter
Supporter
Joined
Jan 14, 2009
Location
Canada
This is the prologue to what might turn into a much bigger story given time. I just finished it, and was looking for some opinions and critique. So without further adieu...


Shadows in the Light​

"But there can't be anything there, I can see spirits!" She said with a tinge of pride. Nicolas withheld an eyeroll, a sigh, and a few other half dismissive gestures. His friend, Sarah, was a good person, and he liked spending time with her. She was a lot of fun, and had a lot of enthusiasm and energy. It was a good balm to how dour Nicolas usually was. But as long as he'd known her she'd been going on about how she could see spirits in the world, and after a while it did start to get wearying. She'd just finished talking about her niece, and how the little girl had apparently gone utterly and completely crazy, screaming about how something in the basement of the house was going to 'get' her if she was left alone for more than a few seconds. Sarah had carried her out of the basement, calming her down, and now the little girl, April, was running in the yard, apparently having a grand time.
"Did she say anything about what 'it' was?" Nicolas asked, hating that he was pursuing this line of questions. But old habits died hard. And ones as deeply ingrained as these never died at all.
"Not really. Why? You want to talk to her about it?" Nicolas really didn't. But he nodded. Sarah, looking puzzled, called April over.

April was a nice child, five years old, and with longer than average brown hair. She had a bright smile, and showed no sign of the episode that had terrified her. Children were resilient like that.
"Hello April. I'm Nicolas, a friend of your Auntie Sarah." He told her, smiling calmly, and actually offering her a hand to shake. She did so with the typical boundless enthusiasm of a child. It was actually pretty cute to watch. "Can you tell me what you saw in the basement?" Her enthusiasm died instantly. She shook her head. "Can you tell me why?" She looked at him, and then back at Sarah. Sarah nodded, but was starting to look confused.
"It was scary." She said quietly. Nicolas nodded to her, looking a little wistful, and slid off of his chair, and went onto one knee to look April in the eye.
"It's okay April. Telling someone about things like that can help make it not as scary anymore. You don't have to be scared alone." He rest a hand on her shoulder as he spoke. She faintly smiled, thinking to trust this friend of her aunts.

"Big. Really big. And...smoky. Smoke all over it. And...red...eyes..." her breathing hitched as she started to remember more vividly by talking about it. "Said he'd get me soon!" She collapsed into Nicolas, who wrapped arms around the girl, shushing her faintly.
"Shh. Shh. It's okay. You're safe here. Anything else? Anything at all?" Nicolas asked. Sarah opened her mouth to say something, but Nicolas held up a hadn to stop her, and she frowned, but did.
"L...L...Lilim." She whispered. "It said it was Lilim." Nicolas looked at the house, the very one that had so frightened her, and he stood, carrying April with him.
"Sarah. Take her." He said with an air of calm that was intense enough to seem almost dangerous. Sarah didn't know what else to do but comply. Nicolas started to walk towards the house.

He pulled his shirt off over his head, and let it fall. Sarah opened her mouth to call to him, but froze as she noted that there was a large array of scars running all along him. She watched as he crouched to draw out a knife. No, it was a dagger, and despite the ease that he held it, she could see it looked...fairly crude actually. She started when he drew the blade across his own palm, wetting it in his own blood. He held the blade out, and started to speak. It was more of a chant, but even that failed to describe what Sarah was hearing. Words were simple things, they had some meaning, but that was that. A means of communicating. These...were not words like that. Every syllable shook the air around him, and the more he spoke, the farther it spread. These sounds had power, and that power felt as old as the world itself. He began to advance on the house again.

As he got closer, he kept chanting, ignoring the fact that his back suddenly blazed in blue light, showing an array of tattoos that covered most of the flesh on him. Sarah started, but he opened the door to the house, and walked in. Sarah set April down, and told her to stay there, and took off at a run, wanting to know exactly what the hell was going on. The chant made the old house groan, the air rippling now under each spoken sound, until the ripples folded around a shape.
"Lilim! Come forth!" He shouted, the air making a sound like a scalded cat before enveloping the shape, and dragging it forward. With an audible crack that split the glass of a nearby window, a form not unlike what April had described stood before Nicolas.
"Binder! You dare?" It roared, the language not making any sense to Sarah who was now huddled at the top of the stairs, looking at what her mind told her was impossible. Nicolas faced it without flinching.
"You are called, and you will be bound here spirit. Accept this, and it will go easier for you." The Lilim simply roared in fury, and seized a table, swinging the wooden construct at Nicolas, fast enough that Sarah shrieked out in fear for him. The table never touched him, Nicolas ducking under it, and reached the knife out, slicing the underside of its arm. The spirit bellowed, the sound making Sarah press her hands to her ears at the volume, but Nicolas wasn't done. He lunged forward, sweeping the blade in a wide arc that passed through the flesh of the Lilim, and his outline broke up, flowing like smoke, and seeping into the blade. It was a howl of desperate fear and denial, that rose to a wail of aeons, before dying away as the form finished soaking into the blade. The tattoos on his body fading away, Nicolas turned to see Sarah.
"Would you put the water on for tea? I guess I've some explaining to do." He told her with a smile.
 
This was an absolute treat to read. I love how it starts out with Nicolas being a seeming non-believer and then ever so slowly he transitions into someone who quite literally exorcises the house of the Lilum. It was executed well and the pacing was great. I also liked the extra characters--Sarah and April.

The whole scene was something I was able to visualize and, as a visual person, this is something I value highly. So, well done there! I truly hope you continue with this story. I think it's one that needs telling because it's certainly one that is worth reading. Great job! And thanks for sharing! : )
 
darkangel76 said:
This was an absolute treat to read. I love how it starts out with Nicolas being a seeming non-believer and then ever so slowly he transitions into someone who quite literally exorcises the house of the Lilum. It was executed well and the pacing was great. I also liked the extra characters--Sarah and April.

The whole scene was something I was able to visualize and, as a visual person, this is something I value highly. So, well done there! I truly hope you continue with this story. I think it's one that needs telling because it's certainly one that is worth reading. Great job! And thanks for sharing! : )
Click to expand...

I agree with Darkangel, this was a joy to read and I would love to see it developed further.
 
Because I was asked so nicely. :) I expanded on the story some time ago, but without any real interest, I didn't bother updating it. So...here's some more!

The tea was poured, and Sarah was staring at the now dressed Nicolas, while April was playing in the next room. Sarah spared a glance at the young girl.
"Is it safe to talk with her this close? I can call her mom, send her-" She started, but Nicolas waved her words away.
"It's fine. Most of it she won't get. But the rest...she should be able to hear it too." He replied, not talking at quite the normal volume, but enough that Sarah didn't have to strain to hear.
"O...kay. What just happened down there?"
"I fought and bound a spirit. A Lilim actually. Not a very powerful one for their kind, only a class 4 spirit. But I've already lost you, haven't I?" Sarah nodded her head, and drank some tea. Her hands were shaking slightly and he wondered if there was more than sugar in it. He sighed. "Okay, time for some basics, as best I can tell you. You know how you can see spirits?" She nodded eagerly.
"Yeah. So you mean...you actually believe me?"
"Always did. I can get a pretty good read on someone's ability to pierce the Veil. And don't worry, I'm about to get to that." Sarah settled back. April seemed to ignore them, which suited Nicolas just fine for the moment.

"The Veil is a barrier. It keeps the realms beyond out. And it does more than that. Just beyond the veil is the First Layer. There's another veil beyond that, which leads to another layer of the world. And so on. Each layer has things that live in it, just like this one. The deeper you go the less...recognizable things get. And dangerous. Some people have the ability to See through the Veil. Some people are born with it. Some gain it later in life. Some people can train themselves to See. But it's from these people who can See, one way or another, that they draw recruits for the Order." Nicolas told her with only a few pauses to enjoy his tea.
"The Order?" Sarah asked, taking in as much as she could. It was a lot to process all at once.
"Well, it's as good a name as any for it. People from around the world that hunt down and fight the spirits that are bent on causing harm to people. Like that Lilim."
"And you're...one of them?"
"I was. I retired about four years back. But...well, it's not something you forget. And I wasn't about to walk away with a Lilim in the house. If he didn't kill April, he'd take some time to seriously hurt or kill you. So I took care of him." Sarah was quiet a bit more.
"Why couldn't I see him? I mean, you said it yourself, I can see spirits! Why didn't I see him?"
"He was hiding too deep. And he was putting up a kind of shield to hide himself even more. That's what the chant does. It forces them to come closer to the surface, and out from behind any shields. Once he was revealed like that, anyone could have seen him, gifted or not."

"So...how deep can you see?" She asked him.
"I've trained hard to see the way I do. I can See six layers in." He answered. She smiled.
"And how far do I see?" She was eager, likely happy that a person completely believed her. He sighed.
"About a quarter of a layer." She froze, and cocked her head.
"What?"
"You can see through the Veil in places that it's weakened. Frayed. It's why you see a lot of gates and the like. Those gates aren't fake, they're just...shortcuts from one layer to another. If you know how to Step, they make things a lot easier. I'm sorry Sarah, but while you can see some things, you don't see as much as you think you do." She flushed red, either embarrassed or angry, he couldn't tell. He finished his tea. "Sorry. But I've got to go. And trust me, in a few years, I'll be around to talk to April. She'll need the help." Nicolas stood, and showed himself out.

He looked around the street, seeing the ghost echoes around him of people and buildings. They were a greyish haze, no colour to it. But it was there. He'd spent years suppressing the Sight, and it had been gone for a year now. But now that he'd needed it again, it was all back. He could See a layer deep without trying, without wanting to. It was always distracting, and hard to process at times, but he'd gotten used to it back when he was active. He looked down at his boot sheathed knife. He'd left because he'd been sick of the fight, of the hunt. He'd seen too many things, lost too many friends, and nearly lost his mind. But there were things he'd forgotten about. He'd forgotten what victory tasted like. The feel of doing the right things, saving an innocent life. And now that he remembered, he wasn't sure he could just walk away from it again. He took a deep breath, and looked around, seeing that the street was empty. He crouched, and drew out his knife again. He readied himself, keeping his breathing even, when he saw Sarah on her front porch, watching him. He waved to her, and then swept his knife in a vertical line in the air. The path of the knife glowed with a greyish light, and he put his hands to the line, and pulled, Stepping forward. The line expanded, and he passed through the grey light, and into the First Layer.

The world didn't look too terribly different. Only one layer deep, things did tend to resemble the more familiar material realm, and Nicolas shook his shoulders, taking a deep breath. The air was always clearer here. Crisper. Somehow less...tainted. He began to walk, the ground was reassuringly firm under his feet. His mind drifted back to some of the times he'd fought in the deeper layers, facing down spirits on their own ground, and regretting it each and every time. But it was what had to be done, and he'd taken the plunge without a second thought. He wondered if he'd be as brave this time around, or if the previous reasons that he'd left, all of them still very valid, were simply waiting for him in the back of his mind, to be ready to overwhelm him when he let his guard down. Taking a breath, and letting it out slowly, he looked around him. Here, his Sight was even more cluttered, Seeing what was happening in the Material Realm, as well as the Second Layer. He closed his eyes, concentrating, and managed to force one of the Layers out of his mind's eye, until he no longer looked deeper. He had a long way to go, and didn't want to be overly distracted while he walked.
 
Ooh, very nice. I'm glad you shared more. I can feel the tension rising and I really plain just like the idea you have going here. If you have more, I hope you're willing to add on. If not, I hope you have it within yourself to write more of this. : )
 
I've still got another installment or two of this particular tale. So...why not? :)

Scotland was always a nice place to visit, made more so when you could sneak onto a plane unseen, and never risk getting caught. He'd not paid for a ticket to anywhere since he'd learned to Step. Granted he was always spending his time in the cargo bay of the planes, it still beat having to pay his fare. But he was back, and needed to check in with his old comrades, the people who stood for the Order, and would likely be happy to have him back. As he walked along the grass covered ground, he cast a glance along the rocks to his left. Not for the first time, he wished that the headquarters was a little more accessible. It was a long walk, and the area was specifically warded against entry from any layers besides the Material Realm. Looking around, he paused to make a nod of respect at a row of graves, the people buried in the First Layer, safe from any mortal attempts to find them, or disturb their rest. Governments tended to not want to let people be buried wherever they wanted. He hesitated, seeing three more in the row than he remembered the last time he'd come this way, and hesitantly approached them. He knelt, and concentrated again, making the grey wash sharpen until he could read the stones. Marcus Campbell. Mary Wellington. And Alcadizzar. Nicolas sighed. He'd known Alcadizzar personally. Not enough to know what his given name had been at birth, but well enough to know that he'd taken a new name after joining with the order. He'd been one of the best warriors and scholars of the generation, and his loss was a heavy blow. Nicolas stood. He needed to get a proper update. And that meant picking up the pace. He began to jog towards the building that would give him the answers.

The small cottage didn't look like much at all, let alone the headquarters of the Order. But a layer deep, Nicolas saw the imposing edifice that rose a full five stories over his head. He stepped the front door of the cottage, and knocked.
“Who's there? Are you selling something?” A voice called from the other side. Nicolas smiled. The code phrases had always been amusing.
“Nothing but cold forged iron ma'am.” He replied. The voice was a bit muffled, and he was sincerely hoping that he hadn't just insulted a higher voice man.
“And why would you want to sell that to me?”
“So I can come home. One more time.” The door unlocked and opened. The person on the other side looked like she was well into her sixties, and nodded to him.
“Welcome home lad. The Order welcomes you.”

The cottage was bright, and Nicolas knew why. On the far wall was a large portal, ablaze with the trapped energy that let it stay open constantly. He didn't speak farther to the woman. It was nothing against her, but after the code phrases, speaking was discouraged in the Material Realm. Much safer with the First Layer. Reaching the Portal, Nicolas blew out a breath, running his mind through the steps he needed to let him do what was needed. Closing his eyes, he Stepped. The portal left his skin tingling, as it always did. When he opened his eyes, he was within a stone hall that led to the west. Just like he remembered it.

“Nick? Nicolas, that you?” A voice called as he was walking. He turned to see a familiar face, and grinned.
“Barry! Son of a bitch, good to see you!” Nicolas replied, seeing the large man step closer, arms out. They shared a brief hug, and then stepped apart, hands slapping each others shoulders. Barry was pushing six feet, and thickly built, outweighing Nicolas by sixty pounds or more. And Nicolas knew from experience that very little of that weight was fat. Barry was not a man to take lightly.
“Thought you quit on us?”
“I did. But...had to help out a friend, and now...here I am again.” Nicolas resumed walking, Barry keeping pace with him.
“Never saw you as being happy with that whole 'normal life' crap.” Nicolas hesitated before answering.
“I wasn't really. But...I was happy enough waking up and not worrying that someone else I knew was going to get killed because I wasn't quite fast enough.” Barry winced.
“Damn it Nick, it wasn't your fault. Everyone else sees that, why not you?”
“I'd say because they weren't there. Or weren't the one responsible. But I'm here again, so what have I missed?” Barry sighed, and began to speak.

“So that's the whole of it. Some dead, some new recruits, and we keep soldiering on.” Barry said after the speech. It hadn't been good news really. More dead than recruited, but that was nothing new. The Order had been dwindling in number for as long as anyone could remember. Every now and again there would be a sudden influx of new acolytes, mostly family to the current members, but it was enough for the organization to limp forward.
“What happened to Alcadizzar?” Nicolas asked. Barry shook his head.
“We don't know what killed him. But he wasn't... Nick, he Looked deeper. Made it another layer, and he just... couldn't take it.” Nicolas looked at him with surprise.
“But he was already the best of us! He saw what, fifteen layers deep?”
“And number sixteen showed him something couldn't deal with. So he left, ran really, and vanished for about a year. Found his body about a mile away from the gate. Looked like he was trying to get back here when whatever got him finished him off.” Nicolas was quiet, and didn't ask any of the obvious questions. The Order knew what it was doing, and would have investigated the death of one of the greatest warriors of an age. It wasn't exactly the kind of homecoming that he'd been hoping for.

The main office was still the same chilly, dimly lit place that Nicolas remembered. The staff didn't seem to have changed in the least. He leaned on the main desk, and smiled at the woman on the other side. She was in her late fifties, and had always seemed so out of place in such a drab place with how happy she always seemed to be. She looked up to see him.
“Well bless me! Nicolas? Coming back to us after all?” She asked him, face breaking into a wide grin. He nodded.
“Thought I might check in. See if there's anything that I can do to chip in.” He explained.
“Of course! I'll make sure you're back on the active list! You can grab yourself an assignment off of the board down in the mess hall! And welcome back.” She winked at him. He nodded to her.
“Thanks Doris.” He pushed off of the desk, and left.

Nicolas lifted a page from the board, only to have Barry snatch it from his hand.
“Oh nice, a run to Hawaii! Good choice Nick! Be glad to help you, don't worry about it.” Barry said calmly, tucking the sheet into his pocket.
“Barry, give me the sheet back. I can do this just fine on my own.” Barry grinned.
“Nope. First assignment after returning from a leave of absence, you need a partner. Them's the rules buddy. So how about it? Me and you, just like old times?”
“Fuck you too Barry. Let's do it.” The two men grinned, and set off. They had a few planes to catch.
 
darkangel76 said:
This was an absolute treat to read. I love how it starts out with Nicolas being a seeming non-believer and then ever so slowly he transitions into someone who quite literally exorcises the house of the Lilum. It was executed well and the pacing was great. I also liked the extra characters--Sarah and April.

The whole scene was something I was able to visualize and, as a visual person, this is something I value highly. So, well done there! I truly hope you continue with this story. I think it's one that needs telling because it's certainly one that is worth reading. Great job! And thanks for sharing! : )
Click to expand...

I agree with everything in this comment. I don't usually like reading anything supernatural but I really enjoyed reading this. You kept my interest piqued throughout the whole thing.

I'm really surprised I read all of it! (I mean every installment so far)
 
Once again, another great installment. I'm glad to hear you have another couple tucked away. Who knows, maybe you'll be inspired to write more in the near future. Now isn't that a thought! XD
 
Last big installment for a bit. Will actually have to write more to warrant another post after this one methinks.

Hawaii was hotter than either man liked, but the job was the job. And it needed to get done.
“That's a nice shirt you got there Barry. Not real practical though, is it?” Nicolas asked. Barry frowned, looking at the close fitting t-shirt he wore. He looked back at Nicolas. The light, airy button down cotton shirt was splashed with flower patterns, making rather...attention grabbing. Or it would have been anywhere else. Countless people wore a similar shirt, making it Barry that seemed a little out of place.
“Compared to that? All that flowing material...gets in the way when you have to move quick. Remember?”
“I remember you like that shirt.”
“Yeah, and?”
“Never mind. Come on. Work to do.” The two men smiled, and set off down the beach. It was a small building on a resort ground that needed their attention.

“So what's so bad about the place?” Barry asked the resort staff member. The man looked uncomfortable, and looked towards the boarded up building. “Don't worry, if you're not supposed to talk about it, we won't rat you out.” Still looking uncomfortable, Nicolas pulled a fifty out of his pocket, and offered it to him. The man took it gingerly, but then began to speak.
“It was never...the best place on the resort, you know? But then...well, there was a man who took some drugs. And he killed his wife. Two of the women who worked here too. And then himself. The place was never the same after that. Sometimes you heard screaming. And then...well, the owner's daughter had an accident there. After she was hurt, we boarded it all up. Had a company come down to see about pulling it all down, but the man who looked at it...well, he ran out. Looked terrified. And no one else would come to see about it.” As he trailed off, he noted that Nicolas was looking at the building more than him.
“Thanks for telling us. We don't want to keep you from your job.” The man nodded, and moved on. Barry and Nicolas exchanged a glance.

“What do you think?” Barry asked. “Revenant, or instigator?”
“Not sure. Let me take a look.” Nicolas replied, closing his eyes, and opening them again to See. The building didn't look all that different a layer deep, but he saw blood splashed all over the walls. However the people had been killed, it hadn't been clean. He focused, pushing his Sight deeper. The Second layer showed more, the blood pooled into symbols on the wall, shimmering with a kind of power that made Nicolas desperately want to look away. He caught sight of something moving, and noted that the window wasn't tall enough to show the head of the figure. And that would put it well over seven feet tall. And it looked nothing like human. “Instigator.” He said calmly to Barry. “Two layers in. How do you want to do this?”
“We do this on the surface, it's safer.”
“And loud.”
“Yeah. We might have a hard time getting out of here afterwards. So, go after it?”
“Let's do this.” They both crouched, and pulled out similar daggers. The edges were razor sharp, but there were marks all along the weapons that made it look like they'd been beaten with hammers. They both made a vertical slash, and Stepped through the gashes.

They made the same gesture again, and Stepped into the Second Layer. The normally manicured grass that the resort had all over the grounds was gone, and only patches of wild grasses showed. Otherwise they stood on sand. Both men stepped forward, heading for the door. It was hanging off the hinges, and they slipped inside. The building had once held five rooms to be rented to guests, as well as a larger room that would have been used by all the rooms as a kind of rec room. Nicolas pointed to the wall, and inclined his head, letting Barry know where the target was located. Barry nodded, and the two crept forward, keeping low and quiet. The door to the room Nicolas had seem the form in was gone. Not torn away, but purposely removed. The floor before them was a thick carpet that had not started out as crimson. But it was most certainly that colour now. He could see a woman on the floor, her body torn up, ribs pulled wide. Her heart had been ripped out. Barry let his breath out in a low hiss. Both men knew that it wasn't the real body, just the echo of what had happened. But the echo was enough. What was more, there was nothing left in the room besides the body.

They checked the next room, finding two women dead inside it. Both of them were in similar states as the first. Whatever had done this, it was clearly not just a man who had lost his mind. Something had steered him towards this. A piercing scream shattered the quiet, sounding like a young woman. It came from the rec room, and both men moved as quickly as they could, while staying quiet. They pressed their backs to the wall on either side of the entrance way, and carefully peered in. A young woman was hanging from the ceiling. Hooks had been driven through her arms, and she hung from them. Blood dripped from the wounds, and she looked like she'd been tortured otherwise. Her clothes were torn, and wounds were clearly visible. Nicolas made to move forward, when Barry waved him back. A large shape was moving into view.

“Come now mortal, we can make this easier. Give me what I ask, and the pain stops.” The voice was entirely too smooth and silky to be coming from the form. Over seven feet tall, and nearly six wide, it was huge. Thickly powerful limbs showed inhuman skin and muscle, while a head that looked very much like a stony mask that had been crudely carved with primitive tools topped it off. Nicolas didn't know it specifically, but he had a good idea of what they faced.
“N...no...never...” The woman mumbled, barely seeming conscious that she'd spoken.
“Never is a very long time.” The form said, reaching out a clawed finger, and pressing down on her shoulder. She screamed as the hook pulled on her arms, and the claw cut along her skin. Barry nodded to Nicolas, and the two charged into the room.

The form was fast, far faster than anything that big had any business being. A closed fist met Barry in the chest, sending him falling back, while Nicolas bent low as he came on. The other hand, open with claws raking at his face missed by a hairs breadth. He sliced his dagger along the arm of the form, but felt resistance. The blade scraped along the flesh, but failed to penetrate. The path it had taken smoked, showing that whatever substance the form was made of, it didn't respond well to the blade. Nicolas threw himself into a roll that let him barely avoid a crushing stomp that shook the room. Nicolas was rolling to his feet, and ripped the shirt wide open, letting it fall to the ground. He focused, and with body lit up with the blue light of his tattoos. Barry was struggling to get his shirt over his head, the close fit making it a chore to do in a hurry. The form began to advance on him, when Nicolas ran to cut it off.

It was not the time for rules of fair play, or chivalry. Nicolas leapt at the back of the form, and brought the dagger down, blade down to better transmit his momentum. The time the blade penetrated, slamming through the tough hide. Nicolas pulled it free, and dropped away. The form spun, swinging an arm out, hoping to swat away the irritant that had the temerity to wound it. Smoke wafted from the blade, showing that what passed for blood in this creature could not last in contact with the metal. The form seemed to recognize what he was facing.
“Binders! Why have you come here?” He roared at Nicolas. The man pointed to the hanging woman.
“You really have to ask?” He demanded, incredulous. The form looked to the woman, and then roared in pain. Barry had gotten his shirt out of the way, and made a good hit from behind. As the form turned on him, Nicolas lunged in. As the spirit lifted it's arm to make an attack on Barry, Nicolas stabbed. The blade slammed into the armpit, and sank to the hilt. Shoving hard, the form roared, but the roar kept rising in volume and pitch, even as Nicolas pulled away. The trailing smoke followed the blade. The form raged at Nicolas, swinging arm that passed through the man. The roar became a tortured wail that grated on the ears, and the woman jerked in response, rattling her chains until the sound faded, the form now gone, the last of the smoke seeping into the dagger.

Neither man spoke as they slid a low table over. Barry stood on the table, and gripped the chains that held the woman while Nicolas stepped under her, and lifted her in the air, taking the weight off of the chains. She groaned, but didn't otherwise react. Barry slipped the chain out of the hook they hung from, and they lowered the woman onto the floor. She didn't react as Barry gently got the hooks out of her arms. She slowly curled into a ball, keeping her wounded arms tight to her. She began to shiver and weep. Nicolas stood, and looked at Barry.

“I'm not sure she's not been here all that long. How long did that assignment sit in our office?” He asked the other man quietly. Barry pulled the page from his back pocket, and checked.
“Counting our travel time, we'd known about this for...eight days.” Barry replied. Nicolas looked at the woman, and then back to Barry.
“How long ago was the last incident?”
“The rep from the demolitions company? Uh...” He hesitated, which was telling Nicolas a lot. “...three months.” Nicolas sighed, but then had a sudden thought.
“When did the owners daughter have her accident in here?” Barry looked again.
“Six months. She's in a coma and not responding to oh fuck me Nick. Tell me this isn't her. Tell me she hasn't been in here for six months, being tortured by that sick fuck.” Nicolas sighed, and crouched beside her.
“What was her name?”

“Maka...Koa? Maka Koa? Is that right?” Barry stumbled out the words, but she seemed to stir at the sound of the name. Nicolas sighed, shaking his head. Just another day at the office he supposed.
“Maka? Ca you hear me?” He said softly. She shied away from him.
“No...won't...won't let you...can't have it...” She mumbled. Nicolas looked at Barry.
“You don't think it's been trying to get her to give up her essence this entire time?” He asked, not really believing the potential that he was hearing.
“For six months? No way. Not a chance. The kind of willpower you'd have to have...” They turned to look at her.
“But there seems to be some compelling evidence that says she might have.”
“Holy hell. So...what do we do with her?”

Nicolas and Barry both sat on chairs nearby. The world was still hazy with the feel of being two layers in. Maka Koa was curled around her wounded arms, but she seemed to have either passed out, or at least gone to sleep.
“So what do you want to do about this?” Barry asked. Nicolas sighed.
“What do you think Barry? Can you just leave her here? Waiting for the next thing to pick up on her, and come to finish the job?” Nicolas asked quietly. His voice wasn't accusing Barry of anything, just asking after it really. Barry sighed.
“No. Of course not. But you know as well as I do, we just stick her back in her body, she'll probably never use her hands again. Spiritual wounding is too deep. We'd need to see if it's healing at all, nurse her to something that might resemble being sane again, and hope. Could be a long time in the layers.” Nicolas nodded.
“Ten hour shifts then?”
“Hell with that. I say we pull her to the First Layer where it's a bit safer, and wait it out. If she hasn't started to get something back together in twelve hours, she isn't coming back.” Barry said bluntly. Nicolas knew he was right. But it was his first assignment since coming back. This one soul, this one person...she mattered more than she should to him right now.
 
Ooohhh...cliffhanger!!! I do hope you get inspired to add enough to what you have so you can post up more! This ending as it is.... OH MY! XD Once again, very good story. I really rather like this and am glad you pointed the way to me. <3
 
Well, congratulations, I wrote more Enough to warrant a post I think. SO here y'all go!

The building wasn't quite as spattered in blood, and lacked the hook in the ceiling to hang a person from in the First Layer. Nicolas checked on how Maka Koa was doing regularly, and to his immense relief, the wounds on her arms were closing. He shook Barry out of his nap.
“She's healing.” he told him quickly.
“I'm overjoyed. You woke me up for that?” Barry sleepily replied.
“Yeah, it's important to keep you informed.”
“And you want me to take over for you so you can grab a nap.”
“Well, yeah, that too. I haven't been through the Layers much in the last few years. Wears me out faster than it should.”
“All right, all right. Grab some sleep. I'll keep an eye on her.”

Twelve hours after she'd been saved from whatever fate the spirit had planned for her. Maka Koa was sitting up, alert, and looking around the room, and at the two men with her. Her arms were healed, though they still showed vicious scars on them. It was about as good as Nicolas could have hoped for.
“So...” She started, her voice somewhat shaky still. “...who the hell are you guys?” Nicolas smiled.
“People who took care of the thing that was hurting you. And wanted to make sure you understood what was going on.”
“Wow, that almost tells me nothing! And what exactly is going on?” Her voice had a bite to it that made Nicolas smile. She still had some spirit to her.
“You had a bad run in with a pretty powerful spirit. And it was...trying to get you to give up your essence.” She stared at Nicolas a moment before asking hte obvious question.
“Why?”
“It's how they get stronger. Blood and essence. But unless they're a very specific type of spirit, they can't take it from you. It has to be given. So it was trying to...persuade you.” She rubbed her forearms, and shivered.

“So...what happened to it?” She asked.
“We...sort of killed it.” Barry answered.
“How do you sort of kill something?” She looked at him like she thought he was an idiot. Nicolas held up his dagger.
“With something like this.” He told her. She stared at blade, not completely sure of what it as she was looking at, other than a weapon. “Cold forged iron, and specially prepared to act as a prison to the things we fight. So that thing will be sealed away, unable to hurt anyone else for as long as it stays within the blade.”
“And...how long is that?”
“Forever. It's rare enough to be almost unheard of for one of these blades to be broken, releasing the contents. But. Now we need to talk about you.” She nodded.
“So I'm...somewhere? I'm still in the beach house?” Maka asked. Barry nodded, then shook his head.
“Yes and no. Your body is not here, but your soul, that's been hanging around here for awhile.” He told her.
“And how exactly do I get this problem fixed?” Both men smiled. She adapted to the situation very easily. She was definitely a rare one.

The hospital was not large, looking much more like a small resort from the outside. Maka was in a bed, hooked up to a number of monitoring devices, but looking peaceful. A layer deep, the young woman was staring at her body in stunned disbelief.
“So...this was all real. I wasn't having the worst nightmare ever.” She said aloud.
“No. Afraid not, much as I wish it had been.” Nicolas replied. She rubbed her arms again, something he noticed was becoming a habit. The spiritual wounds might have closed, but it looked like the psychological ones were going to be a little longer in the recovery.
“So...even if I go back to the body...what do I even do anymore?” Barry shrugged.
“Whatever you want really. Pick up your life.”
“How? How do I go back to just...living like this, after everything that's gone on? I can't...can't get it out of my head. And if I tell anyone about it, I'm going to the looney bin.” Nicolas didn't respond.
“Wish I had something comforting to say here Maka. But I don't. We've all got to find our own way through things like this.” She turned to look at him, tears in her eyes.

“Can't...can't you help me? Just to get through this? I mean, you saved me. Why...why not finish the job? Save me again?” She asked. There was a lot of conflicting emotions in that voice. Wounded pride, fear, challenge, and pure desperate hope. Nicolas couldn't let it just pass, much as he knew he should.
“What would you do then Maka? Would you face down another monster like that one?” He asked her. She twitched, almost a full body convulsion at the thought, before looking him in eye.
“I'd kill that fucker.” She hissed.
“How?”
“Any way I could!” She spat. Nicolas felt himself smiling. Barry was shaking his head, out of Maka's line of sight, indicating that this was a bad line of thought. But Nicolas pushed on.
“Then come with us. Get your feet under you. And come with us.” She stared at him..
“Even if I'm...damaged goods?” Nicolas and Barry both burst out laughing.

Maka was looking progressively more furious before Nicolas calmed down enough to speak.
“Maka, we're not laughing at you. Well, not exactly. Ah hell. Look, it's like this. Most everyone that works with us is at least as damaged as you are. And you were hanging for that thing for six. Months. And you never quit. If you can bring that kind of dedication to the Order...we'll be glad to have you. We'll train you. Show you what's out there. You'll be able to help people in situations like yours.” Nicolas explained. Maka rubbed her arms, and tapped the side of her head.
“And...you'll help get rid of...what's up here?” She sounded so...hopeful. Nicolas shook his head.
“No.” He saw her face start to fall. “But we can teach you to carry it. How to make it into something that you can use, instead of something that controls you. We can teach you how to fight the darkness.” Maka looked Nicolas in the eye, the brim of tears still there, before she stalked to her body, and sat on the bed. A moment later, her spiritual form faded.

Her eyes, her real eyes, opened, and she gave a gasping cry, the sensation of being back in her body a sudden and painful experience. Her hand flailed about, six months of inactivity leaving her more than a little out of sorts. She managed to hit a call button to bring a nurse. Nicolas took a deep breath, and Stepped, a hole ripping in the veil for his passage. He left a card on the side table, and winked at Maka.
“We'll be in touch. Soon.” He Stepped back, hiding under the Layers.
“So can we go home now?” Barry asked. Nicolas nodded.
“Yeah. I think we can.” A smile on his face, with the knowledge that they had saved one soul, found a recruit for the Order, and done good work that needed doing, Nicolas felt like he truly had come home again.
 
Tehe!!! YAY! Glad you added more! This made my night (morning?).... MEEP! Ohh... you get what I mean! XD Keep it up! You know I loved it and will be reading. <3
 
Short addition, but an addition nonetheless!

"Not bad for your first time back out Nick." The words were good to hear, especially from the man it was coming from. Alexander Derrithal, the man who was responsible for making sure that members of the Order got the training they needed, and made sure that teh work they did was worth doing.
"Thank you sir." Nicolas replied with a smile.
"We've heard from a miss...Maka Koa, she had a number that she says she got from you. You're willing to sponsor her into the Order?" Nicolas opened his mouth but Barry beat him too it.
"Probably is, but he's only been on the job a few days. I'll sponsor her." The big man said with a nod. Nicolas looked at him.
"Thought you didn't want her on board. Didn't seem like it in Hawaii." Niclas pointed out.
"Yeah, well, you made good points. And you're too new back to take on someone like this. So she'll have to make do with me."
"Gods help her."
"Fuck you too Nick."
"Gods help you too." All three men in the room laughed. Barry teaching Maka was going to be a very interesting thing to observe, to be sure. Nicolas looked forward to seeing how it all panned out.

Barry had left the room, looking for something to eat. Nicolas had remained behind for a private debriefing with Alexander.
"So you're back. Not that I'm complaining mind, but I didn't expect you to be back at all." Alexander said calmly. Nicolas nodded.
"I didn't expect to either. But sometimes...well, I think this is what I'm supposed to be doing. Only thing I've really been good at for any length of time. So, here I am. Back in the saddle." Nicolas replied.
"All fine and good. You think this new girl, Maka, is going to be a boon to us?"
"Kept herself together from six months of being tortured. She's going to need some help ehre and there to stay straight, but she'll be useful. You don't find that kind of willpower often."
"True enough! Well, anything else you wanted to go over?" Nicolas hesitated.
"I'd like to know about Alcadizzar." Alexander looked away.

"Not surprising. We're still trying to recover from the loss. He was able to cover so much ground, do so much. Hell you know better than I do what he was capable of. We still don't know what was after him, other than that it was dangerous, and that it got him." Alexander said with a wisp of sorrow to his voice.
"What was even out there that could get him? I mean, he fought with things that were from nine layers deep! And won! He'd felled some of the most powerful spirits we've ever seen." Nicolas said quietly.
"I know. I know that all too well Nick. But the fact remains, he died. And it wasn't from natural causes. We know he'd been trying to push his Sight deeper, despite advice to the contrary. We both know how dangerous it is to look deeper than the eighth layer, and he was well past that. Apparently his psyche was fragile at that point, and whatever he found there was more than he could bear. I'm sorry Nick, I know you two were friends, but...there's nothing else we know."
"Any investigation?"
"We turned Sophia loose on it." Nicolas nodded. Sophia was the best tracker in teh Order, able to follow people, and even spirits through the land and layers. If anyone could have found what had happened, it would have been her.
"She find anything at all?"
"We don't know. She's been missing for more than three months." Nicolas felt his guts go cold. "Speaking of which, there's an assignment up for grabs. looking into a missing person from the Order. Interested?" Nicolas smiled, and nodded.
"Show me where to start."
 
: )
YAY! Another addition...long or short, it IS an addition! And that right there is a good thing since it means the story is progressing! Anyway, thanks for sharing this! Wonderful as always. You know you have a fan. <3
 
And an expansion! Larger one this time! It's amazing how much easier it is to write when I'm not supposed to be doing it... :p

The coast. That was where they led him. Nicolas was there with two more members, and they were all long standing veterans. Nicolas drew out his blade, and hesitated. No one liked crossing the layers near the oceans. There was a power to them that transcended the layers, and just as there was an undertow that could drag a person under the waters, there was a similar force that could drag a person through the layers. And that, in a lot of ways, was even more dangerous. An undertow could only kill you. The layers could do far worse. Still, if Sophia had come this way, he needed to see what was there. Nicolas slashed the air, and Stepped.

What he found was no what he'd expected. There was a deep crater in the ground before the waters. It smouldered still, and the scent of sulphur was powerful. Nicolas crouched beside it, holding a hand over the ground. It was still warm. Hell, the centre was still burning. The other members behind him approached.
"What do you think?" One of them asked.
"Not sure. Might be a mage, but if it is, they'll messing with powers that are way beyond dangerous." Nicolas observed, withdrawing his hand.
"This must have happened recently."
"No, this is old. See the edges of the crater? There's been a lot of sand blown around it. I think this a few months back."
"So we know what happen to Sophie then." Nicolas wasn't so sure. Sophie was a survivor, and a very tough woman. She was also one of the people he knew to be fast on the ability to Step. She was one of the only ones he knew of that could do it effectively enough to make use of it in a fight. Knowing that every layer deeper he went was going to be more dangerous, but he needed more information. He sliced a new gash, and went into the Second Layer.

The sands were different here, and the ocean looked a lot darker. There was a dark stain in the air, making it hard to see. The crater was still there, and it still smoldered. Nicolas blew out a breath, and cleared his mind. He closed his eyes to brace himself, and then opened them. He needed to See deeper. He Looked into the third layer, then the fourth, and then the fifth. And the crater was still there. He felt the other coming into the layer with him, he could feel the nervous nature of them.
"What is it?" One asked, seeing Nicolas' face.
"It's not a mage." Nicolas responded.
"How can you tell?"
"The blast. It's burned five layers deep. At least." The other two went quiet. They didn't know exactly where he was going with this, but it was clearly not good.
"What could make a blast like that?"
"Nothing mortal. And nothing good. This is Banefire. It burns through everything."
"What do you mean by everything?"
"It goes through steel, sand, stone flesh, the Layers, even time."
"Wait wait wait, time? How does something burn through time?"
"With enormous difficulty usually. Believe me, it's complicated on how this works, and I only sort of understand it myself."
"How did you learn about it?"
"Alcadizzar taught me." The other two were quiet now. Nicolas was pondering his next move. If something could throw a punch this hard, it was entirely possible that a Binder would be utterly no match for it. But if it could do this, then why hadn't it taken out Alcadizzar with it? Or had Sophia stumbled onto something completely unrelated? All this excursion had accomplished so far is to raise even more questions.

"What do we do from here?" Nicolas heard the words, but was reluctant to answer. Mostly because he knew what had to be done, and he wasn't looking forward to it.
"Both of you go back to base. Let them know what we found. I'm going to do some prep here. I'm going to have to move deeper, and try to See just how deep this burn goes." He explained. There others nodded, not wanting to be around if this went poorly. Once they were gone, Nicolas started pacing around the crater.

This was a delicate process. Alcadizzar had taught him hoe to limit the scope of his vision, to See deeper, but not to allow himself to be distracted, and catch sight of things that would blast the sanity from his mind. But he needed to know. He paced for a full ten minutes, his mind taking in the crater, encompassing it, focused on it beyond anything normal. His mental discipline was tight. He was ready. He cut again, and Stepped, then again. And then again. Now five layers deep, he knew that he was in severely dangerous territory. Most of the things that lived in this layer would be able to tear him apart, and without much effort. he cleared his mind, closed his eye, and pushed his Sight. When he opened his eyes, he was piercing the veil another five layers, reaching all the way into the Tenth Layer. He remained focused. His senses hinted at other things brewing, a faint chatter. He was being noticed. But he was seeing what he needed. The blast went all the way down. Power this strong was limited to a very small list of candidates. And he knew that even his observation of the handiwork was likely going to attract attention of something that was goign to make things hard for him. He heard a faint rumbling, almost like a growl but from a throat that would likely be large enough to swallow him whole. Time to go.

Nicolas concentrated, not wanting to waste time with being safe and secure. He made a careful cut, and his blade sliced all the way up tot eh material realm. He Stepped, leaving the layers behind him. Once he set foot on solid ground, he saw the gash close. He still had his Sight pushed to the limits, and he turned to See what might be coming. he caught the hazy outline of a creature breaching the veils, heading for the surface. And it was massive. Something this powerful might be able to harm him, even through the veils, so Nicolas did the only thing he could. He ran.

He hadn't gone more than a hundred feet when the rumble from the beast faded, apparently giving up the chase. Nicolas slowed down, and turned to look at the beach. He knew a little bit more. But he was going to need to know a lot more. Only one thing left to do at this point. And that was consult the Ancients.
 
Another wonderful addition from you and, I must say, I needed that... so thank you so very much for sharing it. It brightened my day. A lot. Glad to hear you had fun writing it as well. It shows. <3

Can't wait for more! : )
 
I appreciate the comments folks! And now, fresh from the presses! The next scene!

Getting clearance to speak to teh Ancients wasn't easy. Alexander had been reluctant to let anyone into the lower levels of the base for a while now, and Nicolas understood why. It wasnt' an easy trip to make, and even harder to come back from. But this was for a good reason. Sophie was missing, and there was something more dangerous afoot than Nicolas had ever seen. He had to know. He took his first few steps down the long spiral staircase that would take him where he needed to go. The steps were carefully maintained, the few staff that cleaned this area were special cases, peopel with no ability to Step or See. If they had any talent in that regard, they'd be in too much danger to allow them to spend time here. He'd gone a dozen steps when he felt a kind of pressure on his mind. He took a deep breath, and took a Step, crossing the layers. The grey haze covered his vision, and he kept moving. Soon, the pressure redoubled, and he had to Step again. This continued until Nicolas knew that he was deep enough in that if he didn't leave in the proper fashion that he was likely never going to make it home. Nine layers in. People had died down here, unable to make it back after the construction of these chambers. Their sacrifice was still honoured every year by active members of the Order.

Nicolas looked around the landing at the bottom of the stairs. The stone felt solid under his feet, but he was having a hard time making out details. He Looked a moment later, using just a hint of his Sight to cut away the gloom and restore things to a hard, crystal clarity.
"Hello?" He called out. His words echoed around the chamber. He felt something shift in his boot, and looked down curiously. His dagger almost seemed...agitated, like a thing alive. He drew it out, and looked it over. The surface of the iron was...writhing, like it was trying to alter it's form. This was...alarming to say the least. He heard footsteps, and turned to look behind him. There was a woman there. She had the grey-scale look of a spirit. Nicolas instantly bowed his head.

"Honoured Ancient." He said as respectfully as he could. he heard a faint laughter.
"So polite! It's been years since we get a visitor, and we find a polite man! Such luck!" She announced. Nicolas looked up curiously. This was not what he'd been expecting. "Well? Don't just stand there! What do you need to know? I'm sure you didn't come all this way for the decor!" Nicolas cracked a smile. He was liking this spirit more and more.
"I need to know what could create a blast of Banefire strong enough to burn a crater at least ten layers deep." She pondered a moment.
"It could be done by a category 12 Hellfire Colossus." Nicolas swallowed. he had to be honest, that didn't sound like something that he would be terribly pleased with fighting. He'd learned a long time ago that anything that was referred to as a colossus wasn't usually an exaggeration.
"Anything...else it might be?" She gave a laugh, sounding just a touch off. Becoming a spirit changed a lot of things Nicolas had been told, but centuries of isolation had likely worn away at her sanity.
"Of course it might. None of them are pleasant, and I would require more information to make a proper judgement. Else, you would need to speak to Elmantrir the Sage."
"Who? i've not heard that name before. Is he one of the Ancients?"
"Oh no, he was a sage, and member of the Order. Knew many many things. When he passed, he resisted the pull of the layers, and remained close to the surface. And then went quite mad. Caused untol levels of destruction to people until he was bound."
"Bound. He was bound into a blade?"

"Oh yes, very much so. Had to be done you see. Yes." The more she talked, the more excited she seemed to be, but the more excited she got, the more the isolation madness seemed to be seeping through.
"Then he's out of reach. Once something is bound there's no way to get to them." Nicolas groused. The woman laughed.
"Oh my, what are they teaching you these days? Has no one taught you to walk within the iron?" Nicolas gave her a blank stare. "I choose to interpret that as a no! You have utterly no idea what I'm speaking about, do you?"
"No. Not at all." There was a long pause. "Would you like to share the information?"
"Oh! Of course! Your blade, let me see it." Still in his hand, he flipped the blade around, adn offered it to her, hilt first. The spirit recoiled from the blade.
"What? How did you...the Heirloom Blade! You have no idea what you even carry do you? Gods and demons, what madness possessed them hand such a thing to you?" Nicolas just stared at her.
"You've lost me again Spirit." She seemed to draw a deep breath, clearing her thoughts.
"The blade you bear. It is a unique item. You know that blades are retired, correct?"
"Yes, they fill up. Usually able to hold about a thousand spirits before they can hold no more. They're retired into the vaults for safe keeping. Usually takes about two decades of service to fill a blade."
"And yet yours has been in service for more than five centuries." Nicolas was quiet, and looked down at the blade.

"How...how is that possible?" He asked quietly.
"We don't know. The blade was forged under a great deal of secrecy, and those that were party to it`s making have been dead for far too long. But if you have it, tehn you have a powerful aid in your fight, once you learn it`s secrets." She explained. Nicolas nodded.
"I take it learning these secrets would be dangerous to me."
"Of course! All knowledge has a price! But are you willin to learn it anyway?" There was no hesitation in his voice when Nicolas spoke.
"Yes. A good woman is missing, and may still be alive and in great danger. If this has any hope of answering my questions, then I have to do it." The spirit smiled.
"Good. Then it seems they chose a worthy soul to take up the blade. Come with me, and I shall teach you how to walk within the Iron."

Nicolas was sitting on the floor. It was surprisingly cold, even for stone. He reasoned that there were no living bodies to privde any heat, and no heat down here anyway, what with no one living being down here. He also realized that he was distracting himself from the cold. He let his mind drift, just like he'd been instructed. The spirit was sitting close by, smiling as he started to work his way through the mental sequences she'd been teaching him. His blade was held gently between his hands. He let out his breath, and felt as though he was sinking. This was normal as he recalled from her intructions. Not something to be alarmed at. And then he opened his eyes, feeling as though there was hard ground under his feet. He looked around, and took in the room he was in. It was a hallway. A vast one, with a wide avenue. On either side of the hall were what looked very much like prison cells. He blinked, adn approached one. He came reasonably close when the figure within slammed into the bars, reaching for him. Nicolas stumbled back, taking in what he was seeing. It was the spirit that had been torturing Maka Koa. He was here, within the blade, looking at the beings that were bound. And they were aware of things within here. Nicolas became aware of a rising noise as there were voices calling out at him. He looked from cell to cell, seeing spirits and beings trapped within, some of them looking calm and adjusted, others railing in defienace, others looking like they'd entered a state of abject insanity. The mouting horror and pressure of ti all started to weigh on him, and he placed his hands over his ears, vying for silence. When that proved insufficient, he waved his hands as though to dismiss them. The cells slid away from him, vanishing into the seemingly endless corridor. Nicolas blinked, and looked at his hands. The spirit had taught him how to get here, but not how to actually manipulate things once he was here. With a smile, he held up a hand, and focused.

After a few minutes of trial and error, Nicolas had discovered how to call creatures to him. It wasn't easy. he needed to have bound them personally, or know their names. Else he would have to walk the length of the blade. And he had not been wrong in his guess that the corridor was nearly endless. He walked it's length for nearly an hour without ceasing The cells had been empty, until he had waved his hands, and willed them to return to a normal positioning. Then he had been surrounded by spirits, demons, and ghosts beyond recognition. He had found then that while he could move the cells around as he needed, he was unable to make himself move. And he had been told that only fromt he tip of the blade, his point of entry, could he leave the blade. He ahd not found the information he needed, not yet, but he did have the means to find it now.

He took a deep breath, waking up in the same position as he had been in when he started his walk. The spirit was crouched beside him.
"Did it work?" She asked.
"Yeah. It's...incredible in there. There's so many things within it! So much that I could learn, that i could do!" He said with a grin. She nodded.
"This is true. But keep in mind. Now that you're aware of them, they will be aware of you. They will try to trick you, to manipulate you, but you must stay on guard. You are now the Warden of that blade, not just it's wielder."
"Warden?"
"And all that such may imply."
"Then...I can release those within?" She nodded.
"Yes, and keep in mind, once a spirit has been within a blade, it may not be able to be re-bound within it. And those that are bound within were bound for good reason." Nicolas nodded.
"Is there anything else that they can do?" She hesitated, but nodded.
"You can give them...limited releases. The ability to influence thing with their power."
"Meaning...?"
"Should there be a mage within, who was well skilled at the use of fire, you might allow them to put a limited amount of their power at your disposal." Nicolas was struck by the implications. he looked at the blade in his hand. There was potentially unlimited power within this blade. It was a heavy burden to say the least. He stood, his cold, stiff limbs protesting. He stretched.
"I need to get back."
"Yes, I suppose you do. But Warden?"
"Yes Spirit?"
"Do not leave us alone down here. Please. The silence...it deafens. Send more to meet us, or bring us something to break the boredom. We were meant to be an advisory council. Not prisoners." he nodded.
"I'll do my very best."
"We can ask no more than that Warden. Fair journey." Nicolas started the long walk back up the stairs.
 
Huzzah! More story! Thank you for this! <33333

Now this was a fun twist that I didn't quite expect and found to be very nifty and awesome! As always, I'm enjoying this story immensely! Keep it coming! You know I'm your biggest fan and advocate, hehe. Plus, I just really look forward to seeing how everything develops. You really are a great writer, a wonderful crafter of worlds and characters. *hugs* : )
 
The scene isn't quite complete, but it's enough for me to post it up. The rest of it should be coming soon, as well as the big coming clash! Until then...

"They taught you to do what now?" Alexander asked, his face a mask of confusion.
"Walk within the Iron. Seriously Alex, you wouldn't believe what it's like. I can talk to anything that's been bound into the blade. Think of the knowledge we can gain!" Nicolas said excitedly.
"Think of the risks you're taking! Nick, you know better than most exactly how dangerous this is! You're going to be trying to cut deals with spirits!"
"From a position of strength. They don't have the strongest of bargaining positions."
"Really? You'd be coming to them for things remember."
"And if they don't, I think I can do more to make sure that they're considerably more miserable than they are currently." Alexander was quiet, and looked away. Nicolas made an intuitive leap. "You knew about this. Didn't you? Waling in the Iron." Alexander sighed.

"Yes. Of course I knew about it. Most of the Inner Circle do. It's not something that we teach lightly. And especailly not to you." The older man admit.
"Because of the Heirloom Blade." Nicolas ventured.
"Damn it, they told you a lot, didn't they?"
"Apparently. So. Where do we go from here?"
"What do you mean?"
"For fuck sakes Alex, you've been lying to me for Gods know how long! Shit, if I'd known this, I might not have bothered coming back here!"
"Nick, just calm down a little, and we can-"
"Get fucked Alex. I've got work to do. Sophia is still missing, so if you'll excuse me, I'd like to go see if I can find her now. Alex sighed, but nodded. he couldn't really blame Nicolas at this point. Secrets were a fact of life in the Order, but this one...this one seemed to cut deeper than usual.

Nicolas sat in his chambers in the headquarters of the Order. He was in the same position, though much more comfortably, and considerably warmer than the last time he'd tried this. He ahd a name to see about. And if he was lucky, the sage would be bound within his blade. After a few moments, he felt himself falling, and smiled.

The blade was unchanged, and the spirit that had been bound on his last job with Barry still railed and tried to reach for him. Nicolas looked at it, and wondered if this might be a good time to experiment with things. He extended a hand, and willed the cell to be smaller. The walls began to contract in on themselves, and the spirit froze, looking at the enclosing space. It placed it`s ahnds against them, and heaved, all of it`s supermatural strength behind it. The walls didn`t even slow. He stopped after a few moments, and willed shackles to encircle the spirit. It happened in an instant, teh loud clack of closing steel. The spirit railed further, but there was nothing it could do. Nicolas smiled. This was going to be very interesting going forward.

Taking a deep breath, Nicolas focused on his goal.
"Elmantrir. Elmantrir. Should you be present, come to me." He murmured. The was a rushing sound as cells rearragned themselves. A moment later, Nicolas was looking at a woman in her early thirties. He blinked, adn cocked his head.
"Binder. You look surprised." She quipped with a smile.
"Uh...yeah. I was expecting something else to b honest."
"Most are. But this is ho I choose to appear, when I was happiest. Now then. I imagine you are looking for some form of information."
"Yes, I am. I need to know what could use a Banefire blast that burnt at least ten layers. Besides a Hellfire Colossus." She nodded.
"Certainly. but for knowledge, you'll have to bargain with me." He sighed.
"And what is it you want?" She smiled.
"Nothing extravagant Warden. I would like...books. And perhaps a slightly more comfortable living space." Nicolas just stared.

"You seem unsettled." She observed.
"More of...surprised. I expected more of a list of demands." He replied.
"That's understandable, but you must understand Warden, I know why I am here. And it is proper. So I ask for simple things to fill my time."
"Fair enough. How do I bring you things?" She grinned now, looking thrilled.
"Books can be conjured Warden. From your memories. Any book you have read, the text resides within your mind, even if you don't remember them. Will such a thing into existance Warden."



Nicolas held out a hand, adn thought back to teh latest bok he'd read. It had been a text book, on physics. He'd had a lot of time on his hands. The book took form, and he flipped it open, picking through it. Everything seemed to be accurate. He closed the book. Elmantrir held out ehr hand.
"Warden. May I?" She asked, there was an air of hope, even longing in her voice.
"As soon as you furnish me with the information." Nicolas warned.
"Come now Warden, you could rescind the book from existence. Please. Let me hold it. I have missed the feel of a book so very much." The honesty in her voice moved Nicolas enough to hand the book to her. She siezed it, drawing it back through the bars. She placed the book under her nose, taking a deep whiff of the scent. "It almost smells real. Practice will help Warden. Increase the reality of the items. But very good for your first attempt."
"And my information?"
"Of course. But might I have a chair? This may take awhile, and I would like to sit." Nicolas raised a hand, adn a wooden stool appeared int he cell. She nodded.
"Acceptable compromise." She took a seat. Nicolas looked at the floor to his right, adn on an impulse riased his hand. A thickly cushioned easy chair rose from the floor. He sank into it. Elmantrir smiled.

After several hours of conversation and information, Nicolas sighed.
"So there are dozens of things that could have done this. You've been good enough to narrow the list of things down to things that likely would do it, and even further to things that fit both of those categories that I might be able to do something about. So where does this leave me?" He asked her.
"More learned than you were before. And also, you might keep in mind that only the Deep Strider is likely to take people." She pointed out.
"Right. So. A Deep Strider. What am I looking at?"
"It usually resembles a great spider. Able to lift grown livestock without aid."
"Great."
 
Oohhh...absolutely wonderful!!! XD And that ending... definitely a cliffhanger! I'm so wanting to know what a Deep Strider is! LOL! Though I shall be patient and wait for the reveal. hehe. Anyhow, again, another wonderful installment. Can't wait for more!!! <3
 
Took me awhile, but I got around to getting the next chunk written!

Nicolas groaned, stretching his legs out. It was really easy to lose time while doing this. In a way, he could see the risks in just that. A person could starve to death if they spent too much time in the blade, and with no real way to track time within, it would be all too easy. Still. he had what he needed. Deep Striders were not a common thing, and now that he knew what he was looking for, he should be able to track one. Blowing out a sigh, he stretched. Going after something this risky meant that he would need to be at his best. His absolute very best. And that meant an hour or so in preparation.

Nicolas rested, getting a short power nap in to refresh himself. Once that was done, he ate his fill, and spent a period of time in meditation, clearing his mind. he'd need all of his wits about him for the tracking, and then for the fight. He kept himself away from Alexander. He didn't need to crowd himself with conflicting feelings. Once he was outside of the headquarters, he slipped deeper into the layers. This was going to be a tricky task. The site of the Banefire crater was largely unchanged. The new information he had though, he now knew how to look for the signs of the creature. Nicolas closed his eyes, concentrating, before he opened them again to See. It was hard to keep it all straight. He was looking three layers in, but doing so all at the same time. And now what he'd at first taken for random scuff marks were now complete tracks. He smiled. Now the hunt was on.

Four hours, and miles later, Nicolas was standing outside of what he could only assume was the lair of the Deep Stalker. He was uncomfortable here, on the Fourth Layer. It was risky, but if this was where Sophia was, then he'd have to chance it. You didn't just leave a member of the Order to die. No matter what. Moving quietly, he started into the lair.

It was scooped out of the ground, a sloping tunnel that was lined in scorched earth. Nicolas was starting to think that the whole thing hadn't been scooped out after all. It might have been burned out. He was going to have to be careful. The control displayed by this creature was incredible. He very calmly pulled his shirt off, and tucked it into his pocket. He had his blade in hand, but took no further action. Bringing his tattoo protections to the fore would likely alert his foe to his presence. And he didn't have time for that. The tunnel branched out, moving in several directions. Nicolas concentrated, doing his best to See everything around him. There was a faint sign on the trail, a glittering trail that was barely perceivable. It was the signs left behind by a blade from the order. He smiled. Sophia always had been a clever one. At least he hoped that Sophia had been clever, and left a way to follow her. The alternative was that he was walking straight into a trap.

Nicolas ghosted into a poorly lit cavern. There were a few spars of crystal growing within, and they faintly glowed with trapped light. He let out a slow breath, letting his eyes adjust so that eh could pick out details. He saw what looked like a cage, made of twisted iron, and a bedraggled looking woman within. He picked his way very carefully around the perimeter of the room, until he was beside it. Not trusting to touch it, he tossed a small bit of dirt within. The woman started, and turn to look at him. After a moment she let out a slow breath.
"Nick? is that you?" She asked quietly.
"Large as life and twice as ugly." He whispered back. She blinked a few times before nodding.
"Okay. No one but you ever says that. I'll believe you." She said while still nodding. Nicolas frowned.
"What are you-"
"There's no time Nick. Get me out of here. We have to get out of here before she comes back." This was something that Nicolas could agree with. He looked at the cage, and found what looked like a crude lock. He fiddled with it for a few moments before the mechanism gave. Sophia didn't even hesitate, she pushed the door open and slipped out. She cast her gaze around briefly, before nodding and heading right for the exit. Nicolas was right behind her.

Fire erupted before them, singing the ground and forcing them back int he rippling wave of heat. It was Banefire, which meant that they'd been made. Nicolas turned around, drawing his blade across his palm, and taking a cleansing breath, focusing himself. The tattoos on his body ignited, lighting up brightly. While it marked him as a target, it also let him get a better look around. Something large moved from nearby, and he paced off a distance from it to get a better look. He'd been told to expect a spider, but this resembled a spider the same way a Siberian Mastiff resembled a Chihuahua. The same idea, but the scale and features were vastly different. It towered over Nicolas, easily more than twelve feet high. Legs the size of tree trunks, and wrapped in a hard carapace skittered along the floor in a way that was filled with entirely too much grace for something that size. In the glow of his tattoos, the creature looked like it was a deep glossy purple. Placed high on it's head was a set of eyes. Six of hem were featureless orbs, glittering black. The last two were entirely more unnerving, seeming very human. Nicolas swallowed. He might well be in over his head at this point.

"Oh, more Binders, come to visit me in my den! This is such a delight! Welcome then Binder, do sit down." The Deep Strider said in a disturbingly attractive female voice. Nicolas just stared a moment. "Whatever is the matter? Is it the appearance I wear?"
"Um...lady-" Nicolas managed before she cut him off.
"Allow me to change into something more comfortable then!" As the creature spoke, the carapace began to melt and run, combining into a soldi shell, before it shrunk. Within a few moments, the spider was gone, and a tall woman stood in it's place, wearing a flowing silk robe of identical colour to the carapace. Her hair was long, and a vivid white colour, like well treated silk. In her hair were a number of stones woven into it. They matched the colour and number of the black eyes she'd had as a Strider. Nicolas only stared. This...this hadn't been in the briefing. Deep Striders had power to be certain, but they weren't shapeshifters. Unless...

"You're not just a Strider, are you?" Nicolas asked. The woman smiled, and nodded, giving a half bow.
"Clever Binder! No, I am certainly not just a Strider. I am Queen Ara'chana'thul, one of the regents of the Deep Striders, and I am pleased to make your acquaintance." She gave a rather dazzling smile, and Nicolas felt more than just her inhuman beauty behind it. There was a subtle pull to it, something that seeped into nhis mind. She was trying to charm him. He kept walking in a circle around her, varying his pace, and not giving her a good target.
"The honour is mine highness. it is a rare honour to meet one such as you."
"Oh, and such manners! Though you might improve them further by ceasing to make a lady keep turning to face you."
"I apologise for the perception of being rude, but being honest highness, I have a healthy fear of Banfire." She nodded.
"So you are aware of what my people can do."
"Very much so. I am also aware that the Queens of your people are bound by honour."
"So we are! Do you ask an oath of me then?"
"Swear to work no magicks against me, so long as we are within this place, and have made no formal declarations of hostility."
"Acceptable! And shall you swear to sheathe your blade, and work no violence against me so long as we are within this place, and have made no formal declarations of hostility?"
"Accepted." Nicolas stopped walking, and spared a glance at Sophia who was lookin pale, and shivering slightly. He needed to get her out of here, but he also knew that if he left this place, the protection of the oath would be gone.

"Now then Binder. What shall we talk about?" She asked, taking a few slow steps towards Nicolas. She put a lot of emphasis into her hips when she moved, the movements very clear, but not seeming crass or obvious. No longer able to try and charm him magically, she would have to rely on other means.
"I'd like to talk about getting my companion back to her home." Nicolas told her, keeping his voice neutral but not backing away from her approach.
"Oh, and why should I let her be?"
"A gesture of goodwill between our two peoples."
"And in return, what do I receive? The release of one of the Stolen Queens perhaps?"
"Hardly stolen. They were taken in fair combat when they attempted to lay siege to our realm."
"And if I were to say that this Binder was taken in simialr circumstances?"
"I would accuse you of being false, as she may have come close to your territory, a tresspass is far from laying siege." The Queen inclined her head, acknowledging his point.
"The Binders have kept three of our sovreigns, my sisters, in captivity for centuries. I will take this Binder as recompense, adn consider the matter closed for now."
"Highness, you did not ask for recompense, you came and simply took one of our number. This is not the way to seek recompense, and you well know it. Our leaders would hav taken a meeting with you, and this could have been discussed."
"They would never agree! They would need to break one of their precious blades!" Nicolas was quiet. It seemed the creatures in the Layers didn't know about Walking in the Iron anymore than he had.

"So you come to us. Take one of our people. Demand her life unless we meet a demand that you came here knowing that we could not meet. Where exactly does that leave us Highness?" Nicolas asked. He wanted his blade in his hand, wanted to be ready, but the moment he drew on her, he was waving his protection. And frankly, all she'd have to do was stall a moment or two, and drop a blast of Banefire on him through time. He kept his breathing even. She cocked her head to the side, taking him in, weighing him, measuring him. He knew that she would have to be judging whether or not she could kill him without his being able to inflict a telling enough wound to Bind her.
"Well, it seems we are at an impasse. I'll not give her to you, and you will not leave without her, unless I miss my guess." She said with a smirk, her shoulders rolling to loosen them. Nicolas' mind raced. Her staying in hman form like this might be an advantage all it's own. It would help keep thigns even between them, or at least less overwhelmingly against him.
"You guess right lady." He told her, bowing his head in respect. And then burst forward at her.
 
Again, another wonderful installment! I will admit....I'm glad you had the Strider change forms.....spiders scare me, lol! >.< And now I'm all giddy with excitement to see what happens next! GAH! Can't leave me hanging like this...it's just cruel. hehe! XD Anyhow, this story is still great! I love it! Keep going! *nods* : )
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom