Greetings. Now and again I have the time to sit down and just write. I lucked out, this was one of those times. I've got lots of time to think about what I want to have happen, but it takes a while for me to get it on to paper. But I've got this part down, which is definitely a good thing. Anyway, I'm babbling here so I'm going to just cut to the usual.
Thanks to everyone and anyone that's e-mailed me. I love getting them. They give me something to do between classes. Besides sleeping that is. You'd be surprised how many people you see sleeping around the college at any given moment. I've actually seen people asleep on the radiators. (didn't look very comfortable, but it had to have been nice and warm). So unless you want me sleeping on a radiator, please e- mail me. (There, begging is done) Special thanks to Kenitra, Shade, Aeoros, Hamado, Dax, Matt and Phoenix. You can reach me at either Mist_dark@yahoo.ca or Mist_Dark@hotmail.com
If you're too young, or it's illegal in your area to read this, please leave. If homosexual themes offend you, leave as well. This story in no way is supposed to reflect the sexuality of any of the members of Nsync. If they're gay, it's their business. Same goes if they're straight. Parts of this story are based off the RPG Rifts. All trademarks belong to Kevin Siembieda and Palladium books.
Enjoy. Until next time, Rune
PART THIRTEEN
Each of the gateways had been covered with a reflective film, so it was impossible to see what lay beyond each. Once Lance had stepped through the gateway he'd chosen, he could see a long hallway. It was carved of the same deep bluish stone that the gateway had been. It was wide enough for two of him to walk abreast and could easily accommodate someone three times his height. There was a light source, but he couldn't see where it was coming from. It was like the air itself was illuminated.
With one final glance at the gateway behind him, the blonde strode forward. The passageway was long and curved slightly so that you couldn't see the exit from the gateway. He guessed that it took him almost twenty minutes of walking to reach the end. When he stepped out of the passageway his breathe was taken away by the sight before him.
The ground was a dark blue. It took him a moment to realize that the ground was actually composed of water. Though it seemed reasonably solid. The sky was a lighter shade of blue and was water like the ground. Even the air around him was tinged the blue that water gets when there's just enough light to hide the fact its actually colourless. Tentatively he took a step forward. The watery-ground held him. Sighing in relief he stepped completely out of the passageway and into the realm.
"Just a guess," he said to himself. "But I'm guessing this is the water realm." He looked around for a moment while he tried to decide which way to go. He felt a tingling sensation when he faced the left. "That's odd," he muttered. He kept turning and the sensation faded away. It returned when he was facing that way again. "Guess we go this way."
Lance headed off in the direction that sensation was. The further he traveled the more intense the sensation grew. He noticed very little in the realm physically. But he knew there were creatures out there. He didn't know how he knew, but he just knew. He could almost feel them. From what he'd read on the subject from Selvar's library, he guessed they were elementals.
"They can't hurt you," Lance comforted himself. "They're not being directed by anyone."
Of course none of the readings he'd done had said anything about what an elemental could do in its natural habitat. He passed the time by trying to recall everything that he knew about elementals. They were creatures of varying intelligence that were summoned from one dimension to another. They were organized by the type of body the inhabited in the new world. Water elementals made bodies out of ice and water, whereas an earth elemental would use wood, stone, mud or clay. They had a few magical abilities, and would do anything their summoners told them to do. Though they had to be dealt with carefully. They never lied and when they said they were going to kill you, they were going to do just that. He remembered reading about one wizard that had abused a fire elemental that he had summoned. The wizard refused to release the creature and eventually it had destroyed the entire castle that it had been summoned to protect. The wizard sent it back to its native dimension, but not until it had done a great deal of damage to the surrounding countryside. The wizard had been mortally wounded in the process of sending it back.
The tingling sensation had grown stronger. It felt like his entire body had fallen asleep and was just walking up. He wasn't particularly fond of the feeling, but it didn't bother him a lot.
After almost two hours of walking he saw something. The only thing that gave any indication that he had been moving at all. It was just a ripple in the air/water ahead of him. As he got closer he could see that the ripple was humanoid. At first he thought it was one of the elementals taken a recognizable form, but he quickly dismissed the notion.
"Hurry Lance," it whispered. "We can't hold our realms for much longer."
A look of confusion crossed Lance's face. A look of realization followed it. "So that's what I was feeling."
"Hurry," the ripple whispered again. "Please hurry."
"I think I'm beginning to understand what you mean Atropos." He closed his eyes and willed himself to return to the Hall.
"So how have you been keeping up with your lessons Joseph?" Evelyn asked as she sipped her tea. The woman sat in a chair across from Joey.
"Which ones?" He asked from his sit on the couch. "I've been working more with telekinetics and trying really hard with pyrokinetics, but I haven't been able to do much with healing."
Evelyn nodded. "That would make sense. Not all of us are strong in certain areas."
"What do you mean?"
"There are three basic types of powers, loosely grouped of course. There are healing powers, physical powers and sensitive powers. Healing speaks for itself. Physical powers are ones like telekinetics and sensitive powers are telepathy and the like. I'm strongest in the healing powers, whereas you are strongest in the physical. You can train yourself in your weak areas, but you will never match me in healing ability. Nor I you in the physical."
"But why can you still life more with your mind then I can?" Joey asked. "If I'm the stronger physical. Or is that a training aspect."
"Yes and no. I'm a very strong telekinetic Joseph. I can lift a great deal, but when you reach your full potential you'll be able to lift far more. Being grouped into one of the categories is rarely completely accurate. It just means most of my strongest powers are related to healing. I would rank healer, sensitive and then physical. You would rank physical, sensitive, and then healer. Does that make sense?"
Joey nodded. "I think so. It just means I won't be able to perform the medical miracles that you do."
A smile graced Evelyn's lips. "Something like that." She took another sip of her tea before setting the cup on the table. "Don't sell yourself short child. You will be able to a great deal, but no one can do everything."
"I know that," he said. "It'd be nice though. To be strong in all of the areas. Though to be honest, I'm just as happy with my own array. I've got enough to learn as it is."
"Very true," Evelyn laughed. "Let's see what you can do. You've had some time to experiment on your own."
Joey grinned. "You mean I get to show off now?"
"Yes," Evelyn smiled.
"I've been waiting a long time to do this."
Joey pulled his legs up onto the couch so that he could sit cross-legged. He rose into the air until he was hovering a few feet above the floor. He closed his eyes and slowly turned to face the water basin on a table next to the wall. The water rippled and then began to boil. As the sounds of boiling water were still filling the room, it heaved upward. The boiling water swirled in a mini-waterspout.
He turned away from the basin without letting the waterspout go. The brunette nodded at a candelabra. The wicks of each of the ten candles smoked briefly before lighting themselves. Pyrokinetics wasn't his specialty, but he could do something in the area. With another nod the candelabra's twin emptied itself of its candles. He waved his hand at the lit candles. One by one they disappeared from one candelabra and reappeared in the other. The process repeated itself as he turned his attention to other objects in the room.
"Okay Joseph," Evelyn said. "You can do one more thing and then you have to stop."
Joey sighed and then grinned wickedly. The waterspout dropped back into the basin as the candles flickered out and stopped their teleporting act. Evelyn's cup rattled on its saucer. The cup and saucer rose lightly into the air. They were followed by other small objects around the room. Books, vases, pens, paper, and so on. All of them floated off their surfaces and rose into the air. The couch, table and the chair Evelyn was sitting quickly joined the other objects in the air. As did the woman herself. Soon, anything that wasn't attached to the floor or walls was floating aimlessly.
"Very good," Evelyn said. "Now put everything back. And don't break anything."
"You're absolutely no fun," Joey said as he carefully put everything back in its proper place. "Did anyone ever tell you that?"
"Several people," she told him. "But mother's aren't supposed to be fun. That's why they're mothers." She walked over to a cabinet one Joey had replaced it. After rummaging through it for a few moments she pulled out several bottles and pouches of herbs. "Now I believe it's time to tend to Calypso and Josh."
"You have to enjoy mixing those vile concoctions," Joey accused. "That's the only answer I can think of. No one in their right mind would drink those unless you were standing over them at the time."
"Which is exactly why I stand right there and watch them drink it." She checked to make sure she had everything she wanted. "They won't need the herbs much longer. Their tissues have almost recovered from the rapid regeneration that we performed. Though I wish I could say what the long term psychological effects would be. Short of erasing their memories, I can't be sure we've gotten rid of that creature's influence over them."
"Would that work?" Joey asked. "Wiping their memories I mean."
"I'm not sure," she admitted. "It might, but I don't like the idea of doing it. It isn't proper to eliminate a memory just because you don't like it. But I'll do it if I have to." She opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. "Practice while I'm gone. We'll work with you telepathy when I get back."
The trip to the northern coast of Africa was covered far more quickly then Chris or Mala had expected. As she said Maria and Brian accompanied them. They ran hard every night and spent most of the day sleeping. At first he was sure that the horse would be wary of the vampire, but they seemed to accept her. When Mala suggested that they should take turns on the horses, both Maria and Brian laughed.
"They won't let me ride them anyway," the vampire had told her. "And I don't need to ride a horse."
"I'll be able to keep up," Brian told her confidently.
Mala had tried to argue, but stopped when Maria shapeshifted into a wolf. The wolf lolled her tongue at the thief before lopping off to the north. Brian laughed. He slung his bow over his shoulder and ran after the wolf. In less then a minute he'd caught up the wolf and kept pace with it. Chris and Mala shrugged and nudged their horses to follow. The animals were reluctant to move as quickly as they were at night, but did so anyway. They'd been trained well.
The second concern Chris had for the horses came after he realized the pace that Maria intended to set for them. He didn't know a lot about horses, but he knew that they wouldn't be able to keep up the constant galloping for long. He pointed this out to Maria when she began to slow the pace after he'd gotten her attention.
The wolf slowed her stride to a walk and then stopped all together. Brian followed suit so suddenly that Chris almost ran him over. The blonde dodged out of the way at the last moment. Once the horses had been cooled down Maria shifted back into human form.
"They're probably not going to like this at first," she said. "But it'll let them run all the way there." She looked each horse in the eyes. Her own eyes glowed crimson for a moment and the horse quieted under her gaze. Once they were under she walked to the side of Chris' horse and asked him to dismount. When he had she bared her fangs and sunk them into the horse's neck. The animal flinched when her teeth broke its skin, but that was it. She drank for a moment before straightening. She repeated the process with Mala's horse.
"What did you just do?" Mala asked.
"I've formed a bond with them," Maria told her. "It's not anywhere as complex as the one I have with Brian, but it'll lend them some of my endurance. If it weren't for the sun we could run the entire way to the coast and never have to stop."
"Will they be alright?" Chris asked. He wiped the blood off his horse's neck. The animal barely acknowledged his touch.
"They'll be skittish at first," Brian told him. "We'll have to walk them for a little while, until they get used to their increased senses. After that you can ride them again."
"Increased senses?" Mala said.
"Bonding with a vampire increases your senses to be more like the vampire's," Brian told her. "The horses will hear and see better then they did before. But the sense of touch is increased dramatically. They wouldn't be able to stand you on their backs at first, once they adjust they'll be fine."
"Did you have to adjust to that too?" Chris asked.
"Yes," Brian laughed. "But I was busy trying to deal with other things. Like how not to shoot my master with my bolts of light. That took a while. By the time I'd mastered that I was used to my strengthened senses."
"They won't do that, will they?" Chris asked worriedly. "Shooting light I mean."
"Only human servants are granted that ability," Maria assured him. "Your horses will be like any other horse, only they'll be able to see and hear more." She looked at the sky. "We should get moving. We've got some time before we have to start looking for a place to rest."
They walked their horses for a few hours and then found a place that would shelter Maria from the sun. They found shelter for themselves and the horses for the day. When night fell again they continued their journey. They didn't come across any other problems. No vampires attacked them and nature seemed to be at peace for the time being. It took them less then a week to reach the coast. They saw the odd person, but didn't stop for them. And in most cases the people didn't bother them. Not many people were willing to ask why two people were racing, at full gallop across the land. Especially if they had a wolf and a man on foot keeping pace with them.
When they reached the coast they found a port city and secured passage to England. It took a great deal of persuasion to sail at all and then even more to allow them to board after dark had fallen. Maria promised that she would put herself into a stasis state that would eliminate her feeding habits until they arrived in England. Brian stayed with her the entire time. Chris and Mala were left to their own devices for most of the trip. They spent a great deal of time in the cabin they shared.
"FOOL!" The dark ball raged. "I have given you a simple task Sayer. A very simple task and you are beginning to lose control of it already. Why?"
The priest bowed his head before the ball. "I am sorry Master. The creatures that you have asked me to ally are beginning to refuse my orders. They will not listen to the words that you have given me. I cannot continue to control them."
"That is why they will be useful Sayer. They needn't trust you or each other, but they will finish their tasks." The ball was silent for several minutes. Sayer didn't move from his kneeling position in front of the throne. "Perhaps this could be used as well. Have you destroyed the resistance of the main cities?"
"Yes Master. The Gemini and the Wraith have razed several of the cities and a number of the smaller ones as well. Neva has also been taking out her frustration on them. The only city that has not been destroyed is under Yesena's control. The people fears her power. They will be no trouble."
"Good," the ball mused. "The Guardians are unable to prevent me from working my will in this world. They can barely hold onto their own realms, let along mount a counter attack to my plans. The Seeker is a problem though. If he finds the new Guardian we will be unable to continue."
"We could find him again Master," Sayer offered.
"I doubt it. The Fates have woven him into his destiny already. However, they can do little to stop our other actions." The ball was silent again. "No, the Seeker is beyond our grasp. But we may be able to harm him indirectly."
"Master?"
"One of his friends was taken away by Neva when she first captured the Seeker. That man is just now returning to England. If we strike properly we will be able to deal a blow to the Seeker. Perhaps enough to distract him from his quest long enough for reality to unravel."
"You wish me to capture this man?"
"I am aware of your incompetence at kidnapping Sayer," the ball sneered. "I am going to give you a task that is much simpler. I want you to kill this man."
"Yes Master," Sayer said. "I will not fail you."
"See that you don't."
TBC
How was that? Likes? Dislikes? Opinions on the democratic parties of Canada? Let me know what you think.
Rune