Hi again. Here's part twelve. This one was touch harder to put onto paper. I think it's because I know where I want to go, but getting there can be hard at times. But I got it down and that's all that matters. This installment has a darker touch then the other ones did. In particular the second section of this installment. I just thought that I'd warn you all about that. It fits nicely with the mood I want to put across, but it's definitely dark.
Thanks to everyone that's e-mailed me. You guys have been great. I love hearing from you guys, so drop me a line. Either Mist_dark@yahoo.ca or Mist-dark@hotmail.com I check both and I respond fairly quickly. Special thanks to Kenitra, Shade, Aeoros, Hamado, Phoenix, Dax and Matt.
Legalities, you almost have to love writing this part. But then you lay down and the feeling goes away. This story in no way reflects the sexuality of the members of Nsync. If they're gay, it's not my business and if they're not it's still none of my business. If you're too young or it's illegal in your area to read this, go away. If you're offended by homosexual themes, leave as well. Parts of this story are based off the RPG Rifts. All trademarks belong to Kevin Siembieda and Palladium books.
Now on with the story,
Rune
PART TWELVE
"I promised you that I would aid you in your cause," Yesena snapped. "I said nothing about endangering either myself or my servant. You can ask neither of me, and you wouldn't get them if you asked."
"You just let the pair of them walk out of here with the Siren and the Shapeshifter? What were you thinking?" Sayer fumed.
"I was thinking that my life was in danger," Yesena threw back at him. "I may have been able to kill the one slayer, but not the pair. And I certainly couldn't have killed the dragon without some preparation. That was what I thought first. The second wave of thoughts concerned Richard. I will not see my human servant destroyed just to allow you the pleasure of keeping one of the Seeker's friends in chains."
"He's replaceable," Sayer snapped. "You could find any human and replace that one. He's completely expendable and you are well aware of that fact."
"Perhaps he is replaceable," the vampire agreed. "But so are you. If you don't suit your master's purposes he'll find another. Perhaps destroying you in the process. The point is that I don't wish to replace Richard, and I won't willfully endanger his life."
The priest stalked to the window and stared out into the night sky. After a moments of silence he turned to face the vampire again. "My master will not tolerate mistakes or failures Yesena. I know that as well as anyone. However, he does not simply punish his messengers. You are as much one of his creatures as I am. Your failure will bring me pain, but it will also bring you pain. That much is certain."
Yesena threw her head back and laughed. "You're nothing put a pawn Sayer. A pawn with delusions of power. You control the vampires threw me. Without me you have no vampires. You control the Wraith through his hunger, the hunger that is satisfied by the Gemini. And no one controls the Gemini. The dragon constantly seeks ways to undermine you control over her, and will destroy you the first chance she gets. Even your priestly powers aren't your own. They're granted to you by your master." She laughed again. "You're trapped. You've spun so elaborate a web that if collapses you'll be destroyed in the process."
Sayer arched an eyebrow at her. "Is that a threat?"
"No," Yesena told him. "Just a statement of fact. My children are still yours for whatever plans you have. But never ask me to replace my human servant. Few have made that request and lived to tell of the tale."
The Wraith walked down the streets of the city. People fleeing around him. Not all were fleeing from him. Most were trying to escape the swarms of flying insects that were filling the streets. The Gemini had bypassed Sayer's commands and had reunited. One of their first acts had been to raise this plague and send it into the city. Wraith had enjoyed the concept enough to join the anarchy that was spreading through the people.
A young man tripped and fell in front of the creature's pale form. Smiling to itself the Wraith reached down and grabbed the youth by the sides of his head. With inhuman strength the youth was lifted to his feet raised to look the sightless creature in the eye. The young man screamed. The veins in his head began to stand out as sweat poured down his face. The flesh started to pale and became cracked. The sweat stopped running and the skin was rapidly becoming dry. The youth's hair grew and turned white at the same time. His face wrinkled. His eyes rolled back in pain and sunk into the sockets. The youth gave one scream before the Wraith's touch drained him of all life. A gust of wind pulled the remains from the creature's hands. They shattered into dust when they hit the ground.
Laughing to itself the Wraith continued its walk through the city. Most of the people had successfully made it out of the streets and into their homes. Every window and door was closed. Most were boarded up from the inside. Here and there was an unfortunate person who hadn't moved quickly enough. They lay in crumpled heaps with the insects buzzing around their bodies. Some were till making feeble gestures to swat the bugs, but the insects' poison had taken effect.
One woman lay on her side twitching ever so slightly in her paralysis. Her eyes were locked in horror. She knew what was going to happen and she would be awake for most of it. The Wraith watched her for a few moments. Drinking in the agony the poured off her body. This woman alone could have satisfied his need for anguish, but it would gorge itself before it left the city.
Sayer watched in disgust as the Gemini fawned over one another. He had had the unfortunate timing to witness them finishing an act of lovemaking. The priest was not homophobic, but he would rather not be presented with the issue. The pair had ignored him completely and finished the task at hand. Now they lounged in the arms of each other in a post-orgasmic bliss. What made the situation the most disturbing was the fact they were not only brothers, but twins. It was the strangest form of narcissism he had ever heard of. At least no child could be born of their union.
"They disgust you," Wraith said. "Don't they?"
Sayer turned to face the pale creature. "Yes they do. I don't like the fact they're gay. But I truly dislike the fact that they're twins and involved the way they are. It's," he waved his hand as he groped for the word. "Unnatural. But since they're serving their purpose, they can do whatever they like."
A smile touched the Wraith's lips. "And they are performing their duties perfectly. I have not eaten this well in centuries. They are producing enough pain and anguish themselves to sate even my hunger."
"That brings me to my point," Sayer said calmly. He ignored the movement of the two men on the bed. "These two will rarely follow orders that are given to them, by anyone. They lack the sanity to understand what is being asked of them. You, however, are more then capable of following directions. One of the things that was asked of you was to separate the Gemini. Which you did. But you didn't feel the need to inform me when they reunited themselves?"
The Wraith turned its sightless gaze to the priest. "I have allied myself with you Sayer. I am not one of your minions. I separated the Gemini because of the pain it inflicted. They were tormented. They are one mind in two bodies. By separating them I could feed of their pain, their sorrow." The Wraith watched the twins for a moment before continuing. "You then asked me to take one of them and raise a plague to destroy a city. He couldn't do it alone. Not even with hours of time to prepare. The only way to fulfil your request was to allow them to reunite. It seemed the logical choice."
"You are manipulating my words," the priest accused. "You knew perfectly well what I was asking."
"Perhaps I didn't," The Wraith suggested. "Perhaps your instructions weren't clear enough. You've held your end of the bargain to this point. I have had my full of pain and sorrow, though my appetite will quickly return. I am holding my end of the bargain as well. I have aided you in the capture of the ice dragon as well as the destruction of various people."
"You razed that city for your own benefit, not because of my order," Sayer told it. "You gorged yourself off their deaths. That is the reason you did it, not to destroy any resistance that they might have offered."
"Perhaps. But the city was destroyed. For whatever reason I did it, it has accomplished the goal. You need the people removed. They posed a threat to you and I removed it. A different path to the same goal."
"You are walking a tight line," the priest said. "As I told the vampire, my master will destroy those that he views as being dangerous. Failures reflect poorly on me, but they reflect on you as well. Fail and you will be destroyed."
The smile that had traced the Wraith's lips vanished abruptly. "I will assume that is not a threat priest and I will not kill you for issuing it. I may have been too weak to do so when you first released me, but I am more then a match for you. Instead I will take it as a friendly warning." The smile returned. "And let me return the favour. You are also walking a tight line. You have begun to control forces that you shouldn't have tried. You cannot control us all at once. Yesena and I are both of our own will. We will do as we see fit. The Gemini are uncontrollable. Oh we can manipulate them, but we can't truly control them. Even to maintain the spells on the dragon requires you to use a focus." Its smile widened as it caught the look of surprise on the priest's face. "I'm aware of the gem you use. It would be a pity of it were to shatter. Neva would most certainly descend on you the moment that happened." The smile left the creature's face again. "Just a friendly warning of course. You can't be too careful when dealing with supernatural creatures."
Sayer watched the creature leave the room. It barely made a sound, and even opening the door was done silently. His gaze fell on the two men on the bed. The Gemini had recovered and were once again involved in an act of lovemaking. He watched them without truly watching them. His mind was else where. Absently he reached into a pocket in his robe and removed a gem the size of an apple. It was a reddish gem that pulsed now and again with a dim light. He ran his finger over the carving of a dragon on the gem's surface.
A cry of ecstasy woke him from his musing. He replaced the gem and left the room so that he wouldn't have to witness another orgasm from the twins.
The forest stretched out all around Lance and Lachesis. The trees reached high into the sky, almost blotting out all of the light that would filter through.
"My time with you is almost over Lance," Lachesis said. "I hope that you've learned everything that I can show you."
"We're done?" Lance asked.
"Not completely. There's one last thing that you have to see that I will show you. Then Atropos will show you others." Lachesis smiled and led the way through the forest. Now and again she used her measuring stick to part bushes.
Lance followed her carefully. The ground was littered with small pieces of stone and walking quickly wasn't a good idea. He often used the scythe as a walking stick to support himself over some of the more uneven ground. She led them to a large stream. It was about six feet across and running briskly.
"What are the odds of these being a metaphor?" Lance asked.
"Slim," Lachesis replied. "Very, very slim." To make her point the ground rumbled. "The Guardians are losing control more and more frequently." The ground shook violently. "They're trying their best, but they need the new Guardian."
Lance was almost thrown to his feet by the next quake. The stream rippled and bucked upward as a stone slab ripped through the water. A vent released steam into the air. The earth rumbled again. The ground around the stream buckled and ripped open, releasing more steam. A huge natural formation shot upward out of the fissure. As it grew more of the ground was torn open. Lance and Lachesis stumbled backward to avoid it and eventually just fled before the growing mountain. Trees were heaved out of the ground by the geological force.
They ran for close to ten minutes. Lance wondered why Lachesis didn't just move them to safety, but didn't ask her. Finally the earth stopped shaking and they slowed their run to a walk before stopping altogether. They turned and stared up at the newly formed mountain. A huge section of the forest was missing and in its place was the grayish rock. Around the mountain the forest stood untouched, almost as if it had always been there.
"Is this happening all over the planet?" Lance asked in awe.
"This and worse," Lachesis told him. "And sometimes the effects are reversed. This mountain could be gone tomorrow or in an hour. Storms appear out of nowhere. Even the plants that retook the city we just visited are dead. The delicate balance of nature is being torn apart."
"And I can fix this?"
"In ways you cannot even understand," the woman told him.
"You know more about this then you're telling me," Lance said. "Don't you?"
"I should hope so," Lachesis said. "My sisters and I will continue to weave until existence is gone. We are preparing for events that may never happen."
"Wait," Lance said. "What did you say the other sister's name was?"
"Atropos? Or Clotho?"
"Atropos. She's the oldest right?" He asked. "You're real?"
Lachesis laughed. "Yes we're real Lance. We're as real as anyone is. We've woven fate since the beginning of time. And will continue to do so until the end of time."
"My sister is right," an elderly woman said. Lance looked at the newcomer. She was dressed in the same style as Clotho and Lachesis were. Here arms were bare while her feet were covered. Her dress was black and her hair was white. Like her sisters she carried a candle in one hand and a pair of scissors. "You may impart your gift before leaving sister, but Clotho needs your assistance."
Lachesis nodded. She reached out and touched Lance's forehead with her left hand. A jolt ran through the blonde's body. "Take care Seeker." She shimmered like her sister had and then faded from view.
"Atropos right?" Lance asked.
The elderly woman nodded. "Yes. You've much to learn Lance, and sadly I cannot show you much. You must travel on your own for most of this time."
"What?"
The woman blew on her candle's flame and the fire erupted around them both. When the flames had cleared they were standing in a large circular room. Around the room were countless gateways. Each was made of a different substance. One gate appeared to have been carved out of solid ivory, while another seemed to be made of one large ruby.
"Where are we?"
"This is the Hall of Gateways," Atropos told him. "Each of these gateways leads to another world."
"Like my home and the world the Guardians are active in?"
"No," the Fate told him. "More like different planes. "That one," she pointed to the gate carved out of a ruby. "Leads to the plane of fire. That one over there leads to the realm of the dead." She pointed to a few of the gates and told him where they led. "You must pick which ones will teach you and learn from them. Each has something to teach you, but some lessons are more important then others."
"Which ones are which?" He asked. There had to be hundreds of gates in the hall. "I don't have time to search them all."
"No you don't," the woman admitted. "But you'll know which ones to pick. Not at first, but you'll know."
"How?"
"Do you know what it means to be the Seeker?" She asked him in answer to his question.
"It means I'm supposed to find the next Guardian so that the Balance can be restored."
A smile crept across her face. "There's more to it then that. Perhaps you'll find that answer on your journey."
"How do I get back?" Lance asked. He was looking at one of the gateways. It was made out of a deep bluish stone. "I mean getting in is easy, but will it be as easy to get out?"
"Easier. When you feel you have learned enough, will yourself back. You'll appear here again. Then you can pick another gateway." She reached out and took the scythe from his grasp. "You must complete this journey alone. You have the strength inside you Lance."
"I don't like this," Lance admitted. "I mean, what if I screw up."
"You'll do the best you can. That's all anyone can ask of you." She looked him over. "You'll do fine, trust an old woman to know what she's talking about."
Lance nodded and stepped through the gateway he'd been looking at earlier. Moments after he vanished the other two Fates appeared.
"Do you think he'll succeed?" Clotho asked.
"We can only hope sister," Atropos told her. "We can't weave a complete destiny for that boy. We know the destiny we want him to have, but he'll ultimately decide that."
TBC
So what did you think? Interested yet? Got any theories? Let me know.
Until next time, Rune