by Lady Ellen
“Well, there’s this...this shadow or something...sort of attached to your Seed, I think.”
He looked into the bag. “I don’t see anything. But that Seed is bizarrely heavy, that’s for sure.”
They both stared into the bag, but could see nothing.
Persy shook her head then closed the bag. “I guess we should be getting back,” still mystified by the weight of the bag.
“Yes, you’re right.” They walked out of the Crystal Seed room back to the Cave entrance.
Randy and Delecta were waiting for them. Persy walked up to Delecta, opening the satin bag, showed her which Seed Crystals they selected. In a split second, the weight of the bag changed, becoming decidedly lighter. Delecta and Randy both turned almost in a spin looking up the road behind them.
“What?” cried Randy. “What was that?”
Randy and Delecta stared at each other, open mouthed. “I felt it too!” Delecta said, in a slight panic. Persy agreed. There, for the briefest moment was a diffused and distinctly Black, very cold vibration, which rapidly vanished.
“Randy and I are going back into the Cave to see if we can ferret out the source of this problem. I’m going to have Sam take you all back to the entranceway, if that’s alright with you,” said Delecta.
“Sure,” said Persy. “I think we need to get back to Laurel, she’s waiting for us. I would love to know what you find, though. Zeemeld wants me to visit, so maybe we can catch up with each other then?”
“Absolutely,” said Randy. “Fawna or Durin will connect with you to set that up. I only hope we can get to the bottom of this Black vibration thing soon. It really concerns me that it managed to get into Rose Arbour at all.”
They said their good-byes and followed Sam back to the entranceway, stopping briefly to say ‘bye to Zeemeld.
Persy, Thaddeus and P-C were the first to the doorway in the tree followed closely by the fairies. Persy’s Black alert went off as the door opened. She quickly looked around, but again, saw nothing. She let Thaddeus know in a whisper what just happened. They both fell into deep thought as they made their way through the grove, down the vine covered wall, on their way back to where Laurel was waiting.
That vibration was undoubtedly Black. What in the world was going on?
The Hand of Glory
“Clomp, clomp, clomp, shuffle, clomp, clomp, clomp, shuffle,” Melanthios heard the footsteps coming, from far down the hall and she knew who they belonged to.
She was standing at her podium, re-reading for the umpteenth time, in the Book of Black Dominance, the instructions and steps to produce the Dark item she’d need to claim Persephane’s Cimaruta. Melanthios was of two minds. She resented the interruption, but very much wanted to speak with the owner of that singular gait.
She visualized the methodology as she re-read the passage: “The hand must be severed from a murderer, hung preferably at crossroads...” Done… Melanthios smirked. “What a night that was.”
“Next, take the hand.” Melanthios stopped, noticing a shadow forming at the doorway, eighteen inches from the floor. The shadow slowly morphed into something more solid. Hairy and a body about the size of a North American football, with eight long, angular legs and its face a nest of eyeballs, studying the room from all directions. Melanthios turned to directly face the door.
“Hello, Tash. Where on earth have you been?” asked Melanthios. “What’s it been? A few weeks?”
Formally known as ‘Natasha the Nasty’, Melanthios had found the massive spider in a crypt when Time-Linxing to ancient Egypt. Tash, as Melanthios affectionately came to call her, was so grateful to be freed, that she stayed at Bodesnoir as sort of a side-kick.
Tash spoke as if she was dubbed by the ever-charming Zsa Zsa Gabor. Where that came from, was anybody’s guess.
“Dah-leeng! Eet’s been dreadful, I can’t tell you!” Tash exclaimed. “I teenk I’ve the most terrrrrrr-ible ee-motional traumas.”
Melanthios couldn’t stop herself from cracking a smile. It’s really difficult not to be amused by this oversized arachnid and her affected personality.
“All’s I ever hear eez about Rose Arbour in ze forest, so I teenk to myself...I must go and zee what eez ze beeg deal? I manage to cloaks myself very well. I copy energy of ze rose - eez everywhere there, and I get’s into ze ceety. Zen I vait near ze entrance to ze Cave and I follows ze guard in when he goes to check ze Cave out. He cannot zee or feel me - he eez not tryink. But zen ven I enter ze Mageecal Room of ze Creestal Zeeds - I cannot get back out! Eez terrrrrr-ible! I am stuck zere for all zis time. I only gets out when zose keeds come in and choose zere Crystal Zeeds.” Natasha whimpered.
Melanthios’ attention is suddenly piqued. “What did those ‘keeds’ do?”
“Oh, zey eech take a creestal. Ze boy, he takes a red one and I just happened to be zitting on zat wall. I am steel not to be zeen, zo I grab on and he puts me in ze white bag. Ze girl, zee takes a green one. When zee girl opens ze bag to show ze uzzer girl, I sleeps away and gets out ze main door ven ze keeds leave.”
Natasha ambled into the room, plunks herself down on the floor and pouts with her many mouth parts.
“You’ve been missed here, Tash,” Melanthios said. “I’m preparing an excellent specimen of a Hand of Glory.”
“Ahhhhh,” Natasha brightens. “Vat are vee do-ink veeth eet?”
“I believe one of those ‘keeds’ you saw was my charming young niece. She wears around her neck, the first item I need to become the ‘All Powerful One’. Her Cimaruta. A strong, well made Hand of Glory will serve me well to enable me to take it from her.”
“Excellent. Ven do vee do thees?” For Natasha knew only too well what a good ‘Hand of Glory’ could do.
“Soon. I’m almost done. Maybe even tomorrow night if the moon is right.”
“Dee-lightful. “But now...I must go find zome good deener, stoopid Cave...no deecent flies or bugs. A gal...zee could starve in zere.”
Melanthios watched Natasha ‘clomp, clomp, clomp, shuffle’ out of the room. Grinning again; she couldn’t help but think of a walking, hairy footstool.
Natasha was pondering not only about a juicy bug ‘deener’, which was always easy to track down within the walls of Bodesnoir, but also about her concealed ‘purple creestal’, for Natasha had her own agenda, one which would shake Melanthios to her cold, black core.
Melanthios returned to the Book, and resumed checking that every step has been done, and done well. She had Time-Linxed to the early 1700’s to obtain these instructions:
“Cover the hand of the hanged murderer and wrap in fabric, pressing it hard, extracting any remaining fluids.
Place covered hand in an earthenware container.
Mix cinnamon, saltpetre, salt and peppercorns, grind these completely together.
Spread over the hand and let sit for two weeks.
Expose the hand to the heat of the sun in high summer until fully dehydrated.
To use the Hand, a candle will be placed in its palm and one finger will be lit for each person in the house where the theft occurs. All occupants will then fall into the dreamless sleep of the near-dead.”
At which time, Melanthios would have no trouble at all removing the Cimaruta from an unknowing Persy’s neck.
Of Course You Know…This Means War!
Thaddeus turned and stared at the vines on the rock face. “You know, Persy, I think we should take some of these flowers to dry,”
“They have a particularly high resonance,” he said, as he gently placed his hand over a few of the blossoms, “and just by the fact there are so many varied colours on the same vines, tells me how unusual they are. They make me think of Clematis of some epic variety. Some call it ‘Traveler’s Joy’-does wonders on tired, blistered feet. I know Laurel ‘won’t leave home without it’,” he joked with a wry grin.
“I see what you mean,” agreed Persy studying the flowers more carefully. “I’ve got a deep pocket which can hold quite a few”.
They
gently extracted four or five handfuls of the firmest blooms and some leaves, taking care to choose approximately the same number of each colour.
Although the moon’s light guided them well, during the walk back downstream to meet Laurel, the larger trees that loomed along the riverbank were making it hard to see. Persy threw a Lighting Charm and the six companions found it much easier to negotiate their way.
As they walked, P-C thought about the Black Vibe, and he hoped that Randy and Delecta discovered its source.
Persy heard him mutter and said quietly, “I believe it was already gone.” She remembered it with a shudder.
They saw Laurel seated on the rock where they had left her. She appeared transfixed, smiling as she watched the Fairy Folk and their kin celebrate their release from Melanthios’ hold. And they were whooping it up in fine fashion. Their glowing lights and energy fields illuminated the whole meadow with a riot of colour and intensities, not unlike the explosive Christmas displays on Yonge Street in Toronto, Persy thought. She loved that she was part of the reason for these exuberant festivities. It made her feel much warmer against the cool of the night.
“Oy, these Fairy Folk really love to party!” Benson said.
“Yeah,” answered P-C. “Lots of pent up steam being let off there.”
Persy watched Thaddeus, noticing his particular enjoyment. She imagined his life’s been devoid of a lot of fun and normal childhood free-form frivolity. Laurel, although loving enough in her own limited way, seemed strict and very focused on his training. According to Angelica, Laurel’s upbringing was strict, making emotion hard to express. The summation of her philosophy was that success in life was measured in being the best one could be. Thaddeus turned to glance at Persy, showing a slightly embarrassed grin, as if he’d been caught doing something he shouldn’t. She cheered loudly for the Fairy Folk. Exuberance was a good thing.
Persy, Thaddeus and P-C simultaneously reached Laurel’s side, while the fairies and Benson zoomed in to light on her knees. Again Laurel listened (and she’s getting pretty good at this) to the chorus of voices, each trying to catch her up with what happened at Rose Arbour. The din ended almost as quickly as it began, culminating with Persy and Thaddeus describing their respective Crystal Seeds and the strange weight difference between them.
“...and then all of a sudden it was gone.” said Thaddeus. “Persy picked up a Black Vibration, but we still don’t know exactly what it was.”
Laurel sat quietly, deep in thought. “My sense would be that it has to be something to do with Melanthios or one of her minions. They are actively seeking, and to me that means preparing to take action. Our every move has to be very guarded now. Come, let’s get back to the manor, I have a few serious protection charms to prepare.”
Fawna and Durin said their good-byes and re-joined the festive Fairy Folk. The rest walked back to Laurel’s, bombarding her with questions as they went along.
“What do you think she’s preparing to do, Grandmother?” Persy asked. “Has this something to do with the Quest you spoke of? The challenges for which I’m somehow destined?”
“I believe so, Persephane,” replied Laurel. “The timing is right. No one from the Dark or White side can engage or attack an underage First Order Magical...but as you are just months from your thirteenth birthday, I think I can safely say that she is gearing up to do battle. Actually it can occur at any time.”
“What do you think will happen, Laurel?” Thaddeus demanded. “We’re sticking by Persy throughout these quests, so we need all you have.”
“You’re perfectly correct, Thaddeus...it’s time to explain what I know. Let’s get back to the manor and I’ll lay it out for you. I really need to be working on protection and I can do both in the kitchen,” Laurel said.
They walked in relative silence all the way back, each processing what they thought may be ahead.
They entered the manor and headed directly for the kitchen. Laurel put the kettle on for tea and began taking various jars of herbs, and indeterminate items from her shelves. With a wave of her wand the fire in the large hearth sprung to a height of about two feet and settled back to a quiet, percolating glow, just enough to warm the room against the chilled Bellaryan night.
Persy and Thaddeus sat at the table with expressions mixed with apprehension and eagerness to know, waiting for Laurel to explain.
“I understand your alarm, Thaddeus but the thing is, those of the White side don’t know a great deal. The only part I know for sure is this,” Laurel began.
“After Melanthios worked with Willow for...oh, maybe six months or so, she came home at night simply exhausted. At that point, I could do my own Mind Reveals on her and she was unable to do very effective Mind Walls, try as she would. I was able to pick up her advancement in herbal powers and their place in dark spells, the meaning and performance of black spells and charms, what I would call the everyday learning of an apprentice Black Witch. Her thoughts often flickered to a large black book on a podium in the main drawing room, but at that point, she knew little of its contents or purpose.”
“What do you think it was, Grandmother?” asked Persy, obviously enraptured by this tale.
Even Benson, held his usual cheeky banter, because a story like this normally gave him a ton of fodder for quips and bad jokes.
“I’m getting to that,” she said, as she worked around the kitchen, extracting a myriad of contents from her containers and setting them in little individual mounds on her counters.
“On one occasion, near the time when I never really saw her again, so that would be a couple of years into her training, Melanthios was home on one of her infrequent visits and she left some belongings in a basket near her bed, while she was out searching for herbs. I caught sight of the end of a scroll poking out from under a shawl and seeing as she was being so secretive, I’m afraid I played the ‘Mother’ card and looked at the scroll, hoping to get some inkling as to what she was doing. You see, she became incredibly good at throwing Mind Walls, so a Mother’s got to do what a Mother’s got to do.
There wasn’t a lot on it, but it did list the numbers one through nine and beside number one was ‘Cimaruta – P’. At the top were the initials A. P. O. I knew right away what this was. The time was nearing for an opening of one of the major Dark Portals and if a First Order Black Witch has been properly trained and has accumulated the Nine Magical Objects as outlined by the Book of Black Dominance, then she can be granted the stature of ‘All Powerful One’ - in which case the Dark will rule this realm.”
“MY CIMARUTA?” screeched Persy, her hand flying to her chest to grab it.
“Yes, my dear, I’m afraid so.”
“What is the Book of Black Dominance?” asked Thaddeus with a quizzical but unmistakably frightened look on his face.
“Well, we at the Magical Folk Governing Council, haven’t a lot of information about it either, but one of our members has a spy in Willow’s house, unbeknownst to the rest of us...not a Munz form, some insect or animal. They were told of the Book. Evidently, Willow was assigned and collected the information she felt will lead to Melanthios becoming the All Powerful One. Hence when I saw the initials ‘A.P.O.’ on that scroll, I knew what it was.
We found out the Book is about a quest for these Nine Magical items; the most powerful objects which when possessed by a prepared being of the Black Arts, will allow that being to become the All Powerful One when the next Dark Portal opens in about ten to twelve years.
The Objects are in different times of Magical History and are currently controlled or hidden by various owners.
The tasks will be hard for her, but Melanthios is well equipped. It will take all that we have together and probably some outside help to stop her. But stop her we must. There is simply NO alternative for the survival of the world as we know it.
Remember and remember well...if Melanthios succeeds, the Dark will lord over everything. Her minions will permeate through the Time-Linx to every facet of every magical tim
e, poisoning, enslaving, creating chaos at every level of life. White Magic will abandon this planet and we shall all be lost...forever. But, on the other hand, if those of us living by the laws and practices of White Magic collect these Objects, then the world is ruled by the Light and the Dark will be made to step back.”
Persy, Thaddeus, Benson and P-C sat motionless, frozen was more like it, nary a twitch or blink, mouths slightly agape. Persy blinked hard a couple of times and said, “What do you know of the nature of the objects Melanthios will try to gather, Grandmother?”
“Not as much as I wish,” replied Laurel, finally sitting down. Their tea had gone cold, but no one noticed. They hadn’t even touched it. “The first is your Cimaruta, as I’ve said. The Objects won’t be revealed until the one previous to them are obtained. The Book didn’t tell much past the first item from what we know. It seems there are many blank pages in the book, but it’s generally agreed among the Council that the writings on them will magically appear as each quest is successful, to reveal the next. According to our informant, success means that it was found and dealt with, it matters not whether it’s by one of the Black or White side.”
“Well, that’s interesting,” said Thaddeus. “It means that we have a chance, if we can claim the objects first.”
“Yes, it’s the hope that keeps us all going. I don’t believe Melanthios knows it can go either way. The world will be dominated by White Magic, if we can collect the nine objects. It’s likely that Willow failed to tell Melanthios that part, and I believe it’s because Willow doesn’t want Melanthios to even consider that she may not get all nine objects. That they are already deemed as hers if she pursues them, keeping Melanthios’ magic focused.” sighed Laurel. “Willow can gather the information, enabling Melanthios and giving her a head start on the quests, but she can’t control the Magic. It can belong to either side, we just don’t have the lead that the Book of Black Dominance has given Willow’s champion.”
