I push the door shut behind me and continue down a cobble stone hallway that opens up into a great room. I’ve never seen anything like it. I stumble into the room with my mouth open in surprise.
The entire length of the room is a wall of windows that reaches well over 20 feet high. The ceiling is open air and the moon bathed the place in soft light. There is a pool of water at the far end that is fed by a small stream. The sound of running water purrs in the background and wildflowers surround the pool. A rainbow of color plays off the water and just beyond is a path leading outside of the house. Ornate shelves line the inner wall that is attached to the house and there are all manner of things placed on them. The top shelves have stacks of books and other shelves hold ornate boxes. Some are adorned with ivory and others have delicate silver runes embedded into them framed by gold adornment.
I walk over to the shelves and carefully picked up a box and open the clasp holding it shut. Inside is a beautifully etched knife with hand carved ivory handle. The craftsmanship is so exquisite that I have to take a closer look. Carved into the handle and blade are tiny horses in flight and delicate flowers. The blade is long, curved and razor sharp. When I hold it up to the light, to better see the artwork, it glows as though it has a life force of its own. On the blade the words Anathema are glowing.
I amso preoccupied with the knife that I didn’t hear
the door open or notice when Tom slipped inside. My face flushes at having been caught in the room.
“Good morning Ivy.” Tom looks deadly serious and is soon joined by Lizzie. Her hair is rumpled and she has an anxious expression. Then her face looks pale and sweaty and it seems like she is going to faint.
I hadn’t notic ed that the knife had turned a bright white and was emitting what looked to be white flames.
“I thou ght she might be the one. Anathema is set apart for the one appointed to wield her strength.” said Tom, with a queer smile on his face.
“Bravo. That’s very clever of you Tom.” Said Lizzie with a scowl
“Come now,” he smiled. “Why the long face Lizzie ? We both knew the time would eventually come.” Lizzie gave him an exasperated look but said nothing more. Suddenly, they looked into the eastern horizon, and I saw a bank of dark clouds approaching rapidly. There was nothing but blackness as far as the eye could see beyond the first cloud. For a second they stood quiet still and then Lizzie started to panic.
“Tom! We must get her out of here now! They will be here within the hour and she must be back on the other side.”
I turned to see what all the commotion is about and noticed the moon had been mostly blocked out by a series of moving clouds. As I watched I could make out the shapes of bodies. The darkness was not clouds.
“Are they – bats?” I said trying to make sense of the rapidly moving blackness.
“Come with us Ivy.” Said Tom and he held the door open for me. I glanced at the knife in my hand and began to put it back in the sheath and reached for the box it had been in.
“The knife, Anathema, was meant for you. Come, there are a few other things that belong to you as well”.
Puzzled, I follow Tom and Lizzie at a half run as they quickly walk down the corridors inside the house. They rounded a corner and kept going for some distance. When they reached a flight of stairs the ran down taking them two at a time. They halted at a heavy wooden door leading into a room with no windows. The floors were stone and the sound of shoes echoed on the floors. The room was dimly lit and we crossed the room into another, smaller room. Hanging from the walls, were all manner of weapons. I noticed a variety of guns in gun cabinets and walked in that direction.
“Those will lend you no support. They are made for the dimension you are from and will not work against dark forces.” said Tom.
Lizzie opened a large trunk off to the side of the room and pulled out a finely made bow and a quiver of arrows. The bow was smaller than the ones we used back home but appeared to be well made. She also took out some clothing that would serve me much better than the jeans and hiking boots that I was currently wearing.
Lizzie directed me to a bathroom to change and gave me an encouraging smile. I took the pile of clothing and changed as quickly as I could. The pants were light weight but made of a durable material. The boots were of the same fine material but were not nearly as heavy as the hiking boots. They feel as though they are well broken in, although they look as though they have never been worn. Finally, I finish dressing and put on a coat with a hood.
“The jacket will blend in with the environment you are in and will keep you warm in extreme cold and cool in the heat.” said Tom. He had a set of saddle bags draped across his arm that had a sleeping back tied to the back.
We exited the room quickly and were running toward the back of the house where the stable are located. We are outside in a matter of moments and the sound of wings can now be heard.
“What will happen to you?” I said with concern. “They are after you Ivy. We thought you would have at least a week here before they found you . I’m so sorry you are being faced with this before we had time to give you any proper training with the bow.” Said Tom
I gave Tom a warm smile. “I am familiar with a bow and arrow Tom. I used to go quail hunting with my friend and her dad most weekends growing up. I appreciate all that you and Lizzie are doing for me. I don’t know how I will ever repay you.”
Tom stopped for a moment and I thought tears were welling up in his eyes. He smiled, almost sadly at me.
“You don’t owe us anything Ivy. We are here to help you and I am sorry that we didn’t have more time to show you around and prepare you for your journey. We just were not sure you were the one we were expecting. Not until tonight.”
“How do you know I am the one you were expecting?” I said “The Shining Ones said that we will know the girl who is coming by the light and she will be riding a Watcher. We saw that first with the locket you wear but when you held the knife in your hands we were certain. The knife is made for the chosen and will only display its power when the one whom it was created for takes it out of the sheath. I should have gone with my instincts instead of doubting. If the information were to go to the wrong person- I shudder to think what could happen.
Lizzie seemed upset and was wiping the corner of her eye as though she had done a terrible thing.
“Tom. What is a Watcher?” I said Tom gave me the strangest look before he answered. “The Watchers are the mounts of the Chosen. They are the “spirits of heaven” that are sent to Earth to keep watch on the good and the evil”. Said Tom
“I don’t understand Tom. What are they?” “You would be better to say - who are they. They are the holy ones sent from the Most High. They are a type of angel child. I have never seen one and never believed that I would. They are warrior angels sent to fight the forces of evil. They are given to the Chosen ones. They are said to be ridden by the armies of Heaven. They know where to find the Tree Of Life and the seven scrolls by way of the Refiners Fire”.
“How do you know that this animal is a Watcher”? Tom had a solemn expression and scratched his beard in thought. He stepped forward and kneeled before the large horse not looking the creature in the eye.
“If you are come from the armies of the Most High reveal yourself” Said Tom A great light was emitted from the animal. The light had the appearance of a flash of lightening. The power that surged from the horse was fearful to see and we had to cover our faces. Something came over me at the moment the blinding light came. It erupted and washed through me with fantastic power. It is a power beyond scientific possibility and truly terrifying. It courses through me like a monstrous thing and I plead for it to let go of me. The spirit of the Watcher merges with my soul and helps me pull the power back into itself. Then it is gone as quickly as it came.
There is no explanation for what happened. I will never tell anyone of the terrifying sensation of such power coursing through my body. I felt so helpless and so out of co
ntrol of the raw power that raged inside me. Then there was the sense of having another being inside my body. It almost felt like I was being physically grafted with the spirit of the Watcher. How can that even be possible? Never again will I let myself be invaded by the Watcher or any other spirit for that matter.
When the light had faded away I felt a chill inside of me. The spirit of the Watcher had not been evil. In fact it was far from evil. Something in it was so pure that I felt as though I would be killed if it remained inside me.
For a few seconds I experienced something beyond what I have ever thought possible. I had never imagined that something so pure could hold such terrifying power. Now it is somehow a part of me. I can feel it inside- if I were to explain I would say it is something tangible just below my heart. I can feel it as though it is a living thing with a heartbeat all its own. It is there waiting to be tapped into should I ever need to evoke its help. It is something that terrifies me. I don’t know if I ever want to course through my body again. The thought of having that power join with my soul again sends shivers down my spine.
Tom chatted away but I am too numb to really hear him speak. The incident was unexpected and now I feel drained. I wonder if they know I am too shook up to give even the smallest nod in response to their conversation? No matter how it looks it is quiet out of the question to explain what happened to me. I found myself wondering if they knew what happened to me? Best to not say anything and just go along with whatever they said. I doubt they can read my impassive face anyways.
Tom smiled at me with questioning eyes. I sensed that he wanted me to talk but he didn’t press me. I think my silence speaks volumes with the way Tom and Lizzie are eying me.
“Well child, you had better be on you r way. Lizzie has packed food for a couple of days and also a change of clothing”. Toms said with a smile.
At that moment I had the compulsion to reveal everything about the strange power but had a feeling that the experience was to be concealed. Lizzie said nothing but simply nodded her head and gave me a crooked smile. She tried to hold my gaze but I looked away.
“Where do I go from here?” I said in a soft voice. “Just follow your intuition Ivy. Your horse is a greater treasure than you will ever know and will take care of you. The light will lead you.” Said Tom
With that I set off toward the woods at a gallop and just at the edge of the hedges I stop and waved. There is a rustle in the woods and out of nowhere a white buck appears and races ahead of us into the heart of the forest.
Tom and Lizzie watched as we rode out of site. They stared at one another in amazement for a moment and then made their way back to the house. The cloud of demons we had seen altered their course and now are headed in the same direction that we have gone.
Chapter 6
Though still feeling vulnerable, I had made it back to the Underworld and the creatures following must have lost my trail. The pounding of the waves on the shore can be heard and I make my way cautiously back through the field. I ride a mile toward the sea and find a break in the fence. There is as a mist on the water and white fog rises like steam. The sky is beginning to lighten in the East and I know that I should ride as many miles as possible today.
With miles of ocean surrounding me on three sides, I turn back, and ride in the direction of the new dawn. The Underworld has several layers to it and my guess is that Lisa and David will likely be in the dark region. Tom had said the dark regions can only be reached by going into the mountains and through haunted forest. I am afraid to go there as I had nearly lost my mind in it before. The trees are silent but threatening and I fear the evil that lurked there.
I began to wonder if they were even worth saving and to question why I should risk my own life to help them. As soon as the thought came to my mind I was ashamed. I fought off a feeling of despair and focused on the urgency of the situation. Anyone who died in the Underworld would never leave. I had been equipped and was the one who was to bring them back to the other side-like it or not.
For the first 10 miles of riding the scenery is green and has some vegetation on it. After a few hours the earth becomes dry and the air scorches my lungs. There is nothing but miles of barren, desolate sand that stretches as far as the eye can see. There are no trees or brush and the water holes are nothing but stinking pools of alkaline that have a bitter taste. I have no choice but to stop and water my animal at these holes as good water is not to be found here. In this dusty heat we need to keep hydrated and any water is better than none.
High winds blow all day and I keep my hood up with a scarf over my face to keep from breathing in the dusty air. I had likewise put a scarf over Jast’s muzzle for the same reason. Miles and miles pass and I start to worry that this could be an endless desert. We eventually stop at a larger water hole as dusk begins to fall. It’s a pool of the same stinking alkaline water but I fill my bottles nonetheless. I share some bread with my horse and tear off a small piece of dry meat for myself. I wonder how long we can hold up in this heat with dwindling supplies and no grass for my horse.
As night comes it grows very cold. This comes as a shock to me after the heat of the day. I am glad for the sleeping bag and warm jacket that Lizzie and Tom had given to me. I lay back, with my head on the saddle and look up at the sky. There are no stars but a blanket of fog has rolled inland and it now covers everything. I’m glad for the fog as it provides some cover and will give us some protection from anything that may be looking for us. I toss and turn during the night and finally wake up unable to sleep. I decide to start putting miles behind us before the heat makes travel unbearable.
I have some bread for breakfast and hold out a slice in my hand for Jast. His rubbery lips took the offering gingerly from my outstretched hand. I feel bad that I don’t have more for him and worry how long he can last without a proper meal. I look him over carefully and oddly he has not dropped any weight and looks no worse for wear. Where I come from a horse would drop huge amounts of weight in conditions like this in just a day or two. Maybe we will make it through this hellish desert after all. I am hopeful but have my doubts.
The day is hot as before, but not as dusty. As we plod our weary way across miles of dry sand I can see a stand of trees and green grass. The glimmer of a pond just inside the trees is a welcome sight. I am dying to take a bath and drink some clean water. We ride on for several miles and heat is rising from the sand. Noticing the steamy hot sand I get off the horse and fish around my backpack for something to tie on Jast’s hooves. I pull out a pair of jeans and cut them into strips and tie them around his hooves. When I have finished I look at his feet and doubt crosses my face. I hope it provides at least a little protection. Feeling bad for my horse I decide to walk for a while and pull the reins of his bridle over his head and begin to walk.
Great beads of sweat roll down my face and burn my eyes. I am growing so weak I can hardly stand up straight. I stop and look at Jast carefully and decide to get back in the saddle and ride because I am too tired to walk another mile. I look hopefully ahead at the bank of trees and they seem several more miles ahead. Oddly enough, they appear even farther away than they were an hour ago, when I first sighted them.
The heat grows and seems like fire beating down on my back. The steam rising from the sand is like fumes from a hot stove. The sky is murky red and we are no closer to the trees and pond than we were hours ago. As far as I can see, in every direction, are miles of steaming sand.
It feels like we are walking aimlessly in the hot sand. Mile after mile and up and down countless and dunes and there is nothing in sight. It seems as though there will be no night to cool us off and I wonder if this is one of the tortures of this place. I am becoming delirious and it is difficult to hold myself upright in the saddle. The horse plods along with his head low and continues forward.
Jast finally stops unable to go on. If he dies I will die as well. I am too weak to walk. I get out of the saddle and sit in the shadow of the horse. I am leaning against his legs a
nd hear a faint voice. I listen carefully and try and block out the sound of the swirling sand. There is an image passing through my mind. Suddenly I can hear a voice in my mind. A strange feeling comes over me as there is someone inside my head. I am too weak to care what is happening and do not resist the presence.
“Why are you suffering needlessly Ivy? You have it within you to call the light to help you. Why do you not ask for help? So much depends on you.” My heart is heavy and my mind is closing in around me. The voice is comforting but I doubt what it says. I am impassive and it seems pointless to engage the voice. I close my eyes and immediately a mist forms. Is this what it feels like to die? You just close your eyes and walk into a dream?
There is a pile of rubbish thrown on a manicured lawn. I pay no attention at first and then notice that Tom’s dog is lying in a pool of blood. His head is lying on his paws and I can see life in his eyes. I try and call to him, and to my surprise his head turns, and tail thumps on the bloody ground. I strain to see more clearly and it is then that I notice Emma’s sightless eyes staring off into nothingness. Her lifeless body is lying underneath rubble and her blood is draining onto the ground where the dog is lying.
It is pointless looking into the vision any longer. They are dead as sure as if I had put them in the grave myself. Then I can hear Tom’s voice and see him running into the woods from the house.
“Call the light Ivy or all will be lost.” I find myself vividly aware of his voice in my mind. I want them all to be alive! His words hang in my mind like an omen and I search the mist to see him again. The ring of his voice is growing faint and then it’s gone all together.
Underworld (Dark Passage) Page 7
