» Tue May 17, 2011 6:06 am
Chapter 53: Alix And The Witch
Marie shrank against Hannibal as the bodyguard entered carrying Alix in his hands.
"What is that?" Melisande asked, eyeing the beast.
"That is Alix, her pet mouse. He means more to her than anything." Janus said, taking Alix from the bodyguard and placing him on his shoulder.
Alix began making a sad yowling and was eyeing the slab where Maxical's body lay. Janus kissed him and rubbed his belly, but Alix continued his crying sounds.
"Unless you want me to boil the mouse, you will have to bring me something else she cares deeply about." Melisande said, reaching for Alix.
Janus drew back. "No, you can't hurt Alix. We must find something else then. There was a dagger that meant a lot to her, it is at her parents home."
Hannibal came forward then. "Yes, the dagger, it has always meant a lot to her, and she held it often. I don't believe she has touched it in around two years though. Would that make a difference?"
"No, that will be fine. I must have that dagger." Melisande spoke distractedly, watching Alix's attempts to reach Maxical.
Suddenly Alix launched off Janus's shoulder and landed on the slab. With crying noises he sniffed Maxical all over, finally standing on his hind legs before her face and placing his front paws on her cheeks he sniffed her gaped mouth. His nose seemed to be searching for a scent as he waved it in the air above her.
"He knows she is not there. He is searching for her. Seeking her soul." Melisande almost whispered. "We need this mouse, and you must come as well Janus. Leave your bodyguard to watch these two and come with me. This mouse will be invaluable in finding her soul."
Melisande gathered up a few things and placed them in a travel pack, then carefully keeping her back to Traven she pulled a large black soul gem from a case and slipped it into a soft leather pouch. Gingerly and with great care she placed the pouch against her heart inside the cup of her bra. "Come, we have a long trip in front of us."
"But I am a vampire, I cannot go out, certainly not in daylight." Janus drew back.
"You are an Immortal, what are you afraid of? It may burn but will not kill you. I will need your help, and that mouse as well. Do you want the child to live or not?"
"I will get my cloak." Janus said, glancing meaningfully at the bodyguard, who ran for the cloak.
When Janus pulled the cloak around him Alix began squealing loudly and clawing at the front of the cloak where a dark rusty stain cut a jagged path across from below his right shoulder down into a pattern of smeared crusts.
"Is that her blood?" Melisande asked, her voice cutting across Alix's squeals and silencing him. Alix sat up and looked at her.
"Yes." Janus barely whispered.
"Give me that cloak. You will have to find some other way to cover yourself." Melisande took the cloak with great care, folding it so the stain was contained within its folds, and pushed it down into her pack.
"I have nothing else. I care not for my comfort though, only that we do whatever is necessary as quickly as possible." Janus said, the frustration of all these delays giving an edge to his voice.
"It is not speed you want now Janus, you want this done right, do you not?" Melisande's eyes pierced into his cowl and he was sure she could see him regardless of its cover.
"No! I want her alive first! We can work on making things correct later. These delays are driving me mad, each second she lays there in that pose is an eternity of guilt of what I have put her through. Can we not dispense with everything else for right now and just bring her back? Then cast some incantations over her later to set things right?" Janus's voice was raw with emotions, but did not move Melisande.
"Your emotional outbursts are nothing more than your own desire to sop your guilt. Whether we return this child to life or not, you have still killed an innocent. The stain on your soul for that will never be removed from you, do you realize that?" Still her eyes ravaged his as if his cowl was not even on.
Involuntarily Janus reached up and touched the cowl to be sure of its presence.
"I know. It will haunt me the rest of eternity. She must be brought back to life, for I cannot face it with this act on my conscience. I would gladly welcome death, but know I have no hope of it.
It was amazing how she could say the most cruel things yet her voice remain soft and pleasant. Janus thought of how Maxical would have found Melisande's voice pleasing. How he missed hearing her thoughts.
Janus looked up at Melisande again to see one of her mobile eyebrows raised, as if in surprise.
"Aye, you will want this done correctly Janus. You will want her back the way she was, not a vacant shell. Alix, will you come to me then?" Melisande held out her arm.
Alix leapt off Janus's shoulder and landed on Melisande's outstretched arm, scurrying up till he sat on her shoulder.
"You are a fine friend Alix. We must find Maxical's soul, will you help us then?" Melisande opened up a briast pocket and Alix crawled in, then poked his head out, sniffing at the air.
Melisande took Janus's hands in each of hers and looked into his cowl, searing his eyes with the look that penetrated the darkness of it. She began to chant words which Janus did not recognize, although in his years of isolation he had studied all known languages of Tamriel. Her final word was clear and loud, and sent a chill down Janus's spine.
"Murkwood!"
The room started spinning around Janus, a terrible damp chill swirled around him till it felt like his bones lay in an icy grave. He held on to consciousness by sheer willpower, his eyes showing terror as Melisande's bore into them.
When the spinning stopped he found himself in what seemed at first a forest of black, yet the trees moved eerily in the thick fog of the marsh or bog in which they appeared to be planted in; yet beneath his feet he could feel the movement of their roots, slithering below him like hundreds of snakes in constant motion. The smell of decay was overpowering to his sensitive nose; rotting flesh, rotting vegetation. Moans and crying sounds came faintly to his ears; at first he thought it was the wind blowing between the branches that caused the sound, but there was no wind rustling the branches. No wind, yet they moved somehow. He sharpened his hearing to the cries and found them to be echoing of voices; the lost crying to be found.
Janus opened his mouth to speak, but Melisande silenced him immediately by covering his mouth with her clammy hand. She placed a finger to her lips to indicate he remain silent, and began to lead the way through the maze of trees toward the voices.
Janus found his feet sliding on the black and green slime that covered the rocks, and each time he broke the goo with his shoes a raunchy smell would billow up from it, like breaking open a rotting body. His stomach began lurching up into his throat. He grabbed the hedgerow next to him that seemed to form a maze-like path through the area; trying to use it for support, but it came to life in his hands grabbing him back. With almost a yell Janus jerked his hand back.
Melisande pulled Alix out of her pocket. His nose was waving in circles, his whiskers beating the air with their twitching. He pointed his nose toward the darkest part of the forest. Melisande placed him back in her pocket and turned toward Janus.
"Can you protect yourself from paralysis? What about shock? You will need a fire shield as well, especially with your condition. You will need to be armed with spells and a weapon. Tell me what you lack and I will give it." Melisande conjured a weapon and armor onto herself.
"What exactly are we looking at fighting?" Janus had never actually had to use the fighting techniques he had trained in right after the attack on himself and Rona.
Although he was combat trained, this would be his first actual battle. Janus felt the tension in his stomach and sweat began to break out on his brow, partially from remembering the only time in his life he had fought and lost both himself and Rona.
"Fire Daemon and Medusa. The Medusa attack in pairs. One will paralyze you while the other kills you, usually with shock. If you cannot fight off paralysis I will give you a spell, don't wait till you hear or see them to use it, it will be too late if you do. If she has wandered down below we will face some horrible monsters trying to find her. Let us just hope she is still up here." Melisande saw the tension in Janus's stance and the slight tremor in his hand as he drew his weapon. "How long has it been since you were in an actual battle Janus?" Her voice was soft and held no derision.
"Only once, over 50 years ago. That is when Rona and I got the vampirism. I couldn't protect her, or myself then. I trained afterwards for combat, but have never used it yet." Janus felt ashamed to admit it, and it could be heard in his voice.
"You isolated yourself. Was that for your own protection or that of others you may harm?"
"Both."
Melisande gave a long sigh. Then she pulled two of her rings off and handed them to Janus. "Put these on, and this too." She pulled an amulet off her neck and slipped it over Janus's head. "This ring gives you vitality, you cannot be paralyzed or poisoned, nor catch disease, although you already have that protection naturally due to your vampirism. This other ring will give you minimal protection from the elements of fire, shock, and frost. The amulet will absorb a small percentage of the spells you are hit with, which may help."
"I can't, you will need these for your own protection. Don't forget I can't be killed." Janus tried to hand them back.
"I have my spells, and am a combat veteran. You will do me no protection if you are paralyzed. I need you to watch my back as much as I need to watch yours. We must be quiet when we go into those woods, it is best to sneak if possible. Alix will show us where she is."
With nerves so taut they felt like bands that may snap at any second, Janus followed Melisande into the dark woods, the fog so thick he was barely able to see her in front of him. His senses were honed for any sound or vibration, and when he felt something ahead he grabbed Melisande's shoulder and held her back. Without speaking he pointed to where he had heard the slightest breath ahead of him.
