“Only one way to know if my plan will work,” cried the Enchantress. She pointed a finger at Perry, squirming in Ditty’s arms.
This time, Philip’s shielding charm had no effect. He shot a spell instead at the Enchantress instead but it missed and hit the dragon’s sensitive underbelly. The purple fire from the Dragon knocked him out immediately and the jet of light that surged from the Enchantress hit his son, square in the chest. Ditty was thrown off balance and fell off the boat, crying out in pain. From his position on the floor of the boat, he stared at the lifeless lump that was his son.
“No…” he whispered despairingly. “Not him…”
Seconds turned into minutes and what seemed to be hours as he stared at the bundle, resisting the hot tears that had begun to well up from his eyes. He willed that bundle to move. And suddenly, a change of heart overcame it. He willed his child to heal.
He heard Ditty’s sobs from the side of the boat and he knew she had emerged and was holding on for dear life. He could see her hand groping to grab the bundle that was his once living son. She found his tiny hand and she hoisted herself into the boat, picked him up and held onto Philip’s outstretched hand.
The burn that the dragon had caused was slowly eating his innards. This wasn’t ordinary dragon fire. He couldn’t heal this. And she knew it.
“Philip,” sobbed Ditty. “One last shot Phil…”
And Phil understood what she was saying, despite the pain that overtook him. He saw the Enchantress swoop closer to them, he heard the jeers from the Raiders. He summoned all the energy left in him and along with Ditty, he chanted a spell to ensure the body of his son would find safer shores and hoped that some kind soul would take it upon them to give him a decent burial.
“NOOOOOOO!”
And this time, the cry came from the Enchantress. His son, he was gone, never to come back to him.
“That boy is NOT a human! He’s a Healler! And he has the secret!” the Enchantress was screaming. But she could have been yelling about Goblins in pink tutus for all he cared because a sudden jet of light hit Ditty square in the middle and she was lying eagle-spread for a moment before the dark waters claimed her body.
“Find that kid!” screamed the Enchantress, beside herself with fury, pelting hexes at the boat to shake him into speech.
.
“He’s dead…I told you…He has no magic..” whispered Philip, the life oozing out of him. “Miscalculation on your part…”
“THEN TELL ME WHERE THE STONE IS! “ cried the Enchantress. She had descended into the boat, off her dragon. She picked him up by the collar and lifted him off the floor. She had amazing strength and her flaming green eyes pierced through him demanding an answer.
Slowly, he felt the curse take an effect on him. His tongue rolled back and he was rendered speechless.
“I’LL DRAW YOUR BRAINS OUT AND USE THE IMAGES OF YOUR DREAMS TO FIND IT!”
If she could, thought Philip drowsily, she would have done that ages ago and never have wanted his son for her own…
His son was gone.
Ditty was dead.
It was his turn.
And slowly, a darkness that even his acute vision couldn’t pierce through engulfed him and the screams of the Enchantress were no more but a distant whisper, heard on the winds that carry to the ears of sailors adrift on the lonely dark sea that bore witness to many tragedy in its entire time of existence.
Part 4 - chapter 1
In the darkness of the cave, he could make out Ditty’s pale face and he knew his was equally just as pale. If the dragon in question was the one both of them thought it was, there was no chance of survival.
“This way!” he yelled, breaking into a fast-paced scarper. Ditty took large strides equal to his and it was amazing she could still maintain a fierce grip onto Perry. Together, they dashed as fast as they could down the remainder of their path. Up ahead, Philip was sure he could see what seemed to be the glimmer of water and sure enough after a few more strides, despite his acute vision, he had plunged right into water, dragging Ditty and their bundled-up son with him.
Cursing his foolhardiness and lack of caution, he resurfaced, Ditty already on top, holding Perry high above the water. The child had been shocked by the cold and was sobbing through most of its shivering.
“Find the boat Phil!”
Philip glanced around in desperation, fearfully aware that the roars were getting increasingly louder. A few stalactites dropped off the top of the cave and into the water, causing great waves that doused them both. His fear was mixed, for their survival and his non-magical son. He couldn’t have him drown now!
“There! I see it!”
Quickly, he swam to the tiny boat by the other side of the cove. It was tied to a huge rock, the cove seemed to be full of them, very much like the top of the cliff they had been at moments ago. He pointed his finger at the rope while holding onto the boat’s edge.
“
The rope gave way, its ends fraying. Within seconds, he had hoisted Ditty and
Philip turned to face his son.
“Just to be sure,” he muttered before pointing his finger at the boy. “Invisible,”
Their son disappeared from sight.
“What they can’t see won’t hurt them,” he said, wishing Ditty wouldn’t widen her eyes so.
“Philip, I think she has one,” she whispered, her voice nearly breaking.
“Yeah?”
“A purple-“
“Look. She won’t kill me. She needs to know,” he insisted, although the fear gripped him ever so increasingly.
“But if she did…who would know?”
“I think it would be better that way,” he said grimly, pushing out strands of hair off his face.
“No…” she said hoarsely.
He did not answer her. The roaring was getting louder.
They exited the cove and were out into the night. All Philip’s thoughts were not with them. If they were set to kill him, then Perry was in worse danger than any of them. And it was only a matter of moments. He hoped they had escaped unnoticed when suddenly; something happened to cause his heart to sink to the lowest it ever had before.
The cove they had just left exploded with brilliant purple fire.
It was only a matter of seconds.
“Phil, let me do this,” said Ditty, her eyes wet.
“No! They’re not here yet!”
The water beneath them gurgled. Philip couldn’t feel it yet but he knew if he stuck his finger into the water, it would boil right off his bones. The boat itself was already incredibly warm.
“He won’t go. He’ll be asleep. Asleep long enough for him to be safe,” she said, persistently. Beneath them, something roared loudly.
“You don’t have enough magic to transport him that far. That’s old magic!”
“I don’t. But between us, we do. Please Philip...”
The skies had turned purple again. In the wind around him, he heard cackling. He knew she was close. She knew he was the one…
“She’ll take him Philip! She’s not going to keep you. She’s going to kill you and then she’s going to be off with him!” his wife’s voice rang painfully over the roars that came next.
Somewhere near the cove, Philip saw a huge creature unfurling its huge bat-like wings. It spurted purple fire up into the skies and on its back, he saw a cloaked figure. On the cliff, he saw dozens of bats, huge ones. On the back of each rode a cloaked figure. There were at least 30 Raiders there and even if he could hold them off, there was absolutely no way he could tackle the dragon.
For it wasn’t just any dragon.
Its purple fire lit the dark of the sea. In that brief light, he thought he saw the cloaked figure smirk.
Suddenly, his heart ached with despair.
“I’ll unshield him,” he said to Ditty, pointing his finger at his son as he spoke. “She needs to see him before we send him,”
Before their eyes, their son reappeared in the crook of Ditty’s arms again.
“He’ll make it,” whispered Ditty, as the dragon approached.
But Philip wasn’t listening. He had stood up and had put his hands up high in the sky. A piercing blue light emitted between his fingers and soon, a huge dome-like bubble had appeared around their boat. The dragon hovered right above the dome, gushing purple fire at them. The dome resisted the fire at first only to sprout cracks as it grew weary of the attack.
Jets of red sparks had joined the purple fire and he knew the cloaked figure riding the dragon had joined in this attack. The magic of an enchantress was strong but not as strong as a Healler. But she had with her, a purple dragon. If there was anything that could finish him off, it was just that.
“Immortality eludes even you today, Philip Noir!” she cried, pelting jets of light in his direction, causing larger cracks in his already weakened shield.
“It may elude me you demon, but I’ve never cared for it much!” he yelled back, determined to put up the toughest resistance he could. Through the corner of his eyes, he could see the Raiders disembarking from the cliff, to join in he supposed. With the added force of all their spells, it wouldn’t be long before his protective magic gave way.
“Painfully apparent my old friend!,” yelled the Enchantress, her eyes gleaming a deadly shade of green as she sent yet another jet of light in his direction which he recognized as a very strong Barrier-breaking jinx.
“I’m not your bloody friend! You’re no friend of mine, you fiend! You’ll never get the eye, you’ll never find it. And you will NOT have my son!”
At that last retort, he let one hand go and held onto to Ditty’s, who had been watching the whole scene with terror emblazoned upon her eyes. She quickly grabbed his hand and seemed to gather her voice as she yelled.
“Stay away you monster!”
The Enchantress merely laughed raucously. She had an ugly laugh and it echoed in cruel mirth. The Raiders that had joined her made no attempt to help her but echoed her amusement in the whole affair. It was clearly evident she needed no help in breaking through his defenses. It was only a matter of time. The elf’s magic was nowhere a match for the combined force of hers and her stead. How foolish to choose an elf. How silly to betroth one. And that child of theirs that foolish creature was holding. She had to know. Was he a Healler too?
As if reading her mind, Phillip yelled out.
“My son is of no use to you! He’s got no powers whatsoever! Whatever you want, you deal with me. And rest assured, you’ll have to break a lot of me to get what you want!”
This was too much. It was all a huge joke.
“My dear boy,” she cried, as the dragon broke a huge chunk of the shield and zoomed right in. “Do you actually think that I’m going to bother myself with you? If I kill you, which I will, most indefinitely, the secret you hold passes onto your son. One I’d be glad to hold onto-“
“NO!”
Ditty had cried out, throwing a spell of her own in the Enchantress’ direction. It fazed her for a moment and for a brief period, it looked as though she was about to fall off her stead but she steadied herself and her dragon aimed a jet of fire near their boat to shock them. She wasn’t done yet and lips curled up into a sneer as she glared jeeringly at Ditty.
“If you think your meager elven magic can deter me, it just proves why your race should be eliminated even more so. Can’t even bring yourself to kill me? Or your magic just inadequate?”
Ditty’s eyes widened at the mention of that desired wish and she began muttering softly to Perry, who had begun to cry again.
“Yes…” whispered the Enchantress. “I’m taking him I’m afraid. But not before I’m done with you,” and she turned her gaze to Philip who had tried to attempt another barrier which only broke down again as the dragon gushed fire at it once again.
The heat was getting to Philip. He knew the end was near.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Chapter 1 - part 3
Note : Each chapter is pretty long, about 20 pages, book-size and 11-15 on a Word doc. I have the tendency to be draggy, sue me.
“Philip?”
Ditty had called to him, breaking him from his reverie. Maybe she was thinking the same as he did? She always tended to take the same of train thought he did.
“Yeah?”
“How long more till we get there?”
“Won’t be long. We’ve been walking for a good twenty minutes. I reckon the passage twists around the rocks and boulders before it reaches the cove Drufus told us about. He said it was about 30 mins away from the top and we’ve already come a considerable distance,”
“I don’t hear anything following us, do you?”
For those brief moments deep in thought, he had thought he heard footsteps but reasoned that it was probably the dripping of the limestone in the cave. They were a great deal ahead of their pursuers and he was sure they had put great distance between them. Unless they had gained a means travel by flight, there was no way they could have caught up. He had put speeding charms on all of them and his charms were full-proof. He had even left decoys back at their thatched cottage. He only hoped their family friend, Moley had done what he had asked him to.
“No,” he said after a brief period of listening. “If she was on our tail, we’d know by now,”
They walked on for a few more moments, in perfect silence only to be punctuated by the occasional cooing of Perry in the bundle. Philip, despite the darkness, could see the path in front of him and he knew Ditty was just merely following him as her eyes were not so accustomed to the dark. Although cat-like her eyes were, he had a far more acute vision in the dark than she did. One of the perks of being a Healler, he supposed. Acute vision, brilliant hearing; all the more reason for him to be the one to guard the secret.
A high shrill cry pierced the silence startling both of them out of their skins.
“What wassat??” Ditty spluttered.
They waited a few seconds, for whatever it was to pounce on them. Silence enveloped them some more and then-
“ARGH!”
Ditty’s loud cry had scared Perry into sobbing profusely. Something velvety brushed against Philip’s arm and he instinctively pulled Ditty and the sobbing Perry close to him. His eyes pierced the darkness and soon, he caught sight of the culprit, instantaneously relieved.
“Nut, it was only a bat!”
Ditty’s cry rang out indignantly.
“It was huge! And did you see the fur on that thing?? I’m sorry if we don’t all have the eyesight of a Healler but in pitch black when something furry brushes against you, in times of utter panic and when on the run, you automatically assume that that thing, whatever it was, is going to swallow you up in one gulp and IF you haven’t already noticed, I’m holding onto our child here and – just what is wrong with you now??”
For Philip had burst into laughter, his voice echoing around the cave.
“You hate bats. Admit it woman! It couldn’t swallow as much as your fist!”
“It was a HUGE bat. And I’d have killed it if I could see it,”
“Now now, we shall have no talk of killing cute furry things in the presence of my young innocent son,”
“If he’s anything like his father, his innocence will be very short-lived!”
Chuckling at his wife’s incredulous tone, he tugged at her hand and at that very moment, something else pierced the silence that enveloped them as soon as he had stopped laughing.
This time, it was a loud roar.
In the darkness of the cave, something threatened to grip Philip’s heart. He knew that roar. It could only mean one thing.
There were dragons involved.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Chapter 1 - part 2
“No!” he bellowed in anger “The Circle will not have me to do this. I will not let it,”
A few seagulls that were resting between the boulders dashed past them into the open at his cry. He immediately craned his neck from behind the boulder to see if anyone else approaching had heard them, particularly, their pursuers.
“The Circle have done all they can in the past to prevent it from ever falling into the wrong hands…” said Ditty quietly, after he had checked. “And you’d be expected to do the same or we’d all just have a delayed death sentence…”
Philip knew that his birth was not without danger. What he wished though was to never take it upon himself to endanger the life of another. Now, both his wife and son were in peril. And all induced by him and his task at hand. He had lost many loved ones before. Years of defense and much hard-training had not prepared him emotionally for the loss of more. Not even now, with the loss of many dear friends of the Circle.
It seemed like just a few days ago when he had married this feisty elf in standing in front of him when in fact, it had been a year already. Their union had to be done in secret for they were living in a time of despair and any happy occasions were bound to be marred by those in pursuit of the item they swore to protect. Too often a friend had been lost to them. Their union itself was the only one happy occasion during these terror-inflicted times. The birth of their son was yet another happy occasion but foreshadowed with doubt. It was only lucky that their son displayed no sign of immense magical power.
For if he were to have powers like himself…he would be in a graver danger than his wife.
Ditty was strong, he thought as he stared into her imploring eyes. She always was. It was what possessed him to overcome his fear of producing a line in the first place. And although the current circumstances were suggesting he should have never done so, he couldn’t betray his heart by agreeing with his head that she had probably been the best thing ever in this entire life of frantic peril that he had grown accustomed to but never liked in the slightest bit. His nights were too often sleepless ones, plagued by the dreams of his birth-given curse. A curse he called it. While others of the same plight considered it an honour of sorts.
“Honour…bah,” he often said to her as she quoted the same. “Over-rated bit of crap,”
“Only the bravest and most noble carry this secret, Phil,” she had said, in an almost soothing way. “I would think myself blessed and well, it’d carry this ego you’re always going on about to the highest of ranks,”
“Trust me, you wouldn’t want this,” he had retorted, trying not to give in to that impish grin she always bore when she sensed his irritation.
“Ah what could they possibly do to a Healler huh?” she had said then and her tone of confidence had meant a world of comfort to him then. “If they so much as cut you with a knife, all you’d have to do is heal yourself and you’d be as right as rain. Even their magic can’t get to you!”
He wasn’t too sure if she thought the same way right now.
She clung to him suddenly, not wanting to let go.
“Promise me, that no matter what happens, Perry is safe,” she whispered. And he knew she was scared and not in the slightest for herself. She often talked about what their son would be like in his youth like them and he knew that she was probably thinking of those times right now.
“He will be. Which is why we shall find that passageway right now and we shall get to the boat before she comes. We managed to get a head start. If Moley had not given us that tip-off, I dread to think what might have happened,” he said with newfound determination.
“Poor Moley…” she said, her eyes softening. “I hope he’s alright,"
“Better him than us. He did good, Ditty,”
Slowly, he peered from behind the boulder. The night was still as dark as ever and the purple streaks in the sky seemed to have vanished. With ever-increasing caution, they stepped from behind their little hiding place and headed down a little rocky path that led them into a huge cave, nestled in the cliff.
The path was steep and twice they both slipped and fell. The tiny bundle in Ditty’s arms cooed once in a while at each stumble. It seemed to think that they were in an adventure of sorts and even laughed a little when its father made a rather funny noise as he slid down, dangerously close to the edge.
“I’d fly if I could,” mumbled Philip after that close shave.
“If you use magic now, she’ll sense you and it won’t take her seconds to get-“
“Alright…alright…”
Somehow, amidst much stumbling and loose pebbles, they reached the cave in one piece, save a few minor cuts and bruises. The cave was wet and slimy and no further comfort than the jagged rocks of the cliff. What probably made it worst was that despite the darkness of the outside, the cave enveloped them into blackness so thick, Philip thought he could cut a hole through it and see light piercing through.
“You alright Ditty?”
“I’m fine! Perry’s a bit restless though,”
“We’ll be there soon enough…just a bit more I reckon,”
They made their way in the darkness, Ditty bearing the weight of her son in one arm and the other hand clutching Philip’s tightly. Philip reckoned this was probably one of the moments he could hold against Ditty. She was always the bravest of the lot. But he supposed that when it came to the safety of their son, like any mother, she was ten times more fearful than he ever could be. Philip was fearful too of course but not for himself. Being a Healler had accustomed him to sometimes, reckless courage. He would have thrown himself over the cliff to suffer the momentary pain of his crushed bones only to know that they’d heal themselves within a few seconds later. He had his blessed parents to thank for this.
And if his son was human, he was in even more danger than the both of them. They would not hesitate to kill.
The reassuring thing was that it was only the Raiders that were after them. He could hold them off. This also probably meant that they hadn’t known that it was him who had the location. If anyone of them tried to hex it out of him, his tongue would roll up and permit him from speaking. Even Ditty had no idea where it was. And neither did old faithful Drufus.
The location of the treasure he protected could only be told to a fellow Circle member. And if that woman came, it would be hexed out of him. She was after all, a former Circle member.
The memory of the enchantress’s treachery had dismayed all of them. She took a few of the members with her as well. Evil had come amongst most of them and under her leadership, they had sought the treasure for their own. Being magically gifted, she was one of the few the Circle had nominated to uphold the secret. Unfortunately for both of them, he had been chosen instead, probably because of his position as a Healler. He often wondered what it would have been like if the enchantress instead had been given this ‘honour’.
He had only known that he was the one upon his coming of age, after 18 years. His parents had been in the circle too. It seemed to be a tradition that was inherited and passed on.
Perry wouldn’t be in the Circle if he was human. People of the Circle had to be magical. It helped them guard the secret. All the more he wished for his son to be entirely normal.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Chapter 1 - Flight in fright
It was a dark night, darker than the average of nights and all would have been silent too save the hurried frantic scuffles of a couple in the midst of escape.
The man, his red hair fell in waves around his slightly angular face and his violet eyes were wide-open in fear as he tugged at his wife’s hand urgently to follow him over the rocks. He had a rather protruding nose that seemed to stick out even more so in his silhouette formed from the dim moonlight against the darkness of their surroundings. The waves of the coast they had retreated to threatened to consume them as they scurried frantically over the rocks, the blackness of the night an ever-threatening foe as well. However, the couple seemed less afraid of the waves and the plunging drop of the cliff they were running on. The woman kept glancing back, to see if they had gained distance upon something that appeared to be chasing them.
“Hurry Ditty!”
The woman gave a muffled cry as she got her foot stuck in between two very sharp rocks. Their escape was sudden, they had no such time to gather scarves or any form of protective gear for their feet. In her arms, she clutched a bundle wrapped in cloth.
The bundle stirred at her cry.
“Hush, we’ll be there soon,” she said soothingly into the bundle. It seemed pleased with her response and continued to stir less.
“No time Ditty, they’ll gain on us! We need to get to the boat. Drufus has arranged it all. We’ve got to go!”
“My foot’s stuck!”
With much anxiety and panic, the man threw a glance at the skies that seemed to darken increasingly, if that was even more possible. He thought he saw purple streaks dart across the skies.
“Separate!” He cried, pointing his finger at the rocks. The rocks split open further and Ditty freed her foot and proceeded to limp forward, clutching the bundle of cloth in her arms even more tightly.
“We’re nearly there… now we just need to find the passageway to the shore…I won’t risk a jump, not with Perry or you,”
The darkness was so overwhelming, they ended up stumbling further. Maybe it was Ditty’s imagination but she was beginning to hear footsteps that didn’t belong to them. She clutched at Philip and pulled him behind a huge boulder pressed against the wall of a higher slope, shielding them from stranger’s view.
“Philip, take Perry with you and jump,” she said, pleadingly. Her amber eyes were moist with tears and her dark hair in straggles, around her face. She couldn’t possibly look more cat-like and as she gripped the man’s arm, her fingernails clawed into him, almost vice-like.
“Ditty, you know I’m not leaving you,” said Philip, shaking his head vehemently. “If they find us, you’ll be the first to go. They’d get you with just a few zaps. You are in more danger than me or Perry could ever be in,”
“That I am. But they know what I am and they’ll only finish me off if I interfere with you and Perry which I most certainly will!” said Ditty, her eyes now flashing with determination. “I don’t have much magic in me but I’d throw at them whatever I’ve got if it means delaying your capture and –“
“My dear, I’d never allow that. And you know it. That’s why it’s my responsibility to see you and Perry to safety. They can’t kill me. She doesn’t have the power. Even if they were to combine their powers, it’d never be enough,”
“Then she’d KNOW you’re the person she seeks. And she’d KNOW you know where it is,” cried Ditty, pulling Philip close to her.
“I’d never betray it’s location in my entire life. I swore to keep it secret. Even if she hexed me,”
“The same oath she took too! And look where that’s lead us to?”
“Listen to me. The passageway is somewhere here. If we can find it, get to the boat and push off into the sea, she won’t be able to follow us. Once we cross the sea, Drufus will keep us safe and we can plan our next step there,”
Ditty looked up at Philip with imploring eyes. She knew the desperation of the situation at hand. She knew like all the others what it meant for them to live and what would entail if they were to betray the location of the item she sought. They were in grave danger now but the world would be at a greater danger if they were caught.
“Ditty, we’ve got to do this. We’re the only people left, apart from Drufus. She can’t kill us all off. No one else is willing to work again to defend this, we’re the only shot. If she ever gets her hands on it, there’s no telling what could happen. It would be a matter of time before she killed everyone off. The Heallers would be the first to go! And if she knew of Perry…”
Ditty gulped slowly. Yes, their son was in terrible peril.
“Philip…I don’t care if we don’t make it,” she said suddenly, her tone resolute. “If she kills me, she’ll gain nothing but she’d do it to make you talk. She’d kill Perry because if he lives, there will be another member of the Circle still alive to do it’s bidding and she can end the line with him. She won’t kill you till you tell her it’s location. And she can’t kill you yet because she doesn’t have the means. And if she kills us, the secret dies with us,”
“Your point being?”
“Perry’s in danger Philip! He’s the next in line! When he’s of age, he’ll know where it is! And she’ll keep him with her till he does and he’ll tell her because she’ll bring him up as her own! She knows she’s not going to get anything out from you, the magic protects that unless you tell her yourself! And if we don’t manage to escape in time, you know what we must do…”
Now it was Philip’s turn to gulp.
If they were of certain death and the secret passed to their little son in that bundle of clothing his wife held onto, he’d have to kill his own…
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Boo
Yes, this is to be a blog solely for this thing I had in me head 6 years ago. Granted, it's no Potter nor is it anything else remotely fascinating. But I shall do justice to this image I had and a very long dream I had too.
This is it's story. And it's come from just a scene in a bar, 6 years ago.
Why work on it now, you might ask?
Simply because after only 6 years, do many things fit and go the way I want them too.
So.
Enjoy.
