Chapter Eight - The Hunt Continues
The darkness of the forest was nearly suffocating, the trees seemed to pull so close that Bathsheba had to turn to her side to maneuver in between them. She could sense the true-life returning to the great collective. The tingling breath of magic blew so lightly over her skin, that only the shivering pimples left any trace of its passing. Bathsheba recognized it, nevertheless. Her fariesisters were sensitive to the movements of magic, unlike the thick-headed humanekind. They sensed only what they hacked and mutilated with their axes and swords, wars fought at the end of a blade. Magic was a far greater warrior, unseen for the most part, but strong and deadly. Bathsheba did not permit herself to grin at the thought of the poor wretched humanekind battling against what she knew was coming. Permitting herself that type of luxury would undoubtably undermined her great awareness. Do not underestimate, she reminded herself. Her sisters and herself were as venerable against the coming storm as the humanekind, if they allowed themselves even a moment of blindness.
“Come on boy!” she hissed to Jasper trailing behind her. “I must find the remaining four to stand at the circle. My sisters will not entertain a husk like you if I do not have the remaining children alive.” Jasper lurched closer in the darkness, his meager moans and whispers the only sound accompanying their footsteps.
Bathsheba sent her mind out among the forest, trying to sense the location of Jasper’s family. In the ether-air she could hear a chorus of voices, angry and unsettled. She attempted to thread herself into their blustery howls, edging closer to answers that she was seeking. Her hand came up quickly to stop the lurching form behind her. “They are waking up the gnomes and gollems,” she said, more to herself then the boy. “They mean to push us out of their territory much more quickly then I assumed.”
She beckoned Jasper to continue to follow her, moving down an embankment, towards a small clearing ahead. “They will take the children deep into their dream-realm if I do not get to them first. Show me boy!” she hissed urgently. “Where are your siblings?”
Jasper’s arm came up and gestured erratically towards the clearing. Bathsheba nodded. “As I thought.” She gathered her robes and started to run. “It’s coming, boy!” she yelled behind her. “It’s coming fast. Magickind is going into battle!”
Posted by Happy Potato @ 9/04/2008 06:28:00 PM