Sisters of the Mists Ch. 15

{*****~~o~~0~~o~~*****}

"Impossible!" Zoraster snarled, staring at the wall where he'd just directed an instinctive blast of pure magical energy.

"M-master?" Caterina asked, stunned by his suddenly unleashed power, and frightened by the tone in his voice.

Zoraster growled, "Leave me," and tossed down the dagger that he had prepared to draw his blonde servant's blood. His eyes never left the spot on the wall that had attracted his attention.

The Archmage lifted his hand and examined his long, dexterous fingers. Though still disturbed by feeling the eyes of someone upon him — something that should be impossible for even the gods, thanks to his magic — he was more intrigued by the sudden burst of energy that had ended the threat.

Though Godsbane resided within his robes, as it always did, he hadn't felt the artifact react. The blast was not associated with the runes now adorning his flesh, or any item in his possession. Zoraster recalled a roar in his head, similar to a powerful wind echoing in his ears. He tried to call upon this mysterious power, but nothing happened.

Zoraster stepped around his desk, pulled out the chair, and sat down to contemplate the two unexplainable occurrences.

{*****~~o~~0~~o~~*****}

Celes sat up to see Ashley stooping down to assist her, while Marlena hurried to Danielle.

"Are you okay? What happened?" Ashley asked.

"Good question," Celes groggily answered. She winced as she felt a cut on her arm, and a pair of scratches across her tummy. The exploding shards had also left numerous rips in her clothing.

Marlena led the young clone of Danica over to join them, nearer the entrance of the cave. "Danielle's okay. She just has a couple of red marks."

"Never the red one. It shows scary things. I'm sorry," Danielle apologized in a rush.

Celes regained her feet and said, "It's alright, Dearie. You tried to warn me." Her voice lost some of its strength and volume when she added, "And you're right about it showing scary things."

Marlena didn't like the slight quaver of fear in her normally unflappable friend's voice. "What is it, Celes?"

Celes shook her head. "Not here. Not now. Let's go back to the manor. I need a minute to sort this out in my head. We may as well call the rest of the girls out so that we can get to the bottom of this all at once, too."

Everyone nodded, and followed Celes out of the cave. Celes closed her eyes once outside, and sent her thoughts to Danica with all of her will, on the off chance that the redhead could hear them. 'Be careful, Danica.'

{*****~~o~~0~~o~~*****}

"Danica?"

Harkhuf's word echoed the ghostly, faint one that Danica had heard in her head a moment earlier. That call of her name had carried a note of warning, and a sense of Celes with it. Since she planned to use her magic to contact the manor before she left, she didn't feel overly urgent.

"Sorry, I was lost in thought."

"Though the Chipons may not kill you on sight, as they would one from our land, they are on edge, and ever distrustful of outsiders."

Danica offered the priest a comforting smile and responded, "I have to try. I'm hardly a sacrificial lamb, you know?"

"Never that," Harkhuf agreed. "You are blessed of Sekmamun, Tayetet — perhaps all of the gods."

"I don't know about that, but I'll take all the blessings that I can get."

Tari walked into the room, carrying a scroll. "Here is the map."

Danica accepted it. "Thank you."

"I wish I could offer more, but I know of none who have traveled the lands beyond the desert. Even during times of relative peace, our people did not mingle."

"Just say a prayer for me, Harkhuf." Danica unrolled the map on the large table in the priest's study so that she could familiarize herself with the journey ahead.

{*****~~o~~0~~o~~*****}

Celes put her hands on her hips and offered a stern glance. "Okay now, girls — are we clear?"

A chorus of affirmative answers arose from the assembled clones.

"Good. Give us a chance to study the cave, and then maybe you can go back. For now, we just think it's too dangerous. Go on and practice your reading."

The girls filed out, but Edna remained behind, her expression saying that she had something on her mind.

Andrea had returned shortly after the trio had left to find Danielle, and asked the question on everyone else's mind. "Celes, what did you see?"

"I'm not sure. It only lasted for a bit of a second, but I could have sworn that it was..." Celes had to pause and take a deep breath before she could continue.

"Zoraster."

Marlena turned as white as a ghost and had to grip the edge of the table to keep her feet.

Andrea steadied the illusionist, helping her into a chair. Though Andrea knew of the horrors that Zoraster had wrought, the only time she had experienced his twisted hand in her life, he had erased her memory of it. "But, he's dead."

Celes waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. "I saw the mad bastard dead with my own eyes. We left him shrouded in a dispell, so magic couldn't save him."

"Perhaps it's a clone — like the girls," Ashley suggested.

Celes sat down, her head reeling at that possibility. "Maybe. He seemed powerful, and anyone that can shatter a scrying device with a wave of his hand is dangerous."

Flashes of memory from the incident caused her eyebrows to twitch upward. Celes tapped her nail on the table and said, "I'm not so sure that I didn't destroy the crystal myself, though. I know I panicked, so I might have used my power instinctively."

Ashley nodded. "Your power to move things telekinetically is triggered by fear. Something that scared you that much might have focused your powers and destroyed the source of the threat — the crystal."

"We should still warn Danica," Marlena intimated, her face still ashen, and her hands trembling.

Edna stepped forward. "If it is a clone, it might not be as bad as you might think. Danica told me the story about..."

Edna suddenly froze, her words cut off in mid-sentence as she placed her hand on the table.

Ashley immediately moved to the elder witch's side. When Edna's eyes popped open and she gasped, Ashley asked, "Was it a premonition?"

Edna nodded, and allowed Ashley to help her sit down. "A witch — someone I don't know — a demon was killing her and taking her powers."

"Do you know where?" Andrea asked.

Edna shook her head. "A small house. Red shutters on the window. Poppies in the window box."

Ashley knelt down next to her mentor. Edna's words had a ring of familiarity, and prompted her to ask. "What about the demon?"

Edna shrugged. "I didn't recognize it. It looked human, except for dark gray skin and horns." Her brow furrowed, and she said, "There were other demons there, but they didn't attack."

Ashley's gaze snapped to the table, where Edna had placed her hand when the premonition struck. The spot was near to the scrying bowl that she and Celes were using before Edna asked after Danielle. "Didn't one of those houses that the demon watched have poppies in the window box?"

"And red shutters," Celes agreed.

Ashley turned back to Edna. "Do you know when it will happen?"

"Daylight. I'm not sure. The premonition felt rushed — jumpy. Soon, I think."

"We have to help her," Andrea declared.

"We don't even know what kind of demon it is, yet," Ashley argued, "And we already know that there's more than one."

"I think she's right. This is important. I wouldn't have gotten the premonition if it wasn't."

Having her ever cautious — sometimes over cautious — mentor suggest immediate action with such conviction was all Ashley needed. "We should go." She turned and walked to the cabinet where she kept potions to combat hellspawn.

"I'll get the crystals, just in case we have a chance to trap the critter, since that's why we were watching it anyway." Celes hurried to another cabinet on the opposite side of the room.

Ashley handed Marlena several potions, gave the illusionist a quick explanation of what each one did, and then signaled to Celes.

"Be careful," Edna cautioned.

"We will," Ashley's words sounded distant, because Celes had already summoned up the mists to carry them on their way.

The fog had barely vanished when another misty shape took its place. The image of Danica said, "Edna, where's everyone else?"

"I had a premonition. They went to try to stop a demon from killing a witch."

"Should I come back?"

"I don't know that you could find them if you did."

Danica sighed and said, "I could probably find them, but it would take time." After a moment of consideration, she added, "They all have my charms that they can break if they need me, too. I can find them for sure then."

"They're doing what they were born to do, and I have a feeling that you are, too."

"Everything happens for a reason?"

"For a reason," Edna repeated, wearing a wide smile.

"Tell them that I'll try again later."

"I will. Be careful."

The image of Danica nodded, and then faded from sight.

{*****~~o~~0~~o~~*****}

Danica turned to Harkhuf as her spell ended. "I feel guilty about not going to help them, but I probably couldn't even find them before the battle is over. Still..."

"As you said in your spell, things happen for a reason. Perhaps you are not meant to undertake this journey alone."

Danica smiled and stepped closer to trace her fingertips under his chin. She was having a harder time resisting the handsome priest by the moment. "You're bound and determined to keep me here, aren't you?"

Harkhuf smiled and brought her fingers to his lips to kiss them. "Not for that reason — though I would hardly consider it an ill outcome."

"I'll be fine. I've learned my lesson about trying to go it alone. I just need to start now, and then I'll call for help as soon as I can." Danica pursed her lips and mused, "I bet that Marlena could disguise us so well that we could walk around openly."

"If what you say of her command over the magic of illusion is true, I would consider it a wise choice."

"See, I'm thinking ahead. Stop worrying." With that, Danica leaned in to kiss him.

As their lips parted, Harkhuf said in a quiet voice, "Now I consider the other reason to keep you here far more acutely."

Danica shivered and agreed, "Me too. I should go, before I forget where I'm going."

"Go with my blessing, and my prayers."

Danica nodded and left the priest's study to say goodbye to Tari and Rehkmire. She had just as much trouble resisting the surge of arousal when she kissed the young couple in turn as she'd experienced with Harkhuf. Determination carried her out the front door into the desert heat.

She made her way through the still agitated city and absently caressed the token that Harkhuf had given her to gain admittance to the temple of Sekmamun. From there, she would use one of the travel doors to reach the far eastern edge of the desert — the beginning of her journey.

Having never visited those lands even when Zoraster was sending her all over the world, she knew of nowhere closer to teleport. She would have to make her way to the Imperial seat the hard way.

She'd considered using the Hellgate and its ability to move from a known place to another, but decided that she should try to get a feel for how the Chipons were reacting and preparing for war, first. The Hellgate or Celes' gift would come into play later, to save days of walking or flying.

The guard at the gate of the temple let her pass when she showed him the token, although he didn't look pleased about it. Once she passed into the magically cooled interior of the opulent temple, Danica offered a silent prayer for her friends' safety, and then concentrated on remembering Harkhuf's directions to reach the portal room within the labyrinth-like building.

{*****~~o~~0~~o~~*****}

The mists cleared, and Celes could just make out the interior of a small, sparsely furnished room. The next thing she knew, a foot slammed into her abdomen, sending her hurtling between her friends and into a wall.

"Celes!" Andrea called out as she, Ashley, and Marlena fell back.

When the mists completely vanished, Celes had sunk down to the floor on her bottom, the wind knocked out of her. A woman with close-cropped brown hair stood facing them with her hand thrust forward, the fingers splayed wide.

Marlena collapsed to the floor as if a giant foot had stomped on her. Her eyes were wide open in fear.

"Wait, we're not your enemies," Andrea called as she knelt down next to Celes.

"You're immune to my power," The woman muttered without lowering her hand.

Ashley stepped between the frightened woman and Marlena. "That's because we're witches. Please, she can't breathe!"

The woman hesitated for a second, and then let her hand fall. Marlena sucked in a loud, noisy breath, and then began to cough along with Celes.

Ashley sighed in relief and explained, "We're here to help. A demon is going to attack you."

The woman dropped into a fighting crouch, her eyes still wary. "Who are you?"

Ashley checked on her friends to find Andrea caring for Celes and Marlena. "I'm Ashley. Please, we're not going to hurt you."

"Too... Too bad that's not mutual," Celes managed to say between gasps for breath.

Ashley reached into the neckline of her blouse, but paused when the short-haired witch tensed. "I just want to show you something." She waited a second more, and then drew out the chain and charm around her neck.

The other woman relaxed with a great sigh upon seeing the charm. "Sorry. You just appeared out of nowhere and..." She walked closer and winced at the sight of Celes and Marlena struggling to rise. "I'm a little on edge."

"I guess so," Celes remarked as she regained her feet. "Nice kick."

"Thanks — and sorry. My name is Evelyn."

"Celes."

Andrea finished her prayer to the Earth Mother, and Marlena was able to sit up. "I'm Andrea, and this is Marlena."

"You saw a demon coming?" Evelyn asked.

Ashley assisted Andrea in helping Marlena to stand up, and said, "A friend — she has premonitions."

"Do you know when? What kind of demon?"

"Just daylight," Ashley answered. "I guess this isn't a great surprise?"

Evelyn shook her head. "We've lost two sisters in our coven recently."

"Do you have any clues at all about what kind of demon did it?"

A shudder shook Evelyn's body, and she covered her eyes.

"Sit down," Andrea suggested, having hurried to the short-haired witch's side upon making sure that Celes and Marlena were both okay.

"I'm sorry. It's just..."

Celes pulled out a chair, having recognized the sound in Evelyn's voice — budding despair. Once Andrea helped the other witch to sit, Celes said, "Take your time."

After a deep breath, Evelyn shook her head. "There may not be time. Trina and Callie were... The demon took them. Either it was immune to their powers or..."

Even Andrea, who had not experienced the horror of Zoraster's madness, understood what Evelyn had left unspoken. Her stomach went sour as she considered whether it would be worse to be raped by a demon before or after it killed you.

"It was a knife or a dagger that killed them," Evelyn finished.

Kneeling down next to the chair, Ashley asked, "I know it's hard, but what powers did they have?"

"Trina was one of the strongest in our coven. She could control light to turn invisible, burn things, create illusions — it seemed like she found a new way to use her powers every day. Callie could pass through things like a ghost. We'd only just found her and convinced her to accept her powers."

Celes noticed that there were a lot of weapons, potions, and charms in the room. After looking around for a few seconds, she could see that something was within arm's reach from every square inch of the room. "You were using yourself as bait."

With a nod of her head, Evelyn confirmed Celes' suspicion. "I'm the strongest now, and I have more than my powers to fight with."

"So I found out," Celes responded, and offered a wide smile to stave off any guilt that the other witch might feel.

"Your friend who had the premonition... Did my plan work?"

Ashley paused for a moment before she answered, "She saw the demon kill you."

"But you were alone, and you aren't any more," Andrea was quick to add.

Marlena suggested, "What if I cast mirroroom?"

Celes broke out into a wide smile, and explained to everyone else. "The spell Marlena is talking about lasts for days, and causes anyone entering a room after it is cast to see everything inside backwards, like they were looking in a mirror."

"If the demon was able to overcome Trina and Callie's powers, it can probably see through the illusion," Evelyn disagreed.

"Witch powers," Celes clarified. "Marlena's spell is wizard magic, and there's nobody better at illusions than her. We've already seen her illusions confuse powerful greater demons."

Ashley shrugged and grinned. "It certainly can't hurt, and I have to agree with Celes about how good Marlena's illusions are."

As Marlena reached into one of her pouches for spell components, Celes was glad to see the smile on the redhead's face. The illusionist had always doubted her abilities and usefulness, so seeing her participating with confidence was a heartening sign.

Once Marlena completed the spell, Ashley said, "We've actually been scrying on a demon that has been watching your house. It wasn't the same one that Edna described from her premonition, though. We're trying to capture demons to force information out of them."

"What did she say it looked like?" Evelyn inquired.

"Gray-skinned, horns, mostly..." Ashley never had the opportunity to finish.

The door burst open, giving everyone an up close look at the demon Ashley had started to describe. It didn't waste a second, but instead lunged for Evelyn with an unnerving scream — or so it thought.

The demon's claws slammed into a curio cabinet rather than wrapping around Evelyn's throat, as the hellspawn saw Marlena's reversed illusion. Evelyn lashed out with her power, but nothing happened.

Two more demons burst into the room on the heels of the other. Celes thrust out with her power, slamming the gray demon into the cabinet — stunning the already confused monster. The red-skinned minor demons weren't nearly as lucky as their master, because Andrea was the first to see them. Frost rimed the flesh of the demons for a few instants once she brought her power to bear, and then the demons exploded in a gout of flame.

Ashley waved her hand at the groggy gray demon, and it froze in place. For a few seconds, everyone remained tense, prepared for more demons to pour through the door. When none did, Evelyn remarked, "Your powers worked, but mine didn't."

"The demons must be studying your coven and finding ways to counter your powers before they attack. They didn't know we were going to be here, so they were unprepared," Ashley speculated.

Celes pulled a box out of her bag of holding. "Andrea, help me with the crystals. We may as well put this one in a cage and see if we can wring anything out of it."

The blonde witch hurried to Celes' side and took two of the crystals. Once all five crystals were in place, tendrils of magical energy erupted to form a cage around the demon.

Wearing a smug smile, Celes told Ashley, "Let it loose, and let's see what the critter knows."

Ashley waited until everyone had gathered around Celes, and then waved her hand again. The demon immediately screamed in pain when one of its arms brushed against the boundary of the cage. A second later, it whirled on a spot exactly opposite where the five women stood, its face a mask of rage.

Evelyn suddenly gasped, and grabbed for sleeves and arms to attract the attention of the others. "We have to get out of here!"