It was darkness again. It was that same murky blackness that pervaded her five senses. Once again, she was experiencing that dream; the same dream that haunted her subconscious whenever she closed her eyes and drifted out of the land of the awake and into the world of sleepers. As always, she realized that this was a dream, but this time, something was different. Very different and very wrong.
Unlike before, she felt totally awake and in charge of her senses. She could see the darkness, roiling about her, just inches from her skin but seemingly frightened to engulf her. She reached out a hand and poked at it, feeling its cold, alien, rubbery surface before it shied away out of reach. She could still taste the acrid aftertaste of the darkness, but she was at least pleased that it no longer filled her mouth and lungs, like it once did before. She could smell it too, that strange almost indescribable odor that smelt of something burnt, yet decaying. But what unnerved her most, or at least filled her with a sense of foreboding, was what she heard.
The darkness was speaking constantly. She could remember that before, the voices were soft, quiet whispers. Today, they were still whispers, but they were harsh, urgent and offended. They spoke in a strange language that listening to felt grating on the ears, but the more she listened, the more she felt aware of what the myriad of voices was saying. The voices, although speaking different words, were saying the same thing: she could not be controlled anymore, and she had to die. Unfortunately for it, she was in no way willing for the darkness to have its way. Nay, if anything was going to die, it would not be her.
She was aware of what had happened in the waking world. The potion had had a stronger effect than anyone had intended, obviously, but it seemed to be working in ridding her body of the malignant curse. She had found herself in the dream world of darkness, and already, she was in complete control of herself, a thing that had never happened before. She remembered the strange runes that had attended her, that she had used to fight against the darkness, and as she thought about them, they appeared, glowing golden in the gloom. With a hiss, the darkness fled from before them, and began to gather in a spot far out of her reach.
Levinia held up her left arm and pointed at the darkness, as the runes rapidly swirled around her wrist. She looked at her arm, slightly marveling at the soft glow cast upon her body by the strange, floating lettering. Then she remembered her right arm, the one that had been chomped off many years ago. She looked down at it, frowning in puzzlement as she could see it clearer for the first time in the dream scape. Its outline seemed fuzzy, from above the elbow down to the fingers, and she had a feeling that it was both there and not there, both hers, and yet, belonging to another.
Very strange indeed.
"You have made much progress. More than we anticipated."
Her eyes flashed from her spectral arm to the reformed darkness monster. This time, it was colossal, bigger than it had ever been. Its edges filled her vision as it loomed over her, a mountain of black, sick woe. "We will not permit you to grow stronger here, even though letting you live would have been beneficial to us."
Levinia glared back at whatever she felt was its most central point. "I'm done letting you 'permit' anything whatsoever, as far as I'm concerned. I bested you once, and you somehow escaped me..."
"We were not as large, nor as powerful as we are now," the horrendous creature interjected. Tendrils of shadow snaked towards her with alarming speed, gripping her limbs and slithering around her neck. Instantly, she felt the essence of death flowing into her body from the tentacles. Her little flying alphabets responded quickly, drawing a beautiful pattern beneath her that bathed her in a golden light. She felt a rejuvenating force feel her body, thrusting back the lethargic feeling of demise and causing the tentacles caught within the circular arcane symbol to blister and rupture. The gigantic demon of darkness shrieked with its million mouths, as it backed away hastily from her.
"Hmm... it can't stand this power that heals. That would make sense; if it is a creature of death, and this power is a force that gives life, I just find myself armed with the weapon to destroy this thing."
Willing her sigils to extend this power, Levinia was surprised and impressed as a very expansive formula around her. Pulsating healing light burst out of it, basically shredding the darkness into nothingness. The last thing she heard it scream was: "Grimoire magic?! How...?!!"
At once, she felt something flee from the darkness as it disintegrated, something that could be easily overlooked. It felt like an essence, like a consciousness, and she remembered how the last time she had attacked it, it had withdrawn into an inert ball that was inanimate. If this essence was sent to give a will to the darkness, she ought to follow it and find out who was behind all this. And so, like a bloodhound after a hart, Levinia swooped after the fleeing essence. She had no time or interest in her surroundings for now, as she was pursuing a greater prize, but she was vaguely aware that she was in an indeterminate void. Something began to materialize in the pale nothingness, like she was approaching a wall. And approaching a wall she was.
It was that wall of skin, that rough, white thing that had prevented her passage the last time she had interacted with the darkness being prior to this time. The essence retreated beyond the barrier, passing through it like it was nothing, but as she approached it, she knew it would offer resistance. She held her hands out in front of her in an attempt to push against the skin wall as she approached it, but in her desperation to continue pursuit, her mind seemed to push more, push harder, push more forcefully. A wave of psionic energy rippled outwards from her palms, bursting through the wall as she approached it, and allowing her to zip through the hole made.
Levinia let out a cry of triumph. For the first time in how many years, she was free.
Victories could wait, however. She still wanted to get to the source of whatever controlled the darkness. As she followed it, she suddenly burst through what appeared to be a veil, and she found herself in a large chamber, an observatory, from the looks of it. Instantly, she realized that she was somehow no longer in the world of dreams. She had no idea where she was, but it was on the plane of physical existence alright. The first thing she was aware of was a small, mummified arm lying in a magic circle. The arm was a right, and it suddenly dawned on her that this severed limb was the one she'd lost all those years ago. The essence she had pursued to this place got her attention once again, as it descended into a completely concealed body, wearing dark robes, sitting limp in a chair. At once, it leaped to its feet and shouted something urgently. Sensing an attack coming from somewhere, she turned just in time to see a tall, gaunt, strange creature, humanoid but with a mass of long tentacles for a mouth, leap towards her, an odd device clutched in its clawed hand and pointed towards her.
"Oh no you don't!" Levinia snarled, as another formula instinctively formed around her, one that slowed down everything considerably, even the clocks on the walls. Both creatures registered surprise at this, but Levinia heard the other figure yell something in that strange language. Strangely, she understood that he was saying something about Grimoire magic again, and she realized that that was the power she was currently using. The tentacled creature gestured, and Levinia felt something intangible grip her and hold her fast. It then said something in that peculiar language, but still she understood perfectly what it said:
"Stop her, before she returns to her body!"
Panic registered in her mind, panic that resulted in a telekinetic backlash that thrashed up the room and flung everyone in various directions. Immediately, she felt the psychic grip on her loosen, but as her gaze passed over the robed creature, she felt herself peering into its mind. She poked further without conscious thought, and accessed information in its mind that involved this Grimoire magic it had mentioned. There existed many forms of this type of magic, a powerful form of magic that existed long before modern civilization and belonged to a certain set of individuals... like a pantheon? As she wandered through his thoughts, she was certain without any more iota of doubt, that the withered arm was her own. How this creature came by it, and what it was using it for, were unknown to her. Perhaps she could push further and find out. Then again, there might not be time. Her psychic attack had disoriented the both of them, but if she lingered for too long, they might recover and trap her, and who knew whether she would be able to escape them? It seemed they were experts, or at least had some knowledge of trapping people's souls or essences, and not allowing them to return to their bodies. Such a fate might end up being worse than the curse she had just broken. Hopefully. She would be able to ascertain the full extent of how far the disease had been cured, when she was awake in her own flesh. As she thought about her body, she was suddenly aware that she felt like a stone in a primed catapult, which had been strained to its furthest elastic distance, but had not yet been fired. She sensed that it was by sheer force of will that she had not returned to her body, but returning would be way much easier than staying here. There was one thing more she wished to do, before she left, even though she felt the urgency to leave building up inside.
She walked, or more accurately, floated till she stood before the mummified arm. Looking curiously at it for a moment, she then tried to reach out and pick it up. Her hand phased through it, just like a ghost would find it impossible to interact with a substance of this plane. She looked at her right arm, the one connected to her body. It was still there, but in brighter illumination, she could see that it looked more spectral than her body even was.
"You have already realized that that is your arm?" She didn't turn around; there was a mirror in front of her, and she did not cast any reflection, interestingly. So, she could easily see the robed figure as it picked itself up and sat wearily in its chair. "I'm surprised... though I suspect you would experience some sort of connection with it. You have proven a lot smarter than I thought."
Levinia was about to reply, but she realized that the tentacled one had recovered enough and was stealthily aiming its weird device at her back. She was aware of it, even though her back was turned and it had wisely stayed out of the scope of the mirror. A ring of runes formed around her a second before the creature's contraption released a beam of light, and Levinia found herself surrounded by a bubble, which deflected the ray from the creature's device. Its tentacles quivered in frustration, as its skin tone changed through different hues. It said something to the robed one, who seemed to sag in its chair. And once again, Levinia understood what it meant.
"So, my body has access to this power? That's the best news I've heard in about a decade."
Once again, the two creatures were surprised that she could understand their tongue, and for a moment, Levinia wondered if she should not have revealed she could understand them, so that perhaps they might reveal some more juicy tidbits of information. But she started to feel the strain on her spirit as it longed to return to her body, and began to perceive that she might be trying her luck, if she hung around a moment longer. Meanwhile, the tentacled creature began to emit a snarling sound, as thick veins bulged on its temples. To wait to see what it wanted to do would not be wise at all.
Imagining herself to be the projectile and the wielder of the catapult, she 'released' herself, and instantly felt herself drawn back with incredible space, through the walls of the observatory, through space and time, back to wherever her physical body waited. And the last thing she heard was a cry of enraged helplessness.
Unlike before, she felt totally awake and in charge of her senses. She could see the darkness, roiling about her, just inches from her skin but seemingly frightened to engulf her. She reached out a hand and poked at it, feeling its cold, alien, rubbery surface before it shied away out of reach. She could still taste the acrid aftertaste of the darkness, but she was at least pleased that it no longer filled her mouth and lungs, like it once did before. She could smell it too, that strange almost indescribable odor that smelt of something burnt, yet decaying. But what unnerved her most, or at least filled her with a sense of foreboding, was what she heard.
The darkness was speaking constantly. She could remember that before, the voices were soft, quiet whispers. Today, they were still whispers, but they were harsh, urgent and offended. They spoke in a strange language that listening to felt grating on the ears, but the more she listened, the more she felt aware of what the myriad of voices was saying. The voices, although speaking different words, were saying the same thing: she could not be controlled anymore, and she had to die. Unfortunately for it, she was in no way willing for the darkness to have its way. Nay, if anything was going to die, it would not be her.
She was aware of what had happened in the waking world. The potion had had a stronger effect than anyone had intended, obviously, but it seemed to be working in ridding her body of the malignant curse. She had found herself in the dream world of darkness, and already, she was in complete control of herself, a thing that had never happened before. She remembered the strange runes that had attended her, that she had used to fight against the darkness, and as she thought about them, they appeared, glowing golden in the gloom. With a hiss, the darkness fled from before them, and began to gather in a spot far out of her reach.
Levinia held up her left arm and pointed at the darkness, as the runes rapidly swirled around her wrist. She looked at her arm, slightly marveling at the soft glow cast upon her body by the strange, floating lettering. Then she remembered her right arm, the one that had been chomped off many years ago. She looked down at it, frowning in puzzlement as she could see it clearer for the first time in the dream scape. Its outline seemed fuzzy, from above the elbow down to the fingers, and she had a feeling that it was both there and not there, both hers, and yet, belonging to another.
Very strange indeed.
"You have made much progress. More than we anticipated."
Her eyes flashed from her spectral arm to the reformed darkness monster. This time, it was colossal, bigger than it had ever been. Its edges filled her vision as it loomed over her, a mountain of black, sick woe. "We will not permit you to grow stronger here, even though letting you live would have been beneficial to us."
Levinia glared back at whatever she felt was its most central point. "I'm done letting you 'permit' anything whatsoever, as far as I'm concerned. I bested you once, and you somehow escaped me..."
"We were not as large, nor as powerful as we are now," the horrendous creature interjected. Tendrils of shadow snaked towards her with alarming speed, gripping her limbs and slithering around her neck. Instantly, she felt the essence of death flowing into her body from the tentacles. Her little flying alphabets responded quickly, drawing a beautiful pattern beneath her that bathed her in a golden light. She felt a rejuvenating force feel her body, thrusting back the lethargic feeling of demise and causing the tentacles caught within the circular arcane symbol to blister and rupture. The gigantic demon of darkness shrieked with its million mouths, as it backed away hastily from her.
"Hmm... it can't stand this power that heals. That would make sense; if it is a creature of death, and this power is a force that gives life, I just find myself armed with the weapon to destroy this thing."
Willing her sigils to extend this power, Levinia was surprised and impressed as a very expansive formula around her. Pulsating healing light burst out of it, basically shredding the darkness into nothingness. The last thing she heard it scream was: "Grimoire magic?! How...?!!"
At once, she felt something flee from the darkness as it disintegrated, something that could be easily overlooked. It felt like an essence, like a consciousness, and she remembered how the last time she had attacked it, it had withdrawn into an inert ball that was inanimate. If this essence was sent to give a will to the darkness, she ought to follow it and find out who was behind all this. And so, like a bloodhound after a hart, Levinia swooped after the fleeing essence. She had no time or interest in her surroundings for now, as she was pursuing a greater prize, but she was vaguely aware that she was in an indeterminate void. Something began to materialize in the pale nothingness, like she was approaching a wall. And approaching a wall she was.
It was that wall of skin, that rough, white thing that had prevented her passage the last time she had interacted with the darkness being prior to this time. The essence retreated beyond the barrier, passing through it like it was nothing, but as she approached it, she knew it would offer resistance. She held her hands out in front of her in an attempt to push against the skin wall as she approached it, but in her desperation to continue pursuit, her mind seemed to push more, push harder, push more forcefully. A wave of psionic energy rippled outwards from her palms, bursting through the wall as she approached it, and allowing her to zip through the hole made.
Levinia let out a cry of triumph. For the first time in how many years, she was free.
Victories could wait, however. She still wanted to get to the source of whatever controlled the darkness. As she followed it, she suddenly burst through what appeared to be a veil, and she found herself in a large chamber, an observatory, from the looks of it. Instantly, she realized that she was somehow no longer in the world of dreams. She had no idea where she was, but it was on the plane of physical existence alright. The first thing she was aware of was a small, mummified arm lying in a magic circle. The arm was a right, and it suddenly dawned on her that this severed limb was the one she'd lost all those years ago. The essence she had pursued to this place got her attention once again, as it descended into a completely concealed body, wearing dark robes, sitting limp in a chair. At once, it leaped to its feet and shouted something urgently. Sensing an attack coming from somewhere, she turned just in time to see a tall, gaunt, strange creature, humanoid but with a mass of long tentacles for a mouth, leap towards her, an odd device clutched in its clawed hand and pointed towards her.
"Oh no you don't!" Levinia snarled, as another formula instinctively formed around her, one that slowed down everything considerably, even the clocks on the walls. Both creatures registered surprise at this, but Levinia heard the other figure yell something in that strange language. Strangely, she understood that he was saying something about Grimoire magic again, and she realized that that was the power she was currently using. The tentacled creature gestured, and Levinia felt something intangible grip her and hold her fast. It then said something in that peculiar language, but still she understood perfectly what it said:
"Stop her, before she returns to her body!"
Panic registered in her mind, panic that resulted in a telekinetic backlash that thrashed up the room and flung everyone in various directions. Immediately, she felt the psychic grip on her loosen, but as her gaze passed over the robed creature, she felt herself peering into its mind. She poked further without conscious thought, and accessed information in its mind that involved this Grimoire magic it had mentioned. There existed many forms of this type of magic, a powerful form of magic that existed long before modern civilization and belonged to a certain set of individuals... like a pantheon? As she wandered through his thoughts, she was certain without any more iota of doubt, that the withered arm was her own. How this creature came by it, and what it was using it for, were unknown to her. Perhaps she could push further and find out. Then again, there might not be time. Her psychic attack had disoriented the both of them, but if she lingered for too long, they might recover and trap her, and who knew whether she would be able to escape them? It seemed they were experts, or at least had some knowledge of trapping people's souls or essences, and not allowing them to return to their bodies. Such a fate might end up being worse than the curse she had just broken. Hopefully. She would be able to ascertain the full extent of how far the disease had been cured, when she was awake in her own flesh. As she thought about her body, she was suddenly aware that she felt like a stone in a primed catapult, which had been strained to its furthest elastic distance, but had not yet been fired. She sensed that it was by sheer force of will that she had not returned to her body, but returning would be way much easier than staying here. There was one thing more she wished to do, before she left, even though she felt the urgency to leave building up inside.
She walked, or more accurately, floated till she stood before the mummified arm. Looking curiously at it for a moment, she then tried to reach out and pick it up. Her hand phased through it, just like a ghost would find it impossible to interact with a substance of this plane. She looked at her right arm, the one connected to her body. It was still there, but in brighter illumination, she could see that it looked more spectral than her body even was.
"You have already realized that that is your arm?" She didn't turn around; there was a mirror in front of her, and she did not cast any reflection, interestingly. So, she could easily see the robed figure as it picked itself up and sat wearily in its chair. "I'm surprised... though I suspect you would experience some sort of connection with it. You have proven a lot smarter than I thought."
Levinia was about to reply, but she realized that the tentacled one had recovered enough and was stealthily aiming its weird device at her back. She was aware of it, even though her back was turned and it had wisely stayed out of the scope of the mirror. A ring of runes formed around her a second before the creature's contraption released a beam of light, and Levinia found herself surrounded by a bubble, which deflected the ray from the creature's device. Its tentacles quivered in frustration, as its skin tone changed through different hues. It said something to the robed one, who seemed to sag in its chair. And once again, Levinia understood what it meant.
"So, my body has access to this power? That's the best news I've heard in about a decade."
Once again, the two creatures were surprised that she could understand their tongue, and for a moment, Levinia wondered if she should not have revealed she could understand them, so that perhaps they might reveal some more juicy tidbits of information. But she started to feel the strain on her spirit as it longed to return to her body, and began to perceive that she might be trying her luck, if she hung around a moment longer. Meanwhile, the tentacled creature began to emit a snarling sound, as thick veins bulged on its temples. To wait to see what it wanted to do would not be wise at all.
Imagining herself to be the projectile and the wielder of the catapult, she 'released' herself, and instantly felt herself drawn back with incredible space, through the walls of the observatory, through space and time, back to wherever her physical body waited. And the last thing she heard was a cry of enraged helplessness.
Word Count: 2194/2000
