I have returned, and I come baring gifts of part seven. Not exactly gold, but it's all I've got. I'm really glad there are so many people enjoying this story. I'm enjoying writing it. I know that sounds cliche, but it's true. I love writing, and reading. Comments and suggestions are welcome at Mist_dark@hotmail.com
The usual disclaimer goes here. This story isn't supposed to imply anything about the sexuality of the members of Nsync. We can hope they're gay, but if they're not we're all going to have to recover. Parts of this story are based of the RPG Rifts. All trademarks belong to Palladium books and Kevin Seimbieda. If you're too young in your area, or it's illegal to read this. Leave now please. Also if homosexual themes bother you, you've made a huge navigational error. This isn't the place for you.
There are so many people who should be thanked here, but I can't do them all. LHW, Kenitra, Aphrodite, Kief, Aeoros, and a whole slew of others. You guys are great, thanks for the help. Stories you should pay attention to are BSB and Nsync Chronicles, Nsync and the Vamps, Forever (it's over now, but still a good one), Love me, Choices, and so on and so forth. Lots of good stories, check `em out.
Enjoy part seven, Rune
PART SEVEN
Karr was suspended by chains in the middle of the room. The chains were positioned so that he hung spread-eagle. He had been stripped of his clothing. Small beads of sweat formed on his forehead in anticipation of what was going to happen. He raised his head and scanned the room. Six robed figures stood before him in a semi- circle. Each of the robes was a different colour. Red, blue, green, brown, black and white. Three were women, three were men.
"Karr for you crimes you will be punished," the white figure said.
"The punishment for your crimes is the stripping of your power," Blue said.
"Your immortality you shall keep, but your powers shall be taken from you," Green told him.
"Death," sneered Black. "Is too good for you."
"You can be killed," Brown said. "But you shall not die of natural causes."
"Have you any last words?" Red asked.
Karr looked at the six people in front of him and laughed. "You're punishing me for something that all of you wanted to do. Something that each and every one of you would have done if you had had the chance. You're afraid of my brother and sister and I. That's why we're here today. Not because of any crimes."
"If that is the way you feel," Red said quietly. "We shall begin."
Black walked behind Karr and pulled something off a shelf. "As you have already figured out, the shackles holding you prevent the use of your powers. And the chains are indestructible."
"I've already figured that out," Karr snapped. "I did the moment I saw them. It really isn't that difficult to notice these sorts of things."
Brown produced a vial from her robes. She poured some of it on her hands and quickly rubbed the contents into Karr's skin. It was similar to oil in constancy, but was much colder to the touch. His skin easily absorbed it. After it had been rubbed into his skin it started to burn slightly. Brown wiped her hands on a cloth Black offered her. When she was finished she tossed the cloth aside.
"Do you know what that oil will do Karr?" White asked him.
"No," he replied. "And I don't really care." Actually he did care. He cared a great deal. He knew he would leave this room alive, but he also knew that he wouldn't leave this room as the same person.
"I believe you do care," White said. "The oil will open your pores. Not just the physical ones, but your supernatural ones as well. It will make removing your powers far easier."
"And far more painful," Black whispered in his ear. "Let's get on with it."
Red nodded his head. "Agreed. The oil will have taken effect by now. Begin."
"Perfect," Black purred. He stepped around the front of Karr and motioned for the others to step back. They moved to the outer edge of the room, giving Black and Karr plenty of room. Black let the whip in his hand uncoil. "I believe I'm going to enjoy this."
"You always did enjoy inflicting pain," Karr retorted. "Why should this be any different?"
Black smiled. "Of course my dear." He snapped the whip over his shoulder and cracked it across Karr's neck.
Karr cried out in pain as he felt the whip. Where the leather touched his skin small black marks were left behind. Black smiled at him again and cracked the whip. This time the implement of torture struck his chest. Again the black marks were left behind. The whip struck him several more times, each time leaving black marks on his chest, face and back.
Red held up his hand. "Enough. Any more at this time and you will kill him." Black looked like he was going to protest, but Red silenced him with a glance. "You can continue to torture him later. Right now we must finish what we've started. His power is still his, though at the moment he cannot use it."
Blue stepped forward. "I believe it is my turn now." She raised her hands upward and bowed her head. Karr was in too much physical pain to make out what she was saying under her breath, but he knew it wasn't going to be pleasant. Blue's head snapped up and she looked him in the eye as she clapped her hands twice.
The black marks on Karr's skin started to burn and smoke. He opened his mouth and screamed in absolute agony. The feeling of agony intensified as the smoke thickened. Soon it appeared as if his entire body was about to burst into flames. All he could do was scream. The pain blocked out anything else.
The six figures silently watched him scream. They apparently grew bored and left him to his pain. The smoke stopped pouring from his body after a few minutes. The agony slowly subsided as well. Though he was still in a great deal of pain. The pain was too much for his mind to handle. Darkness started to roll over him. His last conscious memory was of a bloodcurdling female scream. It was Nydia's turn.
"Evelyn?" Chris asked as he helped her clear the table after the morning meal. "Can I ask you something?"
"Of course dear," Evelyn said. She set the plates on the counter and began filling the sink with water. Once it was full she glanced down at the sink and warmed it mentally. When it was warm enough she started putting the dishes into the sink. "What's bothering you?"
"It's about Joey," Chris said. He set the remaining dishes on the counter and laid a towel on the other side of the sink. He grabbed another towel and started drying the dishes as they came out of the sink. "He's been acting all weird lately."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, whenever I talk to him he always takes a while to respond. And he always talks as if he's a million miles away." Chris shrugged. "I don't know, it's just weird."
Evelyn laughed richly. "Is that all that's been bothering you? I've been showing him how to open himself to the environment. He's just listening to the world around him. He'd be able to sense a bird twenty miles away, but probably wouldn't notice you in the same room with him."
"Joey's my friend," Chris said. "He's a great guy, and I worry about him when he does things like this. He's normally so full of energy." He set his towel aside and put the plates back in the cupboard. "Ever since we came here I've been sort of worried. I mean I know that you won't let anything bad happen to us, but I'm still worried. I don't know where Lance, JC and Justin are. Or even if they're still alive. It's scary, you know?"
"Yes," Evelyn said. "I do know that feeling. I also know what true loss is. But never assume the worst. Prepare for it yes, but hope for the best. You have to believe that they're alive. It will hurt if they aren't still alive, but Joey and I will be there for you if that happens. And if they are still alive, then you've nothing to worry about. You can't do anything either way Christopher. Don't worry yourself sick over it." She touched the towel on the counter. "And I believe that you still have dishes to dry."
Chris smiled and picked up the towel. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were trying to change the subject."
Evelyn batted her eyes at Chris. "Now would I do something like that?"
"You don't really want me to answer that question, do you?" Chris grinned. He picked up the towel and started drying one of the pots. "Or if I do answer it, will I get in trouble."
"Christopher, I would never punish you for answering a question." Evelyn smiled sweetly. "Unless of course you gave me the wrong answer. Then you might be strung up from the nearest tree. And we've got plenty of them around here."
"I think I'll play it safe then," Chris said. "No comment."
"And to think you actually do have some common sense under that mop of yours," Evelyn joked.
"Yep," Chris said without a trace of being insulted in his voice. "I keep the hair so people underestimate me. I'm smarter then you would think. And of course, my dazzling good looks throw people off too."
"I'm sure," Evelyn rolled her eyes. She turned to him and pinched his cheek. "You are cute though. In a sort of goblinish way."
"Hey!" Chris cried indignantly. "I am far cuter then any goblin. Now Joey is cute as a goblin."
"The important part is that you believe that dear," Evelyn told him as she began to empty the sink.
"I do, and that's all that matters," Chris said. He crossed his arms and pouted for a few minutes. "Actually there's something else."
"What's that dear?"
"Well I've been working with my pyrokinetics by myself, like you told me to," Chris started. "And I'm wondering if something I found is a normal progression."
"What is it?" Evelyn asked with a trace of worry in her voice.
"I think I should do this outside," Chris said. He handed Evelyn her cloak. "It's probably a little safer outside for this one."
Evelyn accepted her cloak and followed Chris outside. Once outside he walked a few feet from the cabin. His closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them their normal brown had been replaced by red. It looked like his eyes were on fire. A small stream of fire snaked downward from each of his eyes and began forming an intricate pattern on his face. The fiery pattern quickly spread to the rest of his body. By the time the pattern had covered his entire body, Chris's eyes had stopped appearing as if they were on fire. The eyes appeared to have been replaced completely by small flames. There was a small boom as Chris suddenly burst into flames.
Evelyn took a step back toward the cabin. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Chris said through the flames. The snow around him was starting to melt, but the fire showed no signs of dying. "I was wondering if this was normal."
"I believe so," Evelyn said. "I've heard of it happening. I've just never seen it happen before. It's actually beautiful to watch. You're sure you're alright?"
"I'm sure," Chris told her. "I'm just glad this is normal. I wasn't sure what to think about it the first time it happened."
"Why didn't you tell me about this right away?" Evelyn demanded.
"The first time it happened was when you and Joey went on your little mental vacation. I just got too tired and forgot about it. It's happened a few times since, but you've always been busy at the time. And when you weren't busy, I'd forgotten about it."
"I see," Evelyn said levelly. "I believe your next lesson will be improving your short term memory. It seems to be broken."
The flames around Chris extinguished themselves with a small hissing sound. He grinned and trotted back into the cabin. "My bad."
Lance wiped the sweat from his forehead. He had been concentrating intently on the last symbol on the door. It had taken more then two days of constantly carving symbols into the door to get to this point. He hadn't done anything else, except sleep and eat. Even then he only ate and slept when either Maria or Selvar came and forced him to do so. He didn't really know why he was so driven to fix the door, but he was going to do it.
"There," he said. He leaned backward and looked proudly at his work. The previous runes had been easily removed, but making new ones were far more difficult. When he had started he decided that he was going to carve the runes, rather then simply drawing them onto the door. He was actually surprised that it had taken as little time as it had to complete his task. "All I need to do is get Selvar and I can finish this."
Lance left the laboratory in search of the elf. He passed Maria in the hallway. She was carrying a black robe over her arm. "Lance," Maria stopped him. "Is this what you wanted with the robe?" She held up the robe for inspection.
He carefully followed the patterns of runes embroidered over the fabric. "Yep, that's exactly what I wanted. Thanks."
Maria smiled. "I'm glad you like it. It shouldn't take too long for me to do a few more of them."
"Oh you don't have to do that," Lance told her. "I don't really want to trouble you any more."
She waved her free hand. "Don't worry about it. I enjoy sewing, and I don't get a chance to do it very often. Besides, it shouldn't take me more then an hour or two to finish three more robes. Maybe a touch longer."
"That quick?" Lance gaped.
"Of course. This one took longer because I wanted to make sure I got the pattern down properly. This is the exact pattern you wanted right?"
"Yes," Lance said. He was slightly shocked at how quickly this woman could do these things. It would have taken him days just to sew on one or two patterns. And probably months to do the hundreds that covered the robe.
"Lance?" Maria waved her hand in front of his eyes to bring him back. "You in there?"
"Huh?" Oh sorry. Just kinda shocked at your sewing skills. It'd take me forever to do just one robe. Thanks again."
"No problem." She started to walk away. "Oh, Selvar's in his study."
"How did you know I was looking for him?" Maria didn't answer. She just walked down the hallway and disappeared around a corner. Lance shook his head and walked toward Selvar's study.
As Maria had told him, Selvar was there, sitting behind his desk. The elf was making a list of some sort. He set it aside when Lance entered the study.
"I'm almost finished your door," Lance informed him. "I just need you to help me with the last step."
"Already?" Selvar asked. "I thought it would have taken you at least another week to complete that project. Maria is right, you really are a prodigy."
"What do you mean by that?" Lance questioned.
"Well diabolism is a difficult magic to learn. All magic is, but diabolism especially. It would have taken most people years to learn what you've learned in less then a week." He shrugged. "I guess you just have a talent for channeling the energy need to perform magic. Or rather create the runes for your magic. Have you charged the runes yet?"
"Not yet," Lance said as he turned as slight shade of red. "You mean that I'm really good at this?"
"Since my laboratory hasn't exploded since you started working on the door, I would have to say yes." Selvar grinned at Lance. "It hasn't exploded yet, has it?"
"No!" Lance said indignantly. "What would make you think I would do something like that? Just because the bowl and the door I touched exploded doesn't meant I'd blow your lab up. Besides, the entire lab isn't covered in runes, so it's perfectly safe. I only destroy things with runes attached to them."
Selvar laughed. "True Lance. So very true. Oh that reminds me." He picked up his pen and began writing on his list again. "I'll need to pick up another of those bowls. I should be able to find one at the market. Speaking of which. Is there anything that you need?"
"What?"
"I'm going to the market at Atlantis. Do you need anything? It's the biggest magical market in the world. It'll have just about anything you want. Though the occasional item may be harder to get a hold of."
"I could use a few things. Various powders and whatnot," Lance mused. "When are you leaving? I'll get a list for you before you leave."
"I'll be leaving in the morning. I've a few other places to go as well, or I'd invite you to come along," Selvar told him. He set the list aside again and stood. "Now let's go finish this door shall we?"
"I don't want you rushing into this Justin," Pyre told him firmly. "I know that you want to hurt the vampires for what they did to that little girl. But racing in and getting yourself killed isn't going to solve anything. Understand?"
"Yes," Justin rolled his eyes and looked back to the cave. "I'm not going to do anything stupid. But they're going to die. All of them."
"I know what you're feeling right now Justin," Pyre said. "Just make sure you're channeling your anger properly. Don't let it cloud your judgement."
"Whatever," Justin said absently.
Pyre grabbed his shoulder and forced eye contact. "I mean it Justin. I don't want you to get killed."
"Alright," Justin said. "I'll be careful. I promise."
Pyre nodded and let go of his shoulder. "Keep that promise. Let's go."
The sun had just started to set. Normally a vampire hunter wouldn't go near his prey's lair when it was dark, or almost dark. But Pyre and Justin had decided that they wanted a fight. Neither wanted to let the abominations die in their sleep. The pair moved quietly toward the cave, hovering just above the ground to avoid making undue noise.
The inside of the cave was dry, which wasn't a surprise because it was in the middle of the desert. The dust just inside and outside the cave was scuffed with footprints. There were only a few vampires inside. Probably about five. Neither was worried about that few. The odds were that this was an isolated group, meaning it was mostly composed of the lesser feral vampires.
"Take the left," Pyre whispered. "I'll head to the right."
Justin nodded and drifted to the left. They circled the cave quietly until they saw what they were looking for, a series of large holes. Inside each lay the body of a vampire. They hadn't quite woken from their slumber yet. They were in for a surprise when they did wake up. Justin hunched down in the shadows of the cave wall. He and Pyre had agreed that they wouldn't make a move until the vampires started to wake up.
He didn't have to wait long. About ten minutes after they had entered the cave the first vampire started climb out of its sleeping hole. It was a young man. He probably hadn't been very old when he had become one of the undead. The creature licked its lips and started toward the entrance of the cave.
Unable to contain himself any longer Justin launched himself at the vampire. It didn't even turn until he slammed into it, knocking it to the ground. Justin rolled to his feet and spun to the face it. The creature hissed and jumped to its feet. A feral gleam flashed through its eyes. Justin only smiled as he stepped in and kicked it sharply in its chest. The creature grunted and flew across the cave due to the force of the blow. It struck the far wall and slumped to the ground dazed.
"Justin," Pyre snapped. "You promised you wouldn't rush into this."
"I'm sorry," Justin told him while he advanced on his prey. He grabbed the creature's chest pulled it up. "I couldn't help myself." He heard a hissing from behind him and turned. A female vampire had woken and joined the fray. Justin dropped low and spun quickly, letting go of the male vampire in his hand at the same time. The female's leap was met by the male's body in mid-air. The pair collapsed in a heap.
Pyre jumped forward, a stake in each hand. He punched each piece of wood into one of the vampires' hearts. They screamed in pain before their skin crumbled into dust. Two skeletons remained clutching the stakes.
Justin ignored them and moved on to his next target. Another female. Deciding that this one should go down faster, he pulled a stake from his belt. With a quick flip of his wrist he sent the wood flying into the creature's chest. It missed the heart, but inflicted pain. The vampire screamed in pain and began clawing at her chest trying to get the wood out. She tore huge pieces of flesh out in a vain attempt to remove the source of her pain. Justin smiled grimly. He stepped forward and drove another stake into her. This one found its mark. She crumbled into a fleshless skeleton.
"Justin," Pyre shouted from across the cave. "Get that one."
A single vampire was skulking toward the cave's mouth. It was another male. This one was going to go down much slower. Justin flew through the air and dropped down in front of the vampire.
"Going somewhere?" He asked.
"Let me leave mortal," the creature hissed. "And I'll spare you."
Red started to fill Justin's vision. "Spare me?" He asked quietly. "You're going to spare me? Just like you spared that girl?" He didn't wait for a response he attacked. He heard the creature scream in pain as his silver claws raked across its chest. Justin wasn't paying attention to anything around him. Just the vampire. The creature never laid a hand on him. He would spin and kick the creature in the chest, on the way back to regaining his balance, his claws would tear through undead flesh. Justin raked his claws into the creature's flesh again and again. When the creature finally collapsed at his feet, he just stood there breathing heavily.
"Stake it," Pyre told him. "It's not dead yet."
Justin nodded and drove a stake into the vampire's heart. The flesh turned to dust, leaving the skeleton behind. It took him a few moments, but Justin's rage finally left him. Once he had returned to normal he helped Pyre pile the skeletons in the middle of the cave. Pyre made a clicking noise at the back of his throat. Fire leapt from his mouth and burned the bones to ash.
"What is this?" JC asked Fayth. "Some kind of joke?"
"No," Fayth told him. "Just take that note to Erastus. He'll know what to do. Father thinks it's best if you leave."
"Do you really hate me that much?" JC asked.
"Josh I hate you more then you'll know," Fayth told him. "I just happen to love my father more then I hate you. I'm not leaving him. He wanted to send me with you as well. I refused. Go, send Erastus my regards."
"Why?" JC asked looking at the folded note that Fayth had given him.
"Josh," Fayth snapped. "Just do this. Father cares for you deeply. I don't. If I were trying to kill you, I'd have done it before this. Father fears for your safety. Erastus is better prepared to defend you. Just go."
"I don't like this," JC said. "But I'll do it. If I find out that this is a trick." He left it hanging.
"That won't be an issue," Fayth said. `Believe me,' she said under her breath as JC swam away from the rocks. "I hope you're right father. This better be worth it." She turned away from JC's rapidly disappearing form.
"Fayth?" Ivar asked as his daughter swam through the door. "Did he leave?"
"He didn't like it, but he left." She swam over to her father and hugged him. "Are you sure about this?"
"I am Fayth." Ivar told her. "I love you deeply. I wish you would go with him."
"We both know that's not going to happen. Are you going to tell me why you sent him away?"
"I'm the reason," a voice said. Fayth turned to see white robed woman floating in the water. "Your father somehow heard I was coming to visit. He decided that Josh shouldn't be here when that happened. Pity too. I really wanted to meet the boy."
"What do you want here then?" Fayth growled.
"Dear child, you are a rude one aren't you?" White retorted. "It's no matter though. Your father sealed his fate when he sent the boy away." The woman laughed. "Actually he sealed his fate the moment he was born. But that of course is another matter all together."
"You aren't going to get anything from us," Ivar told her as he hugged Fayth tighter to him. "You might as well leave. We're not telling you where Josh went."
"I'll find him soon enough," White said. "And I've no intentions of trying to make you tell me where he went. That wouldn't be any fun. In the meantime though, I think you'll entertain me just fine. I'd mute you, but where's the fun in that?"
Fayth clung to Ivar tightly as White began to glow. The woman was blocking the only exit so they couldn't get past her. "We aren't afraid of you."
"Big words little girl. Very big words. I think I'm going to enjoy this." White clapped her hands and sent a beam of light toward Ivar and Fayth. The beam hit them both and they were encompassed in the light. Fayth began to whimper slightly as the light began to burn. "Still unafraid child?"
Ivar began to say something but a wave of pain flashed over him. White looked at him and smiled. "Don't bother with that old speech about letting the child go. I'm not going to." She smiled again. "Save your breath for screaming. Trust me. You'll need it by the time I'm done with you two. If it's any help though, Josh will envy your fate."
TBC
How was that? Any comments you have I'd love to hear. Let me know what you guys think. I know there are readers out there. It's either that or I have a whole lot of people e-mailing me for no reason. Grins Not that I mind of course. Anyway I should get going.
Rune