(Earth) Chasing Shadows

[belegwen.livejournal.com]

What: Searching for Whatever Maleficent's People Are Up To
Who: Mabry, Medrau, Others
When: May 6, 2011
Where: Earth, Oregon, Gummi-Ship, Wherever the Trail Takes Us

Mabry hesitantly landed the borrowed gummi-ship at the agreed upon coordinates. She was still only an indifferent pilot, but necessity had forced her to it. She felt lonely. She had left Ashlyn at home, and while it wasn't the first time, it wasn't yet something that seemed routine. Just last week, they had celebrated Ashlyn's second birthday with cake, ice cream, presents, and her first pair of "big girl panties." Leaving her just now was especially difficult. And then there was Songbird. Mabry had just as strong an inclination to go to Twilight Town to be there for her younger sister.

But this had to come first. There was no avoiding it. So she flashed the gummi-ship's lights and settled herself to wait for Medrau.

Comments

[belegwen.livejournal.com]

Mabry herself wore a shortsword on her left hip. "I ask, because there's a trunk on board with a moderate assortment of weapons. I'm not sure if there's a machete, but you could look. I just want to be sure we're prepared."

[medrau.livejournal.com]

"If we don't find anything in the temple, I might come back for that hypothetical machete. For now I think we can do without. It's not far.." She marched on, apparently in a hurry, talking while she went.

"I've read about these temples. History major, you know. I've dabbled a bit in archeology too, since it's really the same subject. I love the East. China, India, Japan... Great history here."

[belegwen.livejournal.com]

"So what information do we have about this temple?" Mabry quickened her short strides to keep up.

[medrau.livejournal.com]

"See, that's the funny thing. I don't know which one this is. Lists of them are easy to find online, but if your ship's navigational computer is correct, none of them are in this region. Or at least... none are listed in this region."
A few more steps brought her past the thickness of the forest and presented a better view of the cave - a wide, rectangular entrance complete with carved pillars.
She flashed a grin in Mabry's direction. "Sounds like a proper mystery to me."

[belegwen.livejournal.com]

"Then how did you know there was a temple here?" Mabry seemed confused.

[medrau.livejournal.com]

"I didn't. I directed us to the forest because it felt like the right place to be and I didn't want to land in a city."
She hurried on towards the cave, resisting the urge to skip.

[belegwen.livejournal.com]

Mabry still seemed perplexed. "All we can see is that it's a cave. How do you even know that it's a temple?"

[medrau.livejournal.com]

"Because who carves pillars in front of a cave that isn't a temple? Unless it's an unfinished temple, which makes it even more interesting."
Impatiently she stopped to let Mabry catch up, and then lowered her voice to a whisper. "Look, there's probably nothing here. My imagination's tricked me before, so if that's the case, we can be quick and then move on. But this place is strange. We shouldn't just pass it by."

[belegwen.livejournal.com]

Mabry slowed her pace slightly and drew a few deep breaths. "Your imagination didn't lead us to nothing, so that's some indication. We should at least take a look. It's just that this whole thing seems so odd. I wonder if you strange feelings are something leading us here by magic. Maybe into a trap."

[medrau.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, that would be why I'm talking quietly now and not charging head-first into it. Do you want to turn back?"

[belegwen.livejournal.com]

"No, Mabry said firmly. "I'm just . . . not to be cliche, but I have a bad feeling about this." She took a sip of water, then offered the bottle to Medrau. "Anyway, let's get going again. Who know what we'll find."

[medrau.livejournal.com]

Medrau took a gulp from the bottle and handed it back, then fell silent and skirted off to the side and did her best to circle towards the temple in a way that would keep her out of sight from anyone inside... hopefully. No sound came from the temple, though. No echo of footfall, breath or voice.

[belegwen.livejournal.com]

Mabry followed, trying to imitate Medrau's quiet steps, but somehow, she inevitably stepped on every fallen twig that was vaguely in her way.

[medrau.livejournal.com]

The front chamber of the temple was empty when they reached it, low-ceilinged but wide. Pillars in rows continued from front to back, and carvings of ancient deities lined the walls.

Medrau crept further inside, still holding her knife. "I think..." she murmured, "..is that another doorway to the side there? These things are built into cave systems..."

[belegwen.livejournal.com]

Mabry looked around staring at the various carvings. "Wow . . . look, there's Parvati and Sarasvati and Rama and Shiva," she pointed to each in turn. "And Kali," she added pointing to the statue nearest the side opening that Medrau indicated. "Yes, I think you're right. Let's take a look."

[medrau.livejournal.com]

"History portrays India's gods as pretty bloodthirsty gods. You think they were really like that? I mean, the local interpretations of them. The way they were worshiped back then..." she stopped rambling and stepped forward to peek into the shadowy passage, then slowly continued on.

[belegwen.livejournal.com]

Mabry stared at the statue. "I think all gods have a dark side, as well as a bright one. India's gods are no different than the Greek or Norse in that respect. Or the Hebrew God for that matter. Ancient religion was all about blood . . . well, blood and sex. Those are what is primal. Life, death, rebirth." Her voice remained thoughtful, as she approached the passageway. "It's really just a matter of whether you balance your religion more towards one or the other and how much metaphor you cloak it in."

[medrau.livejournal.com]

"Good answer."

The passage wasn't long, but its narrowness and twisting course made it feel that way. It wasn't carved like the front of the temple. The walls were rough and raw, cramping so close together in places that it took some squeezing to get through. Faint light reflected down from cracks in the roof of the cavern.

Medrau didn't say another word until they reached the end. No one hid in the cavern. It ended abruptly in a small, circular chamber, against the back wall of which was a roughly hewn pedestal.

"Well..." she commented, edging closer to the object that was held there. "It's certainly not nothing."

[belegwen.livejournal.com]

"What is that? It feels . . . bad." Mabry asked in puzzlement. "I don't see any signs of whoever Maleficent sent either. Are you sure this is the place?" She took a step closer to the center of the room and the pedestal.

[medrau.livejournal.com]

"It does, doesn't it?" Medrau mumbled in response to Mab's first question. She turned her back on the pedestal and faced Mabry, brow furrowed. "Doesn't it seem right, though? I mean, could we really have stumbled upon some big mystery that doesn't have anything to do with what we're searching for? Unless it is a trap, like you said..." Her gaze shifted to stare over Mabry's shoulder nervously.

[belegwen.livejournal.com]

Mabry glanced back over her shoulder and faced the passageway out. "No, there's no one there. It's just us. And whatever that thing is."

[medrau.livejournal.com]

"You're right." Medrau's hand fell heavily on Mabry's shoulder, and within a split-second her knife's blade rested cold along the healer's throat.

"Us and the end of the world. Just like old times..." She moved suddenly, bringing the knife down to drive it into Mabry's chest.
She aimed for a lung.
The injury wouldn't kill immediately, but it would cause enough pain and difficulty breathing to prevent the use of any inconvenient magic. She would have preferred a nice, dramatic speech, but it would have been rather embarrassing to end up under a Stop spell half-way through. The gloating would just have to wait, she supposed.

Letting Mabry fall, she stepped back and snatched up the black stone which had waited in the temple for so very long. Her mistress would be proud.

[belegwen.livejournal.com]

Mabry stared up at the other girl in shock. She tried to speak, but her lungs were already filling with blood. She was dying, she realized. And without help, she was going to die. The focus to cast spells was beyond her.

"Why?" her blood-spattered lungs mouthed.

She stared at the stone in Medrau's hands, but her thoughts were of her husband, of Ashlyn, of Song. There was still so much she wanted to do. She did not want to die like this.

[medrau.livejournal.com]

Medrau's smile was cold, and her eyes empty. Messy dark hair framed her face like a hood... there was something familiar there.
But she was nothing like the cheerful, slightly mad girl who had plowed ahead to unravel the mystery of the temple.

"Fun, mostly... I wish I had more time to chat, really I do, but I don't actually want you to die just yet... Mistress might not like it, but I did warn her I was bad with secrets. Ah well..."

Swiftly she stepped past the fallen Refugee, turning in the doorway to face her.

Then she changed.

[belegwen.livejournal.com]

Mabry was choking and her vision somewhat clouded. Nothing had ever hurt this much before, not even labor, which really had not been all that bad. What did Medrau mean that she didn't want her to die?