Post by shinigami on Sept 20, 2008 0:50:19 GMT -8
The acolyte who eventually found Ombra was swift-of-eye and keen-of-limb. He found Darkness in an antechamber, sketching something with charcoal. He didn't expect such a beautiful child, but Dark wasn't what one expected, and she looked at him with dark eyes that frightened/fascinated him and then got to her feet and followed.
He brought her to a chamber, central, but forbidden to most, and the way it was constructed: sound couldn't get out and sound couldn't get in; the chamber spiralled. He was too afraid to speak to her. He wanted to, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything.
They were Power; he could feel it whenever he got close to them. He wanted it, but faced with it directly?
Most people were frightened. Not just of Dark, but of all of them. They were as gods. After all.
--
"You're wanted in one of the inner chambers; they beg your presence." That's what the boy had said to her, and Ombra, at age ten, just pushed her palely luminous hair out of her eyes and put her charcoal stick down and followed. He didn't talk to her, and she didn't note any lack in his conversation; he was just some priest, after all.
Then he opened the door for her. Then she walked into the room. The room: a spiral, a circle, runes carved into the floor, blacked out onto the floor, and candles. Lots, and lots, and lots of candles. And people. People in robes, hoods drawn low to hide their features.
Ombra walked into the room; looked at them; knew that (shh, don't tell) they wanted to hurt her; spun around; leapt - like a flame, but not - into the boy's shadow, which fell outside the room; then into another shadow; away, away, away. Exceeeeeeeeeept that's not how it worked.
Ombra gathered Power to make the leap, automatic, and instead -- slammed into a barrier. Someone had said, "Quick! Close it now!" And they'd shifted the pattern of candles, they'd closed the circlular design on the floor, and she was trapped, caught, bound inside a circle.
Dark picked herself off the ground, shaking her head to clear it. Then she tried again. And, again, she slammed into a barrier, and was sent to the floor. Finally, the girl gave up, stayed on the ground. She hadn't said a word yet and now she stared at the councilmembers who were making the circle. Three witches were keeping up a steady chant. They were already doused in sweat.
The leader, who was disguising his voice, as if that would matter later on, was at first all respect. All reverence. Except he was also saying things like " - we just want you to help us, Ombra. We beseech you. Help us."
And the woman at his side was saying things like " - we need to make certain that you don't ever tell some of the things you know; after all, we're doing what's best for you. Trust us."
And he was saying " - we're going to ask you, Ombra, before we use this circle, and you know what magicks went into this circle, don't you - we're just going to ask you to help us out in the next few years. We need to know - "
And she was saying " - you're very young, but you're also strong, so just listen to us; let us advise you; we want to be advised by you; tell us what you see in the other old Powers and advise us on what - "
And he was saying " - you must understand that this is necessary; we can't just let you run around with what you know; Lucient is different; he'd never use what he knew to cause mischief, as a joke; he's so bright! Beloved boy! We don't need to worry about him, my dear - "
And she was saying " - we want you to promise - "
And he was saying " - you know what will happen if we use the circle, don't you? We haven't told anybody, it's the kind of thing - "
And Ombra looked back and forth as they spoke, very quiet, very inscrutable, except her eyes were wide, wide, and when they'd finally stopped speaking, she got up, brushing dirt from her knees, and once she was standing very straight with her chin up she whispered: "Let me out."
Then she said: "Let me out."
Then she screamed: "LET ME OUT. LET ME OUT LET ME OUTLETMEOUT."
And each time she spoke, she slammed against their circle with her Power, and her fists were white around the necklace of silver and moonstone at her throat, and SLAM! the candleflames shuddered, trembled, and SLAM! the elders who'd secretly decided that this was the best way to deal wth Dark before she got too powerful and didn't even pretend to listen to what they said or go along with their plans or told their plans to other people or who knows what she might be capable of -- the elders blanched; they felt it!
But she couldn't get out.
( To be continued. Heh. )
He brought her to a chamber, central, but forbidden to most, and the way it was constructed: sound couldn't get out and sound couldn't get in; the chamber spiralled. He was too afraid to speak to her. He wanted to, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything.
They were Power; he could feel it whenever he got close to them. He wanted it, but faced with it directly?
Most people were frightened. Not just of Dark, but of all of them. They were as gods. After all.
--
"You're wanted in one of the inner chambers; they beg your presence." That's what the boy had said to her, and Ombra, at age ten, just pushed her palely luminous hair out of her eyes and put her charcoal stick down and followed. He didn't talk to her, and she didn't note any lack in his conversation; he was just some priest, after all.
Then he opened the door for her. Then she walked into the room. The room: a spiral, a circle, runes carved into the floor, blacked out onto the floor, and candles. Lots, and lots, and lots of candles. And people. People in robes, hoods drawn low to hide their features.
Ombra walked into the room; looked at them; knew that (shh, don't tell) they wanted to hurt her; spun around; leapt - like a flame, but not - into the boy's shadow, which fell outside the room; then into another shadow; away, away, away. Exceeeeeeeeeept that's not how it worked.
Ombra gathered Power to make the leap, automatic, and instead -- slammed into a barrier. Someone had said, "Quick! Close it now!" And they'd shifted the pattern of candles, they'd closed the circlular design on the floor, and she was trapped, caught, bound inside a circle.
Dark picked herself off the ground, shaking her head to clear it. Then she tried again. And, again, she slammed into a barrier, and was sent to the floor. Finally, the girl gave up, stayed on the ground. She hadn't said a word yet and now she stared at the councilmembers who were making the circle. Three witches were keeping up a steady chant. They were already doused in sweat.
The leader, who was disguising his voice, as if that would matter later on, was at first all respect. All reverence. Except he was also saying things like " - we just want you to help us, Ombra. We beseech you. Help us."
And the woman at his side was saying things like " - we need to make certain that you don't ever tell some of the things you know; after all, we're doing what's best for you. Trust us."
And he was saying " - we're going to ask you, Ombra, before we use this circle, and you know what magicks went into this circle, don't you - we're just going to ask you to help us out in the next few years. We need to know - "
And she was saying " - you're very young, but you're also strong, so just listen to us; let us advise you; we want to be advised by you; tell us what you see in the other old Powers and advise us on what - "
And he was saying " - you must understand that this is necessary; we can't just let you run around with what you know; Lucient is different; he'd never use what he knew to cause mischief, as a joke; he's so bright! Beloved boy! We don't need to worry about him, my dear - "
And she was saying " - we want you to promise - "
And he was saying " - you know what will happen if we use the circle, don't you? We haven't told anybody, it's the kind of thing - "
And Ombra looked back and forth as they spoke, very quiet, very inscrutable, except her eyes were wide, wide, and when they'd finally stopped speaking, she got up, brushing dirt from her knees, and once she was standing very straight with her chin up she whispered: "Let me out."
Then she said: "Let me out."
Then she screamed: "LET ME OUT. LET ME OUT LET ME OUTLETMEOUT."
And each time she spoke, she slammed against their circle with her Power, and her fists were white around the necklace of silver and moonstone at her throat, and SLAM! the candleflames shuddered, trembled, and SLAM! the elders who'd secretly decided that this was the best way to deal wth Dark before she got too powerful and didn't even pretend to listen to what they said or go along with their plans or told their plans to other people or who knows what she might be capable of -- the elders blanched; they felt it!
But she couldn't get out.
( To be continued. Heh. )
