Chapter 2 - Cataclysm in the Templum #3
Abigail hurried back to her and stood next to the well, holding her hands out. Ethedra took the fheargacha off, held it out, and dropped it. Halfway down, it seemed to hit an invisible plane, causing a bright circle of light to flare in the air with an electric zap—and then Abigail had it.
She put it on the index finger of her right hand and returned to the altar. She picked up the pelt with that hand and positioned the pointy tip of the fheargacha right on the top of the head of the pelt, then pressed the teeth of it to Boe’s shoulder again, digging in.
She called out louder. “Who listens when the atma laughs? What moves when the atma shifts?”
Boe groaned and tried to move. Abigail pressed the pelt to him harder, holding him in place.
He groaned and rolled the other way, his fingers grazing the fox statue.
Again, a chime sounded and seemingly in response, the ground shook.
Abigail lurched backwards a step, accidentally yanking the pelt hard, scraping the teeth of it across Boe’s back.
Light and a high whistling sound erupted from the scrape marks.
Boe cried out and flailed, seeming to shrink a little, his features becoming foxlike.
His hand hit the golden statue again and this time it was knocked to the ground.
Number Six moved close to help. A resonant booming sound exploded up from the depths of the middle well, and the chain shook back and forth.
“Oh shit,” Number Six grated.
“Now you did it!” Ethedra cried. She dipped her hand into her pocket and came out with fheargacha on her thumb and middle finger, looking ready to bolt.
The chain rose out of the well with unnatural speed, making Ethedra shout in fear, and Number Six shove Abigail behind him.
A hundred feet of chain came up in a few seconds, red hot and steaming, piling on the ground next to the well.
Another hundred feet came up, and another, the sound a roaring, clanging, cacophony that echoed off the cave walls, making them all cover their ears, and stare disbelievingly at the spectacle.
A small metal box the size of a bird feeder was at the end of the chain. It flew out of the well at high speed, then stopped in mid-air, floating. The box glowed red-hot, and then simply melted away, until all that was left was a tiny pendant of an angel, floating high over the well.
The cavern fell unnaturally silent. Boe shook slightly, then lifted directly off the altar, as if raised by a gentle but invisible hand, his body loose and relaxed.
He was turned in the air and the light and hissing coming from his back disappeared.
He drifted gently back to the slab on his back, fully relaxed, eyes closed.
A high, innocent, bell-like voice spoke, seeming to come from all around:
“His shift is bound—the power is contained.”
The pendant spun to the back side revealing a snarling wolf’s head. A rich, unidentifiable voice emanated from the pendant and pealed through the chamber. Ethedra made a noise like a squeak and disappeared. Abigail peeked over Number Six’s shoulder at the pendant, clutching the fox pelt.
“ABIGAIL WHITE. YOUR INTENTION IS USURPED. COOPERATE AND IT WILL GO WELL FOR YOU AND YOUR DEAR ONE.”
Abigail’s eyes narrowed. “Who’s speaking?” she demanded. Number Six stood immobile in front of her, fists clenched at his sides, steely gaze on the pendant.
“YOU KNOW WHERE THIS POWER COMES FROM—INDEED, YOU HAVE STOLEN IT FROM ITS RIGHTFUL OWNER AND USED IT FOR YOUR OWN GAIN NUMEROUS TIMES. NOW YOU WILL COOPERATE.”
“And if I don’t?”
“THE WINDOW FOR THIS POWERFUL SOLUTION WILL PASS AND YOU WILL BE ON YOUR OWN.”
“You’ll help me summon the bofox?”
“THE TIME TO SUMMON THE BOFOX HAS NOT COME.”
“You’re wrong! You’ve got to be wr—,"
“WE ARE THE GUARDIANS OF THE MEADOW,” the voice boomed. “AND WE ARE NEVER WRONG. YOUR ONE JOB IS TO FOLLOW OUR INSTRUCTIONS EXACTLY. YOU HAVE FIFTEEN MINUTES BEFORE YOUR WINDOW CLOSES AND YOU MISS YOUR CHANCE. WILL YOU COOPERATE?”
Abigail stared at the pendant without answering for almost a minute, a look of intense concentration on her face.
“I will,” she finally said. “What do I need to do?”
A curtain of blazing color fell over the altar. The image of a forested park and playground showed on it, with a sign saying ‘Sinnissippi Park’.
“TAKE HIM HERE NOW. SCRUB HIM OF YOUR SCENT. DROP HIM AT THE PARK AND LEAVE THE AREA. ALLOW HIM TO AWAKEN AFTER YOU HAVE GONE. DO NOT STAY TO SEE THAT HE IS COLLECTED OR YOU WILL BE DETECTED, NO MATTER HOW DIM.”
“Collected by who?”
“BY SOMEONE WHO WILL HOUSE AND PROTECT HIM AND THE POWER HE HOLDS, EXACTLY AS HE IS BEING PROTECTED NOW.”
“Another Promised,” Abigail said under her breath. She touched Number Six on the shoulder. “Take him up to the car, quickly now.”
Number Six jumped into action, picking Boe up and carrying him up the stairs.
“Ethedra!”
Ethedra reappeared, her face dour. Abigail took the fheargacha off her finger and dropped it into the well. Ethedra put her palm out and the fheargacha fell from nowhere directly into her hand. Abigail pointed to the shiftsegen.
“Watch that thing for me. Call me immediately if it does anything.”
“All right. We have plans to make when you return.”
“Many.”
Abigail hurried toward the stairs that led to the roof. She clapped twice, turning the lights off, then went up the steps and out the door at the top.
The shiftsegen glowed softly near the ceiling, pulsing with light and power, while Ethedra stood over her well, watching diligently.