Dance of Death
Disclaimer: I does not owns Harry Potter nor it's 'verse and so on and so forth.
Authors Note: I know I normally update Dance of Death and Servants of Wizards alternatively. But I felt like writing and updating Dance of Death. I'm the author so there :p
Chapter Eleven
The darkness was suffocating; it closed in tightly around them and smothered their senses. Harry couldn't see his own hand in front of his face, could barely hear the ragged breathing of his companions, and could hardly smell nor taste the musky damp air of the tunnel. The one thing Harry could feel however was the cold. It seeped in through his clothes and sunk deep into his skin, chilling his muscles and bones to the core. He felt as though his entire body had been encased in ice, preventing his escape and filling his mind with a feeling of hopelessness and foreboding.
An impressed whistle sounded behind him, though it felt like it had come from a great distance away.
"Impressed much?" Harry barely recognized Nekael's voice; the darkness sucked it in and warped it. Though he sounded smug.
"I knew this place was protected, but this is much more than I was expecting. Very nice." Obereon's reply was approving.
"What is this place?" Marcus asked, awed. His voice sounded somewhere to Harry's left.
"A secret escape route of sorts, or used to be. Not used as much these days." Neal replied idly.
"An escape route for what?" Tyenna's apprehensive voice came from somewhere in front and right of Harry.
There was a long silence.
"You probably don't want to know that." Oberon replied, his voice getting closer. A moment later Harry was pushed lightly aside. Losing his footing at the sudden movement, he fell sideways, connecting solidly with a wall. Harry couldn't suppress a shudder as his hand slid over the slimy, frozen barrier, going numb in seconds. Even when Harry pulled away and righted himself, his hand stayed immobile and unresponsive.
"Come on kids, let's move on" Obereon called, this time sounding distantly in front of them.
"Unless you want to stay alone in here" Obereon added with a gleeful and nasty tone to his voice then laughing coldly, a laugh which Nekael joined in on.
"Damn Demons" Tynan muttered darkly.
"Be nice, Sir Knight. We might decide to leave you in here anyway if you keep that kind of attitude up." Harry could practically hear Obereon smirking.
Together they stumbled and slid through the tunnel, their eyes never adjusting to the darkness, keeping them smothered in the black. Occasionally there was a yelp as one of the humans bumped into each other, or a wall or tripped over something hidden in the gloom. The demons on the other hand seemed to be having no problems with the ghastly tunnel. Laughing and joking together in a strange, yet oddly beautiful language. Their smothered footsteps remained steady and even, gaining more distance between themselves and the humans as they walked without hindrance.
"Can't we have some light in here!" Bryana finally snapped.
The footsteps up ahead stopped.
"You can try" Obereon suggested mildly, "I wouldn't recommend it though" He added cheerfully.
There was silence.
"Why not" Marcus asked cautiously. Harry had a feeling that the mage had been seconds from creating a light spell, as had he.
"Well…" Nekael started thoughtfully. "If you really want to face King Eamon and have a chance at defeating him, we wouldn't recommend it."
"What would happen" Harry questioned apprehensively.
"You can try find out if like" Both Demons replied, sounding almost eager.
"You know what? I'm fine in the dark" Bryana replied slowly.
"Excellent choice" Obereon praised. "I personally prefer the 'all limbs attached option' as well"
Harry shuddered again.
"Thanks for letting us know beforehand" Tynan muttered
"Where's the adventure in that? I'm not always gonna be here to hold your hand when you discover something new, Knight." Obereon admonished. "Learn to use your brain for once. It is there for a reason you know."
Harry waited for the Knight's retort, but it never came.
"There now, that was easy wasn't it? Congratulations."
"Be nice, Obie" Marcus replied wearily.
"Oh shush you. And keep an ear open, Demon Lords know what's down here" Obereon seemed to be having too much fun with their discomfort.
Harry couldn't stop the words: 'We're going to die' from running through his head.
It felt like they had been in the tunnel for hours, and Harry knew that his assumption wasn't far from the mark. Though it was made worse by the sheer effect whatever magic was in the tunnel had on them. Along with the suffocating and smothering dark and the bone-chilling cold and the slime came a weight which pressed down on their muscles, making each step harder to take. The humans were falling down more often, stumbling over their own feet as well as each other. The further they walked, the slower they got. The misery settled in after perhaps the first hour of travel, a feeling of utter and complete hopelessness and loss falling over the four. Unwelcome thoughts played over in Harry's head; that they were going to die in here, that Tynan had been right about Obereon all along and he truly was no good, that he was never going to see light again, that he would never get home, that even if they did escape they would be captured and killed. With each minute that passed where these thoughts ran over and over again, it got harder to take one more step. The sounds of the other breathing and walking, the sounds of the demons enthusiastic chatter did nothing to comfort Harry, and soon they became even more smothered in the darkness until all Harry could hear where his doubts. His whole body was numb, each step he took laboured, each breath drew in air as though it was a thick as mud and tasted just as foul, and all of it was accompanied by a voice in his mind, running over and over, everything he was afraid of, every doubt, every guilty thought, all of it. It was far worse than anything Harry had ever felt, even when faced with Dementors, or Death Eaters or even Voldemort himself, there had been a slither of hope shining somewhere. But here…
Nothing.
Harry was barely aware of the fact that he had stopped walking.
No light. No air. No sound. No sight.
No hope.
Harry dropped heavily to his knees, not feeling the pain that such an action would normally cause. He was barely aware that couldn't breathe, his head was pounding with horrific nightmares, and then the was the darkness. Drawing in even closer, wrapping him tightly in a blanket of death, smothering every last sound, every last thought…
Every last breath.
Help!
Darkness.
Help me!
Terror
Please, somebody help!
Hopeless
Anybody? Please help me…
Helpless
I'm dying.
Weakness
Help me.
Death.
…
There.
Cold.
A light!
Hope
A voice!
"I didn't expect…"
Help!
"… they're coming…"
Must reach…
Falling.
NO!
Light flooded Harry's vision, causing him to see spots and stars. He gasped, drawing in a lungful of rich, fresh air even as he felt heat surrounding him. Warming him right through. Harry blinked to clear his vision, shocked that he was alive and could think clearly once more. What on earth had happened? He glanced around the room, revealing a large fireplace a few feet away, Marcus, Tynan and Bryana were all wrapped heavily in blankets like he was and voices reached his ears from the door to what must have been a connecting room. Judging by the tone of the speaker's voice, there was an argument going on.
"… completely mad! What made you think you could have got them through there safely?!" An unknown female voice was shouting.
"They're alive aren't they?! … Sort of." That was Obereon.
"You're lucky they made it as far as they did! They wouldn't 'sort of' be alive if they hadn't!"
"Oh come on, Caez! They're fine!"
"Fine?! That's your definition of fine?!" Harry got a feeling that 'Caez" was pointing towards the room in which the humans resided. "I admit that I would expect this kind of no-brained stunt from you, Obereon, but you too Nekael?"
"He threatened me!" Nekael protested defensively.
"Hey, Hey! You're the one who suggested it"
"You said you wanted a way! That's the only way!"
"It seemed like a good idea at the time!"
"You idiot." The female sighed resentfully.
"See, even Caez thinks you're an idiot"
"You're both idiots!"
"This wasn't my fault!" Both Obereon and Nekael shouted at the same time.
"Someone shut them up" Moaned a voice to Harry's left. Looking over he saw Marcus sitting up and holding his head in his hands.
"I agree" Bryana muttered from the far side of the room.
The door opened up admitting a woman with long golden hair and a ferocious expression on her face.
"Stupid half-brains… no idea what-so-ever… should be put down merciful… I'll do it myself if I have too…"
She looked up from her rant, her eyes falling on the rooms stirring occupants.
"Oh good, you're awake!" She genuinely looked pleased "About time, I was beginning to worry."
"What happened?" Marcus questioned. The woman shook her head looking disgusted.
"Those imbeciles…" she paused to throw a glare at the connecting door, "thought it would be a good idea to bring you through the escape tunnel to get you here."
Harry's memory flooded back. The darkness, the cold, the misery… He shuddered, fear ran through his mind, making him freeze up momentarily.
"It was horrible" Tynan whispered softly. Harry looked over at him, seeing a look on the brave Knight's face he had never seen before. Terror.
"What was that place?" Marcus asked, looking just as terrified as Tynan looked and Harry felt.
"The escape tunnel. It's a demon constructed way out and into the city should the need arise. It's made so that no-one but demons can find it, and any humans who do somehow get in there, don't get back out. A safety precaution if you will."
"Please tell me, that those two dimwits didn't know this and didn't try to kill us on purpose." Bryana's fear had been replaced by anger.
"Now now, Princess. That's not very nice."
Marcus pulled the blanket closer around himself, watching Obereon as he entered the room grinning at them.
"Did you know?" He questioned softly.
"Marcus, please! I'm a scholar and a genius! Not to mention I helped create the wards inside it. Of course I knew."
"Oh don't look so proud of yourself!" Snapped Caez, just as Tynan shouted,
"You knew? And you lead us through anyway!"
"I thought you were stronger than that. Guess I overestimated you waaay too much."
"You are such a jerk." Caez snapped coldly and stormed out of the room, Obereon blinked then followed her out.
"Hey! At least I'm an honest jerk! When I'm a jerk to someone I make sure they know I'm a jerk! None of this sneaky, behind the back jerk nonsense!"
"You can't deny that, Caez. You know he's right" They heard Nekael laugh.
"I
hate them" Tynan muttered, lying back down again."
"You and
everyone else in existence" Caez was back, this time with a tray of
several large steaming mugs,
"even people who have never met them, hate them"
"I think I like you" Tynan stated. Caez gave him a radiant smile, and passed each of this a mug.
"Drink this, it'll help make you feel better."
Harry took a drink, tasting something he had never tasted before, though he knew he would happily drink it again if given the chance. It warmed him even further than the blankets and fire did and removed the last traces of fear from his mind.
"How did we get here?" Marcus questioned after taking his own sip of the hot beverage.
"After Obereon and Nekael realized that you weren't following them anymore they turned back and worked out what had happened. Luckily you were near the end, so they managed to get you here easily enough, not to mention quickly." She sighed, "They might be half-brained jokers a lot of the time, but they have their moments"
"How nice, Caez" Obereon noted, appearing back in the doorway. "I knew you loved me."
He had to duck to avoid a high-speed steel tray flying at his head with pinpoint accuracy.
"A bit of tough love perhaps" Obereon added thoughtfully, eying the tray now buried halfway into the wall behind him. "But love all the same."
Tynan opened his mouth, no doubt to shout at Obereon for nearly getting them killed, but Marcus interrupted.
"Drop it, Tynan. It's over, we're alive. I don't want to think about it anymore…"
Harry silently agreed as he took another deep drink.
"So we're inside the city then?" Marcus asked after making sure Tynan wasn't going to make any retorts.
"Safe and sound." Obereon replied smugly.
"Well as safe as a group of rebellious and wanted would be king assassins can be" added Nekael from behind Obereon.
"Right" Marcus muttered. "Then it's time to make some important decisions"
Obereon grinned humourlessly. "On with the show folks, it's time for the final act"
End Note: Tafe has been fairly dominating, that and my laziness and my gaming. Not a very good excuse I know, but it's all I have to offer.