mogust

What Lies Within is now available on all Amazon stores, in ebook and paperback formats (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B5BVVGTS). Patreon also has all of the chapters now too, (an additional 7 chapters).

Chapter 38 – Scars of the Past.

Please, lay them to rest.

Arianna’s words echoed in Callie’s mind, and the sadness that had gone with it. The hurt and the pain. Whatever had happened here, it had had a great impact on the totem. Somehow, she suspected that it was more than just a spat between some of the children of the totems of this realm, to cause the devastation that she had seen in Arianna’s memories. To cause the devastation that she was seeing now. There was a lot more at play here than just the passing of time and the regular earthquakes.

Callie shivered, in spite of the summer heat that hadn’t been lessened by them being in the middle of the mountain range. This place, the city, just had a feeling to it. An icy chill that clawed at one’s soul. It was unpleasant and uncomfortable. A warning perhaps, or maybe something more. If Arianna hadn’t asked them, they would have just gone straight past the city and ignored it completely. Nothing good lay here at all.

It hadn’t taken them long at all to reach the city, which had surprised Callie. Three weeks, which, compared to the time it has taken them to cross some areas, was rather short. They hadn’t been too far from the pass at all, the river from the pass one of the tributaries that fed the multitude that flowed through the plains behind them. The entrance to the pass, however, had been partially sealed, and without Arianna’s knowledge, they would have missed it. Half a ton of rocks with a waterfall cascading over them that they would have just walked past. As it was, it took some effort to get over them and into the pass proper, though Callie would admit that it made for a beautiful scene. She couldn’t say the same for the city.

Most of it lay in ruins, most of it unrecognisable. If she hadn’t seen its original form, she would have been hard pressed to conjure that image from what remained. The towers and bridges were all long gone, just shapeless stone that lay on the side of the pass, much of it probably worn down or swept away over time by the river. Paths still lay carved into the sides of the mountain, and on one side stubby buildings still poked out from the rock. The other side, the larger half, had fared better, sort of. There were more buildings there, larger in size, perhaps even a little more intact. But they looked twisted and felt nightmarish, as if something had managed to reshape the stone itself into something horrifying. The city did not end there, though. She was well aware that it had tunnelled deep into the mountain on that side, both through natural tunnels, and ones that had been carved by its founders. But from here, she could almost ignore their existence.

“Mumsy?” Stella’s voice pulled Callie out of her thoughts, her daughter looking up at her with arms outstretched, her tail still and ears flat down.

Callie picked her up and gave her a hug, holding her tightly to her. “I know darling. This place gives me the creeps too. We won’t be here for long.” At least, she hoped not.

Stella made a noise and just snuggled into her some more, making Callie smile, and gush over her daughter yet again. She’d hadn’t been walking for long, but she’d picked it up quickly. And how to slide off Felicia when she’d had enough of riding her. She’d also started talking. Only a few words, but according to Julia, even at her rate of growth, she’d started that early. Exactly how she’d worked it out, none of them were sure, but Stella had come up with a unique title for each of them. Well, two for Felicia. She also got called ‘foxy’ when she was in her fox form, Stella well aware that Felicia had multiple forms. Even at her age, Stella knew how to work her charm. It was really endearing.

“There’s something here,” Uriah said as he gazed up the side of the pass, towards where the entrance into the mountains was. “Something more than these mutated shadows.”

Callie nodded. It was beginning to feel that way. Another bolt of lightning arced from her, slamming into a shadow as it clawed its way out from between a couple of the ruined buildings. It hissed, resisting her magic for a moment as it tried to walk towards them, before her magic tore through it, its form dissipating away, leaving only a sticky black spot.

Julia stretched, a dangerous grin on her face as her fingernails formed into claws, magic lazily floating around her hands. She was eager to fight. Uriah too. Though thus far, Callie had been dealing with most of the shadows. She might be a little on edge, the first ones having spooked her with their spidery forms as they’d crawled out. They’d never looked like that before. Ever. And there was no way that she was going to let them get near Stella. None of them would.

She did wonder what impact all of this would have on their daughter too. She was awake all the time now when they fought the shadows, watching with intense interest, and they didn’t really have much of a choice there. It wasn’t something that she wanted to expose a young mind to, but it was a part of their life, the danger very real. At least they managed to make sure that there were certain, personal, things that Stella did not get to see.

The shadows shouldn’t be here. It’d been almost a week since the last earthquake, and the next one wasn’t due for a few more days. Nor was it the middle of the day. But yet, they were here. Something was allowing their continued existence, and whatever it was, it didn’t bode well. Shadows were a sign of sickness after all, and these ones were beyond the norm.

Callie gave her daughter a pat on the head, and then lifted her up to her face. “Want to go back to muffy for a while? Mumsy has to fight. Daddy and majji too.” Felicia would be as well, but with her was still the safest place to be, given Felicia’s magic.

Stella cocked her head, looking at her curiously, then focusing on the lighting that coursed down Callie’s hair. “Muffy!” she declared, a smile breaking out on her face as she looked around for Felicia.

Who was standing right beside her. Callie handed over their daughter, Felicia holding Stella close to her, her white, pink, and blue light dancing around their daughter. Stella of course tried catching the magic, giggling as her hands passed through it.

“Let’s find whatever this is then,” Uriah declared, flaming swords appearing in his hands, his body taking on a slight glow.

“Lets,” Callie agreed, her eyes taking on a glow as she felt her magic respond. At least the discomfort of this place was easier to ignore when her magic was surging.

As creepy as they were, and even with the additional toughness that they seemed to have, in the end, these shadows were no different from what they faced every earthquake, and fell just as quickly. They had gotten a lot better at fighting them, compared to when they had first arrived, the practice and training paying off. Julia and Uriah threw themselves into the thick of it, while Callie supported them with her lightning, and Felicia with her shields. Uriah had become a bit more cold and calculating in his fighting style, taking measure, and fighting with an efficiency that was downright scary. Julia on the other hand was feral and brutal, an aura drenched in thirst flowing from her. And just like Uriah, she was fast. If it wasn’t for their bond, Callie would probably lose track of them both quickly. They worked well together, the understanding there, even without the addition of the bond. They all did. How much was because of Julia’s vampiric nature, Callie did not know, but her talent for combat was unmistakable.

The shadows should have just kept away. Then perhaps some of them would have survived. But that had never been in their nature when they were wild, and it had not changed here. Even with their altered looks, the shadows still acted the same. Surging out as they made their way up the slope, skittering around and over the buildings and rushing at them as they walked along the paths that wound their way between the husks of the buildings, their forms disconcerting and alien. Skittering to their death. They fell, the ground around them stained black, a dance of fire, blood and lightning.

And then silence reigned again, only momentarily broken by the caw of a lone bird high above. One sensible enough to stay far away. A warm wind blew, flowing through the pass, the city bathed in the orange glow of the sun as they stood at the top of the path, staring into the darkness that was the entrance to the rest of the city.

“There will be more.” Uriah cracked his neck, and grinned as he looked at Julia. “This dance is far from over.”

“Oh, it’s far too early for it to be over,” Julia purred back seductively.

Callie laughed. She couldn’t help it. This too, was a sense of normality for them. Even in this place.

The second wave surged out of the mountainside, their glowing red eyes the only warning as they pulled themselves out of the darkness, some more also clawing their way out from between the buildings. Julia laughed, Uriah just smiling, the area awash in their magic again as they let loose. More stains, more scars, the land itself carrying the testament of the battle, silence reigning again just as quickly.

Silence, and an invitation, the darkness of the mountain welcoming them. The feeling was still there, still strong, and unpleasant.

“Come on, let’s go see what lies within,” Callie stated, forming little balls of lightning and letting them float around her as she started walking into the mountainside, illuminating what lay ahead. Once perhaps, it had been ornately carved. Now it was just cracked and worn, with only passing clues as to what it once looked like. At least this part of the city wasn’t as twisted and unnatural as the rest.

The cave system sprawled out in front of them, beautiful in its own way, a still lake having formed in the middle over time, its depths an inky blackness, hiding who knew what secrets, but she wasn’t at all in the mood to explore. She knew where to go, and they would go straight there. Down. She could sense it, clearly, its presence. It felt familiar, and also like an abomination at the same time. She was not looking forward to meeting it.

Them. She could feel them as they got closer. Other presences as well. Weaker and smaller, but still present, their sadness and anger very real and permeating the reality around them. Ancient things, older than Soryen’s shade. And likely far less aware.

It took them an hour to make their way down. A long, drawn out, agonizing hour, Stella taking turns being carried by them all, their daughter visibly showing what they all were feeling. She wanted comfort and reassurance, which they were more than happy to give, a distraction from the atmosphere that just kept on getting heavier. At least there was no smell. Thousands of years had had their way there.

‘liv..ing...’

Callie felt its mind, heard its words, well before it came into view, the air shifting around them. It had awoken fully. They had all awoken. And they were waiting.

‘chi...ld... of... lif...e...’

‘sib...ling... mar...ked...’

‘tra...vel...ler...’

Her magic blazed to life around her, memories slamming into her. People. So many people. And creatures. Gathered and pulling on the magic of the land. A grand working, giving birth. And then blood. So much blood, so much death.

Callie opened her eyes, and spat out blood, the taste of iron unpleasant in her mouth. It wasn’t the same when it was her own, even if Julia loved it. This thing that was here was not as gentle as Arianna. It had the ability to form a connection, but not the talent to use it properly.

“Callie?” Uriah looked at her with worry, right beside her as she stood back up. The connection had forced her to her knees.

“A totem, Uri,” she stated, leaning into him, still not quite believing what she’d just seen. “They damn well tried to create a totem. This city, it was a gathering point for the world’s life-force.”

“They succeeded?” Uriah frowned, looking further ahead of them, to where they were heading, still coated in darkness.

“Maybe?” The images played over in her mind. “It was kind of cute and adorable, what was birthed. But what is here now, it’s not the same any longer.” Callie shook her head. “It’s the same, but different. Weaker, for a start. Younger. But why? How?” It wasn’t possible to just create a god-like being, was it?

‘wit... ch... com... e...’

Callie grimaced and frowned. It had gained at least that much from her, from it’s brief connection., and who knew what else. She had never been guarded when she’d talked to Arianna, never aware that knowledge could just be taken. She would need to be careful. But there had been no use of her mindscape either.

She felt herself relax, her mind soothed as Felicia’s magic wrapped itself around her. She could see its glow, feel its power.

“It’s being brutish in its methods. It’s hurting you,” Felicia stated, care and worry in her voice.

“Thanks,” she murmured, sending loving feelings back to Felicia. She could see a similar glow around her daughter as well, instantly grateful that she had had the forethought.

It took her a few minutes before she was ready to start moving again, the images going through her mind over and over again, the disbelief still there. She had seen the four totems at the Source, felt their power, and could sense Arianna’s as well. They had tried to create another. And this, what was here, was the result. She was... she was somewhat afraid, truth be told. Of what they’d find. Of what they’d need to do. And of how it came to be in the first place. An inkling, a hint, of what had been in the background.

It didn’t take them long to cover the remainder of the distance, walking down a passage that had been ornately carved, the darkness getting thicker, her balls of lightning and Uriah’s of fire illuminating less and less. And then the passage stopped, opening out into a massive cavern that was anything but empty. Shades and shadows floated and sat around, red eyes all focused on them, but none making a move. Souls lost to the process and the war that had resulted afterwards, bound here through what was done. Twisted and mutated, all sharing a similar arachnid form. It gave her the creeps.

And in the middle, over a dais that was tiny in comparison, was a massive spider-like creature, its form twisted and nightmarish, there but not, an expression of what it was meant to be, what they had envisioned, but yet, also of everything that had happened since. It had absorbed it all, made it part of what it was, and the result was not pleasant. She wanted to scream, turn and leave, but she did not. Could not. Instead Callie just stood there, staring at the thing that was perhaps a totem, and perhaps not.

Webster.

Just like for the others that she had seen, she instantly knew its name. And cringed. Who had thought to call it that?

“Shall I?” Felicia asked, Stella buried in her arms, her view of all this obscured. Their daughter was scared too. But they were all here for her. For each other too.

Callie nodded, and braced herself. She felt Felicia’s shield slip away, and then the totem’s thoughts slammed into her again, the connection re-established. Her magic flared, Callie forming the array around her.

‘If we’re doing this, we’re doing this my way,’ she stated, her anger and annoyance at the resulting pain mixing in.

‘wit...ch...’ Joy, fear, anguish. The horror as people fell around it, conflicts escalating. Greed. So much greed.

The feeling changed though, the totem leaning into her magic, into her array and connection, the pain gone. Callie stood straight, looking straight into its eyes. All eight of them.

‘My name is Callie, Webster.’

‘cal...lie...’ It blinked at her, shifting its head as it examined her, and then the others. ‘you... are... fam... ily... of... my... fam... ily... too...’

Longing. Desire. To meet, to be accepted. To be counted as one. But knowing that that was not possible, that it would never be. The difference too great. Greed. Even more greed. The smiles, the sneers, the feelings leaking out. Possessiveness. Anger, hatred.

‘They made you, but you were never meant to be.’ Callie felt the sadness as she said it, both hers and the totems. Rejection was not something that anyone should have to suffer. ‘But you know, I think that at some level, she still considers you family. She did send us here, after all.’

‘ari... ann... a... lif... e... the... mot... her...’

Sadness, understanding. Pain. So much pain. His, and others. A collage of faces, flashing past. The pull of magic, the flaring of arrays, carved right across the floor. Blood, weapons, a knife, a shard, stolen from another. Scheming. Manipulation.

Callie blinked in surprise. In amongst all of that were things that she recognized. A feeling, a sensation, and an image. Perhaps all of this wasn’t as isolated as it first seemed. Time was a fickle thing after all, and it was appearing more and more that many things were, in fact, connected at some level. Perhaps titles meant a lot more than she realised.

‘What is it that you want, Webster? This world is dying. Soon it will be gone. The others... are gone, only Arianna remains, but she is weaker than she was.’ Callie shared memories, of what happened. The Source, and of the world that lay outside of the city. A bit more difficult to do outside of the mindscape, but still possible.

More sadness, brokenness. And then a shift, things suddenly becoming a lot clearer, the feeling vivid and numerous. Those who were here, some by choice, others not, sacrificed. Awareness, and deceit. A desire for release, to be free. An end to what had become of them. Once, they had been whole. Once, servants. Then the war had come, the world cracking, wounded, things leaking out. Things that could be influenced. Joined and merged. Utilized. But the taint, the corruption, was too much. Seeping through, changing, twisting. And then the world broke, the floodgate opened, the power no longer contained.

‘you... hav.. e... ble... ssi... ngs...’

‘in... dea... th... cho... sen...’

‘gra... nt... rel... eas... e... not... dea... th...’

Callie’s magic flared again, and she found herself in her mindscape, the totem there with her, back in the form that she had first seen it, the one that it considered to be its true self. No larger than she was, an almost cute spider, if spiders were capable of having that attribute. She shuddered, but held her ground. This was her mindscape after all.

‘not... fon... d...’ Webster’s voice was just deep enough to be considered male, and surprisingly, soft and kind.

“No.” Callie shook her head. She tolerated them, but that was about it. And this place had been a massive strain on her courage.

She could feel the totem grin at that, amusement painted in its expressions.

‘you... cou... ld... hav... e... an... arm... y... so... muc... h... pow... er...’

“Not interested, even if they were something else. I’m not like them. Not like him. We aren’t here by choice, even if this world has become like home. Bonds... are precious, Webster.”

The spider gave her a look. Judging her.

‘kin... dne... ss... tru... th... suf... fer... ing....’

‘i... can... not... cea... se... tha... t... you... wil... l... hav... e... to... do...’

‘tak... e... my... ble... ssi... ng...’

‘gra... nt.... the... m... rel... eas... e...’

Callie felt it, just like she had for Arianna, the totems magic flowing into her. Not the corrupted aspect, but that which underlay it all. Silky, seductive, smooth. Eager, wanting, Callie letting it in. He hadn’t given her a choice, but she accepted it anyways, in reverence to Arianna and what she had asked. And to provide the totem with release from what it had become at the hands of others. A legacy that would last past the world itself, just as it would for the others, even if she didn’t know what the full impact would be. She hadn’t for any of the others either, after all. The aspect of darkness, and that which lies on the edges. Of ambition, and promises made. Flowing into her, melding with her magic, another kin with its siblings.

‘it... is... don... e... now... for... you...’

Callie opened her eyes, the mindscape gone, her magic flaring around her, the array burned into the ground. She winced, her mark burning as it grew further down her back. It had been a while since it had done that.She’d almost forgotten how painful the changes to it could be. The shades and shadows were all watching her, eyes on her but still unmoving, a captive audience, the totem in front of her, silent and still.

She took a deep breath, and then another, then slowly walked her way up to Webster. Her steps echoed on the stone floor, the pressure of expectations palatable, her nervousness very much real. She stopped when she reached him, and looked up.He really was massive, towering over her, her head hurting a little as she tried to take in his unstable form. He seemed almost as much shadow as solid. Real but not.

Something that was, but should not have been.

That thought, that piece of knowledge, echoing around. And all that went with it. Callie reached out, Webster lowering his head, her hand touching his hairy hide. Even if the sensation was unpleasant, at the least, the totem felt very real.

‘What do I do?’

‘mag... ic.. is... a... liv... ing... thi... ng...’

Callie closed her eyes and sighed. They all said that, and she knew it very well. For all that she had been through. She took another step forward, and leaned her head against the totem as well, searching deep within herself. Asking of herself, her magic, to give the totem release.

Her magic surged, glowing white hot, flowing through her and into the totem. Warm, caring. Embracing. Callie lost herself in it, becoming part of the moment as it wove itself into a form, connecting and touching the totem’s very soul. Its core, what had been used to pull it into existence.

A shard. A piece of another totem, that had long been lost.

‘thank... you...’

And then it was over, her magic fading and disappearing, Webster dissipating in front of her as she opened her eyes. Relieved and content. He was finally free. Callie collapsed to the ground, tired and spent. Everything had a cost, and doing that had taken its toll, a little bit more of it having merged with her magic, her back hurting like hell.

‘Feli, can you send the rest of them off, like you did for Soryen? Uri, Julia, you too?’ She was pretty certain that the ones here, even the shadows, wouldn’t be aggressive, and would wait. As they had done, for such a long time. They were different to the ones that they’d fought outside. Remnants and memories of what had passed. Of mistakes that had been made. Of the cost of greed. Their time had come to an end.

‘Umm, sure?’ Felicia sounded uncertain, but she couldn’t blame her. She’d be fine, she’d manage to do it. So would the others. She trusted them. Believed in them. Loved them all too, though that was a separate thing.

Callie smiled weakly, and started to pick herself up, finding herself swept up into a princess carry in Julia’s arms.

“We can sense how exhausted you are, in case you’d forgotten,” Julia stated with a grin as she carried her over to the edge of the chamber, settling her down against the wall, Felicia handing Stella over to her. “Just leave the rest to us.”

Callie cuddled Stella close, only half watching as her lovers stood in the middle of the chamber, Felicia with her eyes closed, her magic expanding out from her as the shades slowly made their way towards them. Callie had no idea what Felicia was doing, Felicia never having said exactly what had transpired between her and Soryen, but her magic now felt both similar and different.

“Mumsy?” Stella gave her a look, patting her gently on the face with her hand.

“Yes, I love you too,” Callie replied with a smile, looking down at her daughter. “We’re almost finished here.”

Callie looked back at her spouses, the magic flowing around them all. This had not been close at all to what she had expected, and had left her with even more questions. Rather worrying ones. Webster had been birthed from the remains of another totem, one that had fallen some time before, something of its nature remaining and used as a catalyst. From this realm or another, she wasn’t sure, but the influence on Webster’s birth from those outside this realm was very clear. The dagger that she’d seen was far too familiar, now sitting in one of their backpacks. It was no wonder that Julia had felt more than a little disgusted when she’d been examining it, given what it had been used for.

And behind it all, through the memories, she had clearly felt Riddling’s presence.

mogust

Riddling is not a nice person... I think that I've said that before as well. It does seem like he's been involved in far too many things.

And... as per the above authors note, What Lies Within is now also published and available on all Amazon stores (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B5BVVGTS).

The next chapter (39 – Haven) will be out within the next week.

If you'd like to support my writing, please consider supporting my Patreon. It currently has the remaining chapters of What Lies Within, and all new content will be posted there first. You can also find published versions of my stories on all amazon stores (Amazon US store). If you do purchase, please consider rating as well. Please. It means a lot.
[Published stories at this point in time being Dawn Weaver, Soul Flames vol 1-3, Esper and the Witch, and What Lies Within].

Anyways, thanks for reading. Comments etc are welcome. There is also a discord Server if you'd just like to chat: https://discord.gg/Y2gaPFB6X6 (as well as a bunch of other stuff; we're nice people). It also has a channel with larger versions of all of the covers, since SH and RR only store tiny versions.

Don't forget to check out my other stories if you like my writing. ^^