Fantasy •Secrets Are Hidden Within• fickleglory

[Bastet]

•† SECRETS ARE HIDDEN WITHIN †•
••------------••
She was a little old lady that sat in the same outside table at the same diner alone every night. She always had the same turkey and avacado sandwich, a small plastic water cup, and finished it off with lemon meringue pie. She was a simple woman with a simple smile. She would always give you a smile as you passed by until her image stuck in your mind and you just had to say "hello" just once to sate your raging curiosity. You never regretted it. The woman's thoughtful hazel gaze held your own with a gravity that understood all you told and she was not like other elderly who were constantly lost in "the good old days". She had come to be a mentor, an ear to all the travesties of the world. Her wise eyes always seemed to hold an answer even when the topic was on joy and difficulties were left underneath the pleasantries. She was a good woman. You had learned her name was Margaret Pierce. She had never married and was an only child who enjoyed the time she had at the diner every night because she loved the quiet and mildly cold breeze on her arthritis-ridden bones. She said it was her peace from her life and she had been doing it for years even before your visits.

So long had gone by that it had become routine to see her in that same chair. So much so that her absence let you know what had happened long before her lawyers contacted you.

The old woman had died peacefully in her sleep apparently. It was a rare but gracious death and you alone would mourn her companionship. They told you all of this before they invited you to sit down with them and discuss her will: your inheritance.

You came in on a bright Monday morning. The lawyers were pleasant enough albeit stiff and formal. It was a boring list after the initial shock wore off, but the gist of it was as simple as she was. You had inherited it all. A fortune was cut out in your name, a manor large enough to house a platoon comfortably, so many expensive items you were unsure if you would ever have enough of a lifespan to use them all, but most importantly you received a letter.

The letter was sealed with wax, just like the old days. It was perfumed as well, which was an odd flair even for a woman as habitual as her, and the script was well written and precise. Your instructions were clear.

Standing inside your new home, you looked down at it and breezed past the reasons and gratitude to the meat of what you had to do.

First, there was a book in the study that was bound in black leather with red inscriptions that you had to retrieve. You were told to keep it with you when you went into the basement for a package kept within the wine cellar. You were warned to keep your eyes open and not to fall for any trickery, which was apparently inevitable, when you followed the next steps.

The final steps were instructions on how to get into a secret room beneath the cellar that had a "great weapon through life" within. It was now yours and once there, the book and the prize was yours.

fickleglory

 

[fickleglory]

A small town never left room for people to be a mystery. Everyone knew who she was. Everyone knew Norene was the daughter of a man who's done well for himself and good for the community. In the public eye it was important to that she carries herself properly. She must reflect him in her behavior and action. In a way, befriending the locals was that first step. Norene visited the same diner as Margaret, not as often, but always around the same time. After passing by, Norene befriended the old woman. She never regretted that choice. Now she's gone.

Norene looked over the manor, "What's dad going to say about this," as she bit her lip. She lifts the paper of instructions again. Her mouth silently reads what she has to do. She lifts the paper under her nose and once more takes in the situation. Norene enters the home and makes her way through the house for the study. She smiles at all the character Margaret had given it. Old homes had a different kind of beauty, aged yet timeless. She opens a door seeing shelves filled with books. Her eyes narrow and her lips purse. That's too many books. She puts her paper away in her pocket and begins her search. She begins looking over all the black books that looked like leather. Nearly an hour later Norene had pulled every black book and had still not found it. She sits on the rug staring up at the wall. The woman exhales as she sits up and examines the room. Her head tilts at the desk and wooden chair pushed in. She brings herself to her feet and looks at organized papers and office supplies. Her expression turns flat realizing what she should have done first. Norene pulls the handle of a drawer and lo and behold the book. She rolls her eyes and picks up the book. She gave it a quick look flipping the the pages then closed it.

Next, the basement. Where would that be? She thinks back to when she visited her grandparents. Their basement was behind the house with two, large, double doors. Norene walks with little patience as she's waisted enough time. Of the back of the house she finds two large double doors placed into the ground. Norene places the book on the ground the tugs at the metal handles. It took some work, but finally gave way and creaked as she opened the door. Norene sighs slapping her hands together. She picks the book back up and begins stepping down the stairs. The light out-side gives Norene limited vision. Her hand runs over the concrete wall looking for a switch. She quints as she walks slowly inside the basement. She feels something protruding from the wall, must be it. She flips a switch and a single light bulb flickers at the center of the room. Everything in sight is covered in a dusty tarp, but what looked like a cellar door was set in the center of the room. Norene inhales stepping to the final piece of Margaret's instruction. She kneels down and begins to open it.

 

[Bastet]

•† HIRAETH †•
••------------••
He heard her enter the estate long before the front door had opened. Closed eyes and even breathing memorized the sound of the car engine that brought her there, the sound of her footsteps above, the rate of her breathing and the slight alterations of her heartbeat. She was calm, it seemed, though a bit impatient after the thumping of what sounded like exactly fifty-three books and fourty-seven minutes, eighteen seconds later.

He tracked her steps toward the back of the house as a thrill coursed through him. So it was true. She had found an heir to carry on. He still had a chance at escape, even if it meant taking advantage of this woman before she could gain her bearing on this world. A deep growl of a purr rumbled through his chest as he shifted, shrinking down into the form of a small child. He could hear her steps descending from the cellar into the stony cavern beneath and took that time to tear at his dark clothing, coating it with dust. Humans, after all, couldn't help but feel pity for children and might free him for this form alone. He just hoped Margaret hadn't warned her about this sort of trickery.

The moment Noreen reached the bottom of the stairway, a large stone cavern opened up in front of her. It was spacious and natural with an underground river dropping off into a small stream to one side. A cup sat atop a plate next to it. It was vaguely cold with the scent of earth and stone strong enough to tell of how stagnant the air was. Most brilliantly, perhaps, was the small child sitting within a nest of white cloth that looked mostly comfortable and warm compared to the rest of the cold stone.

He looked up at her with eyes crystal red and deep, wide with shock and fear. Black hair, overgrown, fell around his youthful face in thick knots though his pale skin seemed to glow in the faint light of burning torches that should have added a warm glow instead. He seemed thin and his tattered clothes, all black underneath the grey dust, hung on his frame. Black tattoos dotted across his neck and wrists like a collar and shackles. Despite the obvious power that exuded from this small boy, he looked quite pitiful. However, the one thing that truly set him apart from anything human was the display of horns twisting away from his skull. A pearlescent white, two sharp horns curved gracefully up and back from the middle of his skull and two more shorter ones from in front of those, closer together but not even half the length of the other two. They were sleek and strong.

"Miss," He gasped in a trembling voice, "Where's the woman? Has she forgotten me?"

 

[fickleglory]

She couldn't comprehend the complexity of what she had stepped into. How much did she know about Margaret. None of this made sense. She never mentioned this once. Norene began to huff looking at her surroundings. Norene's finger pinched her nose as she had a distaste to deep, mildew like smells. She wasn't sure why she way here, Margaret really wasn't her friend. Before turning around to leave Norene caught a glance at something in the corner. The her hand dropped to her side looking at such a frail thing. In her tennis shoes, she stepped slow to not make a sound.

"How.." she says then looks at the horns on his head. Her mouth shut and she bite her bottom lip. Speaking to him with the formalness of a lawyer, "Margaret passed away." Her grey eyes looked at his deep red one. Her brows furrowed and then looked at his horns again. She ignored the dirty clothes and markings. Margaret seemed so tame, how could she have possibly made a demon child?

She keeps her distance from him, but seats her petite body onto her knees. She then places the leather bound book on the ground. Behind her, the sun barely reaches the bottom of the cellar. It surrounds her with a warm halo. Her hair was dark as light reflected a deep blue color. It rested a little past her shoulders. The woman sat in silence for a moment and tapped her fingers on her thigh.
"I'm Norene."

 

[Bastet]

•† HIRAETH †•
••------------••
It was difficult to keep his eyes from following the book with a sudden feral gleam. She had not brought anything down but the book and there was little else to draw his attention away from it until he managed to catch sight of the light of sun across her ebony hair. Sunlight. Actual sunlight was caught upon her head like a crown of hope that chased away the predatory look in those red eyes. For a moment his desperation was entirely clear. He needed out.

Once he had his emotions under control, however, he noticed more about this woman that definitely made him more cautious. She had not approached him, she had not freaked out or showed him any pity. Her heart was calm and she almost seemed coldly curious. That was not good for him, but good insight on Margaret's part. She knew what to do to ensure he couldn't leave. It was a crushing blow.

"Does that mean I can go now, Norene?" He asked as he stood from the nest and shakily approached her. He knew at her distance he wouldn't be able to reach her before the magical chains were activated.

"I just need the book and then I can go. Please, Norene, help me. I don't want to be down here anymore!" He pled as he reached for her, "Let me have it. Please!"

 

[fickleglory]

Norene pulled backward kicking herself away.
"Hold on there- You!" her hand posed for a wall. She looks to the book beside her and lifts it up quickly. "Margaret said you were a.." she lifts a small piece of paper from her back pocket and reads quickly. "great weapon through life," she looks at him with a raised eyebrow. She obviously wasn't impressed with what she saw. Norene pats the book. There had to be something important about it. It's leather and angsty black. She eyes the boy up and down growing suspicious of how "handsy" he's become. The woman stands back onto her feet and stepping away again. Margaret had to have a reason, but then again, it is just a demon child in her cellar. She keeps glancing between the book and the boy.
Norene's lips tighten and she sighs leaning over and stomping in place. "Why?" she groans. Her arms cross.
"You know what?" she says with a red face. "I don't care!" she pulls at the tuffs of her hair. "Why do I have to be responsible of you?" Norene begins to walk toward the door. "I can just close this and never, ever see you again and not pay for any consequences you might cause with this!" she holds the book above her.

 

[Bastet]

•† HIRAETH †•
••------------••
His breath hitched as she threatened him, coming to a stop with his hands held up for mercy. He slowly lowered himself to his knees and he aged before her eyes to a young adult man. His eyes held hers and his chest heaved with likely panicked breaths.

"Okay, okay. Let's talk about this. Open the book and look on the first page. Please. I am a dragon. My name is Hiraeth and I've been stuck in this cellar for two generations after my mother was kept down here long enough to hatch me. I would really like to leave now. I'd like to see the sun. I'd do anything."

His voice was calm and steady despite his desperation. He remained on his knees with his hands up, searching her gaze for any amount of sympathy or acceptance.

 

[fickleglory]

She stops on the first step, the color of her becoming more illuminated. Norene's faced turned even more red. Oh shit, it worked. The woman's mouth was closed tighter than before. Norene stared at what changed before her. Her eyebrows became upturned and her lips drooped. She was worried, more about what her decision will cause.
She sat down on the step and placed the book on her lap, "Hiraeth, why are you here?" she opens the cover and lifts the first page. She begins to look through the script then looks up to him again. "Be honest."

 

[Bastet]

•† HIRAETH †•
••------------••
It worked! Her face was red, blush spreading across her cheeks in the light of the sun that dazzled him and brought the mindnumbing frustration back into his shoulders. Even after her question, he could hardly move or speak from the tightness in his jaw, but at long last he heaved a large breath and his shoulders went slack. His hands fell beside him before he shifted his legs out from under him to get more comfortable. This wasn't a human that would be easy to trick.

"As you're reading on that page, I'm a magical being thought to bring protection, fortune, and prosperity. Which is true. We can refuse to answer, we can misconstrue to truth, but we can never lie. Imprisoned, we truly are the greatest weapon through life. You have control over our food, our drink, our comfort, and our freedom. If you will it, we have to give it, whether it's advice on which love interest to choose or how to ward off vampires I'm privvy to answer."

His voice was monotonous and resigned as he leaned his elbow boredly against his knee and rested his cheek atop his hand. His clothes had mended, too, which probably meant they were connected to the color of his scales. Sure enough, the book mimicked exactly what he had said and more about the functions of the chains, the tattoos upon his limbs and neck. A simple command could bring him to his knees in pain given the right incantation... and to transfer ownership, the incantation was very conveniently placed at the bottom.

"Speaking of food, did you get the package in the cellar? Margaret always brought me a package from there."

 

[fickleglory]

She was bewildered. Her hands ran over the book and looked back to Hiraeth. Norene squints at the text. Her eyes running over each word careful not to misinterpret what she is reading. She was a rather slow reader. Her lips continued to mouth over her mind voice. Her leg bounced in place while she focused on the book. Norene stops sometimes and begins sounding at a word or two. She scratches the side of her head and looks back up to Hiraeth.
"Misconstrue?" Norene looks at him. "So, you picked this," she gestures at him. "This whole look on your own?" She places the book back into her lap and leans forward to examine him.
Now that he'd mentioned it, she hadn't eaten since this morning and the legal talk took a chunk of her day. She smacked her lips thinking of what she could make for an early dinner. Package? She looks at him with no understanding then pulls out the small paper again. "Dammit!" she smacks her hand on her forehead. "I missed a step!" Norene turns around and runs up the stairs looking for the package. Then stops and jumps down the stairs. "What kind of food do you eat?"

 

[Bastet]

•† HIRAETH †•
••------------••
"I didn't pick the look, just the age. Genetics play just as much a part in my human appearance as they do my draconic one," He frowned, but the moment she stood and scrambled up the stairs the joy re-entered his gaze and he stood once more.

"Just the brown package to your left! It has everything I need inside!" A couple of days had passed since he had last eaten, after all, and that daily meal was the thing that got him up in the morning. So much so that he couldn't help but move as close as he could- about six feet from the stairs- before the tattoos glowed and the outlines of spectral chains brought pain into his body and he had to step back a little.

In the cellar, food storage, cheese, fruits, and vegetables sat within the stunningly cool wine cellar. Various jams and other canned goods sat along one wall... but as he stated to her left was a stack of three brown packages that were fairly large and smelled strongly of spice.

 

[fickleglory]

Norene looked around at the all the food supply. She ignored him and shuffled to the right. It was like being in a market, she was getting caught up in what was in front of her.
"Just come up and get it yourself," she says as she looked up toward a top shelf of veggies. The smell of all these fresh items satisfies her more than the dewy scent of the cellar. She lifted some and began to sniff them. Oh, how wonderful life would be if she could actually cook. Norene stopped at the jam preserves. The woman would lift and read it then place it back. Oh this is so cute! Raspberry, mango, strawberry, grape, it just kept going. Norene placed them back to their respective position. She paused and looked around the whole room. She simply stood and stared at the cluttered items. Her hand grazed over the old wood onto the cold stone. This is mine.

 

[Bastet]

•† HIRAETH †•
••------------••
He growled a bit impatiently as he listened to her sifting through everything that wasn't his food. Cruel human joke of a wasted lifeforce! He began to pace the circle he had memorized of where he could go while she idled through the miniature storehouse.

"I can't get it myself! I can't even leave the room!" He growled up to her, "Please! Peruse all you want whenever you have time! Just bring me down the package!"

The slew of insults he could spout at her like the vicious stream of flames that should be able to come from his lips did fester within his mind. If he had any lack of self preservation he would let the torrent loose on her, but he held his serpent tongue and swallowed his anger.

 

[fickleglory]

Norene walked over to the other side and looked at what should be the package. She set the book down and lifted the box with both hands. Norene left the book behind as she returned to him. "Well, I don't actually want you to be locked up." she walks to him. With the box in her arms she holds it to him.
Norene's eyes started at his face, "This doesn't happen a lot." then they shifted far to the right and by the end of her talking she was just looking at a stone on the wall. Again her leg slightly bounced in place. It was like he had just scolded her. Norene spoke with a quieter voice her face being less expressive.

 

[Bastet]

•† HIRAETH †•
••------------••
His hands strained against the chains to pull the brown paper parcel from her. He backed up several feet in a couple of fluid backwards strides before he was sitting down to tear it open. He didn't respond to any of her words at first. At this point he was used to only knowing humans that wanted him kept locked up. Dragons weren't only good luck, after all. They were highly dangerous and vicious creatures, which was apparent once he got the package open and set aside a bottle of wine.

The next thing he opened was some sort of plastic covering. What space the wine did not take up was occupied by a large chunk of raw bone and meat presumedly from a cow. He skillfully ripped ripped ribs from spine and chomped down with power great enough to snap the bone and teeth sharp enough to tear the meat like razor wire. Somehow, no matter how focused in and feral he looked enjoying his meal, a growling purr rose from him It wasn't until he swallowed and licked his lips that he responded.

"You don't want me to be locked up, but you aren't going to free me either, am I right?" He gave her a wicked grin before he bit down again, tearing the carcass apart bones and all.

 

[fickleglory]

It was like watching Animal Planet up close. Being a vegetarian herself, this was horrific. But he's a dragon so, maybe it's not the same dietary principle. It's much more innate. Her nose wrinkled and Norene looks away, "Well, I keep you locked I hate myself. If I free you and you run wild and terrorize people I hate myself..." Norene walks out and retrieves the book. "You can see why I'm hesitant?" She enters the room again. Her hands toy with the sides as she keeps her eyes at the stone or on the book. "Why do you need this to leave?" she asks. Norene opens it then flips through all the pages. She lifts it in presses her nose into the paper. Old, mixed with the spices that really hid the gut wrenching smell of the animal. Purposefully her eyes remained on the stone while he feasted. It was a little more graphic than she anticipated.

 

[Bastet]

•† HIRAETH †•
••------------••
He licked his fingers off before he took the wine bottle and opened it with one quick jerk. He drank from the bottle to clear the taste of blood and bone from his tongue before he looked to her once more, still purring with pleasure. He seemed genuinely pleased with the meal. It was the little things that kept one from going mad.

"I need it because it has the spells that would allow me to break the chains. I'd be able to leave all of this behind," He didn't even try to conceal it at this point. She wouldn't need manipulation at this point and he felt open honesty would better benefit him when getting his freedom.

"But I'm not going to ask you to trust me not to kill every human when I get out of here, but I do think I know how I can help lessen your guilt. When you go through that grimoire, you will learn magic. Start out with that first spell. Page one. You'll become my owner and then you'll have the authority to move my chains upstairs. A room in a giant house wouldn't be too bad, would it?"

Foot in the door, so to speak.

 

[fickleglory]

Norene's whole torso shivered with the expression he gave her. Her face began to blush again and lips pushed a frown. The woman's eyes move away from him and stare back to the stone.
"That makes sense," her heads nods to agree. Norene decided to believe this was the truth despite feeling weary.

Her head snaps back to look at him, "Promising me magic does not 'lessen my guilt'. But," However, she follows his instruction to open the book. "Keeping you under super vision sounds a lot better." she didn't want to be the reason he live in a cellar. At least having the freedom to roam in a house would be better than this. She bites her lip. His persuasion tug at heart strings.
"Ok, what do I do?" her face looked a little scared of what was to come next.

 

[fickleglory]

((bump ))

 

[Bastet]

•† HIRAETH †•
••------------••
There was a darkly excited gleam to his eyes as he stood and moved closer to her. He stopped at the end of his chain and looked down to the book pointedly. He seemed to be unaware of how uncomfortable she was around him through the thrill of knowing he'd see true sunshine for the first time. Maybe he could open a window and feel the air or find out how comfortable an actual bed might be. To feel more than stone under his bare feet.

"Open the first page. Go to the bottom and read the spell. Focus on your intent. You want to own me. Focus on the reasons why as you read and your will must be heard. It will be carried out," He instructed, summarizing the instructions on the page.

 

[fickleglory]

Norene met with him let him read. She nods as he speaks. "Ok, got it." The woman lifts up the book to her face and begins to read of the words. She squints, slowing down her pronunciation, as she'd never seen this kind of scripture. Her speech wasn't fine and fluid. Norene takes her time in thought. She trips on a word or two. This is mine. She continues to read. I want his loyalty and his free will. After she finishes the page she thinks lastly, I intend to keep him secured so other's will not be harmed by him. Her dark blue eyes look at him, her curiosity begins to rise of what he was capable of being free to walk. Would he just blend in? Her gaze over looked the horns, or would he pulverize the city because he could? It can't just be that black and white. There's probably an in between like "I like to eat people". Norene's blank stare became more apparent as she hasen't blinked in a few seconds.

 

[Bastet]

•† HIRAETH †•
••------------••
Even though she stumbled to get the right words, even though she read slowly with an inexperienced eye, the gods had heard her and Hiraeth could feel the tug of his collar as it took shape to more closely match Norene's ownership. Rather than sharp spikes and divets that stretched nearly to his chin and collar bone, an almost lace look came about the tattoos, now glowing white hot. He closed his eyes as the new marks seared themselves onto his skin, smoke rising temporarily from them, before they went black and he was able to breathe again. He gave her a small smile.

"Perfect. The next spell is somewhere near the middle, I think. You'll have to find it yourself, but it will let you move my chains and connect them anywhere you desire."

 

[fickleglory]

Her face begins to grow pink from his grin. Norene could smell his skin seering. Her hand cups her nose as she watches smoke rise. "What was all that?" she asked pointing at his wrists. Her eyes flip through the pages. "Chains?" she says. "Well let's go to the house while I read through," Norene stands up and begins walking up the stairs. "The smell here drives me crazy." her arm wipes her nose as it begins to run. The young woman looks at him, "So, you have to do whatever I say?"

 

[Bastet]

•† HIRAETH †•
••------------••
The lights in his eyes dulled again as he stood at the end of his line and watched her move away. His chains hadn't been moved and so he was trapped down... The chains tugged as she moved farther away. Slowly, he started to walk after her before he caught up in a few strides. Apparently all this time they didn't need another spell. They just needed a command. Somehow that made him angrier than he was before. He could have seen the sun just once before this.

"As much as I would like to say no, I think we both know the answer. What do you want me to do?" He asked.

 

[fickleglory]

She continues to stare at the book and read over the various spells. In search of something more interesting than chains. She continues to walk outside through the grass. The afternoon was warm, but in the shade it was rather comfortable. Norene led him to the front porch then sat on the bench that hung on chains. “Well, it’s kinda embarrassing to admit.” She laughs and looks at him. “But, I really want to know what you actually look like. Like the 2,000 year old you.” She smiles a little and turns a page finding what he instructed. “Do I have to chain you, or can I just say: Don’t leave the property without me.” She looks at him as a child would for approval.