Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2005 11:00 pm
There was a sensation of walking through icy cobwebs, a cold that stuck to her skin and stabbed like freezing needles to her bones. Web heard Brittle gasp as he entered after her. She was…concerned for him. Magic was his worst enemy, possibly his greatest weakness.
The room was high and domed, bathed in that icy blue light, shimmering as if it were reflected through murky water. There were no windows, yet a white halo shone from the point of the peaked ceiling, illuminating a figure in the center of the room. A small girl, plucking idly at a crystal harp.
Brittle coughed slightly. She didn’t look at them, indeed, gave no sign she even knew they were there. Her limp white hair hung over her face, obscuring any view of it. Her emaciated form was clothed in a white slip, leaving her legs and arms indecently bare. Web could see her skin, so pale that she could make out the veins pumping under the near-translucent flesh.
“Why are you here?”
The voice echoed from the room, but seemed to focus from the girl (wraith? victim?) in the center. It was a rasping voice, neither male nor female, but like that of a child, something unborn, malicious and innocent at once. Brittle’s eyes narrowed and he shifted slightly, ready to fight in an instant. So, he couldn’t see the enemy, doesn’t mean he wouldn’t find a way to kill it…
Web shook her head slightly, giving him a sidelong glance. Don’t, we don’t know what we’re dealing with…
She stepped forward, toward the girl. She made no movement save the listless plucking of the silver strings. Her fingers were cut, torn from the piano wire stretched tautly across the delicate, crystalline frame. The strings shone a pretty ruby with blood, old and new. It was then that Web noticed the harp made no sound, and silence alive with a low, choir-like whisper surrounded them. The words were almost painful to listen to in this room.
“We wish you no harm. We are here for the Arcanum, that is all.”
Pluck, pluck, pluck and blood ran gracefully over the silver strings. The girl still did not look at them, but the voice echoed through the room.
“The Arcanum? Book of dark secrets? It is my treasure to keep, mine, mine alone. I keep it, I will guard it!”
Web bit her lip and stepped closer. Brittle echoed her movements, alert, angry. He’d be damned if a stupid talking room kept them from their objective.
“But you have no use for it-“ Web started, slowly. The girl’s fingers stopped suddenly. Her hair echoed the movement of a hidden face.
“The warrior by your side.”
(Yes, I'm posting too fast, sorry ^^() I'm just on a streak right now )
The room was high and domed, bathed in that icy blue light, shimmering as if it were reflected through murky water. There were no windows, yet a white halo shone from the point of the peaked ceiling, illuminating a figure in the center of the room. A small girl, plucking idly at a crystal harp.
Brittle coughed slightly. She didn’t look at them, indeed, gave no sign she even knew they were there. Her limp white hair hung over her face, obscuring any view of it. Her emaciated form was clothed in a white slip, leaving her legs and arms indecently bare. Web could see her skin, so pale that she could make out the veins pumping under the near-translucent flesh.
“Why are you here?”
The voice echoed from the room, but seemed to focus from the girl (wraith? victim?) in the center. It was a rasping voice, neither male nor female, but like that of a child, something unborn, malicious and innocent at once. Brittle’s eyes narrowed and he shifted slightly, ready to fight in an instant. So, he couldn’t see the enemy, doesn’t mean he wouldn’t find a way to kill it…
Web shook her head slightly, giving him a sidelong glance. Don’t, we don’t know what we’re dealing with…
She stepped forward, toward the girl. She made no movement save the listless plucking of the silver strings. Her fingers were cut, torn from the piano wire stretched tautly across the delicate, crystalline frame. The strings shone a pretty ruby with blood, old and new. It was then that Web noticed the harp made no sound, and silence alive with a low, choir-like whisper surrounded them. The words were almost painful to listen to in this room.
“We wish you no harm. We are here for the Arcanum, that is all.”
Pluck, pluck, pluck and blood ran gracefully over the silver strings. The girl still did not look at them, but the voice echoed through the room.
“The Arcanum? Book of dark secrets? It is my treasure to keep, mine, mine alone. I keep it, I will guard it!”
Web bit her lip and stepped closer. Brittle echoed her movements, alert, angry. He’d be damned if a stupid talking room kept them from their objective.
“But you have no use for it-“ Web started, slowly. The girl’s fingers stopped suddenly. Her hair echoed the movement of a hidden face.
“The warrior by your side.”
(Yes, I'm posting too fast, sorry ^^() I'm just on a streak right now )