The Dawn of Wynter Ch. 05

Around the exterior, there were several stations, at each one a person stood, going about their business. One woman seemed to be tracing constellations on a -- was that a solid gold block floating in the air? Zara stared in astonishment as images seemed to flow across it as the woman's fingers trailed along the surface. All around people stood with strange objects, concentrating on their tasks, no one speaking.

"It is strange I know, I remember the feeling when I was first brought here," a soft voice said right beside her.

Zara started, not having noticed the woman coming to stand right by her. She was tall and unbelievably slender. Her dark ebony skin was flawless, most of it bare, save for a thin white fabric that molded to her body, nothing but a braided gold belt keeping it together. Zara noticed she was barefoot. She looked into the woman's face and gasped, her eyes were the colour of tiger eye gems, a swirl of light and dark browns, copper, and amber. She had thick lashes that curled up naturally, a small round nose and the fullest lips Zara had ever laid eyes on. Everything in this woman was elongated, her neck, arms, torso and legs, were all so elegantly slender.

"Where am I? Who are you? What is this place?" she asked, looking around once more. When she spoke everyone stopped what they were doing and looked up at her. It was then she noticed that she had seven pairs of eyes focused on her, and each set was a dazzling colour, like gems shining forth from every angle.

"I will answer your questions in due time Layal. I shall begin with the simplest of answers. I am Malena."

"Why do you call me Layal?"

"Would you prefer Zara?"

"Yes, that's my name. You haven't answered my question though, why do you call me Layal?"

"In due time, you will learn all there is to know. For now, however, how about you meet everyone else? You need not fear us," she added seeing Zara's hesitation to enter further into the room, "we mean you no harm. You will find yourself among friends here, equals."

Zara was about to argue, to demand answers, about to tell her she didn't care about meeting anyone but before she could say a word Malena turned and began making her way to the group of people that had now gathered around the edge of the silver pool. Some were standing; others were sitting on the edge of the steps, while some sat at the edge of the pool, their legs swallowed by the strange water. Malena led them down the steps and one by one she introduced Zara to each person.

Neria, a petite woman with skin as pale as snow, fiery red hair and eyes that shone like black diamonds was the first. Zara could not look away from her eyes, they were black but they were somehow translucent, reminding her of a sky filled with stars. As small as she was, Zara felt a strength in the woman that would rival men twice her size. She spoke a few words to her before they moved to the next person.

Alaric was one of the two people who sat with his legs submerged knee deep into the water. He was tall and lean, his chest bare, only clad in white pants which were rolled up at the moment. He was a beautiful man; actually she thought they were all bloody gorgeous. Alaric had a rugged and somewhat dangerous air about him. It was his eyes she realized, they didn't match. His left was obsidian and his right was like a sky blue topaz, glittering back at her. It was disconcerting. What was it with everyone here and their eyes? She'd gotten used to hers, but having so many boring into her, all of them unique, was a little unsettling. Was that how everyone felt when they saw her? She wondered. Like Neria, Alaric spoke few words, merely muttering 'welcome' up at her.

Behind Alaric, perched on the steps was Clio. Her white, pearlescent eyes gazed up at Zara, she was smiling, "Welcome sister, it is an honour to meet you at last," she pulled Zara's hand into hers and gave it a tight, reassuring squeeze from where she sat.

"Er...nice to meet you too..." Sister? Honour to meet me? What the hell is going on here, she thought.

Clio laughed, "You will learn soon enough why I am so honoured, sister." She flipped her long black hair over her bronze shoulder.

They could hear her thoughts! What the hell was going on? Perhaps she should try to clear her mind. She didn't want anyone to know what she was thinking, least of all these strangers. This was all just too surreal for her. While it felt like a dream, Zara knew deep down this was no such thing. She was somewhere that existed beyond time and space, beyond any universe she could have thought of. The question was how the hell she got here, and why these people were 'honoured' and calling her 'sister'.

"Patience, Zara. We promise you will learn everything you need to know. It is our duty, before you return," a deep voice rumbled from behind her. She turned to see a large muscular man standing at the edge of the pool. His hair was light brown and hung long around his face, brushing his broad shoulders. Eyes the colour of amethyst bored into hers, his face smiling, comforting her instantly.

"I am Aleron," he said extending his large hand towards her. She let him take hers, which seemed far too small in his as he wrapped his fingers around hers and bowing as he gave the back of her palm a kiss.

"Always the flare for the dramatic Aleron," a dark skinned man behind him sighed. He seemed bored, his ruby red eyes running up the length of Zara, assessing her. Like Alaric, the effect was a little unsettling.

"Excuse our brother Tabari, he's never been very social," Aleron said with a smirk. Tabari gave a snort at that.

"You're all a bunch of boring tossers. What she must think of us, I don't want to know," another male called out his English accent thick, his head shaved to the bare skin, like the rest he was tall and considerably well toned. His eyes shone like the coppery crimson of the Red Canyon.

"Mannix, at your service, love. Forgive everyone else, they lost their minds and manners eons ago," he said enthusiastically, pulling her into a hug.

"Oh-" she gasped at the unexpected show of familiarity.

"Mannix, perhaps you should take it down a notch," Alaric said from the pool.

"Well excuse me if I'm a little excited she's finally made it here! It's only been -- wait how many years has it been? I've lost count."

"Mannix," Malena said a warning in her tone to shut up, before he said too much.

"What? She's going to find out soon enough. And I won't apologize for acting like I should, which is excited that you're here love," he said addressing Zara now, "the rest of this lot are just acting so bloody cold."

"Excuse us for not bowing at her feet," Tabari said, once again his voice was heavy with ennui, "but she is the reason we've been waiting here for so long."

"I'm sorry, it's so great to have met you all, but before you blame me for however long you've been here, where the fuck is here precisely? And why am I here? How the hell did I even end up in this place?" she asked, a little hysterically.

"I like her already," Alaric said a tease in his tone, "Feisty, one isn't she?"

Zara turned to glare at him, her anger rising with each passing minute. The fact that no one was providing answers was infuriating and she found she wanted out of this place. It was like a dream she could not wake from, because deep down she knew she couldn't leave, not without doing something. There was something that was nagging at the back of her mind, like she should know who these people were, and why she was here. Like a memory lost, trying to come forward after years of repression.

"I'm glad I can entertain you," she replied dryly to Alaric, "Perhaps you would like to infuriate me more by avoiding my questions once again?"

"No one is avoiding your questions Zara, I told you we would answer them, but it is prudent to know who everyone is here before that can happen," Malena said, her voice like that of a patient mother, speaking to a child.

She felt herself bristle a bit at the admonishment. Somehow Malena seemed to have that effect, not just on her but everyone else. It was just frustrating for her. She didn't know where she was, how she seemed to have ended up here and she couldn't remember anything previous to arriving in this strange place. She was sure it wasn't a dream, but it was dreamlike. Everything shone with a brightness of a different realm, everything seemed odd, and yet perfectly normal.

"Well, we got the introductions out of the way, so let's start with some answers," she said addressing Malena.

"Come, everything you need to know lies right here," she said gesturing towards the pool sitting pristine in the centre of the room.

"In there?" she asked skeptically.

"Yes, the waters of Triuwydia have powers beyond our own. They will tell you all you need to know, as they are the tears of the gods, old and new, in them the story of our creation. The truth lies in those waters, and you are privileged to be among the few who will grace its waters and learn what they have to teach. The time has come Zara, for you to learn who you are, what role you play in this world. It's time to find your peace."

Malena led her to the edge and left her there. Everyone backed away and stood behind her. She glanced behind her, once over each shoulder and caught everyone's expression. There was an acute sense of anticipation in the air, and it was as if everyone was holding their breath, even her. She turned to face them, asking with her eyes if this was actually happening, if she really had to do this. The answer from seven pairs of eyes was a resounding yes. She took a deep breath and muttered under her breath, resignedly.

"What the hell."

She held her hands out to her side and leaned her body backwards. She watched as the world tipped before her as she fell backwards, vertigo washing over her. She landed in the water but instead of there being a loud splash and sending water flying out from her point of impact, it was as if she landed on air instead. The water didn't ripple, she merely floated on the surface, her body encompassed in the strange substance. Before she could register anything else however, everything began to flash before her, and she went rigid as the information she had been seeking her entire life flowed through her body.

As the seven looked on, they watched as Zara's body arched in the pool, her eyes glowing silver as the water worked its magic, heard her breathing come fast. Moments passed, it couldn't be said how long, but some time later Zara's body went lax and she lay still in the water, her eyes had closed, her breathing calm once more.

"Well, looks like she's gone back. I wonder when Philippe will arrive," Tabari mused.

"He's been stubborn yes, but Sachiel will come to his senses soon, she will ensure that," Malena replied.

"How can you be so sure? He has forgotten us, holds no memory of us and this place."

"I know because Zara will see to it. They cannot remain separated much longer Tabari, her visit here is proof of that. You know the only way she was able to arrive here, they had to be joined. She's already half way there, she will get through to him."

--

It was the day of the Vyrkaryan visit, and everyone was rushing around the mansion for last minute adjustments. The atmosphere in the house was thick with tension; Kai and Stefâne were going over the story one last time in the study. Philippe however had remained in Zara's bedroom, especially after what had happened earlier that morning. He had been checking up on her, when all of a sudden her body began writhing in its place, her back arching off the bed. The silver of her irises shone through her closed lids. It had been a matter of seconds before she fell back on the mattress and was still as death. Philippe had checked to see if she was still breathing, and when he was satisfied that she was he tried to shake her awake rather forcefully, so frustrated was he that he couldn't do anything.

He sighed, looking down at her now, wondering if they would be able to stall the Vyrkaryan once they arrived. They would have to go through the motions with Kai, Stefâne and Xander, asking questions and documenting the entire process. Hopefully by the time they were done with that, by some miracle Zara would wake. If she didn't, they had all agreed that Toni would attempt to pass herself off as Zara. She could cast a spell to make herself appear as Zara. The only problem with that was there was a very high probability that the council would immediately realize that she wasn't a vampire. No matter what Toni did to her appearance, she couldn't change her genetics, and vampires as old as the ones on the council would be able to smell the difference.

It was a risk they would have to take. It didn't look like Zara was going to come out of whatever she was in, and definitely not in an hour's time. Xander would have to do his best to steer them away from that small inconvenience. Philippe sighed once more, remembering the call he had to make informing his friend of what had happened. Xander had been so worried he'd almost jumped on the first jet to arrive there. Philippe had to do a lot of persuading to stop him from acting so rashly. Everything had to remain normal and proceed as planned.

"Zara," he whispered in her ear, pain etched in his voice. He was seated on the bed next to her, bent over, his hands cradling her face, brushing her hair away from her cheeks.

He chuckled slightly, "Even asleep you're stubborn as ever. Why do you refuse to wake?"

He looked down into her face, peaceful in her state, her eyes were moving rapidly under her lids as though she were dreaming, but she didn't move or say anything. He sighed and leaned down to softly kiss her forehead, her closed lids, her cheeks and finally her lips.

"I am going to punish you in kind when you awaken chérie, for scaring me, and worrying me as you have," he whispered, smiling.

He stood and left the room, praying that this day went smoothly. Lives were on the line, and one particularly had him more worried than he'd been in a long time. The truth was while Philippe had accepted that he had come to care for Zara, he wasn't quite prepared for exactly how much he found he cared for her. When he woke up to her screaming in agony, and watched her collapse into unconsciousness it hit him hard. The usual calm and collected Philippe had disappeared and in his place was left a man who didn't know what to do. Even now, he felt unsure about what the future held. He had always been prepared, had known what the next move would be in his life, but now all that was gone.

He sighed, rubbing his hands over his face as he made his way to Kai's study. As he approached he heard angry voices, arguing over something. He frowned, recognizing Kai and Stefâne's voices through the door. They rarely fought, and to hear them now was troubling, especially as they had to appear completely normal today. Discord between them was not a good sign. He silently entered the room, but neither one of the vampires turned to acknowledge his presence; they were so heated in argument.

"I'm telling you she knows something Kai!" Stefâne said angrily

"Why would she just sit around idly all this time if she knew something that could help Stefâne? It just doesn't make any sense! She's been by Zara's side since the beginning. What you're saying is ridiculous and I don't want you to question Toni about it, understand?" he replied in a calm deadly voice.

"You're so blinded by your worry and your ties to the witch that you can't see what is plainly in front of you! She gave herself away that night! She said 'I can't help her now'. Tell me what does that mean to you Kai? She knows something I'm sure of it."

Philippe spoke up then, "I agree with Stefâne." He had been thinking about that night too, and when he had asked Kai to summon Toni a few days ago, he meant to ask her about it. They had been sidetracked, however, by her suggestion to disguise herself as Zara.

Kai scoffed, waving his arms in the air helplessly, "Why would she hide things from us? Especially where my own sister is concerned?"

"Perhaps there are things she cannot reveal just yet..." Philippe replied elusively.

Kai fixed him with a glare, "That's so helpful Philippe, really it explains everything."

"Perhaps if you brought her in to question her, you may gain the answers you seek. Did either of you think of that?"

"He wouldn't hear of it," Stefâne replied irritably.

"Come now Kailan, there is no harm in asking. It is well known witches are secretive, and always know more than what they let on."

Kai let out a frustrated growl, "Fine, bring her in," he said in defeat, unable to refuse the Ancient vampire before him and his closest friend's pleading stare.

Kailan had been pacing in his study for hours. His mind was racing, trying to figure out what he could do. Zara lay unconscious for close to two weeks now. He couldn't get her screaming out of his head, the pain that was etched on her face. He wished he could erase that memory, but it replayed in his head over and over again. It had been the worst timing too, as the council was set to visit, arriving in a few hours time. How would he explain his sister lying unconscious if their plan didn't succeed and Toni was discovered to be an imposter? This was the worst possible situation he could find himself in.

Kailan had scoured every book he could get his hands on, every ancient text he possessed, but nothing came close to explaining what had happened to Zara. It wasn't until Stefâne came to him, telling him what he remembered about that night. The night of Zara's fit, Antoinette had said something. She had said there was nothing she could do now. That struck him as strange. Did that mean she knew something? Kai had been too absorbed in his sister's pain to notice anything amiss, so he dismissed Stefâne's allegations that she knew something. He had been hounding him about it for days now, and it wasn't until Philippe entered and agreed with Stefâne that he had finally acquiesced to their request to question her. Just then there was a knock on the door and he was brought out of his thought.

"Enter," he called.

The door opened slowly and Antoinette walked through her head down, sadness on her face. She hadn't left Zara's side in three days, chanting spells, trying what she could to help. When she looked up however, he saw unease grow in her eyes as she took in the three large men in the room, Kai standing behind his desk and Philippe and Stefâne seated on opposite sides of the coffee table situated in the center of the room.

"There has been no change, Kailan."

"I know Toni, that isn't why I summoned you here."

"Oh? Then what is the matter?"

"The other night, when...everything happened, you said something. You said you couldn't do anything now."

"Yes, I couldn't do anything, you know I have tried every-"

"Enough Antoinette!" Stefâne slammed his palms on the coffee table in front of him, "The lies stop here. You know something and you will tell me now or so help me..." his fists clenched at his side. His anger was growing the longer Zara remained unconscious.

"Honestly Stefâne I don't -- "

"ENOUGH!" he roared, "You will tell me! This is my blood, my sister, you know something goddammit!" he had crossed the room in seconds his face mere inches from her, his nostrils flared as he glared at her.