Part Five
Maura shivered as she tightened her cloak around her. Glancing to her right, she noticed her twin sister doing the same, and chuckled lowly. Dermott was huddled in closely to Maeve, taking comfort in the warmth of her cloak. Nyka stayed nearby the twins, fighting his way through the wind and snow without so much as a whimper.
"There has not been a day like this since we left Eire, is that not so, sister?"
Maeve smiled. "Aye, truer words were never spoken."
Firouz came up on Maura's left side, careful to keep his distance from the sensitive sorceress. "Maura, will you tell me about Ireland? Maeve has rarely said anything about your homeland."
Maura's eyes brightened as she thought about their happy life in Eire, and she looked to Maeve. Her sister nodded with a smile, and Maura allowed her thoughts to focus on her home. "There was snow on the ground many months of the year, makin' the air bitter cold, but allowing for much fun for the children." she began, "There wouldn't be any snow there right now, though, this would be our warm season. Today what ye'd see would be long, rollin' green hillsides covered in beautiful flowers, and in the plains ye'd come across many plantations. The soil in Eire is so very rich that that we could grow almost everything upon it. There are a great many of what we call bogs near our home, but they supply us with fuel for our fires. And the horses, Firouz, there are so many horse stables in Eire, their inhabitants such noble creatures.... It is perhaps the most beautiful place on earth..." Maura's voice trailed off to a sigh as her thoughts took her home.
Firouz had to smile at the love the girl held for her home, and glancing over to Maeve, he saw the same look mirrored in her eyes. It had been a long time since he had seen the sorceress look so genuinly happy, and he had a feeling it had been even longer for her sister to have looked the same. He wished to keep them talking, keep their minds on their happy memories. "Will you two tell me of when you were children in Ireland?"
Identical eyes turned upon him, "Why would you want to hear about our childhood?" they asked in unison, stifling a laugh.
Firouz shrugged, "We need to speak of something to pass the time, and I would love to know more about the two of you." He paused and smiled, "Besides, I'm afraid if I keep quiet for too long, my mouth will freeze shut."
The girls laughed as the men snorted loudly; Firouz silenced for an entire journey? Oh the possiblities. Maeve smiled, "That's not very scientific, Firouz."
The scientist shrugged, "Perhaps not, but humor me, please."
Their feet trudged over the snowy ground, and they hunched their bodies against the wind. The sorceresses glanced at each other for a moment and smiled their identical smiles, then slowly they began to speak.
******
"Maura, momma said yer not t'be playin' with the fire!" the little six year old red head said with a scowl at her sister.
Her mirror image giggled as her mind coaxed the flame of the candle to rise higher and higher into the air. Her abilities had been growing stronger and stronger with every passing day, what had happened last week with the cooking fire will not happen again. She had too much control over the fire now, it listened to her, obeyed her every command; she was it's master and she knew it.
"Ach, Maeve, ye be worryin' too much again. The aodh pays me more attention than ye do our own mum!"
"But even that is more attention than ye pay me, miss Maura."
The little witch flashed her mother a guilty look as she allowed the flame to return to it's normal intensity. She cast her eyes downward. "Hullo, mum."
The tall, beautiful woman standing before them was the image of what the girls would grow up to look like. Her firey red hair fell over her shoulders, as she peered down at the tiny guilty looking form bowed in front of her. She smiled softly, "Now don't ye be lookin' so glum, little one; I never stay angry at ye for long. Now, outside with ye!" her gaze trailed to her other daughter, standing beside Maura, looking all the proper little lady. "The both of ye."
The girls both pounced into their mother's arms, kissing her cheeks, giggling widly as she tickled them both, and then snuggled them close. Her little ones were the light of her life, and she loved them dearly. As she set them upon the floor once more, she smiled at them lovingly.
"All right, all right, get on with ye! I'll not be havin' all day to be playin' childish games with ye both; I've chores yet to be done, and a very short time to be doin them!"
The twins clasped hands as they ran out the door of their tiny grass hut and out into the sun brightened fields. They gathered bouquets of fresh flowers for their mum, each flower gently clasped in the tiniest of hands. Maura picked up one flower, and held it to her closely. Closing her eyes, she began to concentrate upon a picture in her mind. Ever so slowly the flower she held began to change shape and color, turning the brightest of reds, with small streaks of yellow through the petals. Not a sign of decay showed in its form as it's stem strengthened, and the flower grew to it's most full beauty. Maura smiled at it, and she handed it to her sister to add to the bouquet.
"Only the best for me mum!" Maura laughed, not realizing the power she held with in her tiny frame. She had moved on from the core element of fire, and she had passed through the essence of magic she was born with. Maura, without knowing what she was doing, had learned how to tap into her soul and utilize her spirit to enhance her natural ablities; she had learned how to alter life.
As the tiny children ran from field to field, Maeve collecting and Maura enhancing the beautiful flowers they found, neither paid any mind to the flowers that periodically were turned black as the night. They had not a care in their innocent little minds, and even if they had found it to be strange, they were too young to understand the meaning. They did not know the tortures the future held for them, nor did they realize the path that they had to travel would be dangerous, both physically and spiritually. Even the fates did not know how the final battle would turn out, for only the fragile frame with the beautiful imagination that ran through those Irish fields could determine that. Oh, yes, for now it was a glorious day, but darkness was yet to come.
******
Maeve and Maura each smiled softly as they thought of their mother, someone they hadn't seen in many years.
"It sounds as though your mother loved the two of you very much." Firouz said, his heart warmed by their tale.
"Aye," Maeve answered, "We could have asked for no better a mum."
Firouz had to choke back a laugh as Maeve's irish brogue returned, if only ever so slightly. Her memories were influencing her speech patterns; the closer she felt to Ireland and home, the more often she slipped into her childhood pronounciations. Firouz found the twins converstations between themselves to be the most amusing, for it was then that their accents returned most audibly. "Have you ever considered returning to Ireland to visit with her? I'm sure she must miss you very much." Both girls immediately cast their eyes downward and sighed. Firouz furrowed his brow, "I'm sorry, my dears, is she no longer alive?"
Maura shook her head, "We have not the knowledge to say, Firouz. Our mum went to the market one mornin'; there was a clash of clans, and many of our family were killed. Our mum never returned home from the market, nor was her body ever found."
Maeve shrugged slightly. "We never found out what happened to her. Our da took it in stride and raised us as well as he could, but two girls are hard to raise, especially when one was as powerful as Maura. He tried, but we were just too much for him. He sent us to train with Dim-Dim, and..." he voice trailed off, but Firouz knew well the events that followed their fated ship voyage.
Firouz began to shiver violently; though each man had donned a cloak similar to the ones the sorceresses wore, they were unused to such low temperatures. Maura pitied Firouz his discomfort, for neither she nor Maeve were overly bothered by the weather; their cloaks warded off most of the bitterness. Shrugging her cloak off her shoulders, she handed it to Maeve. Her sister turned, looked at the cloak in her hands for a moment, and then shook her head violently.
"Maura no! Ye'll be risking killin' yerself if ye do this! We're fine as long as we keep movin'!" Maeve began trying to wrap the cloak back around her twin's shoulders.
"Maeve, I'll be fine, just let me do what I can to help them!"
"And what are ye goin to do if we need ye to get us out of danger?"
"Get ye out of danger, now hush. I'll not be havin' all day to be gettin' my job done!" Frowning at the repitition of thier mother's favorite saying, Maeve glared at her sister.
"Fine, kill yerself, see if I care." She turned to the men, and snapped, "All of ye, gather around Maura, she'll ward off the cold winds."
None of the men understood the argument the twins had had, but as they watched Maeve fold Maura's cloak and violently stuff it into her bag, they moved in closer. Maura took a small leather tie out of her pouch and quickly braided her hair back. Then she sat down upon the cold ground and gathered her conjuring ingrediants. Quietly laying at his mistresses side, Nyka began to whimper; she should not be doing this, but she was too stubborn to listen to any of them.
Quietly Maura began muttering the incantation under her breath as into her conjuring bowl she mixed pepper and coal, combining the two with a blast of energy from her finger tips. As the red smoke began to rise from the bowl, Maura looked up; each of the crew members except Maeve took a step backwards. Maura's eyes were coal black though dotted with miniscule points of white; a great power coursed through her veins. When she spoke her voice was not her own but a deep, rasping voice laced with danger; her incantation chilled them more than the wind or ice ever had.
"Stanhofu stodan, stream hate wearþ widan wylme; weal eall befeng beorhtan bosme, þær þa baþu wæron, hat on hreþre."
She placed the conjuring bowl upon the ground and as they watched her skin began to glow with the force of heat she was generating. Directing her fingers at the bowl she raised her head into the wind and cried out, "ISAM!" There was a small explosion and her body was immediately engulfed in flame. Taking a deep breath, she rose to her feet and turned to face them.
"We must hurry; for every hour I keep this spell active, my energy severely wans, and I cannot fight the darkside to my powers." Her voice had not changed back to normal, if anything it was growing deeper and more terrifying.
The crew removed their cloaks as Maura's great heat washed over their bodies. Gathering close to her, they moved quickly, grateful for the heat, yet concerned for their new friend's safety. Nyka remained as close to her as he could without singing the fur on his back; Dermott moved squawked worriedly into Maeves ear.
Sinbad moved to walk beside Maeve as she continually watched her sister for signs of weakness or spiritual corruption. Her mind kept in constant contact with Maura's; at the first sign of trouble she was going to pull Maura out of that spell any way possible.
"Why is she doing this if it is at such a great risk to herself?" Sinbad asked, "We would have been fine without the heat she's generating, not that I don't appreciate it."
Maeve smiled, "Maura has never considered her own safety before others. When she saw Firouz and the others freezing, she couldn't just stand by and let it happen."
"You love her very much, don't you, Maeve?"
She sighed, "Sinbad, close your eyes and imagine that in this world there was another soul identical to your own, a soul that you are in tune with, a soul that you had never been without. Now imagine that that soul is rent out from your grasp, that you are seperated from it for many years, your heart and mind no longer able to sense its presence, no longer able to tell if your other half is dead or alive. Sinbad, Maura is as much a part of me as my own mind and body, our souls are only complete when we are together." She paused, "Did that make absolutely any sense what so ever?"
Sinbad smiled, "Aye, Maeve, it makes perfect sense. I too would do anything for Doubar, though he's not my twin, he is my brother and my friend. I understand."
As Maeve returned her attention to the welfare of her sister, Sinbad gestured for the others to double their pace. They had to find what they were looking for before Maura was too drained to help herself; he couldn't stand to see Maeve suffering.
******
"What in the name of Allah?!" Doubar's jaw struck the ground as he surveyed the scene before him.
Maeve shrugged him off and turned to her sister, "All right, Maura, that's enough! We're protected from the wind and ice here. We'll be fine!"
Grateful to be able to relax, Maura muttered, "Sidan." and the flames immediately disappeared from her skin. Maura collapsed to her knees in the snow, gasping from the strain it had taken to hang onto the spell for so long. Nyka quickly moved in, offering his mistress his great strength, begging her to take from him the energy she so required. She rested her head upon his shoulder, and took comfort in his presence.
Maeve moved to her side, and wrapped the cloak back around Maura's shoulders, her anger and worry brought her accent back to her voice. "Well, now, did I not tell ye that the spell would weaken ye? But ye'll not find the great Maura listenin' to her sister, oh no."
Maura scowled. "Who are ye anyway, me sister or me mum? Now sod off with ye an' let me breath!"
"I always said you've not a brain in that pretty little head of yers."
The twins glared each other down, their irish tempers flaring, then they both sighed.
"I suppose it was a pretty daft idea, Maeve." Maura ammended.
"And I should have left ye be. It's not my decision how you live yer life."
The mens heads were spinning from trying to keep up with the twins ever strengthening accent, and with the sudden changes in emotion; these two went from love to hate back to love in a mere instant. Each man shook his head in turn, "Women."
With their tempers in check the women turned to survey the area surrounding them. What Doubar had found to be so astounding appeared to be the ruins of some ancient civilization. Large, caved in stone buildings and walls made up the sight that met their gaze as they peered around themselves. Vines covered the buildings, turing the grey stone to green, and the entire area was overrun in green foliage.
The green was what caused the most interest amongst the crew as this entire Island was dead, not an animal or a single healthy plant was to be seen, yet in the ruins there was not a sign of decay. The ancient village was warm, as the whole island should have been, and the plantlife grew on unchecked.
Maeve and Maura looked at each other and they both raised their eyebrows; powerful sorcerery was at work here.
As the men looked around in wonder, the twins headed for the center of the ancient village; if there was anything to be found it would be there... and it was.
The girls heads tipped up and up as they tried to take in the emmence structure before them. It was built of pure white marble, and stood higher than even the pasha's palace. It was built in a perfect circle, sitting upon a marble platform, accessed by mulitiple, large marble stairs. The vegitation had not avoided the structure, but even through the greenery, the carvings upon the smooth marble were quite evident.
Both women immediately recognized the gaelic lettering, but only Maura recognized the language of the Mechatoraz. Her breath hissed in sharply as the too familiar words of the prophecy filled her vision. Confused at the jumble of forms before her, Maeve sank into her sister's mind, allowing Maura's knowledge to decode the letters in her eyes, she began to regret her actions.
Maura nodded as the full meaning of the prophecy began to decend upon Maeve, and her sister understood the full potential of their future.
"Through the portal the halves must step as one.
Only the energy they posess, combined with purity
and love, will activate this portal. Their will
to defeat the powers of Dubhthach will take them
to his lair. They will turn his viel of tears into
a world of light."
Maura frowned as they read the words, and she began acending the steps to the portal. Her eyes took in every detail as she and Nyka climbed higher and higher into the sky, growing ever closer to the structure that seemed to hold part of their destiny.
"Maura!" Maeve called, "Wait for Sinbad! We have no idea what this thing can do!"
Maura paid her sister no heed as she climbed to the highest platform and ran her fingers across the smooth marble. Maeve sighed in frustration, that girl was going to get the both of them killed one day.
Slowly Maeve and Dermott began the climb that would join them with their companions, keeping their eyes on the sorceress and her unconsidered actions. Finally they reached the final platform, and turned to glare at Maura.
"Why do you never listen to me?"
Maura smiled, "Maeve, I have no idea how to activate this, there are no clear instructions, and I have come across no similarities to it in any of my readings or discoveries. Has Dim-Dim ever said anything to you?"
Maeve shrugged, "Not that I recall. Perhaps we're not the one's the prophecy refers to; after all, we're not the only set of twins in the world."
"But twin sorceresses, Maeve? How often have you come across anyone quite like us on your travels?"
"Never, but..."
"Neither have I, and judging by Mozab's reaction to me, I'd say it's a pretty sure bet that we're it, sister."
Maeve looked over Maura's shoulder and her eyes widened. "Well, sister, I never met Mozab, but I'd be inclined to believe ye're right."
"What?" Maura looked in shock at her sister; Maeve was agreeing with her? "What changed yer mind?"
"Oh, that." Maeve nodded behind Maura, waiting as her sister turned to take in the sight before her.
"Oh, dear." The twins stood side by side as the portal center began to glow bright white. Their companions moved in closely to their mistresses, both ready to die to protect them.
The girl's eyes began to glaze over as they peered deeply into the center of the portal, the shinning light casting shadows that hypnotized them and drew them in. Neither of them struggled as they were inexplicably drawn towards the light, and neither animal hesitated as they followed them.
"Maeve!" Sinbad's cry came from behind them, but neither sorceress had the ability to turn around. Slowly, ever so slowly the advanced into the light. "Maeve! Maura!"
Sinbad watched helplessly as the girls and their protectors dissapeared into the portal with a blinding flash of light.
"By the seas!" running up the large stairs, Sinbad hurtled himself towards the light, but was unable to reach it before it flickered and dissapeared. Thrown back by the force of the portal's closing, Sinbad fell off the platform, saved only by Doubar's large arms.
Once the blinding light faded, and the ruins returned to their normal state, Sinbad looked around; there was no Maeve, no Maura, no Dermott or Nyka to be found anywhere. They had dissapeared into thin air.
************
The sun was beating down upon her body; the first thing she noticed as she awoke was the heat warming her still chilled skin. She stretched out her long body in the field of grass that she was laying upon, allowing herself a few moments of bliss before opening her eyes to look around.
The first thing that met Maura's gaze was the identical gaze of her sister. Maeve had also just recovered from the shock of teleportation, and needed to make sure her sister was all right.
Their companions both shook their heads, Nyka hurrying over to Maura, Dermott moving to Maeve. Each needed to make sure their mistresses were unharmed.
As Maeve stroked Dermott's feathered head, his psi-voice filled both of his sisters' minds.
"Have we truly come this far, sisters?"
Both girls peered around them, and their bodies began to shake with the realization of where they were. Maeve looked to Maura in wonder, "Maura, we're back aren't we?"
Maura nodded, "Yes we are."
Without warning, Nyka began to growl lowly, his hackles raising, and he moved to stand in front of the girls. Dermott flew off into the air to watch the following events closely.
Standing quickly, the sorceresses took in the sight of a group of men heading over the hills towards them; they both tensed, and stepped a little closer to the other.
Maeve quickly prepared a fireball in one hand, while Maura slowly began to mutter a slight incantation, her body readying itself for the power coursing through her veins.
What ever was to happen, the girls would be ready, and if it came down to it, they would die honorably.
***********
The women had been gone for hours, but Sinbad and the crew had not moved from the ruins of the ancient city. Instead they were closely examining the portal, trying to discover some way to follow their companions.
Firouz applied every scientific method he could fathom to explain the portal, but could come up with nothing of any help. Finally, tired and frustrated, the four men sat down upon the lowest steps, and merely stared at the offending structure. They had exhausted all ideas, now all they could do was wait, and trust the women to be able to take care of themselves.
Their wait was not long once they had given up, perhaps only an hour more had passed when without warning the portal lit up once again, and two familiar forms stepped through.
Smiles lit up the faces of the twin sorceresses, and they gestured for Sinbad and the others to make their way up to them.
"Maeve! Maura!" Sinbad cried, then paused as he looked around. "Where are Dermott and Nykademys?"
"They be waitin' on the other side for our return. Hurry now, the portal takes much energy." Maeve smiled, as she and Maura stepped apart to make room for the men to pass between them.
When the four sailors had dissapeared, the twins looked at each other, and clasped hands. "Let's go home, sister." Maura said with a grin.
"Aye, home."
They followed the men through the light, and crossed over easily to the other side. This time they did not lose consciousness, for they had easily learned to master the control of teleportation. For the men, it was not so simple, though they did not pass out, they were phased by the trip, so Maeve and Maura slowly helped each sailor to his feet.
The men stared around themselves in quiet appreciation; the rolling green hills spanned as far as they could see. Small villages dotted the country side, and great farmer's crops added color to the green of the grass.
"Where are we?" Sinbad asked, at a loss without his ship and the sea.
"We're in Eire, Sinbad." Maeve answered with a bright smile. "We're home."
"Eire?" Sinbad's jaw dropped, "We're in Ireland???"
Firouz shook his head, "My dear, that's scientifically impossible! To have been transported such a great distance in so short a time just cannot be done!"
Maura shook her head, "Perhaps not scientifically, Firouz, but have you not yet figured out that there are no limits to sorcery?" Maura laughed brightly, and spun around on the green grass, her hair flowing out behind her like a trail of fire. "We are home, home!"
The group of people that had earlier approached the witches, now came up once more. Maeve was drawn into deep hugs by the men and women, while they stood back and smiled warmly at Maura, having been earlier informed of her phobia. The men watched in shock as the women slipped quickly back into their irish personna's, and began moving towards the nearest village.
"Maeve, Maura, who are these people?" Doubar asked, as he was surrounded by the villagers.
"These are our people, Doubar, our family, our clan!" Maura answered, her excitement pouring through in her words and movements.
Maeve smiled, and gestured around her. "These are the clan O'Sionnaigh, Sinbad. This is Maura's and my village."
Sinbad looked around in awe, knowing what she said was true, but finding it difficult to believe this was truly happening.
Reality crashed down upon him though as Maeve's name was cried out loudly, and a very tall, handsome man, with raven black hair and shining green eyes ran up the hills only to gather Maeve into his arms and swing her around wildly.
Maeve clasped her arms around his neck as she clutched him close to her. Time may have passed, but friendships would never.
Sinbad moved to Maura's side. "Who is that?"
Maura smiled gently, "That's Bren, Maeve's childhood love."
And Sinbad's heart hit the floor.
Continued in Sorcerer's Blood: Part Six
