The Sallow Saga - Vol. 1 - In the Shadows of a Legacy [a HL fanfiction]

Chapter 16. A Voice from the Past

Entering the old Map Chamber, everyone was hit with a sense of dread. Cassy had hardly had the chance to visit the room she'd frequented so often while at school, since she'd taken on the position of auror. The portraits of the original keepers stood empty; each one having returned to their more homely frames for retirement after the events five years ago. She couldn't help but feel a little frustrated at all that was taking place. If the keepers had just continued with their resolve to keep the repository safe and secret, at least one of their portraits could have alerted them to the breach sooner! She couldn't help but feel an element of spite and anger toward the old professors.

Sharp approached the stairwell leading down, staring grimly into the abyss. This was an unknown territory for at least half of his team, and the last time he'd been in a situation like this it had cost him his partner and most of his mobility. He swallowed hard. Fear was not an alien feeling for him, but in this instance, it was particularly difficult to quench the tendrils of doubt reaching into his mind and sinking their roots deep within his thoughts.

Ominis sensed a change in matters too, however his attention was diverted to his immediate right side as Sebastian grabbed his arm. Ominis delicately placed a comforting hand on his friend and felt it shiver. He heard Sebastian's breathing become heavier with every step they took forward.
"Sebastian! What's happening?" He quietly whispered, not wanting to alert Cassy or Sharp of his friend's moment of weakness.
"I don't know Ominis," Sebastian hurriedly whispered back, with a slight tremble to his voice, "something's not right and my head feels like it's splitting in two! My vision is distorted. I can't focus on anything without spiralling lights obscuring my sight."
"Hold on to me, friend!" Ominis assured him, "we'll get through this, side by side!" He smiled reassuringly and was relieved to feel some of the spasms in Sebastian's arm settle down.

Maintaining her gaze on the stairwell before her, Cassy took slow, deliberate steps forward. With each step, her hatred and loathing of the keepers grew. By abandoning their posts, they had condemned the school to this invasion! They were no better than Isadora, allowing the room to remain empty all this time, unguarded, with no further protections. As she fought through the negativity, battling herself with each step forward, a whisper of a voice which gradually grew louder as it approached her side offered a sense of security.

"I had hoped to see you again, Miss Weaver. Although, I must say, I had hoped it would be under better circumstances than these."
Cassy spun around.
"Did you hear that?!" She hissed to the group.
"Hear what, exactly?" Sharp muttered beside her, his eyes still staring unblinking at the stairwell.
The voice chuckled. It was not unfriendly, but certainly disconcerting.
"I'm afraid my strength only allows for you to hear me. I am not yet in full form, nor do I intend to be if I can help it. Miss Weaver, as your old tutor, I ask you to tell me, how do you fare right now?"
Cassy gasped, "Professor Fig?!"
"Where?!" Sharp snapped, he looked around. The loss of Fig had rested heavily for some time on his shoulders, no auror suffered the loss of a colleague well.
"No, he's not here..." Cassy mused, "it's like a spirit of him, that's lingering?"
"Not at all Miss Weaver," Fig's voice assured her, "I am safe and well with Mirabel, however just as your ghostly friend Jackdaw, I do have some connection to my place of death. Now please, answer my question."
Cassy frowned, "honestly Professor, I feel so much anger, and resentment. I cannot seem to squash it or keep it at bay. How dare the keepers leave their posts!" She hissed so viciously that her three colleagues jumped and turned to watch her.
Fig's voice washed over her like a calming wave, "they only left, because of your reassurances Miss Weaver. They would have never entrusted the security of these caverns, or this map chamber, to fate alone. I can see from your mind's eye that you have already spoken with Professor Fitzgerald before now. Do you really think she would have kept this breach secret; had she have known?" It wasn't a chastisement, but rather a lesson being taught. Cassy mused on this, but her thoughts were interrupted as Sebastian suddenly doubled over gasping in agony, gripping his head.
"It's the repository," she whispered quietly, as realisation dawned on her. She envisioned Fig's warm and encouraging smile. Gaining confidence, she stood up straight and looked around her. Sharp looked terrified, Ominis had concern and worry etched across his features, and poor Sebastian. She hurried toward him and, reaching inside her jacket pocket, she pulled out a small vial of Wiggenweld potion.
"Drink this Sebastian, I'm sure the pain will ease within moments." She was pleased to hear the anger in her voice had subsided. She placed another small vial from her blazer pocket into Ominis' hand, but he simply shook his head and handed it back to her.
"Thank you Cassy, but what you must all be feeling as a negative is actually driving me forward. I refuse to bow down to whatever magic this is." It was an inner strength he'd never shown before, even in the scriptorium those few years ago! Cassy accepted his stance and handed the vial to Sharp who hastily gulped down its contents.
"Quick thinking Miss Weaver," he praised her with a rare encouraging smile, "if you were still a student, I'd have awarded you an unending number of points to your house."
Cassy grinned, before pausing. Looking about her, she asked.
"Professor Fig, are you still there?"
"Must you really ask?" Fig's disembodied voice chuckled.
"Am I right in thinking the repository has been compromised?" Cassy bit her lip in thought.
"It's difficult to say," Fig's voice cracked somewhat with confusion, "anytime the repository has a surge of energy, I find myself whisked back here. It only happened once or twice after my passing, as the energy settled back into its confines, or when you tried to work on how to safely remove it. Of recent however, I could count the number of times I have rested peacefully with my Mirabel on one hand... if I had a hand that is...".
"Thank you Professor, please, rest now. I assure you that we will fix this." Cassy reassured her old mentor before turning to the group.

"Gentlemen, you have just experienced a taster of what we're about to encounter down there. Remember, that repository is the largest of its kind established by Isadora Morganach. It contained pain and misery from all her victims, including students! I daresay the pain experienced by Fig is in there too. Along with the anger I held toward Ranrok and his own spite and fury toward wizard kind. All of it is balled up into a cage made of goblin silver. If what I suspect is true, the cage has been breached and that energy is swirling around, rampant below us. It needs to be contained or destroyed. I cannot do this alone!" Cassy stared at the three men around her, each of them with a look of grit and determination smiling back at her.
"We're with you to the end, Miss Weaver." Sharp assured her.
"You stood by my side those years ago, while I was hurting Cassy. I would never leave you at your moment of need." Ominis smiled, so purely and genuinely. Cassy swallowed a lump in her throat, before turning to Sebastian.
"Seb' you need to protect yourself especially! These emotions can take many forms, if they are going to attack, it'll be through our minds – as we've just experienced. You are a legilimens, I'm so worried it's going to impact on you more than anyone here! If you would rather...".

Before she could finish talking, Sebastian took a step forward, cupped her face in his hands and kissed her warmly and passionately. The feeling of euphoria took her breath away and he pulled her so close to him that she could feel his heartbeat as her hands rested on his chest. His breath was warm, comforting with a hint of the wiggenweld potion still lingering, offering a boost to her own confidence. She allowed herself a moment to get caught up in the feeling, as she moved her hands to the ringlets in his hair and felt his hands move from her jaw, his fingers working their way through her hair. She heard Sharp's disapproving huff from behind her and a slight tap of his foot in impatience, it didn't matter. This sudden burst of passion was worth any disapproving glance in her mind.
All too soon, Sebastian slowly pulled back and, looking deep into her eyes, he said in a husky and somewhat breathless voice.
"I can think of no other place that I would rather be, than by your side. Always."
Cassy smiled broadly, her heart souring, "always." She whispered back, wistfully, before coming back to her senses.
"Erm..." she cleared her throat, "so, if we're all ready?"
"No, do please, continue... we have all the time in the world..." Sharp responded sarcastically, rolling his eyes at them both, but with a slight smirk.
Ominis took a step forward to her left, nudging her, beaming; "I don't need eyes to see what just happened there. I am ready when you are..."
With that, the four keepers, descended the stairwell.