Zora: Shadows and Magic

Part 4: Deep Secrets

Chapter IX: Zora

Zora stared in complete confoundedness. The boulder rocked back and forth like a giant stone chicken's egg about to hatch. Zora peered around, thinking that this was some sort of trick to draw her attention. Then a heavy scraping noise drew her back to the only place it could have come from, the heavy laden stone. When her eyes fell back onto the rock it was still wobbling but it appeared to be closer than it had just been and that's when it took another long drag towards her.

Zora jumped back, instinctively recoiling to her sides for a weapon that wasn't there. She swore out loud as the rock slid the final yard forward to the other side of the white stone desk. Then it began to raise off the ground.

Because of the stone desk Zora couldn't actually see the bottom half of the rock, so she wasn't able to make out how many people must be hiding behind the desk and moving the rock around. Then her mind went blank with absolute shock as she witnessed two large, grey, three fingered claws bracing themselves on top of the pale desk. Each placed on one side of the rising rock, as if they were its hands.

The rock finished rising and sat completely still. Zora couldn't tear her eyes away from the grey appendages, each tipped with a two inch black claw. That is until the front of the rock began to twist, a third appendage rose from the center of its mass. It was shorter and wider than the other two, it looked more like a fat stump. It rose above the bulk of the rock, sticking out towards Zora, who felt like taking several more steps back, even though the thing was not near to her. Then the appendage stopped, and looked at her through two beady eyes that were milk white. She was staring at the head and face of some grey scaled creature. Zora's throat was too tight from shock to scream.

Please don't scream.

It was the voice she had heard in the tunnel. So stunned was she by what she was seeing, that she completely forgot to keep her mind closed off. As her initial shock was wearing off she began to try and lock her mind down once more.

It is useless, I am already inside your mind, and unlike last time, I will not relinquish my hold.

Zora felt her insides began to rebel at the proclamation from the grotesque entity.

Please Zora, hear me out, and then I will leave your mind for good. I don't mean you any harm, I just want to talk.

Zora's heart was beating rapidly. She did not trust the alien figure staring at her coolly through those pasty eyes. She glared back at them, and reluctantly spoke to it.

"Get out of my mind and speak to me like..."

Like what? A man? That thing isn't even human! She thought

Quite correct, it replied.

"Stop that!" Zora shouted. Though she knew she didn't really have much to threaten it with. What could she do to something made of stone?

I'm sorry. Old habits. Look I know the way I speak can be...unpleasant, but unfortunately I do not have the means to speak the way you do. Please, sit. I have something important to tell you.

"I'm not interested!"

The sightless eyes twinkled as the creature's left hand slipped off the desk and disappeared underneath it, clearly reaching for something, when it resurfaced it was holding Zora's lost map.

Are you sure?

Zora was speechless.

Will you please sit a moment?

One of the hands gestured towards the chairs perched around the large table in the middle of the room. Zora remained still, her mind racing, her eyes darting between the map and the creature's blind eyes, unsure of what to do or say. As she debated, the creature remained equally still, looking more like the rock she had mistaken it for, but always the aura of its presence remained present in her mind.