The Call of Nys #5 (Waverly Stump and The 7 Realms)

5 - W A V E R L Y

With how often she experienced an avalanche, Waverly became extra cautious of standing too close to any rock face. She had spent an unknown period of time on the run, trying to find a way out. Oftentimes, her eyes would travel to the haze above in hopes that it part and let someone down; someone that could be of help. But from the look of things, she gathered that she would have to wait longer, working to survive meanwhile.

Her new aim was to cross over to the massive mound of rock on the opposite side without being spotted. Stealthily sticking to the precipice beside her, she measured the distance in between. If only she could make it back to the plateau she had fallen onto when she first arrived, something assured her that she would figure things out from there.

After a quick count of twenty, she sprinted swiftly across the opening. Reaching the middle, a violent force knocked her sideways and sent her tumbling.

Hekate tsked as she approached. Unlike Etonian women, who wore decent robes - with an exception of Vanita - she fancied dark hued and sultry dresses; appearing with a different kind whenever she came to taunt and torture Waverly. They pair had been at an unpleasant game of hide and seek since the latter's arrival.

"Are you yet to realize, silly girl, that you have nowhere to run to?"

With a groan, Waverly rolled over, thankful that the ground no longer boiled as it had once done. She pushed herself up and let out a big breath.

"I don't know if you know this, Hekate, but I don't give up so easily."

"Oh, I do know." Hekate sniggered. "It's all the more reason why this is so much fun."

Surreptitiously, she looked onward and glimpsed the towering rock not too far from where she stood. Hekate had flung her right out of the gorge to a better spot from which she could descry her intended destination properly.

"Go to it!" The goddess prompted calmly, flexing a finger. Her eyebrows arched in taunting. "Go on!"

Waverly stared in uncertainty for a second before making a dash forward. When she had drawn nearer to the spire, she halted with a surprised gasp. The distance between herself and the spire suddenly elongated, pushing all the way to the horizon. The ground at her feet cracked and depressed, creating a deathly cliff drop. Being unable to find her footing quick enough, she fell over the side, and in the next moment, found that she was tumbling roughly, until she was sprawled before Hekate again.

It felt like she never left.

"How very entertaining!" Hekate laughed and clapped once, then strode forward. "Even if you made it up that rock, you cannot leave."

"I'd get away from you." Waverly groaned tiredly. The whole of her body ached with exhaustion.

"All of Nys is subject to me. There is no getting away from me, filth."

Hekate pulled her to her feet, rather roughly, and pinioned her to the rock face. Waverly stretched a hand out to feel about and her fingers closed over loose stone.

"You cannot hide." The goddess sneered.

"I wasn't hiding."

With a forceful swing, Waverly brought the stone to Hekate's face, earning a shriek from the goddess, who staggered back from being disoriented. But before Waverly could make another run for it, she was grabbed by the arm and tossed. The ground quivered as she made to rise and her upside-down vision outlined a monstrous creature approaching. In the very next minute, it stood near her and placed an extraordinarily large foot on her chest, snatching all the air from it.

Waverly grabbed the foot and tried to pry it off, but the creature was too heavy and put in more pressure on its leg. It was a humanoid thing with bulky arms and even bulkier legs. A flurry of prominent bones protruded from its cheekbones up to its frightening eyes, where a flat, ugly face and a wide mouth made it two times uglier than anything she ever saw. In short, it looked like an abominable cross between a Carkness and a Qoi. Only much smaller than the latter.