HOLES IN THE FABRIC: Bk 1 The Weaver Prophecy

Chapter 21: Dark Stirrings

      Cold. Dark. Wet. Shivers passed through Stripple like water through a black hole. He stood before his dark master. His eyes and legs reverted to their lizard form. This was better, sssooo much better- no need for disguises here. His yellow hair was caked with sweat despite the cold. Sweat churning up from within his foul body. It dripped down past his yellow eyes and across his scaly skin. He tasted it upon his lips.

Mmm- the taste of fear. A taste he always enjoyed even when it was his own. Especially when it was his own. The tension in the room was so taut a single movement could cause it to snap. Stripple resisted the urge to lick the slaters his yellow eyes spotted beneath the cluster of black sharp rocks looming over his head.

            The Dark One oozed closer... with every movement the fear in the room intensified and Stipple’s breathing became rapid and shallow. A large black spiked arm flew out and slashed Stripple across the head, throwing him backwards.

            “You stupid fucking idiot. You had a simple task. Get to the family, pull their circle of protection apart and render the kingdom ours. “No problem” you said. “Fine, leave it to me you said”. So what the fuck did you do you snivelling arsed swine? IS the Kingdom mine? WELL IS IT?” The Dark ones voice thundered.

“No.” Stripple whimpered.

“What’s more Sirena is destroyed. She was my servant for 2000 years. I put you in charge for one day and what happens?”

Stripple cowered. When he spoke the words came out in a snivelly grovelling whine.

“I told her she should go quickly as soon as I sensed the men, but she thought she could still get the plan to work. I said that we should leave, but she didn’t listen.”

“LIAR.” A spiky black arm swung again this time drawing blood across Stripples’ legs, flinging him to the ground. “Do you think I cannot see through your eyes- that I cannot feel through your body? That I do not know every single move you make? I am your master, I know everything imbecile.”

Stripple gripped the earth with his lizard claws. Trying to hold fast against the angry assault.

  “Sirena is destroyed. Gone. She was worth ten thousand of you. How do I replace her? Tell me that you snivelling cretin.” The Dark ones face came forth from the dark mist and rolled itself  around into a ball of fury. His dark red eyes loomed over Stripple piercing into his, pinning him to the ground like spears of steel. Stripple bit his lip to hide the pain it inflicted inside him. Blood dribbled down the side of his lips.

            “From your large selection of degenerate women I presume.” Stripple sniped back. “She was useless anyway. It was her that ruined it not I- she deserved it.”

            “SILENCE!” The whole room shook with his voice. Stripple bit his tongue this time, enjoying the taste of blood as it trickled into his mouth.

            The Dark One reached out another of his arms and pulled a rock away from the pile behind Stripple. Beneath it was a bubbling dark pool. Dark words spewed forth from his mouth, his dark spell reverberated around the grotto. The bubbles smoothed out and formed into a picture of a dark haired green eyed woman.

 “Who is this woman Lizard?”

Stripple peered forward and there was an image of the same stuck up bitch he had met earlier floating before him.

            “Her? Just some woman I met at a meeting. A luscious one I might add”, he licked his lips. “Do you want her?” Stripples’ mind danced at the thought.

            “She has been detected in the upper sections of the underworld. She has already secured one of the sections. Light is creeping back in and outwards from there.”

“Her? Crap. She’s nobody. I can’t see how...”

The black spiky arm lashed out again, blood streaked across Stripples’ back in a flash.

“You can’t see any fucking thing at all. That’s your problem Stripple. Isn’t it?” he whipped him again. “Isn’t it?”

“Yes master, but...”

“But? But? Who the fuck said you could say but to me?” A slash went across Stripples’ face jerking his head backwards.

“I thought you had everything under control. YOU HAVE NOTHING UNDER CONTROL AT ALL. YOU ARE PATHETIC.” His black tentacles struck out but this time Stripple ducked just in time to avoid it. Sweat mingled with his blood and he began to stammer.

            “I, I, well, I just want to serve you, I will do whatever I can to make this right. You told me to get entry through into these dimensions, at the appropriate time and I have done so. I have waited for so long for this moment. To be here, serving you, as the dimensions are renewing their cycle. I can tip the balance.” Stripple paused, his yellow eyes staring down at the ground. He knelt down before him.

“Just be patient Master. I.. I.. I have a plan.” He stuttered. “Let me sort this out. She won’t get far. I’ll take care of it. The areas are secured.”

A black tentacle wrapped around Stripples waist wrenching him up over the dark pool- tipping him so that his face was close to the putrid liquid beneath him.

            “Look. What do you see?”

            Stripple peered into the bowl and there was the bitch walking in the forest. The Tohunga was approaching from the other direction.

            “Secured my arse- you useless prick. Look there she is again. ” ‘

            Stripples’ face went white.

            “What is she doing there, how did she get through?”

            “How did she get through?” the dark one mimicked in a sarcastic voice.

            “IN the gaping holes you left with your useless work you fuckwit.”

            Stripple had had about enough of this. His eyes flickered red, and his tongue flickered in and out, his tail swished behind him several times.

            “Without me, you could not go anywhere and do anything”- he said in a low even voice. “You forget that you are trapped here. You may be able to see everything, but without me you can do nothing. Don’t you forget that. For all your so called power, you need me.” Stripple stood up and wiped the blood from his face with the back of his hand.

            The Dark one paused a moment.

            “Do you think for one moment that I cannot replace you? You think you are the only one I can use? There is always another one hungry for power. That is what you want isn’t it? Power? That is what I have – isn’t it?” In a split second his black claws shot out at the end of long tentacles and grabbed the lizard around his throat, he shook him mercilessly until blood began to ooze out the corners of his mouth.

            “Yes, YES, YEEESSS.” The Lizard Stripple shrieked.

The Dark One dropped him, Stripple crashed to the ground, landing on the rocks.

            “Do I have to remind you again that it is I who has looked after you all this time, and kept you safe?”

“No, Master.” Stripple’s long tongue flicked out and licked the blood from the razor thin slices on his leg. He slowly edged backwards towards the tunnel behind him. He kept his face pointed down to hide his angry expression.

            “THEN fix it. Or next time I will not be so… kind.” A black tentacle reached out and picked Stripple up by the balls, and threw him hurtling through space into the dimensional hole screaming his lungs out.

            The Dark one listened to Stripple’s screams. Feeling his pain and fear with delight. He swelled a little in size as he absorbed the energy it gave, then burped.

            “Oh fuck” he cursed. A touch of anxiety had tainted the fear. Never mind. He licked his black lips and disappeared back into the vapour.