7.17 – Time Keeper Temple

Yeah, I know, yet another chapter! I’m popping these out once a day! This random thing in the beginning is just to say, if me spamming you with chapters if proving to be TOO much, and you feel OVERLOADED with chapters, just tell me I’ll submit a chapter like once every two days or something. I don’t want to spam you guys to the point where you don’t want to read my chapters anymore! That would be tragic! :O

James’ POV

I stumbled out of the time machine with cold shivers running down my back from the experience.

I didn’t have the time to recompose myself as I saw the view before me.

I’d stumbled into a very white room decorated with plants here and there. It had an incredibly calming atmosphere, and there was something about this place that made me feel completely out of touch with reality.

Where were we?

And then I noticed we weren’t alone.

Three green-skinned…people?…wearing the same suits were standing in the room with us.

The closest one sent a small gentle nod towards Anna.

“Welcome time travelers. You have successfully reached the Time Keeper temple.”

I closed my eyes and enjoyed the weird warmth that inhabited my chest. What is it with this place? It’s so peaceful and so calm…I feel like I could do anything here…

Mariposa’s mom stepped forward to talk to one of the green men.

“I’ve come-” She began, but he (I assume it’s a he) interrupted her with a simple raising of his hand.

“There is no need. We know. It has been written. You have the ingredients? The blood, the book and the wand?” He asked in a calm soothing tone. I wanted to slump in a comfortable beanbag and doze off.

“Of course!” She handed the book and the wand over, but nothing that looked like blood.

The man placed the two objects on the table behind him before turning and staring directly at me.

It wasn’t his abnormally large eyes that scared the crap out of me, completely destroying my relaxed mood.

No, it was the knife he was holding in his hand.

“Come child, your blood is the key for the liberation of Assaria.” He said in that same soothing tone. But it certainly didn’t calm me anymore. I looked at Mariposa in fright, but she avoided looking in my eyes. What’s going on here?

I looked at Anna in question, but she motioned for me to go through with whatever the man wanted to do with the knife.

Yeah, I’m not going to let some green dude cut me without knowing why. Since I didn’t know if he could understand sign language, I made one of the other two ask my question for me.

“Why?”

The man in front of me was completely unphased by what I’d just done as if he expected me to do this. Even the person I’d controlled went back to working on their screen.

“The witch who imprisoned Assaria Clavez created a powerful spell that could only be undone by her. However, here in the Time Keeper temple a counter spell can easily be conceived against it. For that we need the cage, the weapon and the blood that cast the spell. You are this witch’s descendant, and so your blood is needed.” He explained, without blinking once.

“It’s a simple thing James, it’ll be over before you know it.” Anna urged looking pretty nervous.

Wait a second! He just said my ancestor was the one who imprisoned this witch in a book. Either my ancestor was the bad guy or whoever is in there is. I don’t really want to take the chance of accidently releasing another bad guy into the world!

Without any warning he grabbed my arm and cut it, tearing my sleeve like it was just air.

“Do not worry. It is a shallow wound. The bleeding will not last long.” He said.

Shallow wound!? I’m bleeding like crazy! This place is insane, I would like to get out of here like NOW.

The man turned back to the book and the wand, with the dagger now stained with my blood.

Mariposa gave me a Kleenex to put over the wound. I looked at her bewilderment. Why was she so calm about this? Some green psychopath just cut me for no reason!

If she understood my confusion and rising anger, she didn’t show it.

At least he was telling the truth, the wound was pretty shallow. The bleeding had already stopped.

The man said a few foreign words as he let drops of my blood fall on top of the objects.

There’s clearly something more important going on than my torn sleeve right now though.

The man finished whatever he was doing and stepped back, forcing us to do the same, as smoke started to bubble out of the book.

The pages flapped nervously and the smoke continued to pile onto the floor. It destroyed whatever soothing atmosphere this place had.

Nothing good could come out of that smoke.

And nothing did. When the smoke began to clear, there was a woman in the middle of it. She took in a deep breath and let out a satisfied sigh.

“Assaria Clavez, Chosen Immortal and Beloved of the Reaper, was condemned to a 250-year imprisonment for attempting to assassinate the current White-eye of the time, Tarnowak, to interrupt normal life cycles for all creatures.” One of the men behind the screens recited.

“It’s not as bad as you make it sound.” She purred, evidently enjoying her new found freedom. Her voice made me feel as heavy as the mood the dark smoke had created.

“What? I thought you were only trying to kill all supernaturals!” Anna suddenly exclaimed angrily beside me, making me jump.

“It was an added bonus dear.”

“As the Chosen Immortal, your duty is to respect the Reaper’s wishes Assaria Clavez.” The man who’d cut me said.

“His wishes?” The witch asked incredulously, as if he shouldn’t have dared. “And please stop saying my name, it’s irritating me.”

“If you do not do as he wishes, another sentence will need to be carried out, Assaria Clavez.”

“I never know what he wants. Fine, I’ll be a good little puppy. But that’s already written in your book isn’t it Time Keeper?” She replied.

I had enough of being confused.

“What’s going on?” One of the men in the back asked sharply before returning back to his calm position.

Assaria the witch swirled around. “Who said that? How weirdly unbecoming of a Time Keeper. Are you new?”

Her sudden movement brought an involontary smile to my face.

“Unless…” Her eyes shifted to mine and I couldn’t seem to look away. “I thought I smelled that wretched Whitelight stench. I should’ve know it’d be her blood that would free me.”

 

She walked towards me with an examining eye.

“A golden-eyed vampire…” I stared straight back into this stranger’s eyes. Okay, it’s pretty much determined, she can’t be a good guy.

“It’d be going against His wishes to kill him wouldn’t it…” She murmured as she leaned towards me. I instinctively drew back.

“Naturally.” The Time Keeper replied.

“That’s enough fooling around witch, we have business with you.” Anna declared.

“It is not your place to speak you foolish fairy. If only Rosahelminthe knew what you’d done, tsk tsk…” The witch sneered at Anna, before looking back at me.

Without any warning I was suddenly assaulted by a mind more powerful than I could ever imagine. It crushed my puny mental walls and lay, sorting through my mind with ease. It made me recall memories of my life, of my family, of everything I’d ever seen. I couldn’t do anything against it. My feeble defense hadn’t held up against the attack and it certainly wasn’t strong enough to push back. It was stronger than anything I had ever felt, way stronger than Carla, even stronger than the brief moment I had with Velor.

I was completely at this person’s mercy. But how could that be? I thought only golden-eyed vampires could do this!

“Thank you for your kind contribution little one. I don’t doubt we’ll meet again. After all it says so in the book, doesn’t it Time Keeper?” She finished, looking back at the Time Keeper. He didn’t reply.

The woman walked past my paralyzed form to the time machine.

“Shall we go?”

“Wait, do you even know the code to-”

“Please refrain from speaking from now on little fairy.” The witch snapped.

And with that the three left me here, without a look back, as if I was just an object they were disposing of.

Yup.

Friendly reminder: