The Soul Eater

I had not expected Father's visit, nor his disapproving narrowed green eyes and folded arms, yet here he stood as I entered my small apartment. "Daughter, a journey to the Underworld is not done on a whim, and we shall not allow you to go alone."

"We?" A flush of guilt rose — I had not told Father of my plans, nor about Mother's pendant, nor the Yew Stone. Dante, wearing a white shirt unbuttoned halfway down a chiseled chest, stepped around a carved wooden partition, and with his characteristic charmed smile, waved. So, that's how Father knows. I shot him a narrow-eyed glare.

As we sat down in my small living room, I stammered an explanation. "I... I didn't want to risk anyone else." Even as a grown woman, my father's disapproval stung.

But his expression softened to warmth. "And we do not wish to risk you. There is more at stake than you know."

"You have loyal friends, Stori," Dante added. "We've assembled a team."

"A team?"

*****

Dante teleported us to Caesarea Philippi, Israel, arriving late night to avoid the tourists. Famous for the so-called Gates of Hell, the ancient pagan worshipers didn't realize how right they were. Father invoked a floating werelight, illuminating the gaping mouth of a cave surrounded by carved altars to the old gods.

After walking around a trickling spring, the headwaters of the Banias River, we ventured into the cave, walking back to where the ceiling sloped low. Those awaiting us brought warmth to my heart. Here stood Galen with his daughter, Enya; the pixie Gwenlynn reclining on the nose of her dragon friend, Jryther; and the Inuit Shaman Tarniq.

"My friends," I said, "you need not be here." Part of me felt unworthy of their help, but their presence lifted my spirit.

Gwenlynn buzzed in front of my face, putting hands on tiny hips. "But we are. You helped us, and now we help you. Friends do that."

"It may be dangerous," I cautioned.

"Disappointed would we be if not," Galen huffed. "Have you the key, lass?" he asked, pointing to a round indentation in the cave wall.

"Yes." The carved ruin glowed as I pressed the gray Yew Stone into the indentation. A shimmering ring of white appeared before me — a portal to another place.

Jryther huffed, emitting a puff of smoke, as obviously, the enormous dragon would not fit through. "Stay here on guard," Gwenlynn instructed the disappointed beast.

As the others approached, I whispered to Dante, "You arranged this without telling me?"

Tilting his head with that heart-softening dimpled smile, he responded, "Can you ever forgive me?"

I leaned up and kissed his cheek. "Maybe..."

When I stepped through the hazy interface, frigid winds took my breath away. The portal deposited us on an icy mountainous landscape beneath dreary gray skies. But this was Tarniq's familiarity. Casting his magic as swirling white threads, the wind stilled and ice parted to reveal another indentation above a rock ledge. After clambering up a small rocky slope, I pressed the Yew Stone against it, producing a shimmering green portal. As we passed through, Tarniq waved with a smile, staying behind to guard the gate.

In sharp contrast, we emerged into a steamy jungle, where tangles of thorny vines snatched at clothing and skin alike, making passage treacherous. With a liberal dose of sparkling pixie dust from Gwenlynn, the vines snaked aside, revealing yet another indentation on a moist brown-rock boulder. Curtsying, Gwenlynn remained while our dwindling party continued toward a dull blue portal.

The portal led to an airless planetoid within deep space. With an extended hand, Galen stopped us from passing through to our doom.

"Allow us," Enya said. Working together, Enya and her father cast a glistening alchemy spell, creating a pressurized bubble of breathable air.

Not far into this lifeless realm, walking around huge red boulders under a black, starless sky, my father pointed ahead to a cliff. "There is the next."

I pressed the Yew Stone against the indentation to open a smoky-ring portal. A dark cavern abyss looked back at us. My magic sense lit up, tingling with dark energy.

"This is it," I said in a low voice. "The Underworld."

Galen and Enya stayed behind to maintain the bubble of breathable air. My gut prickled with anticipation as Father, Dante, and I stepped into a massive dank cavern illuminated by strange glowing crystals in the walls. Tall rock pillars cast eerie shadows.

"Surely, the Underworld," Dante whispered. "We must tread carefully."

"What have we to fear?" I asked.

"The Soul Eater — the very essence of evil. It feeds on the life-force of witches, keeping them in this cruel purgatory. I am sure it took your mother."

I scowled. "You could have told me of this before."

With a half grin, Dante raised an eyebrow. "Would it have mattered?"

"No."

After I closed the portal behind as a precaution and pocketing the Yew Stone, we ventured deeper into the cavern, finding countless stone platforms arranged in neat rows. On each laid a witch, eyes closed and arms folded, like in my nightmare. Wispy white vapors rose from their hazy forms, collecting above into a single stream and flowing into the darkness — their life-forces. My heart went out to them all.

Breathless, I rushed from one platform to another, looking for one particular witch. "There she is!" I gushed as my heart leaped. Mother had the same dark, gentle face as in my old memories. Father came to my side, holding his breath.

As Father caressed her cheek, I shook Mother gently, then harder. Father surrounded her with streamers of his magic, gently prodding. But nothing we did revived Mother, and my heart plummeted. For the first time since she disappeared, bitter tears again traced Father's cheeks.

As a chill spread across the cavern, the anti-magic Null inside me woke with a mental snarl.

A dark swirling form lifted like smoke around a glowing red fire, towering over us. "So, have you come for that one?" it said in a chorus of many voices.

"Let her go!" I ordered, standing tall.

"And give up such a delicious soul?" it replied with a chilling chuckle. "I think not. But for the Yew Stone, I shall set the one you love free."

Dante shook his head, and I knew why. Giving the stone to the Soul Eater would free it to ravage our worlds.

Jumping before me, Father and Dante simultaneously fired off bright bolts of magic as tightly condensed spheres, but the beast merely absorbed them within its formless mass. It laughed — a cold and cruel, mocking sort of laugh. Then a vaporous swat sent the men sprawling across the stone floor.

"No!" I yelled, coming to their side. Dazed, they groaned as I kneeled beside them.

"No magic can harm me, for I am magic." The Soul Eater mocked once its laughter faded.

"Is that so?" I answered. Indignant to such evil magic, the Null bucked against my mental constraints like a raging bull in a cage. Standing up to the beast, I grinned. "Then what about anti-magic?"

'Feed!' I silently commanded the Null.

Hissing streams of shimmering gray mist shot from my body, and beast set upon beast. They became a maelstrom, swirling together in a turbulent maelstrom. Bright white bolts danced as thunder rolled, echoing throughout the chamber. But in the end, magic could not stand against anti-magic. Screams of many voices reverberated as the Null fed in ravenous hunger until the Soul Eater vanished. Finally sated from the feast, the Null lazily returned.

I rushed to my mother, closely followed by Father. As I pressed the amethyst pendant into her hands, she awoke with a gasp, brown eyes peering up. Long awaited tears of happiness traced my cheeks as Mother smiled, recognizing her family.

"Stori, my dear daughter, is that you? Has it been so long?" Her eyes widened at Father. "My love?" She arose to shaky legs, leaning into us both for support. Together again at last, we embraced each other in tearful joy.

"So much have I missed you, love," Father said, kissing her gently.

But then her body faded, becoming translucent, slowly evaporating into rising white shimmers. Casting my eyes across the cavern, I noticed all the other freed witches did so as well.

"Mother?" I cried in terror. Had I come all this way to lose her again? "What is happening?"

"It is past my time, and the true afterlife calls. But to my blessing, one last moment have I to say I love you both."

Water spilled from my eyes. "But I came to rescue you."

Her voice faded as she vanished. "My dear daughter, you most surely did."