As The Snow Falls

Chapter Thirteen - Of Keys and Doors, there are Never Enough

The staircase led to a square room, completely sparse, save for a door on one wall.

Upon closer inspection, the door was solid stone, separate from the wall, but carved from the same rock. The door was plain, except for the single keyhole, a classic design, and gave the impression that the key required to open it was large. It seemed straight forward enough, apart from the fact that the keyhole itself was solid stone, and there was no space for a key.

Once the two entered the room, at the opposite end to the door appeared an orb, approximately a foot in diameter. The orb seemed alive, it remained still, and floated halfway between floor and ceiling, but within the orb a deep red ocean swirled uncontrollably.

'This room is one you must solve,' the master said, 'as I cannot step foot in the Nether Plane.'

'Why do I need to go to the Nether Plane?' she asked, an edge of fear on her otherwise flawless sword.

'For that is where the key is.' he said, as if it were obvious.

She took her first steps towards the crimson sea.

'You have nothing to fear in that place, none can die there. However, you will find it,' he paused, searching for the right word, 'arduous.'

'How will I know the key when I see it?' she asked, now gazing down upon the orb.

'It will call to you, that it how you will find it.'

She placed her hands on the sides of the orb, closed her eyes tight, and braced herself.

She instantly felt herself sucked into the very centre of the orb, compacted into the smallest space possible, then thrown out again. The process was nauseating, but she coped with it well, resisting the urge to vomit. And then she heard it.

Linetta...

It was calling to her.

Linetta...

She focused. It was coming from her left. She analysed her surroundings, she couldn't see anything, but that didn't mean there wasn't anything there - dark creatures dwelled within the Nether Plane.

She set off, guard firmly raised.

Linetta...

How did it know her name?

The Nether Plane is a confusing place, most is empty space, with jet black and crimson red swirls all the eye can see, even the ground. However, many powerful beings have been known to create great palaces there.

Linetta...

Not even the master knew her name - not that he cared.

She could tell she was on the right track.

She was coming up to the remains of what was once a great castle, she could tell by certain features that remained intact, such as the portcullis.

'No, I'm messing with you, it wasn't funny.'

Voices.

She moved towards them cautiously, ready to strike or flee, depending on what she found. She hid behind the remains of a wall, and peered around the corner, what she saw surprised her - four of the apprentices of the masters, she could tell by their black robes.

'One day, I'm going to make you laugh.' one of them said.

'I wouldn't bet on it.' another replied.

Now was a good time to strike, while they were unaware. Then she remembered that none could die in the Nether Plane, oh well, she thought, it will serve as a lesson in fear, a sly grin snuck onto her sharp features.

She bounced lithely onto the remains of the wall, silently enough not to be heard, she rose from a crouching position. She set her sights on one of the ones that had talked, they were closer to her anyway. The vivid blue spiraled its way like a serpent down her arm, until it reached her palm, and she fired, hitting her mark with deadly accuracy, at least it would have been, if she could have killed him. He was knocked flying, face first, the other next to him cried out, span round and saw her, she sent another pulse, knocking her off to the side. Now she'd caught the attention of the other two, no matter, not that they would cause her any more trouble than the other two had. One fired a dual blast of blue and red beams at her, she cartwheeled out of the way with ease, sending her flying with a red blast of her own.

And then there was one.

She turned, poised to finish the temporary problem that the four were, charged up an emerald beam, fired, but then he disappeared.

He reappeared behind her moments later, fired a pulse, but she was far too well trained to be simply defeated because an opponent managed to get behind her, she sidestepped out of the way like the cat she was. She turned to fire, as she did, he was gone again.

She counted.

One.

Two.

Three.

He fired a beam of blue, but she dodged it as usual. She turned to fire and he was gone again.

One.

Two.

This time she was ready.

Three.

She ground pounded the crimson and jet mist below them, creating a circular ruby wave that emanated from her fist, he reappeared again, and was hit by it, sending him flying away.

She left there breathless bodies, they would not forget her in a hurry once they awoke.

Linetta...

The calling reminded her of her real purpose here.

She continued following it, she walked for some time, until she came to what appeared to be a chapel, she entered, thankful she had not ran into anything demonic, as so many do.

The chapel contained twelve rows of pews, all carved from stone, at the front there was a stained glass window of a shepherd with a sheep, carved in stone, but just bellow that was a stone font, filled with water, as if ready for a baptism.

Linetta...

At the bottom of the shallow pool was a key, its beauty as an object was beyond description, she smiled upon seeing it, a smile of happiness.

To hear is to be deceived, to see is to know the truth...

She wondered why something so beautiful might say something so doubtful of the world, but she did not ponder it for long.

She put her hand in, not bothering to roll up her sleeve, and retrieved the key, she was instantly transported back to the square room before the master.