hesunant' ho-hur
"Hello?" Mercedes piped out of the overwhelming silence. Her voice echoed against the stone walls that faintly glowed with only the strength of small reflective material. By now she'd accepted the fact that nobody else was in the room. Nobody human, that is.
hesunant' ho-hur
This time it was louder... like someone carrying a conversation across the room. To her it meant nothing, words that she could very well have just associated with the dark creature probably uttering it. "Whatever.. you're s-speaking... you're not impressing me.." she stuttered and mustered up the strength to straighten up though the ends of her fingers still quivered. "Let's just get this over with please..." she practically whimpered the please. Why was she saying please to one of them anyway?
bahtnahoit-ti
hesunant' no
"ENOUGH!!" With that Mercedes slammed her foot down, the heel of the flats clacking loudly against the floor. She looked as though she was about to tear up but instead stood bravely and continued to speak to whatever whispered to her. Looking over her shoulder she practically hissed to each and every one of the runic stones that is until one seemed to hum loudly from where it rested in the wall. Narrowing her eyes, Mercedes drew close. Delighted by her riled anger, the voice grew silent and 'moved' about the room.
Each step of hers was matched with the cawing of a crow, distant first then rustling began to sound as she came within arm's length of the wall. Here she paused and whipped around, her eye catching the violent motion of something retching about on the ground. But the harder she looked the less distinct it became until she realized she actually hadn't been looking at anything but the texture of the ground beneath her. Another caw.
"Stop it.." she pleaded to the nothingness. "Let it be.."
The cawing stopped. Another rustle. More silence. Then suddenly a shrieking noise from whatever cawed before, gargling into a croak then finally growing silent again.
"STOP!" Mercedes cried out and practically threw herself now at the wall, her hand grasping at a stone that now fizzled loudly, hissing at her angrily. It was right in her ear much like the ringing after her 'death' in the trials. Covering her ear with the free hand she shut her eyes and waited for the sound to stop. When it did she could feel the shift to the other ear.
Gniht ymmuy yhself~
Lashing at the unoccupied space beside her Mercedes lifted her hands and clenched them into fists. They were her only defense here and she wasn't going to back down. "Let's get one thing straight. I don't f-f-mess around with your kind." Swearing was not something Miss Chenoweth did easily. The fact that this creature had her so on edge was impressive... it would soon learn its place under her command. "I don't like you. ANY of you." she said pointing to the faint runes around her, unaware that she really was talking to a crowd of creatures sealed away in there. "And if you want to scare me fine, you can have the satisfaction of knowing I'm uncomfortable. But I came here for a reason."
And now as she stood firm the rune began to flash brightly in response.
Luohg ytsat ,enim era uoy worromoe. Enim era uoy yadot. Stnaw ew tahw yltcaxe si lufraef namuh a.
Mercedes did not respond. She could only watch as the stone continued to glow, its voice now clear as day. "-and If I have to teach you to speak English then so be it," she added as if she wasn't finished speaking before.
The act of sass prompted an irritated caw and the overwhelming feeling of something heavy resting on her shoulders.
Niks fo kcas ytpme a otni uoy nrut lliw I. Sdrow fo lluf s'namuh.
"That's nice."
Mercedes reached up and... patted? the heavy air behind her then thrust her palm against the glowing stone. As the contact was made Mercedes swallowed her fears and felt the numbing sensation around her. Somehow, amidst the horrid screaming and squawking of the creature she'd spoken to she remained eerily calm. Perhaps Hadjoc was being a little over dramatic as his game of 'hide and seek' in the dark relic room came to an end.
Feathers formed in the ground rising around Mercedes as her body glowed entirely into a purple blue. While she had been wearing clothes she was now silhouetted as completely naked that is until shimmering stars began to orbit her extremities.
First her legs became encased in the dark feathers from Hadjoc's wings forming into the most spectacular pair of Uggs you have ever seen. Then came her arms. Hemp bands formed on either wrist and from them dangled one of the raven mocker's broken teeth. To her waist the feathers now danced. As they delicately tickled her skin the fibers of floral print designer blouse and jeans combo formed the new contour of her body. Finally wings spread from her back and-
Mercedes panted as she opened her eyes again. In her hands now she wielded two bow-like weapons that had matched the runes of the stone she'd touched. She'd done it... she was now bonded with whatever fowl thing had taunted her with dying foul... and she was wielding it
Looking down to the weapons she nearly jumped in delight. If it weren't for the mysterious clamoring (in her head of course but she knows this not) in the dark room she would have savored her triumph longer. But for now it was best to get back to the job at hand.
lla ni lla si eh...
Hadjoc whispered with as much foreboding as his weakened spirit could handle.
