The Cathedral of St. James, original (four parts, finished)

[TheCakeIsAlive]

A long overdue story I'm afraid, to appease our Count. As I obstinately kept refusing to introduce any overly religious elements into the TARDIS, it is my aim to write a short story tackling the concept outside the realm of our good Doctor. I do hope you will enjoy it.

It's become a slightly longer story than I anticipated, and unfortunately not yet finished, but I'm confident I might be able to update regularly until it is. The gender of the protagonist is undetermined, as I didn't see the need to do so, so you can make whatever you want of said protagonist. It's been a while since I wrote anything in this style and from this point of view, but I like how it turned out so far and I hope you will too.

Huge thanks to HoL for beta-ing this story.

The Cathedral of St James (M.R. James that is ;-) )

It must have been at least 10 years ago that I visited the lone cathedral on the top of the hill, shrouded in eternal mist. Try as I may, I have never found the location again...

But now the time has come to disclose my account of the events of that fateful day.

The story is set in the first months of my research. The subject? Landmarks of civilisations long gone. It brought me to places where no Christian has ever set foot before. Deep into the forests of our nation, where the only way to proceed through the dense vegetation is to follow the trails left by animals.

For some reason still unknown to me I had strayed away from my team, and the thickening fog prevented me from returning to them. Slowly, I fought my way through the nearly solid mists, narrowly avoiding some very nasty encounters with the more spiky types of shrubbery, until I reached some sort of clearing. Suddenly the fog just let up enough for me to discern a large hill, the foot of which was a mere few yards away. To this day I cannot explain the compulsion I felt to climb it, instead of saving my energy and find a way around, but I am glad I did.

The progress was slow, as the slope was very steep, but the chilly air prevented me from overheating from the effort. I had to pause once or twice to catch my breath and offer my body a measure of fuel in the form of food and water.

It was impossible to keep track of time in this strange limbo. Even though I felt I had been climbing for a good part of eternity, it cannot have been much more than an hour as I later calculated based on the time I had been separated from my team.

Eventually, the climb came to an end when the slope quite suddenly flattened into a plateau of reasonable size. I believed myself to be beyond the reach of modern architecture, so imagine my surprise at the enormous cathedral I saw looming up at my horizon. Even immersed as it was in the layers of fog, I could behold the detail, the delicacy of the structure. The muffled sound of church bells lured me closer.

One aspect that still surprises me is the complete absence of fear. Not for a moment was I afraid. I drank in every detail as I slowly approached the brass doors that signalled the entrance. The image is still as vivid in my mind now as it was back then and never more have I wished for the gift of the painter as I did then. Words fall short to describe the elegant curves, the subtle lines, the almost living images that I encountered. Having travelled as much as I have, I can say there is nothing quite like it. The very stone of the building appeared to breathe, to sing, and the sweet sounds filled my mind.

How I wish I had taken longer to appreciate the outer walls, tall towers and high arches. But nothing is as pointless as old regrets, so allow me to move on.

Mesmerised by the faint light that awaited me, I drew closer, passing the brass doors that chimed pleasantly as I closed them behind me. The smoothness of their motions convinced me more than anything up to that point, that what I encountered was not built by any civilisation currently known to man. The moment they clicked shut, the chilliness from outside was gone, replaced with a gentle warm atmosphere and the smoky scent of incense.

There was no sign of the fog that had been so very present until right outside the doors. Inside, the chiming was louder, and mixed with the breathy sound of an organ. I inhaled deeply, taking in the fragrant air, feeling the smoke start to irritate my nasal passages.

Before we proceed, allow me to explain my reasons for including this little fact and the imminent expansion on it. It may seem of no consequence at this point of the story, an irrelevant detail, better to be left out, and I must say that at the time, I didn't think anything of it either. It was only later that I understood the significance of it myself and I hope it will become clear to you as well as the course of events will unfold.

As I advanced, the air became heavier with incense, until it was almost a visible blanket of scent. I observed there were no pews, which struck me as odd. In fact, there were no seats at all. I trailed along the walls, observing what I initially thought were paintings, though on closer inspection I found them to be coloured reliefs. Very intricate, shallow patterns, depicting scenes of great violence and great peace alike. As unfortunately my knowledge of the Christian faith is limited, I could not identify the scenes, or indeed know if they were biblical scenarios at all.

Slowly the vision before my eyes began to blur as they filled with allergic tears. So far I had managed to keep my reaction under control, but it became harder and harder the more time I spent inside. Strangely enough, the more the image was distorted by the welling tears, the clearer it appeared to become. The images morphed and turned into landscapes. Long swathes of moor appeared to stretch from wall to wall. I rubbed my nose to delay the inevitable for a little longer, to observe for a few moments more those images that appeared to come to life. The atmosphere changed subtly to match my observations. From the corner of my eye I saw movement, something creeping out of the wall, but the next, I couldn't see as the fire that had been burning my nose had turned into a tickle that was not to be refused a moment longer.

To Be Continued...

[NoV]

Argh, you are such a tease!! Love your descriptions and can't wait to see where this one takes us. For me, the protagonist is female (unsurprisingly)

[count tiszula]

This is absolutely wonderful! Now *I* want to do a Jamesian sneezefic too [Monty, that is, not boring old Henry]. How I literally lolled.

Unfortunately, I can't [yet] think of the protagonist as female, because I can't help thinking of Provost James's self-imposed task of visiting every cathedral in France, even those now used as barns. But perhaps the sneezes to come will be so exciting that gender will not matter....

[Chanel_no5]

I just love your way with words. I really do.

And I agree with NoV... you're a tease!

[Vetinari]

Ah those Kentish forests, shrouded in mists.

Please do continue.

[High on Lullabies]

I'm like Count in that I struggled to get idea out of my head that the protagonist is male Unfortunately my mind just seems to default to that wherever a gender isn't defined (or at least hinted at).

Anyway, regardless of that it didn't in any way stop me enjoying the absolute thing of beauty that is this story There are some wonderful descriptions and turns me phrase here that bring the cathedral (and the on-topicness ) to life in my mind

Oh, and the others are right dear, you are a complete tease with your choice of break points even if I might be privileged enough to know what happens next already...

[TheCakeIsAlive]

*looks at posting date of first part* *hides in late-updateness-induced shame*

@NoV: *looks innocent* Moi? Very glad you liked it that much.

@Count de tisza: Thank you! If you do decide to engage in such a writing effort, I'd be more than a little curious to see the outcome.

I'm sorry the story isn't quite as gender-open as I'd hoped, very much hope that the sneezes indeed are of such a distracting nature gender will cease to matter. ^^

@Chanel: Thank you so much! And the feeling is mutual. Tease? What an unreasonable accusation! Uhm... maybe.

@Vetinari: And I will. Thank you.

@High on Lullabies: Aww, I'm sorry. *hints at female* Really very glad it didn't stop you from enjoying it though. Well, since you're already calling me a tease, I shall continue to be so. (even if you do already know what happens)

Anyway, here goes...

My senses appeared to shut off and all I could do at that moment was hear my breath hitch desperately, feel the shaky breaths irritate my nose further with every wisp of smoke they drew into my lungs. By this time, my eyes were fully shut, so I couldn't follow the movement any longer. Tears were leaving tracks on my cheeks. One last breath and the air left my lungs in one violent explosion, followed by two more of the same nature.

After that, the itch retreated enough for me to open my eyes again and try to detect what I had observed before. Imagine my surprise when I couldn't detect any sign of the moor or whatever had appeared to creep out of it. The scent, so characteristic of that particular environment, had also vanished into thin air (despite the obvious thickness of the atmosphere in the cathedral).

Puzzled, I turned away from the wall and observed the central area. At the very centre, hanging from a thick rope, was the source of my discomfort. A heavy thurible slowly swung up and down the length of the nave, spreading thick clouds of incense in its wake. The feeling of a thousand feathers tickling my nostrils intensified. Though with a decent amount of rubbing my thumb and forefinger along the sides of the affected organ, I could control it enough to go on and explore the huge space a little better.

Crossing the last few yards to the far end, I caught a flash of movement again. I believe that was the point where the first suggestion of fear began to form. Up until that point, nothing had really seemed frightening, but that small flash of movement ignited a small spark of the dark emotion. No longer shielded by the heavy pillars that had formed a barrier between myself and the nave, I suddenly felt vulnerable. At the time, my curiosity overruled the other sensation still.

High walls rose before me; vertical, smooth planes. They appeared to be hewn out of solid rock as I could not distinguish individual building blocks, but the location made that idea improbable. The planes were unbroken by windows or any perceptible imperfection and carried an alabaster sheen, yet on touch, they were nothing like that at all. When I glanced up at the ceiling, I noticed a pale green glow illuminating the apse. The movement made the itch that was plaguing me flare up and caused my eyes to once again fill up with tears, which I blinked away as soon as they formed. A few escaped and dripped onto the floor with a clearly audible ping as they splattered on the dark stones. The roof was so far up I could not make out what produced this eerie light but, my curiosity sparked, I turned around and let my gaze wander over the length of it.

The ceiling was vaulted, a construction not uncommon in churches, though here I could discern myriads of substructures despite the smoke that blurred my vision. I caught a glimpse of what appeared to be passages spanning the length and width of the cathedral a few dozen yards above me before I was once more overwhelmed by the incense. By tilting my head backward I had given the tendrils of smoke free access to my nasal passages and was about to very much regret that. Tears were filling my eyes faster than I could blink them away, my breath was hitching, slowly at first, but as the urge to sneeze grew it became more frantic. For the third time I caught a movement, closer now, before my eyes fluttered shut in allergic agony, so much more intense for having been suppressed.

For a few long moments I found myself frozen in that blind and deaf state, hand raised to muffle the sound of the explosions. Then they came and my head shot forward into my waiting hand again and again. I couldn't count how many times this repeated itself, though eventually my tortured nose calmed down enough for me to observe my surroundings again. Gently I wiped the tears from my eyes and tried to detect the movement that had seeded my fear earlier. Paranoia had begun to grow and I had to suppress the urge to look behind me, knowing that such a move would likely set me off again. Still, I couldn't resist glancing over my shoulder once or twice.

However, the roof structure had captured my interest enough to not find myself discouraged by the vaguely frightening movements I had fancied observing.

A few feet to my left I could discern a door. Hoping it would lead me to stairs, I tried it and found it unlocked. Caution prompted me to close it again behind me, so I would most likely be able to hear if anyone followed; a narrow stretch of stairs awaited.

As the door had been closed, the air behind it was mercifully incense-free and I found I could breathe with more ease. The steps spiralled up into the unknown. After drawing a few deep breaths, I began the ascent. I remember being surprised by the lack of windows, niches, doors or other disruption of the encased spiral. Nothing but walls that closed in on me as I progressed.

Just when I thought I would be forced to turn back, it opened up to one of the passages I had observed from the ground. It appeared to be made for creatures smaller than a human.

I couldn't place the material, but it reminded me most of liana, wrought together in a long strip that was about 2.5 feet wide with low, upstanding sides to prevent one from falling. That was another clue to the height of the dwellers of this place. The guard rail was hardly high enough to prevent a child from falling over it. Hence the prospect of crossing to the other side was slightly terrifying, but again curiosity overcame my anxiety.

Slowly, I started crossing the narrow bridge, pausing every now and then to look around. The ceiling was only a few yards above me now and I could distinguish the source of the pulsating, pale green light in the form of an extended network of mould covering long stretches of the dark stone. Despite the light, there were still shadows. Dark, slithering forms, hypnotic in their slow progress along the vaulted roof. When I felt my head starting to spin from following the shifting patterns, I tore my eyes away and proceeded a few steps, only to find myself mesmerised once more.

At a point, approximately three-quarters of the way, I realised something else. During my ascent, I had been relatively shielded from the incense that had previously irritated my nasal passages. On the crossing, however, I was positioned almost directly above the thurible and thick clouds of smoke enveloped me. As soon as I had come to that realisation, I also realised, to my horror, that any resulting sneezes would be violent enough to throw me off balance, on a very narrow crossing, several dozen yards above the ground.

To Be Continued...

[VoOs]

How did I not see this until now? This is absolutely delicious, Sigrith. Your descriptions make my pants me so very happy. :Q____

[count tiszula]

Terrific indeed! Funny, I was just wondering what had become of this earlier, and it has more than lived up to my hopes and dreams, Once again, I literally lolled. Oh, the huge sneezy thurible!

I think I've got my first [and probably only] sentence ready;

" During the recent conflict I had occasion, boys, to be invited to investigate the manuscripts kept in the crypt of St Veronica's College....."

[Chanel_no5]

Mmm... just as wonderful as the first part...

[tma]

LOVE!!!

Really beautiful writing.

Actually HoL- I defaulted to female. hehehe (what does that say about us? ), but was able to morph character into male. *grins*

Sig.- you're doing a Beautiful job with a concept that is really difficult with this type of fic (I think)- first person and in an undefined gender. I've seen works where even just first person point of view comes out incredibly cheesy. Yet, you manage both that And not setting a gender and it's engaging, intriguing and balanced plot and beautiful descriptions!!

Would Adore seeing more!!

[TheCakeIsAlive]

@VoOs: Aww, thank you. Glad to be of service. Hope you'll like the rest just as much.

@count de tisza: I'm very glad it has. Oh certainly, and it just might keep popping up, or swinging down on the unsuspecting victim... both will do I suppose.

Ooh, that does sound promising... if it ever does decide to not be the only sentence. ^^

@Chanel: Thank you so much. Hope you'll enjoy the next part(s) as well.

@tma: Thank you. *giggles* Very glad you were able to morph the character into male. *grins too*

Awww, thank you so much. :D So very glad you think so. I think you did a very awesome job with your drabble-thingy too.

The next swing of the thurible sent another cloud of allergen-saturated air up. I desperately tried not to breathe it in, but the damage had already been done. I felt my nose tickle intensely, nearing the point of no return with swiftness. Panic flared in my mind. I could not allow myself to sneeze at that location. Especially not as I discerned at that same moment a dark shape on the bridge, slowly proceeding in my direction. The only way to go was onwards.

I pinched my nose shut between two fingers and ran, willing the allergic reaction to be delayed for just a little longer, repeating over and over that I simply couldn't allow myself to be overwhelmed by it at that very moment. I didn't look back to check whether the shape was still there, took no notice of anything but the bridge under my feet, taking one more step and one more until I finally reached the other side. I was dizzy from hypoxia, my eyes were watering, blurring my sight and my nose was burning, irritated beyond anything I had experienced before, but I knew I couldn't let go yet.

As quickly as I dared, I turned around and looked at where I had come from. Halfway across, the shape had now resolved into a being. It was hunched over and appeared to be covered in fur, with a hint of glimmering teeth shining through. I couldn't see more, but then I did not need to. All I knew was that I had to get away.

I followed the path to another door, leading to another set of spiralling steps, leading both further up, and down. Down would have been the more logical choice, but as I felt I couldn't hold the imminent explosions at bay much longer, I chose the path that would least likely result in injury if taken with the handicap of pitching forward every few seconds. I slammed the door shut behind me and staggered up a few steps before finally, the sneezes burst forth. I made no effort to muffle the sound or cover, as my only thoughts were on escape. My progress was slowed down as I had to pause after every step to sneeze, caught in an allergic fire that I hadn't experienced before and haven't experienced since, thank heavens.

The experience was quite terrifying, as I could hardly see anything or hear anything beyond the sound of my own sneezes as I stumbled up the stairs, hoping whatever was on that bridge wouldn't catch up with me, praying I wouldn't hit a dead end. The thought it might not be alone never even crossed my mind at the time.

The spiral finally ended with a gust of fresh cold air, calming my overheated face. The narrow passage broadened onto the roof of the cathedral. I stumbled and nearly tripped, not expecting the steps to end and still nearly blind from the on-going allergic reaction, though it was slowly lessening.

A few more breaths and my vision started to clear. Sharp spikes grew out of the black stone, high towers dwarfed me. My own insignificance struck me like a leaden weight. I quickly moved from the opening, fearing the appearance of the creature. Avoiding the edge of the structure, I explored the roof. It was truly a unique structure, displaying craftsmanship of a level not seen since the great pyramids were built, perhaps even surpassing it. High arches connected the towers, arches only supported by the tip of the highest spikes, seamlessly blending in with the rest.

Soon my academic interest in the place took over and the creature was banished to the back of my mind as I walked around in wonder, trying to observe each detail without losing track of the entirety. I felt like a child who – after having lived its entire life on flat land – saw mountains for the first time. Only this time the mountains were man-made. Well, I say man, but that is not quite the right word...

I slowly lost myself entirely in the beauty of my surroundings, unaware of anything but the smooth stone and the cloud-tempered light that playfully traced it. After a while I felt my allergy gearing up again, seemingly without a cause. At first, I paid no attention to it, captivated entirely, blissfully deaf and blind to everything but the object of my study, but soon it became impossible to ignore, dragging me from my enchanted state.

Rounding a corner, I suddenly found myself face to face with the creature that had filled me with such terror before. Immediately I froze, hoping to avoid a fatal end by staying still and not making any threatening movements. The creature wasn't moving either, just standing there, facing me with a look that to me spoke of curiosity. Another moment brought on a change of sentiment so extreme, yet the prevalent feeling stayed the same. Terror still froze me but no longer fear for myself; the fear blossoming in my chest was a fear of scaring the creature. Alas, I could not stay still. Its fur was drenched in the incense that set my sinuses on fire and I could feel the reaction worsening with every passing second.

I drew slow, shaky breaths, meant to delay the inevitable for as long as possible. As the tears blurred my vision, the black creature blurred into a human shape.

A tremendous amount of sorrow emanated from the humanoid; sorrow and helplessness. I felt simultaneously drawn to it and repulsed, the sensation tearing me in two opposite directions. I remained stationary, now nearly fully in the grip of the allergens that had accumulated in my body. The urge to expel them was quite overwhelming, and yet I persisted in suppressing it. The human, as I was now convinced it somehow was, stood still as well, looking at me questioningly.

With every shaky breath I felt myself losing another inch of control. Feeling it would be scared off by the explosions that were ever more imminent, I attempted to hold back for as long as possible. One vocalised hitch escaped me. The creature took a step back. I tried to tell it to not be afraid, for a moment forgetting what I was trying to do...

TBC (yes I'm evil )

[Chanel_no5]

Aw, girl...! Just keep me hanging on, like that!

Really nice... really, very nice...

[count tiszula]

Mmm; and in the meanwhile for me the narrator is starting to seem female....what can this mean? The thurible turned up on telly this week in "Rick Stein's Spain"; they can't resist it, these chaps.

As yet no further sentence has occurred to me......

[TheCakeIsAlive]

@Chanel: What can I say... I'm evil? Very glad you like it that much. Really hope you'll like the last part also.

@count de tisza: Hmmm... several things probably. Ah, but how can one have a documentary about Spain without including this magnificent thurible? Hope you'll enjoy this last part.

What can I say... I loved writing this story, a lot, even if I did get properly stuck on a couple or occasasions. It was a very pleasant challenge and I hope to maybe return to this style at some later point in time... But enough waffling, hope you'll enjoy the fourth and last part of this story. I certainly loved writing it.

I could not proceed beyond a few half-words, heavily punctuated by my lung's attempts to draw more and more air inside, gearing up for the release. 'don't be afraid...'

Those sparse words meant a final loss of control. My breath went on auto-pilot, hitching four more times before finally a sneeze burst past my defences. With nearly super-human effort I managed to keep the next one at bay and pried my eyes open. The creature was gone. Defeated, I let my eyes close again and allowed my allergy to take over.

The tickle slowly got worse, the sensation slowly rising to a peak, after which my breath started hitching again. As frustrated as I was by the so-many-eth allergic response, I knew it could not be avoided, so I gave in to the waist-bending sneezes.

The muscles in my side started to get sore from the exertion. Fortunately it now was nothing as intense as before.

Once my nose had calmed down again, I looked around me. No sign of the creature. I was tempted to search for it but at the same time realised two things. Spending more time in the cathedral would inevitably lead to further aggravation of my allergies, which would only serve to scare away the creature were I to find it again. The other thing that crossed my mind for the first time since ascending the hill was that somewhere, there was a very worried team wondering where I was. I had to try and find them.

With the greatest reluctance I approached the brass doors. They slid open noiselessly and without effort under my touch, as if they were of a much lighter material, despite their very solid appearance.

The fog had dissipated a little and I could see the vague outline of trees some way down the hill.

Breathing in the clean air, I prepared myself for the way down, though not without turning back one last time to behold that magical structure. The fog appeared to have latched on to it, blurring the silhouette even though I was standing mere feet away from it.

A feeling of disappointment made my limbs heavy and I let myself slowly descend into the now-clear forest.

There I found myself alone, without a single clue where my team could be. In equal measure still in rapture about the wonders I had had the privilege to behold and exhausted from the endless walking, stair climbing and allergy attacks, with the disappointment of having left also weighing me down.

I was sorely tempted to make camp and sleep until things looked brighter again, but a sense of responsibility kept me going. Searching the dirt for signs of human activity, I managed to follow the small trail I had made on my way there until a larger trail met with it; a trail that would presumably lead to my team.

Fortunately, they hadn't taken long to discover I was missing and had decided to make camp, hoping I would find them, or at the very least until the fog had cleared and they could determine their position again. Thus I reached the end of the trail within half an hour and the rest of the expedition with it.

Not knowing how long I had been away, I was hesitant about approaching them, unsure whether it had been hours or days. Learning it had been the first while I was convinced it was the latter was a relief in some ways. As soon as possible without being rude, I isolated myself from the rest to write the events of the day down. But there was no real need to as I remember it so vividly up to this day without ever having laid eyes on those pages again.

The next day we found the site our expedition was all about and the work started; long days with little time to oneself as by the end of them I didn't have any energy to do anything besides collapsing on my bunk and falling asleep instantly.

On our way back I steered them in the direction of the hill, hopeful to return there, but despite my best efforts, we never found it. Though, sleeping so near where I thought it should have been, I did have very disturbing dreams.

I saw the creature again, it appeared to be telling me to follow it; looking agitated, less apathetic as when I saw it first, though no less weighed down with sadness. It was near to the human form I witnessed on the roof, yet retained some animalistic characteristics. No sound came from its lips, yet I could hear a soft, mournful song.

The scent of incense clung to its fur and I was woken up abruptly by a rather intense tickle plaguing my nose. My eyes felt puffy and were overflowing with tears, as strong a reaction as would have occurred inside the cathedral.

For a while I was disoriented, clammy fog clinging to my body, eyes unseeing through the tears and impulse to close them, dictated by my aching nose.

It didn't let up until I gave in and allowed the sneezes to come; strong, convulsive explosions that seemed to tear themselves from my body, waking up everyone in the vicinity. The next night, my sleep was undisturbed.

I never managed to get funding for another expedition, looking for something that most people regarded as a very nice hallucination (caused by some obscure plant) or a vivid dream.

A few years later, I returned there by myself, feeling inexplicably drawn to it, but found nothing, not even another of those dreams.

Though now, there are back. Every night they beckon me. Every morning I wake up with the scent of incense in my nose and the taste of fur in my mouth. I suspect I'd be able to return now, but fear I could never leave again if I do.

The End...

[Chanel_no5]

For a while I was disoriented, clammy fog clinging to my body, eyes unseeing through the tears and impulse to close them, dictated by my aching nose.

It didn't let up until I gave in and allowed the sneezes to come; strong, convulsive explosions that seemed to tear themselves from my body, waking up everyone in the vicinity.

That part in particular was making me oddly happy in my pants.

It's really a beautiful and mysterious story, and adding allergic sneezing makes it... just perfect. Thank you so much for sharing!

[TheCakeIsAlive]

Awww, thank you. Ever so glad you like it this much. You're welcome and thank you lots for commenting on it.

[High on Lullabies]

Goodness, I really adore writing like this :D Wonderfully descriptive and a gripping storyline to go with it and then just a sprinkling (well...maybe an ample portion ) of beautifully written allergic sneezing on the top. I really hope you do return to this style dear, the sooner the better! Thank you for a wonderful reading experience

I slowly lost myself entirely in the beauty of my surroundings, unaware of anything but the smooth stone and the cloud-tempered light that playfully traced it.

A tremendous amount of sorrow emanated from the humanoid; sorrow and helplessness. I felt simultaneously drawn to it and repulsed, the sensation tearing me in two opposite directions. I remained stationary, now nearly fully in the grip of the allergens that had accumulated in my body. The urge to expel them was quite overwhelming, and yet I persisted in suppressing it.

Just two of my favourites. I could pick many more

[count tiszula]

A magnificent creation! The lost cathedral in the traditional manner. Ah well, perhaps it will be rediscovered one day in all its thuribulous majesty.....

[NoV]

Have loved following this story & sorry to see it end. More soon?