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| Whisper of a Demon's Shadow | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By Richard LeBlanc | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| And he shall walk as the dead | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Among the death and decay | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| And in this darkness | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| He shall find the light... | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ...The Prophecy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chapter Two: waking dream | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Later the next night - a short distance away from the village - Thomas stopped. He set up camp and was reviewing the prophecy and was stunned at how many aspects of it reflected on his life. He sighed and rolled up the scroll. There was much that needed to be done - and now was definitely not the time to be reflecting on the past. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "How did I get looped into this?" he asked himself. The cackle of the fire was his only answer. A part of him wanted to return to the village - to return to the dreary normal sort of life he had been living - but deep down inside he knew that such a thing wouldn't be possible. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| He sighed as he got up. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "How am I supposed to save everyone - when I couldn't even save my brothers - or sister?" he asked himself as his mind flashed back to those final days when the sickness had slowly choked the last bit of life from them. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| He took out the scroll and opened it again. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "And he shall walk as the dead - among the death and decay - and in this darkness - he shall find the light," he quietly read. He shook his head. "Don't like the way that sounds," he muttered putting the scroll away. "Walking as the dead - death and decay - darkness - sounds a lot like the Cemetery of St. Lucas. That place has grown so foul that burying anything there," he began but stopped as a shiver went down his spine. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| He remembered back - almost ten years when the last funeral had been performed there. It was then that it was noticed - graves had been defiled - but not in a malicious way - it was as though - the dead had clawed their way free. The elder and local clergy forbade any from venturing there as the place was clearly cursed. Now - after all that time - all on his own - he was venturing back there. He sat down by the fire and watched as the wisps of flames danced before him. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I hoped that I would never have to revisit that place," he muttered. A twig snapped. He neck snapped over to see what made the noise - but he could see little in the darkness and dancing shadows. "Who's there?" he demanded - hand sliding to his sheathed dagger. No answer... | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| He slowly got up and made his way into the surrounding forest - hand tightly gripping the handle of his dagger. He stopped. His eyes panned around the darkness. He was only a few yards away from his campsite - his fire. Above - a thick blanket of clouds prevented any light from the moon or stars from helping him. He reached back - moving a thick bundle of branches aside - allowing some light from his fire to filter through. Still nothing out of the ordinary. Another twig snapped! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The noise came from the other side of his campsite. He hurried back. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "If you are looking to play games - I would advise someone else - I am not in a playful mood," he warned. Silence was his answer. He shook his head and gripped a burning branch from the fire and made his way towards the source of the noise. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| He could feel his heart pounding in his throat as he explored into the shadows. How different a simple thing like a forest could be under the cover of night. It was then that a mild wind blew. The thick clouds - began to part as a crescent moon dimly shined down on the forest. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| He stopped dead in his tracks. A short distance away from him - before him - was a pond. In its center grew a mushroom the size of a large pumpkin. He looked around in a mild state of disbelief. He had explored the area pretty thoroughly during the day and that - was not there before. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "My mind must be playing tricks on me," he muttered - looking around. He stabbed the makeshift torch into the ground. He knelt beside the pool and looked in. It seemed only a few inches deep - a foot at most. "This - was not here in the morning," he muttered. He lightly tapped the surface of the pond and watched as the still surface rippled. He then looked up at the mushroom. There was something - odd about it. Something that just didn?t sit right with him. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Slowly he got up and waded through the pond towards the mushroom. He looked at the almost glistening cap of it. He reached down and gently touched it. The mushroom exploded as a popped soap bubble would! A cloud of spores blew out! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| He staggered back choking! His foot hit a wet stone! Before he could do anything he fell into the water - only now - it wasn't inches deep! It was far deeper and he was sinking fast. He tried to swim up to the surface - but a darkness all but engulfed him! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Please - awaken. You are safe," a soft voice whispered to him. His eyes strained to open. Everything was blurry. Something - no someone was looking down at him. "Are you okay?" the soft voice asked. His vision began to clear and focus. The person looking down at him - sitting beside him - was clearly the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Thought - was dead," he muttered - his voice raspy. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Was a dream - nothing more. Do you need anything? Food? Drink?" she offered. Thomas forced himself to sit up. He looked around. He was in an elegant looking bedroom - in a beautifully sculpted castle. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I - I need to know how I got here," he stated hesitantly. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I found you in the forest. A Puffroom went off and almost killed you," she answered. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Puffroom?" he asked. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "A - plant of sorts that looks like a large mushroom. They bloom only at night - and if exposed to too much light - grow very brittle," she explained. He held his throat. "Water?" she asked. He shook his head. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Felt like I was drowning in the stuff," he remembered. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You - were. When the spores startled you - you must have tripped and fell into that pond. You had a nasty bump on your head. The water wasn't deep - but you swallowed much. I am most fortunate that you were found when you were," she replied. Thomas looked over at her - then returned his attention to the room. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Why?" he asked curiously. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Pardon?" she asked. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Why?" he repeated. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I'm afraid I don't understand," she began. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Why are you so fortunate?" he clarified. She sighed and got up from the bed she was sitting on. He watched as she slowly - gracefully walked over to the window. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "The prophecy - you are the one - the only one that can save me," she replied - her voice distant. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Prophecy - what do you know?" he began as he looked over by the chair by the bed. There were his collected belongings - among those - an unrolled scroll. "What are you talking about? Who are you?" he asked seriously. The woman sighed and looked over her shoulder at him. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "A prisoner," she replied. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Hardly seems that way," he remarked. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "However gilded the cage - it is still a cage. I stay here - entombed in this place. Unable to leave - never to be free," she sighed. Thomas hesitantly got up and walked over to the window. The view outside was a complete contrast to what laid within. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Outside was a dark mesh of tangled withered trees. Vines of thrones ensnared the high towers - clouds of bats flew across the darkened skies. He backed away. His gaze darted back to the woman - only she like everything within was different. The once beautiful room was now in charred unkempt ruins. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| And the woman - although her beauty was unchanged - was now glowing and translucent. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You - you're a," he began. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "A ghost? Yes. I have been trapped in this place - for over six hundred years. When Rubius went on his mad rampage," she said softly. He hesitantly reached over. His hand gently touched the back of her cheek. He jerked his hand away. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "If you are a ghost - how is it that I can feel you?" he nervously asked. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Is that important? There is much that needs be said and not much time to say," she began as the sounds of shambling steps dragged slowly by the door to the room. Each step grated at Thomas as though a piece of rusted metal was being dragged across a chalkboard. The woman flew over and held her hand over his mouth preventing him from speaking. The sounds grew slowly dimmer and dimmer - until once again - all was silent. She moved her hand. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "That?" he muttered. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "That - was Rubius," she whispered hesitantly. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What is going on here?" he quietly asked. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "The prophecy. He knows of your quest. He has sent agents out to stop you," she whispered. A deafening scream echoed throughout the ancient castle. "Oh no - he has learned I am not in my room," she muttered. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Room? But you are a ghost?" he muttered. She flew him over to the window and placed both her hands on his cheeks. Before he could say another word - she kissed him. she backed away and looked over her shoulder. "Why - you - do that?" he muttered - mildly short of breath. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I can not stay here," she muttered. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Wait! Who are you?" he asked in a mild panic. She hovered away from him and looked around the room. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I am known as Lia. Now you must go. If he finds you here," she began. The far wall exploded. Lia vanished as a section of wall collapsed on her. Thomas was about to run over to her when he felt a crippling chill run down his spine. Slowly his eyes sifted through the clouds of dust and smoke. Amidst the clouds of smoke and dust stood a wiry tower of a man. With each forced - labored effort-inducing step - the man shambled forward. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Thomas backed away until he felt his back touch the window. The man emerged from the smoke and fixed his jet-black, orb-like eyes upon him. in those eyes - Thomas could see the fearful expression on his own face looking back at him. the dirty matted whitish-gray hair fell around the old withered face that was slowly beginning to smile. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Thomas could feel his heart beating more rapidly. As the stained fangs began to surface in the man's cold-blooded smile. Every muscle - every fiber of his being was paralyzed. He watched helpless as withered - claw-like hands slowly reached up to grasp him. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Thomas could feel his back pushing against the window - trying to inch away as the man-like monster drew closer. Without introduction - he knew the creature that was reaching for him. and from the stutter that was gripping his throat. He whispered - the creature's name. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Rubius," he muttered. The window behind him shattered! He fell over the edge and felt himself falling rapidly towards the ground! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| To be continued... | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||