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| Whisper of a Demon's Shadow | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By Richard LeBlanc | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| From the distant past | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A voice shall be heard | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A struggle shall be won | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| And one will be lost... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ...The Prophecy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chapter Four: the fall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In the graveyard - Thomas stood spellbound before the wispy spirit that was hovering a short distance from him. Her mere presence was enough to scare away the pack of ghouls that were about to descend on him - yet something about the spirit - made him wonder if her intent was to aid him - or something more sinister. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You," he muttered. Lia looked over to the side. "Was it a dream?" he asked hesitantly. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "At times I wonder," she replied - her voice distant. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Did you scare them away?" he asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "They are simple minded creatures - once proud men mind you - but living as they have - feeding on what they have - has reduced them to craven jackals," she replied as she floated over to a toppled tombstone - and traced her fingers across the name. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What about - him? Won't he know that you are gone?" he asked - hesitant to even speak that vile name aloud. Lia looked over her shoulder at him and smiled a passive smile. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "He - is planning grand things. Things that require much of his attention," she remarked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I - don't want to know - do I?" he hesitantly remarked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "He - plans to stop you. By any means he can," she began. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Did he send the ghouls?" he asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "No - they have been living here - since the dark times fell upon these lands. But his presence has been here. He has touched one of them - empowered it - to act on his behalf," she replied calmly. Thomas looked at the blood on his dagger. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "The one I wounded?" he asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "He goes by the name Slythe - now. He was once a merchant - in those distant days when he walked as a man. His sickness turned him away from the village - madness reduced him to feeding off the dead," she whispered. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "And now he wants me dead," he muttered. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "There will be a great many perils that you will face in your quest. Perils far greater than Slythe. You will need help if you are to succeed. Alone - you will fall. Just as all the others have," she stated quietly. The statement struck a nerve. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Excuse me? Did you say others? As in more than one?" he hesitantly asked. She sighed as she floated over to where he was. Her face was showing no deception or ill intent. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "For centuries - heroes from near and afar have tried to put an end to the evil that is Rubius - none have succeeded - all failures - have made him stronger and meaner. The way to Rubius - is paved with the bodies of hundreds of broken bodies - heroes - commoners - and if he is not stopped - that road - will have no end," she replied seriously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I am just a farmer remember? I know no magic - I am no warrior. Hell it was taking everything I had just to keep myself from running like a scared child when those ghouls showed up," he protested. Lia sighed and hovered before him. There was something - calming and soothing about her. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Alone - you will perish - along your journey - allies may come to you. They - may not be all they seem - but their goals will be similar to yours. Aid them - and they will aid you," she replied calmly. He groaned and shook his head. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Allies? How will I know them from the ones that want me dead?" he asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "In your heart - you will know. And you will know what you must do," she began as she looked towards the east. "I must go. If he learns I have sneaked out," she began as she began to float towards the east. Thomas shook his head and chased after her. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Wait don't go!" he called out - but it was too late - she vanished. "Great - allies may be out there plotting like my enemies and I have no way of knowing one from the other," he muttered. The sounds of ghouls scurrying along in the forest on the other side of the graveyard prompted him to hurry along. "If that one ghoul wanted the necromancer dead - and if Slythe is working for - him," he pondered as he hurried down the trodden path. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Just then - something hit his leg - hard! He fell and tripped down the sloping path. When he finally came to a complete stop - he looked up the path - and watched as Slythe dragged himself out from hiding. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Did - you really think - I would let you escape?" the ghoul gasped - stalking closer. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "The hope had crossed my mind," Thomas muttered getting back up to his feet. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Your fool's quest will die with you. No one will mourn you - because - everyone that knew you - or of you - will die very soon," the ghoul strained - coughing up some noxious blood. "You can't stop the master - no one can - no one will," it strained. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "If so - why bother me? If I am doomed to fail - allowing me to leave should change nothing," he pointed out. The ghoul let out a weak laugh. "Worth a try," he muttered. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You - hurt me pretty bad - farmer. But once you are dead - and I have feasted - I will heal," the ghoul stated - grinning at Thomas. It then leaped at him! Thomas rolled out of the way and grabbed a large fallen branch. The ghoul jerked its neck over and glared at him. "That - stick won't hurt me," it hissed. Baring its claws and fangs it raced at Thomas. He wound up and smashed the stick against his attacker. The impact shattered the stick and knocked both of them off balance. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The ghoul almost instantly hopped up to his feet and glared at Thomas. It wiped a trickle of blood from the side of its dirty face - then licked the blood from his hand. Thomas tried to get up - but his foot was trapped under a rock! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You - are mine!" the ghoul hissed as it pounced again. Thomas pulled at his leg - his foot jerked free! He fell to the side! The ghoul shrieked out as a sickening impaling noise sounded. He slowly looked over and saw a broken branch from a fallen tree protruding right through his chest and out his back. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Be a good dead thing and die already," Thomas muttered. The ghoul strained to look over at him. There was a look of hate unlike anything he had ever seen glaring back at him - then - nothing. It died. "Okay - one down - god knows how many more to go," he complained. It was then that the body of the ghoul began to twitch. "Oh - you must be joking," he muttered. He watched as the ghoul slowly pushed itself from the branch and shambled back up to its feet. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You - villager - are a long way from home," a voice remarked. He looked over and saw a young looking woman. She was dressed in black robes that matched her dark black hair. Her face was stern as her eyes locked on his. He was going to remark when he saw that the reanimated ghoul - was shambling towards her. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Uhm - that - that thing is," Thomas began but stopped when he saw the ghoul turn and stand beside her. "You - did that," he muttered. The woman smirked and looked at the ghoul she had raised from the dead. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Your blatant mastery of the obvious astounds even me. You are in very unfriendly," she began as she looked over at the ghoul. "I recognize this one. He's the smart territorial one - or was," she remarked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "He - wanted me to kill the necromancer - that would be - you?" he asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Figure that out all by yourself?" she asked as a few skeletons and zombies rose up from the bushes around her. "Look - you seem like a nice enough fellow. And as I have gathered my quota of new recruits for the day. Why don't you go home before someone a great deal less - generous notices you?" she suggested as she began to walk away. Her minions shambled and did their best to keep up. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "But - why would he want you dead?" Thomas asked - the necromancer stopped and looked over at the villager that wasn't taking her advice. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Ghouls feed off the dead. My master uses the dead for minions - leave now. That offer won't be long standing," she warned seriously - she and her followers resumed walking. A part of Thomas said that he should listen to her - the rest was screaming at him to follow. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Is - is Rubius - your - master?" he hesitantly asked. She stopped walking and looked over her shoulder at him. He tried not to look as scared as he was feeling but he could tell by the way she was studying him that his best effort wasn't very good. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You - know of Rubius?" she asked curiously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Maybe," he replied coyly. She quietly laughed and made her way over to where he was standing. Much to his relief - the animated corpses remained where they were. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What's your name?" she asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Thomas," he replied. She reached up and slowly wrapped her arms around his neck. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Thomas? A handsome name. It suits you. Tell me? How is it that a villager so young - knows of Rubius?" she seductively asked. Thomas tried to think but something was clouding his thoughts - something more than her charms and whiles. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Just reading," he strained. He felt her hand gently trace across his cheek - a chill raced down his spine. "Heard - stories," he added. She smiled at him invitingly. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I love stories. Would you tell me one?" she whispered. He could not move. He felt paralyzed - feeling nothing save where her body touched his. He tried to speak - but no sound came out. He watched as she pulled him closer. He closed his eyes as he felt her lips brush against his. He felt a fire race through his body. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Once again - he felt like he was falling. He opened his eyes. Everything was warping and twisting - fading in and out - everything except - her. He watched helpless as she squatted down beside him - smiling a sinister smile. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What - happening?" he strained. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Many things my young friend - your limbs are turning rigid. Your heart is racing - your mind - is cloudy - so very cloudy," she chanted. He tried to fight the sensations - but nothing worked. It was as though his body was no longer his own. "You should have left well enough alone young one. But you pressed the issue. You had to know more," she continued. He watched as she moved a hand over his chest. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Ah - ah," he gasped. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Can you feel that? It is the feeling - of one's heart - stopping. Death follows. If you listen - you can hear his whisper," she whispered. Her voice echoed in his mind. In his ears he could hear his heart slowing. His vision clouded - his eyes fluttered. Darkness began to slowly engulf him whole. He heard his heart beat one last time - then silence! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| To be continued... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||