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| Whisper of a Demon's Shadow | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By Richard LeBlanc | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Of sacrifice he shall know | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Yet he shall carry on | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The burdens may be heavy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| But his will is strong... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ...The Prophecy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chapter Thirteen: decisions | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gnar and Louie looked over at Thomas and saw as he looked distantly outward to the east. Behind them in the distance was the tower. Not once - did Thomas look back. In his mind - he could still see the look on Tia's face - hear her last words - as she and the charred count fell out of sight. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You have to stop doing this Thomas," Louie stated. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Doing what?" Thomas dryly asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Beating yourself up. The journey ahead will have far more than its share of creatures and things that will do that for you," Gnar pointed out. Thomas sighed and got up. He knew they meant well - but they clearly did not understand what he was going through. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I'm going for a walk," Thomas stated. Louie got up to follow - but was held back by the dwarf. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Lad needs some space to sort this out," he stated. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What if he," Louie began. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "He ain't helpless lad. He'll come back," Gnar reassured. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A short distance away - Thomas still looked to the east. A part of him wanted to just quit and be done with all of it. Had he known that continuing the quest would cost Tia her life - he would have stopped long ago. But he didn't - and she paid the price. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You mustn't blame yourself," a familiar voice called to him. He looked over his shoulder and saw a concerned looking Lia standing by a tree that faced the east. "She did what she did - for you," she added softly. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Am I the only one that cares that she's gone?" he muttered in disbelief. A hurt look crossed Lia's face. He sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry - I shouldn't," he began but stopped. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You loved her - didn't you?" she asked curiously - walking over to where he was. He looked down at the ground. Lia placed her hand on his shoulder. Thomas sighed and placed his hand on hers. It felt real and alive. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What good does that do now - I never even got the chance to tell her?" he muttered. He turned and looked at the distant silhouette of the tower. Lia reached over and cupped his chin with two fingers - then moved his face over so that he was looking at her. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "If you loved her - she will be in your heart - your thoughts - and dreams. She may not be with you now - but she will always be a part of you," she whispered - brushing her thumb across his lips. "Wherever you go," she began. Thomas felt a breeze blow against him - he blinked. All of a sudden - it wasn't Lia standing before him - it was Tia! "I will be with you," she whispered. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Is it really you?" he almost stuttered. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "We - will always be together," Tia began as she lightly touched him on the chest - over his heart - and on his forehead. "Where it matters - where it counts," she added quietly. Thomas sighed as he held her hands tight. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "But - the tower - you," he began. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "So long as you think of me - I can never truly die. Whenever you close your eyes - whenever you imagine or daydream - I will be with you. Loving you - as you have me," she said softly. It was then that a dark wind began to blow across the land. Tia and Thomas shielded their eyes from the storm as best they could. It was then that Rubius appeared. Thomas stood between Tia and the grim looking specter. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Your pathetic antics will not change anything! This prophecy can not and will not come to pass. Abandon this quest - before everything you know - desired - and loved - fades - and becomes reborn as a nightmare," he warned. His raspy voice sent a shiver down Thomas's spine. He wanted to run and hide - but an anger welled inside him that eclipsed all fear. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Oh - and if I walk away now - they will be spared?" he asked in disbelief. The specter looked over Thomas at Tia. She was glaring back at him. Rubius returned his attention to the young questing hero. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "They - yes - you no. you are too dangerous and headstrong. You will bring chaos and ruin if you are allowed to walk free. Learn a lesson brash one - listen - heed it - the life of one - is not worth millions," he stated as the storm blew against them knocking them down. Thomas looked over horrified as Tia was taken away by the gale-like winds. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Tia!" he screamed out. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Just then he awoke to a hard slap to the face. He looked over and saw Louie and Gnar staring at him. he moved a hand to his stinging cheek and then looked at the thief that slapped him. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You know - I heard of talking in your sleep - but I draw the line at screaming," he stated seriously - looking around the shadows of the night to see if the display had attracted unwanted attention. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What are you talking about?" Thomas asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You seriously don't know? We set up camp almost two days ago," Gnar stated. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Two days?" Thomas asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Aye - we got here - we set up camp and then you were out like a torch - sleeping like the dead. Nothing we did came close to waking you. I tell you - it was no natural sleep," the dwarf stated seriously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Must have been a hell of a dream to make you scream out like that," Louie stated - convinced that the surroundings were safe. Thomas looked to the east and scowled. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I saw Rubius," he muttered. Instantly he had their undivided attention. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Tell me he didn't just say that," Louie remarked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Would that I could. What did you see?" the dwarf asked seriously. Thomas looked to the south and pointed. Gnar picked up his axe. "Stay here," he said to the thief. He then stalked his way over in that direction. Once there he stopped dead in his tracks. "Lads - I think you both should come here," he added hesitantly. Louie helped Thomas up and the two walked over to where the dwarf was. Louie was going to ask what it was when he saw a warning scorched into the ground. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "The lives of millions shall be weighed by the few. Turn back - lest the millions perish," Louie read aloud. "That wasn't here yesterday," he pointed out. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "In this dream - as much as you can remember - what - did you see?" Gnar repeated. Thomas sighed and shook his head. Everything was fading like a mist before the rising dawn. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Uhm - I was talking with Lia," he began. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You mean Tia?" Louie asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "No - Lia - she is a ghost - someone trapped by Rubius. Then it changed - Tia was there. We were talking. Then hell started breaking loose. Rubius appeared and was talking nonsense. Next thing I know - a powerful wind took Tia away," he muttered dryly. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "No wonder you screamed. Oh - sorry bout the slap. I just didn't know another way to get your attention," Louie remarked civilly. Thomas knelt down and traced his fingers over the warning. Much to their surprise - it faded. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Trouble?" Louie asked drawing the Eye of Light. Gnar wielded his great axe - the fiery aura began to pulse around him. Thomas closed his eyes and concentrated on the power of the Burning Star - although what it was - he did not know. Both Gnar and Louie were stunned when Thomas flew straight up into the air. "That was unexpected," the thief muttered. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| High above - Thomas hovered against the strong winds that sought to fling him like a toy. In spite of the darkness he could see as clear as though it were day. He could see the state of ruin the land was in. The shadow of darkness that seemed to be following them along every step of their journey. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| To the east - he saw an ancient looking bridge that stretched across a wide jagged canyon. Beyond the canyon he saw ruined buildings. Structures that must have stood tall and strong before the taint of darkness. It was then that his eyes fixated on that distant castle. It was the same castle he had seen in his dreams - and nightmares. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The castle violently exploded upwards in a pillar of molten lava smoke and fire. Thomas stood strong against the unforgiving elements and watched as the thick black smoke - took on the form of Rubius. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You fool! Your cursed prophecy must never come to pass!" the towering specter reached for Thomas with a hand the size of a small castle reached over. Thomas looked around and watched as giant claw-like fingers made of black smoke and fire closing in around him. The black smoke engulfed Thomas. He could barely breathe. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Thomas sat up in a cold sweat. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| He looked around the campsite and saw Louie and Gnar fast asleep. He slowly got up and looked out to the east. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "If you think - you can scare me off now Rubius - you are sadly - foolishly mistaken," he hissed. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| To be continued... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||