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| Whisper of a Demon's Shadow | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By Richard LeBlanc | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A screaming whisper | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The image before the blind | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| An echo behind the deaf | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Everything - yet nothing... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ...The Prophecy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chapter Fifteen: memories and dreams | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Although the three had filled Gailin in on all that he had missed since the days he had last walked the earth - the monk was having a hard time believing all that he was hearing. He let out a disheartened sigh and looked deep into the campfire that was before them. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Had I not let lust rule my thoughts - had I remained true to my task - none of this would have come to pass," the monk said solemnly. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You don't know that," Louie remarked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Don't I? When the fate of the world is at stake - the life of one man - can sometimes tip that balance. I wasn't there when my brothers fell. I should have been there with them. If I was - perhaps - just perhaps they might have succeeded," he replied. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Or you would have died with them," Thomas pointed out. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Better to have died - being true to the teachings of my goddess than living with the shame of what I had done. What I allowed to happen," Gailin muttered. He sighed as he looked over at Thomas. "Have you encountered any of his forces yet?" he asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Forces?" Thomas asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "His army?" he asked - a confused look was his answer. "Rubius?" he added. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "We have only encountered the odd creature loyal to him. The closest we have come to seeing an army of his was the goblins in the mines," Gnar replied seriously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You - mean - his army is dead?" he asked in modest disbelief. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Most likely," Louie added in - taking a sip from his flask. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Praise the goddess - were the order not tainted by his presence - I would return there - muster all the monks and raise his black citadel," he replied - a mix of happiness and disgust crossed his face. Thomas put his hand on the monk's shoulder. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "An army would be nice - but for now - I think we are it," he pointed out. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "In that time so long ago - a small band of us - we tried to do such a feat. I can feel in my heart and soul - that this time we shall do it right. This time we shall succeed - this time - Rubius will fall - and order will once again be restored," Gailin stated confidently. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I'll drink to that," Gnar remarked taking a sip from his wineskin. Thomas stretched out by the fire as the three continued to talk. He watched as the flames danced and began to slowly drift off to sleep. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I wonder - what you are thinking about," a familiar voice asked. His eyes blinked open. He was in a dark place by a pond. He looked over and saw Tia sitting beside him. Thomas looked over his shoulder and saw Gnar and Louie talking loudly about their worldly exploits with numerous women. Tia looked back and smirked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Do I want to know what they are talking about?" she asked curiously. Thomas reached over and touched her. His hand jerked away. She looked at him and could see the worry mixed with confusion. "Are you okay?" she asked hesitantly. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I don't know," he muttered. She reached over and placed her hands on his cheeks. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Did you have a bad dream?" she asked seriously. He nodded. "What did you see?" she asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You - you died. I can't go through with this," he muttered. He tried to pull away but she firmly yet gently held him in place. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Calm down - I'm right here," she reassured. "What happened in this dream?" she asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "At the tower - we - made it to the top - and the count - he was alive. You - killed yourself to save me - to keep him from getting the Tear and the Eye," he muttered. Tia sighed and gently brushed her hand against his cheek. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You - you would give up the world - just to save me?" she asked in modest disbelief. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I - love you - could I do less?" he replied passively. She smiled and modestly blushed. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I - I don't know what to say. I've never had anyone care for me that much before. But - I can't let you walk away from this quest. It is too important," she whispered. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "But - I don't want to lose you," he whispered. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "If - if I am to perish. I do so - for you - for your destiny - because - I love you," she reassured. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What good is destiny if you are not there with me?" he protested. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Thomas - we can not change what is meant to be. We can not run from fate. What will be will be. If - if my time is limited. I don't want to waste any of it," she began as she slowly got up. Thomas watched as she slowly slid out of her robe. He blushed as the necromancer stood before him nude. She stepped from her robe and then knelt down before him. "Be with me - I want you to touch me as though tonight - was our last night together," she whispered seductively. She wrapped her arms around his neck and began to passionately kiss him. Slowly his arms encircled her as the two slowly laid down on the ground. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What if they happen by?" he asked hesitantly. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I don't care," she replied as she pulled him down onto her. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| How much time had passed - was hard to say. Gnar and Louie had fallen asleep by the fire. Thomas sighed as he looked down at Tia and how peace she looked resting with her head on his chest. He held her close - feeling her heart beating. She slowly stirred from her sound slumber and looked up at him. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I can't believe we did that," he whispered. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Do - you regret?" she began. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "No! I mean - no. I - wanted you since - well since I first saw you," he replied modestly. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I'm glad. I've never been with anyone like you. You care so much about me. I'm not used to that," she commented. Thomas ran his fingers through her hair. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Well - you better start," he teased. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I'll try. I was worried - that - you would think ill of me - because of what the count - made me do. That someone like you would - never want someone like me," she hesitantly admitted. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What is in the past belongs there - unless it helps the future. I don't care about anything you might have done or were forced to do - all I care about is you," he stated seriously. She smiled as she snuggled close to him. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You can't know - how much that means - to hear you say such things," she sighed contently. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I mean it," he added. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I know," she sighed as she traced her fingers over his chest. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I still don't know though," he began. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "About what?" she asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Going on. I don't want to lose you - you mean so much to me," he added. She sighed placed her hand over his beating heart. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I - never had much. My family - they were taken from me when I was young. And the count - well he didn't make me feel very good about myself. For - a while I seriously didn't think - that my life mattered. Then I met you," she began but stopped. "To be honest - I'm scared. I've never had a reason to want to live until now - yet - my life - it could make a difference. My life - my death - might actually help save the world," she added shaking her head. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I would - give anything for all of this nonsense to be some crazy dream - that we could just stay here in this moment forever," he commented. She smiled as she looked up at him. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Promise me," she began. He looked down and saw her with tears forming in her eyes. "Promise me that - if anything bad happens to me - that you won't give up. If you do - it will have been for nothing. I think I could live - with the thought of failing you - but I could never rest - if my death cost you everything - if my death - was for nothing," she sobbed. He closed his eyes, put his arms around her and held her close. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I swear - I won't let you down," he whispered. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Won't let who down?" a voice asked. He opened his eyes and sat up. He looked around in a mild panic. He saw Gailin, Louie and Gnar looking at him. A pang of pain stabbed at Thomas. He closed his eyes and shook his head. It was all a dream - he had lost her all over again. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Leave him be - he was dreaming about her," Louie remarked handing Thomas his flask. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "How did you know?" Thomas asked curiously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I've been there. Everything - was so real - then I awoke - she was gone - and all that was there - was the pain. It doesn't go away - it will always be there - but - after a while - it stops hurting. The memories - the dreams make you smile - and even laugh," the thief remarked with a smirk. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "How long does that take?" Thomas asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Different people - different time. It took me years - I've seen some people move in on days or weeks. All we need to do - is keep you focused," Louie answered. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Or distracted - I know a place where there are some fine maidens that will redden your cheeks," Gnar remarked. Thomas blushed and looked down at the fire. They all laughed as they continued to talk. Thomas then looked over towards where the tower was - where he has lost her. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| I won't forget you - and I won't let you down. He thought confidently. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| To be continued... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||