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| Whisper of a Demon's Shadow | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By Richard LeBlanc | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The lines between the real | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| And the fantastic will blur | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| From the temple of darkness | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shall they tread to the sleeping fire... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ...The Prophecy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chapter Seventeen: The Frozen Heart | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| If ever there was a moment when the questing band would question the word of Rubius - now was not that time. Since their escape from the tainted, desecrated temple - an army unlike anything any of them had ever seen began to march outward in search of them. From a small cave that was formed by the roots of an old tree the gathering watched as dozens of sinister looking soldiers moved. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Looks like the boy means business," Gailin remarked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "So do we," Thomas reassured. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "How are we supposed to get to Rubius with these wandering hunting parties meandering about?" Louie asked seriously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Rubius is scared. He never thought the lad would make it this far. He never believed that he would obtain so many of the items needed to fulfill the prophecy. He can't take any chances now. That is why he is pulling out all the stops," Gnar mentioned. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "And this helps us how?" Louie remarked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "The fact that he is scared is our advantage. If he has all of his army searching for us - that means his keep is unguarded," the dwarf pointed out. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Oh - I see. And these meandering legions of the damned will let us waltz right up to his front door?" Louie sarcastically asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Probably not - but once we have the last piece of the puzzle - the Waking Soul - it won't matter. Just being near the other pieces of antiquity I can feel the power of the Tear of Darkness intensify. Surely you must be feeling the same," Gnar pointed out. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Oh it is. I see us dying. I see all of this meaning nothing. Imagine how little that is reassuring me," Louie pointed out. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "If you wish to leave - I won't stop you," Thomas reassured. The thief got up and walked over to where the chosen one was. "In fact - I wouldn't blame you," he added. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "If that was an option believe me I would have taken it. I can not tell you how many times I have awoken in the night to such horrific visions - all of which - are caused by us and what we are doing," he muttered. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "There is always two choices. I can not go back. I owe it to Tia - and all she gave up so that we could go on. If any of you owed me anything - it has been more than repaid," Thomas stated calmly looking at his companions. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I came this far - I am not going to turn away now," Gnar stated. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I pledged my life to your cause. Nothing has changed," Gailin remarked. Louie groaned and shook his head. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "If I go - you will die. I do not know - what is going on here - but I do know that something is not what it seems. There is something - that the prophecy is leaving out - and that scares me far more than Rubius ever will," the thief stated. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I am sure - that before all this is over - we will have all the answers," Thomas reassured. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I hope you are right. so - what does that funky piece of jewelry around your neck do? Things have been semi-chaotic since we got out of that wretched place. Any ideas?" Louie asked. Thomas sighed and moved his hand to his neck. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I have no idea," he replied. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I am sure," Gailin began but abruptly stopped. Thomas darted his eyes over at the monk and saw that he appeared to be paralyzed. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Gailin?" Thomas asked as he hurried over. He waved his hand before the unmoving monk - no reaction. He looked to the thief and the dwarf - they too were frozen. He was about to panic - fearing he was losing his mind when he noticed the jewel on his neck pulsing a blue light. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "They can't hear you," a soft voice stated. He spun around and saw Lia standing where he had been. "No one else can either. You have stepped out of time," she added. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Did you do this?" he asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "No - you are. That is the power of the Frozen Heart - to stop the flow of time - albeit for a short instant. But from here - this - quiet place - it seems like much longer," she pointed out. Thomas walked over to where she was and looked at her for a few moments. "Is there a problem?" she asked curiously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You do not look like a ghost," he stated. She smiled as she reached forward and touched his cheek with the back of her hand. "Am I dead?" he nervously asked. She quietly laughed and shook her head. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "In this place - you are more like me - than I like you. Try to touch them," she suggested. He reached over to grab Louie by the shoulder - his hand passed harmlessly through the thief. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "How is it that you are here?" he asked curiously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Rubius - his attention is not what it used to be," she began as she walked by him - exiting the cave. Thomas quickly followed and saw patrolling soldiers frozen in time. "You have him scared. He knows his time is almost done," she added with a smile. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "He will be made to pay for what he has done," he remarked seriously. Lia sighed and lowered her eyes. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "That Tia girl?" she asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Yes," he modestly admitted. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I saw you with her since your paths crossed. She must have meant a lot to you," she stated - walking over to where he was. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I loved her - I just never got the chance to tell her," he stated - trying to lock away the emotion - trying to stay focused on the task at hand. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I am sorry for your loss," she commented as she held his hand in hers. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "His time is coming - fast," he stated. Lia smiled as she kissed his hands. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Ever since that foul bastard went on that rampage - slaughtering those countless thousands - I have longed for this day - the day when justice would finally be done - when this black curtain of darkness is lifted from the land," she said contently. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "For every person he has hurt - for every life he has poisoned with his taint - he shall be," he began as she moved his hands to her breasts. "What?" he muttered modestly. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Soon - I shall be freed of this damnable prison. Free to rest with my family - my ancestors. You have done - so much - selflessly for me - allow me to thank my savior - in a manner befitting," she sighed as she leaned forward and began to passionately kiss him. he was mildly stunned at first - but found himself slowly succumbing to her warm embrace. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| How much time had passed - he could not say - every second and minute he spent in her arms seemed as an hour or day. Thomas sighed as he looked up at the unmoving birds that were frozen in time. He then looked down at the woman that was snuggled up next to him. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Mmm I have longed to be held and touched for so long - I fear - that I might awaken and find that all of this is but a sweet and fragile dream," she whispered as she looked up at him. Thomas smiled as he looked down at her. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I don't think this is a dream," he reassured. She smiled as she moved up and lightly kissed him on the lips. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I think you are right," she remarked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Will - you remember me - when I am gone?" she asked curiously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I doubt that I could ever forget you," he reassured. She smiled. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Good - I don't think I could go on knowing that the love of my life - the one who has done so much for me - forgot me," she remarked as she snuggled up next to him. he was going to remark when the bird he had noticed before twitched. "Problem?" she asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "That bird just moved," he stated. Lia quickly got up and began to get dressed. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "The power of the Heart - is fading. You must go back," she stated. He nodded and quickly put his clothes back on. The two looked over at each other and smiled. She ran over and the two began passionately kissing again. She pulled away and looked at him with a deathly serious look in her eyes. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What?" he asked hesitantly. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Rubius - he fears you now more than ever. Once you have the Power of the Waking Soul - he will be powerless to stop you. He will try many things to sway you - confuse you. And he may even turn a trusted friend against you. If you turn away - at any point - all will be lost," she warned as the bird twitched again. "Hurry! Back to your friends!" she cried out. Thomas hurried back towards the cave. As he ran he could see the glow from the Frozen Heart growing dimmer. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Have to hurry," he muttered as he dived into the cave - rolling across the floor of the cave and crashing into the far wall. The glow from the Heart - completely faded. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "He will figure it out - Thomas - what are you doing on the floor?" Gailin completed. Louie looked down and saw Thomas panting. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Okay - I missed something," Louie stated. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "The Heart - it freezes time. It allows me to move freely as everything else remains frozen," he stated touching his neck. Louie whistled as he put his arm around Thomas's shoulders. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You know - after we deal with that Rubius guy - you think maybe that we could switch? Eye for the Heart? That little toy could really come in handy for a guy of my chosen profession," he humorously asked. Thomas smiled and quietly laughed. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Let us stay focused to one task at a time," he suggested. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Good idea - I feel that Rubius shall be a bigger task that we think. We must remained focused on him," Gailin added. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Fair enough but after," Louie playfully hinted. The others laughed as they then began to discuss possible plans of action on how they would get the next artifact they needed - the Waking Soul! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| To be continued... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||