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| Whisper of a Demon's Shadow | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By Richard LeBlanc | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The pieces shall be gathered before him | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The stage shall be set for the final endgame | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The game will begin - or end | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| But only the chosen - will stand over the darkness... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ...The Prophecy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chapter Twenty: the destined | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| They had traveled long and hard to get to the village that sat in the grim ominous shadow of Rubius' castle. Thomas was still limp and was being carried by Gnar and Louie. His fight and injuries took more out of him than he knew. For a few long seconds - they all looked at the castle - the place they knew their destinies would take them - or him. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "A sound sleeper the boy is," Gnar stated. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "He's been through a lot," Louie pointed out. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Be that as it may - I fear that his sleep is not natural," Gailin remarked. They took Thomas to the remnants of a small house and continued to talk of the situation. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In another place - Thomas opened his eyes. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Where am I?" he asked tiredly. It was then that a slender arm reached over and caressed his chest. He looked over and saw Lia smiling at him. "How did I get here - and where - is here?" he asked as he looked around the lavish room. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "The power of the Waking Soul created this place. It makes all of this real - all that you want and wish," she said softly. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Last thing I remember," he began. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "That fight? I saw it. You were magnificent. The way you moved - fought - taking down an army of thousands single handed - Mmm. Was all I could do to keep myself from jumping you in your sleep," she remarked. Thomas sat up and almost instantly felt dizzy. "Problem?" she asked as she crawled over and began to rub and massage his neck and shoulders. He closed his eyes and sighed. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Was a little dizzy," he stated. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You have been through much. More than any should have," she reassured as she wrapped her arms around him. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You - said - the Waking Soul - created all this?" he asked in modest disbelief. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Yes," she whispered in his ear. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "How?" he asked. She moaned as she crawled over and stood before him. He modestly blushed as he saw her standing - wearing a white translucent nightgown that left absolutely nothing to the imagination. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "The power of the Waking Soul - is one that allows you to master every facet of that which lies within a dream - your dream," she explained. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "That's ridiculous," he stated. She quietly laughed. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Put it to the test my champion. Let's see," she began as she noticed him staring at her more womanly attributes. "Okay - my clothes - think - of something you would like to see me wear," she challenged. He looked at her for a moment. Her nightgown sifted and shifted and changed into an elegant white dress. "You have exquisite taste," she remarked as she modeled the new dress. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I - did that?" he asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Of course. This - power of yours - you will need it when you face Rubius. For here - in the realm of dreams is where his dark power is at its peak," she warned as she walked over and straddled his lap. "Will you be up to facing his power?" she asked seductively. In the blink of an eye - all of her clothes had vanished. "Oh my," she remarked with a giggle. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You mind?" he asked - putting his arms around her. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Not at all," she replied as the two laid down on the large bed. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Just then he awoke and saw his friends looking down at him. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Something wrong?" he asked hesitantly - slowly sitting up. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Nothing much. You were just sleeping soundly for two solid days. I have a bad feeling about all this," Louie muttered. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Where are we?" Thomas asked - completely ignoring the thief. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "A village that rests in the shadow of Rubius' castle," Gailin replied. Thomas made his way passed his friends and looked around. Within seconds he could see the dark spires - weathered, blackened towers - the jagged time worn walls. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I can feel that dark bastard watching me even now," Thomas muttered. He looked back at his friends and could see the worry in their eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "There is - something different - about you," Louie remarked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What are you talking about?" Thomas asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "At first - I thought it was just the fact that we were getting closer to completing the prophecy - completing this quest - but it is deeper than that," Louie stated. Thomas walked over and stared the thief in the eye. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "The evil that Rubius has brought to this land - has taken so much - more than can ever be replaced. Now you are standing her," Thomas began - Louie raised his hands and backed away from the near enraged friend. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Hold on hero. Where is all this anger coming from? What have I or any of us done save help you and save your ass time and time again?" he asked seriously. Thomas was going to argue the issue further but groaned and shook his head. "If you think that any of us are attacking you - we aren't. We are just trying to look out for you," he added. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I know. Just - everything is happening so fast. At times - I don't know what is real or dream," Thomas remarked looking at the distant towering castle. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "That is the power of Rubius - to cloud that line and make you doubt what is real," Gnar stated Thomas looked over at the dwarf. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "To what end?" Thomas asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "If you know something is nothing more than an elaborate dream - then you will worry less - you might even take unnecessary chances or do things out of character. If you know you are in a dream - and you are about to be killed by some monstrous beast - you can will yourself to wake up. But - if that line is blurred - you could be in the real world. And when you try to wake yourself," the dwarf explained. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "He would kill me with ease," Thomas completed. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Exactly," the dwarf stated. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Such is why you must be vigilant. If you lose yourself to what is real and what is imagined - none of us will stand a chance," Gailin pointed out. Thomas nodded. It was then that the trees and bushes of the surrounding forest began to rustle. "No wind," the monk pointed out. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Something in the forest," Gnar stated - drawing his axe. An unnatural howl resonated in the night. "Wolf," he added with a snarl. More howls joined the chorus. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Lots of wolves," Louie muttered as he and the others stood back to back. It was then that a horse-sized wolf leaped out from the bushes and landed on the roof on one of the cottage-like houses. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Big wolves," Gailin remarked. They all watched as dozens of wolves of all types and sizes began to filter out from the forest and surround them. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Nasty looking bunch - I'll give them that," Louis muttered. Each of them kept their eyes on the pack of wolves that was slowly circling them. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Why aren't they attacking?" Thomas asked. It was then that a larger house was shattered. Through the smoke of the ruins - they could see a manlike beast that stood over ten-feet tall. When the dust settled they were all in mild awe at the sight of monstrous werewolf. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Oh my - that thing is huge," Louie muttered. The beast roared at the gathering. It was then that the pack pounced. Gnar growled as he spun around. A fire aura pulsed around him and his huge weapon. His axe cleaved through one wolf - and cut three others. Gailin was able to deflect a few of the smaller wolves with his staff mastery. Gailin used his thief-like agility to flip the airborne wolves away from him. Thomas stood motionless as none of the wolves seemed to go near him. he looked over at the werewolf and could see it staring back at him. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Don't just stand there lad," Gnar barked. Thomas walked away from his friends and made his way towards the snarling werewolf. "Lad?" he called out - but it was clear that Thomas couldn't hear him over the snarling wolves. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "There is more to you than you appear," Thomas muttered. The werewolf leaped at him. The others watched as both the werewolf and Thomas seemingly disappeared. A powerful wind blew around them. Just then the werewolf flew through the air and smashed into a nearby building. The others looked over and saw Thomas standing in midair with his fist extended. "Show your true form Rubius - I know it's you," he hissed. The werewolf growled and smirked. The others stepped back when the beast shifted into its true form - that of Rubius. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You are better than I wagered. But you can not stop me - none of you can," Rubius remarked as he and Thomas vanished. Powerful winds began to spiral around them and the village. It was then that they heard the echoing laugh of Rubius. They saw him appear in the air - but Thomas was no where to be seen. Just then Thomas landed hard on his neck before his friends. They saw him twitching and trying to get up but pain was stopping him. "Now to finish this like I should have since you started this madness," Rubius began. Almost instantly Thomas' allies were between Rubius and the fallen hero. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You want him you will have to go through us," Gailin hissed. Rubius was going to address the monk when he looked over and saw Lia tending to Thomas - and smiling at him. Rubius took a step forward but a jolt of pain stabbed at him. He looked down at his arm and saw where Thomas had hit him - it was bleeding - badly. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "This is far from over!" Rubius barked as a powerful wind blew against the gathering - forcing them to shield their eyes. When the wind died down - Rubius was gone. They then looked back at Thomas who was groaning and twitching. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "If this is a preview as to how this is going to end - I want to be in a different book," Louie muttered. Thomas opened his eyes and forced himself to his feet. The others could tell that it was taking an enormous effort just to stand. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I underestimated you this time - that - will not - happen again," Thomas growled. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| To be continued... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||