| Whisper of a Demon's Shadow |
| By Richard LeBlanc |
| Old evil will awake |
| As the chosen nears |
| Nothing can stop the end |
| Save the heart of the hero... |
| ...The Prophecy |
| Chapter Twenty-One: wrath and reason |
| In the forest a short distance away from the ruined village that rested in the shadow of Rubius' ominous castle - the questing band was resting once more. The fight that had happened the night before between Rubius and Thomas - had taken more out of the chosen one that the others first suspected. |
| Louie the thief and Gnar the dwarf warrior vigilantly patrolled the area surrounding their campsite. Gailin the warrior monk stayed with the hero that was resting soundly. |
| "I do not like how you can sleep so soundly amidst this cursed place," the monk muttered as he looked around. He could see his allies making sure that their surroundings remained safe and secure. "I wonder what power protects you - and makes rest so easy to you," he added quietly. |
| In another place - Thomas was relaxing in a scenic river. Around him Lia was swimming. |
| "Are you well beloved?" she asked - playfully splashing him. |
| "The fight took a lot out of me," he stated - swimming over to where she was and pulling her close to him. "But - the more I'm with you - the stronger I feel - why is that?" he asked. Lia smiled as she wrapped her legs around his hips. |
| "It is not me beloved. The strength is within you. It is all in you," she reassured tracing her hands over his chest. "All I fear I do is distract you," she remarked with a smirk. He sighed as he slid his arms around her. |
| "You know that isn't true. I wouldn't be where I am today if not for you and what you have done for me," he stated calmly. She smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck. |
| "I am flattered beloved. The time of prophecy is almost at hand - and a danger greater than anything you have encountered approaches. If you are not strong," she began. |
| "Nothing is going to stop me from dealing with Rubius. He's going to pay for everything he's done," he rebutted seriously. She smiled - running her fingers through his hair. |
| "If your heart wavers - if you are not strong - the prophecy will not come to pass," she stated seriously. He looked at her for a moment and could see the worry that was in her eyes. |
| "You know something," he stated. |
| "Not everything - but - I know - that Rubius has turned one of your people against you. I do not know how or why - but - one will try to sway you from your path. You must be strong. Remember this if nothing else - if your heart wavers - the prophecy will falter and Rubius will win," she stated. |
| Just then Thomas awoke and sat up. |
| "Troubles?" Gailin asked. Thomas looked at the monk and shook his head. |
| "Nothing - just an unsettling dream," he stated as he slowly got up. He looked over at the thief Louie who was talking with Gnar. He then remembered back to when he gave Louie the Eye of Light. He remembered how the thief warned him to never to trust him. He then looked over at Gailin - he had spent so long in the thrall of the powers of darkness - was he truly free? He then turned his attention to Gnar. How much did he really know about the dwarf he entrusted the power of Tear of Darkness. |
| "You look," Gailin began as powerful winds began to rustle through the forest. Instantly the band was united and formed a circle with their backs to the fire. "I sense dark power," he stated seriously. |
| "Your grasp for the obvious is admirable," Louie stated. A blur of motion flew by - knocking Gnar's huge axe from his hands - then vanished into the forest that was behind the dwarf. The others looked to where the blur had vanished - Thomas looked the other way. There he saw a cloaked person standing in the shadows of the forest watching. |
| "I see you," Thomas muttered. The person turned and bolted. "Oh no you don't," he hissed as he blinked out of sight like an arrow in flight. |
| "Thomas!" Louie shouted out. He was going to follow - but a dark figure appeared in the way. It was the vampire count - only he was fully healed. "Who - or what are you?" he asked seriously. |
| "Just - an interested by-standard," the count remarked. Keeping his eyes on the three people that were intent on getting passed him to aid their friend and ally - a task he was empowered to prevent. |
| I hope you know what you are doing Tia. He thought as he studied the markings on what Gailin was wearing. Great - old world battle monk. He could be trouble. He thought as he saw the three attempting to circle him. |
| In the forest - the cloaked person was running faster - her hood fell down as she ran through the darkness. It was then that a blur of motion rammed into her and knocked her to the ground. |
| Two people rolled and crashed into a tree. |
| Thomas groaned as he got up and drew his enchanted blade. |
| "Whoever you are," he began but turned pale when he saw Tia looking back at him. "Oh - my god. No - you - you died," he muttered - backing away from her. Tia strained to get up - but the impact with the tree had broken her leg. |
| "Please - I don't know how much time," she began as she used the tree to pull herself up. |
| "This must be a dream," he rationalized. |
| "This is no dream Thomas - it is real - all too real," she stated - clinging to a branch. |
| "But you're dead," he stammered. |
| "Please listen to me," she began - but sharp pain in her leg silenced her. "Oh god it hurts," she whimpered. She had been hurt before - but why now was the pain so crippling. It was then that she saw an aura behind Thomas. |
| "What is going on here?" Thomas asked. |
| "She is the one," Lia whispered behind him. Thomas never took his eyes of Tia. "She is the one I saw - the one that Rubius got to," she added. |
| "No - she gave her life so that we could go on," he rebutted. |
| "I did! Ow - I was wrong - ah - god," she strained as she lost her grip on the branch and fell to the ground. Please - things are not," she began. |
| "She is the one," Lia reiterated. |
| "No! You are wrong!" Thomas protested. |
| "Who are you - oh - she's here," Tia stated as she focused on the aura behind Thomas and saw it taking on the form of a human female. All of a sudden the pain didn't seem as bad. Anger replaced the pain. "You are being used," she stated. |
| "Used?" Thomas muttered |
| "She is lying. She has thrown her fate to your enemy. She has cast her die with Rubius so that her life would be spared," Lia stated seriously. Thomas looked over his shoulder at Lia and then at Tia who was glaring in his direction. |
| "She wouldn't do that," he stated. |
| "Oh so?" Lia rebutted. |
| "What is she saying? Is she saying that I'm the enemy?" Tia asked seriously. |
| "More or less - but I know that can't be - not after everything we've," he began - but a confused look was looking back at him. |
| "What are you talking about?" Tia asked hesitantly. |
| "Before tower - we?" he began. |
| "All we did was talk and kiss. I wanted more - but - you were worried the others might happen by. Truth be told - I was sort of glad you did. If we were to be together like that - I wanted it to be in a special place," she stated. |
| "But - I remembered it. As clear as," he began. |
| "Thomas - it was a dream. One your friend had a hand in I'm sure," she strained as a jolt of pain shot through her body. |
| "She is trying to confuse you beloved. She cast her fate to Rubius. She no longer wishes to aid you - she seeks to stop you. Rubius spared her - saved her in that tower - because he knew that her pretty face - her shapely form might be able to sway you," Lia whispered. Thomas looked over at Lia and then back at the woman that was on all fours in pain. |
| "You are wrong," he muttered. |
| "Am I? Ask her to show you her wrists. If you won't believe me - believe your eyes," she suggested. Thomas looked over at Tia. |
| "What? What did she say?" Tia hesitantly asked. |
| "Show me your wrists," he hesitantly requested. Tia turned pale. She slowly sat down and held her hands close to her belly. "What do you not want me to see?" he asked hesitantly. Tia reluctantly showed her wrists. On both were bite marks. "The count - he survived too," he stated. |
| "He told me some things he hadn't before," she began. |
| "You said he abused you," he began. |
| "He did," she began. |
| "Did he do that to you? Did he force you?" he asked. Tia glared at the woman that was standing behind him. She was starting to smile. |
| "We were at the base of the tower - I don't know for how long. That was when he started rambling. It made no sense at first - then unfortunately it began to. The prophecy - it is a lie Thomas. It is not what you think it is," she warned. |
| "He - serves Rubius," he stated. Tia closed her eyes. |
| "Listen to me - Lia is not - ah," she began but a jolt of pain cut her off. |
| "Does he serve Rubius?" Thomas asked. |
| "Yes - but this is not about," Tia began. |
| "You helped him? He wants me dead. Both he and Rubius," he stated. |
| "No - they don't. He did at first - he was scared. You are coming dangerously to undoing something you do not fully understand. If you fulfill the prophecy - you will set into play - ahh!" Tia gasped as she fell over holding her head. |
| "What is she talking about?" Thomas asked. |
| "She seeks to sway you from your destiny - just as all of the villains and monsters before her have. She will say anything to get you step aside - to step away from your fate. She is Rubius' handmaiden now as much as she was when you first met," Lia warned. |
| "Tia!" a voice shouted a blur of motion whizzed by. Just then - the count was standing between the confused chosen one and the weakened necromancer. "Did he do this to you?" he asked angrily. |
| "No - yes - it was an accident," Tia replied timidly. |
| "Looks like your plan isn't working. She has her hooks in too deep," the count muttered. |
| "I thought you were keeping the others busy," Tia began as the others surrounded them. |
| "I heard you cry out," he stated. |
| "Tia? You - you're alive?" Louie asked. |
| "Lass - how is it that you survived?" Gnar asked. |
| "Good question," Thomas asked. |
| "You plan isn't working. They aren't going to listen to reason," the count replied. |
| "Who is that guy - why does he seem familiar?" Louie asked. |
| "He's the vampire that tried to kill Tia in the tower," Thomas remarked. |
| "They seem pretty chummy now," Gailin stated. |
| "If you have any more ideas - please don't keep them secret," the count muttered. |
| "Get me away from here," she stated. The count nodded. In a blur of motion the count and Tia flew away. |
| "Oh no you don't!" Thomas shouted as he flew after the vampire. The count looked over his shoulder and could see the pursuing hero. |
| "Shit - forgot he had the Star," the count muttered as he landed by the campsite. Thomas landed a few paces away. Thomas glare at Tia who was being carried by the vampire. |
| "Was it all a lie? Were you in his thrall at all - or was it the other way around?" Thomas demanded. Tia felt a pang of pain stab her heart with more force than the pain that was in her leg. |
| "Thomas please don't say that," she almost whimpered. |
| "Listen - you want to hate me - fine - you want to hate Rubius - go nuts. But this quest you are on is folly. Everything you are seeking to do - will be undone if you fulfill the prophecy," the count stated. |
| "Rubius has been trying to stop me since I started. The reason I should believe his messenger boy now is?" Thomas retorted pointing his sword at the count. The count put Tia down by the fire. |
| "We tried it your way. He won't listen. I have to stop him," the count stated. |
| "You can try," Thomas stated as the two circled each other. Tia watched as the two vanished - into blurs of motion. She knew what had to be done - she knew she had to do something - but what? |
| "End game chosen one!" the count hissed knocking Thomas to the ground. She watched as the count got ready to move in for the kill. |
| "No!" she muttered. In spite of the pain - she got up and dived to where Thomas had fallen. |
| "Tia no!" the count muttered. His strike in motion could not be stopped! His talon like fingers stabbed through Tia's chest. A few drops of Tia's blood dripped down onto Thomas. "Why did you do that?" he asked. |
| "T-Thomas. Never - never lied. Uh - I - loved you," she gasped as the last bit of life left her. Thomas saw the faint sign of life flicker and fade from her beautiful eyes. The shock of the moment faded and was almost instantly replaced with an indescribable rage. |
| "I will see you burn in hell for what you have done!" Thomas hisses as he attacked the stunned vampire count. The others arrived in time to see the furious exchange between the vampire and their friend. |
| "I've never seen him this angry why - oh no," Louie began as he saw where Tia's bloody body was. It was then that they saw the count knocked to the ground. Before he had the chance to recover - Thomas descended and brought his enchanted blade down in an arching motion. |
| They heard the vampire cry out as the blade bisected it into two uneven pieces. It then burst into flames. |
| "You - going to be okay?" Louie asked. Thomas growled as he glared at the burning vampire remains. It was only when he felt Louie touching his shoulder that his rage began to melt away. He looked over to where Tia was and could feel his heart almost sink to the bottom of his stomach. |
| "We'll give her a proper burial lad - then we will finish this nasty business with Rubius," Gnar reassured. Thomas closed his eyes as rage began to burn again. He could hear the name of Rubius echoing in the back of his mind. It was Rubius that was the cause of all the troubles. It was Rubius that had been trying to kill him at every possible turn. It was Rubius that took Tia from him not once but twice! |
| "Rubius - by all I hold holy - you will suffer for this!" Thomas hissed - looking in the direction of the dark towering citadel. "This time - no more games. It is time we finished this once and for all! |