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| Whisper of a Demon's Shadow | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By Richard LeBlanc | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| New alliances shall prevail | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Old rivalries shall endure | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| All will not be as it seems | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| When the chosen one prevails... | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ...The Prophecy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chapter Six: enemies | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In her room within the dilapidated remnants of a once proud castle - Lia watched as Thomas and his new ally talked of the prophecy. She traced her ethereal fingers across the scrying crystal. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You will prevail - I know you will," she whispered. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You live a fools dream if you think he will free you," a raspy voice hissed. Lia looked over and saw the cursed form that was Rubius. She waved her hand at the crystal making the images vanish. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Your power may bind me here - but the prophecy," she began. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "The prophecy alone will not be enough! Had I known - the keys to your freedom existed all this time - outside of my control. I would not have waited so long. Your young foolish hero - he may have the Tear - but there is still a long way for him to go - before he finds his way up these castle steeps. And I will do everything - in my power to ensure - that he fails," Rubius hissed as he stalked out of the room. Lia glared at him and then returned her attention to the crystal. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In the forest where Thomas and Tia rested - the necromancer was doing her best to explain her place in the prophecy. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "It seems like a lot of vague riddles at times," he remarked. She rolled up the scroll and handed it to him. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "It may seem that way at times - but - when you examine it - bit by bit - you can see - you can understand each piece of the puzzle. And by doing so - know what needs to be done," she remarked. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Wish I could be half as confident as you," he remarked - looking at the scroll. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You have spent your life tending fields. Think of the prophecy - as such a task. Understanding does not grow over night. You have to plant the seeds - tend the soil - protect the seeds from foul elements until the crop is finally ready to be harvested," she suggested rationally. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I don't know how one so young could be so wise," he began. She smirked at him. "No disrespect intended," he added quickly. She quietly laughed and shook her head. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "None taken. When - one has everything taken away from her. When one is forced to learn of things - that no young girl should - one tends to learn some hard lessons," she began as she patted him on the cheek. "And if you want to have any chance - of dealing with Rubius or his minions - you might have to learn some of those lessons too," she warned sincerely. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "If I fail - everyone I know will die - and the fault will be mine," he replied seriously. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "True - but - that isn't what I am talking about," she stated. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I don't understand," he replied. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "At times - sacrifices - they will have to be made. They may seem harsh - unreasonable - but for the greater good - they must be done. This - quest of yours - it will blur all lines between what you know as good and evil. Nothing will be black or white - just a lot of gray," she stated calmly. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "So I see," he began. She looked over at him. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Do you?" she asked curiously. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I - was told all my life that - men and women that practiced the forbidden magicks - dark sorcery - or that had dealings with the dead were evil. Yet - if it wasn't for you - that vampire would have killed me," he replied. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You don't know that," she rebutted. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "If you were able to get the Tear from me - stands to reason that he would have found a way too. And if he had - my quest - would have ended back in the swamp," he pointed out. She smiled and looked around at the forest. "Is everything okay?" he asked curiously. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "No - just not used to being out during the day. The world seems so different without that thick veil of darkness," she admitted. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "How far away is this mine you spoke of?" he asked curiously. Tia sighed and looked around. She then yawned and stretched her arms out. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "If I had to guess - maybe two days travel - give or take," she answered as she curled up at the base of a tree. "Mind if I take a quick nap? Not used to being up at this hour," she asked. He nodded and watched as she almost instantly was asleep. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Wish I could sleep so soundly," he muttered. It was then that a gentle breeze blew through the forest. He looked over to the north and saw Lia standing by a tree - only she didn't seem as a ghost - she seemed wholly human! "Lia?" he whispered. He looked over at Tia who was fast asleep and then over at Lia. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I saw how you handled yourself against that vile count," she commented as she walked over and held his hands. "Deep in my heart - I can feel that this time - it will happen. You will fulfill the prophecy," she whispered - tightly hugging him. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "How is it that you are here? I thought you were?" he began. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "That isn't important," she whispered - kissing his fingertips. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I have so many questions," he began. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "All the answers will come to you in time. You will know what to do. You are the chosen one. That scroll you carry - it is not just words on parchment - it is your destiny - and mine," she whispered - gently touching her hand to his cheek. "The necromancer - she - believes in you - and so do I," she added. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "How can everyone be so sure of me when I am not myself?" he asked. She wrapped her arms around him - pulling him close to her. He stood motionless for a few seconds almost afraid to respond. But slowly he could feel his hands and arms encircling her. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Hey! Wake up!" a stern voice snapped. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| He opened his eyes. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tia was looking down at him. slowly he sat up and looked around. Night had fallen. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "My nerves - when you go down - you are out like a torch," she remarked with a smirk. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "How long was I out?" he asked curiously. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "If I had to place a number to it - two days," she answered. The words surprised him. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Two?" he asked. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I am wagering what we are doing is a little more than what you are accustomed to. That will drain you - on more levels than you know. Enjoy the quite moments while they surface. I have a feeling that they will get scarce as we go forward," she stated - helping him up. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Did anything happen?" he asked hesitantly. She smirked at him. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Nothing too much - but you talk in your sleep. So who is this Lia girl? Your squeeze back in the village?" she teased. He blushed and looked away. "I'm just teasing," she reassured. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I don't know who she is. Just someone I see in my dreams from time to time," he answered quietly. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Was she a crush?" she curiously asked. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "No - but -I feel as though she has some part in all this," he began. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "All this?" she asked. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "The prophecy and my fulfilling it," he replied. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You don't say," she remarked as she looked around. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Problem?" he asked. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "It - could be nothing. But as you slept I had the strangest sensation that we were being watched. I just chalked it up to nerves - but - now I wonder," she began. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You think Lia is a treat?" he asked hesitantly. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "At this point in the game - it is too early to say. Just keep your guard up. Rubius has a lot of people under his power - and none of them want to see you succeed," she pointed out. He gathered his things together. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Well - she wants me to succeed," he reassured. She quietly laughed. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Oh - I'm sure she does - lover-boy," she playfully teased. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What? What did I say in my sleep?" he asked hesitantly. She whistled innocently as she gathered up her things. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "If you are real good and do what I say - maybe I'll tell you on our way to the mine," she teased. She began to skip away from him. He shook his head and followed. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I want to know," he protested. She quietly laughed as they hurried away. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Unaware to both - at the place where they had camped - a pool of darkness began to swirl. From it - Rubius slowly arose. He stepped from the pool and looked around where the questing band had rested and then glared in the direction that they had left. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Play your games. Enjoy these precious few quiet moments. And - rest assured - that nothing will change what it is. Your foolish prophecy will change nothing. And your precious champions will fall as all the others have," Rubius hissed as he vanished as a shadow before a flicker of light. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| To be continued... | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||