Shadowsoul

by J D Evergreen

  A pile of books sits on a natural rock ledge, and hot coals have been brought into the room. They sit nestled in a metal bowl and their red light spreads throughout the room. The warmth that follows it nuzzles against my skin and fights the cold that clings there. A large scroll is splayed over the table, four crystal weights holding it flat.

  They are similar to the lights in color but larger in size. Each of them glows softly, fading in and out as if each wave of light was an inhalation. It takes a few moments before I can tear my eyes away from the crystals to examine the scroll. It is a detailed drawing of what I assumed to be a map of the underground of Shadowsoul, though I cannot be sure as my experience with maps is limited.

  People sit around the room, and many of them had dragged chairs away from the table so they could sit by the warm coals. Anne sits nearby deeply engrossed in an old tattered book. I tilt my head so I can read the title, Dragons, Real or Myth. It must be an ancient book. Even I know dragons are real.

  Tash stands talking to Melissa who still display’s an array of knives across her belts. Lucas with his floppy hair and large glasses leans back in a wooden chair at a perilous angle. Nathanial stands off to the side, his well-muscled arms crossed and a general look of boredom on his face. He still sets me a little on edge, and I don’t know if I trust him yet. Something about him tugs vaguely at my memory and prevents me from relaxing in his presence.

  Lexa collects a chair and brings it to the circle of warmth. I follow her example and sit in between Lucas and Anne. Everyone seems to take this as a sign the meeting has begun and quiets.

  Lexa stands behind her chair and leans forward grasping the edges of the backrest. “We are here because I have decided to join Claire on her quest. A quest that will hopefully result in the downfall of Darkmor.”

  Everyone takes a moment to flick their eyes in my direction.

  “I will be leaving my sister in charge during my absence.” Lexa gestures in Anne's direction with a casual wave of her hand. “I would like everyone else at this table to join us on the quest. It will be a perilous mission, and you will not be able to discuss it with anyone who isn’t in this room. If we are questioned about our journey, we are simply travelling to another base. I do not want to get hopes up in case we fail.” Lexa pauses and waits for the nods accepting the cover story. “If you do not wish to join us, you are free to leave now. No one will judge you.”

  Lexa waits a moment, giving people a chance to leave. No one moves.

  Melissa pulls a dagger out and twirls it between her fingers. “I'm sure when I say everyone here will die for a chance to overthrow Darkmor. All of us have experienced torment and loss during his reign of terror.”

  Lucas points at his face. “Not to mention branding.”

  The people around the table nod at their words.

  Lexa stands quietly for a moment and takes in the faces of the people around the table. “Lately some things have come to our attention, and I have decided it is prudent to take action. Have you heard the tale of Celestia?”

  Lucas is quick to reply, “The one with the Phoenix and six gems?

  Lexa nods. Lucas releases a smile. “That was my favorite story as a kid.”

  Lexa chooses her words carefully. “We have reason to believe it is more than a story. Certain events have led me to consider this tale may actually be a historical one.”

  Nathanial scowls. “What events?”

  “A mixture of rumors and words from a seer.”

  Tash perks up. “What has a seer said?”

  Lexa walks around her chair and takes a seat. “There are six necklaces that when brought together will bring about Darkmor’s downfall.”

  Everyone seems to accept this and waits for Lexa’s next words. Are seers really that trustworthy that people just assume what they say is absolute truth? What status would my mother have received if she was here?

  Lexa continues, and I pull my thoughts away from my mother, “We have heard rumors that the people in possession of these necklaces will have abilities that stand out from the norm.”

  Tash shifts in her chair. “Like powers?”

  “Yes. Such as clairvoyance, telepathy, telekinesis and so on,” Lexa responds. “My sister and I have heard rumors about a man who can read the minds of others. He travels with a group of misfits that perform for towns and villages within Shadowsouls less monitored living zones.”

  Nathanial huffs and crosses his arms. “How do we know this isn’t a man with a magic trick? A man preying on the weak minded?”

  Lexa sighs and rubs her forehead. “We do not. All we have to go on is that his abilities have uncanny accuracy.”

  The room shifts once more into an uncomfortable silence. I look at the faces around me. Are they regretting their acceptance of Lexa's terms?

  Lexa’s piercing green eyes meet mine. My stomach flutters in a way I have never felt before. I push it away and label it as hunger. After all, it is pretty close to dinner time.

  I realize I'm staring, and I attempt to break the unbearable silence that has settled upon the room. “Do we know where this travelling band is now?”

  Lexa flicks her eyes away from mine. “We believe so.”

  “Well, that’s better than blindly searching all of Katera,” Nathanial grunts.

  Lucas rolls his eyes. “Katera is a bit of an overstatement, the whole problem is that we are trapped in the underground of Shadowsoul. If we could get up to Katera we wouldn’t be here.”

  Lexa looks at Nathanial and purses her lips, I can almost see the comment she withheld. “We believe their next stop will be the farming town of Erast.”

  Anne rolls out a large yellowed scroll from her hands and pegs it to metal clamps in the wall I hadn’t noticed before. Revealing a considerable map of Shadowsoul, far more detailed than the one on the table.

  I can’t help but look at it in awe. The map on the table before this was nice, but it is nothing compared to this. I can see it was drawn with a loving hand, every section of the map is exquisite in detail. It reveals underground lakes with pictures of monsters, mountain passes, and even caves. Tiny neat writing is scattered along the surface, naming places and landmarks. The paper itself is yellow and crinkled, showing seasons of age and use.

  Anne reaches across the map and points to a black dot along the coast, labeled Erast. “I have reached out to our other communities and we believe the man is headed to this town.”

  There are other rebel communities? This group is far larger than I ever imagined, why hasn’t Darkmor registered them as a threat yet? I think back to the chimeras. Maybe he has. I scan the map. “Where are we on the map? And how long will it take to get there?”

  Anne eyes me. Obviously unsure if she is allowed to disclose their location to a person who is practically a stranger. A stranger who has convinced their leader to go on a potentially fatal mission with basically no information.

  Lexa rises from her chair and points to an area on the map. Her slender finger rests on an area a little down from the prisoner encampment, nestled in some low mountains. “We are here, and it should take us five days to get there on foot. If we are not troubled by any guards.”

  “Or any monsters,” Lucas chimes in.

  “And if we don’t get lost,” Melissa adds with a small smirk that earns her a shove from Tash.

  Tash crosses her arms. “Why do you always have to bring that up? It was one time.”

  “That one time was traumatizing enough for a lifetime,” Melissa quips.

  Tash opens her mouth to respond but is stopped by a look from Lexa.

  Nathanial points at the map, taking the attention away from Tash. “We should travel through the tunnels and come out on the outskirts of Ethira. That should get us far enough away from the capital to avoid any patrols that may recognize her,” Nathanial recommends, tilting his thumb in my direction.

  The way he pronounced the word ‘her’ was all too familiar. The derisive sneer I had often encountered when goblins an
d guards called out my slave number is present on Nathanial's face right now.

  I rise from my chair. “I have a name.” Seasons of being referred to as a number arched me up immediately.

  “You will not talk about Claire in such a manner,” a voice cuts across mine. My next words die in my throat as I stop and stare at Lexa. “She saved my life in the tunnels and is more than deserving of your respect.

  I stare at Lexa with wide eyes. No one but my parents had ever defended me. I'm a little confused, but at the same time, it’s oddly comforting to know there is a person who is on my side because they chose to be. Unlike my parents, Lexa has no obligation to me. I don’t realize my mouth is open until Nathanial clears his throat. I clamp it shut and turn to him. His shoulders are slumped, and he stares at his hands.

  “Sorry,” he says and looks up at me. “Sometimes I don’t think before I speak. The words were not meant to be hurtful.” He shifts uncomfortably in his chair and looks back at his hands.

  I look over his posture and believe his words. “Thank you, I accept your apology.”

  Nathanial gives me a brief nod in acknowledgment and everyone smiles. I get the sense that this is a significant accomplishment for him. Tash reaches up and lays her hand on Nathanial's massive forearm and gives him a small smile. The smile causes his face to break into a full-blown grin.

  A polite, “Hello” brings everyone’s attention to the doorway at the end of the room.

  Lexa looks away from the map and towards the doorway. “Enter.”

  The curtain is pushed aside, and two young men push a cart laden with food into the room. My attitude immediately lightens at the prospects of dinner.

  A young man with impressive sideburns wriggles a plate in his hand. “Dinner is ready.”

  Lexa smiles at the boys as she works her way around the table to help them unload their trays. “Thank you for bringing our meals to us Adam and Oscar. It is much appreciated.”

  I jump from my seat and help collect a pile of cups and utensils. I hurriedly place them on the table while everyone else relocates the seats.

  Oscar gently taps me on the shoulder and mumbles, “Thank you for what you did with the Cerebi.”

  It takes me a moment to realize this is the boy from the cave entrance. I had almost forgotten about him with everything that had happened.

  I look at the boy's pink cheeks and take pity on him, “Thank you for sounding the alarm, I would probably be dog food if it weren’t for you.”

  Oscar gives me a small smile and returns to the task of relocating the food from the cart to the table. It doesn’t take long for all the food to be set out on the table. The newcomers wave us goodbye as they leave our small meeting room. I look at the abundance of food around me, and my stomach rumbles with hunger. The smell is so pleasant I find it hard to resist. I pull the nearest plate of food towards me and pile its contents onto the empty plate in front of me.

  “I have never seen anyone as eager as you are to eat,” Melissa claims as she places food on her own plate, at a much slower and more civilized rate than I had.

  I pause, my fork halfway between me and my plate as I consider Melissa’s words. This is the first full sentence she had said to me.

  “Me either.” I smile and return to inhaling my meal.

  Soft laughter comes from those around us, and everyone digs in.

  Once all the food is gone, mostly thanks to Nathanial and me, we pile the plates and trays back up on the cart and return to the discussion.

  ###

  Hours pass, mostly filled with planning, and I can do little to help. Being new to the camp and to freedom makes my experience and knowledge limited. But in the end, we have organized what to bring and what items to collect for the trip. Many arguments had been waged about the best tunnel exit to take towards Erast, but eventually, a decision had been reached. We were to take the tunnel at the rear of the base and exit close to the mountains.

  I rock back in my chair and glance about. I had given up long ago on keeping up with a conversation that has little to do with me. I catch myself staring at Lexa far too often. She listens intently to everyone and always offers thoughtful, constructive comments. I admire that.

  People around the table start to shift in their chairs, and I return my attention to the conversation.

  Lexa stands at the head of the table. “We will head to Erast one week from now, after the morning meal.”

  We all rise from our chairs, my backside sore from sitting on it for so long. I push my chair in and wave goodbye to everyone as they leave. When at last the room is empty of everyone except Lexa and me, I move over to the cart and rearrange the perilously stacked dishes in hopes they will survive the trip to the wash bucket. Footsteps draw my attention, and I glance around to find Lexa stacking maps together and placing scrolls on the walls shelf.

  Lexa glances up from her work, “Are you nervous about our trip?”

  I shuffle around the dish cart as I search for the words to answer her. “A little,” I admit and fiddle with the newly stacked plates. “I have spent my whole life in a cage. The notion I can go somewhere of my own free will is still new to me. Somehow it is exciting and terrifying all at the same time.”

  Lexa nods as she places the last scroll on its respective shelf. She walks over to me and takes note of my perfectly stacked plates. She moves one over just enough so it is no longer in perfect line with the other dishes. I send her a scowl, but pride stops me from reaching out to fix it.

  “We all feel unsettled at first. But every day the ability to make our own choices and decisions becomes easier,” Lexa says in a gentle, reassuring voice.

  She takes the cart and pushes it to the door. Stopping she turns to me. “Come on Claire, let’s get these dishes done so we can get ready and rest before we leave. I doubt there will be much time to relax before this journey begins.”

  She is right. I'm afraid I have already come accustomed to the joys of sleeping in a bed. I jog to catch up. Together we plod down the hall and enter the deserted mess hall. It is weird being in the room while it’s empty. The space seems more vast and cavernous then it does during mealtimes.

  We head for the wash bucket and begin to unload the dishes onto the table next to it. Lexa hauls a clay pot over near the orange crystal and sets it aside for heating. It doesn’t take long before the water is ready to use.

  Doing the dishes is my least favorite part of freedom, and I quickly grow tired of it. I flash Lexa an evil grin and flick bubbles from the dishwater at her. Little spots of water fall on her clothing and cling to her hair. A small war is started, and we splash at each other. I slosh an impressive amount of liquid at Lexa and manage to put water all over the floor.

  I cheer for myself and loudly proclaim my victory over the wash bucket. Our laughter echoes through the empty hall as we clean the water off the floor and finish off the dishes in what is left of the water.

  I smile as I flop down beside the orange crystal and enjoy the warmth, my clothes beginning to steam themselves dry. I need a portable one of these. Lexa rummages through a shelf and returns with a small metal pot shaped with a handle and a spout. She fills it with water and a pinch of herbs from a leather pouch in her pocket and settles it by the crystal. Two clay cups are set down beside me, and Lexa takes a seat, wedging herself between me and the orange crystal.

  We sit in silence for a moment, but I can’t contain my curiosity, I point at the metal pot. “What is that for?”

  Lexa shifts to rearrange the cups and her knee brushes mine. “It’s a kettle. It boils a small amount of water, enough for two or three cups. The herbs I put in it add flavoring, it creates a type of drink.”

  Lexa fidgets with a small stone in her hands, “Claire.”

  My eyes dart up to her tanned face and marvel at the way the orange glow plays with her jawline. “Mmm?”

  “What are your thoughts on…” She stops and struggles with something internally, and she seems to deflate. “Would you li
ke to try and use our necklaces again?”

  My eyebrows furrow. I get the feeling that wasn’t her original question. I look around the empty room. “I don’t see why we can’t.”

  Lexa holds out her hand for me to take, and I slowly place my hand on top of hers. My skin tingles at the contact. Light pours out around the neckline and sleeves of my armor. I use my free hand and tug my necklace free as a wall of light weaves its way around us. We are completely immersed in a bubble of light,and I can already feel the power of the necklace draining my energy.

  Lexa’s eyes meet mine. “Shall we see if we can stop it while we are connected?”

  I nod and close my eyes, concentrating with all my will to stop the flow of energy. I open my eyes, and nothing has changed, the light still flows around us. I try again, and there is a flicker in the bubble, but that could just be a result of the pounding headache and exhaustion taking over me. Lexa seems to be having the same issue.

  Sweat breaks across my brow. “I can’t stop it.”

  Lexa's brow is furrowed in concentration and her eyes open at my words. The crystals have taken their toll on her too. Slowly we separate our hands and sit apart from each other. A loud whistle pierces the silence, and I am on my feet in seconds.

  Lexa smiles and tugs on my pant leg. “It’s okay. It’s just the kettle.” She reaches over to the kettle and uses a nearby cloth to move it away from the crystal. The shrill whistle calms and fades.

  Slowly I sink back to the ground, and Lexa busies herself with pouring the liquid into cups. She hands me one, and I take a sip. It’s warm, slightly bitter and has a sweet after flavor. I feel my headache lighten almost immediately.

  “I think we are going to need help,” Lexa remarks as she stares into her tea.

  I take another sip of mine. “Help?”

  She nods. “With using these crystals. We can’t set them off every time we make skin to skin contact, that’s a recipe for disaster.”