The Descending Darkness

by Michael Chulsky

  “Damn it,” Shadow muttered. He didn’t get any closer to Cameryn, but from the short distance, he could see the severity of the wounds. “They’re pretty bad…he’ll need to be looked at.”

  “Faith?” Ellie offered.

  “Yeah, you read my mind.”

  Ellie watched as Cameryn struggled to get up from the altar once more and shook her head. “You’re almost as stubborn as Shadow.” She went over and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Try not to move. You're too injured. We'll get someone to fix you.”

  Cameryn frowned and shrugged her hand off. “Don’t touch me! I don’t trust either of you! You’re just going to hurt me like the rest of the people in this crappy town!”

  “That’s just nonsense,” Shadow said, softly. “If we were here to hurt you, why would we go through all the trouble of risking our lives to save you from those two psychos?”

  “My parents? Where are they?”

  “They’re not going to hurt you anymore,” Shadow replied.

  Cameryn’s eyes widened briefly and then he closed them. “They’re dead, aren’t they?”

  “Don’t worry yourself about–“

  “Yes,” Shadow replied, interrupting Ellie. He threw a glance at Ellie and shook his head. “I’m not going to start this…friendship with lies.” He met Cameryn’s gaze. “They’re gone.”

  Cameryn let out a breath, almost a sigh. “Good.” He stared at them with a strange look on his face, as if they were a book written in a different language and he was trying to decipher it. “I don’t understand…why would you guys do that for me? Everyone in my life, since I can remember, has only wanted to hurt me. Why should you guys be any different?”

  “Because we are,” Ellie said. “We’re fighting for a better world. We came here to save you because your life matters and you’re part of that world we’re fighting for.”

  “She’s right,” Shadow said. “I’m not asking you to trust us fully right off the bat, hell, it would be dumb of you to do so, especially after all you’ve been through. But I’m asking you to believe me when I say that I have no intention of hurting you.”

  Cameryn smiled, in spite of the pain. “I…do believe you.”

  Ellie returned his smile with one of her own. “That’s good to hear.” She paused for a moment and bit her bottom lip. “If I can ask…why did they want to hurt you so bad? They seemed really freaked out about whatever it is that you can do.”

  Cameryn shook his head, and the smile vanished from his face. “I can’t…tell you. If I do, you’ll just hate me like they did. You’ll know I’m a freak.”

  Shadow gave him a puzzled look. “What do you mean?”

  “My parents wanted a normal son, but I was far from normal,” Cameryn said, checking Shadow and Ellie's faces for hints that they, too, would reject him, like everyone else in his life had. “I had this…weird ability that kept surfacing, and it caused everyone to see me as a sinner.”

  Ellie looked thoughtful. “You're going to have to give us more than just that to go on. You said it’s an ability right? Well, show us.”

  “You swear you guys won’t hate me if I show you?”

  “Yes,” Ellie replied, and Shadow echoed her.

  Cameryn hesitated for a moment before lifting his arm. He pointed at a candle hanging on the wall, and it burst into a dozen pieces.

  “I see,” Shadow said quietly. “That’s…some ability you have there, Cameryn.”

  “So you don’t think I’m a freak?”

  Shadow shook his head. “Of course not. Why would I think you’re a freak when I have special abilities of my own?”

  Cameryn’s mouth opened wide. “You can make things explode too?” he asked, but they both shook their heads. “Then what do you mean?”

  “You have what we call a power,” Ellie said. She waved her hand, and an orb of ice energy filled her palm. She threw it up into the air, and it burst into a hundred snowflakes which gently fell through the air. “Don’t ever think you’re a freak, because you’re not alone. We both have powers, too. And there are more like us at the castle where we live.”

  “Really?” Cameryn asked, his eyes wide. “I can’t imagine that…a place filled with people just like me. Not being judged or hated…it would be nice for a change.”

  “You talk like you’re not invited,” Shadow said. “We didn’t just rescue you to set you free on your own. We came to offer you a safe place to go.”

  “I…I don’t know what to say. I can’t believe this is happening to me.”

  Shadow smiled. “Cameryn, I want to let you know that you don’t have to come with us. I’m not forcing you to do anything you don’t want to. You do have a choice. I hope you’ll come. I want you to come.”

  “Me too,” Ellie added.

  “Of course, I’ll come,” Cameryn replied. “There’s nothing left here for me anymore. I don’t think there ever was. Besides, in the past ten minutes, you guys have treated me better than I have been treated in my entire life, all fifteen years. I’d be crazy to stay here, when you guys offer me something that I’ve always wanted… a home.”

  “Well, that settles it,” Ellie said. “Shadow, make a portal for us please. I’m sick of this place.”

  Shadow shook his head. “You’re forgetting something. We have to find Reya, first.”

  “Reya?” Cameryn questioned.

  “Our friend.”

  Ellie gasped. “I almost forgot! I hope he’s all right. I haven’t seen him since we came in here.”

  “I’ll call for him,” Shadow said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his communicator. He pressed the talk button. “Tereya, we have the kid. Where are you?”

  A loud rumbling sound shook the ground and echoed throughout the building they were in. Suddenly, the entire wall of the cathedral crumbled away. “Hey, guys!” Tereya said with a wave. He had a few cuts on his face and he was covered in dirt, but appeared to be mostly unharmed.

  “Found him,” Shadow said.

  Ellie rolled her eyes at his comment. She rushed over to Tereya’s side and pulled him into a hug. After a long moment, she pulled away, just enough so she could see his face. “Reya! Are you okay? Did any of them hurt you?”

  “I’m fine, Ellie,” Tereya replied, blushing. “It was nothing, really…they didn’t put up much of a fight once they saw what I could do. A lot of them just ran away.”

  Ellie smiled and released him. “I’m glad you’re okay. Thanks for putting up such a good distraction.”

  “Yeah, we couldn’t have done it without you,” Shadow said, ruffling the boy’s hair. “You did an amazing job.”

  “Guys, please, you’re embarrassing me,” Tereya said, looking away from them. His gaze landed on Cameryn. “Is that him?”

  Cameryn looked at Tereya for a few seconds before confirming with a bow of his head. “My name is Cameryn. Nice to meet you…Reya.”

  “Nice to meet you too,” Tereya replied, smiling. “Always good to meet a new friend.”

  “Friend?” Cameryn repeated. “It sounds so strange. I’ve never had any before.”

  “Well, you do now,” Shadow said. “But you guys will have time for that later. You need to see a medic and recover. So let’s go home.” He lowered his hand to the ground, and a portal appeared. “Ellie, Tereya, you guys go first. I’ll follow with Cameryn.”

  “Alright, see you soon,” Ellie replied. She walked over to the portal and jumped in. Tereya followed immediately after.

  Shadow walked over to Cameryn and carefully scooped the boy up off the altar and into his arms. He made his way over to the portal, careful not to make any movements that would aggravate the boy’s wounds.

  “Hey, Shadow?” Cameryn said quietly.

  Shadow looked down. He took a breath, and a strange scent that reminded him of caramel or hazelnut danced around him. “Yeah?”

  “Why are you helping me?”

  “I don’t know. Because it’s the right thing to do?” Shadow shrugged. �
��Somebody had to, and I’m glad I could be the person. Nobody deserves to go through what you’ve endured. Nobody.”

  “Growing up, nobody’s ever loved me or cared about me before. I’ve never known affection or trust – or friendship.”

  “I know, and I’m sorry for that.”

  “But why? What makes you different from all the rest?” Cameryn asked, blinking back tears. “I never thought I deserved to be happy. I was too broken for any of that.”

  “Well you do,” Shadow said. “You deserve to be happy and to be loved, cherished, and appreciated, okay? Your parents and the rest of the people in this town were the ones who were broken – not you. You have to understand that.”

  “I…I don’t know if I can. I want to believe you, it’s just…how can I believe that when I was told differently for years and years?”

  “It’s not something that can happen in an instant. It’ll take time for you to break the mindset they put you in. I’ll be there for you and help you along the way. And as long as I’m around…I’ll make sure nobody hurts you ever again.”

  “You promise?” Cameryn asked.

  “I promise,” Shadow said. He led Cameryn over to the portal. As they both jumped in, he prayed, harder than he had for anything in his entire life, that he could keep his promise.

  6

  The Black Market

  Thousands of miles away from the city of Derelyn, in the middle of a fifty-acre stretch of land, a mansion stood high upon a hill, surrounded by a large iron fence. Inside the mansion, in the largest room, a woman was sleeping in a bed big enough to fit ten people. Shopping bags and shoe boxes were strewn across the floor, taking up most of the space.

  The first light of dawn trickled in through the curtains, and the woman stirred. She rose to a sitting position and yawned. Rubbing the sleepiness out of her eyes, she shook her head, and her mane of long red hair fanned out like wildfire. She searched the room for something, and then frowned when it wasn’t there. “Mezmir!” she yelled. “Where are you?”

  The tiny demon in question rushed into the room with a tray of food in his hand, panting heavily. He went up to the side of the bed and bowed his head. “Lady Maedara,” he wheezed, “I hope you slept well.”

  Maedara looked down at him and placed a hand to her forehead. “Breakfast in bed. My, my, my!” she swooned, an air of dramatic shock filling her voice. She took the tray from him and beamed. “You truly spoil me with your random acts of affection.”

  “But last night you told me to bring you breakfast in bed, or you would rip my legs off and beat me to death with them!”

  Maedara slapped him across the head and laughed. “Oh, Mezmir, you’re such a comedian,” she said, taking a sip of the orange juice. “Besides, I’d never be so crude.”

  Mezmir rubbed his head and frowned. He watched her eat the eggs and then, in mid-bite, groan. “Are you not enjoying the food I prepared for you?”

  “It’s as horrible as usual, but the food isn’t what’s upsetting me. I just really wanted those shoes…I can’t believe they were out of my size. It’s so upsetting.”

  “Shoes? Master, what about the Dragon's Eye?”

  “Oh! The Dragon's Eye,” Maedara replied, glaring. “Yes, thank you for bringing it up. One of my strongest demons died in the attempt of stealing it and, as a result, I don’t have it. But thank you again for reminding me of a failure that was soooo traumatizing for me.”

  “Master, I–”

  “No, no,” Maedara said, throwing the food tray across the room. “Since you seem so eager to ruin my day, why don’t you keep on talking about how much of a failure I am? Or maybe you can go in my closet and set fire to my dresses. Would that make you happy, Mezmir?”

  Mezmir stepped back, nervously muttering his apologies. They unfortunately were unheard by her, and he saw she was getting more hysterical with every passing second.

  “You don't know what it's like!” Maedara cried, tears falling down her face. She pulled at her hair and screamed in frustration. “I'm supposed to be this incredibly powerful and stunningly beautiful woman, but nobody knows how I feel. It’s so hard to keep up pretenses and be so perfect all the time. And being evil isn’t easy, either, when you have minions that point out your shortcomings!”’

  “B-b-but…It's all right. You're doing a wonderful job, my evil queen!”

  Maedara instantly perked up. She breathed a sigh of relief and patted him on the head gently. “Well thank you, Mezmir. Now I don’t have to murder you.”

  Mezmir blinked. “Well, thank you, my Queen. But what are we going to do about our little problem, those teenage brats who have been getting in our way? They’ve held up our plans. What are we going to do?”

  Maedara got out of bed and walked over to look out the window. “You know, Mezmir, lately you've proven to be quite the mood dampener. I was just getting over losing the Dragon’s Eye, and now for the…second or is it third? – Whatever – time today, you’re bringing up something that you know will cause me emotional stress. Do you hate me?”

  “Hate you?” Mezmir replied, slightly taken aback.

  “Well, you seem to get some cheap thrill out of bringing up things that make me upset, like some sick little sadist. So, I’ll ask you again, do you hate me?”

  Mezmir shook his head and then realized that her back was to him. “No, of course not. I don’t hate you,” he said, “I’m just worried about these kids and the threat they pose.”

  Maedara laughed. She turned around and placed her hands on her hips. “Oh, Mezmir, I love how you assume that those brats are problems worth stressing over! Don't you understand that I could kill them anytime I want to, if I actually cared?”

  Mezmir nodded carefully, his face not betraying any emotion. “If I may ask, why don't you just kill them now, and save us the trouble later?”

  “I owe you no explanation on why I do the things I do. You are a servant, not an equal. Remember your place.”

  “I apologize once again, Master. I did not mean to question your methods. I know you are the most powerful, the toughest, and the most beautiful woman in the world.”

  Maedara opened her mouth wide, joy etched in every inch of her face. It was almost like Christmas had come early. “Y-you really think I'm beautiful, Mezmir?!” she gushed, batting her eyelashes.

  “Yes, of course. The sun itself shines for you, my queen!”

  Maedara smiled brightly. She began to dance around the room and loudly hum a happy tune. A few moments later, she stopped dancing and went still. “Mezmir, pack my traveling case. I have errands to run and wish to set off soon.”

  “Master, may I ask where you're heading to?”

  Maedara frowned impatiently while riffling through her closet. “I’m heading to the Black Market. I'm in a shopping mood. Hopefully, I can buy some shiny new things to make me feel better,” she said, flicking her hair. “Besides, what are you, my mother? I’m being rhetorical, by the way. I know you aren’t my mother, because I killed her. You’re still alive. At least for now, anyway…so get to packing before I change my mind.”

  Mezmir shrugged and went to go fetch her traveling bag. As he was walking out the door, she called his name, so he stopped. “Yes, Master?”

  “While you're getting my bag, go to the vault and put in about…” she paused and thought for a moment, “half a million…cash.”

  Mezmir frowned. “Master, I–”

  “What have I told you about pouting?” Maedara interrupted, looking at him through her reflection in the mirror. “Hello! Worry lines!”

  “Forgive me for pouting in your presence. I just wonder if it is wise to bring so much money with you, especially with the kind of crowd that frequents there.”

  “Mezmir, it is not healthy for you to wonder anything, nor is it part of your job description. You are a minion, not a person. If you'd like, I can get you the dictionary so you can look up the definition of it there. Or better yet, I can take that dictionary and bash you in the head wit
h it.”

  “N-n-no, t-that won’t be n-necessary,” he replied. “I’ll go get the money and your bag at once.” He turned and scurried off.

  Maedara continued to rifle through the hundreds of designer dresses that filled her closet. The place she was heading to was all about appearances. She was searching for a specific dress that would help her look as rich and powerful as she was. A few moments later, she smiled when she found the perfect dress for the occasion. It was long and flowing, cut right below the knees, with slits on each side to show off the thigh area. The fabric was a purple so dark it almost appeared to be black, with a spider embroidered from real spun silver on the center of the dress; the spider was adorned with dozens of precious jewels: emeralds, rubies, and diamonds.

  Maedara grabbed at her current dress and pulled it off over her head. She slipped into the new one and adjusted the straps. Staring into the mirror, she couldn’t help but admire herself. The dress hugged her body in all the right places, and as the light hit the jewels it made the spider pattern sparkle and almost look alive. It was perfect.

  She pulled out a pair of shoes that matched the dress and slipped them on. To finish the look, she reached into her jewelry box and picked out a pair of earrings that would match too.

  Mezmir walked back into the room with a large purse. “Your bag, Master,” he said, lifting the purse above his head.

  “Clearly…did you fill it with the money I asked for?”

  Mezmir nodded as he looked directly in her eyes. “Of course.”

  “Wonderful. I'm dressed to kill and have tons of cash!” She ripped the bag out of Mezmir's hand and squealed in delight. “Thank you for not being a disappointment for once.”

  Mezmir bowed. “I live to serve you, my queen.”

  “Not that I don’t revel in your groveling, but I have a boat to catch if I want to make it there in time for the next auction.” Maedara took one more glance at her reflection in the mirror, flicked her hair, and then smiled. “Now, Mezmir, don’t break anything, and I want the place spotless when I return. I’d hate to eviscerate you after a long journey.”