Dawn of Darkness: Part 1 (Where the Shadows Stalk)

by Adam Watson

  She had been trained by the High Priest of Tempus after it was determined that she had in fact been chosen by Tempus to be the next Oracle. How the High Priest knew how to train her, she could not answer. She could only conclude that the knowledge was written somewhere. She would have found out one day - if the Creed hadn't intervened. They're probably all dead now. She purged the thoughts from her mind, those were better left for another day.

  The power of Tempus filled her like a raging torrent, but her calmness acted like a great dam; allowing her to hold back the flow and control it. She concentrated, unlocking someone's mind was very much like picking a lock only much more intricate – when it came to such things, she was a master locksmith.

  A novice such as Lily would pose no problem to her. Invading someone's mind like this is wrong. It was true, the Oracle did not enjoy this kind of intrusion, and it was also true that she believed such intrusions were wrong, but this was a desperate time, and if she wanted to get away from those cruel, inhuman eyes, she would need to take control of Lily right now. She could feel Lily's will resisting her own for a brief moment before it was smothered like a blanket.

  Slowly she began to feel the body of the acolyte and see through her eyes, it was a temporary link that could be broken at any moment, but she knew it wouldn't break as long as the tear in Kara's shroud remained opened.

  It was a strange feeling, she could control her own body in the cell as normal, and she could control the acolyte at the same time. She could feel through her own body, but she could also feel, see and hear what the acolyte sensed. When she spoke out loud in the cell, Lily would speak out loud as well. If the guards came whilst she was doing that, she would be in trouble.

  Now that she had total control of Lily, she had to act fast for the link was a delicate thing. The Oracle reached down into the front of her own skirt, her hand brushing against the light covering of pubic hair between her legs. She reached down further, it was an awkward position, and she felt very undignified reaching up inside herself, especially with the glazed-eyed acolyte right in front of her. Suddenly she smiled wickedly, and there was a sly twinkle in her eye. I win. No, they did not uncover all of her secrets, and that in itself was a victory. The inquisitors may have been brutal in their interrogations, but they were also fanatically devout to their goddess. Thoughts of rape and sexual torment were simply not part of their makeup, which was lucky for her, as they might just have found what she was hiding.

  She pulled out the Ring of Tempus and placed it into Lily's hand, anyone of authority in Kara's order would have recognised what it was straight away.

  These rings, these bands of the gods were supposed to be permanent and non-removable once a host was chosen. That may have been true for the other orders, but the Oracles of Tempus had unlocked the secret two centuries ago. Now it was a secret only she knew, the knowledge would pass on to the next Oracle after she died.

  "All right Lily," she whispered. "Show me how to get to Dray." As soon as she spoke the command, a vision appeared in Lily's mind, a vision which the Oracle could see, a vision that somehow 'spoke' to her. "Good Lily ... very good, now go." The animated body of Lily the Acolyte turned and walked out of the dungeon.

  ***

  The corridors in the levels above the dungeon were eerily silent, it seemed very strange to the Oracle that there was no-one around. No novices, no servants, no guards ... no-one. Strange, but good. She was hoping not to bump into anyone anyway. The last thing she wanted was to be trying to explain to one of the guards what 'Lily' was up to and why she was trying to get into Dray's prison cell.

  It was a shame she couldn't use her other divine powers through Lily's body. Things would be different then. The guards would be unable to resist her will, she could simply stop their inquiries with a glance and make them let her proceed without question. It was no use lamenting about it though, she would just have to make do.

  A small time later she came to a clearing where two of the corridors crossed and what the Oracle saw through Lily's eyes made her stop dead in her tracks. It was one of the inquisitors, the sight of the green-robed man leaning against the wall had almost caused her to sever the link in a panic - almost.

  Someone with a mind as weak as Lily's would remember nothing of her intrusion and would just 'wake up' in a confused and baffled state, wondering how she had got to where she was. There was only a small chance of her remembering anything that happened in the cell, but it was a risk the Oracle did not want to take - if she did remember, the consequences could be catastrophic.

  The Oracle breathed a sigh of relief; the inquisitor wasn't alive as she had first thought. Pinning him to the wall, was a large spear with an ebony handle. Go closer Lily, she thought, and immediately the acolyte's body began to approach the dead man. Blood seeped down from the wound, staining the emerald robe. The inquisitor's hood had fallen down revealing his long black hair and trimmed goatee; his eyes were as blue as the sea, but now glazed over with death. He may have been good-looking once, some would even say handsome, but now his face was battered and broken. The spear had a mark on it that she recognised to be of Solus Bal. They've breached the Temple.

  "You there! What are you doing?" A male voice made her jump, and she turned around startled; one of Kara's guards was approaching her with quick strides. "What are you doing here?" he demanded. "What happened?" he continued fiercely, but then his demeanour softened; there was a look of recognition on his face. "Lily? What are you doing here and what happened to this man?"

  Lily's mouth opened and closed as the Oracle searched for answers. Who is this man Lily? Came the question into Lily's mind. Jarrod. Came the answer. And what does he mean to you? There was a slight pause in the thought, but then the answer came. My love.

  Why does this keep happening to me? Why does fate make me do the most horrible things? She had done nothing yet, but she could see what was coming as plain as day. Inside the cell tears slowly trickled down the Oracle's cheek. Sacrifice one to save another. A wise and ancient voice whispered in her mind. It is the only way you will be free.

  "J-Jarrod," the Oracle began, unsure as to the true relationship between the two. "What's happening here, Jarrod? Where is everyone?"

  "Did you see what happened to this man Lily? Have you seen anyone inside the Temple who was not of Kara?" Lily's expression was wide-eyed and unknowing.

  "I don't know what happened, I was just walking here and found him like this. I went over for a closer look and then you appeared." Jarrod grasped Lily tenderly by the shoulders.

  "It is unsafe for you to be here my love, foul demons rage in the streets outside. The Creedic Overlords attack us relentlessly. Kara protects us, but ..." He looked down for a moment and swallowed hard, he then lowered his voice to a whisper, afraid to express even his own thoughts. “... I fear she grows weak, soon we will be overwhelmed, and the Temple will be lost. You should go below to the escape tunnels, when all hope is lost I will come and seek you out."

  It sounded like a good plan, go to the underground tunnels and escape the chaos whilst the guards held the hordes back. When the guards could no longer hold them back, Jarrod would flee to the tunnels, and together they would both escape, yes, it sounded like a great plan - Lily and Jarrod would be together forever.

  Back in the cell tears continued to run down the smooth cheeks of the Oracle, her heart filled with sadness - this dream would never come to be. Jarrod had something the Oracle needed, and she knew he would not give it up willingly. Could she really sacrifice him and possibly Lily, to save herself and Dray? The thought made her feel sick to the stomach and filled her soul with despair, but what other choice did she have? Let them live? Let them escape, whilst she and Dray both perished? Yes, that would be the noble thing to do, but deep down inside she knew that she could not let that be - even if she wanted to. Apart from just wanting to live, there was the bigger picture to think about; there were much nobler reasons as to why she and Dray had to stay alive.

 
; She and Dray were champions of Tempus, handpicked by the god himself, to go out and fulfil a great purpose in the world. He had bestowed upon them both great powers with which they could do great good. They could help and protect people, shielding them from the all-consuming darkness that seemed to be devouring the world.

  Lily and Jarrod were just a mere acolyte and a guard. They could do nothing great in the world, they could not influence the outcome, they had no powers. Saving them could mean sacrificing thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of lives - lives which she, the Oracle, could save.

  The Oracle knew if it came down to it she would have to kill them both, but maybe she could talk her way out it, maybe she could get what she needed without killing either of them. Time was not on her side though, she couldn't afford to be tardy, the shroud of Kara was unstable, and she could be cut off from Tempus at any moment. If that happened, the link would surely break, and then all hope of her escaping would be lost.

  "Jarrod, do you have keys to the cells in the dungeon?" Jarrod looked at her perplexed and took a step back.

  "The dungeon?" he asked. "Why would you need keys to the dungeon?" The Oracle took that answer for a 'no' and then searched Lily's mind again for the location of Dray's cell.

  "What about the holding cells upstairs? Do you have the keys to them?" The Oracle knew that she was out of character, that this was not the way Lily talked, but she didn't care, she needed the information quickly.

  "Yes, but Lily what's this all about?" He looked into her eyes, he knew that something was wrong, but he wasn’t quite sure what. "Lily?" he continued, turning her head to face him. "Are you all right?"

  "I'm fine," lied the Oracle, sweat beaded on Lily's head, her breathing was erratic, her eyes darted to the knife in Jarrod's belt; the knife he kept as a last resort if ever he lost his primary weapon in battle.

  The Oracle knew this because he had told Lily as they had laid together on her bed one night two years ago. She knew this because these thoughts were running through Lily's mind, these thoughts and the thoughts of the love that she shared with him over the last five years.

  The Oracle could feel Lily's emotions. Lily shouldn't have been able to register anything in the state she was in, her mind should have been blank, but somehow it wasn't. Lily’s emotions were starting to tear away at the Oracle, and she could feel the link weakening. How could she make Lily kill the man she loved? How could she do such a terrible thing? How will she live with herself after the deed is done?

  "Lily?" asked Jarrod, the Oracle refocused, she had become caught up in her own thoughts, and now Lily was staring blankly.

  "I'm fine Jarrod, but I need the keys before I go." Jarrod's eyes squinted suspiciously.

  "Why?" It was clear by the look on his face he was not going to release the keys without a good reason; the Oracle eyed the knife through Lily's eyes.

  "I-I …" She could think of no good reason to give. I'm running out of time. She could feel the tear in the shroud growing and shrinking. Would it tear itself completely apart or would it seal itself shut? One way would give her complete access to Tempus the other would cut her off completely. One way would leave her weak and vulnerable the other would make her strong.

  The path that left her stronger could also be the more dangerous one, because that path would mean that a goddess had been defeated. The Oracle wondered what kind of entity could possibly defeat a goddess? A tremendously powerful one.

  "Please don't ask questions, my love. Please, just give me the keys."

  "You know I can't do that Lily." Lily had that blank look on her face again. "Lily, are you sure you're all right?" The Oracle was staring at the knife again; she could see the intricately carved silver handle poking out the front of his belt. It would be easy to get to if he wasn't looking. The problem was that he was looking and looking intently at her. He's getting suspicious. He couldn’t possibly know that the Oracle had control of Lily, but it was evident that he thought Lily was not acting like her usual self.

  "Jarrod you have to trust me. There's no time to explain. I need the keys, there's something I must get before I leave." Jarrod stared into Lily's eyes so intently the Oracle began to worry that he could see her.

  "There's nothing in the cells but prisoners. What's this all about Lily? You’re acting very suspiciously. Who are you planning to free?" The tone of his voice told her he suspected treachery. This is going very badly. If only she had more time then perhaps she could have come up with a more believable excuse. If she had been there in person, she would have bent his will to hers using mind control, but she wasn't, and now she was running out of options. "Tell me Lily!" he snapped, when she hesitated. He grabbed her by both shoulders and shook her. "Who are you planning on freeing?" The Oracle quickly searched Lily's mind for answers.

  She could see a picture in her mind; a vision of an old lady. One who was dressed in robes of emerald green, and whose hair was bunned and grey. One whose eyes were of the palest of blue, and whose face was wrinkled like ancient leather - old and frail this woman was the answer.

  Every resident knew of her and everyone that knew her loved her, she was like the grandmother of the Temple, a permanent fixture that had always been there and she had access everywhere and visited everyone - even the prisoners.

  "Mistress Geneve is missing, Jarrod. I'm so worried about her, no-one can find her. Melanie said she was visiting the prisoner's ward and was heading for the holding cells." The Oracle's mind worked fast to weave a lie from Lily's memories. "You know what she's like Jarrod, she feels sorry for the prisoners; she takes pity on them." Jarrod nodded, it did sound like Mistress Geneve, always the mother to all. "I think something bad has happened to her. I won't be able to forgive myself if I don't check. I have to at least check Jarrod, I have to!" Tears flowed down the smooth cheeks of Lily's face, her eyes were red and puffy. Jarrod put his arms around her and pulled her close.

  "Silly girl Lily, why didn't you just say that's what you were doing." Lily under the Oracles control placed her head against Jarrod's shoulder and quietly sobbed. "The way you were acting had me worried."

  "I know," Lily cried. "I was just so worried about Mistress Geneve." At that moment Jarrod felt something pull at his belt, he quickly pushed Lily back to see what she was doing. The knife unsheathed in Lily's hand, Jarrod stared at the blade in shock, unable to believe what was happening. He only had a moment to react before Lily plunged the knife straight into his heart. He managed to get his arm up to pull hers away, but all strength had left him in an instant, all he could do was look at her in bewilderment.

  "Lily why?" he managed to whisper. Lily had tears flowing down the sides of her cheeks, and back in the cell, the Oracle wept at the unfairness of the situation.

  "I need the keys," she whispered. The Oracle helped Jarrod to the floor through Lily as he collapsed. "Goodbye my love, I will love you forever." Even though he didn't understand why, Jarrod still smiled before the life winked out of his eyes. The Oracle had said the words, but she had said them for Lily's benefit - she owed her that much.

  Back in the cell, she felt violently ill and disgusted with her actions. Thoughts of Dray, thoughts of Tempus and thoughts of destiny entered into her mind, and she tried to find solace in them. Sacrifice one life to save many. Easier in theory than reality. She thought she might never be able to forgive herself, but then a vision burned in her mind - pale white eyes.

  Those sickly white, parasitic eyes entered her mind, seeking her confessions. These were eyes that burned with fury and seared with pain. These were eyes that could bore into the deepest, darkest recesses of her mind and destroy everything within. These were eyes that could consume her soul in the wretched night, and devour her mind in the shadows of hate. Eyes that would spit the remnants of her will and broken body into the flames of eternal darkness - Lily left the corridor with the knife in one hand and the keys in the other.

  ***

  Upstairs Lily's delicate footfalls could be heard pitter-
pattering upon the pristine marble floors, she took a left at another long corridor and headed down along the west wing.

  Inside Lily's mind, the Oracle tried to focus on the task at hand, she needed to find and release Dray so that he could come and free her from her prison. She tried to push all thoughts of Jarrod out of her mind, which was proving to be harder than she could possibly have imagined. The more time she spent in Lily’s head, the more she learnt about her life; the thoughts that were surfacing upon Lily’s psyche filled the Oracle with a myriad of different emotions.

  Lily had truly been in love with Jarrod. They had often seen each other around the Temple, there was an attraction there from the start and one day, for no particular reason - the flirting began.

  At first a sly wink, a friendly smile, a small wave as they walked past each other in the corridors - not much to write home about. Then there was the day they bumped into each other at the fountain in the middle of the summer solstice.

  The fountain area was a very peaceful place in the Temple with nicely kept and well-manicured gardens. It was a place where many residents of the Temple came to relax. Some read books, some played music, and on the odd occasion, some would entertain with recitals of poetry or performances of classic plays.

  It was at just such a performance that Jarrod and Lily had their first real conversation and confirmed what they both had suspected – that there was indeed a strong mutual attraction for one another.

  "She's very pretty," commented Lily on one of the playwrights. Jarrod had looked at the young woman on stage and half-heartedly nodded in agreement.

  "But not as pretty as you." Lily had blushed. He had smiled slightly but kept looking straight ahead, coolly pretending not to notice, but he couldn't hide his joy when she had taken his hand in hers a moment later; they held hands and never let go. Lily had been on a high for the rest of that afternoon. Why do these thoughts have to haunt me so? thought the Oracle, she needed to find Dray's cell and get out of Lily's mind soon, before she became overcome with emotion.