Spirit Followers

by Lydia Redwine

  “And your poisons are used by Cinis Lumen?”

  Brooks noddedin reply. Heturnedto Camaria. “Iassumeby what I have seen from you thus far that you will prove to be a rapid learner. I will provide you will a list of poisons for you to study. You will be tested when you believe you are prepared. As for the making of the three, it may take far longer. The mixtures are complex and must be done properly.”

  “How will you know if I’ve gotten them right? Whom do you use as test subjects?”

  Brooks smiled. “No one.” He scratched the back of his neck and shrugged. “We can just tell.”

  It was nearly nightfall when Brooks escorted the company back to

  the castle. Glista had fetched a booklet of basic poison studies from Heiron’s personal library and had lent it to Cam. She was now perched upon her bed with Terra and Fiera as they poured over the contents of its pages.

  She scanned the list of poisons which were twenty-three in total. Brooks had refused to tell her which seven she would be detecting. The list spanned from a mixture that caused rashes to break out on the skin to a formula which ate your memories one at a time every day until they disappeared altogether or until a cure was found. Deadly poisons, ones which inflicted physical and pain and pleasure, and ones to poison mentally were among the others. Brooks had also insisted that Cam study Volume One of Advanced Poisons, Poisonous Curses and Their Cures, and the Volume of Unexplained Poisons. Among these were also string bound rolls of parchment containing formulas, mixtures, and recipes as well as the effects the poisons had on the victim. A majority of these contained scribbled, handwritten notes and drawings. Some even held grotesque illustrations of physical inflictions.

  “This is far more tedious than the training of Gnosi,” Fiera remarked as she closed the book with unexplained poisons which oddly enough held lengthy “explanations.”

  With a sigh, Cam returned the volume of cures to Terra and glanced over the list of three poisons the base created. These were Weakness, Slumber, and Death. Their names explained the effects simply enough. When having read on, Cam discovered that the Weakness mixture weakened both the body and the mind but allowed the emotions to stay frantic or steady depending on which state the victim’s emotions remained. The poison of Slumber left the victim in a state of sleep for nearly three hours.

  “Enough time for a thief to slip past,” Fiera stated when reading over Cam’s shoulder. Death was the most self-explanatory. The more of the magical poison base used the more rapidly the victim would die. The less used, the slower the demise.

  “I would be fearful to attempt to mix these. I would poison myself,” Terra murmured.

  Fiera slumped into the pillows. “I suppose with all the reading you have been assigned, I will have plenty of time to explore the armory.”

  “Indeed,” Cam answered absentmindedly. “Caleb has already made plans to visit them in the morning.”

  The following morning, Cam wasted no time in locating Lord

  Heiron, for he had summoned her for discussion following the morning meal. "Miss Camaria, are you ready for your next stage of training?" She nodded, but her heart sank, realizing that he had no intentions on discussing the matter arisen upon her arrival. "You saw the realm yesterday?" Cam nodded once again. She knew by now that the first part of the training involved seeing the realm.

  Heiron strode to and fro in the hall, his hands clasped behind his back.

  "Before we begin," Cam said, "I wish to know what your plans are concerning the revolt. Have you spoken to my guide?"

  The man nodded. “I have spoken with young Caleb, and do trust his account, but my plan is to remain here with my people and continue our productions. We will trust those designated to protect to do so when and if the time is upon us.”

  “You would trust the southern realm to protect you even when you have not been in communication for years besides your shipment of poisons?” Heiron sighed, leaning his elbows on the window sill. He gazed out at the village by the sea, considering something deeply. Cam stood parallel to him. “This realm is my home. We stay here to protect ourselves. We live in peace and harmony. That is what we are accustomed to. If we tell people of this supposed revolt, it will disturb the peace. Do you realize that?”

  “Are you quite convinced this is some sort of prank?” Cam countered, feeling quite irritated.

  Heiron ushered a small shush. “When signs of attack brim on the horizon, I will make the necessary preparations. In the scenario of a revolt and possible battle or war, our realm requires a leader. Though I lead these people, I am no man of war. As it seems now, no leader but you stands for an objection to this revolt.”

  “Iam no leader. I am only warningtherealms,” Camagreed.

  Heiron’s comforting hand clamped upon her shoulder. “Speak to Lord Tyron of Cinis Lumen. He will make a splendid leader.”

  “Perhaps I have failed because I’m not convinced enough myself,” Cam thought.

  "Now, Camaria, there are two important things we hold in the utmost value in our realm. The first is peace. Peace holds us together. Without bickering and disagreements, we can live in harmony." Cam leaned on the windowsill, considering his words.

  “The second,” Heiron continued thoughtfully, “Is of utmost importance. No matter the circumstance, remember that whatever you do, do it out oflove for others, not hate.” His hand brushed her shoulder as he passed, leaving her with his words echoing in her mind.

  “I can agree with that even when you refuse to protect yourselves,” she mused.

  “The Lord of the Sea Monsters is the Infernal Prince’s most trusted servant. He has been made as the most powerful Shadow Bearer and holds his home in the most northern regions of our world where he is Lord of the Sea Monsters. Thus he is called Leviathan. He is the master of marking and began the Marking as an experiment when I was a newlywed, shortly before the First World was washed away. He is searching for me. I can feel it. He searches because I have been accidentally marked. Sometimes he speaks into my mind and asks where I am. I have never told him, but I fear he will find me soon. I must find someone else to protect the Crown of Caelae.”

  -The Scarlet Spy

  Eighteen

  Leviathan had seemed to have vanished since the night Riah had

  met him. The prince had not caught a single glimpse of the Shadow Bearer since then and was thus surprised when he was jerked from sleep. The long, white fingers clenched his shoulder.

  “What the hell!” he whispered loudly. Though the chamber was nearly pitch, Riah could see the curl of Leviathan’s smile.

  “We are going to the cave.”

  Riah’s eyes widened and flitted to the curtain hanging from a wooden rod several feet from his bed. Behind that curtain was set a small, wood door. This door led to what Riah thought was his own secret place. But apparently, Leviathan had discovered it as well. Riah slipped his eyes back to the Shadow Bearer lurking over his bed. “Have you changed your mind?”

  Leviathan did not answer. With a swish of his black cape the door was open and Leviathan had melted into the darkness. Riah muttered unheard words and followed after the creature. Although he was quite irritated at being awoken during a rare deep sleep, he held hope that Leviathan was going to allow him to enter the first trial.

  Riah stepped through the doorway and walked through the narrow passage until he broke into an expanse of cave reaching for yards above and below him. The cave walls shimmered with light from an unknown source. The water, which was nearly black in color, was still thirty feet below the ledge that he now stood on.

  Riah glanced sideways at Leviathan and noticed that he wore clothing fit for traveling. “Are you leaving so soon?” he inquired. Disappointment lurked within him. Riah said, “so soon,” but in reality, did not know how long ago it had been when Leviathan had arrived.

  Leviathan smiled slowly, revealing a sinister set of snowwhite teeth. “Indeed. I have a gift to grant in the Imber Fel Realm upon your father’s request. I wi
ll return in a few days’ time. Upon my return, we will proceed with the Trials.”

  “Do you mean-”

  Leviathan held a hand to silence him. “I will assess your abilities. No permanent decision has been made.” Though Riah felt a sensation of disappointment, his hopes did not diminish completely. “The trials begin now. If you pass the task handed to you at this moment before I return, you will progress to the next stage.”

  “Now?” Riah exclaimed, though not at all surprised.

  “Yes, now.”

  The sudden wind Leviathan caused to course through the cave knocked Riah forward. His foot slipped from the edge of the ledge, and he was hurtling through the air, towards the water. He collided with the bitter lake in an immense crashing sound. The collision caused pain to course through his legs and arms. He clenched his jaw against the biting water.

  He cried out aa curse at the collision. Riah peered up at Leviathan who was obscured by the shadows. Even so, he swore he saw a smirk lifting the creature’s lips. “If you are alive and find your way out upon my return, I will train you further.” Riah opened his mouth, but Leviathan spoke before Riah could utter a single breath. “Make no threats. Either find a way to survive or die. Goodbye, Prince.” And with that, Leviathan glided toward the passage and melted from view. Riah’s roars sounded behind him, threaded with curses.

  “Does my father know of this?” he asked himself.

  For a long moment, Riah’s eyes scanned the cave, and he suddenly felt quite small with the walls looming so high, it was difficult to distinguish where the ceiling formed. He looked in vain for a way out. Death flickered across his mine once but did not reemerge, for he forced it away.

  The walls of the cave were too slick to climb, magic would not aid, and as far as he could tell, the water extended as far as he could see. He cursed under his breath while whirling around in the water in search of an exit he could not find.

  He released a cry of rage simultaneous to the feeling of scaly hands grasping at his ankle. The cry was cut off as he was jerked mercilessly beneath the water. He flailed helplessly, but the grip of whatever vile creature had captured him tightened. His screams were muffled underwater.

  But as he was dragged down, down, down…he noticed that what he thought was drowning could not be for one peculiar reason. He was breathing. Upon realization of this sensation, he panicked, convinced he was growing mad.

  Two other aspects of this situation now came to his attention. One was that whatever creature had fastened its hand around him had now released him and had disappeared altogether. And secondly, the water was not dark and clouded but clear and wavering in shades of brilliant blues and hues of purples so dark it was nearly black.

  He did not hear his gasp but felt the lack of water not flooding his lungs. “I’m going mad,” he murmured, this time hearing himself though the sound was muffled.

  Riah’s booted foot came to rest on the black, sandy bottom of the cave’s lake.

  He saw them.

  The Shadow Bearers of Water were slipping from the sand and appearing as slimy scaled humans devoid of features. Their eyes were blank and mouths open holes without teeth. Their skin was flaky, white, and infested with scales.

  Riah had seen illustrations of Shadow Bearers and had drawn some himself. But even so, when beholding the creatures of the lake, he was astounded by the difference in appearance in comparison to his father.

  The Shadow Bearers turned their empty eyes towards him and waved their hands as of beckoning him towards a certain destination. They gathered and moved in an easterly direction through the water. Riah hesitated for a brief moment and followed them.

  “I’m following them to the Infernal City…to my death. I am already dead.”

  He pushed through the water and found it to be a rather easy task. The Shadow Bearers continued to glide underwater for a period of time that seem to be an eternity to Riah.

  Finally, through the hu es of blue, Riah’s eyes alighted on a stone stairwell which wound up, up, up out of sight. He assumed to the surface. The Shadow Bearers gathered about the stairs and parted their crowd in half to allow him through.

  When Riah only stared at the stone, one grasped his shirt and yanked him forward until he stumbled up the first two steps. Riah glanced over his shoulder, but the creatures had vanished into wisps of white.

  Riah placed one foot in front of the other and mounted the steps, or rather floated above them and allowed the water to carry him. He saw a glimmer of pale light. The next instant, his head broke the surface. Although he had breathed beneath the water, he found himself in desperate need of air. His lungs burned and mouth sputtered water and whatever minerals he had gathered as well.

  With a grunt, Riah braced his hands upon the stone and pulled his form from the water. He hunched over for a long moment, panting for breath. “What the hell just happened?” he gasped as water trickled from his mouth. He felt suddenly cold as a drafty air hit his dripping body. He braced his arms again and hauled himself to his feet.

  When Riah’s head was lifted, his eyes became fixated on the sight before him. A circular opening the diameter of at least a hundred feet rose before him. The circumference of the opening was set with carvings of the four species of Shadow Bearers.

  Riah gaped at the sight beyond the opening. “Why have I never seen this place before?” With the squish of water in his boots, he trudged through the colossal tubular opening into a land sprawling with ash, stone remains, and eerie forests. Black mists drifted in the cold, gray air. Mountains loomed on every side of the enclosed ruins.

  He stood in what was once the Shadow Bearer Realm of Air. Riah’s books and tutors from when he was younger had informed him that the Shadow Bearer Realm had been destroyed decades ago by a mighty general. Little of the race had survived. By little, Riah knew that meant hundreds, for thousands had existed before their realm was vanquished.

  Riah made a realization as he peered over the lands of skulls and bones. During the passing years following the Shadow Bearer destruction, those who had survived had healed and were now crawling from black holes in the ground. They were bony, human in shape but with little distinguishable features. And they were infesting the entire land.

  None noticed the prince of Gnosi. They were all preoccupied with crawling over the stone, ash, and scattered bones.

  Riah backed against the opening’s wall, gasping at the sight before him. “Leviathan wishes me to gather an army.” His veins tremored. “And the only way back is through this wretched land and into the mountains.”

  Cam was found mulling over the twenty-three most common

  poisons when Fiera burst into their chamber in the early afternoon. While muttering a single profanity, Fiera tossed her bow and arrow carelessly to a corner and sank into a chair. “Should I even ask?” Cam asked dully as she turned a page. A grin played on Cam’s lips, but Fiera did not share in her amusement.

  “How do you tell someone plainly that their company is unwanted?” Fiera inquired.

  “Are you speaking of the princess of our guide?” Cam grinned up at her sister.

  “Both I suppose, though Caleb is who I will have to continue with once we leave here.”

  “Have you tried to become friends with him?”

  “How do you go about befriending someone who seems as though they were desperate to kiss you?” Cam laughed at this and had soon drawn a grin from Fiera.

  “Be sure to have bad breath,” the younger suggested.

  “I doubt that would stop him.” Fiera paused to stare from the chamber’s window over the wall and out at the sea. “It is odd that I have never faced such a situation until now.”

  "It makes perfect sense, though. Mother and Father never let a single boy near you if they could help it until you decided to leave."

  “Do you believe I was wrong to make that choice?”

  Cam shook her head. “I will miss you.”

  Fiera smiled at her sister. “I am glad you came to
us. I will miss you in return. I find it difficult to admit, but I am already missing the younger two.”

  Their conversation was suddenly broken by loud, anxious calls drifting from the front doors of the castle. Cam and Fiera dashed from their room and met Glista and Terra on the stairs. Several guards pushed their way inside, calling for the realm leader. Heiron burst into the hall in a long stride, his face full of concern.

  "We have just received news from the mermaids that there are great flying beasts coming this way. They are mounted by creatures with weapons."

  “What sort of creatures?” Heiron demanded.

  Thefirst guardstammereduntilthesecondanswered. “They appear to be Shadow Bearers of the Air.”

  “Impossible. They were vanquished.”

  “The survivors must have gained their strength since then,” Glista murmured.

  “They mean to attack us,” said Heiron in a shocked tone. “Call the troops to line against the city walls.”

  “What about the women and children?”

  “Take them to the passage.”

  “What passage?” Terra whispered. Without replying, Cam gazed down at the distressed realm leader.

  “What can we do to help?” Terra asked. Heiron’s attention turned to those standing upon the stairs.

  "Go into the village with some of the guards and gather the women and children. You'll take them to the passage." They nodded, rushing down the stairs.

  "The passage is utterly wretched," groaned Glista. Cam ignored her as she pulled on a vest over her long, blue shirt. Cam grabbed a bow and a quiver of arrows even though she knew she was not experienced enough to shoot.

  “I for one am not staying in a pit in the ground,” Fiera said. Neither Cam nor Fiera gave Terra time to object to such a plan. Cam darted outdoors, the three women on her trail. They chased the guards into the village. Women and children were already hurriedly donning extra clothes, collecting food, and following the guards back to the castle. The cold air bit mercilessly at Cam’s face. She instantly wished her had taken a cloak. Shivering, she spotted a young boy huddled in shabby clothing beside a building.