Spirit Followers

by Lydia Redwine

  She bent to him and took his cold hands in her own. “Where’s Momma?” he asked, tears welling in his eyes.

  “We’ll find her soon,” Cam replied, not sure who this boy’s mother even was. He sobbed as she cradled him in her arms and carried him into the castle.

  “This way!” shouted a guard who was guiding the crowd. He opened a secret door in the hall which led down a narrow flight of stone stairs. Carrying a lantern, he descended, the crowd following him. With the child in her arms, Cam carefully stepped through the passage. She had to bend down at one point to keep from hitting her head. Once they reached the end of the stairs, they rounded a large curve and walked on for a few minutes. Presently, they came into a large room, and Cam could hear the rushing of the river. The crowd pressed into the cavern on the left side of the river. Cam set the child down, and he promptly darted to a woman with open arms.

  She turned and ran through the passage; her feet thudding against the dirt floor. The passage was almost empty, but she could hear the calling of guards ahead ushering another group through. When she broke into the hall, her attention swept the vicinity, seeking her sisters. Through the throng of people still spilling into the castle, she could not find them. She pushed herself back outside and watched as Fiera selected the bow and quiver of arrows Cam had brought there. Her sister rushed towards the wall.

  "Wait, Fiera. I'm going with you!" Fiera turned and nearly demanded that Cam leave. Both of them knew that the other wasn't experienced to fight. Neither objected, however, and Cam presently found herself in stride with her elder sister.

  "Where is everyone else?" she asked, thinking of Terra, Caleb, and Glista.

  “They all went to the passage,” Fiera replied shortly.

  “Even Caleb?”

  “I have not seen him here?” Cam brushed stray locks of auburn hair from her face. The wind had certainly picked up and a shiver ran up her spine. The troops were a combination of men and women between the ages of eighteen and fifty.

  Cam fought for steady breaths. She was grateful when the man beside her offered her a pair of oversized gloves.

  As she slipped them on, the shouting diminished; the excitement was drained and replaced by anxious anticipation for what was to come. Cam gazed out over the still ocean water. The sun had faded behind clouds, and there were no mermaids venturing to the surface. The fishermen had abandoned their boats, leaving the seaside desolate. Cam peered into the distance, vaguely spying dark shadows moving along the horizon. They extended in size and drifted closer.

  A terrifying scream sliced through the panicked silence.

  And that scream was far from human.

  “The Shadow Wings often aligned themselves with the Shadow Bearers. They rise to hover over the crashing waves at the height of a storm and beckon to sailors upon the shore. When the sailors do not heed to the beckoning, the beasts release shrill screams. These screams, along with the pull of the tide, drive the sailors mad, sending them into the tumultuous night sea. I saw them during the flood. I thought it was the cursed drink I had taken that caused me to hallucinate. But those creatures were one reason many lost their lives those days when our realm was washed away.”

  - From “Tales of Legendary Beasts of the North,” recorded by a young scholar who lived in the Valley of Poison. Dictated by the Scarlet Spy.

  Nineteen

  The wind was bitter and biting, the sky brewing and boiling a

  storm. The troops had concealed themselves behind the stone barrier. As the beasts drew closer, Cam could hear the steady flapping of wings against the wind. Her heart jumped into her throat the instant one of the beasts landed on the wall directly above her. Its claws screeched against the stone. Its head jerked as its rider pulled the reins. The beast was dragon-like in form although it had no scales. It had a long tongue like a snake and a curving tale. It was blue and gray with sharp fangs and beady eyes.

  Its ear-splitting scream filled the icy air, and Cam winced. Her hands flew to cover her ears. Her heart raced and sweat trickled despite the frigid air. She was bent over, her eyes closed when she finally lifted her hands from her ears. The troops stood still as if they had been frozen. When Cam peeked over the stone barrier she saw six of the beasts flying in midair. Their riders were draped in black robes over their faces so she could not distinguish their features. On their sides were swords, crooked and sharp.

  The one which had landed on the wall beside her was mounted by one who appeared to be the leader of this attack. He moved with regal elegance. The hood concealed the half of his face upon which an eyepatch was fastened. The other half glowed white against his raven hair. His ice eye fell upon her, and a crooked smile lifted his lips. Her body shuddered and shivered but not from the cold. His stare gleaned with recognition and an appetite she had no intention of fulfilling.

  The beast he was perched upon bent its neck so that the rider could dismount. The figure’s feet, if it had feet at all, landed without a sound upon the stone. Camaria’s eyes could not beripped from his movements. The Shadow Bearer did not glide towards Heiron by vanished and reappeared beside the realm leader. Cam shoved her gasp down her throat and gulped in the icy air.

  “I want one thing,” the warrior said in a tone so low Cam could hardly hear it. His voice, smooth and refined, reverberated within her as if hehadspoken into her verymind. “Thegirl. Killher, and I will spare your realm.”

  “What girl? He is Apollyon’s ally. Me.” Heiron returnedtheleadShadowBearer’s coldstare. “It has been a long time, Leviathan.” Heiron’s voice was bitter.

  The one called Leviathan laughed, surprising all those in the vicinity. With a flash of his wrist, Leviathan had a dagger gripped within his fist. “A long time in your years perhaps, but in mine, it has been mere minutes since I last saw you…and your daughter.” The Shadow Bearer leaned towards Heiron. Even though he whispered, Cam could detect his words. “Where is she now?”

  Heiron fixed his stare forward at nothing in particular. “Perhaps I will add a night with Glista in addition to Camaria’s death.” With an elegant twist of his fingers, Leviathan flipped the dagger’s hilt to Heiron. “You can kill her or have one of your people do it. You have five minutes to spill her blood. I will take the body.”

  Cam glanced at Heiron whose glassy eyes rested upon her. His lips parted and she saw hesitation flicker across his expression. Cam wished to shout out that he kill her. Or flee. She did not know and thus remained rooted to the spot.

  “Return to Hell.” The voice was steady and hard. Fiera aimed her arrow at Leviathan.

  He laughed at her foolishness. “Your arrow will not harm me. As for Hell, I am not yet prepared to return home. I have unfinished business in this kingdom.” His eye lighted on Cam. The gleam of his ice iris gleamed with a crooked smile which his lips did not mimic.

  Fiera held her arrow in place. Leviathan paid her no mind as Heiron spoke. “I will not sacrifice her life.”

  A whirl of wind where Leviathan stood was followed by a sharp, cool press to Cam's throat. She did gasp at this point. The blade at her throat was already drawing blood. The Shadow Bearer's hand, pressed to the small of her back, sent sensations of warmth that might lull her to sleep. "Fine," he spit. She winced as the spit fell upon her ear and left cheek. "I will do the deed then. Afterward, your realm will suffer."

  She heard wind gathering the ocean into tumultuous waves which were now crashing against the bottom of the wall. The blade drew across her throat. “Any last word before your end,” Leviathan whispered so only she could here. “Camaria Caddell.”

  The gasp which uttered from her was cut off by another prick of the blade. “How do you know my name?” she demanded through gritted teeth.

  “I know everyone’s na-”

  Cam saw the blur Pandemonium struck. His words ended sharply, and Cam felt the blade released from her throat. The pressure of the Shadow Bearer at her back vanished as he slumped to the stone floor.

  The troops erupted into a ch
aotic mass of warriors aiming their arrows and spears at the remaining Shadow Bearers and their beasts.

  Cam’s eyes flickered from the fallen warrior to the figure standing over it. Caleb held a small knife in his hand which was now dripping with both blood and a darker liquid which was almost black. “Sleep poison. I thought it was smart.”

  “Youshouldhaveuseddeath poison!”shescreamedover the wild screams of the beasts and the shouts of the soldiers.

  “Death poison will not kill him. The Shadow Bearers are immune to it,” Caleb shouted back at her. Before she had time to mull over this or ask another question like, “when did you arrive?” he had darted away, grasping a spear and hurling it over the wall.

  Cam spun and her hands grasped at the edge of the wall. She watched as a Shadow Bearer and it’s beast were sent hurtling toward the waves. Her gag reflexes jolted when her eyes fell upon the dozens of soldiers sprawled on the stone around her. Open wounds pooled blood beneath her feet.

  lunging towards her captor.

  Three of the six beasts were down as well as their Shadow Bearers and Cam realized that the sharpness of the weaponry was not what had killed them. When pinpointed with the spears and arrows tipped with sleep poison, they had fallen into the sea to be devoured by the waves' wrath.

  A high-pitched female scream joined the other noises. The scream caused Cam to whip her head towards where it had been uttered.

  “Glista!” she cried, rushing towards her. The fourth beast snapped its fangs at the princess. Glista stumbled back, landing hard on her elbows and tailbone. Cam dove. She collided with the girl and rolled them away.

  The impact of her stomach on stone left Cam breathless and paralyzed. The pain seemed unbearable until sharpness plunged into her back. She screamed in agony as the beast's fangs sank into her flesh, almost reaching her spine. The beast's teeth suddenly unclenched from her back. She rolled, using the remaining strength left in her veins. "Get the hell out of here!"

  Glista stumbled over her own dress. She fled towards the castle. She casts glances back at Cam. The later whipped her head when she remembered the beast. Why was she not yet torn apart?

  But the beast was sagging over the side of the stone wall with poison-tipped arrows protruding from its eye, throat, and heart. Fiera stood atop the wall, panting for breath and out of arrows. She watched as the beast fell to the water, crashing into the waves with tremendous force.

  Fiera leaped from the stone and extended a hand towards her sister. Cam lifted her hand but cried out when Fiera pulled her up. The pain in her back shot into her head. She gripped her temples. Her teeth were clenched against the pulsing and pounding in her head. Her eyes squeezed shut, but she could still smell the blood mixed with the salty sea air.

  An exasperated cry of rage sounded from Fiera. Cam’s eyes flung open to witness the Shadow Bearer who had held the blade to her throat prying himself from the ground. She was prepared to flee if he whirled through the wind like lightning to end her.

  But he did not. Leviathan caught her eye as he pushed himself onto the ledge. The cries of the remaining Imber Fel warriors sounded at the sight of him. They lunged but were not quick enough, for he leaped off of the ledge into the air.

  Cam knew he would not end his life. When the remaining beast flung itself into the air with Leviathan clutching to it, she was not surprised yet devastated that he was escaping towards the horizon.

  Angry cries rang through the air. Somewhere over dead companions. Others were shouted after the fleeing Shadow Bearer.

  Cam's attention was drawn towards Heiron who held a shivering Glista in his arms. Tears filled his eyes. He uttered a thank-you that she could not hear.

  The following day, the people were still in mourning for the lost

  soldiers. Cam was distracted by the events of the previous day but to do nothing more than stare blankly at her books. She thought of Brooks. He too had met his demise. Though she had not known him long, she was stabbed by the pain of his departure when she did not see his smile in the halls. She missed his ventures to her chambers with armfuls of books she did not wish to see.

  Terra had remained in the passage for the majority of the day in aid of preparing Imber Fel for safety. Though Cam had seen Heiron, Glista, Caleb, and Fiera, she hadn’t spoken a word to any of them. “I should thank Caleb,” she thought.

  Cam left her chamber and roamed the castle until she came to the baths. The room set with pillars and several baths separated by walls of pillars and fluttering silver curtains was desolate. Hot water was already waiting inside one of the tubs. Heiron had insisted that a hot bath be kept drawn for whenever she may desire it.

  Cam discarded her clothing upon the tiled floor and stepped into the water. It stung her back. The bite marks had been healed by the magic Terra had brought with her, but they still ached when confronted by sensations such as steaming water. She gritted her teeth and forced herself into the water.

  For a long while, she lay in the water, staring at the windows and the darkening sky beyond. All was quiet, for the mourners were levels below in the dining halls praying silently to their gods and speaking low among themselves.

  The water turned cold. Cam scrubbed herself hurriedly. She was careful around the scratches on her face and did not touch the scars. Terra would lather it with salve later. When she compelled herself from the water, the chilled air stung her bare back. She pulled the selected clothing over her head.

  Cam perched herself upon a cushioned seat before the window and brushed the tangles from her hair. Her eyes scanned the villages below. The corpses of dead soldiers had been cleared the previous night. The stone was now stained with blood. All was still, even the sea. All was still except for the white bird that flew by her window.

  Cam’s hand slid over the window pane just as a white object flitted by. It circled over the window and finally slowed so Cam could distinguish its full form. It was a dove. As it flew away, unnoticedbyanyoneelse,Cam couldn’thelp but thinkofOwen.Her thoughts also turned to Lord Caddell and Peter. Had it been because Peter had seen her in the Royalty Realm that Imber Fel had been attacked? What other way would have Apollyon known her direction? She was sure spies had not tracked them. But then, if they had been Shadow Bearers of the air, they could have easily concealed themselves and followed without their knowing.

  The day following mourning, Heiron announced to the realm that

  mourning would continue for a month only to be interrupted by a celebration to be held that night. Cam had stayed indoors and away from others, only to be seen when she peered through the windows into the garden below the castle and enclosed by a stone barrier.

  The garden shimmered with lanterns in silvery trees which reflected in the fountains and pools scattered about the expanse. Though the realm was cold in most regions, this garden’s temperature was closer to that of spring.

  When dusk had arrived, Cam emerged into the garden draped in blue. She glanced at the pavilion in the middle of the garden on which men and woman were sitting, plucking harps and strumming other stringed instruments.

  “It’s beautiful,” Cam breathed as she drew next to her sisters. Terrawore a light bluegown whileFiera’s was so dark it was nearly black.

  “Good of you to finally arrive,” Terra remarked. “Heiron is holding this celebration in honor of those who died, the victory, and the fact that you saved the princess’ life.”

  At the mention of Glista, the princess herself appeared as if from thin air and grasped Cam’s hand. “Dance with me!” she exclaimed, pulling her onto the stone path. Cam allowed herself to swirl with Glista. Their skirts brushed those of the other young women who danced. Cam now noticed that all those dancing her young women while the young men watched from the sides. They blue lilies in their hands.

  “They offer the lily to the girl that captures their interest most during this dance,” Glista explained. “If she does the same in return when they dance, then they are partners for the remainder of the evening.”
At these words, Cam’s eyes scanned the sea of on looking young men. Some held her gaze. With a small smile, she turned from them and continued to match Glista’s steps.

  When Cam was becoming weary, the music diminished and the onlookers, as well as the young woman, clapped. "I think I will avoid being partnered up this evening," Cam told Glista.

  “Whatever suits you although I do believe that is amistake,” the princess replied.

  Cam sprung from the stone path as the men approached and searched for her sisters who were consuming refreshments beside a fountain. A moment later, the men had finished giving their lilies and began their own dance. Cam scanned the crowd for Caleb, but he was nowhere to be seen.

  Applause and cheers followed the dancing.

  Cam watched as couples joined one another and then were gathering as one crowd near the pavilion which Heiron had just stepped up to.

  “My dear people,”hebegan. “Yesterday wewitnesseda great crisis in our realm. This is something that has never happened to us. We have lived in peace for so long this was most certainly unexpected. We have this young woman, Camaria Briar to thank for warning us of what our enemy may try next.” He held his hand out towards Cam. She sensed that every eye was directed towards her now. She almost shrank back, not sure she wanted this much attention. “This young woman and those she came with have brought us news that the Gnosi Realm plans on revolting and overtaking Mirabelle. Proof of such act was seen in yesterday’s attack. On this night, we will celebrate her ventures and willingness to bring such news to our people. We will honor the lost this evening before preparing for safety tomorrow.”

  Heiron turned towards Cam and produced a small object wrapped in blue silk. “Please accept this gift. It is the least I can do to thank you.”