by Adam Watson
Goran’s gaze followed the light outside the cell. There was a line that stretched the whole length of the floor and through to the cracks around the entrance of the dungeon. Goran was sure that if he followed the light the whole way it would lead him outside and back to the Cathedral of Candare where Dray had expelled it in that huge, mysterious light beam that warded the Shadow Dragon off. Goran smiled, if Dray could do that then maybe there was a way out of here after all.
Inside Dray’s mind, turmoil churned. He had thought he would find peace here, in the depths of his mind, but instead, he found anxiety. He had thought that he would find calmness and serenity, but instead, he had found himself in a world plagued with chaos. His mind raced with urgency, it would not be still, it would not rest - something bad was happening to the Oracle.
The turmoil, the anxiety came from her. The bond they shared would let him feel what she felt when the emotions were strong enough. He could feel that all around her battle raged and that her life was in danger. His body began to shudder with desperation, he needed to be there, he needed to protect her. It was his reason for being, nothing would deny him, he needed to get out, out of his cell, he needed his powers, but his unhealed body denied him.
He focused, he concentrated, he meditated in a deep trance. His body had spread itself thin, but it had almost come back to him. He reached out into the ether and drew his essence back into himself. Goran jumped back with fright, and watched the glow that was trickling into Dray’s body suddenly surge with power. He could feel the heat emanating from Dray’s body, the glow of it lit up his face. The unnaturalness of it scared Goran, but he had witnessed Dray’s power first hand, and it excited him as well.
***
The Sisters had fought their way out of the dungeon and into the lower level of the wall. In their wake … a trail of corpses, the bloodied bodies of soldiers littered the corridors. They were good men once, but had found themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time and fighting a battle that never should have been. In the end, the Commander had retreated with his personal guard, himself a bloody mess - he had called off the chase, unwilling to lose any more men.
As far as Volantia was concerned, luck had been on their side. Things could have turned out very differently for the Sisters had the Commander been ready for them. The soldiers were used to fighting on the field not inside the walls, not inside their own barracks. Confusion had spread them thin, and the Sisters had taken full advantage of that fact; using the shadows, attacking as a single entity - the fights were often three to one in their favour. They had to fight many battles to get out, but they had dispatched the enemy fast and efficiently.
The Oracle was with them of course. She did nothing, no fighting, no beguiling, she couldn’t even defend herself - it wasn’t by choice, but by Solitaire’s will. The Leash of Binding held her actions tight, she moved with Solitaire, she stopped with Solitaire, the Sister had taken to the magical bond like a duck to water - the Oracle felt like she was just an extension of her captor’s body.
They walked carefully through the lower level of the wall. They knew that the exit back into the city was not far, but it was far enough. Far enough for an ambush that was. Volantia looked all around her. She listened carefully, as did the others, but there was only silence. She didn’t really like that, it was too quiet, and when things got too quiet, that was when she tended to get on edge. They kept walking forward though - they needed to get out one way or another.
Even as they walked on, the Sisters were ever watchful, always looking ahead, always looking behind, always aware that attack could come from any direction and at any time, but no attack came - not even when they walked out of the barracks and into the city’s courtyard.
Once out they ran, they ran like they had never run before and they didn’t slow down until they were well away from the barracks and the exposed courtyard.
Volantia smiled confidently - they had done it, they had beaten the guards and escaped with the Oracle of Tempus. Even if they were attacked now, it was almost dark. The Sisters would have the advantage because the guards feared the night. With good reason too, for when night fell in the city of Candelier it became a place of dread - a place where the dead crawled, and the shadows came alive.
Volantia may have been confident, but her smiles had come too soon. All four of them froze in their tracks. A low rumble seemed to emanate from the ground beneath their feet, as everything around them began to quake. Volantia knew they should run, she knew they should flee, she should be yelling at her Sisters, screaming at them to run and never stop, but she couldn't – a powerful dread held her tight, making her unable to act. She stood fixed to the spot as though paralysed.
The Sisters of Solace rarely felt fear and most of them had some form of immunity to dread, but the creature who had created this dread was more powerful than all three Sisters combined. In that moment Volantia knew true fear. Not the fear of death nor the fear of facing a creature more powerful than herself, but the fear of failure and failing her goddess. The favour they would miss out on, the prestige - that standing was worth more to Volantia than her own life. The dread had her in its grip, but her mind still fought it.
From behind the building, the shadow came to life, emerging, coming ever closer. The ground shook with the weight of the beast. Solitaire tried to focus on what it was. She could only describe it as a swirling blackness, an ever-changing void that no eye could fixate on.
The Oracle could feel the dread as well, she was filled with fear and felt completely helplessness, and being double-bound by both the dread and leash together, perhaps she truly was.
Calista looked on, she could do nothing else. The shadow stopped in front of Volantia. A tear in the void opened up, and a burning fire could be seen behind. Desperation grew, fear had never been so great. She wanted to scream at Volantia to run, but her voice was paralysed. Death was coming, she wanted to cry, but even that was impossible.
Volantia stared into the mouth of the beast. She could feel the heat on her face as the tear opened up, if it spewed its furnace onto her now she would be incinerated in a second. She could feel the spear in her hands, if the fiend didn’t have such a hold on her, she would have been able to throw it, to throw it down its vile throat and make it choke.
The air was electric, thick and volatile. A huge screech echoed through the skies as the catalyst clicked in the back of the dragon’s throat. The fire burst forth. Volantia could see it coming for her, the flames reflected in her eyes. She couldn’t move, and so she embraced the flames. Tears trickled down Calista’s cheeks as she watched on in horror.
***
The Commander of the Wall slowly limped across the bulwark. He had left his guards behind at the stairwell and told them to get aide. He opened the door and stumbled into his room. Staggering his way to the table, he grabbed the bottle of whiskey. He took a big swig, then collapsed into his chair exhausted.
“You’ve looked better.”
Be’lial had opened the shutters that faced inwards towards the city. He stood at the window staring out, his mind reaching out to Nyhzopham. The dread had trebled as he amplified the creature’s powers. His mind was connected, his thoughts were like one; he could command it, he could control it.
“Have you found those witches yet?” the Commander asked. Be’lial didn’t look back at the Commander when he spoke but remained focused on the task at hand.
“I have indeed, but before I destroy them, tell me why they were here.” The Commander looked at Be’lial puzzled, was he trying to imply something?
“Why were they here? They said they were looking for the Oracle of Tempus.” Be’lial snorted suddenly amused, a smile crept ever so slowly upon his face.
“The Oracle of Tempus?!” he asked again incredulously, not quite believing what he had heard the first time. “THE ORACLE OF TEMPUS?!!” The Commander wanted to back away, but he was too exhausted - Be’lial was someone you didn’t upset. Suddenly Be’lial cackled wildly. �
��THEY CAME HERE FOR THE ORACLE OF TEMPUS?!! AHAHAHAHA!!!!!” The Commander watched on wide-eyed and afraid, still unsure whether his life was in danger or not. Laughing was good though, wasn’t it?
Be’lial shook his head, he couldn’t believe what had occurred.
“All this bloodshed,” he whispered. “The carnage, the destruction.” It all made sense now. He knew who they were, how had he not realised this before. “You stupid, stupid Sisters.” He was talking to himself, the Commander said nothing, but only listened. “If only I had realised sooner Sisters, I would have let you just come and take her!” But how were they to know? Be’lial shrugged at his own question, it seemed that it was all just a misunderstanding. Be’lial turned to the Commander.
“If I had known what they wanted, I would have wrapped her up myself and handed her to them as a gift.” The Commander nodded slowly, he wasn’t sure if any of this was making sense, but he wasn’t about to question Be’lial. “I guess we have no choice, but to let them go.”
“Let them go!” the Commander exclaimed.
“That’s right Commander … let them go. It won’t look good if we kill our allies.”
"Allies?" the Commander asked uncertainly.
"Yes Commander, you do remember what they are, don't you?" Be’lial turned to face the window again, he balled his hand into a fist before him and concentrated intensely, withdrawing into the inner depths of his mind and back to the connection with his beast.
“Come Nyhzopham, leave them be.”
***
The flames burned like a raging furnace. Volantia lay face down on the ground feeling the heat on her back. She had thought she was going to burn, but at the last second the hold had broken and she had fallen to the ground. When the inferno stopped, she quickly looked up. The beast was still there, she knew it could have killed her if it wanted to, but for some unknown reason, it didn't.
It seemed to be waiting, sizing her up, debating in it's in mind whether it should kill her or not. The flames subsided, the tear in the void sealed up before her eyes. Volantia breathed a sigh of relief, she believed she had been spared. The beating of wings could be heard but not seen, and the void with the ever-changing shadow, that shadow that the eye could never quite get a fix on, rose up and flew off into the distance.
The Sisters looked at each other both awestruck and completely baffled at the same time, Calista wiped the tears from her eyes.
"You're too sentimental, Sister," snapped Volantia. The younger Sister wiped her eyes and tried to stand strong.
"I can't help it ... I thought you were dead." Volantia looked at Calista. She had trained her Sisters to be strong and tough as nails, but looking at the weeping Sister melted her heart - it was her that she wept for after all. Volantia took Calista in her arms and held her in a loving embrace, she may have been as hard as stone on the outside, but she could still show compassion sometimes.
“Calista, you can't get rid of me that easily." Solitaire joined in the embrace.
“I really thought that was the end.” In that moment of emotion and for the first time in decades, tears formed on Volantia’s face, but these were not tears of sadness, they were tears of happiness. If they could come face to face with a Shadow Dragon and come out alive - then nothing could stop them.
***
General Vuko Vlad sat in the throne room. Not upon the throne itself, that was reserved for his brother, but upon another chair that was identical in every way to the throne, expect smaller. There were two of these smaller thrones, one on either side of the main. He sat on the left, the other remained as yet unoccupied. High Priestess Katra Varta and some other dignitaries were also in the room, as were a higher than usual number of guards. A young aide entered the room and walked to the General.
“She’s here,” he whispered. The General nodded, there was no need to explain who she was. There was no need for a formal introduction or greeting, there was no need for fanfare.
“Bring her in.” The aide turned around to leave, but before he could do anything, Solitaire entered the room. Around her wrist was a steel cuff and connected to that was a chain. At the other end of the chain the Oracle of Tempus walked - the collar still tight around her neck.
Solitaire walked with catlike grace, slowly making her way to the General. All eyes were on her. They could see beauty there, great beauty, but great danger as well. The very fact that she had the Oracle of Tempus in tow behind her said that there was more to her than met the eye.
“Well met … Sister.” The General was still sore over the way he had been treated the last time they had met.
“Save your greetings, General. I am only here to deliver what you have sought.” The General eyed the Oracle hungrily.
“And so you have. What is the payment you seek?”
“I seek no payment, but Solace will take what she wants.” The General nodded, he had expected as much.
“Well, let’s hope your mistress is not too greedy then.” Solitaire smiled, she liked the General, especially after their last encounter. She unclasped the cuff and threw it to him.
“Now she’s yours … be careful with your prize.” The General stood up and handed the cuff to a robed Drahkar. The Drahkar lifted up its sleeve, revealing its white maggoty skin. The cuff clasped around, and the figure dropped his cowl.
Solitaire beheld the misshapen monstrosity. Its mouth was a mayhem of rotting teeth, its face malformed and mutated; its eyes were deep, black voids filled with death and emptiness.
“Don’t worry,” hissed Volantis. “She’s in very good hands.” The Oracle shuddered involuntarily, she felt like all her nightmares were about to come true … and perhaps they were.
EPILOGUE
And so, it comes to pass - the Dawn of Darkness - a beginning, but not an end.
The armies of darkness begin to gather their forces under the influences of the old gods. The taking of Castle Candelier and its city may have been the first attack by the Drakhar, but it would certainly not be the last.
The humans, worshipping the new gods, see themselves as the world’s salvation, bringing with them their light, but is it a healing light or will they burn everything in their path?
The Drakhar, having been decimated for centuries and being labelled as a race of demons by the humans, now fight to save their race from extinction and take back the world that was stolen from them.
Two brothers united by blood, but separated by external influences continue to grow stronger with every day that passes. Destiny screams in the ears of both, and each are fighting a battle they don’t even know exists - only time will tell if they triumph.
Mages - some were born to do great things, some have powers normal people can’t comprehend. They can be used for good or evil - but there is never one without the other.
Inside a cell, two people sit, trapped and robbed of their powers. They too will fail their destinies unless they can escape - and so whilst one meditates the other rages.
A young woman in ragged robes wanders the halls, even in freedom nowhere is safe. Inside or outside, she’ll never survive alone. So back into the wolves den she goes, to try and seek salvation.
Oracles are the gods chosen, but where is her god now? Will she release a black shadow across Mya or will she light a fire in the darkness – either way, the world will weep.
And deep, down in the depths of the Blood Mountains, the Dread Masters wait, looking out into the world through the eyes of another. This one is bigger and stronger than the others, will he be the one who finally releases them back into the world?
Strong magic and great power exude in those destined to change the world, but far away, on the other side of Mya, something grows stronger and more powerful than them all.
The Dawn of Darkness is not the end - it is only the beginning.
THE END OF BOOK ONE
WHERE THE SHADOWS STALK
DAWN OF DARKNESS
FROM THE AUTHOR
I would like to thank you for pur
chasing and reading Dawn of Darkness, the first book of an epic series entitled: Where The Shadows Stalk. I hope you are enjoying the story and characters so far.
If you did enjoy reading this book, please consider supporting me by leaving a review on Amazon and Goodreads - This will help to kickstart my career as an author and allow me to devote more time to writing.
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Thanks for your support and best wishes to you all!
Adam Watson.
Website: www.adamwatsonauthor.com
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