Immediately, the scene was very different. There was fire everywhere and as a strange black ash flooded through her tent, she was left on the floor, bloodied and broken, desperately trying to hold on to the life she could feel slipping from her grasp. Feeling something grab at her dress, she looked down to see Esmee, blackened by the smoke, crying and holding onto her. Then Majila came bursting in to save them. Everything flashed by so quickly — their last goodbye, the kiss and parting words, the two of them escaping — then nothing but darkness.
Amelia sat bolt upright around the fire, unaware she’d even been lying down, struggling to cope with what she’d seen. Tears were streaming down her face and when she said one word — ‘Esmee’ — her hand immediately held her stomach.
Black Wolf stared at her in shock. ‘What did you just say?’ he asked as he moved closer to her, holding his hand out to touch her.
‘My Esmee,’ she repeated, automatically reaching for his hand and holding it tightly, instantly transferring everything she’d seen directly to him. This time he didn’t leap back in shock; instead he pulled her towards him tightly, holding her close and letting her release all her sadness.
Grey Moon looked at Lone Wolf. He was sat there looking both confused by what was happening and concerned for the princess, who appeared crushed by what she had seen.
‘I wish that was all, but there is more for all of you,’ he said before sitting quietly again.
CHAPTER 20
Elspeth was trembling as she slipped through the door in the back wall of Orgent. In all her time living here, she had never known it be used and was unsure of how she’d manage to get much farther without plummeting to her death. She had to try though because she was sure the other option would be worse.
Stepping out onto the ledge, she could feel a cold wind blowing around the side of the mountain and realised this would make it even more difficult to manoeuvre around. Her best chance was to step sideways along the ledge, clutching any parts of Orgent’s wall that protruded, and try to make it onto the edge of the city, and flatter land. Tentatively, she started to turn to face Orgent and slip out onto the ledge as the door started to creak shut behind her. Just as she searched for a foothold, the door swung wide open again, splintering against the inside wall before a massive cloud of black ash tore Elspeth from the wall. She screamed as she was swung out in a wide arc, over the mountains below. She was then pulled back through the doorway she’d just escaped from by her feet. Inside the walls again, she felt herself get dragged along the floor, every rock scraping against her as her body was roughly thrown about, finally ending up at the feet of the stranger.
‘You dare to think you could escape? Me, with all the power I wield, against you, a mere serving girl.’ The stranger’s voice was angry and loud, causing Elspeth to curl up, cowering. ‘Stand up and face me, girl, or I will make you suffer even more than I have already.’
Elspeth crawled backwards slightly towards the emperor, desperately trying to get any protection she could. The emperor looked beaten and drained of all hope as he looked at her solemnly and spoke with his head bowed, ‘Just do it child, we cannot fight, we must do as he says.’
Slowly, Elspeth got to her feet. She was bruised and bloodied from being dragged along the courtyard but nothing was broken so she was able to stand. ‘W-what do you want from me? As you said, I’m just a servant girl — I’m of no use to you.’ She stammered as she spoke, looking up at this huge, menacing figure.
‘I know who you are and I know how close the princess is to you, so trust me, you will be useful to me. You and this fool’s privileged daughter share a bond, so you will help me get her back here.’
‘Never, I will never help you. There is nothing you can do to me that would make me help you or betray the princess.’ Fighting the urge to run, Elspeth hissed her words at him in an act of defiance.
As he moved closer towards her, the evil being’s featureless face changed slightly and two piercing red eyes appeared amongst all the black.
‘There is much I can do to you, girl, and I will. I am born of the fire which all of mankind denies it has in itself — the fires of greed, hatred and the blackest of hearts. You will help me or I will make you as I am, just for my own amusement.’ As he spoke, he raised his hand to her and twisted it in mid-air, causing her neck to snap back at an awkward angle.
The emperor shouted, ‘Please, stop —!’
‘Silence!’ the stranger screamed at him, and used his other hand to send the emperor flying backwards onto the floor again. ‘Now, I will ask you again — and think carefully before you answer. Will you help me or not?’ His red eyes were burning like fire as he spoke to her.
‘Never,’ was all she managed to say breathlessly, the angle of her head causing her immense pain.
‘Then I shall have to find other uses for you,’ he replied, letting her head drop forward again before sending her crashing against the city walls.
The city watched as a cloud of black ash left his body and hovered around Elspeth, pinned against the wall by the evil being’s power, before slowly tearing her dress open at the neck. She was powerless to stop anything as the ash seemed to disappear down inside the material, leaving her hanging there, crying.
‘Please just let her go, she is little more than a child,’ the dazed emperor pleaded. He avoided looking at his Elspeth’s body being cruelly revealed to everyone, seemingly just to humiliate her.
‘A child to you maybe, Emperor, but to me she is a woman and little more than an amusing way to fill the time until she changes her mind and chooses to help me — or I will end her.’ The evil being’s dark laugh echoed once more around Orgent’s cold stone walls.
Elspeth started to weep loudly and it seemed her dress was slowly being torn open more, displaying her flesh for all to see. She couldn’t move at all and every part of her body felt like it had a huge weight pressed against it. All she could do was close her eyes and hope it would be over soon.
‘You are very beautiful for a servant girl… Maybe I should make you my queen when I take this throne and rule the lands. What do you think, Emperor?’
The emperor turned away, tears in his eyes, but the evil being used his power to put the emperor on his knees, facing Elspeth’s semi-naked figure, unable to move or look away.
‘Just kill us — there is no need to defile this girl. She is innocent,’ he begged.
‘Kill you all, Emperor? Where would the fun be in that? Besides, I have a lot more for you to watch yet, the night is young.’ He laughed, his eyes flickering an even deeper shade of red.
As Elspeth hung there, her body on display like meat in the city’s market, she felt the night get even colder and feared what would come next.
CHAPTER 21
Back in the mountains, Black Wolf and the princess were still sat holding each other tightly. She was slowly calming down but they were both silent, leaving Lone Wolf to speak to Grey Moon.
‘So what is my role in all this, Grey Moon? I’ve lived up here for so many years now and haven’t met any of you before, are you just here for my help?’ Having heard Grey Moon’s explanation of the link between the other two, he failed to understand his part in what was happening.
‘You are just as important, Lone Wolf, and the evil has taken from you not just in your last life but in this one too. The dark force, the ash, the destruction, you remember it all too well.’ Grey Moon spoke gently, desperate not to provoke an angry reaction, but he needed Lone Wolf to see it for himself.
‘My parents?’ he replied, his fists balled tightly in anger.
‘Yes, but please allow me to show you the rest.’ Grey Moon painted more of his paste on Lone Wolf’s head and once more threw herbs into the fire.
Lone Wolf was used to the customs of the tribes and lay down on the ground, closing his eyes and waiting for the visions to start. Before long he was transported to a busy market stall at the base of a huge white temple. He watched as a tribesman came seeking help with a
beautiful child strapped to his back. Where no one was prepared to help, he would. He took them to safety after supplying the native with a weapon.
As quickly as the vision appeared, it was gone again, and Lone Wolf sat upright once more, turning to Grey Moon.
‘I didn’t see much, just enough to recognise Black Wolf and a child. Is this the same child that the princess saw? What did I do for them?’ He had even more questions now than he did before the vision.
‘Yes it is, you were known then as Kaliam. A true believer in good and helping those who needed it. You were a warrior and a defender of others, as you have been throughout your many lives. There is more to see, but that will come to you over time, these things should not be rushed.’
On hearing the name Kaliam, Black Wolf let go of Amelia slowly and looked up at Lone Wolf. ‘It’s you — you helped me when no one else would?’ He got to his feet, trying to shake all these thoughts out of his head, desperate for some clarity and understanding.
‘You have all seen parts now and there will be more, but it must happen in its own time. Three of the chosen four are here now and once we find the fourth, we can all move forward together, end this evil and save Orgent.’
‘What about you, Grey Moon? You are not one of the four?’ Black Wolf said, surprised that his magical friend was not a power.
‘I am the great elder who the spirit of our Great Mother turned to when she needed the wrong undoing. I was one of a few who could perform the magic needed to take the power back and split it into four souls. In doing this, the child was taken and forever trapped in the ghostly prison he has inhabited ever since. I sacrificed a normal life and many other things to do this. I walk through each life as an elder, never again to experience the joys of youth, and unable to have a family of my own as it would be too dangerous for them. The Great Mother only allowed for the four powers to be reunited when the time was right, in order to defeat the evil, and that time is now.’ Grey Moon was starting to tire now and was hoping he would soon be able to rest.
‘What about my people though? This is all taking so much time; surely we will be too late?’ Amelia’s thoughts had suddenly snapped back to the present and the trouble at Orgent.
‘Time has stopped in Orgent, Princess. The evil can only appear for a short time otherwise its power lessens quickly. Its only chance is to stop time and wait for us to fight it, then if it wins it has full power, always, and can reign over this land and all others. At Orgent, it is the same night you left, and it will stay frozen in time and darkness until the evil wins or you can defeat it. We still need to move quickly though as its power grows with every life it takes, and if we don’t go there soon, there might be no one left to save.’ As Grey Moon finished speaking, the group was interrupted by the piercingly familiar howl of a wolf, and once more the ghostly animal appeared before them, walking over to the mouth of the cave and lying down.
‘This wolf has appeared regularly before your arrival, Grey Moon, what does it mean?’ Lone Wolf asked the question he’d wanted answering for days.
‘The wolf has been held in the highest regard amongst our tribes since the earliest of days. The magic of its soul is still not fully known, but it is the one animal we have never hunted; instead, we have shared its land and respected its power like it does ours. The few skins we have taken have always been from wolves that were already dead and we always offered a sacrificial prayer as a thank you for these. The wolf you see now is our spirit guide, here to represent the threat this evil poses to us, and if we follow it, it will lead us where we need to be. Tomorrow it will take us to the Charmed Forest, where we will meet the fourth soul, and then we will be complete. Tonight we must rest though. I know there is more to learn but I am tired, so will bid you all goodnight.’ Grey Moon slowly got to his feet, taking the blanket, and settled down in the cave, leaving the others by the fire.
Left sitting in silence, Lone Wolf turned to the others and spoke quietly and quickly. ‘We still have lots to talk about, but I think I will turn in now too. I have many things to ponder… Goodnight.’
Black Wolf and Amelia said goodnight and sat together awkwardly by the fire. He turned to her and said, ‘I cannot say that I understand any of this, Princess, but I know how I feel and I know this isn’t the first time we’ve met. There’s so much I want to say but I don’t know how.’ He lifted his hand, cupping her face towards him and as their eyes met, the passion between them could not be denied.
‘I know, Black Wolf, there is nothing we need to say tonight though, so let us just sleep. Can I sleep here next to you? I’d feel safer if I could.’ She covered his hands with hers as she spoke.
‘Yes, Princess, whatever you wish. I’m staying up for a while, but I will be here to protect you, I promise.’ Then he leant in and kissed her on the cheek before she lay down next to him.
Black Wolf gathered his sack and took out the book that Grey Moon had given him, already filled with thoughts and dreams. He carried on writing in it, desperate to make sure that he left nothing out. As his mind started to turn to the face of Esmee, he heard a sleepy Amelia mumbling next to him.
‘I’m not a princess, I’m Aalym, your love,’ she said sleepily, before drifting off into the night world.
Black Wolf smiled sadly to himself and then carried on writing in his journal. As the flames crackled beside him, he looked at her and felt complete for the first time ever.
CHAPTER 22
The flaming arrow flew through the dark night sky, plunging deep into the elder’s chest. He cried out in agony as the flames caught his furs alight, setting him on fire in an instant. In desperation, he stumbled forward, falling to the ground, and crawled back to his hut for help. As he crawled, he saw arrows flying into the camp from all directions, the fires spreading throughout the huts and destroying everything in their path. He reached his hut just as a swarm of dark-cloaked figures descended into the camp, grabbing other members of his tribe and throwing them out into the open. Through his pain, he watched as throats were slit and bloodied bodies were dumped to the ground, in a pile before him. As he felt his skin burning, the pain became too great and he slumped forward, unable to move another muscle. As the life ebbed painfully from his burning body, he heard a familiar voice coming from somewhere close. This voice was barely a whisper yet it spoke words that brought him some comfort in his final moments.
‘Take these souls lightly, dear Mother, and let the light of the moon grant them a chance again, with nothing but goodness in their hearts. Let them begin a new journey.’
The fire returned, a blanket of flame was all there was. He didn’t feel afraid though; he knew this was his destiny. To walk through the fire would mean that everything would be revealed to him. The Great Mother’s tears would cool his fevered skin, if only he would walk into the flames.
Beyond the flame was a clearing in dense woodland. There was a strange thick mist in the air, but he could just make out a shape in the centre which looked like a figure. He made his way through the mist and arrived at what turned out to be a tree stump, covered in claw marks. As he stepped closer he heard a baby cry and when he looked into the stump, he realised it had been hollowed out and lying in the middle was a baby wrapped in furs, alone and crying in the middle of the forest. As he put his hands on the stump, he noticed the two pawprints, pressed into the bark. They were so deep they looked almost like they were carved into the wood. Somewhere in the distance, he heard the loud howl of a wolf and then the mist blinded him completely.
He felt hands lifting him up, removing him from his small, safe place. A stranger’s face appeared, kind and gentle, leaning over him. Behind this man was a beautiful clear night sky, all the stars were shining and they were overshadowed by just one thing: a full, grey moon.
CHAPTER 23
To the west of the lowlands, far below Orgent, there was a part of the forest that the natives had never seen before but had often heard tales of as children. They were known as the ‘Charmed Woods’, and st
ories were told around campfires of all manner of strange creatures who lived there. The truth was that no one knew what was there, as they had never been there before. The tales scared some children and amazed others, but most didn’t believe the woods existed at all.
This mystical place really did exist though and was inhabited by four of the land’s strangest dwellers. They were a group of four faery folk, all female and living peacefully together, as had the other faery folk before them. Although to them the woods always existed in the same place, such was the power of their charm and magic, that they could keep it hidden from the view of others, so much so that only the strongest of magic men could ever locate it.
The river that ran along the base of the mountains culminated in these woods, in a beautiful lake, and standing over the lake was an ancient tree of which the faeries have their own campfire stories to tell. The woods had been a source of great magic since the beginning of time and the faeries never dared share their secrets with others; this is what led to them living in seclusion, generation after generation, happily hiding away from all the troubles that others cause.
As the land around them became involved in a fight against evil, the four faeries were all enjoying a quiet day by the lake.
Ember’s voice interrupted the chatter of the others. She was the wisest of the group and she was a devoted student of the natural arts that faeries had taken part in since time began.
‘Something is coming our way, sisters. I’ve felt it in the air the last couple of nights. I think we might be having visitors soon.’
‘What do you mean “visitors”? We can’t have visitors, you know that, Ember.’ Luna looked up from her food preparation, dismissing her friend’s warning. Luna was the head of the faeries, mainly due to her even temper and ability to stay level-headed in almost any situation.
‘Something has happened out there, I don’t know what, but I think it’s bad. It’s just a feeling I get, and anyway, we can have visitors. They just need to know where to look.’ Ember didn’t want to argue, but she knew she was right.
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