Warriors of the Black Shroud

by Peter Howe

  Walker had been so fascinated by Eddie’s strange tale that he hadn’t noticed they had come to the road and it became a little easier to walk. It still looked like an abandoned highway, but had fewer potholes and rocks. Suddenly Eddie stopped, holding his arms wide to halt Frankie and Walker.

  “Do you see what I see?” he asked Walker.

  “I do,” Walker replied. “There’s something out there.”

  It was difficult to make out in the blackness, but both boys thought they could see tall, towering shapes on either side of the road ahead of them.

  “I’ll go find out what it is,” Walker whispered to Eddie.

  “No,” said Eddie. “You stay here with Frankie. I’ll go. I’m the only one who’s armed.”

  With his sword held out in front of him to light his way Eddie crept forward. The darkness was so intense that he had only gone a few yards before he disappeared completely, and they could do nothing but wait for his return. The only way they knew he was out there at all was the occasional flash of his sword or the sound of stones being dislodged and tumbling down. This went on for some time until suddenly they saw him high above their heads beckoning them over.

  “I think we’ve found Litherium,” he called down in a hushed voice. “The only problem is we’re too late.”

  “Why?” Walker called back.

  “You’ll see soon enough,” Eddie replied.

  “Is it safe?” Walker asked.

  “Yeah, come on over,” Eddie said. “But be careful.”

  They crept cautiously toward the light from Eddie’s sword. As they got closer they realized why he was up above their heads. He was standing on the ruins of a wall very similar to the one that surrounded the Kingdom, except that this one had a massive gap in it. They went through the gap, and from the light of their bodies they could just make out the silhouettes of buildings that looked as if giants had trampled on them. Most of the roofs were gone, and many of the walls leaned at crazy angles.

  “What do you think happened here?” whispered Frankie.

  “I don’t know,” replied Walker, “and I’m not sure I want to find out.”

  Eddie had clambered back down the wall and caught up to them.

  “You think this is Litherium?” Walker asked him.

  “Or what’s left of it,” said Eddie.

  “Who do you think did all this?” asked Frankie.

  “It has to be the work of the Black Count and the Shroud,” Eddie replied. “There’s no one else it can be.”

  “But where are the people who live here?” asked Frankie.

  “Who knows?” Eddie said. “They were probably made into slaves. Either that or . . .” He shrugged his shoulders.

  “Yikes,” said Frankie.

  Walker looked around and a wave of fear and panic flooded over him. How could the peaceful people of Nebula possibly defend themselves against the power that created this destruction? Maybe Lumina was right. Maybe their only hope was to leave the Black Count alone and pray that he would do the same. The awfulness of it seemed to drain away his energy.

  “Guys,” he said, “I think we should go back.”

  As he suggested this they heard stones being kicked in the distance. Walker raised his hand.

  “There’s someone or something out there,” he whispered.

  “I’ll go and see what it is,” said Eddie.

  “Be careful,” Walker warned him.

  He ran in the direction of the sound, using the wrecked buildings for cover and the soft glow still radiating from his body to guide him. The silence was suddenly broken by a yell.

  “Ow, ow, please, sir, please don’t hurt me,” said a voice none of them recognized.

  “Come with me and let’s see who you are,” they heard Eddie say.

  Moments later Eddie came around the corner of one of the ruins holding a filthy and terrified child by the ear.

  “Eddie,” Frankie cried out, “she’s just a little kid! Let go of her!”

  The child in question was no more than four or five. Eddie released his grip as if she was suddenly red-hot.

  “Well, how was I to know?” he protested. “It’s dark out there and she might have been dangerous.”

  In all his life Walker had never seen anyone who looked less dangerous.

  “Come, sit down,” he said, gently. “It’s okay. We won’t hurt you.”

  The girl sat on the stone Walker pointed to. Her eyes were wide and her body was shaking.

  “Tell me,” he continued, “what is the name of this place?”

  “It’s called Litherium,” she replied, her lower lip quivering and her eyes filling with tears.

  “And what happened here?” Walker asked.

  She began to reply but could hold back her tears no longer, and sobbed as if she would sob forever. Frankie put her arms around her.

  “You don’t have to tell us now,” she assured her. “What’s your name?”

  The girl lifted up her tear-streaked face.

  “It’s Ferna,” she replied.

  “I’m pleased to meet you, Ferna,” Frankie said. “My name’s Frankie, and this is Walker and Eddie and we’re from Nebula. We came here to ask for Litherium’s help.”

  “There’s no one here who can help you,” said Ferna. “There’s only me and the rest of the children.”

  “The rest of the children?” asked Walker.

  “They’re in one of the smashed-up houses over there,” she said, pointing. “When we heard you coming I snuck out to see if they’d come back.”

  “To see if who’d come back?” said Walker.

  “Them monster things,” she replied.

  Then she told the story of what had happened. The city had been peacefully going about its business when the temperature suddenly dropped, and howling winds began to blow through the streets. The earth started to shake, darkning bolts rained down, and then they saw the Warriors of the Black Shroud.

  “They were huge monsters,” Ferna said. “They stepped on the walls and on the houses and crushed them like they were nothing. Then they began to push everyone into the town square, and anyone who tried to get away was hit with them darkning things. When everyone was in the square they smashed down the Town Hall and put out the Sacred Flame and everywhere went dark, but they didn’t care because they can’t see anyway.”

  “What is—was—the Sacred Flame?” asked Walker.

  “It’s a flame that burns forever, least that’s what I was told,” Ferna explained. “It was where we got all our fire from. Without fire we have no light, and no heat, no food—nothing.”

  “Food?” exclaimed Frankie. “You eat fire?”

  “Of course,” replied Ferna. “What else would you eat?”

  “Didn’t you try to fight back?” Eddie finally asked.

  “The archers fired flaming arrows at the monsters but they all just bounced off,” Ferna said.

  “How did you escape?” Walker asked.

  “When they were getting everyone in the square,” she replied, “my dad took my mom in one hand and me in the other and we ran as fast as we could go. I thought we were going to make it but those dark things hit my mom and dad and they just vanished . . .”

  Once again she broke down into uncontrollable sobs, and they had to wait for these to let up before she could continue.

  “I don’t know why,” she said when she was able, “but I was left standing by myself, and the monsters didn’t seem to know I was there. I just waited until they took everyone off into Diabolonia. I thought I was alone and then I heard one of the other kids, and then another and another. I think they’re all here. Why they didn’t take us I don’t know.”

  “It looks like you were right,” Eddie said to Walker.

  “Do you have any fire?” Ferna asked. “If we don’t eat soon we’re all going to die.”

  “No,” said Walker, “but don’t worry. We’ll bring you back to Nebula and you’ll have everything you need. Now, take us to the other children.�
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  “Please don’t hurt them,” she begged.

  “You can trust us,” he said. “We won’t harm them. Besides, there are probably more of you than us, so I should be begging you not to hurt us.”

  The exhausted child tried to smile, and she almost did.

  With Ferna leading they made their way down ruined, rubble-strewn streets. She stopped in front of a house that wasn’t as badly damaged as the others.

  “They’re in here,” she said, “but let me go first and tell them who you are.”

  She paused.

  “What shall I tell them?” she asked, confused.

  “Tell them that we’re friends from Nebula,” Frankie advised her.

  Ferna disappeared inside the house and Walker, Frankie, and Eddie could hear the sound of children talking in hushed tones. Then they heard Ferna shout out.

  “Okay. Come on in.”

  Despite Ferna’s reassurance the children were terrified to see three glowing strangers, one holding a shining sword. They had been in total darkness for so long that the light was too much for them and they had to shade their eyes. It was hard to tell how many children were there. Walker thought there had to be at least sixty, but probably more.

  “Don’t worry, everybody,” Walker addressed them. “We’re your friends and we’ll get you back to Nebula. That’s where we come from, and it’s safe there. The creatures that attacked Litherium will never be able to attack Nebula because we have a thing called the Source and it gives us energy and light and it’s too powerful for our enemies to destroy.” Walker hoped that what he was telling the children was true.

  “That’s what they said about the Sacred Flame,” protested one of the children.

  “Well, the Source really is,” Walker said, “and we’ll start back there soon.”

  Walker felt Eddie tugging on his sleeve.

  “We need to talk,” Eddie muttered. “And not here.”

  Reassuring the children that they would be back in a short time, Walker, Eddie, and Frankie went outside the house and back into the street.

  “What’s up?” Walker asked Eddie.

  “We can’t take these kids back to Nebula—well, not yet at least,” Eddie replied. “Our mission wasn’t just to find Litherium, but to get help to defend the Kingdom. Since there’s no help here, we have to move on.”

  “To where?” asked Walker.

  “There are other Sister Cities out there and they may still be all right,” Eddie said. “We have to find the nearest one. If we go back to Nebula with the children Lumina will put us away somewhere and our last chance to get help will be gone.”

  “Do you know where the nearest Sister City is?” asked Frankie.

  “Well, no,” admitted Eddie, “but it’s somewhere out there.”

  “There’s a lot of ‘out there’ out there,” Frankie pointed out, “and these kids need to get to safety. I say we take them back to Nebula now.”

  “But don’t you see,” said Eddie in frustration, “if we go back Lumina will never let us or anyone else go for help, and the Kingdom will be doomed.”

  “I think you’re wrong, Eddie, and I’ll tell you why,” Walker said. “I think the kids will be the best way of convincing her of the threat from the Black Count, and that he isn’t just going to leave us alone. Once we’ve told her about Litherium and she’s heard the kids’ stories there’s no way she can pretend that everything’s all right.”

  “You don’t know her as well as I do,” Eddie assured him. “She’s stubborn, that one.”

  “You’re right, I don’t know her as well as you do,” Walker agreed. “But I do know we have to get these children to safety. We can’t just leave them here. It’s a risk we have to take.”

  Eddie sighed.

  “I suppose you’re right,” he said.

  “Okay, then,” said Walker. “Let’s get them ready to go.”

  They began to walk back to the house when they suddenly felt a slight rumbling in the ground beneath their feet, almost as if a truck had passed nearby. Eddie looked up and cocked his head like a dog.

  “Did you feel that?” he asked.

  Before anyone could answer him the vibrations came again, only stronger than before, and the air suddenly turned cold. They ran back into the house to find the children confused and frightened. Frankie grabbed Walker’s hand, and everyone instinctively huddled together.

  “It’s them!” a child cried. “They’re coming back! They’ve come back to get us!”

  “What’re we going to do?” asked Frankie.

  “Don’t worry,” Walker said, “I’ll think of something.”

  Chapter 21

  The rumbling of the earth got louder, and the vibrations sent cascades of rocks tumbling from the ruined walls. Suddenly the shaking stopped, and all that could be heard was the sound of deep, heavy breathing, interspersed with snorting and grunting. Then there was a roar, and a flash of blackness followed by a crashing sound as one of the last remaining walls of an already-ruined house came tumbling to the ground behind them.

  “That was a darkning bolt,” whispered Eddie to Walker.

  Walker looked at the house they were in. Although it was in better shape than the others on the street, it was still heavily damaged. Half the roof was missing, and if a darkning bolt even came close to it there was the real danger of collapse. Everyone inside would be trapped.

  “We’ve got to get these kids out of here,” he decided.

  “Better get them close to the city walls,” Eddie said. “They’re not much protection but they’re thicker and sturdier than any of the houses.”

  Walker remembered the huge hole in the fortifications that they had scrambled through, but he hadn’t seen anything that looked safer and so they gathered the children together and led them to the foot of the wall, telling them to stay pressed up against the stone and away from the open space. Then a voice sounded out of the blackness, deep, booming, and petrifying.

  “Children!” the Black Count shouted. “We know you’re there. Come outside of the walls and we will take you to your parents. They miss you and are waiting for you.”

  “It’s the Black Count,” whispered Eddie. “Nobody has a voice like his.”

  “If they can’t see us, how do they know we’re here?” asked Frankie.

  There was no time to answer her. A line of children was already making its way to the gap in the walls.

  “No!” yelled Walker. “Stop. It’s a trick so that they can capture you as well. Stay here.”

  “Don’t go!” cried Eddie. “This is the same man that destroyed your homes and captured your parents. Don’t trust him. He’s evil.”

  The Black Count roared again, and in doing so answered Frankie’s question.

  “Don’t listen to those boys,” he thundered. “One is an Outerworlder, an intruder who doesn’t know our ways, and the other is a treacherous child and a coward. Come out into open ground and sing a song so that my warriors know where you are and can take you back to your parents and safety.”

  One of the children started to sing in a voice quavering with fear. Frankie went up to him and softly put two of her fingers against his lips.

  “Shhh,” she said gently and quietly. “Don’t make a sound. If they can’t hear you they don’t know where you are. Eddie’s right. That man is evil. He has taken your parents away from you, but we know good people, brave people in Nebula, and they will come and rescue them.”

  The children were confused, not knowing what to do. Then one of the boys leaped to his feet and scrambled to the top of the damaged wall.

  “You send our parents back here!” he yelled, anger making his voice shake. “You smashed my house and left me in darkness and now I don’t have anywhere to live and I don’t have my parents and my sister’s scared and I hate you!”

  He picked up a rock and hurled it in the direction of the voice. The fear and tension that had overwhelmed the children broke, and the others ran and joined the boy on the wa
ll, picking up rocks as they did. Soon the ramparts were lined with children all throwing stones high into the darkness and yelling at the top of their lungs. Then they heard the Black Count’s voice again, bellowing in fury.

  “You foolish children!” roared the Count. “Do you think you can fight the Warriors of the Black Shroud?”

  Darkning bolts started coming thick and fast. At first they seemed as poorly aimed as the one that hit the house, but then they began to come closer to the stone throwers.

  “Oh no!” cried Walker. “We have to stop them. The warriors can’t make out where the kids are, but they’re aiming for the stones.”

  No sooner had he said this than one of the bolts found its mark. It struck the boy who had started the stone throwing; he simply disappeared. Ferna, who had stayed close to Frankie the entire time, let out a terrifying cry.

  “Lathan, come back!” she screamed. “Don’t take my brother. Please don’t take my brother.”

  Walker and Eddie ran toward the remaining children.

  “Stop throwing the stones!” Walker yelled at the top of his lungs.

  “Come back! Come back!” cried Eddie.

  It was no use. The children either couldn’t hear them over the sound of their own shouting, or they simply couldn’t stop once they had started. But when they saw two more of their friends struck and vanished, they began to panic. One boy jumped from the wall, landed badly, and lay unconscious on the ground. The others didn’t seem to know which way to turn. Although they had stopped throwing the telltale stones, the Warriors now knew where to target and they continued to hurl down the terrifying bolts.

  Walker and Eddie climbed to the top of the wall. Eddie scrambled up the debris and got there first. One by one he guided the children down, shielding them with his body as darkning bolts crashed around them. Walker was helping only a few feet behind when a succession of bolts smashed into the masonry by Eddie’s feet.

  “Stop! Just stop!” Eddie yelled, brandishing his sword above his head in fury.

  Another bolt came flying out of the darkness and hit the weapon, pulling it out of Eddie’s hand and sending it flying through the air. It came to rest in the pile of masonry near the gap in the wall, only just missing several of the terrified children. Eddie stood on top of the wall, dazed and unarmed. For a brief moment there was silence, followed by one more shaft of blackness that hurtled toward him and struck him full in the face. And then he was gone.