Poisoned in Light

by Ben Alderson

  “I accept your rules and thank you for help. I will have my second spread the news of this arrangement.”

  Fadine scoffed beneath her breath and walked towards her soldiers, dark hair swaying behind her. I followed her with my eyes until a sound distracted me. Looking around, I couldn’t place what it was. No one else seemed to notice the stir in the air. It followed by the slight vibration that ran up my feet from the sandy bed and into my body.

  Something big approached us.

  “Sister Shadows, thank you, your welcome is most kind,” Kell said, turning to face the New Council. “The city is close, and we will head there together.”

  “He will have to be left out here,” the sister shadows said in chorus, pointing to little Tiv.

  “That is not going to happen. Tiv stays with me,” I said, sternly. “I’m sure we do not need to vote amongst us when it comes to leaving a child alone out here with in such unfamiliar territories.”

  Kell looked to her fellow council members then to the Sister Shadows, who seemed amused by my minor outburst.

  “The child may come,” Kell told the sisters, who bowed, eyes diverting to the floor.

  They didn’t say another word, as if Kell’s was final.

  “Then it is decided,” Hadrian added before anyone could change their minds. I was thankful for his quick thinking and assertive nature. “How long is the journey?”

  Again, a heavy sound vibrated across the ground. This time, I was sure I was not alone in hearing it. Vianne looked to her sides, and Hadrian’s brave expression melted.

  “By foot it is far, by serpent it is near,” the Sister Shadows said, as the ground rumbled once more.

  Clouds of sand burst from behind them, exploding up into the still air and raining back down around. I raised a hand to stop it falling into my eyes. Simian shouted out in shock. As everything settled, I got a look at what had caused the explosion of sand.

  Snakes. Three of them.

  My entire body chilled as the towering serpents raised their pointed faces to look over us. I heard the gasps of our soldiers but couldn’t move around to see, for the fear kept me frozen stiff. My muscles seized and blood raced.

  They were the size of towers, bodies three times as wide as a bear. Scales reflected the sunlight, showing just how large they were, at least the size of my open palm. Forked tongues licked out at the air around them, eyes gray and misted over.

  One opened its mouth, flashing its pointed, needle-like fangs at the watching crowd, which conjured more screams of terror, but they did not attack.

  Kell walked over to them and raised a hand in greeting.

  The Sister Shadows followed, always steps behind Kell.

  The largest of the three serpents lowered its pointed mouth and slithered towards them. I caught a glimpse of the saddles across the serpents back.

  “Not a chance am I getting on that.” Simion crossed his arms, his hairs standing on end. “I would rather swim back to Olderim.”

  “The ocean is filled with deadlier beasts.” Kell laughed. “At least these will not harm you. That is until they are commanded to do so.”

  “Is that supposed to make me feel better?” He flashed the whites of his eyes as they rolled dramatically at Kell.

  “It was worth a try,” she replied, checks flushing briefly before she swiveled on her heal. Both sister shadows tutted at what Simian said.

  Kell gestured for them. “It is all in jest sisters, nothing serious.”

  Whoever Kell was to these two women was important. It would explain their protective nature when Simian spoke to her.

  Hadrian flashed me an awkward smile and walked to Simian, putting a hand on his shoulder and pushing him forward. It was Tiv who urged me to move. He took my hand, not a single mark of fear on his face, and guided me towards our mounts.

  “What would I do without you?” I managed to choke out, fear closing my throat and making my palms moist.

  Tiv looked up, a single white brow raised. “Don’t worry, Tiv will look after you.”

  TIV SAT BETWEEN me and one half of the Sister Shadows. Hadrian opted to go behind me, his strong arms a welcoming comfort as we waited for the serpents to move. I didn’t want my fear to show, unsure whether these creatures could sense fear as clear as elves could hear. I swallowed the fear deep.

  Hadrian leaned in, muscles in his arms tensed slightly and whispered into my ear, “Think of all the many terrors we face, and these majestic beings will not be as frightening.”

  His suggestion worked, to an extent. With a simple clicking sounds from the Sister Shadows the two serpents began their move. We were sat high, close to the back of its head, allowing its monstrous body to sliver across the ginger sands before us. I turned to look over my shoulder to see our extensive army watching us leave with hands over their eyes to block out the burning sun. I only hoped the Sister Shadow’s promise of cover and supplies would come soon. They deserved a rest, one that gifted them with full bellies and deep, long sleep. Fadine would have passed on the message and would also return to stay with them. I could only see the side of her face as the serpent she rode was beside us, and it was pinched with discomfort at leaving her elven women and men.

  The warm winds wiped at my hair. Sands buffered around in torrents and bursts. All around the desert was alive with dancing tones of yellow and orange, with the occasional green shrubbery speckled amongst the skyline.

  Morgatis, unlike Thessolina and Eldnol, was mostly flat. Besides the wave of dunes, I could see for as far as my eyes allowed. No mountains, no cities, towns or dwellings. Just sand. Orange and reds.

  Out the corner of my eye, I caught movement across the barren desert. Smaller creatures, some scaled and some shelled, scurried across the sands unto unseen holes and homes. This land was thriving with life I’d never seen before.

  Tiv was still nestled under my jacket, which meant my exposed neck was burning. I could feel the sun work away at my own skin, constant needle pricks of discomfort. Soon enough the beauty of the view was wasted on me. I longed for shade and could see none in the everlasting desert. No signs of shelter or the promised city we were supposed to be close too.

  The serpents moved with great speed, keeping their slick, cold bodies to the sand bed and gliding across it. Occasionally I’d have to close my eyes to prevent the desert from invading them. Sand got into my hair, mouth, nose, only making my longing for a cold drink more intense.

  When the creatures finally stopped, my stomach felt sore and empty. I doubled over, hands on my knees, and focused on my breathing. Any moment I felt the urge to expel my insides out onto the dry ground before me.

  “We have arrived,” one of the Sister Shadow’s announced, slipping down the side of the serpent and landing effortlessly with bended knees. “Welcome to the Vcaros, capital of Morgatis.”

  “Not much to see,” Simian said through the corner of his mouth. He panted, lips parted and hands on hips. His hair was slicked down onto his forehead, his shirt unbuttoned almost entirely.

  Kell strolled past Simian, unbothered by the sun. “Please follow me. A dwelling above the city has been provided for you. I’ll take you there and leave you for the remainder of the day whilst I deal with some issues. Someone will collect you for an organized supper in the evening.”

  The Sister Shadows began moving on foot towards a tall wall of rock that protruded into the skyline. It was the only thing for miles that seemed different compared to the flat horizon. No city, nor dwellings could be seen by the eye.

  The rocks were crimson and sharp. Both angled towards each other as the reaching sharps of red rock created an arch for us to pass beneath.

  Numerous possibilities sprang to mind. Maybe the rock acted as a barrier of sorts, blocking the city from an untrained eye. Maybe similar magick as Cristilia possessed allowed the occupants of Vcaros to stay hidden.

  “Are we there yet?” Tiv drawled, whiny and tired. I had to bite my tongue as we slogged through the sands that attempted t
o swallow my feet. Each step was harder than the one before it.

  “I wish I had the answer,” I replied. It wasn’t his fault for my bad mood, nor could I place what was. Possibly the journey by snake, my least favorite of all creatures or the long, hot walk which my body begged for water. But annoyance brewed within me like a lurking storm.

  I skipped ahead, tugging on Hadrian’s sleeve as we neared the rock. “Is anyone going to ask exactly where we are going?”

  Hadrian turned on me, sweat glistening across his top lip like the sun across clear water. “A little walk never harmed anyone. Kell does not seem worried about our journey. I have been studying her face, I can assure you. The moment I see a twinge of confusion I will speak up.”

  “Well, wherever this city is, I hope it has plenty of water. My body is burning for it.”

  Hadrian’s wrapped his arm around mine. “You forget, Emaline is waiting for us. Wherever she is, I am sure she can conjure as much water as you so desire.”

  “I do hope so,” I said, short. Something about his comment pushed me the wrong way. Studying Kell’s face? A twinge of jealously pulled through me. A feeling I’d never felt before, one that didn’t belong to me, I was sure of it.

  Unsure whether to snap or scurry, I quickly faded back to walk with Tiv who took my hand in his. This didn’t feel right, this misplaced anger. It reeked of someone. Gordex.

  “We have arrived,” the Sister Shadows announced in tandem, distracting me from my inner worries. “Please, follow us in a singular file and stay close to the wall.”

  Confused as to what they meant, I filtered into line with Tiv in front of me and waited my turn to pass around the rock. When I got closer, I saw our destination. Carved into its side was a hole, big enough for Hadrian to walk through on tiptoes.

  The entry was dark and narrow, but the air was instantly cooler, so I hurried inside.

  Footsteps echoed as we walked down the steps in a circular motion. Down and down we went until the world above seemed far away.

  Tiv cooed and huffed at every sound around us. His fear of the dark evident without his need to say it aloud. I trailed my hands down the smooth walls, eyes closed, and felt out for a change in the air. Connecting to my magick, I could instantly sense a large opening we were getting close to. A bubble of space, filled with fresh, cool air that made my mouth water.

  “We are close,” I whispered to Tiv, answering his question from earlier, when my voice echoed all around us, distorting with each bounce across the stone space. He found it funny, suddenly distracted from his fear of the dark. He began shouting words and listening to them come back to him in different pitches.

  I didn’t know what to expect when we rounded the last steps and looked upon Vcaros. But what was before me was far from what I imagined.

  The space before us was large, hollow and barren of life. Much like the burrows of rabbits, this rounded space within the ground had other tunnels shadowed in darkness that must link to other parts of the underground cavern. This was no larger than the throne room in Lilioira, and definitely not a city.

  “Where is everyone,” I said from the back of the group.

  “Far below,” Kell explained. “You will be staying on the outskirts of the city for the time being. Thank you, Sister Shadows, for your guidance, I can take it from here.”

  “We will wait at the entrance if you wish to return to your people,” they spoke to Hadrian directly. “Call upon us at the surface.”

  The Sister Shadow’s bowed to Kell and left for the doorway again. Their footsteps were silent as if they were never here.

  “And why is it we are not visiting the city?” Hadrian asked. “This is news to me, Kell. Something I would except a member of my own council to explain before we arrived.”

  “Even after this long, no matter their willingness to help, they do not want the Dragori within the city,” Kell explained, moving for the wooden chair that was propped beside the large table in the middle of the room. “My people are hostile to you, even now. It will take time for them to trust being close to the Dragori.”

  “But Emaline has been here. If she has not been allowed near the city, what have they been doing?” I asked.

  “Staying safe,” Kell explained. “What my people promised you.”

  “And I appreciate that, but explain this to me. How do I speak to your King if we are not allowed near the city? We do not have time to wait around here and leave my own soldiers at the shore with no understanding of what is happening.”

  Kell stood abruptly, face flushed from all Hadrian’s questions. “If it pleases you, Prince Hadrian, I will speak with my King now. I will return when I have news. But remember, you are not permitted to wander close to the city of Vcaros. Any sign of your unannounced presence will be looked upon as a threat and dealt with accordingly. You are welcome to return to the surface world but that is it.”

  “Right now, I want nothing more than to find a steady bed and sleep,” Vianne spoke up as Kell left. “We are not going anywhere for a while since we are not welcome, so we might as well use this spare time to rejuvenate our energies.”

  “I think Kell made it clear that it is the Dragori of the group who are not welcome,” Hadrian said. “You, Vianne, are free to go as you please I am sure.”

  “I do not understand that,” Vianne said. “The Dragori are known, or were known, to be protectors. Beings that helped end the Druid’s previous reign. But here you are treated like open threats.”

  Hadrian looked to me. “Do you want to explain?”

  I shrugged, unsure where to start. “There is a reason as to why the Morthi people live in burrow like dwellings beneath the surface. During the time when the previous Dragori lived, something happened upon Morgatis land that caused them to fear us. It was the Air Dragori that leveled towns, killed many and destroyed miles of Morgatis with his power. Now we have arrived, they cannot help remember the great destruction our predecessors left in their wake.”

  Everyone listened to the story Cristilia had told me.

  “Something I’ve yet to mention is regarding Marthil’s reluctance to return here. They banished her as a child, leaving her to the wild with her untamed power. Even to their own, they will turn them away at the sign of magick that left such a scar on their land. She made it clear for her distaste for Morgatis when Gordex suggested we were to return here.”

  “It sounds to me like they are doing their best to help,” Vianne said after a paused breath. “They understand the threat of the Druid is a threat that all continents should take seriously. To allow what they fear most to enter their home is a sign they are willing to help.”

  “By putting us carefully in a box and hiding us away is not my idea of helping,” Hadrian added, pausing from his nail which he chewed with nerves.

  “Would you share bread with what you fear most?” Vianne asked, bright eyes full of wonder.

  Hadrian didn’t answer, hardly looking up from his fingers which he studied.

  “We must show the Morthi gratitude. Kell will make sure we have an audience with their King, and then we can barter more soldiers for this fight. For now, we should find Emaline and Illera. How big can this place be?” I said, looking around at the three dark tunnels that snaked off from the main atrium of the burrows.

  Fadine cleared her throat, getting all our attention. “Don’t mean to be brash, but I would rather return to our soldiers and stay with them. This place is suffocating. If I’m with them I can make sure those ‘Sister Shadows’ promise of shelter and supplies actually are fulfilled.”

  Fadine would return to the camp and keep an eye over her soldiers. She’d also pass on word of our plan, keeping them in the loop with the New Council’s decisions.

  Again, watching Hadrian say goodbye to his long-term friend caused the lurking entity to return. Jealously. Was my tiredness resulting in a lack of control over my own emotions? I turned, battling it down. The feeling was strange, wrong. Like a bad taste that stayed at the back
of my throat. Never had I felt this way before. Almost, territorial.

  A black shadow of distrust that I had not experienced before. Gordex. It had to be his power lurking amongst mine since he unlocked the Heart Magick. The same anger Marthil had, and Hadrian experienced. But why now?

  I forced a smile when Hadrian came and wrapped an arm around my shoulder. I couldn’t tell him now, not with Simian and Vianne close by. Only when we had time alone would I bring it up.

  “We should find Emaline and Illera,” I said quickly, thinking that action would help me control this dark emotion. “Then I need to speak to Nyah. She should be arriving a day or so after us, and I have not heard from her in a long while.”

  “There is no need for us all to search,” Hadrian said, squeezing my shoulder. “Simian, Vianne and I will each take one of the three tunnels. Whoever finds them first must bring them back here. Petal, you stay here and try to contact Nyah. It would be good for us all to hear of her journey and when to expect her.”

  I didn’t want to be left alone, but I didn’t admit it aloud. Time alone scared me. I couldn’t explain it in words to him, but I worried for this growing shadow within. The pressure was building, a sensation that put me on edge.

  He took the back of my head and left me with a lingering kiss. As if it was the medicine I needed I felt the shadow recoil.

  “Better?” Hadrian whispered. Did he sense it without my need to admit my worry?

  I nodded “Much.”

  Hadrian smiled, turned on his heel and beckoned for the two to take different tunnels. As they left, swallowed by the shadow of the tunnel-ways a voice peppered in the back of my mind.

  See how powerful I have made you? Your power cannot contain itself.

  I LOOKED FRANTICALLY around the room for a sign of Gordex. His voice was crystal in my head, so loud he sounded as if he was stood behind me. But he was nowhere to be seen.

  Not wanting to wait a moment later, I relaxed back in the chair and closed my eyes. It was easier to connect to Nyah when I was most tranquil and still. I searched through my mind for the door, following the fading tether of light that linked me to her. I saw it up ahead, glowing slightly from the light on the other side.