“We?”
“Hey, I help.”
“Where were you this afternoon?”
Jinx stopped flying in circles “Sleeping in a bird’s nest.”
Shaya put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow
“Shut up blondie,” grinned Jinx as she flew out of the way of the half carrot Shaya threw at her. Kupi dashed off and scoffed down the carrot in three seconds flat. Jinx glided over to the window, the sky had darkened outside, and the wind had picked up. The surrounding trees were bending in the increasingly blustery weather. Shaya went back to stirring the bubbling stew on the hearth, then dropped in the diced pork. It filled the kitchen with a rich, gorgeous smell that made her stomach rumble.
“Have you told your Uncle Benjin that you want to be a soldier?”
“He knows, he trains me almost every day, he must know it’s not just-,” she deepened her voice and stroked an invisible moustache “To make you into a strong independent young lady,” she giggled. “He’s not stupid.”
“True, but still, you might want to tell him. He’ll be supportive. I’m sure.”
“I’m nowhere near ready yet, but someday I will be.”
“Well, I think you’re mad, but that’s just me.”
“I love farming, but it’s not what I want to do for the rest of my life. I want to do, something. Something important. I need to. Guards like Uncle Benjin stay in and around the castle unless there’s a war on. But when he was a soldier, he went all over, travelled the whole of Celease, wherever he was needed.”
“It’s dangerous work,” Jinx started pacing in mid-air.
“You think I’m not aware of that Jinx?”
“More dangerous than getting bitten by a sheep, again.” Jinx gently fluttered down and sat on the windowsill.
“I know” Shaya glanced down at the pink scar on her finger courtesy of Berry, the black sheep “Look, it won’t be for a few more years yet, I’m only thirteen, I’m not rushing into anything. I’ve given this a lot of thought. I just feel that I was meant for something other than feeding animals and growing crops.”
“I understand. I do, I’m just worried about you, that’s all.”
“Don’t be. You’ve got to put up with me around here for a good while longer.”
Jinx smiled at Shaya and looked outside again. Shaya couldn’t remember a time when Jinx wasn’t around. Sprites don’t usually spend so much time with people. Uncle Benjin said he had found her taking shelter from a blizzard in the shed one winter. She had been making her way east when she lost her way in the snow storm. He and his wife Meryl and taken her in and kept her warm. It had been the worst winter in twenty years. Jinx had stayed with them until the snow had melted and the spring sun had returned. She loved living with Benjin and Meryl so much she’d been at the farm ever since. Not long after, Shaya had appeared on the scene. They had grown up together. Jinx was the closest thing to a sister she had.
“Looks to me that there’ll be a storm tonight,” said Jinx watching the blackening clouds.
“That’s all we need,” Shaya dunked the wooden spoon into the boiling pot of stew and scooped up a mouthful. She blew on it and had a taste. More salt, she thought as she tried to hide the fact that she just burnt her tongue.
Something caught Jinx’s eye, outside by the fence. “Who’s Benjin talking to?”
Shaya looked up from the pot and gazed out the window. Uncle Benjin was standing talking to a Royal Guardsman dressed in his silver armour, a spear in his hand and a sword hanging from his belt. They were deep in conversation and even from a distance, Shaya could tell her uncle was distressed. He was rubbing his bristly chin, his strong jaw clenched, eyes staring off into the growing dusk as the soldier spoke.
“Somethings happened,” muttered Shaya.
Benjin nodded and opened the gate to let the soldier in, and they both hurriedly walked up the path towards the cabin. Shaya heard the front door open and went into the living room to see what was going on, Jinx followed.
“Uncle Benjin?” she asked as she looked at the guardsman closing the door behind him.
“I’m needed at the castle,” he said quickly walking passed her.
“What’s wrong?” Shaya called after him as he disappeared into his bedroom.
“Nothing to worry about Shaya,” said the guardsman unconvincingly “Just a precaution.”
Before Shaya could say anything else, Benjin burst back into the room, struggling with an old chest plate. He strapped it in place and picked up his sheaved sword; it wasn’t made of wood.
“It’s probably nothing kido,” Benjin said reassuringly “If it were anything drastic, they wouldn’t be calling an old man like me, would they?” he laughed.
“Just be careful.”
“Always. I’ll be back before you know it. Oh, and make sure you leave me some stew, don’t go eating all yourself.”
“No promises” Shaya smiled faintly.
“I’ll see you soon”, and like that, they were gone.
“What was all that about?” Jinx wondered out loud.
“No idea, but I don’t like it.”
Two bowls of salted pork stew later, Shaya washed the dishes, all the time staring out the window, looking for signs of her uncle’s return. Jinx tried to make conversation as the night went on, to keep Shaya’s mind off things, it didn’t work. Benjin’s stew was stone cold by now, and he still hadn’t come back. Shaya paced back and forth in the living room for a while, all the time Jinx telling her to sit down and relax. Several times she opened the cabin door and stared out into the night, hoping to see him trudging down the road.
Eventually, she sat down in the living room in Benjin’s comfy armchair, drumming her fingers on the burgundy armrest. Her stomach full of stew and her body weary from training she started to feel tired, only her frantic thoughts kept her awake. After a long time spent obsessing over what was happening at the castle, she felt her eyes start drooping. As the night grew darker and the hour grew later, she found herself fighting her drowsiness, until finally, her bright blue eyes closed and she slipped into a restless sleep.
♦ ♦ ♦
At first, she didn’t realise she was dreaming. It felt so real. Shaya felt the heat from the flames. She covered her ears to drown out the screams. The castle was burning. The towers were ablaze; they toppled into the courtyard below, making the ground shake. Then the dream shifted. She recognised the room, she had seen it before, Benjin had taken her to the castle when she was younger. It was the throne room. The banners burned, the chandeliers fell from the crumbling ceiling and all around, all she could see was darkness and fire. By the throne was a figure, cowering in the dark. The crown on his head glinted in the shadows. Shaya thought it was the king, but no, he was smaller, younger. It was the prince, she couldn’t see his face, but it had to be him. He was screaming. As the darkness grew closer, it began to swallow him like black quicksand. Shaya tried to run towards him to help, but she couldn’t move. Frozen, she was forced to watch as the boy disappeared into the empty nothingness.
Suddenly, she was alone again as the castle walls crumbled and the flames roared. Her heartbeat began to thunder faster and faster as the darkness grew closer, surrounding her. The castle melted away like black tar, and she watched the ever growing dark consume the kingdom. Trees decayed and fell, the hilltops burned, cities screamed. The blackness snaked its way towards her, licking at her feet. She turned to flee, but in front of her stood what she could only describe as a living shadow. It was huge, its hollow eyes staring at her, its hideous face twisted into a sickening grin. It reached for her with a giant hand. Frozen stiff, all she could do was squeeze her eyes shut and wait for the monster to take her.
“It’s time,” said a whispering voice. It seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere all at once. Shaya opened her eyes. The darkness had gone. Instead, there was nothing but blinding white light. Then, it was over.
♦ ♦ ♦
Shaya jumped out of the armchair and gasped for
air as if she had only just remembered how to breathe. She stumbled and fell to her hands and knees. Her whole body was shivering, yet she was burning up. She could still feel the heat from the flames, and when she touched her arm, her skin was red hot. She wiped her brow, she was sweating, but the room was cool. Her mind was racing. She didn’t know what to do, what was that? She had never had a dream like it. It was so vivid, so real, so terrifying.
“Are you alright?”
Shaya spun around to see a very concerned Jinx staring at her from a cushion she was laying on, atop the coffee table. It took the young girl to remember why she was sleeping in her uncle’s armchair and not in her comfy bed. Her heart, which was still pounding, suddenly skipped a beat when she remembered that Uncle Benjin had gone to the castle. She quickly scrambled to her feet and dashed into his bedroom. His bed hadn’t been slept in. The pillows were untouched, and the quilt was still folded back perfectly at the bottom of the bed.
“What’s wrong? Talk to me,” Jinx followed her around the cabin as Shaya ran into the kitchen. There on the table sat Benjin’s bowl of stew, stone cold. She was filled with a sense of dread she didn’t understand. It was a feeling she had never experienced before and one she couldn’t explain, so she simply said, “I’m going to the castle,” and ran out of the kitchen.
Chapter Two
Running in the Dark
The sky was black. The rain was bouncing off the ground as Shaya ran through the woods towards the castle. One of Benjin’s oil lamps was in her hand, the handle was rusted and quietly squeaked as she dashed through the rain. She tried to hold onto her dark green hood as she ran, but the wind kept trying to pull it off.
“A secret passage?” Jinx shouted over the storm as she flew in zigzags trying to dodge any big water droplets.
“Around the side of the castle, you know the old oak tree? There’s a hidden door,” Shaya yelled back.
“How do you know about it?”:
“Uncle Benjin told me.”
“Where does it lead?”
“Under the castle, through the catacombs.”
That doesn’t sound scary at all, Shaya thought to herself sarcastically as soon as she heard herself say it. Of course, she was scared, but the thought of losing her uncle terrified her even more.
“All of this for a dream?” Jinx said sceptically.
“It wasn’t a dream,” Shaya shouted angrily “It was more than that.”
That nightmare, it felt so real, it felt as if she had been watching something happening, or about to happen. She kept looking in the direction of the castle, praying she wouldn’t see billowing smoke rising over the towering trees of the meadow. She couldn’t explain the horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach, nor could she describe the need to find the prince, a boy she had never seen before, let alone met.
They cleared the woods and Shaya could finally see the castle in the distance. A vast shadow with spots of golden lights emanating from the dozens of windows. Thankfully, there was no smoke in sight. As they approached the castle gates, Shaya slowed her pace. Exhausted she tried to control her rapid breathing. She could feel her heart racing, it felt like it was going to burst out of her chest.
“Wait,” said Jinx in a hushed voice.
“What is it?”
“There’s something out there.”
“What do you mean something?”
“Get down” Jinx suddenly snapped.
Shaya crouched down low. She paused for a moment, then quickly, but carefully crept around until she could see what Jinx had heard. She counted eight of them before they disappeared through the castle gates. Seven-foot lizards, armoured in black and red battle worn breastplates and helmets, their yellow eyes piercing the darkness that surrounded them. They held crudely made iron swords and shields in their clawed hands.
“What are they”? Asked Shaya in a shocked whisper. She had never seen anything like them before.
“I don’t know.”
“Where are the guards?”
“It must be worse than we thought.”
Shaya looked at Jinx; she saw the worried expression on her face, she had never seen Jinx scared. She never took anything too seriously and was always the first to joke about something. The fear in the sprite’s eyes panicked Shaya.
“Uncle Benjin,” she uttered, her voice quivering.
“Follow me and stay low,” Jinx dropped down, so she was hovering just above the grass and headed for the east side of the castle. Shaya hunched down and followed her. Jinx was like a torch in the darkness, which Shaya was glad about, as she would never lose sight of her. However, she could be spotted by whatever monsters were skulking around the castle. They came to a large oak tree surrounded by waist-high grass and white flowers that shook in the gale.
“Where is it?” Asked Jinx, looking over her shoulder to make sure that nothing was following them.
“Around the back, there should be a small branch sticking out of the trunk,” said Shaya as she ran around the back of the tree and pushed the tall grass out of the way. She held her lamp close to the trunk and squinted through the rain. There was a small branch sticking out. It looked like any other branch on any other tree.
“That it?”
“I hope so,” Shaya grasped the branch and yanked it down. It was stiff, it hadn’t been used much before. A low clunk sounded from inside the tree, and the side of the trunk creaked open like a small door. She peered down into the opening. A small flame off in the distance was the only light in the pitch black. She looked at her friend, floating next to her, a concerned expression on her pale face. Shaya ignored the fear bubbling inside her. She was determined.
“Come on,” she said and climbed into the dark. Her lantern only illuminated a few feet in front of her. She slowly, carefully went down the crumbling stone steps towards the flame. There was an old musty smell that only got more pungent the deeper she went. Finally, she made it to the firey glow. It was a five-foot-tall wooden post with a torch atop burning brightly. Shaya turned the corner and saw a row of the blazing lights leading down a narrow passageway. At the end, was another corner leading deeper into the stale smelling gloom. There were offshoots on either side half way down; it looked like the beginning of a maze.
“We’re going to get lost in here,” said Jinx worriedly.
“No we’re not,” Shaya said as she pulled off her dripping hood and pulled out her wooden sword. She looked at her weapon with an unimpressed grimace. What was she going to do with that? If she came up against one of those lizard creatures, it might make them laugh to death. Apart from that, she had nothing.
“Hopefully you won’t need to use it,” said Jinx optimistically.
Shaya let out a heavy sigh, and they continued onward. The corridors were grey stone, dusty, full of cobwebs and spiders. Coffins buried in the walls littered the catacombs, each with a name from the Royal family’s past. Now and then Shaya caught a glimpse of writing on the walls, carved into stone and iron plaques. Long passages, about the Royal family throughout the generations, going as far back as the first rulers, King Eobard and Queen Meesha, and every King and Queen who had served over the castle’s long history. It was a subject Shaya found fascinating, but she didn’t have time for a history lesson.
Jinx flew ahead and turned the next corner. Suddenly Shaya heard Jinx’s short shocked cry echo from around the bend.
“Jinx,” Shaya whispered loudly and ran after her. As she came around the corner, she saw Jinx floating there, her hands over her mouth staring at something on the ground. When Shaya looked, she gasped and quickly averted her gaze.
“Is it him?” she asked still not wanting to look.
“No,” said Jinx’s tiny quivering voice.
Shaya forced herself to look again. There on the ground lay a Royal Guard still holding his shield, it had been dented and bent inwards. Shaya didn’t think that was possible. His armour was bashed and broken; his face was one of agony. His long spear lay next to him; the handle w
as split in two. As Shaya forced herself to look, she recognised him.
“This is the guard that was with Uncle Benjin.”
“Shaya, he-,” Jinx was cut off by the sound of clashing swords and monstrous growls coming from down the long corridor, reverberating off the stone walls.
Shaya quickly grabbed the guards spear that lay next to his body and rushed off down the dank passageway.
“Shaya,” shouted Jinx, but Shaya kept running for the archway at the end of the corridor. Jinx shot off after her.
They rushed into a large room, graves and stone statues covering every wall. On the ground lay two dead lizard creatures, their dark green blood pooling next to them. In the middle of the room, three more monsters were shrieking and snarling at someone. It took a second for Shaya to realise, it was her uncle.
Benjin rammed one of the hideous monsters with his shield knocking it to the ground. Turning swiftly he swung his sword, clashing blades with the second lizard. The creature snarled at him and pushed Benjin back. With a swipe of its sharp steel edge, it shrieked, just missing Benjin’s head. The sound was high pitched and violent, it echoed all around them, the terrible sound bouncing off of the ancient stone. Benjin struck the monster in the chest with the butt of his sword. The third monster fired an arrow. Quickly the old man raised his shield at the last second to deflect. He threw a dagger at the archer that sliced into the creature’s chest.
He turned again, and the other two had recovered and started to rush at him. One lunged, he sidestepped, and it flew past. He clashed swords with the other and held his ground as the snarling beast tried to push him backwards. The second monster whirled around, lifted its jagged blade above its head and as it roared it brought the weapon down hard. Suddenly a spear stuck out of its chest. With a high-pitched yelp, it fell to the ground. Shaya just stood there, her hands shaking, staring at the lizard she just killed.
The final beast was as stunned as Shaya was as it looked at the child standing over the corpse. Benjin took the opportunity to push back as hard as he could and thrust his sword into the monster’s stomach. It writhed and stretched out its green clawed hands to try and scratch Benjin’s face. He shoved his blade a little deeper, and its arms went limp, and the creature fell.
The Shattered Moon (A Divine Legacy Book 1) Page 2
