The Shattered Moon (A Divine Legacy Book 1)

by Alexander J Wilkinson

  With his hands on his knees Benjin stood trying to catch his breath, he sheaved his sword and wiped the sweat from his brow as he turned to the young girl.

  “Shaya, what are you doing here?” he said breathlessly.

  “I-, I came to help,” her voice trembled. She could hardly believe what she had done. One moment she was stood watching her uncle battle the hideous monsters, the next, she had rammed the spear through the lizard’s back. It was some kind of terrifying instinct. It felt as if she’d watched herself do it from across the room.

  “This is no place for a child. The castle is under attack.”

  “I couldn’t leave you here to die” Shaya’s eyes welled with tears.

  Benjin got down on one knee in front of her and put his hand on her shoulder. She was still shaking.

  “I’m not going anywhere,” Benjin smiled softly through his bushy moustache.

  Shaya fought back the tears and took a breath. “We have to save the prince,” she said finally.

  “That’s my job, not yours kido.”

  “But we-,”

  “Listen” he interrupted. “You took down a Krarg, no easy task. I’m proud of you, I know you’re strong, but you need to get out of this place. It’s not safe.”

  “I know,” she said, “Darkness is coming.”

  Benjin looked at her puzzled “What do you mean?”

  “I saw it, darkness and flames.”

  “You’re going to have to start making sense kido. I have little time for riddles.”

  “She had a dream, a vision,” said Jinx, as she floated next to them.

  “A vision?” he said dismissively.

  “Of this, all of this. A terrible darkness enveloping the castle, the whole kingdom. You have to understand; the prince is in danger.” Shaya insisted.

  Benjin looked less than convinced. He glanced over at Jinx with a disapproving expression.

  “So far, she’s not wrong” confirmed Jinx.

  Benjin just stared at her with stern, unblinking eyes for a long moment before the sprite spoke again.

  “She was asleep, nearly two miles away, yet she knew the castle was under siege. I can’t explain it, but there is something to this Benjin.”

  Shaya’s voice grew louder “I saw it. Please believe me. It wasn’t just a dream. It felt like it was happening before my eyes. It was real.”

  Benjin paused for a moment, Shaya’s jaw was clenched her eyes steady, staring pleadingly into his. She was scared but sure. She was telling the truth. He looked over at Jinx once more and saw the genuine concern on her face. The old man frowned and rubbed his forehead.

  “I’ve never been one for visions or prophesy” he let a long breath out through his nose. Shaking his head, he hesitantly spoke again. “But there is something about you my girl, I don’t know what it is, but I’ve known it ever since I first laid my eyes on you as a baby.”

  “Are you saying you believe me?” said a surprised Shaya.

  “I do,” Benjin smiled “Besides, all this talk of darkness and flames covering the land, you think I’m sending you back to an empty house on your own? Not a chance, you’re coming with me.”

  He clambered to his feet and pulled a short sword and scabbard from around his waist and handed it to Shaya. She had almost stopped shaking when she held out her hand and grasped the sword by the handle. It was cold to the touch and probably three times heavier than her wooden sword. She pulled the sword from its scabbard a few inches and looked at the shimmering blade. In its reflection, she saw her eyes, the determination, the courage, the terror. At that moment, her mind whispered to her. In an almost dazed realisation.

  This is actually happening.

  “You listen well now kido. This isn’t the wooden sword we use for practice in the back garden. This is steel. It’s heavy and sharp and not a toy. You understand me?

  Shaya looked up at her uncle and met his gaze.

  “I’ll make you proud, Uncle.”

  “I know you will,” he said with an already proud smile. “Now stay close, you’re safer by my side. Come on, we’ve got to save that prince of yours.”

  Shaya pulled out her battered wooden sword and stared at it for a moment. Finally, she dropped it to the ground and followed her uncle deeper into the catacombs.

  The sounds of their footsteps echoed down the seemingly endless dank corridors. The stench of death filled the air as they continued further. Bodies of human and Krarg alike littered the ground. Each one in various crumpled piles on the floor, as they had breathed their last breath in a violent battle. Every soldier they came across, Benjin checked for signs of life. Every time he got more and more discouraged as he found no pulse, no breathing, nothing.

  “I knew these men,” he breathed a low mutter Shaya almost didn’t hear. Her uncle knelt by another soldier, lying motionless on the stone floor. His once gleaming chest plate had a gaping hole torn through it. Two of his comrades lay next to him, their armour equally shredded. “I’ve known them for years. Every single one of them.”

  Jinx floated over and landed on Benjin’s shoulder and placed her tiny hand on his cheek. Shaya didn’t know what to say.

  “They were my friends,” Benjin squeezed the dead soldier’s hand.

  Shaya recognised him, Carter Rork. He was one of Benjin’s oldest friends. She’d met him a long time ago and saw him quite often. He visited the farm all the time. He and her uncle would sit up to the early hours of the morning laughing and talking, or as Benjin would say “Putting the world to rights.”

  “Uncle,” Shaya’s voice was almost a whisper.

  “I know,” he patted his friend's hand and stood up “We have to keep moving.”

  That wasn’t what she had meant, but she knew he was right, she just wanted to say how sorry she was,

  Benjin wiped a tear from his eye and started back down the passage. “Come on kido, we need to get out of these tunnels,” his voice was low and brimming with anger.

  After several more twists and turns in the maze that was the catacombs, they came to a dead end. A flat brick wall with nothing but an empty stand for a torch sticking out of the slabs of stone.

  “Did we take a wrong turn?” Asked Jinx.

  “Of course not,” said Benjin with a raised eyebrow.

  “Are you sure?” asked Shaya as she and Jinx looked at each other.

  “No faith in an old man eh girls,” Benjin said gruffly, he walked up to the torch holder and yanked it up, twisted it and pulled it down. There was a low rumbling noise, and suddenly the brick wall quietly began to slide to one side, to reveal a bright light piercing the gloom of the catacombs. A crunch and loud clunk sounded from within the brick, and the wall stopped moving. It had only created a small gap between where they stood and the bright room beyond.

  “Is that is?” asked Shaya, unimpressed.

  “No,” grunted Benjin “It’s probably not been used in years,” he tried to push the wall, but it wouldn’t move, even Benjin’s tree trunk arms couldn’t budge it.

  “I can get through,” said Shaya walking forward.

  “No, we don’t know what’s in there.”

  Shaya peered through the gap. Several huge grey pillars were standing in front of the secret doorway. Beyond them, it looked like it may be the throne itself, but it was partially obscured. The room was silent.

  “It’s clear, Uncle.”

  “Do you see the king or the prince?”

  “No, no one. I need to get closer.”

  Benjin put his hand on her shoulder, and she turned to look up at him. She could see the concern on his face under his thick eyebrows and bristly moustache.

  “Alright, but if you see or hear anything, you run back here as fast as your little legs can carry you, you got that?”

  “Yes sir,” she smiled nervously

  “Alright then, I’ll try and see if I can get this blasted contraption working. Jinx, you go with her.”

  “Of course.”

  Shaya turned
and slipped through the gap. She had to move her scabbard to her side as it got caught between her hip and the wall. It was a tight squeeze, but she managed to clamber through. Jinx, of course, flew in behind her with no effort needed, after all being six inches tall has its advantages.

  Shaya took her first steps into the throne room, her thick brown boots making every footstep echo and bounce around the vast room. Above her were three giant chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, each one with dozens of candles flickering away. The royal banners hung on the walls. All red and gold with the Royal family’s crest adorned. The crown of kings with the wings of the Goddess sprouting from it, all within a golden shield. Embroidered beneath it, were the symbols of the dominant species of Arrolyn. The Boaruss, the Volanti and Man. Those banners, Shaya thought to herself, they’re the ones I saw burning.

  There was a red carpet leading from the large wooden double doors at the far end, across the room, up the stone steps to the throne. The throne was a light grey colour, like the walls and pillars surrounding it. The design on the back was intricate; all sculpted to look like vines protruding from the ground, giving the throne an oddly natural look.

  Stood next to the throne, one hand resting on one of its arms was a young boy. He was looking away from Shaya, staring at the double doors, as if waiting for someone to come bursting through at any minute. His other hand was clenched tight by his side. He wore a long navy-blue robe that reached his knees. Shaya couldn’t see his face. His raven black hair was medium length and a bit of a mess. Resting atop his head, was a small golden crown. It was the boy from her vision, the prince.

  As she walked past the line of pillars, she opened her mouth to speak. A noise, a faint tap, like a footstep. She turned to her right, but it was already too late. The blade was at her throat.

  Chapter Three

  Children and Soldiers

  Benjin tried to peer through the gap, but all he could see was the pillars that lined the back of the throne room. Shaya had disappeared from his sight, and his heart was doing backflips inside his chest.

  I can’t let anything happen to her. I’ll never forgive myself, he thought.

  It was true what he had told her in the catacombs; she was special. He had known from the first time he had seen her. What exactly it meant he wasn’t sure. What he was sure of, was that she wasn’t ordinary, she was destined for great things. He knew she would grow up to be someone, to take charge and become a strong young woman. He just didn’t think it would be so soon, and he wasn’t ready to let her go just yet. She wasn’t his daughter by blood, but in every other way possible, she was his child.

  He was starting to worry, it’d only been a minute or so, but something was wrong. He hadn’t survived as a Royal Guard by ignoring his gut, even though these days his gut was twice the size it used to be. I’m not waiting anymore, he thought, and he grabbed the secret door with both hands and started to pull. It was solid stone. It didn’t even move an inch. He strained until his face was red and his hands began to hurt. He let go panting and looked around for something he could use. There was nothing but a few pieces of stone and the odd weed growing out of the ground.

  Suddenly Jinx appeared through the gap taking Benjin by surprise.

  “Help,” that’s all she said.

  Benjin felt the blood drain from his face. He saw the look of horror on the sprite’s face, and the fear in his chest suddenly turned to burning determination. The hulking man quickly rubbed his hands together and cracked his knuckles. He grabbed hold of the door once more and let out a long breath. Putting one foot up on the wall, Benjin took a sharp breath in and started to pull. It was almost as if he could feel every muscle in his arms tensing and stretching. A hot pain shot through his fingers. He was sure his hands were starting to bleed, but it didn’t matter. His little girl was in there.

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  “Who are you?” said a woman’s voice, the words were sharp, sounding more like a demand than a question “Speak.”

  Shaya stammered. She quickly learned it was hard to talk with a sharpened blade at her throat.

  “Speak, you are no Krarg. Are you a spy, one of his spies?”

  “I’m,” Shaya finally found her voice “I’m no one’s spy,” she glanced over at the prince. He stood silently staring at her with a frightened expression on his face. He was young, around the same age as Shaya. His navy-blue robes were long at the back but didn’t go lower than his chest at the front. It was fastened by a silver buckle. Under it, he wore a light grey shirt with a navy coloured waistcoat, also secured with silver buckles. His eyes shifted from Shaya to the woman. Shaya couldn’t tell what was scaring him more, Shaya’s presence or what the woman was going to do to her.

  “Then if you’re no spy, who are you?” she pressed the blade a little firmer into Shaya’s throat when she noticed the girl look at the prince.

  “My name is Shaya,” she winced.

  Shaya turned to see a woman in her late forties with long greyish, almost white hair dressed in silver and black armour. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail that draped over one shoulder. She had a thin scar across her right eye, a remnant of a violent battle many years past, a reminder of war. Her skin was almost as pale as her hair, but her eyes were dark and full of rage. Her hand was perfectly steady holding out the heavy looking sword. Tied around the handle of the blade hung a long dark red piece of tattered fabric.

  “Tell me, girl, how did you know about the secret door ?” the woman asked venomously, irritated that Shaya had had the nerve to turn and face her.

  “My uncle told me about it; he’s a Royal Guard.”

  “And where is this uncle of yours?”

  “Right here,” said Benjin’s voice, low and menacing.

  He stood behind the warrior woman with his sword sticking into her side, just at the point where her breastplate and the back of her amour met, he’d found her weak spot.

  “Not many people can sneak up behind me,” she grimaced.

  “Lower your sword.”

  Shaya had never heard Benjin’s voice so dark, so threatening.

  “No.”

  “Then we’re going to be here a while, aren’t we?” Benjin growled.

  Shaya saw his arms were already shaking holding his sword. Every muscle in his arms must have been screaming. He had somehow been able to shift the door enough to squeeze through unnoticed, but it had been heavy, and his arms were feeling it now.

  Jinx fluttered passed Benjin and over to Shaya’s shoulder.

  “She means no harm,” shouted Jinx “Lower your sword.”

  The prince let out an audible gasp and looked stunned at the sight of the golden sprite flickering in front of him.

  “What is it your highness?” asked the woman, still not lowering the blade an inch.

  “Is that a sprite?” asked the prince.

  “I am,” said Jinx only glancing at him.

  The prince looked at Jinx confused. His eyes shifted over to Shaya.

  “I dreamed this,” he muttered to himself.

  “What did you say?” asked Shaya, she was sure she’d heard him right.

  “Lower your sword,” the prince said finally.

  “What? But your highness-,”

  “I said, lower your sword, Elle,” the prince said in a more commanding tone.

  Elle begrudgingly lowered her weapon and slid it into the black and silver scabbard on her hip, but left her hand on its hilt, just in case. Benjin did the same. Shaya took a step back from her would-be assassin and approached the prince.

  “Not too close,” snapped Elle.

  “Enough,” grumbled Benjin as he came up and stood at the side of the warrior rubbing his aching hands.

  “And you are?” asked the prince looking up at Benjin.

  “Benjin Greyborn your majesty, a member of your Royal Guard.”

  The warrior woman’s head whipped around to look at Benjin; she clearly recognised the name.

  “And a fine swordsman I hear.
Forgive me, I rarely see our guards faces under their helmets.”

  “No forgiveness necessary your grace.”

  “Why have you come here, tonight Sir Greyborn?”

  “I had word that a force was marching on the castle. The reports didn’t tell of how many there were. They must have found one of the entrances to the catacombs as the place is crawling with them, your grace.”

  “Do you always bring a child into battle Greyborn?” Elle antagonised, staring at the young girl.

  Benjin looked at Shaya for a quiet moment, “I’m afraid you’ll have to ask her about that.”

  “I fear too,” the prince muttered.

  “Why?” asked Shaya puzzled.

  “Because of what I’ve seen, and seeing you, I fear it’s coming true. If that be the case, this kingdom is in grave danger.”

  “What have you seen?”

  “Darkness and-,”

  “Flame” Shaya finished the prince’s sentence.

  He looked at her “How did?”

  “I’ve seen it too. A dream, a vision of the castle ablaze, the kingdom clouded in shadow,” she swallowed hard as she remembered those eyes “A dark figure, with dead eyes.”

  “Yes, yes that’s right. Did you see the girl? The girl with a sprite?”

  “No, I saw you, your Grace.”

  “Me?”

  “Yes, in pain, being dragged into the darkness. That is why we came. I thought we could save you.”

  The prince was quiet for a moment. His eyes stared at Shaya under a furrowed brow. His mouth hung ajar, he was clearly shaken.

  “Did you not see any of that?”

  “No, I saw, well I suppose I saw you. A young girl, shining in the darkness with a sprite by her side.”

  “How do you know it was me?” Shaya’s head was starting to hurt with all of this.

  “Do you realise how rare it is to see a sprite, let alone one to accompany a human.”