Reign of Embers

Chapter 6 - Shadows

Josefin

Even though I'm exhausted, out of spite I head towards the woods to collect firewood. I hear my dad calling my name behind me, telling me to wait for a guard but I refuse to turn. Instead, I just slow my pace ever so slightly. I'd be foolish to go into these woods alone. I keep at this slow pace until I hear footsteps coming up behind me. I speed up, until I'm walking at my normal pace again. No match for the soldier, seeing as I'm nearly 10 and he's probably a middle aged man.

His voice calls out behind me as he tries to catch up, "Lady Josefin, I'm here to escort you either back to camp or to collect wood."

Ugh I hate it when people call me that. Why can't everyone just call me Josie, it's not that hard.

I call back over my shoulder as I cross over the border between the woods and clearing, "I'm going to collect firewood."

"Well I'll come with you then."

I don't turn around or respond, I just keep walking, every so often picking up pieces of wood. As we get deeper into the enchanted forest, the canopy above our heads slowly suffocates the dappled moonlight until we are left in near darkness.

"We should probably be heading back, lady."

I ignore him and keep moving, and as always he follows. We walk until suddenly there is darkness. No light penetrates through the leaves. Quiet. The silence is deafening. Not even the crickets make a noise. I try summoning the light from my healing gifts, something I've not quite managed to control yet. A weak orb pulses in my hand, illuminating the air in front of me. I turn around, ready to return back to my family, when I feel it.

Something is watching me.

I can sense them. I don't know what they are. I can sense a dark presence, that's here but yet not. My powers both recoil and are attracted to it. They don't seem human or like any creature in this world. But they're here. I turn slowly in a circle, still unable to see much ahead of me due to the unnatural lack of light. I send my ball of fae light into the air to try to determine where and what the creature is. I can sense it moving to avoid my gaze. Until...there. In the shadows a flash of... Something. Before I can catch more than a glimpse, it's gone. I call for the guard to come and start turning with me back to back. I may be young but growing up surrounded by warriors seriously has its benefits.

We can see nothing. I remember Rowan and the cadre's training, look for changes in texture in the black. Even the most invisible objects will have a slight change in the dark surroundings. I let my eyes adjust to spot textures, just as Lorcan taught me to, seeing what I presume to be trees and plants, until I spot it. Between two trees is a ripple, an oddity in the world. It seems like that part of the forest is an abyss, a void, no light would penetrate that kind of darkness. I motion to the guard to look at what I've seen, it takes a moment but then he's drawing his sword out of its sheath, and slowly backing away from the strange unknown, pushing me behind him. Then it attacks.

It's fast, so fast I'm unable to track it's movements. I remove the dagger that's strapped to my thigh, I never go anywhere without it, but in the strangeness of the moment it was forgotten. My guard tries battling the creature but to no avail, it strikes then disappears, constantly moving. I can feel it coming towards me so I send a wave of light, it retreats but not for long. In the darkness it's impossible to track it's movements, there is only a split second warning before it barrels towards us, giving me time to send a small pulse of light. I keep this up for what feels like hours, terror pulsing through my veins. I'm starting to tire, a full day of riding has tired me the verge of collapse and now I'm fighting a weird shadow creature. My powers are depleting way too quickly, I'm nearing a burnout. Not good. It's as If the creature is absorbing my powers, but that's impossible. A miscalculated wave of light sends the creature shooting towards me, and before I can defend myself, it strikes me. The moment it is close enough to attack, a shadowy arm reaches out and solidifies into some form of dark sand. I manage to twist so it doesn't penetrate my heart but the creature impales itself in my arm. I scream and send my final wave of healing light towards the creature. My powers catch It by surprise and hit it. It screams, or what would be a scream if it didn't sound like all of hell had just been unleashed on it. I don't know if I've killed it but it disappears. I loosen my breath slightly, but stay ready to fight incase it returns. I wait as the minutes go by but it doesn't return.

After a while the rays of moonlight return to the forest along with the noises of the woodland creatures. I turn around to see what the guard had been doing while I was being nearly stabbed to death, but he's not there. My heart, which was already racing, now feels as if it will explode from my chest. Where is he? I stay where I am, reluctant to move without protection. My arm feels like fire, and the bleeding isn't stopping no matter how much pressure I apply. I don't think about whether that's because of my diminished powers, or some strange magic from the creature, that can wait, for now I need to find the guard. A faint moan sounds behind me, breaking through my thoughts, I spin - There lying on the ground. I rush towards him, but freeze when I take in what he looks like.

Blood gushes from a wound right by his heart. But that's not the worst of it. Inky black tendrils snake through and over his body, his skin like flaking ashes. He turns his head towards me and I scream as I take in his face. I recognise him, he's the guard who always trains me and my sister to fight when mum or dad isn't around. His usually bright blond hair is dull, and has those strange shadows snaking through it. His piercing green eyes are now dull, blood shot, and vacant. He moans again, then those eyes that once held such joy turn into lifeless voids. The shadows stop writhing and settle into his skin, leaving him with dark lines snaking through him. I fumble to find a pulse before accepting that he's dead. I stare at him, oblivious to the tears streaming down my face and my voice hoarse from screaming. All pain and fatigue are washed away as I turn and run, adrenaline coursing through my veins.

I stumble through the undergrowth, thorns and bushes scratching my battle wrecked body. I think i'm sobbing, screaming. As I get closer to camp I can hear voices screaming my name, searching for me in this dark and twisted wood. I scream back over and over - Dad, Daddy. I trip over roots and stones until I see him. We lock eyes at the same time and relief crosses his features, followed by terror and concern as his eyes draw themselves across my body. My exhaustion and pain hit me all at once, and whimpering, I take one more step forward.

"Daddy." I whisper, a sob escaping me, then all goes dark.