Starborn

Chapter 7 (Part 3)

When the emblem is placed upright so that poor Alistar is displayed, his emotionless eyes can finally be shown. The old man in the robes starts to recite another passage that I can't hear, and another Shadowhearts starts to climb onto the stage. I can see a vial in his hand- an empty vial. Alistar slowly raises his head, and out of the corner of his eye, he sees us. But he doesn't move a muscle. He just stares at us three watching him from the safety of this balcony. The longer I look at Alistar, the more uneasy I start to feel. This young man is staring death in its putrid face, and yet he shows no fear, remorse, or pain. I can hardly bear it.

No. That's not it. Something starts to tingle in the back of my mind. For a brief second, Alistar starts to look different. His long red hair has turned golden, parted perfectly in the center of his head. And his eyes are ocean blue, as deep as the earth could possibly dig beneath the surface of the water. Yet he still keeps his Witheridge attire, only slightly different.

And now, I understand. He reminds me of a different fellow from Witheridge, one that was brave and more heartfelt. I remember his voice, which was as calm as a gentle stream just as he was. He always kept his head high in the clouds, with a smile as bright as the sun. Witherin pride ran through his veins as confidently as Netherbane blood coursed through mine.

His name was Nicolas Dewrider.

I instantly recall the last time I saw my old friend. It was a moment just like this. I was there when he was murdered long ago. All I remember was the moment before he died, he looked up at me with those big blue eyes. And he smiled. It wasn't a grand smile that meant joy, like he always showed, but a slight smirk, like he was proud of himself before giving his life away.

I hear the rope snap in my ears. And the image fades away as soon as it arrives, now showing Alistar looking ready to suffer the same fate.

Duncan suddenly grabs onto my wrist. "Woah, woah, Triton!" I hear him say.

I've noticed I'm halfway over the balcony railing. I didn't even feel myself move.

And then, I hear Alistar scream in pain. The man with the veil over his face has dug his meaty fingers inside Alistar's skull and has cleanly ripped out his left eye. He holds it like a trophy, then places the eyes in the black vial. And now I'm even more tempted to jump over this balcony.

But suddenly, before I can even reply, a soft horn rings in my ears. It seems to confuse even the Shadowhearts because I hear them mutter to each other. The sound of horse hooves grows louder and louder, as does the sound of a horde of men. Soon, soldiers of assorted sizes race from the city streets to the courtyard, wielding man-made weapons and flags. I recognize that emblem on the flags- a bright orange orb, embraced by a red garland.

"The Theoton Guard!" Roland says. "They won't go down easily!"

We watch like we are attending a colosseum battle. The Theoton guard storms into the crowd of Shadowhearts, them either immediately dispersing into pools of dark, or slicing with weapons made of the pure dark. The human guards are no match for the shadow weapons, and even when some Shadowhearts drop from battle, they soon rise again. And yet, the guards keep fighting.

Suddenly, the palace doors below us swing open. Every head quickly turns toward the stairs, forcing us three to keep our heads low. However, the sky is illuminated with the sound of rushing wind, followed by the sounds of Shadowhearts screaming in pain.

"Damned Shadowhearts!" I hear from the palace doors below us. "This is our city!"

Duncan and Roland keep their heads down as I slowly peer over the balcony rail. And there, fighting by his men, is that man whose face is painted throughout the palace. That mustache of his looks freshly stained with Shadowheart blood, as do his regal clothes. Spinning graciously in his hand is a long staff with two sharp blades at its ends. A twinblade, I believe they are called.