The Heart of Shadow and Gold

Chapter 7

Ashleys POV

My face was cold, my body felt numb.

My body movements didn't feel like mine, my train of thought went off of its rails. Why. Ive seen many deaths and have been able to still function so why does Della's death make my system malfunction?

I push those thoughts to the back of my head, they need a leader. I look around and find my eyes on Cecil, then Blaine.

How are they going to explain to her? Cecil stands up and walks towards me, she whispers in my ear.

"Is she really...dead?" Her voice cracked at that least word, I hug her comfortingly. "Im so sorry." I apologize to her.

I pull back from the hug. "Good luck." I tilt my head in Blaines direction, if anyone should be the one to tell her, it should be Cecil.

She smiles encouragingly. "You too."

And with that Leyla, Linda, Callie, and I walk through the labyrinth of halls towards the meeting room. I lead them for the main reason of that I've taken my time to memorize the halls that are built to confuse intruders, i walk these halls late at night when i can't sleep or just don't want to.

It makes me feel like an adventurer exploring some ancient temples finding hidden pathways and secret rooms. Which i have found and they are very cool.

We took the final turn towards the meeting room,elegant red doors with golden outlining.

I push the doors open and hold it for the others.

On the far side of the room is a fireplace with the emperors portrait hanging above it.

In the centre of the room in an oval-like shape with chairs spread around it, like the doors, the centre of the table and chairs are this scarlet red with pure gold outlining.

And i really do mean pure gold, there's a huge mining industry that used to sell thousands of gold blocks to the kingdom every month. Now of course it was forced to close down years ago because...well...lack of a gold.

I closed the door behind us and we each took a seat around the table, there were about 5 staff members around the table that work in the grounds.

There was Chen our trainer, Evelyn Miller or Leyla's mom, and 3 other members that i haven't seen around too much.

Chen's blue and yellow eyes were filled with calmness and his brown hair was styled in that "messy but cool" way.

Mrs. Miller looked almost identical to Leyla with her blonde hair and deep blue eyes. The three others all had raven black hair with different shades of brown for their eyes.

"Now that we are all finally here we can start this meeting."

Leyla's POV

"This has been going on far too long." Black-haired person #1 said.
"I agree, this has been the third murder this past week!" Yelled black-haired person #2

"Wait, there's been three murders this past week?" Asked Callie, on the verge of tears wishing, hoping that it wasn't another one close to her.

"Yes, two of which are from our own kingdom. I do believe that the rumour of the sonorous invading the grounds has gotten out correct?" Black-haired person #1 said. Black-haired person #3 didn't say much, they were just sitting staring at the giant map on the table in front of us.
"The grounds?? Like where we sleep?!" I spoke up.

Muttering started to happen, all with shock and fear written in their voices. "Enough!" Chen yelled.

"Well that's not the whole story." Black-haired person #2 said.

Chen and my mom were talking about the well-being of children in Etheria so they weren't really listening, except for when Chen yelled at us.

black-haired person #2 started telling the story as if it were a horror story you'd find in our school libraries filled with legends and rumours about the terrors of the forest outside the Etherial borders.

"1 year ago, on this very day we called up a recruit to work a late night shift guarding the Etherial temple. At the very same night, the very same time the recruit was walking around the halls, an elf struck. He must've broken in a window for when the recruit had his guard dropped he lunged. We assessed the scene of the murders and it seems as though the recruit shot the elf before he died. Brave young soul. We would have loved for him to be an official guard." Black-haired person #2 finished, shaking their head solemnly.

"But they wanted their message to be delivered fully so-" "so they killed Della." Ashley finished for them.

"But why wait a year?"  I Asked.

"Because they probably had to try several times to get close enough to the emperor that it would actually scare us." Callie spoke up.

I looked over at her, her eyes were glued to the map, body language completely neutral and relaxed but her eyes, her eyes were a raging fire. Just wanting, craving to be released and wreak chaos.

Ashley spoke up again. "They lured her outside and killed, murdered her and wrote that stupid sign above her head so they'd scare us?" "If they think they can get away with this they're wrong." She slammed her hands on the table at that last word. "We are going to set up camp, and when they come we are going to beat the living hell out of them." She finished. I could only stare at her, a mixture of feelings tunnelling in my very soul. Some feeling I can identify like concern, caution, fear, excitement, and calmness. Others I couldn't identify as easily but whatever it was made me ready to follow her lead in whatever battle we take place in, and I'll know that she has my back just like she's got mine.

"I'm in." I say. she smiles at me, one that makes all of my worries wash away and replaces it with pure determination.

"Well then, I guess you'd like to know the plan then eh?" Chen asks finally finished chatting about politics and stuff with my mom.

A/N 1038 words! Leyla is literally my favorite character tbh i mean come on! "My reasoning for interrupting the conversation i was supposed to be in? Yeah i got a reason. Im supposed to be in in, now by all means continue." Like, ngl i squealed when i wrote that part that was so like awesome.