The Mountains Blade

Chapter Fifty Five

Chapter Fifty Five- Inky Death

Elwyns attention was on high alert as the screams seeped into the palace walls. "Avelina." She gasped. Hope Greywater made a move to get up as if she would help but Ashered stopped her. "No." He said sternly. He opened the bedroom door and Sir Arthur was ushered into the room. He drew his sword readying himself to protect the queen.
Ashered unsheathed his blade and Elwyn followed. "We need to get to the armory." Elwyn yelled over the shouts and screams. They were drawing close to the castle. The threat was unknown until one of the warriors was thrown through the palace walls.

Elwyn stumbled back, eyes wide as the boy no older than her screamed in horror. His eyes were turning black, the dark shade running out of his eyes and nose.
Elwyn gasped and stared as the leader of the shadows walked forward.
Beneath the hood, the silhouette of a long white smile crested.

Elwyns heart thumped harshly against her chest.
She watched her fellow solider writhe on the ground, suffocating in his own horrors. She remembered that feeling, the helplessness.

Elwyn ran to the boy, his blonde hair getting inky black streaks as the color dripped down the sides of his cheeks.
Elwyn grabbed ahold of him and reached with her magic for the darkness overtaking him.
She glared daggers at the shadow leader, clamping her eyes shut. She didn't know where her father went during this. He likely went after his own battle.

Elwyn searched the murky depths of the boys soul, memories of the girl he adored, the holidays earlier this year, the shadows coming into the gates.
Elwyn latched onto the darkness that swelled inside him and devoured it.
She gasped and fell backwards away from the boy as his eyes returned to their natural color.

Her head spun and she grew dizzy. "Run." She managed. The boy hesitated looking at the shadow leader. They were also crouched over as if Elwyn had taken something from it.
"Your nose." The boy whispered.
Elwyn touched her finger to the edge of her nostril. Black painted her fingertips. "I said go." She snarled. Finally he obeyed.

The shadow leader stalked closer, emitting an aggravated hiss. "Give it back." It hissed.
Elwyn blinked at the shadow. "I don't know what you're talked about." She said haughtily.
The shadow leader advanced closer, lunging for her.
Elwyn shielded her face awaiting an impact that never came.
A growl echoed around her and she looked to find Evander with a blade in hand. The shadow laughed and advanced once more.

Evander did not hesitate as he struck and sliced her arm away.
The being wailed, loudly. Elwyn held her hands over her ears at the piercing sound. The fights seemedr to pause as people and shadows alike dropped to their knees in pain.
Evanders palms hit the stone floor, blade still grasped in his right hand.
"Bastard." It shrieked.
Darkness leached away from the shadow seeking out its missing limb.
The shadows covered the area between the leader and arm in black and as it sucked back inside itself, the limb returned.
Evander cursed and stood wrapping an arm around Elwyns waist. He pulled her up as the shadow growled an inhuman sound.
As they took cover behind the thrones pillar, the leader continued forward, slicing darkness through the air, from within more shadow people came through. Only there was one who still appeared mostly human.
Elwyn froze, Evander following her gaze with confusion.
A blonde haired boy walked out of the line of shadows. He wore all black, the skin was peeling off his bones like the ones in the woods at Kiandras. His eyes were blue and bled black. His nose and mouth were also dripping in darkness. He walked forward like a zombie, clothing in tatters, old blood seeping through the fabric. He wore his broken glasses and his hair was in disarray.

The shadow leader raised her hand halting all but him.
Evander tightened his grip on Elwyn. "It's a trick."
Elwyn shook her head. "No, it's not."
Elwyn knew in her soul this was no trick. the shadow leader had taken what was left of Maxwell and turned him into a slave of shadow.
From behind the thrones, her parents door opened. Elwyn snapped her attention to her mother in horror.
Evander squeezed her arm tightly as he spoke in earnest. "Stay here." He ordered, with supernatural speed coming to stand before her mother. His sword was drawn as he pushed his back against her front, attempting to push her back into the room.
Hope pushed against him weakly. "Where is my family."
Elwyn stood from behind the pillar to show herself to her mother. "Go back into your room." She snarled. Her appearance was putting others at risk.

Elwyn didn't have time to look what her mother did as she turned back to the shadow leader. All of her soldiers were stock still aside from Maxwell.
He breathed heavily, the sound wet. "Wynn? Why did you leave me?" He asked. His eyes were so full of despair, Elwyns knees nearly buckled beneath her. "I'm sorry, I didn't."
He continued to advance closer, Elwyn stared caught in a trance. "You were already dead, there was nothing I could do." She sobbed.
Maxwell continued to walk towards her.
His feet left wet imprints on the stone, eyes saddened as he closed in on her. Elwyn trembled unsure what to do. "Wynn, save me."
Elwyn shook her head. "I can't." She cried. "Save me. Save me." He chanted.
Elwyn took enough steps back that her heels hit the stairs to the thrones. "Max, please." She pleaded. He reached for her, snatching onto her hair. He pulled and dug his nails into her shoulder. Elwyn screamed out pushing on him, urging her powers to come forward. It did but it went through her into him.

He smiled wickedly as he ate her power.  Elwyn screamed in pain, her knees buckling as he drug his nails over her skin.  She closed her eyes in pain, her head pounding. As she opened them again,it was the shadow leader who held her beneath its fingers. "Always a fool aren't you." It laughed.

Elwyn tasted blood as it tore its claws down her collar bone and across her chest.
Blood poured out of her like a river, hot and burning.
The sound of Evander calling her name had her searching past the shadow leader. It snarled at this. "No, you stay here." It said savegly.
Elwyn looked up at the shadow leader, pain coursing through her and grasped onto its arms. She dug her own nails into its flesh, ripping black putrid skin from its bones. It wailed and Elwyn fell backwards, the feeling of falling continuing to pour through her as the world went black and then again gained its color.