The Dark Sorceress: Darkness Rising

Chapter 3

It had been three days since he had last seen Aislin.  It had been ridiculously easy to get along with her.  She was funny and engaging and had a lot to say.  There had been food in her basket, which she had brought to give to the starving children she had heard so much about.  She had spoken with pity and sympathy of the people of The Outskirts, instead of the anger and loathing he had expected.  He had begun to dream of her.  Her face, her hair, her lips.  More than ever he wished for a life in Town, so that he may have a chance at being with her.  He had never wanted something so much in his life.

He spent even more time than usual at his spot above the dress shop, hoping to catch a glimpse of her, but she must have been serious about the fact that her father barely let her out the house, for he never saw her.

***** 

Kuvessa grinned as the walls of her hometown loomed before them.  They had been traversing the desert for over a fortnight, raiding whatever towns they came across for money, food and clothes.

The hot wind whipped at her hair as they climbed the cusp of the last dune.  Kuvessa saw one of her men slip and fall and sent a gust of wind to pick him back up before he had a chance to roll back down again.

‘Watch where you’re walking, idiot.  We don’t have time to waste on reclimbling dunes because you’re too foolish to be on your guard and watch your step,’ she snapped.

Donnovan grinned at her, throwing his arm over her shoulder.  ‘I love how feisty you ge’ when you’re mad.’

‘I’ve told you before, Don,’ she started, calmly removing his arm from her shoulder, ‘you’re one hell of a man, and what we had in Valora was great, but that’s over now.  My focus is my brother.  I’ve got no time for anyone else.’

Donnovan shook his head, silently vowing that he would have her again one day, and moved away.

She found the old hole in the outer wall that she had discovered as a teenager.  It led right into The Outskirts, but was close enough to The Marketplace for them to raise suspicion.

‘Hoods up,’ she called to the group, pulling the hood of her black cloak over her head.  It draped low enough to cover her entire face.  Her gang followed suit.

She cast a spell of enshrouding, which would make it harder for anyone to see them sneaking into the city.  She hoped the hole still went unguarded, for anyone specifically watching out for them would be able to see through the spell.

She led her gang into the city – they were never spotted – and into the depths of The Outskirts, following the route to her old house.

Dhalen wasn’t there when they arrived and her heart immediately sped with worry.  She hoped he was safe.  If anything had happened to him, no-one in this city would be safe from her wrath.

The place looked like it had been used recently, but that barely made a difference, in the area where most were homeless, anyone could have taken over if Dhalen no longer lived here.

It was almost exactly as she remembered.  Sure, there was a matrass missing and the single crate had been turned into a proper make-shift table, but the curtains she had made still hung before the windows, the walls and floor were still covered in grime and the matrass still had the exact same bloodstains.  She noticed that he had kept the matrass that she always slept on.  She smiled and flopped down onto the matrass.

‘Well boys, drop your things and get comfy.  If my brother isn’t home by morning, we have a town to slaughter.’I