Chasing Shadows

Chapter 20: Ironic isn't it?

Zack's POV

The familiar black smoke clouded around me, as I appeared outside of the carriage. My black wings flapped in the cold air. I scanned the ground, the trees until finally, I saw a familiar shape in the bushes. The sun was hidden behind the snowy clouds, casting a shadow on the entire realm. The figure was long and dark, nearly as big as the carriage itself.

'Snow Orc.' I thought to myself. My heart raced in my feathered body as I thought of what to do. Instantly thoughts rushed into my head as Rose panicked inside the carriage.

Pain struck my head as her fear flooded my body. I blink and shook my head as I tried to focus in on what was happening around me. Black smoke encircled me again and my body shifted into a huge, black wolf. I landed on the ground and crouched behind a bush, waiting for the orc's next move. It sniffed the carriage, as if searching for a scent.

I tensed, ready to tear his face off if needed. Before I blinked, the Orc slammed a giant hand down onto the carriage, causing the roof to cave in.

Fear flooded me, my breath caught in my throat, and my blood went cold. I could feel the color fading from my skin as my black fur turned white, matching my emotions.

I shifted to my original form and ran to the carriage, not knowing what I would find. I clawed at the locked door before slamming my fist into the window, causing the glass to shatter. The carriage was wrecked. Beams and stakes of wood blocked my entry.

My heart raced as my panic grew more intense. I ripped and tore at the debris in front of me, not caring about the damage being done to my hands.

When the debris was clear enough for me to get through, I pushed myself into the carriage, terrified that I'd find Rose's body lying somewhere in front of me.

Nothing. There was nothing. She wasn't here. I scanned the cart, and noticed a deep Crimson stain on the carpeted floor.

"Shit." I heard a gasp as Rose slowly appeared in front of me.

"Thank god." I breathed. I scooped her up in my arms and pulled her through the debris, outside. Her arm was cut, and bleeding pretty badly, but before I sat her on the ground, it had disappeared.

"Your powers." I whispered. She looked at me as if I had grown a second head. A large hand gripped around my throat as the smell of Iron whirled around me. I felt dizzy as my neck burned from the orc's metallic touch.

"Zack!" Rose screamed. Standing up from the ground. The Orc lifted me up high, and into a tree. I tried to glamour myself. To get away, but the iron was weakening me every second I struggled.

A rock hit the Orc on the shoulder, causing it to look down at Rose. My heart beat quickened when the orch pushed me against the trunk of the tree. An excruciating pain shot through me as its dagger penetrated my shoulder blade, pinning me to the tree trunk. Beneath me I could see the orc searching the ground for Rose.

The tree behind me, had an aura. Just like every tree in the five realms. The difference about this tree was that, like all Fey creatures, iron killed it. It was dying, slowly losing life. The limb next to me turned black, as did my fingers.

The fingers on my left arm, began to feel numb. The tips, slowly, covered in tiny black veins as the iron spidered into my system.

I took a deep breath and wrapped my hands around the knife that was impaling me.

A scream filled my ears as a bright red light blinded me. I panicked before pulling at the dagger, slowly breaking free of the pin.

I screamed at the sudden release of the knife when I fell toward the branch below me. I quickly glamoured myself and shifted my body to a Raven as I flew around the area in search for Rose.

The orc, however, was no where insight. At the base of the tree was Rose. I dropped down to her and shifted back.

She was unconscious.