The Immortal Gardens - Emergent (book 1) (Wattys 2013)

chapter 20 - Tale of a frightened shadow.

Ohanzee:

I regained consciousness and struggled into a sitting position. I felt nauseous as the tase of stale blood fillied my mouth. The pain from the wound in my leg transitioned into numbness in the past hour I had been laying on the floor. Shards of glass fell from my face as I opened my mouth slightly. Flashbacks of what happened earlier came in breif slides.

my shadow carrying an orb to me with water.

Diana's frightened, dumbstruck face.

Hezikaya dropping the orb then imprisoning my shadow away from my body before knocking me out cold. My chains clanked as I adjusted my hands behind me.

Was all this necessary? I thought as I pulled at my chains, allowing the cuff to cut into my wrists.

Low snarls and groans, similar to the sounds a baby dragon made, echoed from across thr room. I squinted my eyes to focous on the direction in which the sound was coming from. By a tiny barred window, my shadow sat squirming, binded by chains of Cenari sunlight. 

Cenari sunlight was unlike regular sunlight out side of the dome. For one, it was paler but it was more demonic, like the fires of hell. When Aarif got permission from God to build the dome, he had considared the city to be unworthy of his holy light then casted a mirror in the sky, a mirror that reflected the light of the fires of hell.

Shadows need normal sunlight to fuel their shadowy form. But they cannot stay in the dark, nor can they be exposed to light without their holder. If a shadow is kept in the light long enough without returning to the body they'll deteriorate and disperse.

Not having a shadow is like seeing a person without flesh. It left you vounerable and unprotected. Shadows are companions as well as guardians. Without your shadow, the unseen could posess you or even destroy you even if they so as much lay a finger on a strand of your hair. Supposing if your body can withstand the agony and stress of a shattered shadow bond.

He lunged at me, but the cuffs and chains restrained him, only allowing us to come no more than two feet close. He groaned in agony as the bond of closeness shattered. The shadow always felt it first.

"Dont move. Dont waste your life force. I'll get to you." I managed to squeeze the words out. My shadow groaned and whimpered.

"I'll be fine." I consoled, forcing a smile on my face. I hadnt managed to smile a genuie smile for as long as I could remember.

my shadow resorted to the corner where the light didnt shine as bright. He emitted a low growl and the chains jangled as he pulled his feet to his chest.

I could hear my own harsh breathing and see my breath swirl around in front of me. I couldnt help but feel a bit nostalgic as the lights seemed to dazzle infront of me, reminicent of the time father, mother Diana and I had a picnic by whisp meadows.

I was only five then and diana was three, so the world was so full of hopes and dreams and good things.

Mother favoured diana over me, I remember that well enough. Diana was her pride and joy and I was a child to her so I never knew that kind of affection. Things were good until I turned 6. It was the middle of the night, 2 days after my birthday, I had awakened in cold sweat from one of my nightmares about the hooded horseman. Mother would come into my room and tell me that it was only someone trying to contact me. That never really helped much. I was a quiet child that hardly cried, even if I did I'd be consoled by my friend. My shadow.

I knew my father had a shadow. His shadow would frighten me and chase me up and down the stairs. It would even torture me in my dreams. Mother told me it was only a bad dream, and father would chain me to a tree outside and let me chant I am not afraid of the dark.