Voyage of War

Chapter 18

Night approached and once again Dridier stood on the terrace of the tallest tower and watched the horison for any sign of Queen Adira's return. But none came, the city sat in semi-darkness. Small houses and shops crowded together near the castle walls, becoming more spaced out and then stops at the edge of the forest.

Didier turned to leave when a high pitched scream drifted up to the tower. Lights in houses were flickering to life and the city became illuminated as more screams resonated through the streets. Didier could see no enemy soldiers marching towards the castle, no creature approaching. No matter how hard he strained his eyes and ears. Then completely by coincidence he saw it. A black spot made of a more dense darkness than the night. The reason people were affraid of darkness.

Shadows.

Memories of Camilla came drifting back. Didier started to run down the tower steps. He practically flew down, his feet barely touching the steps. He tore through the castle hallways down to the kitchen where most of the maids and guards off duty could be found at this hour.
"We need to light every lamp we've got!" Didier panted.
A fairly young maid eyed him with concern.
"Calm down, dear. Why do we need to do that?"
"Shadows." He whispered feeling his body go cold from uttering the name. "Dozens of them. In the city."
Everyone in the room with knowledge of Shadows and their doing froze in shock.
"Light every lantern, lamp and fire place I don't care how hot it gets in here. Even in the dungeons." Didier yelled to get everyone out of their trance.
"Why it's just a shadow everybody has one?" One of the guards from Casima asks not making any move to help the others scuttling for lamps.
"No, nobody has a Shadow." The young maid utters in her hast rolling her eyes and shoving a hand full of wood into the guards hands.
"Some one needs to open the castle gates for me." Didier says.
"That's a suicide mission dear."
"I've done it before. I'll be able to hold them off so we can get most of the poeple in the castle just make sure you leave no corner in darkness."

Didier marched out of the castle doors, a ball of light growing in the palm of his hand.

                       *   *   *

Camilla had been walking in circles for days. She almost gave up a few times, but something urged her to get up and keep going.

She sat down under a tree finally resigned to a life in the forest, when she heard a rustling nearby. It didn't startle her. She did not fear death but would rather welcome it. Camilla sat watching the bushes intently. Out stepped a grey wolf. Camilla lay down ready for it to feast on the bones. Insted it stepped closer, sniffed her, then nudged her. She pickind up her head. Strangely he looks familiar. It can't be.
"Frey?"
It lets out a excited yelp.
"Can you lead me to the city boy?"
Again an excited yelp.
They made slow porgress through the forest until Camilla heard a piercing scream. She picked up her pace until she was running. Lights flickered through the thinning forest.

She emerged to see a brightly illuminated city stretched out in front of her. Dark blots were moving around frantically and people were rushing to the castle that was systematically lighting up.

Camilla walked calmly into the city. No Shadow chased her and she seemed to be carrying a darkness with her. Near the castle she saw Didier attempting to fight off the Shadows, but there were to many of them. He did not have time to charge his light balls long enough so they would make an impact on the Shadow. She saw his energy depelting, could feel his light getting weaker. Everything Lucinda left her in that moment as she watched Didier being stalked by dozens of Shadows. Camilla had no idea what to do. Panic overtook her. The only coherent though being that she would be the only survivor with no real damage.

Didier did not take notice of Camilla standing only a few feet away. He was to intent on pouring every ounce of energy into his light, aiming and then throwing. It eas only when a Shadow got close enough to touch Didier that Camilla was shocked into action. Didier jerked back from the contact and Camilla stepped inbetween him and the Shadow. She heard him cry out as the Shadow moved onto her, but she knew that it could not harm her anymore.
Camilla closed her eyes and felt the darkness rolling ober her like water, but never penetrating her skin. It was an odd sensation. She sliped into the creature leaving her mind to wander around. Deep in the abyss she saw a ball of light flickering and heard laughter. She touched it and felt a draining sensation and the light grew. It grew until it burst and through her closed lids she could see a bright light.

Camilla opened her eyes, knowing exactly what to do.

She had learnt how to controle darkness, to bend it and form it, now she would have to contain it. Closing her eyes again shelet her mind search for the darkness. She wrestled with it and dragged each piece together to form a mass of evil. Camilla's energy was drained and she felt her knee buckle under her weight. The Shadows started to fight agains their restraints,  draining even more energy. She fell to knees, never once opening her eyes. Camilla could feel her consciousness slipping away. She swayed and fell, but did not hit the ground but instead fell into someones lap. She could hear him whispering and felt some energy return. Camilla had to work fast. She presured all the darkness into one and searched.

The explosion of light was blinding. A wind swept through the city carrying a pained voice. Then laughter filled the street. Children luaghing echoed off the walls like bells chiming.

Didier pulls Camilla into a warm embrace.
"What would you say if I said that I lost the fear of losing you." Didier whispers agaist Camille's forehead, swaying gently.
"I would say that you're a really bad lair ,mea lux*." Camilla relpies attempting a small smile against his chest. Didier had though that he had lost her so many times and now he would keep her save. He would do everything in his power to reverse the effect of the Shadows and once again see a smile on his wife's face and he would cherish her smile and her laughter.

Authors note:

*mea lux means my light
(for those who where wondering)

Thank you for sticking with my book for this long.

At this point the plot is unravelling fast and there is only a few chapters left.

I hope all of you have come to love these characters as much as I have (Maybe it's just an author thing)

Happy reading...