The War of Shadows

Book One: Moonlight's Secret

Prologue

Two very muscled guards slowly pulled the big doors open, splashing the tall stranger with dim light. The man walked quietly  and confidently into the room, as if he'd done this thing many times over. He strode towards a fire place, where another equally tall man leaned against its mantle. Shadows danced and leaped across his still face, lighting up his eyes like small balls of flame. He looked enough like a man, but a closer look might've told differently. Dark, unnatural lines creased his face, making look like just another part of the night. And yet, the cold light of the moon shone down upon him from a nearby window, giving him the look of a ghost. He wasn't exactly strong- looking, but lean and wiry. He kept staring into the fire, and then spoke, never taking his eyes off the flames.

"Ah, Manath. So glad you could come." His face said otherwise, and his voice sounded as if he'd swallowed a drum. Suddenly, he turned his flaming eyes to the stranger, piercing him through with that scorching gaze.

The stranger bowed shortly, then walked straight up to the man and whispered softly, "I'm done."

The man turned his head away then, shaking it slowly, as a smile crept onto that stony face. It wasn't really a smile, however, but more of a terrifyingly dark grin.

"Remember our bargain, Manath." Those words held so many secrets, so much darkness and lying.

The other man stood still, obviously unnerved by that cold grin. He spoke with as much solemnty as before, his confidence never wavering.

"I said, I'm done. I'm leaving, Woored. And you can't stop me. This was a mistake, thinking I could bargain with the shadow of a man I once knew so well."

And with that, he turned around and walked as silently away as he had come in. Suddenly, the large doors closed, abstructing his way. He stood there quietly, as if waiting for something to happen.

"Oh, really? I can't? You might want to rethink what you've just said, Manath."

Images flooded the stranger's mind, choking all other thoughts. He saw the beautiful land he had always strove so hard to protect; he saw the hills of Reem, his home; and he saw his family, his wife, soon to bear their first child. Tears welled up in his eyes as he imagined the present darkness, which had already covered the rest of Aoterroa, taking his  home, and his wife.

"You see now, don't you? I can take everything away from you. I can break you so hard, Manath!" The man was yelling now, as he walked ever closer to Manath. "I can destroy everything! Don't you understand? You serve me, now, not that fool in Corone who does nothing but sit on his throne all day. I am your leader, your capter; I hold your life in the palm of my hand! You are but my servant. You do not have the choice to leave me!" Woored stood right behind the stranger now, laying his hand on Manath's shoulder. "You belong to the shadows."

"No."

"Wrong answer." 

The man plunged a knife towards Manath's unguarded back, but the warrior was one step ahead of him. In a few minutes, he stood about two feet away from Woored's knife, sword in hand. Manath lunged, missed, and drew back in time before Woored struck where he had been only moments before.  Abruptly, the two guards came dashing through the door, catching Manath by surprise, and each held him tightly by an arm. Manath tried to loosen himself, but in vain. He dropped his sword, realizing he was beat. Woored walked over to him, kicking the sword aside as he grinned maliciously. 

"You know Manath, your life has always greatly amused me. Watching you fight your petty wars, watching your wife be torn apart," he paused to enjoy the distraught look on Manath's face, then continued, "and now this. I will enjoy every bit of this."

Suddenly, he plunged his dagger into Manath's chest, listening intently to his enemy's scream. Yes, his enemy. Woored trusted no one, and lied and cheated everyone. Woored did enjoy every minute, even to Manath's last breath. Then he bent down to the man's ear.

"You've lost, Manath. Your battle is over."

~  ~  ~  ~ 

Tears. Each clear silvery droplet fell steadily into the small, shiny puddle, as if reminding him that his heart was still bleeding. Why did they keep falling? They never helped anything; they never would. They were just a cold likeness of the moonlight, that moonlight that shone down on the memory, doing nothing, not helping. The moon had always been like that, only watching, light and yet dark, silent as gravestones.

"This might not be the right time to say it, but... your mother saved my son. She was a very brave woman. I wish... I wish I could have known her better."

He wiped his eyes quickly before turning around. A thin woman in a torn, brown dress stood before him, holding a small child in her thin arms. She looked at him with that same pity, the kind with which people look at a kid who is going through "severe emotional times." He hated that sympathetic look; it was what people used when they were trying to comfort someone, and it really said, "Oh, you poor thing. Don't worry; everything's going to be ok." What a lie. How was your mother getting killed by strange shadows ok? How was losing the last person you loved ok? So he just got up and stalked off, never once looking back. Coming to a small rock, he slumped down and stared into the distance, wishing life away. What was the use of living anymore? he thought.  Suddenly he heard the quiet pitter patter of footsteps. His hurt flared up into a burning anger.

"Go AWAY! I'm sick and tired of your pity. Just leave me alone." When he didn't hear the footsteps fading away, he stood up, prepared to use force if he had to. When he turned around, he stood facing Acris, hs best friend.

"What do you want?" he asked irately. He hadn't realized how hoarse his voice was; he'd even forgotten how to use it. 

"I came to see how you were doing," his friend replied calmly. He walked over and sat in front of the rock, fingering his belt.

How am I doing? How I'm doing?!?!?

"What do you mean, how am I doing? How do you think I'm doing?! ' Oh, yeah, Acris. I am doing great. My mom just died, but hey; I am doing great.'"

His friend stood up abruptly, shouting just as loudly, " Oh, for pity's sake, Saven. I only meant to ask if you were needing any company, something to cheer you up. Look, I know what happened, but that is no reason for your attitude." Acris stood staring him straight into the eye, his face starting to redden.

" My attitude?!?!? Let's see you lose your mom, then we'll talk about attitudes!" Saven jumped up and ran off across the field and up a tree. Not until he sat high in the tree did he look back: his friend stood sadly at the other side of the hill, watching Saven's tree. Saven turned himself back around, taking in the light of the dawn. He wished he could just run away, away to Elbatia or some other city. But he knew that wasn't possible; he was apprenticed to Granda, his mother's brother. Just before his father had gone off to the war with Korence, he and Saven's mother had agreed on an apprenticeship to the only cobbler of the Narains: Granda. And of all people to be apprenticed to, it had to be the cobbler, and a grumpy one at that. Now, Saven's mother was dead, his best friend probably hated him, and his life was a ruin. What was the point of living anyway, if your world was stolen from you and destroyed?

But he knew he couldn't stay with the in his tiny village of Landel, that was for sure. He would just set off sometime, and decide where he would go later. He just wanted to get away from Reem and its horibble memories.