Desolate Shadows

Chapter 2

A few emergency lights came on, revealing The shadowy figure who walked down the aisle to confront the auctioneer.

"Sir, would you please identify yourself? You cannot just..." the auctioneer began.

"I am Prince Nuada son of King Balor and I am here, sir, to reclaim what is rightfully mine" the figure said picking up the gold piece in his hand. A knot formed in Moralie's chest. The creature that had suddenly come before them name was one known by almost every creature that lives amongst the shadows. He was an elven prince with the blood of thousands on his hands.

"Sir you can't touch that" the auctioneer said taking a step forward. Moralie could not see what was happening but Nuada moved in sync with the auctioneer's movements and in seconds the human was dead on the ground with a leech-like cephalopod creature suffocating his face. Screams from the first few rows rang out. Moralie's panicked gaze tried to get a look at this new man, but her stature failed her as she could not see over many of the humans in front of her.

The elf had not moved his gaze from the gold piece, turning it over and over in his hand as the room fell into utter panic. People began shoving each other, screaming, trying to escape.

"Security! Call security!"

"What do you think you're doing?"

"This is outrageous."

"Take what you want. Please, please Take it. Take anything!" These cries were sporadic and petrified and Moralie was breathing heavily, her hearts beating a mile a minute.

"Be quiet!... Sit down, all of you" The sudden outburst from the pale elf caused an immediate and terrified silence to hush throughout the room spreading like smoke rolling over a field. "-proud, empty, hollow things that you are..." the rage and hatred for these humans made his voice waver as he tried to calm himself. He made his way down the middle aisle at a slow and savoring pace. The silence was like pinpricks in the surface of ones skin, and the whole room had seemed to collectively hold it's breath.

"May this remind you why you once feared the dark."

Four security guards suddenly came flying through the side doors and landed in the aisles with a sickening thud. The humans seemed to only panic more, but many of them remained silent, either unsure how to react or too afraid to make a noise. 

A massive creature walked in after his victims. He carried two large iron boxes on his back. On the sides of the boxes Moralie could make out a haunting and ancient royal seal, embossed in the metal; it was a seal She had not seen since she was a child. The massive creature shrugged the iron boxes to the floor with a clang that rung throughout the room slicing through the petrified silence like a dagger. 

Inside the iron boxes, little clawed things were scrabbling – mewling, fast chattering like agitated birds. The boxes were ticking like a bomb. The elf began to walk back up the aisle and Moralie quickly ducked and averted her gaze attempting to go unseen. Despite her attempts the elf stopped at the very last row, the row where She stood. Only standing two feet away from her, his gaze lifted to examine the only other being that stood out in this room, as if some invisible thing had given away who She was. Moralie could read neither surprise nor intrigue from his expression.

"You are not human" he said in a voice so low no one but the two of us could hear it.

Moralie lifted her chin a bit in defiance, finally looking him dead in the eye "no I am not."

Suddenly he took ahold of her arm, pulling her with a force she was not expecting. She nearly stumbled over the other seats in the isle and her hood fell away from her face, her red hair tumbling down her shoulders. He didn't let go until they had left the room and the building entirely.

"Who sent you to go there?" He demanded once they were away from screams that rang out shrilly from the building. Moralie turned to try to look through the windows, not paying attention to his question.

He shook her arm slightly to get her attention.

"Who sent you?" he repeated harshly.

"I don't know what you're talking about" She lied quietly, still flicking her gaze towards the screams her two hearts thrumming in her chest.

"There is no other reason for you to be at that auction besides the intent to acquire this" he said holding up the gold piece close to her face.

"If you think I was attempting to steal that then you're wrong" Moralie said feeling a little offended. She twisted uncomfortably in his grip. He let her go once he noticed this and She took a few good steps back.

"The piece that I had come for was not yet presented. I did not know that a piece of the crown would be there. Thanks to you I was unable to acquire what I came for." She added bitterly.

"What are you then?" he asked examining her with a scrutinizing and dark gaze.

"My name is Moralie."

"I said what, not who."

"My people are not so unlike your own." She replied, uneasy with giving him any clear details.

"How so?"

"Dying" She said simply. "Now if you'd excuse me I need to get my amulet." Moralie began to walk past him but his hand stopped her.

"I would not recommend you enter that building for some time." She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion and concern. What ever creature he had released upon those humans didn't frighten her, but she knew every one of the innocent people were killed. 

Almost instantly she was left alone. Moralie let out a sigh, walking over to a low sitting ledge of a window and leaning against it. She had decided to take his advice and wait for the screams to die down.