Rivynn couldn't understand why she and her brother, Rain, were kept chained away from everyone else. They were told it was to keep them safe from the shadows... But what if that was a lie?
~~~~~~
Rain hadn't told her... but the shadows were real...
The crowds began to thin as they continued down the main street until they came to a massive iron gate, guarded by men armed with spears in hand and swords at their sides.
Beyond the bars, Rivynn could see buildings even more beautiful and grand than any they had passed so far.
"Hail The Draycent!" the guards saluted in respect before turning to open the gates.
Their hands had barely touched the iron bars when they cried out in pain as a torrent of arrows rained down upon them from the nearby buildings.
Rivynn squealed in fear but Roake swiftly pulled her close and shielded her with his body. His horse shrieked as several of the arrows struck its flawless white coat.
"Death to the dragon-blood!"
Angry shouts seemed to come from all directions as they crashed to the ground.
Rolling to his feet, Roake jerked an arrow from his shoulder before swiftly drawing his sword. With one sweep, he sent burning light rushing at the enemies that were descending upon them. But the light was met by a wall of dark mist before it could reach its goal.
Terrified, Rivynn sat on the ground shaking, unable to move. Next to her, one of the Draycent lay unmoving, an arrow buried deep in the center of his chest. A smokey darkness curled up along the black shaft etched with silver and green runes.
An eerie laugh came from the shadows of a nearby ally and the sound of jangling chains echoed through the street as a figure stepped into the open. Long dark hair streamed down to the thick black fog churning around his bare feet. Three pair of dark, tattered wings arched from his back, and his pale silver eyes seemed to glow with madness.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"You monsters," Roake snarled. "Bringing a shadowling into the city."
"It's only here for you abominations," one of their attackers countered and stepped forward. He wore a hooded cloak and a mask covered his face, leaving only his piercing red eyes to hint at his identity. "But if it happens to take a few of your 'worshipers' along with you, then all the better."
Even as they exchanged words, however, the shadowling's pale eyes peered maliciously into Rivynn's, and she could feel their connection.
Roake glanced back at her. "Rivynn, it's going to be ok. But I need you to stay calm, can you do that?"
She shook her head, tears wetting her cheeks again.
The shadowling smirked, drawn to her fear and pain.
"This warning is more than you deserve," Roake turned his attention back to their attackers as the few remaining Draycent did their best to erect a barrier of light. "But you had better leave while you still can."
"Do you think we're scared of your little tainted child?" he laughed, but his red eyes were burning with hatred. "Kill them all," he barked.
Despite the searing daylight, their shadowling sent a torrent of darkness tearing into the Draycent's feeble barrier.
Rivynn snatched up Star and hugged him close as if doing so would save them all from the danger kept at bay by nothing more than a thin curtain of light. As she did so, however, a rumble echoed in the distance. The kitten struggled to extricate itself as threads of light began to ripple down her arms. The shadowling abruptly ceased his attack as his master took a step back, glancing at the murky clouds that had suddenly engulfed the sky above them.
But it wasn't darkness she had unconsciously called for...
Streaks of light violently shattered the darkness as an uncontrollable storm of lightning ripped through the city.
Screams rang out from all directions.
"Get out of here!" their attackers called a retreat, trying to flee, but there was no mercy from this storm. Every bolt ignited a ghostly blue flame that consumed everything it touched.
"Rivynn..." Roake cried but a strike of lighting cut his words short.
She watched in fear and awe as he reached out and caught the light. It raced down his arm and over his entire body, but he did not stop with just that bolt. Gritting his teeth against the strain of so much energy rushing through him, he began drawing into himself as much of the lightning from the storm as he could bear.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Eyes burning with defiance, Roake turned and unleashed the full force of power upon the shadowling who was trying to retreat with the others.
