Dust And Shadows

Prologue

On any other night, the view would've been perfect with the entire kingdom visible from the very edge, the lights like fireflies. Too bad there was a fourteen foot monster with gaunt yellow skin dangling Gavril off that ledge and there were black spots where the kingdom should've been. Although, Gavril thought, he had tricked the wendigo to dangle him so he could pick up his torch that had fallen onto the tiny ledge and burn it. He managed to grab the torch and quickly used his strength to swing upwards, swiping the fire across its glowing red eyes. It let out an inhuman screech and he flipped over its head. It turned, swiping a long hand at him and he rammed the torch into its ribcage. It let out another inhuman screech before it burst into flames. Gavril jumped away from it and headed into the cave, using his magic to see in the dark.

"Is there anyone alive in there?" His husky voice echoing in the cave and he heard someone cry out. He hoped that it wasn't another wendigo mimicking a human voice, he only had one torch. He followed the smell of rotting flesh until he found a pile of bones and a group of dirty royals huddled in a bone cage. "Is there anymore of them?" They pointed at one of their own, a girl who was at least sixteen huddled over a corpse. "Shit. Out, now!" He bellowed, taking out a flint before looking for kindling of some kind. They ran except two, one who took out his sword and an old man who couldn't stand. "I told you to run." The man shook his head, his hair bright even in the dark.

"I don't abandon people," The old man tossed Gavril his cane, something familiar in his face. Gavril quickly lit the torch and approached the girl. "She isn't a witch, you don't need to burn her." Gavril witheld the urge to roll his eyes.

"She's becoming a wendigo. The only way to kill a wendigo is with fire, not your pretty sword," He grunted and stepped towards the girl, the torch in front of him. "Have you eaten him?" The girl turned and stared at him with glowing blue eyes. "I thought so." He swiped the torch at her but she jumped, using her growing legs and landed on the man who stayed.

"Stay back!" The man yelled, swinging his sword which the girl just threw away and went to bite him. Gavril ran forward and stabbed the girl with the torch, pulling her off by her hair which ripped from the scalp easily. She let out a partially human screech and the man scrampled away from them as Gavril dropped her, stepping back quickly. He picked up the old man who smiled at him.

"Thank you, old friend." He frowned but continued walking with the man beside him, twirling his retrieved sword like an idiot.

"You were amazing, a true hero," They left the cave where half an army stood, a tall man at the head, ready to kill. "Stand down men, this Shadow saved our lives and killed the wendigo," The tall man stepped forward and held his arms out for the old man. Gavril set the old man in his arms and watched the old man wave as the tall man walked towards a horse with him. "I never had the opportunity to introduce myself, I am King Castimir, the Wolf of Sherith and I owe you a life debt." Gavril wished he hadn't said anything because he knew what he had to say.

"A life for a life. Due to the Shadows code, I must claim your third born, your majesty." He explained, hoping the king was unmarried or unable to bare children. 

"My wife is currently with our third born...When will you come for them?"

"Only if they are ever in danger and need my help...Only if you tell me they are in danger." The king offered him his hand and Gavril grasped his forearm.

"Then I will see you on that day, friend." They shook and Gavril walked away, feeling a cord between him and the kingdom below...Where the queen would be with her child. He found his horse, Whiskey next to the charred corpse of the first wendigo, nowhere near where he had left him.

"Whiskey, stop going to the dead bodies or someone could think you're a death omen," Whiskey shook his mane violently. "Anymore of that and I won't give you an apple." He swung up onto him and they trotted off towards the horizon, Gavril pointedly not thinking about whether or not the baby would be a boy or girl if they survived...He hoped it was a boy, a girl meant that she could fall in love with him and maybe him her. A boy would be simpler in the long run, he knew nothing about girls, then again, he would only take them if their life was in danger, he prayed to any God there was the day would never come.