Chapter 20 - Possession

Chapter 20 �" Possession

 

    Flickering shades of black and red blurred in and out of focus. The flashing images shifted and transformed as the vision of the man’s pain stricken face balled into a tiny orb. His image pulling away like an elastic band until only darkness filled the dream and the sudden eyes of an unknown woman came into focus.

     “Keeiiiirrrrraaaa...,” she heard a voice whisper.

     “Mother?”  She answered.

     As the images faded into the black, Keira ran through the dark nothingness searching for the source of the voice that called. In the distance she saw the wisp of a long white dress coming into focus.

     “He needs you...,” spoke the voice in a breathy tone.

     “Mother!” she screamed, running towards the pale figure.

     But like a sheet of white the image transformed into a windblown curtain, blocking her view before dropping to reveal the solid stream of running water. Keira approached hesitantly, following the silver stream as it widened and rippled under a moonlit glow. Beneath her soles, she felt the sudden slosh of moistened soil squish between her toes and in the distance saw the sight of several trees that stood before her. She bent down to touch the water’s edge, only to find her fingertips stained in blood. She gasped in horror, and the stream slowly disappeared sinking beneath her feet until all that remained was the unsettling haze of a lurking mist weaving from within the trees and up the hill to where the Wielder’s camp had lain.

     “Rozlend,” Keira spoke softly.

     With a sudden urge Keira climbed the hill, grabbing, pushing and pulling tree limbs to and from her. Her feet slipping down the steady incline from the flood of leaves that lay beneath her. She dug her fingers deep into the softened soil, struggling to reach the top as she slowly sunk into the earth; her feet unable to seek foundation as the ground broke beneath her. 

     In the unwaking silence, she heard the whaling cry of pain echo from above and her heart fluttered as two darken shadows moved within the mist. Finally, breaking free of the earth’s tightened grasp, Keira lunged forward grabbing onto a wiry branch and pulled herself onto her feet. As the mist moved about her she saw in the clearing Demetri, Rozlend and the Shade poised in battle. 

  “It’s time to go!” cried Rozlend to Demetri, gripping at his shoulder.

“Are you sure you want to do this alone?” he asked, still pointing his wand in the shade’s direction.

“You know it’s the only way...,” said Rozlend, “make sure my sister is safe and far away from here... far from me... whatever it takes!”

“Then take what you need brother,” demanded Demetri extending his arm before Rozlend, readied and waiting, “Don’t worry about Keira, I’ll see to it she doesn’t return.”

With a sudden look of concern and hesitation Rozlend held out his hand and absorbed the wielder’s power. His arm grew insistently engulfed in a stream of red blue flame as Demetri crumbled to the ground in a grimace of pain, collapsing to his knees.

Rozlend clenched his hand shut. “Now go, make sure she doesn’t come back for me.”

Demetri nodded grasping his stomach as he climbed to his feet and scurried away. In a sudden moment of anger and rage Rozlend inhaled deeply, and his body grew more engulfed by the wave of flames, turning, he hurled fiery orbs from the tips of his fingers, pinning the beast in its unshielded gut. The creature doubled back screeching in agony, its cry echoing throughout the canyon and scaring an assembly of bats into the sky. The shade’s form began to blur in and out of focus, shifting side to side in a blacked haze of wispy smoke, until transforming itself into a huge tightened colossal fist that came crashing down upon him.

Rozlend dodged its attack. Throwing himself to the ground he rolled to his side and yanked two double edged blades from the grasp of his holster. But as he rose to his feet and readied himself for battle the shade was gone.

“Come out and fight, coward!” he screamed.

From afar Keira watched in horror as her brother struggled to keep focus of the dissipating figure. Extending her hand she reached out to him, attempting to yell, but her voice fell mute. She could only watch without interference as the dream played on and held her captive, helpless, and powerless... only able to watch as each passing second her brother grew closer and closer to danger.

Again the creature reappeared. Its image quivered and shook. Its form blurred in and out of focus, shifting from side to side in a blackened haze of smoke, taking shape for only moments at a time until suddenly it dissipated once more. Suddenly, the camp grew still and quiet, only the occasional russle of leaves blowing in the air could be heard in the distance. Suspicious, Rozlend studied the landscape, eyeing every corner, tree, rock and blade of grass that surrounded him, searching for the creature, but there was nothing in sight but darkness.

In a moment of confusion, Keira crept to her brother’s side, attempting to touch him, but watched as her hand fell through his image like a cloud of smoke. Unable to alert him of her presence, she joined him searching the landscape before them, hoping she’d have the chance to warn him of something stirring.

But in a moment’s notice the sudden wave of shock and panic fell through her as she felt the icy grasp of a cold hand grip upon her shoulder. Startled, Keira turned and gasped to find the ghostly, luminisate figure of the woman she had long chased since childhood; it was the woman in the white dress. The woman who on many nights cried out her name in an eerie breath. The woman who for several years now haunted her every thought. The woman who for all her life, she had never known to be the woman that was her true mother; Callyndria.

In a moment of disbelief, Keira attempted to turn and speak but found her body stiff and frozen. The woman smiled gently, placing a porcelain hand upon Keira’s awe struck face. It was soft and icy to the touch, but her delicate caress felt like the gentle kiss of a tiny butterfly. Slowly, she placed one of her ivory colored fingers upon her fawless lips, hushing Keira as she warned her, pointing into the distance. Keira followed her silver glowing finger, watching before them as suddenly she heard the strange sound of something shuffling up ahead. She began to panic but fell motionless when the silent ghost-like woman placed another gentle palm upon her shoulder in an act to comfort her. Curiously, Keira watched from a far, wondering, watching and waiting for whatever it was that was approaching.

In the distance they saw the agitation of several bodies russling on the ground. They were Rozlend’s men, lying in the aftermath of the shade’s dismay; each stacked and piled high, one on top the other. Some were bloodied and ripped to pieces, while others hung limply over the bleeding, oozing limbs of the various bodies parts that lay beneath them. They were cold, lifeless, and left laying upon the blood soiled campgroud.

With widened eyes, Keira watched the sudden movement of a twitching hand, and to her expectation Rozlend’s gaze followed suit. The hand moved strangely and almost inhuman like. It was pinned between the thigh and arm of another man, yet forceably pushing it’s way through the crowded mess to torn ligments. The hand, still attached to it’s host’s arm, stretched forward, placing it’s palm onto the cold ground and continuing to force itself up to remove the bodies that laid upon it. As the figure continued to move they realized it was not just the movement of a single body part but the movement of an entire man rising quickly to his feet. He was still alive.

The man’s face hung down sorrowfully, staring at the ground beneath him. He was tall and paleish green with shaggy black hair that covered his blood spattered face, long limbs and an empty expression that never once lifted away from the ground beneath his feet. He stood still and motionless, appearing to be barely breathing but frozen stiff in a moment of shock and disbelief. Slowly, Rozlend walked forward to meet the man’s gaze. Still motionless the man began to hum softly and eerily in a tone that sounded close to a near whimper. Rozlend knew this man, he had trained him in the art of war, but there was something different about him. As Rozlend reached out to slowly place a hand upon the man’s shoulder, the man whispered in a low grumble...

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

“It’s me Galen.” Rozlend replied. And in that mere moment he spoke the man’s head popped up, bouncing side to side like a whobbly globe with golden snake-like eyes as he reached out and clamped down upon Rozlend’s neck unforgivingly and with an inhuman like strength, leaving Rozlend to dangle helpless in the air as the man examined every inch of his being.

“Nooo!” Keira attempted to yell, but could only mouth as she ran to her brother’s side.   

“You really think I don’t know who you are!” The man shreeched in a loud demonic tone that sounded like the voice of many. The demon grinned and stole a whiff of Rozlend’s scent, his nostrils flared and his face contorted like two faces trapped within the same head. He smiled to his satifaction. “Ahh... Bloodmagus, “ he spoke with extreme certainty. “I know exactly who you are... and I’ve been looking for your kind for a very... long... time.”

“What do you want?” Rozlend struggled to speak, his hands gripped upon the demon’s hand in a tigthen grasp.

“You know exactly what I want.” The man replied eyeing him with a wicked grin.

“You’re the Shade.” Rozlend spoke, choking out his words in amazement. The man chuckled quitely.

“And you... Bloodmagus, are the only one of your wretched kind that can kill me.”

“Then if it’s release you seek, why are you still choking me?” asked Rozlend.

“Because I still have one last thing for you to hear before I let you end me.”

“And what’s that?” Rozlend choked out.

“Your sister.”

Keira gasped in horror, turning to back to face the ghostly image of her mother. But the woman simply nodded and pointed back towards the conversation of two men.

“What do you want with my sister?” demanded Rozlend.

“Not what I want...but what Azazel wants.”

“Azazel?”

“He knows she’s alive and he’s coming for her, but you Bloodmagus...” the demon stole another whiff. “You once he learns of he’ll want dead.”

“Then Azazel doesn’t know?”

“Know of your existence? No, he doesn’t yet. Your mother made sure of that. But I... I’ve been watching... watching you and your sister. Watching from the very moment she set foot into Duskmere to the house of that tiny troll you call Father. Who do you think sent out the Slyph? I needed to test her.”

“Why are you telling me all this?” demanded Rozlend.

“Because Azazel wants her, and he’ll do anything to use her and control her. But I... I grow weary of his cravings and  of this wrenched life he cursed me with. And before I leave this world, I want revenge for the evils that were done to me.”

“What do you want of me?”

“Your mother...He holds her captured, but where and when he has her is another question you’ll have to answer for yourself. Find her... release her... and when you do... both you and I will have our revenge.”

The Shade slowly placed Rozlend back upon the ground beneath him. Choking, Rozlend grasped his neck, and fell doubled over, struggling for a breath of air.

“Oh don’t tell me the great Rozlend Magnar has suddenly become weak?” The Shade teased.

Rozlend doubled back, taking in a breath.

“What more do you have to tell me Shade.” he asked grasping upon the hilt of his sword.

“Only that you can find her within the Valley of Sunders, but where and when... like I said... is another matter entirely.” Rozlend squinted with suspension, eyeing the demon’s golden red eyes as if searching for something more.

“Is that it?” he asked.

“What? Not satisfied?” the Shade grinned wickedly.

“Not nearly.” he replied reaching out his hand and sucking the Shade's energy as he slambed a double-edged blade across the width of his neck, leaving it’s body headless, limp and alive no more.

Author's Note

Partial 1st draft. This is actually Chapter 20, I need to updated the book on writer's cafe, because there are changes that have been made to the book. But please keep in mind this chapter is not complete... I'm still writing it. Still, suggestions,or thoughts and opinions are welcome.

Reviews

[John Morris]

This is brilliant, a powerful moving piece.

To me it had a dreamlike sense reading through it a lot of mention of darkness and silence giving it a ghastly fake sense, outstanding.

I Look forward to reading more.

John

Can You Hear The Silence? 22nd June 2010