Shadow Riser [PILOT]

Around every corner, there is darkness. In that darkness, shadows spawn. Your shadows. Shadows which can snap your neck at the blink of the eye, shadows which can devour your soul...

The wind rushing into my face, the cool breeze ghosting through my hair and howling as the strong gusts hit my raven-colored cloak... Why do my palms feel so slick with sweat? Why is my heart pounding in my throat as I streak through the forest, where shades of green loom overhead?

A horse... I've ridden one before, haven't I? It's not like I'm journeying alone either- In fact, I'm at the very rear of my squad. But why am I unable to react as the mare tosses its silver mane; why am I unable to comprehend anything as I sail through the empty air? The absence of gravity was a brief eternity, and the air had gushed out my mouth as I hit the sandy ground. 

For a moment, I skid a few meters across the dirt road before lying, still and fazed. The navy cloak had saved me from the worst of scratches, and the air had now been clouded with swarms of dust that were roused upon my landing. Everything had hurt beyond measure, but there was no time to think about it now, for something else had caught my eye as I scrambled to my feet. 

Shadows... They were everywhere. 

The blood; the screams of the dying... The gnarled claws, crimson eyes and shining fangs that lurched out of the trees. Is this it? Is this the end? Dismembered limbs were thrown to the ground, bright stains streaked across the trunks of nearby trees. What... had happened?

I can't move at all- I can't breathe. I search the area in panic for a moment, recognizing a shadow of that of my own. A dark figure built around my own image, lunging for me...

I roll out of the way just in time, breath caught in my throat as I scramble to my feet. My mind refuses to form coherent thoughts as the vile creature mimics my actions, then pulling back with its vice-like claws.

Why do I stand, petrified? 

Surrounding me was a sea of blood. Blood- Warm, thick liquid that flows steadily by the unfortunate souls torn apart by the darkness that surrounded me, advancing on me.

My feet refused to move. 

There was nowhere to run to, in any case.

There is no way out of this.

Could my survival up till now have been a miracle, or a punishment for some unknown sin, perhaps? To have to live my final moments stricken with fear for death...

I unsheathe my sword from its sheath hanging by my waist, refusing to give in.

And all at once, the shadows faded, slinking back into the darkness of tree trunks and roots, and leaving the me in a ground stained with crimson. I had remained paralyzed against my will, two figures emerging from the thick brush.

My saviors, or another falsehood of hope?

"What had happened?" A stocky man had voiced my thoughts, his voice muffled by a gray bandanna around his jaw. The uniformed man gaped in horror as he saw the half-devoured corpses. "You! Y-you did this, didn't you?"

His taller companion stared, wide eyed like I had done. Though the words were far from spoken, I had at least understood his train of thought.

I knew what the situation had looked like, with my hand protectively wrapped around the hilt of a sword, raised in front of me in an attacking stance.

"Raise your arms behind your head. Now." The man who had previously spoken commanded brusquely, desperation in his voice. With a pair of trembling hands he had produced a gun, clicking the weapon before me. I open my mouth in response, and close it once more as no words come out.

Everyone's dead. Murdered by the vicious darkness, and I'm about to be killed. Killed... By people who see me as no more than a killer myself.

But that's not true. It isn't at all...

I swallow the hot tears that had began to form in my eyes, raising my gloved hands above my head.

I'm sorry... So sorry...

Slowly; cautious not to make any suspicious movements, I extend a hand downwards. I reach towards the collar of my coat beneath the heavy fabric, and alas my numb fingers find their grip. Whipping around with a handgun at an arm's length in front of me, I fire a round at each of the soldiers, pelting off in the opposite direction.

I'll let the human emotions catch up on me later, maybe.

And the pain, the cold and the hunger.

But for now, I would live. 

I would survive the shadows that had once again appeared behind me as I streak through the forest, running with only dreams for the future.

Author's Note

Thanks for reading! Any edits to do with sentence structure or just grammatical / spelling mistakes will be appreciated.

Reviews

[Sylvia]

Wow, I adore the beginning. Your rhetorical questions drove me mad wanting to know the answers, and the vivid way you describe everything, followed by those mysterious shadow monsters, took my breath away. Very well done : )

[panopticon]

Thanks for the read and comment, glad you enjoyed!