Of Shadows and Children

Not a story so much as a blurb. Will become a large collection of similar ministories.

The shadows danced with no obvious pattern in the light blazing from my palm. As long as they danced, I knew we were safe.
The others walking behind me were not put at ease by the shadows. If anything, the young boys were becoming more frightened with every step. Even without my simple telepathy, their fear would have been obvious, but I could see flashes of their thoughts, all of them dark.
Thonner and Fisk, the brothers, both around 10 or so, were holding onto each other, trying to keep walking through their exhaustion and hunger. I wished that I could help them but I needed to retain my energy, in case our pursuers caught up.
Rikken, the eldest of the boys and their assumed leader, was directly behind me. His breath was ragged and he sported a weeping burn on the side of his face. Even so, he carried another of the boys in his arms, staggering under the weight but never stopping.
When I'd been given the mission of rescuing children, I felt nothing but anger and resentment. With my skills, I told them, I should be at the front lines of the battle, helping the effort directly. Since then, my anger subsided, and now that I had the boys with me, I felt as if I was doing something far more important than simply killing the enemy. In Rikken alone, I saw everything that we were fighting this war for. The freedom of these children had become more important to me than my own safety.
We traveled as quickly as the smallest boy, a curly haired tyke named Dirba, could run. He had only seen seven summers, but he had a drive that I could only admire and be amazed at.
These were the children of families that had been caught in the Colorless advance. Usually, the soulless beasts slaughter every living thing in their path, and then the Imperials come through to loot what's left. For some vile and unknown reason, the Colorless had left thousands of villagers alive, who were then herded like cattle into prison-like structures by the Imperials. I had some sneaking suspicions of what the people were being kept alive for, but my voice counted for little in the Jaojin Command.
I was now part of a massive mission to free as many of the prisoners as possible, starting with the children. I had been sent to a place called Cajalla, once a large town or farmers. It was north of Daj, the westernmost city of Jaojin and it's primary source of trade with Vesè. As such, my commanders were terrified that the Colorless would move on to Daj next, and wanted to destroy the prison camp at Cajalla as soon as possible.
They sent me to remove the children from harm. I am the third most powerful sorcerer in the Joajin military, a rank I worked for years to achieve. I thought myself important, I thought myself above the average person. Now, seeing how hard these boys have worked to survive when so many have died, has given me a new sense of life, and my place in this world.
I am Dutresne of Joajinia, and I will protect the innocent.

Author's Note

Random moment of inspiration produced this. One of the many short pieces from my world of Gaiean.

Reviews

[An owl on the moon]

Yes, it is a blurb waiting to be breathed fully to life in your world to come.. So well done.